Researches on pyridodiazepines. Behavior of 7,8,9,10-tetrahydro-5-methylcyclopenta[e]pyrido[3,2-b][1,4]-diazepin-6(5H)-one with chloroacetyl chloride

Following a previous experiment, an original heteropolycyclic structure 4 was obtained by a reaction of chloroacetyl chloride with compound 3 bearing a conjugated double bond system. The condensation develops with an initial NH-chloroacetylation and ring closure by quaternarization of the pyridine nitrogen. This is achieved through an 1,4 -cycloaddition of chloroketene to make a pyranone ring.     

Hemithio-analogues of meisenheimer complexes and sulphide group activation of aromatic substitution by alkoxides

EtO^? in DMSO adds to ethylthiopicrate at C-3 to generate an ephemeral

-adduct which ends into 1-ethylthio-4-ethoxy-2,5-dinitrobenzene, whilst ethyl picrate gives two adducts of attack of EtS^? at C-3 or C-1.     

PHOTOMORPHOGENIC RESPONSES TO UV RADIATION. II: A COMPARATIVE STUDY OF UV EFFECTS ON HYPOCOTYL ELONGATION IN A WILD-TYPE AND AN aurea MUTANT OF TOMATO (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.)

Hypocotyl growth in etiolated seedlings of wild-type and an aurea mutant of tomato (Lycopersicon esculenturn Mill.), that appears to be deficient in labile phytochrome, is strongly inhibited by UV radiation in the region of 300–400 nm. The role of phytochrome in the UV-mediated inhibition of hypocotyl growth was studied using different experimental approaches: (1) by comparing the effectiveness of treatments of increasing duration of exposure to 692 nm and UV radiation; (2) by modifying the UV spectral range with specific cut-off filters. The experimental results suggest that the UV-induced inhibition of growth in wild-type tomato is mediated to a large extent by the longer wavelengths of the UV-A region and is mediated mainly by phytochrome. In contrast, at wavelengths < 305 nm a strong UV-B effect was found in the aurea mutant, suggesting a preeminent action of a specific UV-B absorbing photoreceptor that displays less action in the wild-type.     

Vascular endothelial and smooth muscle cell culture on NaOH-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) films: a preliminary study for vascular graft development

Tissue engineering offers the potential of providing vessels that can be used to replace diseased and damaged native blood vessels. The endothelization of a synthetic vascular graft minimizes the failures associated with blood clotting and platelet activation. The aim of this study was to culture vascular-derived endothelial and smooth muscle cells on both untreated and NaOH-treated poly(epsilon-caprolactone) (PCL) films, a biocompatible and bio-resorbable polymer, and to evaluate the behavior of both cell types as a preliminary study for vascular graft development. PCL films were prepared by hot pressing; characterized by DSC, IR, SEM, and scanning force microscopy; and treated with NaOH to increase the surface hydrophilicity before cell culture. Endothelial and smooth muscle cells, isolated from pig cava vein, were characterized by immunofluorescence and confocal microscopy studies of endothelial nitric oxide synthase and alpha-smooth muscle actin. Good adhesion, growth, viability and morphology of both the endothelial and smooth muscle cells on PCL films were obtained, but a light stimulation of mitochondrial activity was observed during short culture times. NaOH treatment improved the adhesion and enhanced the proliferation in both cell types. This verified the possible use of this modified polymer as a support in the preparation of a synthetic vascular graft. [Diagram: see text] SEM micrograph of smooth muscle cells cultured on NaOH-treated PCL film. (Original magnification: 1000x).     

Reversible immobilization of engineered molecules by Ni-NTA chelators

Electrochemical synthesis of nickel-nitrilotriacetic acid (Ni-NTA) chelators, for subsequent immobilization of (His)(6)-tagged proteins (Photosystem II (PSII) as model molecule), on Au or Au-graphite electrodes is compared to chemical synthesis. Results show: (i) higher Ni-NTA surface density, (ii) shorter treatment time (1-12 min vs. 16 h normally needed for self-assembled monolayer (SAM)), (iii) possibility of addressing the chelator to only one Au electrode, in a sensor micro-array.     

