Synthesis and use of mechanism-based protein-profiling probes for retaining beta-D-glucosaminidases facilitate identification of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NagZ

The NagZ class of retaining exo-glucosaminidases play a critical role in peptidoglycan recycling in Gram-negative bacteria and the induction of resistance to beta-lactams. Here we describe the concise synthesis of 2-azidoacetyl-2-deoxy-5-fluoro-beta-d-glucopyranosyl fluoride as an activity-based proteomics probe for profiling these exo-glycosidases. This active-site directed reagent covalently inactivates this class of retaining N-acetylglucosaminidases with exquisite selectivity by stabilizing the glycosyl-enzyme intermediate. Inactivated Vibrio cholerae NagZ can be elaborated with biotin or a FLAG-peptide epitope using the Staudinger ligation or the Sharpless-Meldal click reaction and detected at nanogram levels. This ABPP enabled the profiling of the Pseudomonas aeruginosa proteome and identification at endogenous levels of a tagged protein with properties consistent with those of PA3005. Cloning of the gene encoding this hypothetical protein and biochemical characterization enabled unambiguous assignment of this hypothetical protein as a NagZ. The identification and cloning of this NagZ may facilitate the development of strategies to circumvent resistance to beta-lactams in this human pathogen. As well, this general strategy, involving such 5-fluoro inactivators, may prove to be of general use for profiling proteomes and identifying glycoside hydrolases of medical importance or having desirable properties for biotechnology.     

Vibrational Properties of LaNb0.8M0.2O4-δ (M=As,Sb, V,and Ta)

LaNb_0.8M_0.2O_4-δ (where M=As, Sb, V, and Ta) oxides with pentavalent elements of different ionic sizes were synthesized by a solid-state reaction method. The vibrational properties of these oxides have been investigated. These studies revealed that the substituent element influences both Debye temperature value as well as the Raman active vibrational modes. Additionally, the low-temperature vibrational properties of LaNb_0.8Sb_0.2O_4-δ have been determined to show the phase transition occurrence at 260 K which is lower than previously reported.     

Kinetics and Mechanism of Cr(VI) Reduction in a Water Cathode Induced by Atmospheric Pressure DC Discharge in Air

The process of reduction of Cr⁶⁺ ions (solution of potassium dichromate, K₂Cr₂O₇) in a water cathode was studied during a DC discharge in air. The concentration range of Cr⁶⁺ was (5.7–19) ×10^?5 mol/l and discharge current range was 20–80 mA. Cr⁶⁺ ions were shown to be reversibly reduced under a discharge action. The equilibrium degree of reduction increased with increasing initial concentration of the solution at fixed discharge current. At fixed initial concentration the reduction degree increased with increasing discharge current. The reduction degrees so obtained were 0.34–0.84. A kinetic scheme of the processes taking place in a solution was proposed. The calculated data obtained as a result of application of this scheme described well the experimental results on Cr⁶⁺ kinetics. The main processes of Cr⁶⁺ reduction and Cr³⁺ oxidation were revealed. HO ₂ ^· radicals and hydrogen peroxide were shown to be responsible for Cr⁶⁺ reduction whereas ^·OH radicals and O₂ molecules provide the reverse process of Cr³⁺ oxidation to Cr⁶⁺. The mechanism of action of phenol additives improving the process efficiency is discussed. The efficiency of phenol action as a radical scavenger was shown to be determined with its mass-transfer to the reaction area rather than chemical reaction rate.     

Electrochemical behavior and antioxidant and prooxidant activity of natural phenolics

We have investigated the electrochemical oxidation of a number natural phenolics (salicylic acid, m-hydroxybenzoic acid, p-hydroxybenzoic acid, protocatechuic acid, o-coumaric acid, m-coumaric acid, p-coumaric acid, caffeic acid, quercetin and rutin) using cyclic voltammetry. The antioxidant properties of these compounds were also studied. A structural analysis of the tested phenolics suggests that multiple OH substitution and conjugation are important determinants of the free radical scavenging activity and electrochemical behavior. Compounds with low oxidation potentials (Epa lower than 0.45) showed antioxidant activity, whereas compounds with high Epa values (>0.45) act as prooxidants.     

