Activation energy of single-stranded DNA moving through cross-linked polyacrylamide gels at 300 V/cm effect of temperature on sequencing rate in high-electric-field capillary gel electrophoresis

In DNA sequencing, single-stranded DNA fragments are separated by gel electrophoresis. This separation is based on a sieving mechanism where DNA fragments are retarded as they pass through pores in the gel. In this paper, we present the mobility of DNA sequencing fragments as a function of temperature; mobility is determined in 4% T LongRanger gels at an electric field of 300 V/cm. The temperature dependence is compared with the predictions of the biased reptation model. The model predicts that the fragment length for the onset of biased reptation with stretching increases with the square of temperature; the data show that the onset of biased reptation with stretching decreases with temperature. Biased reptation fails to model accurately the temperature dependence of mobility. We analyzed the data and extracted the activation energy for passage of sequencing fragments through the gel. For fragments containing less than ca. 200 bases, the activation energy increases linearly with the number of bases at a rate of 25 J/mol per base; for longer fragments, the activation energy increases at a rate of 6.5 J/mol per base. This transition in the activation energy presumably reflects a change in conformation of the DNA fragments; small fragments exist in a random coil configuration and larger fragments migrate in an elongated configuration.     

Reaction of 2,3,3-trimethyl-3H-indole hydrochloride with methacrylic and crotonic amides

Reaction of 2,3,3-trimethyl-and 2,3,3,5-tetramethyl-3H-indole hydrochlorides with methacrylic and crotonic amides gives 3- and 4-methyl-1,2,3,4,10,10a-hexahydropyrimido[1,2-a]indol-2-ones. With perchloric acid these are converted to 1-carbamoylpropyl-3H-indolium perchlorates. The syntheses of 10a-(4-dimethylaminostyryl)- and 10a-[(4-dimethylaminophenyl)butadienyl]-3,10,10-trimethylpyrimido[1,2-a]indol-2-ones have been studied.Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 5, pp. 625–627, May, 1990.     

Determination of haloalkane dehalogenase activity by capillary zone electrophoresis

A new sensitive method has been developed for the determination of haloalkane dehalogenase activity. The enzymatic reactions were carried out directly in thermostatted autosampler vials and the formation of product - bromide or chloride ions - was monitored by sequential capillary zone electrophoresis runs. The determinations were performed in a 75 microm fused-silica capillary using 5 mM chromate, 0.5 mM tetradecyltrimethylammonium bromide (pH 8.4) as a background electrolyte, separation voltage 15 kV (negative polarity) and indirect detection at sample wavelength 315 nm, reference wavelength 375 nm for brominated and chlorinated substrates, respectively 0.1 M beta-alanine-HCl (pH 3.50) as a background electrolyte, separation voltage 18 kV (negative polarity) and direct detection at 200 nm for brominated substrates. The temperature of capillary was in both cases 25 degrees C. The method is rapid, can be automated, and requires only small amount of enzyme preparation and substrate.     

Several modified piezoelectric quartz crystals for determination of omethoate

A chromatographic method for the determination of transition metals in human hair samples is described. The method involves the separation of Cu, Pb, Zn, Ni, Co, Cd and Mn in a C18 column coated with sodium hexadecane-sulfonate (SHS) and spectrophotometric detection (520 nm) after post-column reaction of the eluted metals with 4-(2-pyridylazo)-resorcinol (PAR). The eluent was a 100 mM tartrate solution adjusted to pH 3.1 with a 2 M sodium hydroxide solution (flow-rate=1.0 ml min(-1)). A good separation of the eluted metals (specially for Cu/Pb and Zn/Ni) has been achieved. The detection limits, expressed as mug l(-1), were 2.2 (Cu), 8.0 (Pb), 2.8 (Zn), 1.5 (Ni), 1.5 (Co), 12.0 (Cd), and 1.4 (Mn). A microwave-assisted closed vessel acid digestion procedure with HNO(3)+HClO(4) (4+1 ml) was used for the hair samples solubilisation. Nineteen hair samples were analysed with the proposed method. The results were in good agreement with those obtained by atomic absorption spectrometry (AAS).     

A mesoporous non-precious metal boride system: synthesis of mesoporous cobalt boride by strictly controlled chemical reduction

Generating high surface area mesoporous transition metal boride is interesting because the incorporation of boron atoms generates lattice distortions that lead to the formation of amorphous metal boride with unique properties in catalysis. Here we report the first synthesis of mesoporous cobalt boron amorphous alloy colloidal particles using a soft template-directed assembly approach. Dual reducing agents are used to precisely control the chemical reduction process of mesoporous cobalt boron nanospheres. The Earth-abundance of cobalt boride combined with the high surface area and mesoporous nanoarchitecture enables solar-energy efficient photothermal conversion of CO₂ into CO compared to non-porous cobalt boron alloys and commercial cobalt catalysts.

