A microchip-based proteolytic digestion system driven by electroosmotic pumping

Microchip-based proteomic analysis requires proteolytic digestion of proteins in microdevices. Enzyme reactors in microdevices, fabricated in glass, silicon, and PDMS substrates, have recently been demonstrated for model protein digestions. The common approach used for these enzyme reactors is employment of a syringe pump(s) to generate hydrodynamic flow, driving the proteins through the reactors. Here we present a novel approach, using electroosmotic flow (EOF) to electrokinetically pump proteins through a proteolytic system. The existence of EOF in the proteolytic system packed with immobilized trypsin gel beads was proven by imaging the movement of a neutral fluorescent marker. Digestions of proteins were subsequently carried out for 12 min, and the tryptic peptides were analyzed independently using capillary electrophoresis (CE) and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS). The results from CE analysis of the tryptic peptides from the EOF-driven proteolytic system and a conventional water bath digestion were comparable. MALDI-TOF MS was used to identify the parent protein and the tryptic peptides using MS-Fit database searching. The potential utility of the EOF-driven proteolytic system was demonstrated by direct electro-elution of proteins from an acrylamide gel into the proteolytic system, with elution and tryptic digestion achieved in a single step. The EOF-driven proteolytic system, thus, provides a simple way to integrate protein digestion into an electrophoretic micro total analysis system for protein analysis and characterization.     

Studies on Liquid/liquid Extraction of Copper Ion with Room Temperature Ionic Liquid

Room temperature ionic liquids are regarded as “Green solvents” for their nonvolatile and thermally stable properties. They are employed to replace traditional volatile organic solvents in organic synthesis, solvent extraction, and electrochemistry. In this work, a water immiscible room temperature ionic liquid, 1‐butyl‐3‐methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate [C₄mim][PF₆], was used as an alternative solvent for liquid/liquid extraction of copper ions. Metal chelators, including dithizone, 8‐hydroxyquinoline, and 1‐(2‐pyridylazo)‐2‐naphthol, were employed to form neutral metal‐chelate complexes with copper ions so that copper ions were extracted from aqueous solution into [C₄mim][PF₆]. The parameters that affect the extraction of copper ions with this biphasic system were investigated. The extraction behavior in this novel biphasic system is shown to be consistent with that of traditional solvents. For example, the extraction with this biphasic system is strongly pH dependent. So, the extraction efficiency of coppers ion from an aqueous phase can be manipulated by tailoring the pH value of the extraction system. Hence, the extraction, separation and preconcentraction of copper ions can be accomplished by controlling the pH value of the extraction system. It appears that the use of ionic liquid as an alternate solvent system in liquid/liquid extraction of copper ions is very promising.     

Synthesis of a Polymer-bound Sensitizer and its Application in the Photoisomerization of trans-Vitamin D_3 to cis-Vitamin D_3

The photochemistry of the vitamin D family and their precursors has been the subject of extensive studies for many years1-4. Most of the studies focus on the photoisomer- ization of 7-dehydrocholesterol and that of tachysterol to previtamin D3, which is of commercial importance in the synthesis of vitamin D34, 5. Recently the cis/trans isomerization of vitamin D analogs (Scheme 1) draws attention because of its importance in the synthesis of hydroxylated vitamin D metabolites6. However, o…     

[（n—C4H9）4N][EuxM1—x（TTA）4]（M=La、Sm、Gd、Tb）的光致发光

合成了一类组成为[(n-C4H9)4N][EuxM1-x(TTA)4](M=La、Sm、Gd、Tb）的固体配合物，通过测定其红外光谱，X射线粉末衍射谱和荧光光谱，研究了配合物结构和发光性质随Eu^3 浓度变化的规律。红外光谱和XRD谱的分析结果表明，在体系中没有新化合物生成，而荧光光谱分析结果表明发光强度与Eu^3 浓度不成线性关系，不发光的基质配合物组分对发光有不同大小和不同类型的影响，提出一种可能的发光机制解释这一共发光现象。     

Dynamic identification of phosphopeptides using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography enrichment, subsequent partial beta-elimination/chemical tagging and matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometric analysis

The enrichment of phosphopeptides using immobilized metal ion affinity chromatography (IMAC) and subsequent mass spectrometric analysis is a powerful protocol for detecting phosphopeptides and analyzing their phosphorylation state. However, nonspecific binding peptides, such as acidic, nonphosphorylated peptides, often coelute and make analyses of mass spectra difficult. This study used a partial chemical tagging reaction of a phosphopeptide mixture, enriched by IMAC and contaminated with nonspecific binding peptides, following a modified beta-elimination/Michael addition method, and dynamic mass analysis of the resulting peptide pool. Mercaptoethanol was used as a chemical tag and nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA) immobilized on Sepharose beads was used for IMAC enrichment. The time-dependent dynamic mass analysis of the partially tagged reaction mixture detected intact phosphopeptides and their mercaptoethanol-tagged derivatives simultaneously by their mass difference (-20 Da for each phosphorylation site). The number of new peaks appearing with the mass shift gave the number of multiply phosphorylated sites in a phosphopeptide. Therefore, this partial chemical tagging/dynamic mass analysis method can be a powerful tool for rapid and efficient phosphopeptide identification and analysis of the phosphorylation state concurrently using only MS analysis data.     

