Primate beta-defensins--structure, function and evolution

Host defense peptides (HDPs) are endogenous antibiotics that play a multifunctional role in the innate immunity of mammals. Among these, beta-defensins contribute to mucosal and epithelial defense, also acting as signal molecules for cellular components of innate and adaptive immunity. Numerous members of this family have been identified in mammalian and avian species, and genomic studies in human and mouse indicate a considerable complexity in their gene organization. Recent reports on the evolution of primate and rodent members of this family indicate quite a complex pattern of variation. In this review we briefly discuss the evolution of mammalian beta-defensins in relation to other types of defensins, and then concentrate on the evolution of beta-defensins 1 to 4 in primates. In particular, the surprisingly varied patterns of evolution, which range from neutral or weakly purifying, to positive selection to a high level of conservation are analyzed in terms of possible genetics, structural or functional implications, as well as to observed variations on the antimicrobial activity in vitro. The role of polymorphisms in the genes encoding for these host defense peptides in determining susceptibility to human diseases are also briefly considered.     

Bismuth-catalyzed benzylic oxidations with tert-butyl hydroperoxide

[reaction: see text] Oxidation of alkyl and cycloalkyl arenes with tert-butyl hydroperoxide catalyzed by bismuth and picolinic acid in pyridine and acetic acid gave the corresponding benzylic ketones (48-99%). Alternatively, oxidation of methyl arenes gave the corresponding substituted benzoic acids (50-95%). Preliminary mechanistic studies were consistent with a radical mechanism rather than a bismuth(III)-bismuth(V) cycle.     

Self-assembled luminescent CdSe-ZnS quantum dot bioconjugates prepared using engineered poly-histidine terminated proteins

We report a simple and versatile approach for the conjugation of luminescent CdSe-ZnS core-shell quantum dots (QDs) to proteins through coordination of engineered C-terminal oligohistidine sequences. Several histidine tail containing proteins were self-assembled onto the QD surface using this method. A recombinant antibody specific for the high explosive 2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT) was conjugated to QDs through a carboxy terminal histidine tail and the bioconjugate used to detect TNT by competitive immunoassay. TNT was detected over the range of 10 μg/ml down to 41 ng/ml using the scFv conjugated to QDs. These results open up the possibility to conjugate luminescent QDs to a whole range of proteins to form QD bioconjugates that can be effectively used in bio-oriented applications, such as sensing, imaging, immunoassay and other diagnostics.     

Nematic ordering in dilute solutions of rodlike polyelectrolytes

Quantitative theory of orientational behavior of rodlike polyelectrolytes in dilute solution is developed. We find that in salt-free solutions many-body Coulomb interactions between macro- and counterions favor nematic ordering. It is shown that the orientationally isotropic phase of the solution becomes unstable toward nematic ordering at polymer concentration smaller than the overlap concentration. Our predictions are consistent with experimental observations for synthetic polyelectrolytes poly(p-phenylene)sulfonates in aqueous solutions.     

Theoretical studies on the conformation of saccharides

Conformations of 2-methoxytetrahydropyran as a model for the six-membered ring in aldopyranosides have been calculated by the PCILO method using the algorithm of the conjugated gradient to optimize the geometry. The calculated geometry of the fourteen basic forms of 2-methoxytetrahydropyran was found to be in agreement with the available data obtained by X-ray diffraction of pyranosides. The results indicate differences in the geometry of 2-methoxytetrahydropyran resulting from the change of the axial vs. equatorial position of the methoxyl group. These changes are particularly meaningful in the values of bond angles and they are in agreement with the anomeric and exoanomeric effects. The experimentally found differences in the energies of an axial (⁴ C ₁) and equatorial (¹ C ₄) conformer, G = 2.9–3.7 kJ/mol, and the dipole moment, = 1.20 ± 0.05 D (1D = 3.33 10^–30mAs) agree well with the calculated values E = 3.18 kJ/mol and <> = 1.18 D which, in turn, suggest that the axial conformer is preferred over the equatorial one by a ratio a:e = 78:22.     

Coulometrische Wismutometrie

Zusammenfassung Durch elektrolytische Oxydation einer Bi-Anode in gesättigter NaCl-Lösung können Bi³⁺-Ionen in Lösung gebracht werden. Dieser Prozeß ermöglicht die coulometrische Bestimmung anwesender Anionen, die schwerlösliche Bi-Verbindungen bilden.Es wurden Semimikro- und Mikrobestimmungen von Phosphationen durch elektrolytisch erzeugte Bi³⁺-Ionen bei konstanter Stromstärke ausgeführt. Die Endpunktbestimmung erfolgte amperometrisch bei konstantem Potential mit einer Indikatorelektrode — tropfende Quecksilberelektrode — und mit einer gesättigten Kalomelelektrode als Bezugselektrode. Die coulometrische Wismutometrie bietet eine weitere Möglichkeit der coulometrischen Eichung volumetrischer Lösungen im Sinne des seinerzeitigen Vorschlags vonTutundi.

