A fluorimetric assay for cortisol

A simple, rapid and sensitive fluorimetric assay for the quantitative determination of cortisol is reported. The assay is based on the formation of a fluorescent dye when cortisol is incubated with a mixture of sulfuric acid and acetic acid. The fluorescence spectrum recorded for the resulting dye shows a maximum extinction at 475 nm and a maximum emission at 525 nm. The solvent 2-methyl-4-pentanone was used for extraction and was found to act as a fluorescence amplifier. A limit of detection of 2.7 μM was achieved, making it possible to forego solvent evaporation. The assay suffers minor interference from 11-deoxycortisol which exhibits low fluorescence at λ _ex: 460 nm; λ _em: 505 nm. Typical standard deviations were below 4%. We validated the assay using a biotransformation with recombinant Schizosaccharomyces pombe which regioselectively hydroxylates 11-deoxycortisol to cortisol. The method described herein is suitable for preliminary screening of microorganisms capable of steroid hydroxylation.     

A novel technique to specifically analyze the secretome of cells and tissues

The secretome of cells and tissues may reflect a broad variety of pathological conditions and thus represents a rich source of biomarkers. The identity of secreted proteins, usually isolated from cell supernatants or body fluids, is hardly accessible by direct proteome analysis, because these proteins are often masked by high amounts of proteins actually not secreted by the investigated cells. Here, we present a novel method for the specific detection of proteins secreted by human tissue specimen as well as cultured cells and chose liver as a model. The method is based on the metabolic labelling of proteins synthesized during a limited incubation period. Then, the cell supernatant is filtered, precipitated, and subjected to two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Whereas fluorography detected a large number of proteins derived from residual plasma and dead cells, the autoradiographs selectively displayed genuinely secreted proteins. We demonstrate the feasibility of this approach by means of the secretomes of the hepatocellular carcinoma-derived cell line HepG2 and human liver slices. The selective identification of cell- and tissue-specific protein secretion profiles may help to identify novel sets of biomarkers for wide clinical applications.     

Acid-base reactions of 1,3,4-thiadiazolines and thiocarbonyl ylides; 1,3,4-thiadiazoline-2-spiro-2′-adamantane

The surprising formation of C₂₂H₃₂N₂S₂ from the title compound 1 at 45°C involves the interaction of the basic adamantanethione S-methylide ($\text{2}$) with its acidic precursor $\text{1}$, in the course of which the anion $\text{6}$ undergoes electrocyclic ring opening; the acid and base functions offer the clue to a prolific chemistry of the thiadiazoline $\text{1}$ and the thiocarbonyl ylide $\text{2}$.     

The preparation of a cabbage reference material for environmental monitoring and food analysis

 Cabbage is frequently used in environmental monitoring and food control, and, hence, cabbage reference materials (RMs) are required for ensuring quality assurance. A cabbage RM was prepared in view of certification of specific elements from the "black list" of high toxicological interest and nutritive importance. All tasks of the RM production (production of the plant material, cutting and freeze-drying, determination of the residual water content, preparation of the RM, homogeneity testing, stability testing, certification measurements) are described in detail. Received: 12 November 1999 / Accepted: 29 January 2000     

Orbital Theory of Heterolytic Fragmentation and Remote Effects on Nitrogen Inversion Equilibria

From a molecular orbital study of model systems we derive the electronic requirements for the Grob fragmentation. The necessary condition for an allowed fragmentation in an X-C₁-C₂-C₃-N system, or the amino cation ⁺C₁-C₂-C₃-N is the level ordering A below S . This in turn is set by maximal through-bond coupling of the empty cation orbital and the nitrogen lone pair. The conformational dependence of through-bond coupling is exactly that derived by Grob, namely parallel orientation of the cation orbital (or the C-X bond), the C₂-C₃-σ-bond, and the N-lone-pair. When the C₁-C₂-C₃ and C₂-C₃-N angles are small, the through-space interaction dominates, reversing the level ordering to S below A , and consequently makes the fragmentation forbidden even though the conformational requirements for it are met. Ring closure becomes allowed. Some examples exploiting this result are presented, as well as procedures for enhancing through-bond coupling and thus fragmentation. The through-bond-effect has also kinetic consequences, allowing the definition of a new type of remote neighbouring group participation operative through bonds and not by direct overlap. The position of equilibria in nitrogen inversion processes should also be influenced by remote substituents which are π-acceptors or donors.     

