Cytotoxicity of guanine-based degradation products contributes to the antiproliferative activity of guanine-rich oligonucleotides

Guanine-rich oligonucleotides (GROs) have attracted considerable attention as anticancer agents, because they exhibit cancer-selective antiproliferative activity and can form G-quadruplex structures with higher nuclease resistance and cellular uptake. Recently, a GRO, AS1411 has reached phase II clinical trials for acute myeloid leukemia and renal cell carcinoma. The antiproliferative activity of GROs has been associated with various protein targets; however the real mechanisms of action remain unclear. In this study, we showed evidence that antiproliferative activity of GROs (including AS1411) is mainly contributed by the cytotoxicity of their guanine-based degradation products, such as monophosphate deoxyguanosine (dGMP), deoxyguanosine (dG) and guanine. The GROs with lower nuclease resistance exhibited higher antiproliferative activity. Among nucleotides, nucleosides and nucleobases, only guanine-based compounds showed highly concentration-dependent cytotoxicity. Our results suggest that it is necessary to reconsider the cancer-selective antiproliferative activity of GROs. Since guanine-based compounds are endogenous substances in living organisms, systematic studies of the cytotoxicity of these compounds will provide new information for the understanding of certain diseases and offer useful information for drug design.     

Sensing hydrogen peroxide using a glassy carbon electrode modified with in-situ electrodeposited platinum-gold bimetallic nanoclusters on a graphene surface

Microchimica Acta - Platinum-gold nanoclusters (PtAu NCs) were electrodeposited on graphene placed on the surface of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE). The PtAu-graphene nanocomposite was...     

Loss of PEG chain in routine SDS‐PAGE analysis of PEG‐maleimide modified protein

SDS‐PAGE represents a quick and simple method for qualitative and quantitative analysis of protein and protein‐containing conjugates, mostly pegylated proteins. PEG‐maleimide (MAL) is frequently used to site‐specifically pegylate therapeutic proteins via free cysteine residue by forming a thiosuccinimide structure for pursuing homogeneous products. The C–S linkage between protein and PEG‐MAL is generally thought to be relatively stable. However, loss of intact PEG chain in routine SDS‐PAGE analysis of PEG‐maleimide modified protein was observed. It is a thiol‐independent thioether cleavage and the shedding of PEG chain exclusively happens to PEG‐MAL modified conjugates although PEG‐vinylsulfone conjugates to thiol‐containing proteins also through a C–S linkage. Cleavage kinetics of PEG40k‐MAL modified ciliary neurotrophic factor showed this kind of degradation could immediately happen even in 1 min incubation at high temperature and could be detected at physiological temperature and pH, although the rate was relatively slow. This may provide another degradation route for maleimide‐thiol conjugate irrespective of reactive thiol, although the specific mechanism is still not very clear for us. It would also offer a basis for accurate characterization of PEG‐MAL modified protein/peptide by SDS‐PAGE analysis.     

Comprehensive characterization of natural organic matter by MALDI- and ESI-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry

Natural organic matter (NOM) is a complex and non-uniform mixture of organic compounds which plays an important role in environmental processes. Due to the complexity, it is challenging to obtain fully detailed structural information about NOM. Although Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR-MS) has been demonstrated to be a powerful tool for providing molecular information about NOM, multiple ionization methods are needed for comprehensive characterization of NOM at the molecular level considering the ionizing selectivity of different ionization methods. This paper reports the first use of matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) method coupled with FT-ICR-MS for molecular characterization of NOM within a mass range of 200–800 Da. The mass spectral data obtained by MALDI were systematically compared with data generated by electrospray ionization (ESI). It showed that complementary molecular information about NOM which could not be detected by ESI, were provided by MALDI. More unsaturated and aromatic constituents of NOM with lower O/C ratio (O/C ratio < 0.5) were preferentially ionized in MALDI negative mode, whereas more polar constituents of NOM with higher O/C ratio were preferentially ionized in ESI negative mode. Molecular anions of NOM appearing at even m/z in MALDI negative ion mode were detected. The results show that NOM molecules with aromatic structures, moderate O/C ratio (0.7 > O/C ratio > 0.25) and lower H/C ratio were liable to form molecular anions at even m/z, whereas those with higher H/C ratio are more likely to form deprotonated ions at odd m/z. It is speculated that almost half of the NOM molecules identified by MALDI may be aromatic or condensed aromatic compounds with special groups which are liable to absorb electron from other molecules to generate free radical anions during MALDI ionization.     

