UV LASER INDUCED RNA-PROTEIN CROSSLINKS AND RNA CHAIN BREAKS IN TOBACCO MOSAIC VIRUS RNA in situ

The efficiency of RNA-protein crosslink and RNA chain break formation under nanosecond or picosecond UV-laser pulse irradiation of tobacco mosaic virus was determined. It was found that on high-intensity UV-laser irradiation the quantum yields of both reactions increase considerably as compared to the usual (low-intensity) UV-irradiation. The RNA-protein crosslink quantum yield was found to be 1.8 x 10(-5) and 1.2 x 10(-4) and that of RNA chain breaks 1.7 x 10(-4) and 8.9 x 10(-4) for nanosecond and picosecond irradiation, respectively.     

Adsorption of Diblock Copolymers of Poly(ethylene oxide) and Polylactide at Hydrophobized Silica from Aqueous Solution

The adsorption of a series of amphiphilic diblock copolymers of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) and poly(DL-lactide) (PL) at hydrophobized silica from aqueous solution was studied using time-resolved ellipsometry and reflectometry. The adsorbed amounts only display a weak dependence on the copolymer composition in both water and phosphate-buffered solution. For the short copolymers, the layer thickness decreases slightly with increasing length of the hydrophobic block. Furthermore, in comparison with the short copolymers, the layer thickness of the long copolymers is substantially higher. Upon degradation of the PL block, the adsorbed amount is found to decrease and approach that of the corresponding PEO homopolymer. Protein rejection studies indicate that the adsorption of fibrinogen is inhibited by copolymer preadsorption. The protein rejection is enhanced with increasing surface coverage of the preadsorbed copolymer, but largely independent of the length of the PL block and the PEO block. For all polymers investigated, essentially complete protein rejection is obtained above a critical surface coverage that is significantly lower than the saturation coverage of the copolymers. Removing the copolymer from bulk solution after preadsorption causes a partial desorption, resulting in reduced protein rejection. However, the protein rejection capacity with and without copolymer in the bulk solution is found to be similar at a given surface coverage. Contrary to the behavior of the intact copolymers, fibrinogen adsorption is found to be significant at surfaces pretreated with an extensively degraded copolymer and, in fact, quantitatively comparable to that at the hydrophobic surface in the absence of preadsorption. This finding, together with that of the effect of the copolymer composition on protein rejection, suggests that an efficient protein rejection is maintained until only a few L units remain in the copolymer, i.e., until nearly completed degradation. Copyright 2000 Academic Press.     

Sun Exposure, Sunscreen and Their Effects on Epidermal Langerhans Cells

This study examined the effects of chronic and current sun exposure on the number of Langerhans cells in epidermal sheets of UV-exposed and unexposed skin of the arms and assessed the effect of sunscreens. Participants were enrolled in a skin cancer prevention trial and had been using sunscreen daily for the previous 3 years. There were significantly fewer Langerhans cells on the exposed (463 cells/mm2) than on the unexposed forearm (528 cells/mm2) (P = 0.0001). High sun exposure in the previous 2 weeks and a history of predominantly outdoor occupations were both associated with a reduced number of Langerhans cells, although age and other biological indicators of chronic exposure were not associated. Sunscreen use was protective against the effects of current but not chronic sun exposure, with a suggestion of a greater effect at higher levels of exposure. Unexpectedly, people with a past history of nonmelanoma skin cancer had more Langerhans cells in both the exposed and the unexposed skin. These results emphasize the need for continued public health education to protect the immune system from the damaging effects of UV radiation .     

Characterization by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry of the major photoproducts of temoporfin (m-THPC) and bacteriochlorin (m-THPBC)

The photobleaching of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(m-hydroxyphenyl)chlorin (temoporfin, m-THPC) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis(m-hydroxyphenyl)bacteriochlorin (bacteriochlorin, m-THPBC) was studied in ethanol-water (1 : 99, v/v) and in physiological medium (phosphate-buffered saline, PBS) with or without fetal calf serum (FCS). m-THPC solution was irradiated with the laser radiation of 650 nm, whereas m-THPBC solution underwent two consecutive irradiations at 532 and 650 nm. The photoproducts were characterized by UV-visible absorption spectrophotometry and by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) coupled with Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FTICRMS). Independent of the solvent used, the phototransformation of either photosensitizer yielded the formation of 5,10,15,20-tetrakis (m-hydroxyphenyl)porphyrin (m-THPP) through a major dehydrogenation process.     

