Targeted Gene Delivery via PEI Complexed with an Antibody

Stable carriers are required for gene delivery. The use of polyethyleneimine (PEI) has been researched extensively; however, it is not suitable for targeted gene delivery to specific cells. To provide a targeting ability of the specific antibody to PEI, two repeats of Fc-binding domain of protein G (C2) were utilized. The constructed protein containing C2 could bind to a specific antibody and form a larger complex with plasmid DNA/PEI complex. The specific antibody to cell surface protein was bound to the complex through the use of C2 domain, and it was added to cells. As the result, the efficient expression of delivered reporter gene could be realized.     

Selection of DNA Aptamers with Affinity for Pro-gastrin-Releasing Peptide (proGRP), a Tumor Marker for Small Cell Lung Cancer

Aptamers are single-strand oligonucleotides that are generated by the systemic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX) technique and that can bind to target molecules specifically. However, only a few aptamers have been developed to date against tumor markers. To utilize aptamers for tumor diagnosis, a variety of aptamers are required. Here, a single-stranded DNA aptamer specific for pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (proGRP), a marker for small cell lung cancer, was selected using SELEX. After selection, identical sequences were found in the DNA library. This sequence was selected and its binding affinity to proGRP was evaluated using surface plasmon resonance.     

Acid-induced photochromic system switching of diarylethene derivatives between P- and T-types

P-type photochromic diarylethenes having a diethylamino group can switch to T-type photochromic system by the addition of trifluoromethanesulfonic acid as external stimuli.     

Regioselective oxidative polymerization of 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene catalyzed by bilirubin oxidase in a water–organic solvent mixed solution

Bilirubin oxidase (EC1.11.1.7) was used to catalyze the oxidative polymerization of 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene to its polymer in a mixed solvent composed of dioxane, ethyl acetate, and acetate buffer. In an aqueous solution, the enzymatic oxidative polymerization hardly occurred and resulted in negligible yield mainly due to the poor solubility of 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene. In the mixed solvent the conversion proceeded with a yield of ca. 70%. The polymer yield was studied with respect to reaction time and solvent components. Elemental analysis, UV-visible, fluorescent, and FT-IR spectroscopic analyses, proton NMR and electrochemical studies, and solubility in various organic solvents revealed that 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene is polymerized by the C? C coupling. The molecular weight of the polymeric products solubilized with DMF varied from low molecular weight product to high molecular weight polymer. From the chromatographic studies, the organic solvent–insoluble residue was suggested to be highly polymerized material. Based on these findings a possible mechanism for enzymatic polymerization of 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene is presented: less stable intermediates produced enzymatically from 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene undergo coupling and polymerization to ortho-1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene polymer, thereby resulting in a regioselective polymerization of 1,5-dihydroxynaphthalene. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

A statistical theory of excitable membranes. Nonlinear force-flux relation and fluctuation

A statistical theory of an excitable membrane is proposed under the assumptions that the membrane is composed of an ensemble of a number of active patches, and that the flip-flop transition of an active patch is governed by the dissipative interaction caused by an electric eddy current. By the method of expanding the master equation in the system size together with the Gaussian approximation, the time course of an excitation and the steady N-shaped relation between current and voltage are derived from the ensemble theory of open systems. The fluctuation of electric current under a fixed voltage becomes anomalously large in the marginal state at the threshold potential. The fluctuation associated with an action potential increases sharply at the jump-up transition, but it is not so large at the flip-back catastrophe. The fluctuation-dissipation relation at the steady state of the membrane system is discussed on the basis of a variational principle.This study was supported partly by a grant from the Ministry of Education, Japan.     

Plasmonic Enhancement of a Photocycloreversion Reaction of a Diarylethene Derivative Using Individually Dispersed Silver Nanoparticles

The fabrication of silver nanoparticles covered with polymers with a well‐defined core–shell structure and the quantitative evaluation of the plasmonic enhancement effect on a photochemical reaction in the vicinity of these silver nanoparticles individually dispersed in a medium are described. The photocycloreversion reaction of a diarylethene polymer in the vicinity of silver nanoparticles was enhanced by 2–6 times relative to the reaction without the nanoparticles. The promotion of the photocycloreversion reaction is due to enhancement of the electromagnetic field near the surface of the silver core.     

Efficient photocyclization of dithienylethene dimer, trimer, and tetramer: quantum yield and reaction dynamics

Multi-dithienylethene arrays, in which two, three, or four 1,2-bis(2,4-dimethylthiophen-3-yl)perfluorocyclopentenes are ethynylene-bridged, were synthesized. Upon irradiation with ultraviolet light the hexane solutions of the arrays turned violet-blue and the color disappeared by irradiation with visible light. The quantum yields of photocyclization reactions successively increased from 0.21 to 0.40 by increasing the number of the dithienylethene moieties in the arrays from one to four. Picosecond laser photolysis as well as the fluorescence depolarization experiment confirmed that efficient excited energy migration in the arrays from the photochemically inactive parallel conformer to the photoactive antiparallel conformer resulted in the high quantum yields.