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Summary Bi³⁺ ions can be brought into solution through electrolytic oxidation of a Bi-anode in saturated NaCl solution. This process makes possible the coulometric determination of the anions present that yield difficulty soluble bismuth compounds.Semimicro- and micro-determinations of phosphate ions were made via Bi³⁺-ions produced electrolytically at constant current strength. The endpoint was determined amperometrically at constant potential with an indicator electrode-dropping mercury electrode-and with a saturated calomel electrode as reference electrode. The coulometric bismuthometry affords a further possibility of the coulometric standardization of volumetric solutions in the sense of the proposal previously advanced byTutundi.

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Résumé On peut utiliser les ions Bi³⁺ en solution par oxydation électrolytique d'une anode en bismuth, en solution de chlorure de sodium saturée. Ce procédé permet le dosage coulométrique des anions présents qui forment des composés peu solubles avec le bismuth.On a mis au point le dosage semimicro et micro des ions phosphates par les ions Bi³⁺ formés électrolytiquement sous intensité constante. On détermine par ampérométrie le point équivalent à potentiel constant à l'aide d'une électrode indicatrice — électrode de mercure à goutte pendante —et avec une électrode au calomel saturée comme électrode de référence. La «bismuthométrie» coulométrique offre de grandes possibilités pour l'étalonnage coulométrique de solutions volumétriques, suivant l'idée queTutundi a émise en son temps.

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Vorgetragen beim Symposium für analytische Chemie in Graz, 29. September bis 1. Oktober 1965.

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Wir danken Herrn Dipl.-Ing.Vladimir Pantovi für seine Hilfe bei unserer experimentellen Arbeit.     

Synthese und Molekülstruktur neuer Ringsysteme aus 1,1,3,3-Tetrachlor-1,3-diphosphapropan

Synthesis and Molecular Structure of new Ring Systems from 1,1,3,3-Tetrachloro-1,3-diphosphapropane 1,1,3,3-Tetrachloro-1,3-diphosphapropane 1 reacts in two different ways to form new heterocycles. Partial oxidation of 1 with tetrachloroorthobenzoquinone furnishes the methylene-bridged λ³P, λ⁵P species 3 . Subsequent reactions with di- and triethylamine lead to the condensed ring system 6 with the P?C bonds connected to a central four-membered ring. Compound 6 displays crystallographic inversion symmetry, a short transannular P? P distance and an extremely distorted tetrahedral coordination geometry at the four-membered ring phosphorus atoms. 1 reacts with 7 to give the heterocycle 8 with a central eight-membered ring involving four phosphorus atoms. The eight – membered ring shows a ?bent”? crown conformation, the condensed five – membered rings display envelope conformation.     

Novel synthesis of 4-halo-3-hydroxy-2-pyrone: one pot rearrangement-cyclization reaction by magnesium halide

Treatment of acetonide protected 4,5-dihydroxy-2-chloroglycidic ester or its rearrangement product, the acetonide protected 4,5-dihydroxy-3-chloro-2-oxo ester, with magnesium halides gave 4-halo-3-hydroxy-2-pyrone in excellent to reasonable yields in one pot. The mechanism of this novel one pot rearrangement-cyclization reaction is also proposed.     

Synthesis and conformational analysis of novel N(OCH3)-linked disaccharide analogues

N(OMe)-linked disaccharide analogues, isosteric to the corresponding natural disaccharides, have been synthesized by chemoselective assembly of unprotected natural monosaccharides with methyl 6-deoxy-6-methoxyamino-alpha-D-glucopyranoside in an aqueous environment. The coupling reactions were found to be chemo- and stereoselective affording beta-(1-->6) disaccharide mimics when using Glc and GlcNAc; in the case of Gal, the beta-anomer was prevalent (beta:alpha=7:1). An iterative method for the synthesis of linear N(OMe) oligosaccharide analogues was demonstrated, based on the use of an unprotected monosaccharide building block in which an oxime functionality at C-6 is converted during the synthesis into the corresponding methoxyamino group. The conformational analysis of these compounds was carried out by using NMR spectroscopy, ab initio, molecular mechanics, and molecular dynamics methods. Optimized geometries and energies of fourteen conformers for each compound have been calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G* level. Predicted conformational equilibria were compared with the results based on NMR experiments and good agreement was found. It appears that N(OMe)-linked disaccharide analogues exhibit a slightly different conformational behavior to their parent natural disaccharides.     

Electrospray ionization ion-trap multistage mass spectrometric study of sodium cationized aldobiuronic and pseudoaldobiuronic acid derivatives

Fragmentation mechanisms of electrospray ionization (ESI) mass spectrometry of aldobiuronic and pseudoaldobiuronic acid derivatives were elucidated by multistage mass spectrometric (MS(n), n = 2-5) measurements of selected ions. Characteristic under the conditions of ESI-MS analysis is the production of alkali metal (Na and K) cationized adducts. The probability the of locations of Na cations in per-O-methylated compounds was proved by quantum chemical calculations, using the Jaguar program. The most probably position of alkali metal attachment is the carboxy group of the methoxycarbonyl C-5 group of the uronic acid unit. Characteristic cleavages vary according the kind of O-derivatization. In most cases they take place on the acidic part of the dimer and at the interglycosidic oxygen atom. As a result, the criteria for the differentiation of aldobiouronic and pseudoaldobiouronic acids derivatives were elucidated.