Elucidating Factors Manipulated the Formation of Multiply Charged Protein Homomultimeric Complexes by Electrospray Ionization

Native non‐covalently bonded protein‐protein and protein‐substrate complexes are of great interest and have been extensively studied by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI‐MS). Multiply charged protein homomultimeric complexes are shown to form by ESI‐MS. This study addresses factors that can artificially induce the formation of multiply charged protein homomultimeric complexes. Cytochrome c (Cyt c) and ubiquitin, which are monomers in solution, were found to generate (Cyt c)_mⁿ⁺ by electrospray ionization (ESI). The homomultimeric complexes were not limited to dimeric complexes but include also multiply charged trimers, tetramers, and pentamers. The observation of these homomultimeric complexes has never been revealed from a Cyt c solution at the concentration as low as 10 μM. Increasing the concentration of Cyt c enhanced the formation of (Cyt c)_mⁿ⁺ as expected; however, the protein concentration does not affect the relative intensities of monomeric and dimeric complexes. Additionally the enrichment of NH₄OH also promotes the formation of (Cyt c)_mⁿ⁺. Notably, source collision‐induced dissociations (source‐CID) of (Cyt c)_mⁿ⁺ alter the charge state distribution (CSD) and may lead to an incorrect interpretation of Cyt c conformations. Hence, extra care should be taken when using CSD to interpret the conformation of a protein derived from ESI‐MS.     

Classification of cultivation area of ginseng by near infrared spectroscopy and ICP-AES

A rapid and nondestructive near infrared (NIR) method using soft independent modeling of class analogy (SIMCA) for the classification of cultivation area (Korea and China) was evaluated and confirmed. Raw, first, and second derivative NIR spectra were compared to develop a robust classification rule. The chemical properties of ginseng samples were also investigated to find out the differences between Korean samples and Chinese samples. These differences make NIR spectroscopic method viable. The average value of each Korean and Chinese ginseng sample for crude fiber, crude protein, starch, and 10 inorganic constituents were measured and compared with F-test and t-test. The inorganic constituents were also measured by induced coupled plasma-atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). It could be found that the amount of starch and ten inorganic elements for example Na, Mg, P, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Ni, Cu and Zn in ginseng samples are considerably different based on cultivation area. SIMCA has been applied to the inorganic data to investigate the possibility of ICP-AES as classification tool. However, it was observed that the result was not equal to than NIR spectra data. The overall results showed the availability of NIR method using SIMCA would be adequate for classification of cultivation of ginseng, since NIR spectra includes useful and various information on chemical properties in spite of broad and overlapped bands.     

Vibrational spectra and structure of “staircase” carbonyl π-complexes of transition metals

FTIR spectra have been studied for staircase cyclopentadienyl complexes containing two or three metal carbonyl fragments bound by the metal-carbon bond Cp(CO)₂Fe-CpmMn(CO)₃ (1), Cp(CO)₂Fe-CpmFe(CO)₂CH₂Ph (2), Cp(CO)₂Fe-Cpm(CO)₂Fe-CpmMn(CO)₃ (3), Cp(CO)₂Mo-Cpm(CO)₂Fe-CpmMn(CO)₃ (4), Cp(CO)₃W-Cpm(CO)₂Fe-CpmMn(CO)₃ (5), Cp(CO)₂Fe-Cpm(CO)₂Fe-BmCr(CO)₃ (6), Cr(CO)₃Bm-CpmFe(CO)₂CH₂Ph (7), where Cp = ₅-C₅H₅, Cpm = ¹⁵-C₅H₄, Bm = ¹⁶-C₆H₅. Temperature-dependent FTIR spectra were measured inn-pentane solutions over a wide temperature range and in the low-temperature solid matrices of argon and nitrogen. Rotamers, formed due to rotation about the metal-carbon -bond, were found in solutions and matrices. A molecular mechanics calculation of1 proved the possibility of such rotation.Translated fromIzyestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 11, pp. 1952–1956, November, 1994.The authors are grateful to the Russian Foundation for Basic Research (project code No 93-03-18592) and to the International Science Foundation (project code No MEQ000).     

Synthesis of Gels in the System Na2O-ZrO2-SiO2

Gels have been synthesized in the SiO₂-Na₂O-ZrO₂ system and calcined at various temperatures up to 700°C. They have been studied by infrared absorption spectroscopy. The position of the asymmetric stretching frequency of the SiO₄ unit is used as a tracer of the homogeneity. It is shown that sodium increases the solubility of zirconium in the silica matrix as already observed in fused glasses.     

PREPARATION OF POLY（METHYL METHACRYLATE）/LAYERED DOUBLE HYDROXIDES NANOCOMPOSITES via in situ SOLUTION POLYMERIZATION

An exfoliated layered double hydroxides/poly(methyl methacrylate)(LDHs/PMMA)nanocomposite was prepared by in situ solution polymerization of methyl methacrylate(MMA)in the presence of 4-vinylbenzenesulfonate intercalated LDHs(MgAl-VBS LDHs).MgAl-VBS LDHs was prepared by the ion exchange method,and the structure and composition of the MgA1-VBS LDHs were determined by X-ray diffraction(XRD),infrared spectroscopy and elemental analysis.XRD and transmission electron microscopy(TEM)were employed to examine the structure of LDHs/PMMA nanocomposite.It was indicated that the LDHs layers were well exfoliated and dispersed in the PMMA matrix.The grafting of PMMA onto LDHs was confirmed by the extraction result and the weight fraction of grafted PMMA increased as the weight fraction of LDHs in the nanocomposites increased.     

