Determining PPARγ-ligand binding affinity using fluorescent assay with cis-parinaric acid as a probe

Upon the study of small-molecules binding to proteins, the traditional methods for calculating dissociation constants (Kd and Ki) have shortcomings in dealing with the single binding site models. In this paper, two equations have been derived to solve this problem. These two equations are independent of the total concentration or initial degree of saturation of receptor and the activity of the competitive molecule. Through nonlinear fitting against these two equations, Kd value of a probe can be obtained by binding assay, and Ki value of a ligand can be obtained by competitive assay. Moreover, only the total concentrations of receptor([R]t), ligand([L]t) and probe([P]t) are required for the data fitting. In this work, Ki values of some typical ligands of PPARγ were successfully determined by use of our equations, among which the Ki value of PPARγ-LY171883 was reported for the first time.     

二甲苯异构体双电荷离子和单电荷离子的动能谱研究

利用质量分析离子动能谱和碰撞诱导解离技采研究了邻、间、对二甲苯分子在电子轰击质谱中产生的双电荷离子[C8H10]2+、[C8H9]2+和单电荷离子[C8H10]+。根据测定的电荷分离反应的释放动能T和由此估算的双电荷离子电荷分离反应过渡态两电荷间距R,推测出过渡态的结构,利用单电荷离子[C8H10]+的MIKES/CID谱可区分邻二甲苯与间、对二甲苯异构体.     

Low-temperature bath/coupled-capillary/sweeping-micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography for the separation of naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde-derivatized dopamine and norepinephrine

The use of a low-temperature (0 degrees C) bath-assisted coupled capillary for the separation of naphthalene-2,3-dicarboxaldehyde (NDA)-derivatized dopamine and norepinephrine using the sweeping-micellar electrokinetic capillary chromatography (MEKC) mode is described. In this technique, a capillary consisting of two portions with different inside diameters is used. Therefore, the field strength inside the capillary is different. Hence, the electrophoretic migration velocities of the analytes and the electro-osmotic flow (EOF) also are different. Furthermore, when a portion of the capillary (wide portion, used for sweeping) is immersed in a low-temperature bath, the viscosity of the buffer and the retention factor of the analytes inside are increased. Thus, not only are the interactions between the SDS micelles and the analytes increased, but the SDS-analytes also move more slowly. As a result, a more complete separation can be achieved, even when the sample injection volume is large, up to approximately 2 microL. In general, when the volume of an injected sample is larger, the effects of sweeping and separation would become insufficient, especially when the retention values (k) of the analytes are quite different. However, this limitation can be improved when the low-temperature bath/coupled capillary/sweeping-MEKC mode is used.     

氢在钯单晶表面的解离与在体相的扩散

氢分子在金属表面的解离吸附与氢原子在金属体相的扩散是个典型的表面过程.前者在甲烷化及合成氨等基础化工反应中起着关键作用;后者常常导致金属材料的脆化与断裂,但过渡金属及其合金是安全和优良的储氢材料.因此,研究氢分子在金属表面的解离吸附与氢原子在金属体相的扩散,是多相催化与金属物理广泛感兴趣的课题,具有重要的理论和应用价值.本文采用分子动力学方法初步探讨了二者之间的关联.分子催化动力学为从微观层次上研究上述课题提供了一种理论方法.本文采用经过我们改进的半经验LEPS方法,计算了氢分子在Pd(100)和(110)晶面的解离和氢原子在钯表面与体相扩散的相互作用位能面,并根据计算结果探讨了其微观机理.     

Fractionation of casein hydrolysates using polysulfone ultrafiltration hollow fiber membranes

The objective of this study was to characterize the fractionation profile of casein hydrolysates obtained with polysulfone hollow fiber ultrafiltration membranes. The two-step ultrafiltration process developed by Turgeon and Gauthier [J. Food Sci., 55 (1990) 106] was used: a caseinate solution was submitted to proteolysis with chymotrypsin or trypsin, and the reaction mixture (RM) was subsequently ultrafiltered using a 30 kDa (MWCO) hollow-fiber polysulfone membrane. The total hydrolysate permeating from this first step was further fractionated using a 1 kDa (MWCO) membrane, producing the mixture of polypeptides (retentate) and the amino acid fraction (permeate). The effect of enzyme specificity and of membrane retentivitiy on the total composition (total nitrogen, fat, lactose, minerals) and amino acid profile of the fractions was studied. The overall composition of the fractions was not significantly affected by the nature of the enzyme but the degree of hydrolysis and the molecular weight distribution profile analyses showed a marked effect of the enzyme specificity, with trypsin giving a larger proportion of small peptides (< 200 Da) in the mixture of polypeptides. Amino acid profile analyses provided useful information on the phenomena governing the fractionation of amino acids with a polysulfone membrane: (1) the target amino acids of the enzyme are concentrated in the permeate as a result of their presence in all peptides produced by hydrolysis, (2) polar amino acids are retained by the membrane, (3) non-polar amino acids are not selectively rejected by the membrane. Our results suggest that the charge/hydrophobicity balance of the peptides produced is the predominant factor determining the fractionation of casein hydrolysates.     