Generating high surface area mesoporous transition metal boride is challenging but interesting because incorporation of boron atoms can generate lattice distortion to form amorphous metal boride which has unique properties in catalysis.     

The Aldol Reaction of Allenolates with Aldehydes in the Presence of Magnesium Diiodide (MgI2) as Catalyst

Stereoselective synthesis of (Z)‐α‐(hydroxyalkyl)‐β‐iodoacrylates (=(2Z)‐2‐(hydroxyalkyl)‐3‐iodoprop‐2‐enoates) was achieved in a one‐pot coupling reaction from methyl prop‐2‐ynoate, Me₃SiI, and an alkanal under mild conditions with MgI₂ as catalyst (→ 1 – 9 ; see Table and Scheme 1). Baylis‐Hillman β‐iodo adducts were generated in excellent yields with high (Z)‐selectivity. The conversion of methyl prop‐2‐ynoate to an active methyl 3‐iodo‐1‐[(trimethylsilyl)oxy]allenolate intermediate in situ followed by carbonyl addition is proposed as the reaction sequence (Schemes 1 and 2).     

Effect of Chamber Gas Phase on Mobile Phase pH and on Separation Efficiency in TLC. A New Mode of Chromatography

A new variant of thin-layer chromatography (TLC), based on a gradual change of mobile phase acidity during elution, is proposed. The pH change occurs in the mobile phase moving along the TLC plate as a result of its contact with an acidic or a basic gas phase that replaces the initial mobile phase vapor in the TLC chamber. The potential of this approach has been demonstrated by using carbon dioxide and ammonia gases to improve the resolution of benzoic acids and aromatic amines on polyamide TLC plates.     

Oscillatory dynamics protect enzymes and possibly cells against toxic substances

We have used the oscillating peroxidase-oxidase (PO) reaction as a model system to study how oscillatory dynamics may affect the influence of toxic reaction intermediates on enzyme stability. In the peroxidase-oxidase reaction reactive intermediates, such as hydrogen peroxide, superoxide, and hydroxyl radical are formed. Such intermediates inactivate many cellular macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids. These reaction intermediates also react with peroxidase itself to form an inactive enzyme. The fact that the PO reaction shows bistability between an oscillatory and a steady state gives us a unique possibility to compare such inactivation when the system is in one of these two states. We show that inactivation of peroxidase is slower when the system is in an oscillatory state, and using numerical simulations we provide evidence that oscillatory dynamics lower the average concentration of the reactive intermediates.     

Effect of brain lesions on [3H]ohmefentanyl binding site densities in the rat striatum and substantia nigra.

We have recently demonstrated that [3H]ohmefentanyl, a non-peptidergic opioid ligand which was suggested to cross the blood brain barrier in contrast to other peptidergic opioid ligands, bound not only to mu opioid receptor sites but also to sigma sites. In order to examine whether [3H]ohmefentanyl can be used as a marker for mu sites, we investigated the effects of brain lesions on [3H]ohmefentanyl binding site densities, as compared with [3H][D-Ala2, MePhe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin ([3H]DAGO), a selective mu ligand. These binding site densities were measured by quantitative autoradiography in the rat striatum and substantia nigra, two brain structures known to contain a high density of mu receptors, following lesions of the nigro-striatal dopaminergic pathway and striatal intrinsic neurons. Following unilateral nigral lesion with 6-hydroxydopamine, [3H]ohmefentanyl binding site densities were decreased in the patches (-35%) and matrix (-20%) of the ipsilateral striatum and in the lesioned substantia nigra pars compacta (-49%). Unilateral striatal lesion with quinolinic acid induced 72%, 61% and 50% decreases in [3H]ohmefentanyl binding in the patches and matrix of the lesioned striatum and in the ipsilateral substantia nigra pars reticulata, respectively. Similar results were obtained in the binding of [3H]DAGO. Indeed, a significant linear correlation was observed between [3H]ohmefentanyl and [3H]DAGO binding site densities. Therefore, mu opioid receptors may be mainly located on intrinsic neurons in the striatum, dopaminergic cell bodies in the substantia nigra pars compacta and nerve terminals of striatal efferents in the substantia nigra pars reticulata.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Use of the quartz crystal microbalance for kinetic studies of thermal decomposition of solids

A quartz crystal microbalance has been proposed for studies on the temperature dependence of the linear rate of a reaction interface advance in topochemical reactions of the thermal decomposition of solids. A quartz crystal microbalance has been used in investigations of the CuSO₄ · 5H₂O dehydration. The data agree fairly well with those available in the literature. Advantages and disadvantages of the method proposed are discussed.