Isolierung und Aminosäuresequenz von Substanz P aus Pferdedarm

The isolation and amino acid sequence of substance P from horse intestine is reported. The sequence, H-Arg-Pro-Lys-Pro-Gln-Gln-Phe-Phe-Gly-Leu-Met-NH₂ is identical with the sequence reported for substance P isolated from bovine hypothalami.     

Synthesis, structure, and dynamics of six-membered metallacoronands and metallodendrimers of iron and indium

In the reaction of the N-substituted diethanolamines (H(2)L(1-3)) (1-3) with calcium hydride followed by addition of iron(III) or indium(III) chloride, the iron wheels [Fe(6)Cl(6)(L(1))(6)] (4) and [Fe(6)Cl(6)(L(2))(6)] (6) or indium wheels [In(6)Cl(6)(L(1))(6)] (5), [In(6)Cl(6)(L(2))(6)] (8) and [In(6)Cl(6)(L(3))(6)] (9) were formed in excellent yields. Exchange of the chloride ions of 6 by thiocyanate ions afforded [Fe(6)(SCN)(6)(L(2))(6)] (7). Whereas the structures of 4, 5 and 7 were determined unequivocally by single-crystal X-ray analyses, complexes 8 and 9 were characterised by NMR spectroscopy. Contrary to what is normally presumed, the scaffolds of six-membered metallic wheels are not generally rigid, but rather undergo nondissociative topomerisation processes. This was shown by variable temperature (VT) (1)H NMR spectroscopy for the indium wheel [In(6)Cl(6)(L(1))(6)] (5) and is highlighted for the enantiotopomerisation of one indium centre [ 1/6[S(6)-5]<==>[1/6[S(6)-5']]. The self-assembly of metallic wheels, starting from diethanolamine dendrons, is an efficient strategy for the convergent synthesis of metallodendrimers.     

Enantioselektive Reaktionen an porphinoiden Nickelkomplexen

Enantioselective Reactions on Porphine Type Nickel Complexes The thermodynamically controlled addition of alcohols to (+)-(1R)-[1-methyl-8H-HDP]nickelperchlorate ( 1 ; e.e. 92%) yields exclusively the corresponding cis-1,11-disubstituted porphinoids. Chemical transformation of functional groups in the alkoxy side-chain of the chiral addition product followed by acid catalyzed elimination yields the derived alcohols and 1 . By this procedure, the following enantioselective transformations were studied: methylation of meso-2,3-butandiol ( 5 ) to (+)-(2R,3S)-3-methoxy-2-butanol ( 8a ; e.e. 87%), diimide reduction of 2-ethylallyl alcohol ( 9 ) to (+)-(2R)-2-methyl-1-butanol ( 12a ; e.e. 15%), and hydride reduction of 4-hydroxy-2-butanone ( 13 ) to (+)-(3S)-1,3-butandiol ( 16a ; e.e. 20%). Addition of 2,2-dimethyl-1,3-propandiol ( 17 ) to 4 , followed by esterification of the free hydroxy group with trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride and solvolysis of the sulfonate 19 yielded a bridged complex with unrearranged alkyl chain for which structure 20 is proposed.     

The Molecular and Crystal Structure of the Glycopeptide A-40926 Aglycone

The crystal structure of a glycopeptide antibiotic A–40926 aglycone was investigated by X-ray analysis at ?120°. A-40926 crystallises in the orthorhombic space group P2₁2₁2₁ with two monomers in the asymmetric unit, a = 21.774(4), b = 28.603(7), c = 29.757(4) Å. ‘Conventional’ direct methods approach failed to solve the structure, but a novel iterative real/reciprocal space procedure was successful. Refinement against 11248 F² data led to R1 = 13.3% for 6770 F > 4σ (F). The two monomers of A-40926 have similar conformations and are bound by antiparallel H-bonds to form a ‘chain’ structure of connecting dimers. The antibiotic molecule possesses a ‘binding pocket’ for the C-terminal carboxy group of the cell-wall protein, which is consisten with suggestions based on NMR data and the recently reported crystal structure of ureido-balhimycin. In A-40926 the monomers are polymerically linked by H-bonds, quite unlike the tight dimer formation observed in ureido-balhimycin.     

Reactivity sequences of dipolarophiles towards diazocarbonyl compounds - MO perturbation treatment

Whereas diazomethane cycloadditions are only accelerated by electron-attracting substituents in the olefinic or acetylenic dipolarophile, the cycloadditions of diazoacetic, diazomalonic and diazo(phenylsulfonyl)acetic ester show in accordance with the PMO treatment U-shaped activity functions when log k₂ is plotted versus the lowest IP of the dipolarophiles.