Determination of DNA structure in solution: enzymatic deuteration of the ribose 2' carbon

An enzymatic solution to the problem of obtaining 13C/15N-labeled nucleotides that are deuterated uniquely at the H2' ' position within the ribose ring is presented. Selective deuteration occurs with an overall yield of >80%. The deuteron at the H2' ' position allows measurement of the scalar and residual dipolar couplings for the bond vectors attached to the C2' carbon of each ribose sugar. These data allow the accurate determination of sugar conformation. Interesting DNA double helices of 2-3 turns are now within the reach of solution NMR spectroscopy. As an example, these labeled nucleotides are incorporated uniquely at positions 6-14 in a 20-bp DNA sequence containing the adenovirus major late promoter.     

Balancing kinetic and thermodynamic control: the mechanism of carbocation cyclization by squalene cyclase

Molecular dynamics simulations with a combined quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) potential have been carried out to investigate the squalene-to-hopene carbocation cyclization mechanism in squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC). The present study is based on free energy simulations by constructing the free energy surface for the cyclization steps along the reaction pathway. The picture that emerges for the carbocation cyclization cascade is a delicate balance of thermodynamic and kinetic control that ultimately favors the formation of the final hopanoids carbon skeleton. A key finding is that the five- to six-membered ring expansion process is not a viable reaction pathway for either C- or D-ring formation in the cyclization reaction. The only significant intermediate is the A/B-bicyclic cyclohexyl cation (III), from which two asynchronous concerted reaction pathways lead to, respectively, the 6,6,6,5-tetracyclic carbon skeleton and the 6,6,6,6,5-pentacyclic hopanoids. Experimentally, these two products are observed to have 1% and 99% yields, respectively, in the wild-type enzyme. We conclude that the product distribution in the wild-type enzyme is dictated by kinetic control of these two reaction pathways.     

高效液相色谱检测Zn（Ⅱ）、Cd（Ⅱ）、Co（Ⅱ）、Pb（Ⅱ）、Ni（Ⅱ）、Cu（Ⅱ）、Hg（Ⅱ）

用双-(2-羟乙基)二硫代甲酸铵(HEDC)在反相液相色谱中作检测某些金属离子的衍生化试剂，HEDC的金属螯合物微溶于水，可直接水样注射于C18柱中进行检测，范围为0．006～10mg／L相对偏差1％～2％，检测波长254nm，金属汞的整合物在HPLC分析前进行浓缩富集检测限可低至0．06～25μg／L，相对偏差小于2％。     

Experimental and computational studies of intracomplex reactions in Mg+(primary, secondary alkylamine) complexes induced by photoexcitation of Mg+

We report herein a comprehensive study of photoinduced reactions in complexes of Mg+ with primary (n-propyl- and isopropylamine) and secondary amines (dipropyl- and diisopropylamine) in the spectral range of 230-440 nm. Similar to the methyl- and ethylamine complexes studied previously, N-H bond activation of these complexes is very unfavorable. Instead, the C(alpha)-C, C-N, and C(alpha)-H bond-cleavage photoproducts are observed after photoexcitation of the Mg+ complexes (3(2)P<--3(2)S). For Mg+(primary amine) complexes, for example, Mg+-NH2CH2CH2CH3, and Mg+-NH2CH(CH3)2, the photoproducts resulting from C(alpha)--C rupture prevail after P(z) and charge-transfer excitations, whereas the Mg+ photofragment is predominant upon P(x,y) excitation. However, with further N-alkyl substitution, as in Mg+(secondary amine) complexes, for example, Mg+-NH(CH2CH2CH3)2 and Mg+-NH[CH(CH3)2]2, a novel intracomplex C-C coupling photoreaction dominates on P(x,y) excitation of Mg+, which is believed to arise from Mg+* insertion into the C-N bond. With P(z) and charge-transfer excitation, the Mg-R elimination photoproducts, arising from C(alpha)-C bond cleavage, predominate. The energetics and possible mechanisms of the intracomplex photoreactions are analyzed in detail with the help of extensive quantum mechanics calculations.     

