Heterologous expression, purification, refolding, and structural-functional characterization of EP-B2, a self-activating barley cysteine endoprotease

We describe the heterologous expression in Escherichia coli of the proenzyme precursor to EP-B2, a cysteine endoprotease from germinating barley seeds. High yields (50 mg/l) of recombinant proEP-B2 were obtained from E. coli inclusion bodies in shake flask cultures following purification and refolding. The zymogen was rapidly autoactivated to its mature form under acidic conditions at a rate independent of proEP-B2 concentration, suggesting a cis mechanism of autoactivation. Mature EP-B2 was stable and active over a wide pH range and efficiently hydrolyzed a recombinant wheat gluten protein, alpha2-gliadin, at sequences with known immunotoxicity in celiac sprue patients. The X-ray crystal structure of mature EP-B2 bound to leupeptin was solved to 2.2 A resolution and provided atomic insights into the observed subsite specificity of the endoprotease. Our findings suggest that orally administered proEP-B2 may be especially well suited for treatment of celiac sprue.     

Unexpected interconversion reaction of 1,4-diaminofullerenes

A facile substitution of amine groups attached to the fullerene cage occurs when 1,4-diaminofullerenes C60[NR2]2 are allowed to react with excess of another amine R'2NH; this reaction proceeds rapidly at room temperature without any additional initiators.     

Simple electrooptical sensors for inorganic anions

[reaction: see text] Electrooptical sensors consisting of a conjugated chromophore undergoing a change in color and a redox-active moiety such as quinone fused to the chromophore were synthesized. Strong changes in colorimetric and electrochemical properties were observed in the presence of inorganic anions. A unique anion-specific response was observed for fluoride, pyrophosphate, and acetate. DFT (B3LYP/6-31G) calculations performed for both "on/off" states of a sensor-fluoride model are in good agreement with the observed electrochemical and spectroscopic data.     

Photoelectron spectroscopy of S1 toluene: II. Intramolecular dynamics of selected vibrational levels in S1 toluene studied by nanosecond and picosecond time-resolved photoelectron spectroscopies

We present results which suggest that the photophysics of S(1) toluene is significantly more complicated than that of the related molecules p-fluorotoluene or p-difluorobenzene. We have measured a range of photoelectron spectra for a number of S(1) internal energies, on different time scales and at different temperatures, in an attempt to unravel the competing processes, but the final conclusion remains outstanding.     

Micro-bore titanium housed polymer monoliths for reversed-phase liquid chromatography of small molecules

A new method for the fixation of polymethacrylate monoliths within titanium tubing of up to 0.8 mm I.D. for use as a chromatographic column under elevated temperatures and pressures is described. The preparation of butyl methacrylate–ethylene dimethacrylate-based monolithic stationary phases with desired porous structures was achieved within titanium tubing with pre-oxidised internal walls. The oxidised titanium surface was subsequently silanised with 3-trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate resulting in tight bonding of butyl methacrylate porous monolith to the internal walls, providing stationary phase stability at column temperatures up to 110 °C and at operating column pressure drops of >28 MPa. The titanium housed monoliths exhibited a uniform and dense porous structure, which provided peak efficiencies of up to 59,000 theoretical plates per meter when evaluated for the separation of small molecules in reversed-phase mode, under optimal conditions (achieved at 15 μL/min and temperature of 110 °C for naphthalene with a retention factor, k = 0.58). The developed column was applied to the reversed-phase isocratic separation of a text mixture of pesticides.     

Effects of finite size nuclei in relativistic four-component calculations of hyperfine structure

The effect of a finite size model for both the nuclear charge and magnetic moment distributions on calculated EPR hyperfine structure have been studied using a relativistic four-component method based on density functional theory. This approach employs a restricted kinetically balanced basis (mDKS-RKB) and includes spin-polarization using noncollinear spin-density exchange-correlation functionals in the unrestricted fashion. Benchmark calculations have been carried out for a number of small molecules containing Zn, Cd, Ag, and Hg. The present results are compared with those obtained at the Douglas-Kroll-Hess second order (DKH-2) method. The dependence of the results on the quality of the orbital and auxiliary basis sets has been studied. It was found that some basis sets contain irregularities that deteriorate the results. Especial care has to be taken also on the construction of the auxiliary basis for fitting the total electron and spin-densities.     

Spectral properties of coumarin derivatives in various environments

The structural and spectral properties of coumarin derivatives in complex environments were investigated within the time-dependent density functional theory (TD DFT). Absorption spectra calculations were obtained at TD PBE0/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory for coumarin47 in the gas-phase and in various polar and non-polar organic solvents. The geometries of coumarins 6, 30, 47 and 522 in the gas phase and in inclusion complexes with the β-cyclodextrin (βCD) were determined by PM3 and DFT (HCTH/6-31G) calculations. Encapsulation of coumarin in βCD and associated changes in electronic structure produced either a red or blue shift in the absorption spectra of coumarins. A proposed cavity model for βCD-coumarin complex in water solution allowed identification of various contributions to the overall shift in the absorption spectra of coumarin upon complex formation in a solvent environment      

Abnormal reactions of 2‐methoxy‐4,9‐dimethyl‐1‐nitroacridine with selenous acid and selenium(IV) oxide. Synthesis of 1H‐selenopheno[2,3,4‐k,l]acridine‐1‐one: A new seleno‐containing ring system

Unusual course of the reaction was revealed on the oxidation of functionally substituted acridine containing the activated methyl groups by well‐known oxidants, such as selenous acid and selenium(IV) oxide. Treatment of 2‐methoxy‐4,9‐dimethyl‐1‐nitroacridine ( 5 ) with an excess of H₂SeO₃ in boiling ethanol gave a mixture of the normal reaction products, 2‐methoxy‐4‐methyl‐1‐nitro‐9‐formylacridine ( 11 ) (isolated yield 29%) and 2‐methoxy‐4‐methyl‐1‐nitroacridine‐9‐carboxylic acid ( 12 ) (36%), together with an abnormal product, 3‐methoxy‐5‐methyl‐1H‐selenopheno[2,3,4‐k,l]acridine‐1‐one ( 13 ) (21%), which is the first example of a new seleno‐containing ring system. With the use of SeO₂ the yield of selenolactone 13 was much lower. J. Heterocyclic Chem., 2011.     

Single wall carbon nanotubes density of states: comparison of experiment and theory

We study the electronic structure of a variety of single wall carbon nanotubes and report density of states obtained with the Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof (PBE) generalized gradient approximation and hybrid PBE0 approximation of density functional theory using Gaussian orbitals and periodic boundary conditions. PBE gives very good results for metallic tubes but the addition of a portion of exact exchange in the hybrid PBE0 functional worsens the agreement between experiment and theory. On the other hand, the PBE0 hybrid significantly improves the theoretical predictions (compared to PBE) for semiconducting tubes.