Second Dissociation Constant of H<Subscript>2</Subscript>Te and the Absorption Spectra of HTe<Superscript>–</Superscript>, Te<Superscript>2–</Superscript> and Te<Subscript>2</Subscript><Superscript>2–</Superscript> in Aqueous Solution

We have measured the second acid dissociation constant, K _2a , at several ionic strengths for hydrogen telluride (H₂Te) using the Charge Transfer to Solvent (CTTS) uv spectra of its anions HTe⁻ and Te²⁻. Since it is produced in our solutions, we have also determined the spectra of Te₂ ²⁻ both in the uv and in the visible regions. At 25 ^∘C, K _2a = (1.28 ± 0.02) × 10⁻¹² by extrapolation to zero ionic strength. Its value at an ionic strength equal to 0.5 mol.dm^-3 was estimated to be (8.7 ± 0.2) × 10⁻¹². The solution thermodynamics of these species are also discussed and comparisons are made to related acids.     

A computational study of bond dissociation enthalpies in haloethenes

Carbon–hydrogen bond dissociation enthalpies (BDEs) were computed for all haloethenes, C₂H_4−nX_n (n=0–3, X=F, Cl, Br, I), at the B3LYP/6-311+G(3df,2p) level using isodesmic reactions. It was found that C–H bond strengths in the monohaloethenes varied substantially, by as much as 18 kJ mol⁻¹, dependent upon the bond's stereochemical position relative to the halogen. BDEs in the dihaloethanes varied in the order CX₂CH–H>(E)-CHXCX–H>(Z)-CHXCX–H. Trends in the computed bond enthalpies were discussed and explained on the basis of relative steric repulsions and hyperconjugative delocalization interactions, as determined from Natural Bond Orbital analysis.     

Micellar Liquid Chromatography Study of Quantitative Retention–Activity Relationships for Antihypertensive Drugs

Use of micellar mobile phases in reversed-phase liquid chromatography (RPLC) results in hydrophobic and electrostatic sites for interaction. Modified stationary phases in micellar liquid chromatography (MLC) are structurally similar to biomembranes. To confirm this we focused on the effects of the type and concentration of surfactant (Brij 35, SDS, and CTAB) and mobile phase pH on the retention of antihypertensive drugs on modified C₁₈ stationary phases. Quantitative retention-activity relationships are proposed for the drugs and the different surfactants and compared with those obtained using aqueous–organic mobile phases. Finally, a correlation was obtained between the logarithm of retention factors (log k) and the toxicity (LD₅₀) of antihypertensive drugs. Revised: 14 September 2005 and 4 April 2006     

Competition STD NMR for the detection of high-affinity ligands and NMR-based screening

The reported competition STD NMR method combines saturation transfer difference (STD) NMR with competition binding experiments to allow the detection of high-affinity ligands that undergo slow chemical exchange on the NMR time-scale. With this technique, the presence of a competing high-affinity ligand in the compound mixture can be detected by the disappearance or reduction of the STD signals of a low-affinity indicator ligand. This is demonstrated on a BACE1 (beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1) protein-inhibitor system. This method can also be used to derive an approximate value, or a lower limit, for the dissociation constant of the potential ligand based on the reduction of the signal intensity of the STD indicator, which is illustrated on an HSA (human serum albumin) model system. This leads to important applications of the competition STD NMR method for lead discovery: it can be used (i) for compound library screening against a broad range of drug targets to identify both high- and low-affinity ligands and (ii) to rank order analogs rapidly and derive structure-activity relationships, which are used to optimize these NMR hits into viable drug leads.     

Dissociation quotients of succinic acid in aqueous sodium chloride media to 225°C

The first and second molal dissociation quotients of succinic acid were measured potentiometrically with a hydrogen-electrode, concentration cell. These measurements were carried out from 0 to 225°C over 25° intervals at five ionic strengths ranging from 0.1 to 5.0 molal (NaCl). The dissociation quotients from this and two other studies were combined and treated with empirical equations to yield the following thermodynamic quantities for the first acid dissociation equilibrium at 25°C: log K_1a=–4.210±0.003; H _1a ⁰ =2.9±0.2 kJ-mol^–1; S _1a ⁰ =–71±1 J-mol^–1-K^–1; and C _p1a ⁰ =–98±3 J-mol^–1-K^–1; and for the second acid dissociation equilibrium at 25°C: log K_2a=–5.638±0.001; H _2a ⁰ = –0.5±0.1 kJ-mol^–1; S _2a ⁰ =–109.7±0.4 J-mol^–1-K^–1; and C _p2a ⁰ = –215±8 J-mol^–1-K^–1.