PHOTOINACTIVATION OF CATALASE

Abstract— Inactivation of catalase with visible light (>400nm) has been studied in purified bovine liver catalase and in peroxisomal catalase in the mitochondrial fraction of rat liver. Light corresponding to that of maximal absorbance of the heme site (405 nm) was most effective in inactivation. Although photoinactivation is O₂ dependent, scavengers of OH radical, ¹O₂ and O⁻₂ did not protect against loss of activity in either system. Superoxide dismutase partially protected purified catalase added into the mitochondrial fraction system. However, complete protection of catalase was afforded by low concentrations of substrates such as formic acid or methanol which rapidly convert Compound I to Ferricatalase.     

Stereoselective synthesis of 4-hydroxy-2-phenylproline framework

Highly diastereoselective (>20:1) bromo-lactonization of N-sulfonyl-2-allyl-2-phenylglycine methyl ester (11) was observed. Successive treatment of the chiral lactone with MeONa gave the desired (2S,4R)-4-hydroxy-2-phenylproline derivative in high yield without erosion of the diastereoselectivity. The starting chiral non-racemic compound (5) was prepared from the racemic 2-phenylglycine using a classical kinetic resolution (crystallization), an asymmetric phase transfer alkylation, and an enzyme-catalyzed kinetic resolution.     

Using pulse shape discrimination to sort individual energy deposition events in a germanium crystal

A fast digital oscilloscope based pulse shape discrimination (PSD) system has been tested with intrinsic germanium detectors large enough to allow ionizing events which generate localized electron-hole pairs at a single site to be segregated from those depositing energy at several different sites in the crystal. Drift velocities of the electrons and holes result in pulses several hundred nanoseconds long. Since the electric field varies by almost a factor of 10 between the outer and inner surfaces, collection of electrons and holes can frequently be dinstinguished, and pulses due to multi-site events can be distinguished from single site events.     

CAROTENE and CYTOCHROME C DEPENDENT SURVIVAL KINETICS IN RESPONSE TO HIGH INTENSITY VISIBLE LIGHT IN THE SMUT FUNGUS Ustilago violacea

Abstract— Exposure of variously pigmented strains of Ustilago violacea to high intensity incandescent radiation resulted in the generation of three types of survival curves. High carotene, low cytochrome c containing strains of U. violacea were generally characterized by linear type I survival curves with slopes approximately equal to zero. Strains which lacked carotenes were characterized by exponential decay type II survival curves. A third survival curve, type III was observed with carotene accumulating strains which also contained large amounts of cytochrome c. The type III curves are characterized by an initial loss of viability, similar to the type II curves, followed by a recovery period, with eventual stability in survival. The survival curve type appears to be dependent on the relative mg quantities of cytochrome c and carotenes in the cells. Strains with carotene/cytochromec ratios of0–1 × 10^-1,3–15× 10^-1 and l6 × 10^-1 and above had type II, type III and type I survival curves, respectively.     

OXYGEN-DEPENDENT PHOTOSENSITIVITY and MITOTIC RECOMBINATION IN THE SMUT FUNGUS Ustilago violacea

Abstract— The effect of high intensity incandescent radiation on survival and mitotic recombination in the phlph + diploid strain of Ustilago violacea was studied with and without atmospheric O₂. In the presence of atmospheric O₂, strain phlph+ was characterized by photokilling to approximately 50% survival, and induction of mitotic recombination to about 60% by 90 min of light exposure. No photokilling and little induction of mitotic recombination were observed when light exposure was carried out in an 0₂ depleted environment. Photokilling and photo-induced mitotic recombination in U. violacea may be due to DNA damage or repair in response to a photosensitized reaction, involving an endogeneous photosensitizer.     

Theoretical results for the excited states of ozone

On the basis of ab initio calculations (configuration interaction and generalized valence bond), we find eight excited states of ozone with vertical excitation energies less than 7 eV. Using these results the various experimental transitions are assigned. One state has an equilateral triangle as the minimum energy geometry (1.5 eV above the ground state).     

Capillary gel electrophoresis of single-stranded DNA fragments with UV detection

Capillary gel electrophoresis has proven to be a powerful tool in biomedical research. We report our investigation of some of the critical parameters affecting separations of single-stranded DNA fragments as monitored by ultraviolet (UV) absorbance detection. Although not as sensitive as laser-induced fluorescence (LIF), UV absorbance detection allows one to calculate quite accurately, and inexpensively, the molarity of each separated DNA fragment and, moreover, the signal “fading” effect normally observed with LIF detection can be, in many cases, substituted for fluorescence to detect the many different single-stranded DNAs, as well as for detection of sequencing reactions.     

