REDUCED PHOTOINACTIVATION OF 10-DODECYL ACRIDINE ORANGE-SENSITIZED YEAST CELLS AT HIGH FLUENCE RATES MEASUREMENTS AND COMPUTER SIMULATIONS

Abstract-During the development of a photodamage cell sorter several photosensitizers were tested for their ability to photoinactivate more than 90% of the sensitized cells after a brief irradiation with a fluence of 10 kJ/m². In pilot experiments, yeast cells sensitized with 10-dodecyl acridine orange (DAO) were effectively photoinactivated after receiving a fluence of 10 kJ/m² delivered in 8 s. However, when the same fluence was delivered in 3 μ s during passage through a focused laser beam in the cell sorter, all cells survived.
Computer simulations of the relevant photophysical and chemical reactions inside the irradiated cell were used to investigate the cause of this phenomenon. The results indicated that the absence of photoinactivation by DAO, after flash irradiations, was caused by the combined effects of (1) limited oxygen diffusion into the cell and (2) a reduced number of collisions between photosensitizer triplet and oxygen molecules during the irradiation due to saturation of the intracellular photosensitizer triplet concentration. The contributions of triplet-triplet annihilation and triplet quenching by ground state photosensitizer molecules were found to be minimal and not significant. These findings indicate that Type II photosensitizers are incapable of rapid selective photoinactivation in cell sorters.     

All-trans-1-acyloxy-1,3-pentadiene-5 ols as reactive dienes in new intramolecular diels-alder reactions

The high reactivity of the $\text{all-trans}$-1-acyloxy-1,3-pentadiene-5-ols as dienes in intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions with maleic anhydride and fumaric acid ethylester monochloride is discussed.     

1‐Methyl‐1H‐imidazo[4,5‐f]quinolin‐6‐ium chloride monohydrate

The title compound, C₁₁H₁₀N₃⁺·Cl^?·H₂O, belongs to the N1‐methyl‐substituted imidazo­[4,5‐f]­quinoline family, in which the heterocyclic ring is protonated at the pyridine rather than at the imidazole N atom. The mol­ecule as a whole is almost exactly planar. The molecular structure has been compared with that of the 2‐amino analogue described in the literature, and it was found that the extra amino group of the latter is involved in conjugation with the adjacent double bond, i.e. the conjugation does not extend over the entire heterocyclic system. The cation of the title compound forms a strong hydrogen bond with the Cl^? anion and the anions are interconnected by the water solvent mol­ecule.     

Crosslinked polystyrene with improved mechanical properties

The synthesis of some divinyl monomers—bis(vinylphenyl)ethane ( 2 ), bis(vinylbenzyloxy)hexane ( 3a ), and bis(vinylbenzyloxy)dodecane ( 3b ) is reported. Copolymers of the new monomers and styrene were evaluated as an alternative to divinylbenzene-crosslinked polymers for use as matrices and absorbents. The mechanical properties and the amount of residual double bonds in the copolymers were compared. It was found that the new copolymers, unlike the divinylbenzene-crosslinked polymers, retained their mechanical strength even at high crosslinking degrees. Stress at break values of 79, 68, and 18 N/mm² were found for the polymers crosslinked with 20 mol % of 3a, 2 , and divinylbenzene; 5, 25 and 45% of the divinyl units in these polymers were left as pendant double bonds. Porous styrene– 2 copolymers were synthesized and shown to have lower surface areas than the corresponding divinylbenzene-crosslinked polymers. The pore size distribution showed that this was due to the absence of the smallest pores which are found in the divinylbenzene-crosslinked polymers in between heavily crosslinked nodules. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Excluded volume driven counterion condensation inside nanotubes in a concave electrical double layer model

The physical properties of organic nanotubes attract increasing attention due to their potential benefit in technology, biology and medicine. We study the effect of ion size on the electrical properties of cylindrical nanotubes filled with electrolyte solution within a modified Poisson-Boltzmann (PB) approach. For comparison purposes, small hollow nanospheres filled with electrolyte solution are considered. The finite size of the particles in the inner electrolyte solution is described by the excluded volume effect within a lattice statistics approach. We found that an increased ion size reduces the number of counterions near the charged inner surface of the nanotube, leading to an enlarged electrostatic surface potential. The concentration of counterions close to the inner surface saturates for higher surface charge densities and larger ions. In the case of saturation, the closest counterion packing is achieved, all lattice sites near the surface are occupied and an actual counterion condensation is observed. By contrast, the counterion concentration at the axis of the nanotube steadily increases with increasing surface charge density. This growth is more pronounced for smaller nanotube radii and larger ions. At larger nanotube radii for small ion size counterion condensation may also be observed according to the Tsao criterion, i.e. the counterion concentration at the centre is independent of the number of counterions in the system. With decreasing radius the Tsao condensation effect is shifted towards physiologically unrealistic surface charge densities.     