Spectres photoélectroniques He(I) et He(II) du benzo[b]sélénophène et du benzo[b]tellurophène

He(I) and He(II) photoelectron spectra of benzo[b]selenophene and benzo[b]tellurophene The photoelectron spectra of benzo[b]selenophene ( 2 ) and benzo[b]tellurophene ( 1 ) have been recorded with He(I) and He(II) radiation and been compared to those of benzo[b]thiophene ( 3 ), benzo[b]furan ( 4 ), indole ( 5 ) and indene ( 6 ). The first four bands are correlated with π-orbitals, of which the highest occupied one is strongly localized on the heteroatom in the case of 1 . The results are in agreement with semi-empirical PPP-calculations.     

Structural determination of two new acacic acid-type saponins from the stem barks of Albizia zygia (DC.) J. F. Macbr

As a continuation of our interest in the study of triterpenoid saponins from Albizia zygia, phytochemical investigation of its stem barks led to the isolation of two new oleanane-type saponins, named zygiaosides C–D (1–2). Their structures were established on the basis of extensive analysis of 1D and 2D NMR (1H-, 13C NMR, DEPT, COSY, TOCSY, ROESY, HSQC and HMBC) experiments, HRESIMS studies, and by chemical evidence as, 3-O-[ β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2)-[α-l-arabinopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-21-O-[(2E,6S)-2,6-dimethyl-6-O-(β-d-quinovopyranosyl) octa-2,7-dienoyl]acacic acid 28-O-α-l-arabinofuranosyl-(1→4)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (1) and 3- O-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→2) -[ β-d-fucopyranosyl-(1→6)]-β-d-glucopyranosyl]-21-O-[(2E,6S)-2,6-dimethyl-6-O-(β-D-quinovopyranosyl) octa-2,7-dienoyl]acacic acid 28-O-α-l-arabinofuranosyl-(1→4)-[β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1→3)]-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1→2)-β-d-glucopyranosyl ester (2).     

Asymmetric Synthesis of Diazepino-β-lactams by [2 + 2] Cycloaddition of an ‘Evans-Sjogven’ Ketene with 1H-1,2-Diazepines

The ketene derivative of the chiral oxazolidinone 1 underwent non-concerted stereo specific [2 + 2] cycloadditions with the (Z)-imine moiety of diazepines 2 , leading thereby with good diastereoselection to the trans-β-lactam adducts 3 (major) and 4 (minor). The absolute configuration of the major cycloadduct 3a was determined by an X-ray analysis. Its formation is discussed in terms of minimisation of steric interaction in the two transition states which give sequencially the zwitterionic intermediates and the final cycloadducts.     

NMR and Luminescence Binding Studies of Ytterbium,Thulium, and Europium Macrocyclic Complexes with Phosphorus(V) Oxy Anions

The binding of a series of phosphate anions to coordinatively unsaturated macrocyclic complexes of Yb, Tm, and Eu was studied by ¹H‐NMR, emission and circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) spectroscopy. Each ternary adduct was distinguished by its spectral profile. With O‐phosphorylated amino acids and peptides, chemoselective ligation of the phosphate moiety was favored by Eu over chelation involving the terminal amino group, which was competitive for Tm and Yb. A preference for binding O‐phosphono‐L ‐tyrosine sites was found with various Eu complexes, and was signalled by ratiometric changes in metal‐based emission and CPL spectra.     

Formation of 13C-, 15N-, and 18O-labeled guanidinohydantoin from guanosine oxidation with singlet oxygen. Implications for structure and mechanism

Guanosine labeled with 15N at N1, amino, and N7 and 13C at either C2 or C8 was oxidized by Rose Bengal photosensitization (singlet oxygen) in buffered aqueous solution. At pH > 7, spiroiminodihydantoin was the major product, while at pH < 7, guanidinohydantoin (Gh) was the principal product. 15N and 13C NMR studies confirmed that Gh was formed as a mixture of slowly equilibrating diastereomers. Experiments conducted in H218O indicated that Gh and Sp each contained one oxygen atom derived from O2 and one from H2O. Tandem mass spectrometry was used to identify the C4 carbonyl of Gh as the one labeled with 18O, supporting a mechanism involving attack of water at C5 of a dehydro-8-oxoguanosine intermediate.     

Computational insights on the challenges for polymerizing polar monomers

Taking Pd di-imine catalysts as an example, we use first principles density functional theory (B3LYP/6-31G) to investigate the chain propagation steps for polymerization of polar monomers. We start with the complex formed from insertion of ethylene into the polymer chain and consider insertion into the Pd-C bond for each of four polar monomers: methyl acrylate, vinyl acetate, vinyl chloride, and acrylonitrile. We find 2,1-insertion is favored in each case (by 3 to 5 kcal/mol), resulting in a product with a strong interaction of the polar group for the growing polymer chain with the metal. Next, we insert another unit of the same polar monomer or an ethylene unit (except for acrylonitrile). We optimize the structures for all important intermediates and transition states using a continuum dielectric to account for solvation effects. These studies pinpoint the critical difficulties in designing catalysts to polymerize polar monomers.