Coriatone and corianlactone, two novel sesquiterpenes from Coriaria nepalensis

Both coriatone (1). a novel highly oxygenated picrotoxane-type sesquiterpene, and corianlactone (2). with an unprecedented sesquiterpene basic skeleton, named coriane, were isolated from Coriaria nepalensis Wall. The structures of 1 and 2 were determined by analysis of their two-dimensional NMR data, and the structure of 2 was confirmed by X-ray analysis. Compounds 1 and 2 showed no remarkable inhibitory activity toward K(562) cells. They are cytotoxic with IC(50) > 50 microg/mL (cis-platinim: IC(50) = 0.49 microg/mL).     

Reconocimiento de nicotina en una hebrita de tabaco

Summary Adaption of theLuís method for the detection of nicotine to microscale, usingEmich's capillary technic proved successful, attaining identification limit of 0,03g.Applying a sub-micro steam distillation effect, the nicotine in a speck of tobacco (1 mm² and less) could still be detected by using the above reaction.Extension of the above procedure to mixtures of nicotine with substances not volatile with steam, inorganic (halides) as well as organic compounds (other alkaloids, acids, etc.) proved to be successful, even when the nicotine is present in proportions of only 1 part in 1000.

---

Zusammenfassung Die Anwendung der Kapillartechnik vonEmich zum Nachweis von Nikotin nachLuís war erfolgreich und zeigte eine Erfassungsgrenze von 0,03g.Bei Anwendung einer Ultramikrodampfdestillation kann das Nikotin nach obiger Methode noch in Spuren von Tabak (1 mm² und weniger) nachgewiesen werden.Die Reaktion ist auch positiv bei Gemischen von Nikotin mit anderen, mit Wasserdampf nicht flüchtigen sowohl anorganischen (Halogenide) als auch organischen Substanzen (andere Alkaloide, Säuren etc.), selbst dann noch, wenn das Nikotin bloß im Verhältnis von 11000 vorhanden ist.

---

Résumé La technique capillaire d'Emich a été utilisée avec succès pour identifier la nicotine suivant le procédé deLuís; la limite de sensibilité est alors de 0,03g. La mise en oeuvre d'un ultramicroentraînement à la vapeur permet en outre, par application de la précédente méthode, d'identifier la nicotine dans des traces de tabac (moins de 1 mm²). La réaction est également positive en présence d'autres substances non entraînables par la vapeur d'eau, qu'elles soient minérales (halogénures) ou organiques (autres alcaloïdes, acides, etc. ...) même si la proportion de nicotine n'est que de l'ordre de grandeur de 1/1000.

     

Hydrothermal synthesis and crystal structure of a layered vanadium oxide with an interlayer metal coordination complex: [Co(phen)3][V10O26]·H2O

A novel compound, [Co(phen)₃][V₁₀O₂₆]·H₂O, was hydrothermally synthesized and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group Ccca with a=13.447(3), b=29.936(6), c=23.252(5) Å, V=9360(3) Å³, Z=8 and R=0.0285. Data were collected on a Rigaku R-AXIS RAPID IP diffractometer at 293 K in the range of 1.36<θ<24.99°. The structure of the compound consists of vanadium oxide layers, which are built up from the infinite VO₄ chains by corners and edges sharing. The [Co(phen)₃]²⁺ complexes occupy the interlayer space and contact each other via π−π stacking interactions of the phen groups to form infinite one-dimensional chains.     

The stimulatory effect of heavy metal cations on proliferation of aortic smooth muscle cells

Heavy metal cations Cd2+, Pb2+, and Hg2+ were added to substitute for Ca2+ in culture media to study their effect on the relationship between CaM and the proliferation of cultured rabbit aortic smooth muscle cells (ASMC). It was found that all the heavy metal cations studied stimulated the proliferation of ASMC in varying degrees, increased the CaM content in cells at late G1 stage and decreased the activity of cAMP PDE. These results suggest that the adverse effect of heavy metals may be related to the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and hypertensive disease.     

Isoochotensine,a New Spirobenzyusoquinoline Alkaloid from: Corydalis Ochotensis Turcz

Separation of the phenolic fraction of Corydalis ochotensis afforded a new spirobenzylisoquinoline alkaloid, isoochotensine ( 1 ) and three known alkaloids, ochotensine ( 3 ), cheilanthifoline ( 7 ), and lienkonine ( 9 ) as their acetyl derivatives together with a known nonphenolic alkaloid, ochotensimine ( 5 ). Their structures were elucidated by the spectral data.