Specific interactions between silver(I) ions and cytosine-cytosine pairs in DNA duplexes

Very specific binding of the Ag(i) ion unexpectedly stabilized DNA duplexes containing the naturally occurring cytosine-cytosine (C-C) mismatch-base pair; because the C-C pair selectively binds to the Ag(i) ion, we developed a DNA-based Ag(i) sensor that employed an oligodeoxyribonucleotide containing C-C pairs used for Ag(i) binding sites.     

Tubular gel fabrication and cell encapsulation in laminar flow stream formed by microfabricated nozzle array

We have used a laminar flow stream formed by a microfabricated nozzle array to prepare cell-encapsulated alginate gel micro-tubes, in which cells formed a cylindrical multi-cellular aggregate after cultivation for two weeks.     

Solvent-responsive structural colored balloons

The structural colored balloons (SCBs) consisting of polymer microcapsules showed several structural colors developed by optical thin-layer interference. The SCBs were prepared using a mixture of low- and high-molecular-weight polystyrene to give solvent responsiveness. When the surrounding solvent was transferred from water to the acetone/water mixture using a flow cell, the SCBs swelled at first and shrunk subsequently. The gradual color change of the SCBs was observed along with the size change. The color change accompanying the size change was successfully reproduced by assuming that the total amount of polymer in the thin film does not change. The swelling rate was rationalized by the diffusion of solvent through the shell polystyrene film to the inside of the balloons.     

A novel total synthesis of isocryptolepine based on a microwave-assisted tandem Curtius rearrangement and aza-electrocyclic reaction

A new entry to the total synthesis of isocryptolepine (cryptosanguinolentine), isolated from Cryptolepis sanguinolenta, was achieved by constructing a tetracyclic ring system through a microwave-assisted tandem Curtius rearrangement and electrocyclic reaction of an aza 6π-electron system. The tetracyclic lactam was converted to isocryptolepine in a four-step sequence.     

Function of membrane protein in silica nanopores: incorporation of photosynthetic light-harvesting protein LH2 into FSM

A high amount of functional membrane protein complex was introduced into a folded-sheet silica mesoporous material (FSM) that has nanometer-size pores of honeycomb-like hexagonal cylindrical structure inside. The photosynthetic light-harvesting complex LH2, which is a typical membrane protein, has a cylindrical structure of 7.3 nm diameter and contains 27 bacteriochlorophyll a and nine carotenoid molecules. The complex captures light energy in the anoxygenic thermophilic purple photosynthetic bacterium Thermochromatium tepidum. The amount of LH2 adsorbed to FSM was determined optically and by the adsorption isotherms of N2. The FSM compounds with internal pore diameters of 7.9 and 2.7 nm adsorbed LH2 at 1.11 and 0.24 mg/mg FSM, respectively, suggesting the high specific affinity of LH2 to the interior of the hydrophobic nanopores with a diameter of 7.9 nm. The LH2 adsorbed to FSM showed almost intact absorption bands of bacteriochlorophylls, and was fully active in the capture and transfer of excitation energy. The LH2 complex inside the FSM showed increased heat stability of the exciton-type absorption band of bacteriochlorophylls (B850), suggesting higher circular symmetry. The environment inside the hydrophobic silica nanopores can be a new matrix for the membrane proteins to reveal their functions. The silica-membrane protein adduct will be useful for the construction of new probes and reaction systems.     

Comparison of consensus scoring strategies for evaluating computational models of protein-ligand complexes

Here, the comparisons of performance of nine consensus scoring strategies, in which multiple scoring functions were used simultaneously to evaluate candidate structures for a protein-ligand complex, in combination with nine scoring functions (FlexX score, GOLD score, PMF score, DOCK score, ChemScore, DrugScore, PLP, ScreenScore, and X-Score), were carried out. The systematic naming of consensus scoring strategies was also proposed. Our results demonstrate that choosing the most appropriate type of consensus score is essential for model selection in computational docking; although the vote-by-number strategy was an effective selection method, the number-by-number and rank-by-number strategies were more appropriate when computational tractability was taken into account. By incorporating these consensus scores into the FlexX program, reasonable complex models can be obtained more efficiently than those selected by independent FlexX scores. These strategies might also improve the scoring of other docking programs, and more-effective structure-based drug design should result from these improvements.     

Allylcyanation of alkynes: regio- and stereoselective access to functionalized di- or trisubstituted acrylonitriles

Allyl cyanides are found to add across alkynes in the presence of a nickel catalyst prepared from Ni(cod)2 and P(4-CF3-C6H4)3 in situ to give variously functionalized di- or trisubstituted acrylonitriles in highly stereoselective manners possibly via a pi-allylnickel species as an intermediate. alpha-Siloxyallyl cyanides also react at the gamma-position of a cyano group with both internal and terminal alkynes having various functional groups to give silyl enol ethers, which give the corresponding aldehydes or ketones upon hydrolysis.     

Development of dual gradient column in liquid chromatography

The dual gradient column, in which both the chemical property of the stationary phase and the flow velocity in the mobile phase are heterogeneous longitudinally along the column, is developed to obtain the mobile phase gradient-like elution in an isocratic condition. Here, the step-wise dual gradient columns were prepared by connecting an inlet column (I.D. 50 microm, packed with ODS) serially to an outlet column (I.D. 100-200 microm, packed with the mixture of ODS and C1 [9:1]). The retention behavior of alkylbenzenes was able to be controlled in the dual gradient column depending on the variation in the flow velocity. Moreover, the change in retention behavior induced by the flow velocity variation for the dual gradient columns was quite different from that by the variation in organic modifier content of the mobile phase in isocratic elution for a single gradient column and can induce the similar effect with an ordinary gradient elution in a mobile phase composition.     

Correlation between hue angle and lightness of light irradiated wood

The objective of this study was to investigate irradiation characteristics of Beech (Fagus crenata Blume), black locust (Robinia pseudoacacia L.), Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica D. Don) and spruce (Picea abies Karst.) wood samples by sunlight, xenon light and mercury vapour light. The colour change of the samples was evaluated by CIE L*a*b* and L*h*c* colour co-ordinate systems. It was found that the samples showed a rapid colour change at the initial period of treatment but the rate of change decreased with treatment time. It was determined that neither xenon nor mercury lamp light can accurately simulate sunlight. A wide range of colour changes were caused by the applied light sources. In spite of this wide colour range a good linear correlation was found between the lightness and the colour hue. The coefficients of determination (R²) are between 0.7 and 0.96. Accordingly, this linear correlation gives the possibility of following the colour change during photodegradation by measuring only the lightness.