Direct High-Throughput Screening Assay for mRNA Cap Guanine-N7 Methyltransferase Activity

In eukaryotes, mature mRNA is formed through modifications of precursor mRNA, one of which is 5’ cap biosynthesis, involving RNA cap guanine-N7 methyltransferase (N7-MTase). N7-MTases are also encoded by some eukaryotic viruses and facilitate their replication. N7-MTase inhibitors have therapeutic potential, but their discovery is difficult because long RNA substrates are usually required for activity. Herein, we report a universal N7-MTase activity assay based on small-molecule fluorescent probes. We synthesized 12 fluorescent substrate analogues (GpppA and GpppG derivatives) varying in the dye type, dye attachment site, and linker length. GpppA labeled with pyrene at the 3’-O position of adenosine acted as an artificial substrate with the properties of a turn-off probe for all three tested N7-MTases (human, parasite, and viral). Using this compound, a N7-MTase inhibitor assay adaptable to high-throughput screening was developed and used to screen synthetic substrate analogues and a commercial library. Several inhibitors with nanomolar activities were identified.     

Optimal Stable Nonlinear Approximation

Foundations of Computational Mathematics - While it is well-known that nonlinear methods of approximation can often perform dramatically better than linear methods, there are still questions on how...     

Star‐Shaped Conjugated Molecules with Oxa‐ or Thiadiazole Bithiophene Side Arms

Star‐shaped conjugated molecules, consisting of a benzene central unit symmetrically trisubstituted with either oxa‐ or thiadiazole bithiophene groups, were synthesized as promising molecules and building blocks for application in (opto)electronics and electrochromic devices. Their optical (E_g(opt)) as well as electrochemical (E_g(electro)) band gaps depended on the type of the side arm and the number of solubilizing alkyl substituents. Oxadiazole derivatives showed E_g(opt) slightly below 3 eV and by 0.2 eV larger than those determined for thiadiazole‐based compounds. The presence of alkyl substituents in the arms additionally lowered the band gap. The obtained compounds were efficient electroluminophores in guest/host‐type light‐emitting diodes. They also showed a strong tendency to self‐organize in monolayers deposited on graphite, as evidenced by scanning tunneling microscopy. The structural studies by X‐ray scattering revealed the formation of supramolecular columnar stacks in which the molecules were organized. Differences in macroscopic alignment in the specimen indicated variations in the self‐assembly mechanism between the molecules. The compounds as trifunctional monomers were electrochemically polymerized to yield the corresponding polymer network. As shown by UV/Vis‐NIR spectroelectrochemical studies, these networks exhibited reversible electrochromic behavior both in the oxidation and in the reduction modes.     

The Study of Derivatization Prior MALDI MSI Analysis—Charge Tagging Based on the Cholesterol and Betaine Aldehyde

Mass spectrometry imaging is a powerful tool for analyzing the different kinds of molecules in tissue sections, but some substances cannot be measured easily, due to their physicochemical properties. In such cases, chemical derivatization could be applied to introduce the charge into the molecule and facilitate its detection. Here, we study cholesterol derivatization with betaine aldehyde from tissue slices and evaluate how different sample preparation methods influence the signal from the derivatization product. In this study, we have tested different solutions for betaine aldehyde, different approaches to betaine aldehyde deposition (number of layers, deposition nozzle height), and different MALDI matrices for its analysis. As a result, we proved that the proposed approach could be used for the analysis of cholesterol in different tissues.     

Unclicking the Click: Metal-Assisted Mechanochemical Cycloreversion of Triazoles Is Possible

The mechanochemical cycloreversion of 1,2,3-triazole compounds, which serve as unusually stable building blocks in materials and biomolecular chemistry as a result of mild “click chemistry”, remains puzzling. We show that the hitherto discussed straight-forward retro-click mechanism of the 1,4-disubstituted isomer, even if Cu^I catalyzed, can be ruled out in view of more favorable activation free energies of destructive pathways. In stark contrast, the 1,5-regioiomer can undergo cycloreversion under rather mild mechanochemical conditions owing to its favorable response to the external force in conjunction with standard Ru^II catalysis.     

Non-hydrolysable Phosphinic Analogues of Dipeptides

Abstract

Peptide analogues 1 in which the phosphonamide group replaces the amide function are thought to mimic the tetrahedral intermediates and transition states in peptide hydrolysis. While pepti-des 1 are potent inhibitors of some peptidases, their unsefulness is limited by rapid hydrolysis of P-N bond in aqueous media. To circumvent the instability problem we designed peptide analogues 2 with a CH₂ group inserted between the phosphorus and nitrogen atoms. Such structures are resistant to hydrolysis but it was interesting to see if they are similar enough to pepti-des to retain any affinity to enzyme active sites.     

Cationic copolymerization of racemic‐β‐butyrolactone with L,L‐lactide: One‐pot synthesis of block copolymers

Cationic copolymerization of racemic‐β‐butyrolactone (β‐BL) with l,l ‐lactide (LA) initiated by alcohol and catalyzed by trifluoromethanesulfonic acid proceeding by activated monomer (AM) mechanism was investigated. Although both comonomers were present from the beginning in the reaction mixture, polymerization proceeded in sequential manner, with poly‐BL formed at the first stage acting as a macroinitiator for the subsequent polymerization of LA. Such course of copolymerization was confirmed by following the consumption of both comonomers throughout the process as well as by observing the changes of growing chain‐end structure using ¹H NMR. ¹³C NMR analysis and thermogravimetry revealed the block structure of resulting copolymers. The proposed mechanism of copolymerization was confirmed by the studies of changes of ¹H NMR chemical shift of acidic proton in the course of copolymerization, providing an indication that indeed protonated species and hydroxyl groups are present throughout the process, as required for AM mechanism. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2013 , 51, 4873–4884