Synthesis and Structure of the Ruthenium(II) Complexes [(eta-C(5)Me(5))Ru(NO)(bipy)](2+) and [(eta-C(5)Me(5))Ru(NO)(dppz)](2+). DNA Cleavage by an Organometallic dppz Complex (bipy = 2,2'-Bipyridine; dppz = Dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine)

The salts [(eta-C(5)Me(5))Ru(NO)(bipy)][OTf](2) (1[OTf](2)) and [(eta-C(5)Me(5))Ru(NO)(dppz)][OTf](2) (2[OTf](2)) are obtained from the treatment of (eta-C(5)Me(5))Ru(NO)(OTf)(2) with 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) or dipyrido[3,2-a:2',3'-c]phenazine (dppz) (OTf = OSO(2)CF(3)). X-ray data for 1[OTf](2): monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, a = 11.553 (4) ?, b = 16.517 (5) ?, c = 14.719 (4) ?, beta = 94.01 (2) degrees, V = 2802 (2) ?(3), Z = 4, R1 = 0.0698. X-ray data for 2[OTf](2): monoclinic space group P2(1)/c, a = 8.911 (2) ?, b = 30.516 (5) ?, c = 24.622 (4) ?, beta = 99.02 (1) degrees, V = 6613 (2) ?(3), Z = 8, R1 = 0.0789. Both 1[OTf](2) and 2[OTf](2) are soluble in water where they exhibit irreversible electrochemical oxidation and reduction. A fluorescence-monitored titration of a DNA solution containing 2[OTf](2) with ethidium bromide provides evidence that 2(2+) intercalates into DNA with a binding constant greater than 10(6) M(-)(1). DNA cleavage occurs when the DNA solutions containing 2[OTf](2) are photolyzed or treated with H(2)O(2) or K(2)S(2)O(8).     

Enantioselective gas chromatographic assay with electron-capture detection for dl-ritalinic acid in plasma

Enantioselective gas chromatographic assays for the quantitation of methylphenidate and its major metabolite ritalinic acid in plasma are described. The procedures involved the extraction of methylphenidate enantiomers from alkanised plasma. The plasma was then washed to ensure complete removal of methylphenidate before saturation with sodium carbonate to promote the extraction of ritalinic acid enantiomers with ethyl acetate-isopropanol (60:40) solvent mixture. Subsequently, ritalinic acid enantiomers were converted back into methylphenidate enantiomers by Fisher-Speier esterification. N-Heptafluorobutyryl-L-prolyl chloride, a chiral acylating reagent, was used to convert the enantiomers of methylphenidate into their corresponding diastereomeric amide derivatives, which were separated cleanly on an achiral capillary column (OV-225) and quantitated with electron-capture detection. The assays were sensitive, reliable and reproducible.     

Dissociation kinetics of [Fe(phen)3]2+, [Fe(bipy)3]2+ and [Fe-(4,4′-Me2bipy)3]2+ in the presence of cyanide ion in aqueous solution at pressures up to 1 kilobar

Summary Rate constants for dissociation, in aqueous solution at 25° C, of [Fe(phen)₃]²⁺, [Fe(bipy)₃]²⁺, and [Fe(4,4-Me₂bipy)₃]²⁺ in the presence of cyanide, and of the last-named complex also in the presence of hydroxide, are significantly decreased by the application of pressure (up to 1 kbar). Kinetic measurements were carried out using a high pressure cell of improved design to that used in our earlier investigations. Volumes of activation, V ^*, are scarcely sensitive to ligand or to attacking nucleophile, being in the range of 10–12 cm³ mol^–1. An explanation of these results resides in an associative mechanism, a scheme invoked for similar reactions reported previously.     

Cation-exchange separation of uranium in dimethylsulphoxide medium

Cation-exchange chromatography in a dimethylsulphoxide (DMSO) medium is a suitable means for separating uranium from metal ions, including copper, iron, nickel and molybdenum. Quantitative separations of uranium from 26 elements can best be effected on a column of Dowex 50W-X8 (200-400 mesh), using as the eluent a 20% v/v DMSO solution which is 0.6Min hydrochloric acid and 0.25M in sodium acetate. Only calcium is eluted with the uranium and all other elements studied are eluted either before or after uranium. The elution characteristics of uranium and of other metal ions were investigated with respect to changes in eluent and resin compositions. Separations were much less effective at higher concentrations of sodium ion or DMSO. None of the organic solvents methanol, ethanol, methyl glycol, acetone, dioxan or acetic acid was found to produce favourable separation conditions. Results with Dowex 50 resins of lower or higher cross-linkage were inferior to those obtained with the X8 resin.     