Sorption of 241Am by Aspergillus nigerspore and hyphae

Biosorption of ²⁴¹Am by a fungus A. niger, including the spore and hyphae, was investigated. The preliminary results showed that the adsorption of ²⁴¹Am by the microorganism was efficient. More than 96% of the total ²⁴¹Am could be removed from ²⁴¹Am solutions of 5.6-111 MBq/l (C _o) by spore and hyphaeof A. niger, with adsorbed ²⁴¹Am metal (Q) of 7.2-142.4 MBq/g biomass, and 5.2-106.5 MBq/g, respectively. The biosorption equilibrium was achieved within 1 hour and the optimum pH range was pH 1-3. No obvious effects on ²⁴¹Am adsorption by the fungus were observed at 10-45 °C, or in solutions containing Au³⁺ or Ag⁺, even 2000 times above the ²⁴¹Am concentration. The ²⁴¹Am biosorption by the fungus obeys the Freundlich adsorption equation. There was no significant difference between the adsorption behavior of A. nigerspore and hyphae. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

1，4二环己基取代六元瓜环与Na(Ⅰ)自组装实体的合成与晶体结构

A novel complex of a new 1,4-dicyclohexyl cucurbituril(DCYQ[6]) with sodium(Ⅰ) ion was synthesized, and the crystal structure was determined by X-ray diffraction technique. In this self-assembled entity both the cavity interaction of DCYQ[6] included a nitrate anion and the portal interaction of the dipole carbonyls of DCYQ[6] with sodium cations lead to form self assembled molecular capsules. The crystal structure of the entity shows a packing of the self assembled molecular capsules connected by hydrogen bonds of water molecules. CCDC: 271400.     

一个新的噻二唑衍生物H2ADTZ与锰的二维聚合物的合成与晶体结构(英)

A new 1,3,4 thiadiazole-derivative ligand 2,5-(s-acetic acid) dimercapto-1,3,4 thiadiazole (H₂ADTZ) and its one-dimensional manganese polymer Mn(ADTZ)·4H₂O had been synthesized and structurally characterized by X-ray single crystal diffraction in this paper. The Mn(Ⅱ) ion is coordinated with a distorted octahedron by two oxygen atoms from neighboring two deprotonated ligands ADTZ^2- and other four oxygen atoms from four coordinated water molecules. The structural feature of the title compound is the formation of one-dimensional manganese chains polymer through the bridging of dioxygen O-O units. In the solid state structure of the complex, one-dimensional manganese chains are joined together by the weak intermolecular hydrogen bonds and vander Waals interactions forming a two-dimensional supramolecular compound. Furthermore, the UV spectra and electro-chemical properties of the title compound were also investigated. CCDC: 260532.     

Self-assembly of rectangles and prisms via a molecular "clip"

Aromatic molecular "clips" bearing two symmetrically bound platinum moieties have been prepared. The molecular "clip" 4 readily self-assembled with linear linkers such as 4,4'-bipyridyl, 1,4-bis[2-(4-isocyano-3,5-diisopropylphenyl)ethynyl]benzene, and nicotinic acid to form molecular rectangles. The overall dimensions of the rectangle 7 were 7.3 Angstroms x 15.3 Angstroms. The molecular "clip" also self-assembled with tritopic pyridyl and isocyanide ligands to form trigonal prismatic frameworks. The characterization of the supramolecules by multinuclear NMR, electrospray mass spectrometry, and X-ray crystal structures is also reported.     

A two-color-change, nanoparticle-based method for DNA detection

Herein, we describe the detailed synthesis of Ag/Au core-shell nanoparticles, the surface-functionalization of these particles with thiolated oligonucleotides, and their subsequent use as probes for DNA detection. The Ag/Au core-shell nanoparticles retain the optical properties of the silver core and are easily functionalized with thiolated oligonucleotides due to the presence of the gold shell. As such, the Ag/Au core-shell nanoparticles have optical properties different from their pure gold counterparts and provide another “color” option for target DNA-directed colorimetric detection. Size-matched Ag/Au core-shell and pure gold nanoparticles perform nearly identically in DNA detection and melting experiments, but with distinct optical signatures. Based on this observation, we report the development of a two-color-change method for the detection and simultaneous validation of single-nucleotide polymorphisms in a DNA target using Ag/Au core-shell and pure gold nanoparticle probes.