Cross sections for low-energy electron scattering from adenine in the condensed phase

Measurements of the vibrational and electronic excitation of a sub-monolayer up to a monolayer film of adenine were performed with a high resolution electron energy-loss (HREEL) spectrometer. The integral cross sections (over the half-space angle) for excitation of the normal vibrational modes of the ground electronic state and electronically excited states are calculated from the measured reflectivity EEL spectra. Most cross sections for vibrational excitation are of the order of 10(-17) cm(2), the largest being the out-of-plane wagging of the amino-group and the six-member ring deformations. A wide resonance feature appears in the incident energy dependence of the vibrational cross sections at 3-5 eV, while a weak shoulder is present in this dependence for combined ring deformations and bending of hydrogen atoms. For the five excited electronic states, at 4.7, 5.0, 5.5, 6.1 and 6.6 eV, the cross sections are of the order of 10(-18) cm(2), except in the case of the state at the energy of 6.1 eV, for which it is two to three times higher.     

Gold(I) chloride adducts of 1,3-bis(di-2-pyridylphosphino)propane: synthesis, structural studies and antitumour activity

The novel water soluble bidentate phosphine ligand 1,3-bis(di-2-pyridylphosphino)propane (d2pypp) has been synthesized by a convenient route involving treatment of 2-pyridyllithium with Cl(2)P(CH(2))(3)PCl(2) and isolation in crystalline form as the hydrochloride salt. The synthesis of the precursor Cl(2)P(CH(2))(3)PCl(2) has been optimized by the use of triphosgene as the chlorinating agent. The 2 : 1 and 1 : 2 AuCl : d2pypp adducts have been synthesized and characterized by NMR spectroscopy and single crystal X-ray studies, and shown to be of the form (AuCl)(2)(mu-d2pypp-P,P') and [Au(d2pypp-P,P')(2)]Cl(.3.75H(2)O), respectively. The latter is more lipophilic than analogous 1 : 2 adducts of gold(I) chloride with the diphosphine ligands 1,2-bis(di-n-pyridylphosphino)ethane (dnpype) for n = 2, 3 and 4, based on measurement of the n-octanol-water partition coefficient (log P = -0.46). A single crystal structure determination of the 1 : 2 Au(I) complex of the 3-pyridyl ethane ligand shows it to be of the form [Au(d3pype-P,P')(2)]Cl.5H(2)O. The in vitro cytotoxic activity of [Au(d2pypp)(2)]Cl was assessed in human normal and cancer breast cells and selective toxicity to the cancer cells found. The significance of these results to the antitumour properties of chelated 1 : 2 Au(I) diphosphine complexes is discussed.     

Solution equilibria between aluminum(III) ion and some fluoroquinolone family members. Spectroscopic and potentiometric study

Complex formation between aluminum(III) ion and fluoroquinolone antibacterials-either moxifloxacin (4th generation antibiotic) or fleroxacin (2nd generation antibiotic) were studied in aqueous solutions without and in the presence of sodium dodecylsulfate (SDS). The investigations were performed by glass electrode potentiometric (ionic medium: 0.1 mol/dm(3) LiCl, 298 K), UV spectrophotometric, multinuclear (1H and 13C) magnetic resonance and ESI-MS measurements. The experimental data were consistent with the formation of Al(HL)L2+, Al(HL)3+ AlL2+, Al(OH)L+ and Al(OH)2L complexes in the pH interval ca. 3-8 and up to 5 : 1 ligand to metal mole ratio with range of Al3+ concentrations between ca. 0.025 to 1.0 mmol/dm3. The binary complex, AlL2+ is fairly stable (log beta(1,0,1) ca. 11.0) and its stability increases in the presence of SDS. At higher concentration ratios of ligands to aluminum, up to 5 : 1, the complex Al(HL)L2+ is formed with rather high overall stability constant (log beta(1,1,2) ca. 24.0). The ESI-MS data generally, confirmed the derived model, and the formation of the complex with ligand to metal ratio 2 : 1. NMR measurements indicate that both ligands utilize 4-carbonyl and carboxyl oxygens as donor atoms. The presence of surface active substance, SDS, favors the formation of the complex in which the ligand is protonated, i.e. Al(HL) and its maximum formation is shifted toward milder acidic region (pH ca. 4). The aluminum-quinolone complexes may affect the bio-distribution of both, quinolone and/or aluminum ion upon concomitant ingestion of aluminum-based antacids or phosphate binders and fluoroquinolones.     

