Dendrimeric Gd(III) complex of a monophosphinated DOTA analogue: optimizing relaxivity by reducing internal motion

A marked increase of relaxivity has been observed upon rigidifying the internal frame of Gd-containing PAMAM dendrimers: the effect has been attained by either protonation of the dendrimer or by forming supramolecular adducts with cationic polyaminoacids.     

Signatures of the fast dynamics in glassy polystyrene: first evidence by high-field electron paramagnetic resonance of molecular guests

The reorientation of one small paramagnetic molecule (spin probe) in glassy polystyrene (PS) is studied by high-field electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy at two different Larmor frequencies (190 and 285 GHz). Two different regimes separated by a crossover region are evidenced. Below 180 K the rotational times are nearly temperature independent with no apparent distribution. In the temperature range of 180-220 K a large increase of the rotational mobility is observed with the widening of the distribution of correlation times which exhibits two components: (i) a deltalike, temperature-independent component representing the fraction of spin probes w which persist in the low-temperature dynamics; (ii) a strongly temperature-dependent component, to be described by a power distribution, representing the fraction of spin probes 1-w undergoing activated motion over an exponential distribution of barrier heights g(E). Above 180 K a steep decrease of w is evidenced. The shape and the width of g(E) do not differ from the reported ones for PS within the errors. For the first time the large increase of the rotational mobility of the spin probe at 180 K is ascribed to the onset of the fast dynamics detected by neutron scattering at T(f)=175+/-25 K.     

ITSTUDIES ON THE EFFECT OF UREA ON THE COMPATIBILITY OF PMMA/PVC MIXTURES IN DMF BY A DILUTE- SOLUTION VISCOMETRY METHOD

The interaction between poly(methymethacrylate) (PMMA) and poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) has been studied indilute urea solutions of dimethylformamide (DMF) at 28℃ using a dilute solution viscometry method. The results show thatthe polymer mixtures are compatible in DMF solution in the absence of urea. The influence of urea addition on the degree ofcompatibility of the polymer mixtures has been studied in terms of the compatibility parameters (△b_m and △[η]_m). It wasfound that the compatibility of the polymer mixtures is decreased with increasing urea addition, passing through a minimumat 0.5 M urea.     

Determination of the substituent effect on the O-H bond dissociation enthalpies of phenolic antioxidants by the EPR radical equilibration technique

The bond dissociation enthalpies (BDE) of several phenols containing electron-withdrawing substituents in the para position have been determined by means of the EPR radical equilibration technique. It has been found that CN, NO(2), CHO, COOR, and COOH induce an increase of the BDE value of the O-H bond, thus producing a worsening of the antioxidant activity of phenols, while Cl, Ph, and CH[double bond]CHPh show an opposite effect. The contributions of these substituents for the calculation of the BDE values in polysubstituted phenols by using the group additivity rule have also been derived. It is shown that this rule provides quite reliable predictions of bond strengths, so that the method can be conveniently used to estimate new data on substituted phenols.     

Novel estradiol derivatives labeled with Ru,W, and Co complexes. Influence on hormone-receptor affinity of several organometallic groups at the 17 alpha position

In order to elucidate the extent to which recognition of the estrogen receptor is influenced by addition of an organometallic substituent at the 17 alpha position, modification of 17 beta-estradiol at this position was carried out by using the organometallic groups -C identical to C(eta 5-C5H4)RuCp, CH2-(eta 5-C5H4)RuCp, -C identical to C-(eta 5-C5H4)-W(CO)3(Me), -(C identical to CCHO)Co2(CO)6, and -(C identical to CCH2OH)Co2(CO)6. The relative binding affinity (RBA) values for estradiol receptor alpha showed that recognition was good (RBA between 20 and 13.5%) when the organometallic moiety was attached at the end of a rigid alkyne spacer. However, the affinity of the modified hormone for the receptor was severely reduced (RBA = 1%) for a substituent such as -CH2-(eta 5-C5H4)RuCP, in which the spacer is reduced to a single flexible sp3 carbon atom, allowing the organometallic moiety greater freedom of movement around the attachment point. The RBA values found were in agreement with results obtained from a molecular-modeling study in which 5, an organometallic hormone with a rigid spacer, or 7, a molecule with a flexible spacer, was inserted into the cavity of the recently characterized Ligand-Binding Domain of estrogen receptor alpha.     

Extended peptide-based inhibitors efficiently target the proteasome and reveal overlapping specificities of the catalytic beta-subunits

