Simulations of remote mutants of dihydrofolate reductase reveal the nature of a network of residues coupled to hydride transfer

Recent experimental and theoretical studies have proposed that enzymes involve networks of coupled residues throughout the protein that participate in motions accompanying chemical barrier crossing. Here, we have examined portions of a proposed network in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations. The simulations use a hybrid quantum mechanics‐molecular mechanics approach with a recently developed semiempirical AM1‐SRP Hamiltonian that provides accurate results for this reaction. The simulations reproduce experimentally determined catalytic rates for the wild type and distant mutants of E. coli DHFR, underscoring the accuracy of the simulation protocol. Additionally, the simulations provide detailed insight into how residues remote from the active site affect the catalyzed chemistry, through changes in the thermally averaged properties along the reaction coordinate. The mutations do not greatly affect the structure of the transition state near the bond activation, but we observe differences somewhat removed from the point of C? H cleavage that affect the rate. The mutations have global effects on the thermally averaged structure that propagate throughout the enzyme and the current simulations highlight several interactions that appear to be particularly important. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Effect of HAP on Stability and Plugging Property of LPFR Dispersion

To improve the stability and plugging property of low-solubility phenol formaldehyde resin (LPFR) in the injection water from Daqing Oilfield, hydrophobically associating polymers (HAP) as a stabilizing agent were used. The size and zeta potential of LPFR, LPFR/HAP molecule aggregates, and turbidity and plugging properties of LPFR dispersions were measured in deionized water, simulation water, and injection water, respectively. The results show that the hydrophobic grouping on the HAP molecule has a similar molecular structure as LPFR, and HAP and LPFR can form complex molecule aggregates in the injection water. The zeta potential of LPFR/HAP molecule aggregates is larger than that of LPFR molecule aggregates. Therefore, the repulsive force operating between LPFR/HAP complex molecule aggregates is increased. HAP enhances the stability of LPFR in the injection water and plugging property of LPFR dispersion in porous medium.     

基于纳米氧化铜修饰的异戊巴比妥的新型电化学传感器的制备与应用

在纳米氧化铜修饰的玻碳电极表面电聚合一种能够快速检测尿液中异戊巴比妥(AMB)的分子印迹敏感膜,研究了该敏感膜的最佳成膜条件及最佳工作条件.通过扫描电子显微镜(SEM)、循环伏安(CV)和电化学交流阻抗法(EIS)研究了印迹膜的表面形貌及性能.电化学实验结果表明,纳米氧化铜能提高传感器对AMB的灵敏度.在最佳实验条件下,铁氰化钾分子探针的差分脉冲伏安(DPV)峰电流响应值与AMB的浓度在1.0×10-7~1.4×10-4mol/L范围内呈现良好的线性关系(线性相关系数R=0.9966);检出限为2.1×10-9mol/L(S/N=3).此印迹传感器可用于尿液中AMB的检测,加标回收率为94.00%~104.67%.     

聚四氟乙烯和石墨对聚醚酰亚胺摩擦学性能的影响

将聚四氟乙烯(PTFE)和石墨两类减摩耐磨填料填充到聚醚酰亚胺(PEI)中,表征其摩擦性能,利用扫描电子显微镜分析了磨损表面的显微结构,并分析了磨损机制.研究结果表明,PTFE和石墨的填充明显改善了PEI的摩擦磨损性,摩擦系数降低到0.3以下(纯PEI的摩擦系数为0.41),磨损率降低了3个数量级.在PTFE体系中,PTFE质量分数为10%时,PEI基共混材料的摩擦系数最低为0.23;而在质量分数为15%的石墨体系中,PEI基共混材料摩擦系数最低为0.27.磨损率随着填料含量的增加而逐渐下降,在填料质量分数为20%之后,摩损率下降平缓.因此PTFE和石墨的填充对PEI的摩擦学性能起到了很好的改善作用,而且PTFE比石墨的改善效果更优益.共混物的机械性能测试结果表明,在填料质量分数为5%~15%时,共混物具有良好的机械性能.     

SiO2纳米颗粒与聚氧乙烯对Pickering乳液的协同稳定作用简

研究了聚氧乙烯(PEO)与SiO2纳米颗粒对水/二甲苯体系Pickering乳液的协同稳定作用. 实验发现,PEO的存在减小了乳液液滴的平均直径,抑制了乳液的相反转,有效阻止了乳液的熟化,使乳液具有更好的稳定性. 进一步对纳米颗粒膜的流变性质进行研究,结果表明,PEO高分子促进了纳米颗粒形成更大尺寸的聚集结构,提高了其在界面上的吸附性,增强了颗粒膜的力学性能,在较小颗粒用量条件下使得Gibbs稳定性判据得到满足.     

