Peptide folding dynamics: a time-resolved study from the nanosecond to the microsecond time regime

Time-resolved spectroscopies, spanning from the nanosecond to the microsecond time regime, coupled with molecular mechanics calculations, allowed us to assess the most populated conformations in solution of a series of analogues of trichogin GA IV, a natural undecapeptide showing significant antimicrobial activity. This peptide is characterized by a high content of the conformationally constrained alpha-aminoisobutyric acid and by a glycine-glycine motif in the central part of the sequence. Nanosecond time-resolved fluorescence experiments were performed to determine the conformational properties of the peptide analogues in solution, while transient absorption measurements allowed us to study the peptide dynamics on the microsecond time scale. Because the peptides examined were functionalized by a fluorescent probe at the N-terminus and a nitroxide quencher placed along the backbone at three different positions, the distance-dependent fluorophore-quencher interaction was exploited to obtain a deeper insight into their three-dimensional structural and dynamical properties. Further information on the conformational and dynamical features was obtained by photophysical experiments as a function of the viscosity and polarity of the medium. Taken together, the results revealed a transition from an elongated, helical conformation to a family of compact, folded structures mimicking a helix-turn-helix motif, which may represent a model of the early steps of the protein hydrophobic collapse.     

Hydrosilylation of aromatic nitriles promoted by solvated rhodium atom-derived catalysts

Rhodium metal particles, isolated as supported or unsupported powder starting from mesitylene solvated rhodium atoms, catalyse the hydrosilylation of aromatic nitriles to N,N-disilylamines in high conversion at 100°C. Different hydrosilanes (HSiMe₃, HSi(OEt)₃) can be employed. In the case of cinnamonitrile, the chemoselectivity of the reaction to 2-trimethylsilyl-3-phenylpropionitrile and (E)- and (Z)-1-di(trimethylsilyl)amino-3-phenyl-1-propene is strongly dependent on the reaction temperature. The commercial rhodium on γ-Al₂O₃ catalyst is considerably less active and selective than the analogous catalyst prepared via Metal Vapour Synthesis (MVS) probably owing to the different dimension and distribution of the metal particles in the two samples as shown by HRTEM analysis.     

Solution- and solid-phase synthesis of 4-hydroxy-4,5-dihydroisoxazole derivatives from enantiomerically pure N-tosyl-2,3-aziridine alcohols

[reaction: see text] Enantiomerically pure N-tosyl-2,3-aziridine alcohols are directly converted into 4-hydroxy-4,5-dihydroisoxazole 2-oxides through oxidation to the corresponding aldehydes followed by in situ tandem nitroaldol-intramolecular cyclization. This study was concerned with (i) the selection of a suitable aziridine activation, (ii) the preparation of the target 4-hydroxy-4,5-dihydroisoxazole derivatives in solution, and (iii) the elaboration of a solid-phase process using hydroxy Merrifield-supported nitroacetic acid ester.     

Stereoselective alkylation of chiral 2-imidoylphenols with organolithium reagents: synthesis of enantiopure 2-aminoalkylphenols

In this paper the addition of organolithium reagents to chiral imidoylphenols to prepare enantiopure phenolic Mannich-type bases is described. The experimental data show that this kind of imine is surprisingly reactive toward organolithium reagents, differently from classical imines, and does not need any Lewis acid or base activation. Moreover, interesting results have been obtained with aldimines but more unusually with ketimines. This reaction results in high yields and diastereoselectivities and allows the preparation of aminophenols quaternary at the C-1 carbon atom, which cannot be prepared with the methods available till now. The sense of asymmetric induction has been explained and confirmed in agreement with the results previously obtained by hydride reduction of the same substrates. In some cases this procedure is complementary to the reductive one, allowing the preparation of the diastereomers less abundant in the reduction. The reaction allows the synthesis of one or the other of the two diastereomers, choosing the opportune starting imidoylphenol and the organolithium reagent.     

Protonation and coordination properties towards Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) of a phenanthroline-containing macrocycle with an ethylamino pendant arm

Protonation and Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) coordination with the ligand 5-aminoethyl-2,5,8-triaza-[9]-10,23-phenanthrolinophane (L2), which contains an aminoethyl pendant attached to a phenanthroline-containing macrocycle, have been investigated by means of potentiometric, 1H NMR and spectrofluorimetric titrations in aqueous solutions. The coordination properties of L2 are compared with those of the ligand 2,5,8-triaza-[9]-10,23-phenanthrolinophane (L1). Ligand protonation occurs on the aliphatic amine groups and does not involve directly the heteroaromatic nitrogens. The fluorescence emission properties of L2 are controlled by the protonation state of the benzylic nitrogens: when not protonated, their lone pairs are available for an electron transfer process to the excited phenanthroline, quenching the emission. As a consequence, the ligand is emissive only in the highly charged [H3L2]3+ and [H4L2]4+ species, where the benzylic nitrogens are protonated. Considering metal complexation, both [ML1]2+ and [ML2]2+ complexes (M = Zn(II) and Cd(II)) are not emissive, since the benzylic nitrogens are weakly involved in metal coordination, and, once again, they are available for quenching the fluorescence emission. Protonation of the L2 complexes to give [MHL2]3+ species, instead, leads to a recovery of the fluorescence emission. Complex protonation, in fact, occurs on the ethylamino group and gives a marked change of the coordination sphere of the metals, with a stronger involvement in metal coordination of the benzylic nitrogens; consequently, their lone pairs are not available for the process of emission quenching.     

