QUATERNARY STRUCTURE OF PEA PHYTOCHROME I DIMER STUDIED WITH SMALL-ANGLE X-RAY SCATTERING and ROTARY-SHADOWING ELECTRON MICROSCOPY

Abstract— The quaternary structure of pea phytochrome type I (PI) dimer in the red-light-absorbing form was studied by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique and rotary-shadowing electron microscopy. Structural parameters for PI 114 kDa chromopeptide dimer and its tryptically digested N-terminal 59 kDa chromopeptide monomer, such as average electron density, molecular volume and the second moment of electron density distribution, were determined in terms of SAXS using the contrast variation method. Furthermore, by means of model simulation for the scattering profiles of the chromopeptides, most plausible structural models for both peptides were constructed. The distance between the chromophoric domains was estimated to be about 70 A in the resultant model for 114 kDa chromopeptide dimer. Furthermore, the model was consistent with the electron-micrographic images of both the intact PI dimer and the PI 114 kDa chromopeptide dimer, so that the N-terminal 7 kDa fragment did not significantly contribute the low-resolution images of the dimer.     

Catalytic transformation of methane over in-loaded ZSM-5 zeolite in the presence of ethene

Methane is shown to react with ethene over In-loaded ZSM-5 to higher hydrocarbons such as propene and toluene at around 673 K. Such methane conversion is not catalyzed by proton-exchanged ZSM-5 (H-ZSM-5) under the same conditions, only C2H4 being converted to higher hydrocarbons. By using 13C-labeled methane (13CH4) as a reactant, the reaction paths for the formation of propene, benzene and toluene were examined. 13C-labeled propene (13CC2H6) is formed by the reaction of 13CH4 with C2H4. The lack of 13C-labeled benzene revealed that propene is not transformed to benzene, which instead originates entirely from C2H4. The 13C atom is inserted both into the methyl group and benzene ring in the toluene formed. This indicates that toluene is formed by two reaction paths; the reaction of 13CC2H6 with butenes formed by the dimerization of C2H4 and the reaction of benzene with 13CH4. The existence of the latter path was proved by the direct reaction of 13CH4 with benzene. The reaction of methane with benzene was also carried out in a continuous flow system over In-loaded ZSM-5. The reaction afforded 7.6% and 0.9% yields of toluene and xylenes, respectively, at 623 K.     

Amphidinolide X,a novel 16-membered macrodiolide from dinoflagellate Amphidinium sp

A novel cytotoxic 16-membered macrodiolide, amphidinolide X (1), has been isolated from a marine dinoflagellate Amphidinium sp. (strain Y-42). The gross structure of 1 was elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data including one-bond and long-range (13)C-(13)C correlations. The relative and absolute stereochemistries were determined by combined analyses of NOESY data and (1)H-(1)H and (1)H-(13)C coupling constants of 1 and NMR data of the degradation products. Amphidinolide X (1) is the first macrodiolide consisting of polyketide-derived diacid and diol units from natural sources. The biosynthetic origins of 1 were investigated by means of feeding experiments with (13)C-labeled acetates.     

Synthesis of N3-substituted uridine and related pyrimidine nucleosides and their antinociceptive effects in mice

Seventy eight N(3)-substituted derivatives of uridine (1), thymidine (2), 2'-deoxyuridine (3), 6-azauridine (4), 2',3'-O-isopropylideneuridine (5), and arabinofuranosyluracil (6) were synthesized and their antinociceptive effects were evaluated. N(3)-(2',4'-Dimethoxyphenacyl)uridine (1l), N(3)-(2',4'-dimethoxyphenacyl)2'-deoxyuridine (3l), and N(3)-(2',5'-dimethoxyphenacyl)arabinofuranosyluracil (6m) possessed 93, 86, and 82% of the antinociceptive effects tested by hot plate, respectively. The antinociceptive effects of three derivatives were 5.8, 5.4, and 5.1-folds of the effect of N(3)-phenacyluridine (1h) (16%), respectively. The structure-activity relationship of N(3)-substituted pyrimidine nucleosides was also discussed.     

Comparative spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of bis(octakis(dodecylthio)naphthalocyaninato)europium(III) and bis(tetra-tert-butylnaphthalocyaninato)europium(III) complexes

Bis(substituted-2,3-naphthalocyaninato)europium(III) complexes: bis(octakis(dodecylthio)-2,3-naphthalocyaninato)europium(III) (Eu[2,3-Nc(SC12H25)8]2, 1) and bis(tetra-tert-butyl-2,3- naphthalocyaninato)europium(III) (Eu[2,3-Nc(t-Bu)4]2, 2) have been synthesized by cyclic tetramerization of naphthalonitriles with Eu(acac)3.H2O in the presence of 1,8-diazabicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) in refluxing n-octanol. These compounds were characterized by UV-visible, magnetic circular dichroism (MCD), near-IR, IR, EPR, and mass spectroscopies. The absorption and MCD spectra of 1 showed splitting of the Q band, with peaks at 700 and 784 nm, red shifted from the Q band of 2 at 763 nm. The absorption and MCD spectral band deconvolution calculations of complex 1 gave two A terms in the Q-band region. The A terms are assigned to 2A2-->2E1 transitions. Cyclic voltammograms of 1 and 2 showed reversible oxidation couples at E1/2 = -0.28 V (for 2) and -0.25 V (for 1) vs ferrocenium/ferrocene (Fc+/Fc). The second oxidation exhibited a complicated behavior for both complexes. The reduction couples for 2 were observed at E1/2 = -0.61, -1.64, -1.97, and -2.42 V, and for 1 they were observed at E1/2 = -0.62, -1.60, -1.86, and -2.27 V vs Fc+/Fc. Spectral changes observed on chemical oxidation and reduction of the complexes are presented, and the behaviors of 1 and 2 are compared.     

