Colorimetric uranium determination with arsenazo

A rapid and sensitive method is described for the quantitative colorimetric determination of uranium(Vl). Masking agents such as EDTA, tartaric acid or thioglycerol make possible the determination of uranium in the presence of many foreign metal ions. If thorium is present, a preliminary extraction of uranium as the diethyldithiocarbamate is required.     

Phosphorothioate Analogues of Nucleotides—Tools for the Investigation of Biochemical Processes

Nucleoside phosphorothioates are analogues of nucleotides with a wide range of applications. Thus, on the one hand, in many but not all cases they are more stable against hydrolysis than the unmodified nucleotides—a property which they share with other nucleotide analogues. On the other hand, however, they are good substrates for many, but not all reactions where the nucleotide or the phosphorothioate group is transferred to an acceptor other than H₂O. As a consequence, once incorporated into a system such as DNA, phosphorothioates cannot be easily removed. What makes these compounds unique to a certain extent is the chirality at the phosphorus center if two nonequivalent residues are linked to the phosphorothioate group. This opens the way for the use of these compounds to investigate stereochemical aspects of enzymatic reactions. In addition to these properties, there are those expected from exchange of an oxygen for a sulfur atom in a phosphate group, e.g. the increased affinity towards mercury derivatives and the large chemical shift of the ³¹P-NMR sinals. If one considers how many biologically interesting compounds contain phosphate groups, the considerable interest in these nucleotide analogues is not surprising.     

Concentration and determination of trace organic pollutants in water

Organic pollutants in water are isolated on a mini-sampler tube containing a macroporous resin. The sorbed pollutants are next thermally transferred to a second sorption tube and then to an analytical column where they are separated and determined by temperature-programmed gas chromatography. Excellent recoveries were obtained for tests in which model organic compounds of various classes were added to water. The water sample is much smaller than that required with previous analytical methods.     

Phytochrome,the Visual Pigment of Plants

Plants require light for photosynthesis. In order to adapt to the light conditions in their particular habitat, they have developed various photoreceptor systems. Of these, phytochrome allows even two-color vision in the red/far-red region. The photoreceptor phytochrome is of interest not only to botanists, but also to natural product chemists, photochemists, biochemists, photobiologists, and recently molecular biologists. Despite numerous studies, there are still considerable gaps in our knowledge of this photoreceptor. This article first describes the basic structural studies of the tetrapyrrole chromophore and its photochemical cis–trans isomerization, which is the source of the chromoprotein's photochromism. In the section on the protein moiety, beside other topics, the domain structure of phytochrome and the conformational changes during phototransformation are discussed. Finally, the known phytochrome genes are used to derive phylogenetic relationships, and possible structure–function relationships are discussed.     

Renormalization group and high-temperature series for the two-dimensional ising model

We employ high-temperature series to investigate a two-parameter class of renormalization group transformations for the two-dimensional Ising model on the triangular lattice. For the static case we identify an optimal organization of the high-temperature expansion and an optimal transformation matrix and thus find, in second order, =0.96 and the magnetic eigenvaluey=2-/2=1.76.From recursion relations for flip rates we find the dynamic exponent to be the same for all transformations in our two-parameter class,z=2.32.Our fixed-point flip rates do not describe a Markov process even though the corresponding master equation for the single-event probability displays no explicit memory effects. The non-Markovian nature shows up only in a violation of the Markovian detailed balance conditions.     

Chemoenzymatic synthesis of both enantiomers of cispentacin

Based on the lipase-catalysed kinetic resolution of the silyloxyalcohol (1RS,2SR)-5 by transesterification with vinyl acetate in the presence of lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia a synthesis of both enantiomers of the β-amino acid cispentacin (1R,2S)-1 and (1S,2R)-1 using simple functional group interconversions is described.     