New Cu(I) Coordination Complexes Based on Tetrathiafulvalene Substituted Triazol‐pyridine Ligand: Synthesis,Properties and Theoretical Studies

Two Cu(I) complexes based on the thioethyl‐bridged triazol‐pyridine ligand with tetrathiafulvalene unit (TTF‐TzPy, L ), [Cu(I)(Binap)(L)]BF₄ ( 5 , Binap=2,2’‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐1,1’‐binaphthyl) and [Cu(I)(Xantphos)(L)]BF₄ ( 6 , Xantphos=9,9‐dimethyl‐4,5‐bis(diphenylphosphino)‐xanthene), have been synthesized. All new compounds are characterized by elemental analyses, ¹H NMR and mass spectroscopies. The complex 5 has been determined by X‐ray structure analyses which shows that the central copper (I) ion assumes distorted tetrahedral geometry. The photophysical, computational and electrochemical properties of L and 5 ‐ 6 have been investigated. The most representative molecular orbital energy‐level diagrams and the spin‐allowed singlet? singlet electronic transitions of the three compounds have been calculated with density functional theory (DFT) and time‐dependent DFT (TD‐DFT). The luminescence bands of Cu(I) complexes 5 ‐ 6 have been assigned as mixed intraligand and metal‐to‐ligand charge transfer ³(MLCT+π→π^*) transitions through analysis of the photophysical properties and DFT calculations. The electrochemical studies reveal that 5 ‐ 6 undergo reversible TTF/TTF^+?/TTF²⁺ redox processes and one irreversible Cu⁺→Cu²⁺ oxidation process.     

原位合成具有高可见光催化活性的C3N4/CdS纳米复合材料

以硫氰酸铵和氯化镉为原料,采用无模板混合高温煅烧法一步合成氮化碳/硫化镉纳米晶(C3N4/CdS)的复合半导体材料。采用X射线衍射、傅立叶变换红外光谱和透射电镜等技术对其结构和形貌进行了表征。以有机污染物罗丹明B (RhB)为模拟污染物对复合催化剂的可见光催化活性进行测试。结果表明, C3N4/CdS复合材料中CdS以六方相纳米晶的形式均匀分散; CdS的复合基本不改变C3N4主体结构及聚合度;与纯C3N4相比,复合材料在可见区的光吸收能力有所增强。合适的能带匹配有利于光生载流子的迁移,抑制了其复合速率。在可见光照射下,复合半导体能够更加快速的降解有机污染物,且保持很好的稳定性。     

性能优异的Rh改性的Pd/Al2O3密偶催化剂

采用等体积浸渍法制备了Pd/Al2O3和Rh-Pd/Al2O3密偶催化剂,运用H2程序升温还原、CO化学吸附和X射线光电子能谱等手段对催化剂进行了表征,并考察了催化剂对丙烷总包反应和单反应的转化活性.总包反应结果表明, Rh的添加使起燃温度和完全转化温度分别降低了23和18oC.单反应结果证明,添加Rh能提高各单反应丙烷的转化活性,尤其是有NO参与的反应.表征结果证明,掺杂Rh不仅可以抑制活性组分PdOx的烧结,提高PdOx的分散度,而且可以改变其电子状态.     

Poly(vinyl alcohol)/GO-MMT nanocomposites: Preparation,structure and properties

A facile, efficient and environment friendly method is established to prepare poly(vinyl alcohol)(PVA) based graphene oxide-montmorillonite(GO-MMT) nanocomposites in aqueous media. GO-MMT nanohybrid is obtained by the combination of GO and MMT in water without any reducing or stabilizing agents. The formation of GO-MMT nanohybrid is due to the hydrogen bonding and crosslinking effects. The sodium ions within MMT sheets act as crosslinkers between GO sheets and MMT platelets. The resultant nanocomposites are characterized by means of X-ray diffraction(XRD), scanning electron microscopy(SEM), differential scanning calorimetry(DSC), thermogravimetric analysis(TGA) and mechanical testing. Compared to that of pure PVA, PVA nanocomposites show enhanced thermal stabilities and mechanical properties, which results from strong interfacial adhesion of the nanoadditives in PVA matrix. The further increase in the tensile strength and modulus results from strong interaction between PVA chains and layered GO-MMT as well as good mechanical properties of GO-MMT hybrid, compared to PVA/GO and PVA/MMT nanocompsoites.