Intercalation of 1,2-Alkanediols into α-Zirconium Hydrogenphosphate

Intercalation compounds of α-Zr(HPO₄)₂ · H₂O with 1,2-alkanediols (from C3 to C16) have been prepared by replacing 1-propanol in α-Zr(HPO₄)₂ · 2C₃H₇OH with the desired 1,2-alkanediols by a treatment in a microwave field. It was found that the intercalates contain 1.5 molecules of diol per formula unit. The diol molecules are placed between the host layers in a bimolecular way with their aliphatic chains tilted at an angle of 51°. The diol molecules are anchored in the interlayer space by H-bonds. A mixed intercalate, containing 1,2-butanediol and 1,2-decanediol in a roughly equimolar ratio, is formed when the α-Zr(HPO₄)₂ · 2C₃H₇OH intercalate, suspended in a mixture of 1,2-butanediol and 1,2-decanediol, is exposed to microwave radiation. No new phase containing both types of the guest molecules was observed when the 1-propanol intercalate, suspended in a mixture of 1-propanol and 1,2-octanediol, is exposed to microwave radiation.     

IR-spectroscopic studies of the interaction of propylene and acrolein with a CoMoO4 catalyst

IR spectra of propylene and acrolein adsorbed at different temperatures on CoMoO₄ supported on MgO were recorded. Four different surface species were found: a -complex, an oxygen bonded carbonyl complex, acrylic acid and a carboxylate type complex. The mechanism of their transoformation is discussed.

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- CoMoO₄ MgO. , 4 : -, , , . .

     

Chemoenzymatic approach to enantiopure streptogramin B variants: characterization of stereoselective pristinamycin I cyclase from Streptomyces pristinaespiralis

Streptogramin B antibiotics are cyclic peptide natural products produced by Streptomyces species.In combination with the synergistic group A component, they are "last line of defense" antimicrobial agents against multiresistant cocci. The racemization sensitivity of the phenylglycine (Phg(7)) ester is a complex challenge in total chemical synthesis of streptogramin B molecules. To provide fast and easy access to novel streptogramin antibiotics, we introduce a novel chemoenzymatic strategy in which diversity is generated by standard solid phase protocols and stereoselectivity by subsequent enzymatic cyclization. For this approach, we cloned, overproduced, and biochemically characterized the recombinant thioesterase domain SnbDE TE of the pristinamycin I nonribosomal peptide synthetase from Streptomyces pristinaespiralis. SnbDE TE catalyzes regioselective ring closure of linear peptide thioester analogues of pristinamycin I as well as stereoselective cyclization out of complex in situ racemizing substrate mixtures, enabling synthesis of Streptogramin B variants via a dynamic kinetic resolution assay. A remarkable substrate tolerance was detected for the enzymatic cyclization including all the seven positions of the peptide backbone. Interestingly, SnbDE TE was observed to be the first cyclase from a macrolactone forming NRPS which is additionally able to catalyze macrolactamization of peptide thioester substrates. An N-methylated peptide bond between positions 4 and 5 is mandatory for a high substrate turnover. The presented strategy is potent to screen for analogues with improved activity and guides our understanding of structure--activity relationships in the important class of streptogramin antibiotics.     

TRANSMISSION OF HUMAN EPIDERMIS AND STRATUM CORNEUM AS A FUNCTION OF THICKNESS IN THE ULTRAVIOLET AND VISIBLE WAVELENGTHS

Abstract The dependence of radiation transmission on sample thickness was studied in isolated samples of human stratum corneum and full-thickness epidermis. The investigation also included samples of skin repeatedly exposed to UV-B. Transmission was measured in the ultraviolet and in the visible from 248–546 nm. Two methods, one microscopic and the other mechanical, were used to measure thickness. There was a good correlation between the results.
The dependence of transmission on thickness in these samples could be described satisfactorily by an exponential function, implying that the Lambert-Beer law is approximately valid. Thus, a single parameter, such as the half-value layer ( d _½), is sufficient to characterize absorption in the skin samples.
Water content of the isolated stratum corneum was influenced by maintenance conditions: samples floating on water containing a small amount of NaCl were more hydrated than samples floating on a more concentrated salt solution, or stored in air. Changes in water content of the samples resulted in changes of thickness and, to a lesser extent, of transmission. Approximate in vivo values of d _½ were computed after estimating the in vivo water content of stratum corneum.
Differences found in the shape of the transmission spectra of stratum corneum and full-thickness epidermis may reflect differences in chemical composition. The influence of wetting of the skin on its sensitivity to sunlight is explained in a new way.     

Understanding binding affinity: a combined isothermal titration calorimetry/molecular dynamics study of the binding of a series of hydrophobically modified benzamidinium chloride inhibitors to trypsin

The binding of a series of p-alkylbenzamidinium chloride inhibitors to the serine proteinase trypsin over a range of temperatures has been studied using isothermal titration (micro)calorimetry and molecular dynamics simulation techniques. The inhibitors have small structural variations at the para position of the benzamidinium ion. They show small differences in relative binding affinity but large compensating differences in enthalpy and entropy. Binding affinity decreases with increased branching at the first carbon but increases with increasing the length of a linear alkyl substituent, suggesting that steric hindrance and hydrophobic interactions play dominant roles in binding. Structural analysis showed that the backbone of the enzyme was unaffected by the change of the para substituent. In addition, binding does not correlate strongly with octanol/water partition data. To further characterize this system, the change in the heat capacity on binding, the change in solvent-accessible surface area on binding, the effect of inhibitor binding on the hydration of the active site, the pK(a) of His57, and interactions within the catalytic triad have been investigated. Although the changes in inhibitor structure are small, it is demonstrated that simple concepts such as steric hindrance, hydrophobicity, and buried surface area are insufficient to explain the binding data. Other factors, such as access to the binding site and the cost of dehydration of the active site, are of equal or greater importance.