1H NMR Studies of Hydroxy Protons of ASN- and Ser-Linked Disaccharides in Aqueous Solution

ABSTRACT

The hydroxy protons of β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-GlcpNAc, β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-GlcpNAc-N-Asn, β-D-Galp-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAc-O-Me and of β-D-Galp-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAc-O-Ser in aqueous solution have been investigated using ¹H NMR spectroscopy. The chemical shifts, coupling constants, temperature coefficients, exchange rates and NOEs have been measured. The O(3)H proton of β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-GlcpNAc and β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-GlcpNAc-N-Asn, and the O(2')H proton of β-D-Galp-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAc and β-D-Galp-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAc-O-Ser have values which differ significantly from the other hydroxy protons. Both these hydroxy protons are shielded when compared to those of the corresponding monosaccharide methyl glycosides. This shielding is attributed to the proximity of these protons to the O(5') oxygen and to the 2-acetamido group, respectively. In β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-GlcpNAc and β-D-GlcpNAc-(1→4)-β-D-GlcpNAc-N-Asn, the O(3)H proton has restricted conformational freedom with a preferred orientation towards the O(5') oxygen, and is protected from exchange with the bulk water through a weak hydrogen bond interaction with O(5'). In β-D-Galp-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAc-O-Me and β-D-Galp-(1→3)-α-D-GalpNAc-O-Ser, the O(2')H is protected from exchange with the bulk water by the 2-acetamido group. The conformations of the disaccharides are not affected by the amino acid, and no interaction in terms of hydrogen bonding between the sugars and the amino acid residue could be observed.     

Mathematics and Her Sisters in Medieval Islam: A Selective Review of Work Done from 1985 to 1995

This paper surveys work done over the past decade, largely in Western Europe and North America, in the history of the mathematical sciences as practiced in medieval Islam from central Asia to Spain. Among the major topics covered, in addition to the usual branches of mathematics, are mathematical geography, astronomy, and optics. We have also given accounts of some current debates on the interpretation of important texts and, in addition, we have surveyed some of the literature dealing with the interrelation of mathematics and society in medieval Islam.Copyright 1997 Academic Press.Cet exposé présente un rapport de recherche fait au cours de la dernière décennie en histoire des sciences mathématiques durant le Moyen Âge. Il évalue l'influence islamique de cette période dans le territoire qui s'étend de l'Asie centrale jusqu'en Espagne. Parmi les sujets traités, on y trouve la géographie, l'astronomie, et l'optique en plus des branches habituelles des mathématiques. Nous donnons un compte rendu des débats actuels en ce qui concerne l'interprétation de publications islamiques de cette époque. De plus à partir des textes littéraires, on a examiné la relation entre les mathématiques et la société islamique du Moyen Âge.Copyright 1997 Academic Press.[FORMULA]     

Intramolecular screening effects in nondilute polymer solutions: An equation‐of‐state approach

In a previous article, we presented a simple modification of the traditional Flory–Huggins theory that took intramolecular screening effects (or same chain contacts) into account. In this article, we present a natural extension of that work, in which free‐volume effects are also explained with an equation‐of‐state model. The predictions of the interaction parameter, χ, for several polymer–solvent systems are presented, over the entire concentration range, in θ solvents and good solvents. A geometric mean assumption is applied to the calculation of an exchange energy interaction term. The predictions of χ are successful to various degrees when internal pressures are used, whereas the use of solubility parameters in most cases produces fairly good agreement with experimental results. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2911–2922, 2003     

Impact of 2'-hydroxyl sampling on the conformational properties of RNA: update of the CHARMM all-atom additive force field for RNA

Here, we present an update of the CHARMM27 all-atom additive force field for nucleic acids that improves the treatment of RNA molecules. The original CHARMM27 force field parameters exhibit enhanced Watson-Crick base pair opening which is not consistent with experiment, whereas analysis of molecular dynamics (MD) simulations show the 2'-hydroxyl moiety to almost exclusively sample the O3' orientation. Quantum mechanical (QM) studies of RNA related model compounds indicate the energy minimum associated with the O3' orientation to be too favorable, consistent with the MD results. Optimization of the dihedral parameters dictating the energy of the 2'-hydroxyl proton targeting the QM data yielded several parameter sets, which sample both the base and O3' orientations of the 2'-hydroxyl to varying degrees. Selection of the final dihedral parameters was based on reproduction of hydration behavior as related to a survey of crystallographic data and better agreement with experimental NMR J-coupling values. Application of the model, designated CHARMM36, to a collection of canonical and noncanonical RNA molecules reveals overall improved agreement with a range of experimental observables as compared to CHARMM27. The results also indicate the sensitivity of the conformational heterogeneity of RNA to the orientation of the 2'-hydroxyl moiety and support a model whereby the 2'-hydroxyl can enhance the probability of conformational transitions in RNA.     

When do water-insoluble polyion-surfactant ion complex salts "redissolve" by added excess surfactant?