Stereoselective synthesis and functionalization of 4-heterosubstituted β-lactams

Polyfunctionalized β-lactams were prepared with high stereoselectivity in an efficient manner. A palladium-catalyzed [2+2] carbonylative cycloaddition of allyl bromide with heteroaryliden-anilines afforded 2-azetidinones N-phenyl substituted, with an heteroaryl moiety linked at the C-4 carbon, and an alkenyl group at the C-3 carbon. The C-3 and the C-4 positions could be further functionalized inserting alkyl and hydroxyl groups in the azetidinone ring, through the generation of a stable azetidinyl anion then captured by various electrophiles.     

Determination of uranium isotopes in environmental samples by alpha-spectrometry

A new and accurate method for the determination of uranium isotopes (²³⁸U, ²³⁴U and ²³⁵U) in environmental samples by alpha-spectrometry has been developed. Uranium is preconcentrated from filtered water samples by coprecipitation with iron(III) hydroxide at pH 9-10 using an ammonia solution and the precipitate is dissolved in HNO₃ and mineralized with H₂O₂ and HF; uranium in biological samples is ashed at 600 °C, leached with Na₂CO₃ solution and mineralised with HNO₃, HF and H₂O₂; uranium in soil samples is fused with Na₂CO₃ and Na₂O₂ at 600 °C and leached with HCl, HNO₃ and HF. The mineralized or leaching solution in 2M HNO₃ is passed through a Microthene-TOPO (tri-octyl-phosphine oxide) column; after washing, uranium is directly eluted into a cell with ammonium oxalate solution, electrodeposited on a stainless steel disk and measured by alpha-spectrometry. The lower limits of detection of the method is 0.37 Bq^.kg^-1 (soil) and 0.22 mBq^.l^-1 (water) for ²³⁸U and ²³⁴U and 0.038 Bq^.kg^-1 (soil) and 0.022 mBq^.l^-1 (water) for ²³⁵U if 0.5 g of soil and 1 litre of water are analyzed. Five reference materials supplied by the IAEA have been analyzed and reliable results are obtained. Sample analyses show that, the ²³⁸U, ²³⁴U and ²³⁵U concentrations are in the ranges of 0.30-103, 0.49-135 and 0.02-4.82 mBq^.l^-1 in waters, of 1.01-7.14, 0.85-7.69 and 0.04-0.32 Bq^.kg^-1 in mosses and lichens, and of 25.6-53.1, 26.4-53.8 and 1.18-2.48 Bq^.kg^-1 in sediments. The average uranium yields for waters, mosses, lichens and sediments are 74.5±9.0%, 80.5±8.3%, 77.8±4.9% and 89.4±9.7%, respectively.     

Bigeneric initial ideals, diagonal subalgebras and bigraded Hilbert functions

In this paper we study some problems concerning bigraded ideals. By introducing the concept of bigeneric initial ideal, we answer an open question about diagonal subalgebras and we give a necessary condition for a function to be the bigraded Hilbert function of a bigraded algebra. Moreover, we give an upper bound for the regularity of a bistable ideal in terms of the degrees of its generators.     

Elucidation of Analytical–Compositional Fingerprinting of Three Different Species of Chili Pepper by Using Headspace Solid-Phase Microextraction Coupled with Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry Analysis,and Sensory Profile Evaluation

The aim of the present study was to determine the volatile compounds of three different species of chili peppers, using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) methods in combination with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The detection of marker aroma compounds could be used as a parameter to differentiate between species of chili peppers for their detection and traceability in chili pepper food. The sensorial contribution was also investigated to identify the predominant notes in each species and to evaluate how they can influence the overall aroma. Three different pepper species belonging to the Capsicum genus were analyzed: Chinense, Annuum, and Baccatum. A total of 269 volatile compounds were identified in these species of chili peppers. The Capsicum annum species were characterized by a high number of acids and ketones, while the Capsicum chinense and Capsicum baccatum were characterized by esters and aldehydes, respectively. The volatile profile of extra virgin olive oils (EVOOs) flavored with chili peppers was also investigated, and principal component analysis (PCA) and hierarchical cluster analysis (HCA) of the volatile profiles were demonstrated to be a powerful analytical strategy for building a model that highlights the potential of a volatile characterization approach for use in evaluating food traceability and authenticity.     

Assignment of the absolute configuration of (+)-diplopyrone, the main phytotoxin produced by Diplodia mutila, the pathogen of the cork oak decline, by a nonempirical analysis of its chiroptical properties

The nonempirical assignment of the absolute configuration of (+)-diplopyrone, the main phytotoxin of Diplodia mutila, i.e., an endophytic fungus, widespread in Sardinian oak forests, and considered one of the main causes of cork oak decline, has been approached by two different methods: (a) the exciton analysis of the circular dichroism (CD) spectrum and (b) the ab initio calculation of the optical rotatory power. Both methods indicate that (+)-diplopyrone is 6-[(1S)-1-hydroxyethyl]-2,4a(S),6(R),8a(S)-tetrahydropyrano[3,2-b]pyran-2-one, so the stereostructure of this important biomolecule is safely determined for the first time. A comparison of advantages and limitations of the two methods of analysis is also presented.