BACKGROUND: The 26S proteasome is responsible for most cytosolic proteolysis, and is an important protease in major histocompatibility complex class I-mediated antigen presentation. Constitutively expressed proteasomes from mammalian sources possess three distinct catalytically active species, beta1, beta2 and beta5, which are replaced in the gamma-interferon-inducible immunoproteasome by a different set of catalytic subunits, beta1i, beta2i and beta5i, respectively. Based on preferred cleavage of short fluorogenic peptide substrates, activities of the proteasome have been assigned to individual subunits and classified as 'chymotryptic-like' (beta5), 'tryptic-like' (beta2) and 'peptidyl-glutamyl peptide hydrolyzing' (beta1). Studies with protein substrates indicate a far more complicated, less strict cleavage preference. We reasoned that inhibitors of extended size would give insight into the extent of overlapping substrate specificity of the individual activities and subunits. RESULTS: A new class of proteasome inhibitors, considerably extended in comparison with the commonly used fluorescent substrates and peptide-based inhibitors, has been prepared. Application of the safety catch resin allowed the generation of the target compounds using a solid phase protocol. Evaluation of the new compounds revealed a set of highly potent proteasome inhibitors that target all individual active subunits with comparable affinity, unlike the other inhibitors described to date. Modification of the most active compound, adamantane-acetyl-(6-aminohexanoyl)(3)-(leucinyl)(3)-vinyl-(methyl)-sulfone (AdaAhx(3)L(3)VS), itself capable of proteasome inhibition in living cells, afforded a new set of radio- and affinity labels. CONCLUSIONS: N-terminal extension of peptide vinyl sulfones has a profound influence on both their efficiency and selectivity as proteasome inhibitors. Such extensions greatly enhance inhibition and largely obliterate selectivity towards the individual catalytic activities. We conclude that for the interaction with larger substrates, there appears to be less discrimination of different substrate sequences for the catalytic activities than is normally assumed based on the use of small peptide-based substrates and inhibitors. The compounds described here are readily accessible synthetically, and are more potent inhibitors in living cells than their shorter peptide vinyl sulfone counterparts.     

Novel chiral macrocycles containing two electronically interacting arylene chromophores

Novel chiral macrocycles consisting of two rigid oligoarylene rods and two chiral spiroindane clips have been synthesized by condensation of spiroindane diols and CF3-activated alpha-omega-difluorooligoaryls. Since a broad variety of planar aromatic macrocycles is known, our non-planar, chiral rings represent a new class of macrocyclic compounds. The first two examples, which contain quaterphenylene and diphenylbithiophene rods, are presented in this communication; for one of them a crystal structure is given. The chiroptical properties of the macrocycles can be interpreted as an interplay of the "intra-rod" helicity of individual oligoarylene rods and the "inter-rod" helicity between both chromophores of the macrocycle. The macrocycles can act as chiral dopands of commercially available, and novel, polymeric nematic liquid crystals (emissive polyfluorenes). The "intra-rod" helicity of individual oligoarylene rods is the main feature in determining the resulting helical twisting power (HTP). The cholestric induction in mesogenic, emissive polyfluorenes is of special interest for a realization of electronic devices that have a circularly polarized electroluminescence. The results are also important for an understanding of larger ensembles of chiral rodlike molecules, especially their pi-pi interactions.     

Pulsed field gradient NMR on polybutylcyanoacrylate nanocapsules

The applicability of pulsed field gradient nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to nanocapsule systems is demonstrated on dispersed poly-n-butylcyanoacrylate nanocapsules as a model system. Spectroscopic data are presented that allow for the structural characterization of the inner cavities, the observation of Brownian motion of the capsules and the detection of rapid molecular exchange through the capsule walls. An analytical formula is proposed that yields equilibrium populations and average residence times of a given tracer molecule, thus leading to crucial information regarding the permeability of the capsule walls. Based on these analytical methods, two varieties of nanocapsules are compared that derive from two different preparation procedures. It is found that thinner capsule walls obtained under acidic conditions of the organic phase during interfacial polymerization lead to correspondingly higher exchange rates of benzene as a tracer molecule.     

Highly efficient rhodium/monodentate phosphoramidite catalyst and its application in the enantioselective hydrogenation of enamides and alpha-dehydroamino acid derivatives

An easily prepared and highly efficient monodentate phosphoramidite ligand derived from BINOL, (S)-2,2'-O,O-(1,1'-binaphthyl)-dioxo-N,N-diethylphospholidine, was examined in the hydrogenation of both enamides and alpha-dehydroamino acid derivatives. The catalyst provided remarkably high enantioselectivities (up to 99.6% ee for enamides and >99.9% ee for alpha-dehydroamino acid derivatives).     

Highly sensitive and simple fluorescence staining of proteins in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide-based gels by using hydrophobic tail-mediated enhancement of fluorescein luminescence

Fluorescein has an extremely low luminescence intensity in acidic aqueous media. However, when it was bound to proteins, subsequent increase of luminescence intensity took place. Furthermore, when a hydrophobic tail, such as aliphatic hydrocarbons, was introduced to fluorescein, more dramatic increase of luminescence intensity was observed upon binding to proteins. In the present study, by utilizing this luminescence enhancement, three hydrophobic fluorescein dyes (5-dodecanoyl amino fluorescein, 5-hexadecanoyl amino fluorescein, and 5-octadecanoyl amino fluorescein) were examined as noncovalent fluorescent stains of protein bands in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). Effective incorporation of the dyes to proteins in gels was accomplished either simply by adding dyes at the protein fixation step, or by treating gels with a staining solution after the fixation. The sensitivity of this staining method using the fluorescein derivatives was approximately 1 ng/band for most proteins. For some cases, protein bands containing as low as 0.1 ng were successfully visualized. In addition, the detection sensitivity showed much less protein-to-protein variation than silver staining. This new staining method was also successfully applied to two-dimensional electrophoresis of rat brain proteins. Its overall sensitivity was comparable to that of silver staining.