Geometry and force constant determination from correlated wave functions for polyatomic molecules: Ground states of H2O and CH2

Ab initio calculations including electron correlation are reported for the water and methylene molecules as a function of geometry. A large contracted gaussian basis set is used and the multiconfiguration wave functions, optimized by the iterative natural orbital procedure, include 277 and 617 configurations for H₂O and CH₂ respectively. The method of selecting configurations, yielding first-order wave functions, is discussed in some detail. For H₂O, the SCF geometry is r=0,942 Å, =105,8°, the correlated result is r=0,968 Å, =103,2°, and the experimental r=0,957 Å, =104,5°. The water stretching force constants, in millidynes/Å, are 8,72 (SCF), 8,75 (CI), and 8,4 (experiment). Bending force constants are 0,88 (SCF), 0,83 (CI), and 0,76 (experiment). For methylene the SCF geometry is r=1,072 Å, =129,5°, while the result from first-order wave functions is r=1,088 Å, =134°. The predicted CH₂ force constants are 6,16 (SCF) and 6,13 (CI) for stretching and 0,44 (SCF) and 0,33 (CI) for bending.

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Zusammenfassung Es wird über ab intito-Rechnungen mit Berücksichtigung der Elektronenkorrelation berichtet, die an Wasser- und Methylenmolekülen als Funktion der Geometrie durchgeführt worden sind. Dazu benutzt man einen großen kontrahierten Gauß-Basissatz. Die Multikonfigurationswellenfunktionen, die unter Benutzung von natürlichen Orbitalen nach der iterativen Prozedur optimiert werden, enthalten für H₂O 277 Konfigurationen und für CH₂ 617. Die Auswahlmethode, die zu Wellenfunktionen 1. Ordnung führt, wird diskutiert. Im Falle des Wassers erhält man die SCF-Geometrie zu r=0,942 Å, =105,8°, das korrelierte Resultat ist: r=0,968 Å, =103,2° und das experimentelle r=0,957 Å, =104,5°. Für Wasser ergeben sich die Valenzkraftkonstanten (in Millidyn Å^–1) 8,72 (SCF), 8,75 (CI) und 8,4 (Experiment). Die Deformationskonstanten sind 0,88 (SCF), 0,83 (CI) und 0,76 (Experiment). Im Falle des Methylens ist die SCF-Geometrie r=1,072 Å, =129,5°, während man mit Wellenfunktionen 1. Ordnung r=1,088 Å und =134° erhält. Die CH₂-Kraftkonstanten werden für die Valenzschwingung zu 6,16 (SCF) und 6,13 (CI) bzw. für die Deformationsschwingung zu 0,44 (SCF) und 0,33 (CI) vorausgesagt.

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Work performed under the auspices of the U.S. Atomic Energy Commision.

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Supported by the grants from the Research Corporation and the University of California Committee on Research.     

The role of kinetic energy in chemical binding

The wavefunctions and various partitions of the energy are examined for a variety of small molecules (H₂, H₃, H₄, HeH, HeH₂, He₂, LiH, and BH) in order to isolate the factors crucial for bond formation. We find that a natural partition of the energy leads to the conclusion that the crucial factor is the exchange, or nonclassical, part of the kinetic energy, T ^x. The change in T ^xupon pushing the atoms towards one another is the dominant term in the binding energy; it is negative when the resulting molecule is stable and positive when it is unstable. We show that T ^x is related to the interference kinetic energy considered by Ruedenberg.

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Zusammenfassung Die Wellenfunktionen und verschiedene Zerlegungen der Energie werden für eine Reihe kleiner Moleküle untersucht (H₂, H₃, H₄, HeH, HeH₂, He₂, LiH und BH), um die Faktoren zu finden, die für die Bindungsbildung ausschlaggebend sind. Die natürliche Zerlegung der Energie läßt die Folgerung zu, daß der bestimmende Faktor der Austauschanteil T ^x(oder nichtklassische Anteil) der kinetischen Energie ist. Die Änderung von T ^xbeim Zusammenführen der Atome ist der dominierende Term für die Bindungsenergie; er ist negativ, wenn das resultierende Molekül stabil ist, und positiv, falls es instabil ist. Es wird gezeigt, daß T ^x im Zusammenhang zum Wechselwirkungsanteil der kinetischen Energie nach Ruedenberg steht.

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Partially supported by a grant (GP-15423) from the National Science Foundation. This paper is based on a portion of the PhD thesis (California Institute of Technology, 1970) by CWW.

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National Science Foundation Predoctoral Trainee.

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Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Research Fellow.

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Contribution No. 3917.