Modified interfacial statistical associating fluid theory: a perturbation density functional theory for inhomogeneous complex fluids

A density functional theory based on Wertheim's first order perturbation theory is developed for inhomogeneous complex fluids. The theory is derived along similar lines as interfacial statistical associating fluid theory [S. Tripathi and W. G. Chapman, J. Chem. Phys. 122, 094506 (2005)]. However, the derivation is more general and applies broadly to a range of systems, retaining the simplicity of a segment density based theory. Furthermore, the theory gives the exact density profile for ideal chains in an external field. The general avail of the theory has been demonstrated by applying the theory to lipids near surfaces, lipid bilayers, and copolymer thin films. The theoretical results show excellent agreement with the results from molecular simulations.     

Effects of a static magnetic field on water and electrolyte solutions

Water and electrolyte solutions were exposed for 5 min to a weak static magnetic field (B = 15 mT). Their conductivity and the amount of evaporated water were then measured as a function of time. Simultaneously, these quantities were determined for magnetically untreated samples, as reference systems. It was found that a magnetic field influences these two parameters and their changes depend on the thermodynamic functions of hydration of these ions. A roughly linear change in conductivity versus 'scaled' functions was obtained. On this basis it was concluded that the magnetic field causes changes in the hydration shells of the ions.     

Novel Boronate Probe Based on 3-Benzothiazol-2-yl-7-hydroxy-chromen-2-one for the Detection of Peroxynitrite and Hypochlorite

Derivatives of coumarin, containing oxidant-sensitive boronate group, were recently developed for fluorescent detection of inflammatory oxidants. Here, we report the synthesis and the characterization of 3-(2-benzothiazolyl)-7-coumarin boronic acid pinacol ester (BC-BE) as a fluorescent probe for the detection of peroxynitrite (ONOO^–), with high stability and a fast response time. The BC-BE probe hydrolyzes in phosphate buffer to 3-(2-benzothiazolyl)-7-coumarin boronic acid (BC-BA) which is stable in the solution even after a prolonged incubation time (24 h). BC-BA is slowly oxidized by H₂O₂ to form the phenolic product, 3-benzothiazol-2-yl-7-hydroxy-chromen-2-one (BC-OH). On the other hand, the BC-BA probe reacts rapidly with ONOO⁻. The ability of the BC-BA probe to detect ONOO^– was measured using both authentic ONOO^– and the system co-generating steady-state fluxes of O₂^•– and ^•NO. BC-BA is oxidized by ONOO^– to BC-OH. However, in this reaction 3-benzothiazol-2-yl-chromen-2-one (BC-H) is formed in the minor pathway, as a peroxynitrite-specific product. BC-OH is also formed in the reaction of BC-BA with HOCl, and subsequent reaction of BC-OH with HOCl leads to the formation of a chlorinated phenolic product, which could be used as a specific product for HOCl. We conclude that BC-BA shows potential as an improved fluorescent probe for the detection of peroxynitrite and hypochlorite in biological settings. Complementation of the fluorescence measurements by HPLC-based identification of oxidant-specific products will help to identify the oxidants detected.