Design of a conformationally restricted analogue of the antiepilepsy drug Vigabatrin that directs its mechanism of inactivation of gamma-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase

The antiepilepsy drug vigabatrin (1, 4-aminohex-5-enoic acid, gamma-vinylGABA) is known to be a mechanism-based inactivator of the pyridoxal phosphate (PLP)-dependent enzyme gamma-aminobutyric acid aminotransferase (GABA-AT). Inactivation has been shown to proceed by two divergent mechanisms (Nanavati, S. M.; Silverman, R. B. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 1991, 113, 9341-9349). The major pathway involves gamma-proton removal, tautomerization into the PLP ring, followed by Michael addition of an active site lysine residue at the conjugated vinyl group to give a stable covalent adduct with the protein (Scheme 2, pathway a). The minor inactivation mechanism also involves gamma-proton removal, but tautomerization occurs through the vinyl group, followed by an enamine rearrangement that leads to attachment of the inactivator to the PLP, which is bound to the protein (Scheme 2, pathway b). The cause for the two different inactivation pathways was hypothesized to be potential overlap of the incipient carbanion with the pi-orbitals of both the PLP and the vinyl group. With use of the crystal structure data for GABA-AT recently reported (Storici, P.; Capitani, C.; De Biase, D.; Moser, M.; John, R. A.; Jansonius, J. N.; Schirmer, T. Biochemistry 1999, 38, 8628-8634) a computer model of vigabatrin bound to the PLP was constructed and energy minimized. This model indicated that the major Michael addition pathway could only occur if the vinyl group were allowed to rotate by 180 degrees. A conformationally rigid analogue of vigabatrin, cis-3-aminocyclohex-4-ene-1-carboxylic acid (9), was designed to prevent bond rotation and block the Michael addition pathway. A detailed study of the mechanism of inactivation of GABA-AT by 9 revealed that it inactivates by a single mechanism, the enamine pathway.     

Assembly of the water-oxidizing complex in photosystem II

The efficient incorporation and assembly of calcium, chloride and manganese followed by photoactivation of the water-oxidizing complex (WOC) is a prerequisite for the unique water-splitting activity of photosystem II. This minireview summarizes the recent results on incorporation and storage of the inorganic cofactors, photoactivation of the WOC and assembly of the protein environment at the donor site of PSII in cyanobacteria with a special focus on the role of the Psb27 protein.     

On the core-hole photoelectron satellites in N2 and CO

A theoretical study is given of core-level photoelectron satellites with special emphasis on the π?π* satellites in N₂ and CO. The discussion is based on an analysis of the properly constructed zeroth-order manifold of satellite states, and provides simple explanations for both bound state and photoelectron continuum aspects of core-level ionization. Similar to the frozen core static exchange approximation for the single core-hole states, we derive one-particle scattering potentials for the satellite states.     

The remarkable indifference of alkali metal cation binding constants to sidearm thioether and sulfoxide donors in azalariat ethers

The first example of a lariat ether containing a sulfur sidearm donor is reported here along with a comparison of cation binding strengths to Na⁺ and K⁺. The binding strength differs remarkably little from analogs completely lacking a sidearm donor group and similar results are observed for the novel sulfoxide analog.     

Phosphatidylcholines and -ethanolamines can be easily mistaken in phospholipid mixtures: a negative ion MALDI-TOF MS study with 9-aminoacridine as matrix and egg yolk as selected example

Phospholipids (PL) are increasingly analyzed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS). As in the case of polar molecules, however, the careful selection of the matrix is crucial for optimum results. 9-Aminoacridine (9-AA) was recently suggested as the matrix of choice to analyze PL mixtures because of (a) the improved sensitivity and (b) the reduction of suppression effects compared to other matrices. However, the distinction of phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) in the negative ion mode is obscured as PC is also detectable as –CH₃⁺ ion if 9-AA is used as matrix. This may result in the erroneous assignment of PC as a PE species. Using an organic extract from hen egg yolk as example it will be shown that the contribution of PC must be taken into consideration if the negative ion mass spectra are used to evaluate the fatty acyl compositions of PE mixtures. 9-AA can as well be used in hyphenated thin-layer chromatography (TLC)-MALDI-TOF MS where PC and PE are chromatographically well separated for unequivocal assignments.      

Perfluoroalkyl-substituted triazapentadienes and their metal complexes

Triazapentadienides, C(3)F(7)-C(=NR)-N=C(NHR)-C(3)F(7), result from the reaction of primary amines RNH(2) with the fluorinated imine C(3)F(7)-CF=N-C(4)F(9). The aniline derivative (R = Ph) is a weak monoprotic acid in dmso. Its conjugate base exhibits an extensive coordination chemistry. It acts as a bidentate ligand toward the molecular fragments Pd(C(3)H(5)), Rh(c-C(8)H(12)), Ir(c-C(8)H(12)), and Rh(CO)(2). The chelates [C(3)F(7)-C(NPh)-N-C(NPh)-C(3)F(7)](2)M, M = Mg, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, and Pd, were prepared. In the crystallographically characterized Co complex, the metal is 3d(7), S = (3)/(2) and tetrahedrally coordinated. Spin densities at carbon in the C(6)H(5) and C(3)F(7) groups were estimated from the (1)H and (19)F contact shifts. Spin delocalization onto phenyl sp(2) carbons is approximately 10 times greater than onto the fluorinated sp(3) carbons.     

Synthesis of (2R, 3R)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(4-hydroxybenzoate), a novel catechin from Cistus salvifolius, and evaluation of its proteasome inhibitory activities

The total and semi syntheses of (2R,3R)-epigallocatechin-3-O-(4-hydroxybenzoate), a novel catechin from Cistus salvifolius, were accomplished. The proteasome inhibition and cytotoxic activities of the synthetic compound and its acetyl derivative were studied and compared with (2R,3R)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), the active component from green tea.     

Novel biomimetic iron-catalysts for environmentally benign epoxidations of olefins

A new selective and easily manageable epoxidation method is presented using an inexpensive and efficient FeCl₃·6H₂O and imidazole derivatives as catalysts. Aqueous hydrogen peroxide as an environmentally benign oxidant is utilized. This novel Fe/imidazole system gives moderate to excellent yields toward aromatic mono-, di-, and tri-substituted olefins.     

Fixed point sets of homeomorphisms of compact surfaces

Every closed and non-empty subset of a compact surfaceS can be the fixed point set of a homeomorphism, andS also admits fixed point free homeomorphisms if it does not have the fixed point property. A partial extension to higher dimensions states that every closed and non-empty subset of a compactn-manifold can be the fixed point set of a surjective self-map. This research was partially supported by the National Research Council of Canada (Grant A 7579).