The redissolution of water-insoluble polyion-surfactant ion complexes by added excess of surfactant has systematically been investigated in experimental and theoretical phase equilibrium studies. A number of stoichiometric polyion-surfactant ion "complex salts" were synthesized and they consisted of akyltrimethylammonium surfactant ions of two different alkyl chain lengths (C(12)TA(+) and C(16)TA(+)) combined with homopolyions of polyacrylate of two different lengths (PA(-)(25) and PA(-)(6000)) or copolyions of acrylate and the slightly hydrophobic nonionic comonomers N-isopropylacrylamide (PA(-)-co-NIPAM) or N,N-dimethylacrylamide (PA(-)-co-DAM). The complex salts were mixed with water and excess alkyltrimethylammonium surfactant with either bromide or acetate counterions (C(n)TABr or C(n)TAAc). Factors promoting efficient redissolution were (i) very short polyions, (ii) a large fraction of NIPAM or DAM comonomers, and (iii) acetate, rather than bromide, as the surfactant counterion. Added C(12)TAAc gave an efficient redissolution of C(12)TAPA(25) but virtually no redissolution of C(12)TAPA(6000). A very efficient redissolution by added C(12)TAAc was obtained for PA(-)-co-NIPAM with 82 mol % of NIPAM. The C(12)TAPA-co-NIPAM/C(12)TAAc/H(2)O ternary phase diagram closely resembled the corresponding diagram for the much-studied pair cationic hydroxyethyl cellulose-(sodium) dodecyl sulfate. The simple Flory-Huggins theory adopted for polyelectrolyte systems successfully reproduced the main features of the experimental phase diagrams for the homopolyion systems, including the effect of the surfactant counterion. The efficient redissolution found for certain copolyion systems was explained by the formation of soluble polyion-surfactant ion complexes carrying an excess of surfactant ions through an additional hydrophobic attraction.     

Locations and reorientations of multi-ring-fused 2-pyridones in ganglioside G(M1) micelles

Fluorescent multi-ring-fused 2-pyridones, with chemical resemblance to other biologically active 2-pyridone systems, were solubilized in spherical micelles formed by the ganglioside G(M1) and studied with respect to their spatial localization and rotational mobility. For this, electronic energy transfer between the multi-ring-fused 2-pyridone (donor) and BODIPY-FL-labeled G(M1) was determined, as well as their fluorescence depolarization. From the obtained efficiency of energy transfer to the acceptor group (BODIPY-FL), either localized in the polar or in the nonpolar part of the ganglioside, it has been possible to estimate the most likely localization of the multi-ring-fused 2-pyridones. The center of mass of the studied multi-ring-fused 2-pyridones are located at approximately 33 ? from the micellar center of mass, which corresponds to the internal hydrophobic-hydrophilic interfacial region. At this location, the reorienting rates of the multi-ring-fused 2-pyridones are surprisingly slow with typical correlation times of 35-55 ns. No evidence was found for the formation of ground and excited state dimers, even when two monomers were forced to be near each other via a short covalent linker.     

Composite films from spruce galactoglucomannans with microfibrillated spruce wood cellulose

Two future wood biorefinery products, spruce galactoglucomannans (GGM) and microfibrillated spruce wood cellulose (MFC), were mixed to form composite films. The films were plasticized with different amounts of glycerol, and the preparation of films was successful even with low glycerol contents. The film properties were studied using optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, water sorption, dielectric analysis, moisture scanning dynamic mechanical analysis, and tensile testing. The addition of MFC clearly affected the properties of the films by decreasing the moisture uptake and increasing the relative humidity of softening of the films and by increasing the glass transition temperature, tensile strength, and Young’s modulus of the films. The effect of MFC addition on the tensile properties of films was emphasized at low glycerol contents. The addition of MFC did not affect the degree of crystallinity of GGM in the films, which was between 20 and 25%. MFC can be efficiently used as reinforcement of GGM films to form wood-based composite materials and to prepare GGM-based films and coatings with low plasticizer content.     

The Mechanism of Flex-Activation in Mechanophores Revealed By Quantum Chemistry

Flex-activated mechanophores can be used for small-molecule release in polymers under tension by rupture of covalent bonds that are orthogonal to the polymer main chain. Using static and dynamic quantum chemical methods, we here juxtapose three different mechanical deformation modes in flex-activated mechanophores (end-to-end stretching, direct pulling of the scissile bonds, bond angle bendings) with the aim of proposing ways to optimize the efficiency of flex-activation in experiments. It is found that end-to-end stretching, which is a traditional approach to activate mechanophores in polymers, does not trigger flex-activation, whereas direct pulling of the scissile bonds or displacement of adjacent bond angles are efficient methods to achieve this goal. Based on the structural, energetic and electronic effects responsible for these observations, we propose ways of weakening the scissile bonds experimentally to increase the efficiency of flex-activation.