Biosynthesis of -p-hydroxyphenylglycine, a non-proteinogenic amino acid constituent of peptide antibiotics

Background: The non-proteinogenic amino acid p-hydroxyphenylglycine is a crucial component of certain peptidic natural products synthesized by a non-ribosomal peptide synthetase mechanism. In particular, for the vancomycin group of antibiotics p-hydroxyphenylglycine plays a structural role in formation of the rigid conformation of the central heptapeptide aglycone in addition to being the site of glycosylation. Initial labeling studies suggested tyrosine was a precursor of p-hydroxyphenylglycine but the specific steps in p-hydroxyphenylglycine biosynthesis remained unknown. Recently, the sequencing of the chloroeremomycin gene cluster from Amycolatopsis orientalis gave new insights into the biosynthetic pathway and allowed for the prediction of a four enzyme pathway leading to -p-hydroxyphenylglycine from the common metabolite prephenate.Results: We have characterized three of the four proposed enzymes of the -p-hydroxyphenylglycine biosynthetic pathway. The three enzymes are encoded by open reading frames (ORFs) 21, 22 and 17 (ORF21: [PCZA361.1, O52791, CAA11761]; ORF22: [PCZA361.2, O52792, CAA11762]; ORF17: [PCZA361.25, O52815, CAA11790]), of the chloroeremomycin biosynthetic gene cluster and we show they have p-hydroxymandelate synthase, p-hydroxymandelate oxidase and -p-hydroxyphenylglycine transaminase activities, respectively.Conclusions: The -p-hydroxyphenylglycine biosynthetic pathway shown here is proposed to be the paradigm for how this non-proteinogenic amino acid is synthesized by microorganisms incorporating it into peptidic natural products. This conclusion is supported by the finding of homologs for the four -p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate biosynthetic enzymes in four organisms known to synthesize peptidic natural products that contain p-hydroxyphenylglycine. Three of the enzymes are proposed to function in a cyclic manner in vivo with -tyrosine being both the amino donor for -p-hydroxyphenylglycine and a source of p-hydroxyphenylpyruvate, an intermediate in the biosynthetic pathway.     

INTERACTION OF DIBUCAINEHCl LOCAL ANESTHETICS WITH BACTERIORHODOPSIN IN PURPLE MEMBRANE: A SPECTROSCOPIC STUDY

Several spectroscopic techniques (absorption, emission, transient absorption and differential scanning calorimetry--DSC) were used to investigate the deprotonation of dibucaine.HCl in a hydrophobic environment, and the interaction sites and mechanisms of the local anesthetic dibucaine.HCl on bacteriorhodopsin (bR) in purple membrane. The important results are summarized as follows: (1) the visible absorption features of native (lambda max = 568 nm) and deionized (lambda max = 608 nm) bR are sensitive to the amount of dibucaine.HCl added; (2) the emission spectrum of dibucaine.HCl embedded in the retinal-free mutant bR is similar to that of dibucaine free base in Triton X-100 micellar solutions; (3) the phosphorescence emission of dibucaine at 77 K is completely quenched by bR and the fluorescence quenching rate for the incorporated dibucaine.HCl in bR was determined as kq = 4.09 x 10(13) M-1 s-1; (4) the incorporation of dibucaine.HCl in bR inhibits the slow component rate of formation of M412 and decreases the amount of M412 formation in the photochemical cycle of bR; and (5) the thermal stability of native bR was measured by DSC in the presence and absence of dibucaine and yielded an endothermic transition at 95.9 +/- 1.0 degrees C with 13.6 J/g (3.25 +/- 0.12 cal/g) of enthalpy changes. All observations suggest that the action site of the local anesthetic, dibucaine.HCl, is near or at the chromophore, i.e. the retinal Schiff base of bR. The anesthetic action on bR purple membrane is probably via a specific site binding, but not a conformational mechanism.     

Development of enantioselective gas chromatographic quantitation assay for dl-threo-methylphenidate in biological fluids

An enantioselective gas chromatographic quantitation assay was developed for the enantiomers of dl-threo-methylphenidate in plasma and urine. dl-threo-Methylphenidate and the internal standard were acylated with N-heptafluorobutyryl-1-prolylchloride under Schotten-Baumann conditions prior to gas chromatographic separation on achiral mixed stationary phases. The derivatives were detected by means of a nitrogen-phosphorus detector. Linear and reproducible calibration curves were obtained over the concentration ranges 0.43-43.25 and 2.16-216.25 ng/ml enantiomer in plasma or urine, respectively. This enantioselective gas chromatographic quantitation assay was applied in a single oral dose disposition study of dl-threo-methylphenidate in a healthy adult volunteer. Stereoselective differences were observed in the plasma concentration-time profiles and cumulative urinary excretion profiles following oral doses of 20 and 40 mg of dl-threo-methylphenidate hydrochloride. Only d-threo-methylphenidate was detectable in plasma after 4 h.     

A chemical reporter strategy to probe glycoprotein fucosylation

Fucosylated glycoproteins are involved in many cell-cell recognition events and are markers of embryonic and malignant tissue. Here we report a method for rapid profiling of fucosylated glycoproteins from human cells using 6-azido fucose as a metabolic label.