The ion product of H2O,dissociation constants of H2CO3 and pitzer parameters in the system Na+/H+/OH−/HCO 3 − /CO 3 2- /ClO 4 − /H2O at 25°C

The ion product of water and the dissociation constants of carbonic acid have been determined in 0.1, 1.0, 3.0, and 5.0M NaClO₄ at 25°C. The ion product of water K _w ^' has been evaluated by emf measurements with a combined glass electrode in NaClO₄ solutions containing 0.001–0.1M HCLO₄ or NaOH. The product K _H ^' K _l ^' K ₂ ^' of the Henry constant for CO₂ and the dissociation constants for H₂CO₃ have been determined by titration of carbonate solutions equilibrated with pCO₂ =10^–3.52 atm, and K ₂ ^' has been evaluated by potentiometric titration and by measuring the H⁺ concentration at fixed HCO ₃ ^– and CO ₃ ^2- concentrations. The ion interaction (Pitzer) equations are applied to describe the constants K _w ^' , K ₂ ^' and K _H ^' H ₁ ^' K ₂ ^' as a function of the NaClO₄ concentration. The experimental data are used to evaluate the mixing parameters _{i/ClO 4} and _{i/ClO 4} ^-/Na⁺ fori = OH ^-,HCO ₃ ^- andCO ₃ ^2-     

FTIR-spectroscopy as a highly sensitive technique to study adsorption and desorption on ionic film and single crystal surfaces

Sample/spectrum relationships are investigated using both a low resolution rapid-scanning NIR monochromator and a Fourier transform instrument capable of high resolution and are evaluated in terms of whether or not the resolution of the instrument is sufficient for measuring the natural bandwidths corresponding to the sample. Based on the sample/spectrum relationship a criterion is developed which must be followed in order to apply either derivative spectroscopy or deconvolution to enhance the resolution of overlapped bands without generating spectral artifacts.     

Infrared dichroism measurements on the alkyl chain packing of an ionic detergent intercalated between silicate layers

 Microcrystals of the metal silicate hydrate ilerite orient macroscopically on the surface of a ATR-crystals and thus, are accessible for infrared linear dichroism measurements. We present first results which indicate that the alkyl chain packing and the orientation of the polar group of dodecyltrimethylammoniumbromide (DTAB) intercalated between silicate layers can be determined in terms of infrared order parameters. The properties of DTAB can be modulated by the relative humidity of the surrounding atmosphere and by temperature. Upon heating DTAB undergoes a phase transition from a paraffin-like solid to a fluid phase. The former is characterized by the orthorhombic perpendicular packing of the frozen alkyl chains with tilted long axes. The interactions between the ionic groups of the surfactant and that of the host matrix stabilize the lamellar arrangement of DTAB in the crystalline and in the fluid phases. Received: 14 January 1998 Accepted: 27 July 1998     

Thermodynamic dissociation constants of salicylic and monochloroacetic acids in mixed solvent systems from conductance measurements at 25°C

The molar conductances of dilute solutions of salicylic and monochloroacetic acids in binary mixtures of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol, N,N-dimethylformamide, acetone, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran and dioxane with water have been measured at 25°C. The Lee-Wheaton conductance equation was fitted to the data in order to derive thermodynamic dissociation constants and limiting molar conductances. The results were compared with those in the literature pertaining to analogous media, mostly derived potentiometrically. The findings are interpreted in terms of a solvent effect on the ionization of these acids in mixed solvent systems.This paper is dedicated to the late Professor Raymond M. Fuoss on his 3^rd anniversary.     

Entropy evaluation using the kinetic method: is it feasible?

The kinetic method is one of the most widely used experimental techniques for the measurement of thermochemical parameters by mass spectrometry. Recently it has been realized that it can also be used to determine reaction entropies, but the validity of this approach has not been established. This Perspective evaluates kinetic method plots in cases where there is a significant entropy difference between the competing fragmentation channels (i.e. between sample and reference compounds in the dissociating cluster ion). The concept underlying this study is to calculate mass spectra theoretically, based on known thermochemical parameters and as a function of experimental conditions. This can be done accurately using the RRKM-based MassKinetics software. The resulting mass spectra are then interpreted by the kinetic method, yielding DeltaH and DeltaS values. These values are, in turn, compared with the true values used to generate the calculated mass spectra. The results show that the reaction entropy difference between sample and reference has a very large influence on kinetic method plots. This should always be considered when studying energy-dependent mass spectra (using metastable ions or low- or high-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID)), even if only DeltaH is to be determined. Kinetic method plots are not strictly linear and this becomes a serious issue in the case of small molecules showing a large entropy effect. In such cases, results obtained at a low degree of excitation are more accurate. Energy and entropy effects can be evaluated in a relatively straightforward manner: first, the apparent Gibbs energy (DeltaG(app)) and effective temperature (T(eff)) are determined from kinetic method plots (intercept and slope, respectively), obtained from experiments using various degrees of excitation. Second, the resulting DeltaG(app) is plotted against T(eff), the slope yielding DeltaS while the intercept (extrapolation to zero temperature) yields DeltaH. This data evaluation yields more accurate results than alternative methods used in the literature. The resulting DeltaH values are fairly accurate, with errors, in most cases, <4 kJ mol(-1). On the other hand, DeltaS is systematically underestimated by 20-40%. Empirically scaling DeltaS values determined by the kinetic method by 1.35 results in a DeltaS value within 20% (or 10 J mol(-1) K(-1)) of the theoretical value.