Fluorescence evidence for cholesterol regular distribution in phosphatidylcholine and in sphingomyelin lipid bilayers

Our previous studies indicated that sterols (including cholesterol and dehydroergosterol) can be regularly distributed into hexagonal superlattices in the plane of liquid-crystalline phosphatidylcholine bilayers. It was suggested that regular and irregular regions coexist in the membrane. In the present study, we report supporting evidence for our sterol regular distribution model. We have examined the fractional concentration dependencies of dehydroergosterol (a naturally occurring cholesterol analogue) fluorescence intensity and lifetime in various phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin bilayers. Fluorescence intensity and lifetime dips have been observed at specific sterol mole fractions. At those mole fractions, the acrylamide quenching rate constant of dehydroergosterol fluorescence reaches a local maximum. Those mole fractions match the critical sterol mole fractions at which sterol molecules are expected to be regularly distributed into hexagonal superlattices. The results support the idea that the sterols in the regular region are embedded in the bilayer less deep than those in the irregular regions. We have also examined the fractional cholesterol concentration dependencies of diphenylhexatriene (DPH) fluorescence intensity, lifetime, and polarization in DMPC vesicles. DPH fluorescence intensity and polarization also exhibit distinct dips and peaks, respectively, at critical sterol mole fractions for hexagonal superlattices. However, DPH lifetime changes little with sterol mole fraction. As a comparison, the fluorescence properties of DHE and DPH behave differently in response to the formation of sterol regular distribution. Furthermore, finding evidence for sterol regular distribution in both phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin membranes raises the possibility that sterol regular distribution may occur within phospholipid/cholesterol enriched domains of real biological membranes.     

Synthesis and Anti-HIV Activity of Further Examples of 1-[3-Deoxy-3-(N-hydroxyamino)-β-d-threo-(and β-d-erythro)-pentofuranosyl]thymine Derivatives1

Abstract

Upon sodium cyanoborohydride reduction followed by de-O-silylation, the O-methyloxime and N-benzylnitrone of 5′-TBDMS-3′-ketothymidine gave resolvable epimeric mixtures of 1-[2,3-dideoxy-3-(N-methoxyamino)-β-d-threo-and β-d-erythro-pentofuranosyl]thymine and 1-[3-(N-benzyl-N-hydroxyamino)-2,3-dideoxy-β-d-threo- and β-d-erythro-pentofuranosyl]thymine respectively. These compounds were inactive against HIV. On the other hand, 1-[2,3-dideoxy-3-(N-hydroxyamino)-5-O-TBDMS-β-d-threo-pentofuranosyl]thymine, upon treatment with acetone, then de-O-silylation, gave the bicyclonucleoside analogue 15, slightly more active against HIV in vitro than DDI.     

Donald L.D. Caspar (1927–2021)—pioneer of virus structures

Structural Chemistry - Donald L.D. Caspar (1927–2021) devoted his career to understanding the structure of viruses. He interacted with leading structural scientists of his time and...     

Paradigms and paradoxes: fractional electron charge

Structural Chemistry - There is hardly a generic connection between the partial atomic charges, a useful concept in chemistry, and the “fractionalization” of the electron accomplished...     

Rate of Convergence of Wong–Zakai Approximations for Stochastic Partial Differential Equations

We investigate the rate of convergence of the Wong-Zakai approximations for second-order stochastic PDEs of parabolic type driven by a multi-dimensional Wiener process W. The title of this article in the online version was published incorrectly. The correct title appears above. Springer regrets the error. The online version of the original article can be found at     

Response reactions: equilibrium coupling

It is pointed out and illustrated in the present paper that if a homogeneous multiple equilibrium system containing k components and q species is composed of the reactants actually taken and their reactions contain only k + 1 species, then we have a unique representation with (q - k) stoichiometrically independent reactions (SIRs). We define these as coupling reactions. All the other possible combinations with k + 1 species are the coupled reactions that are in equilibrium when the (q - k) SIRs are in equilibrium. The response of the equilibrium state for perturbation is determined by the coupling and coupled equilibria. Depending on the circumstances and the actual thermodynamic data, the effect of coupled equilibria may overtake the effect of the coupling ones, leading to phenomena that are in apparent contradiction with Le Chatelier's principle.     

Low-temperature magnetic ordering in the perovskites Pr1−xAxCoO3 (A=Ca,Sr)

The magnetic and electrical properties of polycrystalline Pr_1?xA_xCoO₃ cobaltites with A=Ca, Sr and 0≤x≤0.5 were studied in the temperature range 4 K≤T≤1000 K and field up to 7 T. The X-ray analyses show the presence of only one phase having monoclinic or orthorhombic symmetry. The magnetic measurements indicate that the Ca-doped samples have at low temperatures, similar properties to the frustrated magnetic materials. PrCoO₃ is a paramagnetic insulator in the range from 4 to 1000 K. The Sr-doped cobaltites exhibit two phase transitions: a paramagnetic–ferromagnetic (or magnetic phase separated state) phase transition at about 240 K and a second one at about 100 K. The magnetic measurements suggest the presence of magnetic clusters and a change in the nature of magnetic coupling between Co ions at low temperatures. A semiconducting type behavior and high negative magnetoresistance was found for the Ca-doped samples, while the Sr-doped ones were metallic and with negligible magnetoresistance. The results are analyzed in the frame of a phase separation scenario in the presence of the spin-state transitions of Co ions.