The rhodium complex of a tris(bipyridine) ligand—Its electrochemical behaviour and function as mediator for the regeneration of NADH from NAD+

The tris-bipyridine ligand3a and its stoichiometric Rh³⁺ complex have been prepared. Cyclovoltammograms of the complex at pH 7.4 using a glassy carbon disk electrode reveal a strong reduction peak at –620 mV and two weak reduction peaks at more negative voltage. The reduction potential of the new complex is shifted by 300 mV to more positive values as compared to [Rh(bipy)₃]³⁺. There is no reversible reoxidation peak of the Rh(I) complex formed due to the decomplexation of one of the three bipyridine units in the course of the transition Rh(III)Rh(I). The Rh(III) complex of3a was also studied with respect to its function as a possible redox mediator for the electrochemical regeneration of NADH from NAD⁺. The preparative electrolysis of the Rh³⁺ complex of3a in the presence of NAD⁺ yields a selective formation of NADH, whereas NAD dimers were not detected. On the other hand, a significant acceleration of this reaction compared to [Rh(bipy)₃]³⁺ was not observed.     

Molecules with Large Cavities in Supramolecular Chemistry

Supramolecular chemistry is a new area of research that has rapidly developed from pure synthetic chemistry, and its novelty has led to interdisciplinary cooperation between organic and inorganic chemistry, biochemistry, physical and theoretical chemistry, and physics. Whereas molecular chemistry essentially deals with the covalent bonding of atoms, Supramolecular chemistry is predominantly involved in the study of the weaker intermolecular interactions resulting in the association and self-organization of several components to form larger aggregates (supramolecules). The first crown ether discovered by the subsequent Nobel prizewinner Pedersen was more the fortuitous reaction product of an impurity, but nowadays, some twenty-five years later, chemists are able to tailor host molecules to special requirements. Host compounds having a cyclophane skeleton make an important contribution, since their aromatic structural units ensure the necessary rigidity of the molecular structures and thereby improve the preorganization of the coordination sites for the cooperative binding of the guests. During the course of the rapid development of Supramolecular chemistry such a large number of synthetic hosts has been developed and their interaction with guests studied in such depth that we must restrict ourselves here to a discussion of a particular group of host compounds, namely cavity-supporting macrobicyclic and macrooligocyclic phanesu, which bear a similar relation to open-chain and monocyclic hosts as the metal-complexing cryptands to the podands and crown ethers. The molecular architecture of these three-dimensionally bridged macrooligocycles is a challenge for synthetic chemistry. (Not only the size and shape of the intramolecular cavity, but also the provision of the latter with suitable coordination centers have to be included in the synthesis strategy.) The capacity for the envelopment of guests from all sides and the expedient endo functionalization often also produce a particularly strong binding of host and guest, outstanding selectivities with regards to molecular recognition, and special properties of the Supramolecular complexes.     

POTENTIATION OF MEROCYANINE 540-MEDIATED PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY BY SALICYLATE and RELATED DRUGS

Abstract— Simultaneous exposure to merocyanine 540 (MC540) and light of a suitable wavelength kills leukemia, lymphoma and neuroblastoma cells but is relatively well tolerated by normal pluripotent hematopoietic stem cells. This differential phototoxic effect has been exploited in preclinical models and a phase I clinical trial for the extracorporeal purging of autologous bone marrow grafts. Salicylate is known to potentiate the MC540-mediated photokilling of tumor cells. Assuming that salicylate induces a change in the plasma membrane of tumor cells (but not normal hematopoietic stem cells) that enhances the binding of dye molecules it has been suggested that salicylate may provide a simple and effective means of improving the therapeutic index of MC540-mediated photodynamic therapy. We report here on a direct test of this hypothesis in a murine model of bone marrow transplantation as well as in clonal cultures of normal murine hematopoietic progenitor cells. In both systems, salicylate enhanced the MC540-sensitized photoinactivation of leukemia cells and normal bone marrow cells to a similar extent and thus failed to improve the therapeutic index of MC540 significantly. On the basis of a series of dye-binding studies, we offer an alternative explanation for the potentiating effect of salicylate. Rather than invoking a salicylate-induced change in the plasma membrane of tumor cells, we propose that salicylate displaces dye molecules from serum albumin, thereby enhancing the concentration of free (active) dye available for binding to tumor as well as normal hematopoietic stem cells.