Synthesis and DNA binding properties of pyrrole amino acid-containing peptides

Dimers of the pyrrole amino acid (Paa), 5-(aminomethyl)pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid, and its derivatives having Lys anchored on N- and C-termini bind in the minor groove of DNA with considerable apparent binding affinities. When the Lys unit is attached to the C-terminus, the resulting ligand binds to ds-DNA with twice the affinity, of the order of 10⁵, than the one carrying two positive charges at the same end.     

Phosphoramidite approach for the synthesis of cardiolipin

A phosphoramidite approach was utilized for the first time to synthesize cardiolipin. Optically active 1,2-di-O-acyl-sn-glycerol was coupled with 2-O-protected glycerols utilizing mono- and bifunctional phosphitylating agents to yield, after final removal of protecting groups, the title compound.     

Cellulose synthesis in maize: isolation and expression analysis of the cellulose synthase (CesA) gene family

Stalk lodging in maize results in significant yield losses. We have determined that cellulose per unit length of the stalk is the primary determinant of internodal strength. An increase in cellulose concentration in the wall might allow simultaneous improvements in stalk strength and harvest index. Cellulose formation in plants can be perturbed by mutations in the genes involved in cellulose synthesis, post-synthetic cellulose alteration or deposition, N-glycosylation, and some other genes with as yet unknown functions. We have isolated 12 members of the cellulose synthase (CesA) gene family from maize. The genes involved in primary wall formation appear to have duplicated relatively independently in dicots and monocots. The deduced amino acid sequences of three of the maize genes, ZmCesA10–12, cluster with the Arabidopsis CesA sequences that have been shown to be involved in secondary wall formation. Based on their expression patterns across multiple tissues, these three genes appear to be coordinately expressed. The remaining genes show overlapping expression to varying degrees with ZmCesA1, 7, and 8 forming one group, ZmCesA3 and 5 a second group, and ZmCesA2 and 6 exhibiting independent expression of any other gene. This suggests that the varying levels of coexpression may just be incidental except in the case of ZmCesA10–12, which may interact with each other to form a functional enzyme complex. Isolation of the expressed CesA genes from maize and their association with primary or secondary wall formation has made it possible to test their respective roles in cellulose synthesis through mutational genetics or transgenic approaches. This information would be useful in improving stalk strength.     

New sphingolipids and a sterol from a lobophytum species of the Indian ocean

Chemical investigation of a soft coral species of the genus Lobophytum has resulted in the isolation of three new sphingolipids--(2S,3S,4R)-2-nonadecanoylamino-octadecane-1,3,4-triol (1), (2S,3R,4E,8E)-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxyheptadecanoylamino]-4,8-octadecadiene-1,3-diol (2), 1-O-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-(2S,3R,4E,8E)-2-[(2'R)-2'-hydroxynonadecanoylamino]-9-methyl-4,8-octadecadiene-1,3-diol (3) and a sterol--(24S)-ergost-5-en-3beta,7beta-diol (4) along with the known sphingolipid--(2S,3R,4E,8E)-2-hexadecanoylamino-4,8-octadecadien-1,3-diol (5) which showed cytotoxicity against human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC).     

Spectrophotometric methods for the determination of labetalol hydrochloride in pure and dosage forms

Simple and sensitive Spectrophotometric methods for the determination of labetalol hydrochloride are described. The first two are based on the oxidative coupling reaction of labetalol hydrochloride withp-N,N-dimethyl-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride (method A, _max 685 nm) and 3-methyl-2-benzothiazolinone hydrazone hydrochloride (method B, _max 545 nm) in the presence of sodium hypochlorite and eerie ammonium sulphate as oxidants, respectively. The third depends on the formation of an ion-association complex of labetalol hydrochloride with suprachen violet 3B at pH 1.3, which is extracted into chloroform (method C, _max 565 nm). The methods obey Beer's law and the precision and accuracy of the methods were checked against the B.P. reference method and the relative standard deviations were in the range 0.35–0.52%. These methods are applied to the determination of labetalol in dosage forms.     

Electroweak tests with τ leptons at LEP

We report on two sensitive tests of lepton universality carried out by the 4 LEP experiments at the Z⁰ pole. From measurements of the τ polarization in e⁺ e^?→τ ⁺ τ ^?, the ratios of the vector and axial vector coupling constants of the electron and the tau lepton to the weak neutral current are obtained to beg _{v e} /g _{a e} =0.066±0.015 andg _{V τ} /g _{A τ} =0.070±0.009 respectively. From measurement of the τ lifetime and the τ leptonic branching ratios, the ratio of the coupling constants describing weak leptonic decays of the τ and the μ is measured to beG _τ /G _μ =0.996±0.008.     

Evaluation of the quality of colour changes of complexometric indicators in the titration of copper (II) with EDTA by tristimulus colorimetry

The quality of colour changes of the indicators hematoxylin, 4(2-pyridylazo)resorcinol (PAR), xylenol orange, pyrocatechol violet, chromazurolS and eriochrome cyanineR in the complexometric titration of copper(II) with ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) were studied with the help of tristimulus colorimetry, utilising a comparative study of the parameters SCD (specific colour discrimination), CIE La^*b^* 1976 and LABHNU 1977. Hematoxylin was found to be the best indicator among those studied. A screened indicator, viz. PAR + malachite green (52), was developed to enhance the quality of colour transition at the end-point and the accuracy of the titrimetric determination.