新型吡唑联吡咯类杂环化合物的合成及杀菌活性

为寻找具有更高生物活性、更环保的新农药杀菌剂,基于杀菌剂氟咯菌腈设计并合成了10个新型吡唑联吡咯类杂环化合物,以吡唑环代替氟咯菌腈上原有的苯环,以期提高其杀菌活性.采用1H NMR,FTIR,单晶X射线衍射、元素分析和熔点测定等测试手段对目标化合物及其中间体的结构进行了表征与确认,并通过挥发法培养得到了6个目标化合物的单晶.还对其中6个化合物进行了生物活性测试,测试结果表明各化合物对水稻纹枯病、黄瓜灰霉病、黄瓜霜霉病均表现出一定的抑菌效果,可作为先导化合物对其结构进行深入的研究,为新农药杀菌剂的开发提供了理论支持.     

A sensitive immunosorbent bio-barcode assay based on real-time immuno-PCR for detecting 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl

A functionalized gold-nanoparticle bio-barcode assay, based on real-time immuno-PCR (IPCR), was designed for the determination of 3,4,3',4'-tetrachlorobiphenyl (PCB77). 15 nm gold nanoparticles were synthesized, and modified with thiol-capped DNA and goat anti-rabbit IgG. The nanoparticle probes were used to replace antibody–DNA conjugate in the IPCR, and were fixed on the PCR tube wall via the immune reaction. Real-time PCR was performed to quantify the DNA signal directly. Under optimized conditions, the new method was used to detect PCB77 with a linearity range from 5 pg L^?1 to 10 ng L^?1, and the limit of detection (LOD) was 1.72 pg L^?1. Real samples of Larimichthys polyactis, collected from the East China Sea, were analyzed. Recovery was from 82 % to 112 %, and the coefficient of variation (CV) was acceptable. The results were compared with GC–ECD, revealing that the method would be acceptable for providing rapid, semi-quantitative, and reliable test results for making environmental decisions.

A wide range optical pH sensor for living cells using Au@Ag nanoparticles functionalized carbon nanotubes based on SERS signals

p-Aminothiophenol (pATP) functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been demonstrated as an efficient pH sensor for living cells. The proposed sensor employs gold/silver core-shell nanoparticles (Au@Ag NPs) functionalized MWCNTs hybrid structure as the surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) substrate and pATP molecules as the SERS reporters, which possess a pH-dependent SERS performance. By using MWCNTs as the substrate to be in a state of aggregation, the pH sensing range could be extended to pH 3.0～14.0, which is much wider than that using unaggregated Au@Ag NPs without MWCNTs. Furthermore, the pH-sensitive performance was well retained in living cells with a low cytotoxicity. The developed SERS-active MWCNTs-based nanocomposite is expected to be an efficient intracellular pH sensor for bio-applications.     

Bimetallic amine-bridged bis(phenolate) lanthanide aryloxides and alkoxides: synthesis,characterization, and application in the ring-opening polymerization of rac-lactide and rac-β-butyrolactone

A series of neutral bimetallic lanthanide aryloxides p-C6H4[OLnL(THF)n]2 [Ln = Y(1), Yb(2), Sm(3)(n = 1) and La(4)(n = 2), L = Me2NCH2CH2N{CH2-(2-O–C6H2–tBu2-3,5)}2] and alkoxides p-C6H4CH2[OLnL(THF)]2 [Ln = Y(5), Yb(6)] supported by an amine-bridged bis(phenolate) ligand have been synthesized through one-pot reactions of Ln(C5H5)3(THF), LH2 with p-benzenediol and 1,4-benzenedimethanol, respectively. All complexes have been fully characterized by elemental analyses, single-crystal X-ray diffraction analysis, and IR and multi-nuclear NMR spectroscopy(in the cases of 1, 4 and 5). Study of their catalytic behavior revealed that, in general, all complexes are efficient initiators for the polymerization of rac-lactide(LA) and rac-β-butyrolactone(BBL), except for 3 and 4 in the case of BBL. The influence imposed by lanthanides of different ionic radii and initiating groups of different structures on the activity, controllability, and stereoselectivity of polymerization were systematically studied and compared. Highly heterotactic PLA(Pr up to 0.99) and syndiotactic PHB(Pr ≈ 0.81) with high molecular weight and narrow polydispersity formed and were automatically capped with hydroxyl functionality at both ends.     

New high-pressures vapor-liquid equilibrium data for the carbon dioxide + 2-methyl-2-propanol binary system

New vapor-liquid equilibria (VLE) data at 323.15, 333.15, 343.15, and 353.15 K and pressures up to 112.9 bar are reported for the carbon dioxide + 2-methyl-2-propanol system. The experimental method used in this work was a static analytical method with liquid and vapor phases sampling using a rapid online sampler injector (ROLSI?) coupled to a gas chromatograph (GC) for analysis. Measured VLE data and literature data for carbon dioxide + 2-methyl-2-propanol system were modeled with the Soave-Redlich-Kwong (SRK) cubic equation of state with classical van der Waals (two-parameter conventional mixing rule, 2PCMR) mixing rules. A single set of interaction parameters that lead to a correct phase behavior was used in this work to model the new VLE data and critical points of the mixtures in a wide range of temperature and pressure. The SRK prediction results were compared to the new data measured in this study and to available literature data.

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