Metal-Templated Design of Chemically Switchable Protein Assemblies with High-Affinity Coordination Sites

To mimic a hypothetical pathway for protein evolution, we previously tailored a monomeric protein (cyt cb₅₆₂) for metal-mediated self-assembly, followed by re-design of the resulting oligomers for enhanced stability and metal-based functions. We show that a single hydrophobic mutation on the cyt cb₅₆₂ surface drastically alters the outcome of metal-directed oligomerization to yield a new trimeric architecture, (TriCyt1)_3. This nascent trimer was redesigned into second and third-generation variants (TriCyt2)₃ and (TriCyt3)₃ with increased structural stability and preorganization for metal coordination. The three TriCyt variants combined furnish a unique platform to 1) provide tunable coupling between protein quaternary structure and metal coordination, 2) enable the construction of metal/pH-switchable protein oligomerization motifs, and 3) generate a robust metal coordination site that can coordinate all mid-to-late first-row transition-metal ions with high affinity.     

Templated construction of a Zn-selective protein dimerization motif

Here, we report that the approach of metal-templated ligand synthesis can be applied to construct a dimeric protein assembly ((BMOE)RIDC1(2)), which is stabilized by noncovalent interactions and flexible covalent cross-linkers around the Zn templates. Despite its flexibility, (BMOE)RIDC1(2) selectively binds Zn(II) over other divalent metals and undergoes dimerization upon metal binding. Such simultaneous fulfillment of plasticity and selectivity is a hallmark of cellular signaling events that involve ligand/metal-induced protein dimerization.     

Approximate analytical solutions of the effective mass Dirac equation for the generalized Hulthén potential with any <Emphasis Type="Italic">κ</Emphasis>-value

The Dirac equation, with position-dependent mass, is solved approximately for the generalized Hulthén potential with any spin-orbit quantum number κ. Solutions are obtained by using an appropriate coordinate transformation, reducing the effective mass Dirac equation to a Schrödinger-like differential equation. The Nikiforov-Uvarov method is used in the calculations to obtain energy eigenvalues and the corresponding wave functions. Numerical results are compared with those given in the literature. Analytical results are also obtained for the case of constant mass and the results are in good agreement with the literature.     

Preparation of metallic Pd nanoparticles using supercritical CO<Subscript>2</Subscript> deposition: An efficient catalyst for Suzuki cross-coupling reaction

Ligand-free palladium nanoparticles supported on multi-walled carbon nanotubes (Pd/MWCNT) were prepared by the supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) deposition method using a novel scCO₂-soluble Pd organometallic complex as a precursor. The precursor with the perfluoroalkyl chain group was synthesized and identified by microanalytic methods. The deposition was carried out at the temperature of 363.15 K and pressure of 27.6 MPa CO₂. The prepared metallic nanoparticles were obtained with an average size of 2 nm. Pd/MWCNT was utilized as a heterogeneous catalyst in Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. The nanocatalyst was found very effective in Suzuki reaction and it could also be recovered easily from the reaction media and reused over several cycles without significant loss of catalytic activity under mild conditions.

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Graphical Abstract Pd/MWCNT was prepared by the scCO2 deposition method using a new synthesized perfluroalkylated vic-dioxime Pd complex as the precursor. The prepared nanoparticle was very effective as catalyst and reusable for Suzuki cross coupling reaction under mild conditions.

     

The HN method for solving linear transport equation: theory and applications

The system of singular integral equations which is obtained from the integro-differential form of the linear transport equation using the Placzek lemma is solved. The exit distributions at the boundaries of the various media and the infinite medium Green's function are used. The process is applied to the half-space and finite slab problems. The neutron angular density in terms of singular eigenfunctions of the method of elementary solutions is also used to derive the same analytical expressions.     

Synthesis and spectral properties of some bis-substituted formazans

Novel, 1,4-bis-[3,3'-phenyl-5,5'-(o-carboxyphenyl)-formaz-1-yl]-benzene-o-sulphonic acid and its derivatives contained OH group at the o-, m-, p-positions of the 3-phenyl ring were synthesized. The structures of the formazans were confirmed by elemental analyses, GC-mass, IR, (1)H NMR, UV-vis spectra. Their absorption properties were investigated. It was seen that lambda(max) values shifted towards shorter wave lengths by 130nm in CSPF relative to 1,3,5-triphenylformazan (TPF) due to the fact that the structure of CSPF contained electron withdrawing COOH and SO(3)H groups (hypsochromic effect). With binding of OH group to 3-phenyl ring of CSPF, it was observed a small bathochromic effect in accordance to the electron donating effect of OH group.     

On-line stacking techniques for the nonaqueous capillary electrophoretic determination of acrylamide in processed food

In the present study, field amplified sample stacking (FASS) techniques in the nonaqueous capillary electrophoresis method (NACE) were introduced for the on-line concentration of the acrylamide to improve acrylamide detection at 210 nm by diode-array detection. Acetonitrile (ACN) as a nonaqueous solvent permits acrylamide to be protonated through the change of its acid-base chemistry, allowing capillary electrophoretic separation of this compound. Choosing 30 mmol L(-1) HClO(4), 20 mmol L(-1) NaClO(4), 218 mmol L(-1) CH(3)COOH in ACN as the separation electrolyte and employing sample stacking methods, the LOD value of acrylamide was decreased to 2.6 ng mL(-1) with electrokinetic injection and 4.4 ng mL(-1) with hydrodynamic injection. Optimized stacking conditions were applied to the determination of acrylamide in several foodstuffs. The method is simple, rapid, inexpensive, and widely applicable for the determination of acrylamide in food samples.     

X-ray diffraction, spectroscopic and DFT studies of 1-(4-bromophenyl)-3,5-diphenylformazan

The crystal structure of 1-(4-bromophenyl)-3,5-diphenylformazan was determined by X-ray single crystal diffraction technique. The crystals are orthorhombic, a = 23.0788(9), b = 7.9606(3), c = 18.6340(12) Å, Z = 8, sp. gr. Pbca, R ₁ = 0.074. The structure was also examined using the density-functional theory. Its structure stability, and frontier molecular orbital components were discussed and the results were compared with X-ray and spectral results. The maximum absorbtion peaks of the UV-vis spectrum of the compound have been calculated using the time-dependent density-functional theory. It was found a good agreement between the calculated and experimental maximum absorption wavelength.     

PT-Symmetric Solutions of Schrödinger Equation with Position-Dependent Mass via Point Canonical Transformation

PT-symmetric solutions of Schrödinger equation are obtained for the Scarf and generalized harmonic oscillator potentials with the position-dependent mass. A general point canonical transformation is applied by using a free parameter. Three different forms of mass distributions are used. A set of the energy eigenvalues of the bound states and corresponding wave functions for target potentials are obtained as a function of the free parameter.     

Application of the HN method to the critical slab problem for reflecting boundary conditions

The recently developed H_N method is used to solve the critical slab problem for a slab which is surrounded by a reflector. In the special case for R=0 (the reflection coefficient) the problem reduces to the one under vacuum boundary conditions. It is shown that the method is concise and leads to fast converging numerical results. The presented numerical results are compared with the data available in literature.