On the structure of carotenoid iodine complexes

Previous work on carotenoid-iodine complexes is briefly reviewed. The formation of iodine complexes of beta,beta-carotene and of (3R,3' R )-beta,beta-carotene-3,3'-diol (zeaxanthin) has been studied by modern methods including UV/VIS/NIR, IR MS, EPR, ENDOR and NMR (1H, 1H-1H COSY, TOCSY, 2D ROESY, 1H-13C HSQC and 1H-13C HMBC) spectroscopy, and chemical reactions monitored by HPLC, TLC and spectral analysis (VIS, MS, 1H NMR). beta,beta-Carotene formed a solid complex C40H56 x 4I with iodine in hexane and a solvent complex with lambdamax 1010 nm in chlorinated solvents. Iodine was not covalently bound to the carotene. Spectroscopic and chemical evidence is consistent with the representation of the beta,beta-carotene-iodine complex containing iodine in a pi complex with cationic/radical cationic properties. Extensive E/Z isomerisation was noted for all quenching products obtained in acetone, with thiosulfate, by dilution, or by reaction with nucleophile (MeOH). Key products obtained from the beta,beta-carotene-iodine complex were 4',5'-didehydro-4,5'-retro-beta,beta-carotene (isocarotene) and 4-methoxy-beta,beta-carotene. The zeaxanthin-iodine complex was not suitable for a practical synthesis of (3S,3'S)-4',5'-didehydro-4,5'-retro-beta,beta-carotene-3,3'-diol (eschscholtzxanthin).     

Evidence from Chlamydomonas on the photoactivation of rhodopsins without isomerization of their chromophore

Attachment of retinal to opsin forms the chromophore N-retinylidene, which isomerizes during photoactivation of rhodopsins. To test whether isomerization is crucial, custom-tailored chromophores lacking the β-ionone ring and any isomerizable bonds were incorporated in?vivo into the opsin of a blind mutant of the eukaryote Chlamydomonas reinhardtii. The analogs restored phototaxis with the anticipated action spectra, ruling out the need for isomerization in photoactivation. To further elucidate photoactivation, responses to chromophores formed from naphthalene aldehydes were studied. The resulting action spectral shifts suggest that charge separation within the excited chromophore leads to electric field-induced polarization of nearby amino acid residues and altered hydrogen bonding. This redistribution of charge facilitates the reported multiple bond rotations and protein rearrangements of rhodopsin activation. These results provide insight into the activation of rhodopsins and related GPCRs.     

Iodine magnetic moments measured by on-line nuclear orientation

On-Line measurements of magnetic dipole moments of^117–122I are interpreted using coupling of the odd particles to a deformed core. The results show interesting effects of g_7/2, d_5/2 orbital admixtures in the odd-A isotopes, which are close to spherical. The odd-odd isotopes^{118, 120}I show clear examples of shape co-existence.     

Unsteady behavior of flow in a scaled-up vocal folds model

Measurements of the fluid flow through a scaled-up model of the human glottis are presented to determine whether glottal flow may be approximated as unsteady. Time- and space-resolved velocity vector fields from digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) measurements of the flow through the gap between two moving, rigid walls are presented in four cases, over a range of Strouhal numbers: 0.010, 0.018, 0.035, 0.040, corresponding to life-scale f(0) of 30, 58, 109, and 126 Hz, respectively, at a Reynolds number of 8000. It is observed that (1) glottal flow onset is delayed after glottal opening and (2) glottal flow shutoff occurs prior to closure. A comparison between flow through a fully open, nonmoving glottis and that through the moving vocal folds shows a marked difference in spatial structure of the glottal jet. The following features of the flow are seen to exhibit strong dependence on cycle frequency: (a) glottal exit plane velocity, (b) volume flow, (c) vortex shedding rates, and (d) vortex amplitude. Vortex shedding appears to be a factor both in controlling flow resistance and in cycle-to-cycle volume flow variations. All these observations strongly suggest that glottal flow is inherently unsteady.     

Improved convection compensating pulsed field gradient spin-echo and stimulated-echo methods

The need for convection compensating methods in NMR has been manifested through an increasing number of publications related to the subject over the past few years (J. Magn. Reson. 125, 372 (1997); 132, 13 (1998); 131, 126 (1998); 118, 50 (1996); 133, 379 (1998)). When performing measurements at elevated temperature, small convection currents may give rise to erroneous values of the diffusion coefficient. In work with high resolution NMR spectroscopy, the application of magnetic field gradients also introduces an eddy-current magnetic field which may result in errors in phase and baseline in the FFT-spectra. The eddy current field has been greatly suppressed by the application of bipolar magnetic field gradients. However, when introducing bipolar magnetic field gradients, the pulse sequence is lengthened significantly. This has recently been pointed out as a major drawback because of the loss of coherence and of NMR-signal due to transverse relaxation processes. Here we present modified convection compensating pulsed field gradient double spin echo and double stimulated echo sequences which suppress the eddy-current magnetic field without increasing the duration of the pulse sequences.     

Enantioenriched 1-aryl-2-fluoroethylamines. Efficient lipase-catalysed resolution and limitations to the Mitsunobu inversion protocol

Both enantiomers of eight 1-aryl-2-fluoroethylamines have been synthesised starting with 1-aryl-2-fluoroethanones. Kinetic resolution of the amines using lipase B from Candida antarctica with ethyl methoxyacetate as the acyl donor gave the (R)-amines in 96-99% ee and the (S)-methoxyacetamides in >99.5% ee. The resolution was robust with respect to variation in reaction temperature, acyl donor concentration, water activity and substrate structure. Nine other lipase preparations failed to catalyse the reaction or gave a low enantioselectivity. Secondly, a Mitsunobu inversion protocol starting with enantioenriched 1-aryl-2-fluoroethanols using phthalimide as nucleophile was employed in the synthesis of the (S)-1-aryl-2-fluoroethylamines. Both the inversion efficiency and yield depended on the aromatic substituents. For six of the substrates, clean inversion of the stereochemistry was observed. However, racemisation and low yields were the result when electron-donating substituents were present at the aromatic ring. When substituted with a cyano or a nitro group, an unexpected fluorine elimination occurred, limiting the yield for these transformations. The absolute configuration of the 1-aryl-2-fluoroethylamines was determined using circular dichroism.     

Delocalized carotenoid cations in relation to the soliton model

A series of charge-delocalized carotenoid mono- and dications have been prepared by treatment of selected carotenoids with Br?nsted and Lewis acids. The detailed structures of the carbocations were established by NMR studies in the temperature range from -10 to -20 degrees C. The general strategy for structure elucidation by NMR of several cationic components in a mixture is outlined. Bond type and regions of bond inversion were established, as well as the charge distribution, which was determined from the difference in (13)C chemical shift at each carbon. This method gave a more accurate estimate for the partial charges than by using the Spiesecke-Schneider relationship. The resulting charge distribution was used as models for the structure of charged solitons. These carotenoid cations have the most delocalized charge so far determined, and the monocations represent the first experimental structure determination of positively charged solitons. The soliton width determined here is in good agreement with the results of previous AM1 calculations.