Function of the Reaction Center of Green Sulfur Bacteria

The reaction center (RC) of green sulfur bacteria belongs to the Fe-S type RC, as do the photosystem I of oxygenic photosynthetic organisms and the RC of heliobacteria. The core parts of the green sulfur bacterial and the heliobacterial RC are assumed to be homodimeric, in contrast to those of purple bacteria, photosystem I and photosystem II. This paper describes recent advances in the study of the function of the green sulfur bacterial RC.     

LIGHT INDUCED FLUORESCENCE SPECTRAL CHANGES IN NATIVE PHYTOCHROME FROM Secale cereale L. AT LIQUID NITROGEN TEMPERATURE

Abstract— Fluorescence spectra of native rye phytochrome were determined under different light conditions at liquid nitrogen temperature. Fluorescence spectrum of the red-light-absorbing form (Pr) had a major peak at about 685 nm (14 600 cm⁻¹) and a broad sub-peak at about 515 nm (19 400 cm⁻¹). The peak height at 685 nm was reduced by irradiation with monochromatic light of 640 nm, and a new peak became obvious at about 702 nm (14250 cm⁻¹). This spectral change was almost completely reversed by subsequent irradiation with 700-nm light. Fluorescence spectrum of the photoequilibrium mixture of Pr and far-red-light absorbing form under continuous red light showed a sharp peak at about 685 nm having a peak height ca. 12% of Pr, and a broad sub-peak at about 508 nm (19 700 cm⁻¹). Light of 730 nm did not reduce the peak height at about 685 nm but induced a new shoulder at about 699 nm (14300 cm⁻¹). Monochromatic light of 640 and 700 nm given following the light of 730 nm could not reverse the spectral change at 699 nm induced by the irradiation with 730-nm light. Fluorescence spectrum of Pr in partially degraded phytochrome was similar to that in native phytochrome but the peak position in the red region was shifted by about 5 nm (100 cm⁻¹) to the blue.     

Control of charge-transfer-induced spin transition temperature on cobalt-iron Prussian blue analogues

The electronic and spin states of a series of Co-Fe Prussian blue analogues containing Na(+) ion in the lattice, Na(x)()Co(y)()Fe(CN)(6) x zH(2)O, strongly depended on the atomic composition ratio of Co to Fe (Co/Fe) and temperature. Compounds of Co/Fe = 1.5 and 1.15 consisted mostly of the Fe(III)(t(2g)(5)e(g)(0), LS, S = 1/2)-CN-Co(II)(t(2g)(5)e(g)(2), HS, S = 3/2) site and the Fe(II)(t(2g)(6)e(g)(0), LS, S = 0)-CN-Co(III)(t(2g)(6)e(g)(0), LS, S = 0) site, respectively, over the entire temperature region from 5 to 350 K. Conversely, compounds of Co/Fe = 1.37, 1.32, and 1.26 showed a change in their electronic and spin states depending on the temperature. These compounds consisted mainly of the Fe(III)-CN-Co(II) site (HT phase) around room temperature but turned to the state consisting mainly of the Fe(II)-CN-Co(III) site (LT phase) at low temperatures. This charge-transfer-induced spin transition (CTIST) phenomenon occurred reversibly with a large thermal hysteresis of about 40 K. The CTIST temperature (T(1/2) = (T(1/2) descending + T(1/2) ascending)/2) increased from 200 to 280 K with decreasing Co/Fe from 1.37 to 1.26. Furthermore, by light illumination at 5 K, the LT phase of compounds of Co/Fe = 1.37, 1.32, and 1.26 was converted to the HT phase, and the relaxation temperature from this photoproduced HT phase also strongly depended on the Co/Fe ratio; 145 K for Co/Fe = 1.37, 125 K for Co/Fe = 1.32, and 110 K for Co/Fe = 1.26. All these phenomena are explained by a simple model using potential energy curves of the LT and HT phases. The energy difference of two phases is determined by the ligand field strength around Co(II) ions, which can be controlled by Co/Fe.     

Enantioselective addition of ketene silyl acetals to nitrones catalyzed by chiral titanium complexes. Synthesis of optically active beta-amino acids

A chiral titanium complex, Ti(O-i-Pr)(4)/BINOL/tert-butylcatechol, catalyzes enantioselective addition reaction of ketene silyl acetals to nitrones to give optically active beta-amino acid derivatives which are biologically active compounds and useful synthetic intermediates of natural products and pharmaceuticals such as beta-lactam antibiotics. The combined process of catalytic oxidation of secondary amines and enantioselective carbon-carbon bond formation of nitrones thus obtained with ketene silyl acetals provides a useful two-step method for the synthesis of optically active beta-amino acid derivatives and related nitrogen compounds.     

Determination of pheophytinatonickel(II) by reversed-phase highperformance liquid chromatography

Summary HPLC determination of pheophytinatonicke(II) (Pheo-Ni) prepared by the replacement of magnesium(II) in chlorophyll with nicke(II) is described. The good separation of PheoNi was obtained by using chemically bonded C₁₈ as the stationary phase and acetone-methanol (50∶50, vol/vol) as the mobile phase. Conventional spectrophotometric method was also used for the determination of PheoNi. For the synthetic samples prepared by mixing (pheophytinato a) nicke(II) [(Pheo-a) Ni] and (pheophytinato b) nicke(II) [(Pheo-b) Ni], analytical values obtained by the spectrophotometric method were very high compared to those obtained by HPLC. In the proposed HPLC method, (Pheo-a) Ni and (Pheo-b). Ni could be determined in the concentration range of 0.028–30μg/ml and 0.038–30μg/ml with relative standard deviations (n=10) of 3.1% and 0.8%, respectively.