Peroxidase based biosensors for the selective determination of D,L-lactic acid and L-malic acid in wines

A novel bioelectrochemical method for the direct determination of D(−) L(+) lactic acid and of L(−) malic acid in wines is presented. Multienzymatic biosensors were realized for the selective determination of the three analytes: D(−) and L(+) lactic acid were measured by a trienzymatic biosensor based on the catalytic activities of the enzymes L(+) lactate oxidase (LOD), D(−) lactate dehydrogenase (D-LDH) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP); L(−) malic acid was measured by a bienzymatic electrode, realized by coupling the enzymes L(−) malic dehydrogenase (L-MDH) and horseradish peroxidase (HRP). In both cases the enzymes were immobilized on an oxygen selective Clark electrode.The simultaneous determination of the two organic acids can be accomplished either in batch or in a flow injection analysis apparatus using the same biosensors as detectors. The analytical performance of the method, tested in standard aqueous solutions and on real samples of wines, showing high repeatability, short response times and reduced cost of analysis, suggest that the experimental approach here described could be followed to monitor the progress of malolactic fermentation.     

Radical anions of nitrobenzothiazoles: EPR study of conjugative properties of benzothiazolyl systems

The electrochemical reduction in DMSO of the five isomers of nitrobenzothiazole (NBTZ) gave quite persistent radical anions that could be easily characterised by EPR spectroscopy. By contrast, the chemical reduction in alkaline solution, that is by t-BuOK in DMSO or by glucose and MeOK in MeOH, presented some problems with 6- and 4-NBTZ, and in the case of 2-NBTZ did not provide any detectable paramagnetic species. The internal consistency of coupling constants of the nitrobenzothiazole radical anions is in good agreement with the conjugative properties of the various benzothiazolyl systems and allows rectifying a recent EPR characterisation of 6-NBTZ radical anion.     

Synthesis,characterization and coordination chemistry of the new tetraazamacrocycle 4,10-dimethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-bis(methanephosphonic acid monoethyl ester) dipotassium salt

A new potentially hexadentate tetraazamacrocycle based on the cyclen skeleton has been synthesized and fully characterized. The macrocycle 4,10-dimethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,7-bis(methanephosphonic acid monoethyl ester) dipotassium salt (Me2DO2PME) contains mutually trans monoethyl ester phosphonate acid substituents on two nitrogen atoms, and trans methyl substituents on the other two nitrogen atoms. The protonation constants of this macrocycle and the stability constants of its complexes with Cu2+, Zn2+, Gd3+ and Ca2+ ions have been determined by pH potentiometric titrations. The protonation sequence of the macrocycle has been studied by 1H, 31P[1H] and 13C[1H] NMR spectroscopy: the first and second protonation steps take place at the methyl-substituted nitrogen atoms, while the third protonation involves one oxygen from a phosphonate group. Upon protonation, all the CH2 ring protons become magnetically inequivalent on the NMR time scale due to a slow conformational rearrangement, most likely occasioned by the formation of multiple hydrogen bonds within the macrocyclic ring. Me2DOPM forms neutral, mononuclear complexes with all the metals investigated. The presence of hydroxo complexes was observed for Ca2+ and Zn2+ at high pH values. Structural information on the neutral complex [Cu(Me2DO2PME)] has been obtained by a solution X-Band EPR study. It is proposed that Me2DO2PME binds Cu2+ in a distorted octahedral structure using all of its donor atoms, i.e. the four nitrogen atoms and the two phosphonate oxygen atoms. The redox chemistry of [Cu(Me2DO2PME)] in dimethyl sulfoxide and water has been studied by electrochemical measurements. Cyclic voltammetry in DMSO shows the complex to undergo a quasireversible one-electron reduction step leading to an unstable CuI species.     

Stochastic theory of size exclusion chromatography by the characteristic function approach

A general stochastic theory of size exclusion chromatography (SEC) able to account for size dependence on both pore ingress and egress processes, moving zone dispersion and pore size distribution, was developed. The relationship between stochastic-chromatographic and batch equilibrium conditions are discussed and the fundamental role of the 'ergodic' hypothesis in establishing a link between them is emphasized. SEC models are solved by means of the characteristic function method and chromatographic parameters like plate height, peak skewness and excess are derived. The peak shapes are obtained by numerical inversion of the characteristic function under the most general conditions of the exploited models. Separate size effects on pore ingress and pore egress processes are investigated and their effects on both retention selectivity and efficiency are clearly shown. The peak splitting phenomenon and peak tailing due to incomplete sample sorption near to the exclusion limit is discussed. An SEC model for columns with two types of pores is discussed and several effects on retention selectivity and efficiency coming from pore size differences and their relative abundance are singled out. The relevance of moving zone dispersion on separation is investigated. The present approach proves to be general and able to account for more complex SEC conditions such as continuous pore size distributions and mixed retention mechanism.