Simulations of remote mutants of dihydrofolate reductase reveal the nature of a network of residues coupled to hydride transfer

Recent experimental and theoretical studies have proposed that enzymes involve networks of coupled residues throughout the protein that participate in motions accompanying chemical barrier crossing. Here, we have examined portions of a proposed network in dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) using quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics simulations. The simulations use a hybrid quantum mechanics‐molecular mechanics approach with a recently developed semiempirical AM1‐SRP Hamiltonian that provides accurate results for this reaction. The simulations reproduce experimentally determined catalytic rates for the wild type and distant mutants of E. coli DHFR, underscoring the accuracy of the simulation protocol. Additionally, the simulations provide detailed insight into how residues remote from the active site affect the catalyzed chemistry, through changes in the thermally averaged properties along the reaction coordinate. The mutations do not greatly affect the structure of the transition state near the bond activation, but we observe differences somewhat removed from the point of C? H cleavage that affect the rate. The mutations have global effects on the thermally averaged structure that propagate throughout the enzyme and the current simulations highlight several interactions that appear to be particularly important. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

硫代多联吡啶铂(Ⅱ)配合物的合成、性质及在光催化制氢中的应用

合成了2个新配体4-(4-硫代乙酸)甲苯基-6-苯基-2,2’-联吡啶HC^N^N(PhCH2SCOCH3)(L3)和6-(4-硫代乙酸)甲苯基-2,2’-联吡啶HC^N^N(CH2SCOCH3)(L5)及其发光的铂(Ⅱ)配合物ClPtC^N^N(PhCH2SCOCH3)(C3)和ClPtC^N^N(CH2SCOCH3)(C5).通过1H NMR谱和质谱对它们的结构进行了表征,采用X射线单晶衍射分析确定了C3的晶体结构.利用紫外-可见吸收光谱、发射光谱及激发态寿命测定研究了它们的光物理性质和电化学性质,以及配合物作为光敏剂在光催化制氢中的应用.通过系列配合物产氢效率的比较,揭示了它们的产氢效率和激发态寿命的关系.     

含氟磺化双三蝶烯型聚芳醚砜质子交换膜的制备及性能

利用3,3,4,4-四氟二苯砜、十氟联苯、6F-双酚A及6,13-双三蝶烯二酚,通过亲核取代共聚及后磺化方法制备了2个系列不同磺化度的磺化双三蝶烯型聚芳醚砜,并通过氢核磁共振波谱(1H NMR)对其化学结构进行了表征.研究发现,所得磺化聚芳醚砜均表现出了优异的热稳定性.此类膜材料具有优良的机械性能、尺寸稳定性、氧化稳定性及高温低湿度条件下高的质子传导率.透射电子显微镜的结果表明,聚合物主链中大量氟原子的引入显著改善了聚合物的相分离结构,并且随着聚合物主链中氟含量的增加,亲水区域明显增大.这也是含氟磺化双三蝶烯型聚芳醚砜质子交换膜材料在高温低湿度条件下具有高质子传导率的主要原因.     

阳离子交换在线固相萃取/液相色谱-串联质谱法检测牛奶中14种磺胺药物残留

建立了阳离子交换模式在线固相萃取-液相色谱串联质谱法检测牛奶中14种磺胺药物方法。取5 g样品用15 mL乙腈提取和除蛋白,提取液于50℃氮气吹干后,用1.00 mL 0.2％甲酸溶解,溶解液通过双三元液相色谱用阳离子在线固相萃取柱在线富集净化,2％氨水甲醇/0.2％甲酸(50：50,V/V)洗脱。然后转移至C18色谱柱上进行分离,再用串联四级杆质谱检测。结果表明,14种磺胺类药物在0.1~10μg/kg含量范围内线性良好(r≥0.999);方法的检出限为0.05μg/kg,定量限为0.1μg/kg;方法回收率在60％~90％范围内,批内和批间相对标准偏差都小于10％。本方法较传统固相萃取柱净化法更简捷、经济和稳定。     

A rapid way to synthesize Brønsted acidic ionic liquid and its application as an efficient catalyst for esterification

A novel and time-saving method to prepare a Brønsted acidic ionic liquid, 1-carboxymethyl-3-methylimidazolium hydrogen sulfate ([CMI][HSO₄]), in high yield and purity was performed under microwave irradiation. The ionic liquid showed an incomparable catalytic efficiency in the microwave-accelerated esterification of arenecarboxylic acids. Moreover, its ability of being recovered and reused many times without loss of activity has made [CMI][HSO₄] more favorable from the viewpoint of green chemistry.     

A Theoretical Study on the Structure,Intramolecular Interactions,and Detonation Performance of Hydrazinium Dinitramide

The structures of hydrazinium dinitramide (HDN) in the gas phase and in aqueous solution have been studied at different levels of theory by using quantum chemistry. The intramolecular hydrogen‐bond interactions in HDN were studied by employing the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM), as well as those in ammonium dinitramide (ADN), hydrazinium nitroformate (HNF), and ammonium nitroformate (ANF) for comparison. The results showed that HDN possessed the strongest hydrogen bonds, with the largest hydrogen‐bond energy (?47.95 kJ mol^?1) and the largest total hydrogen‐bond energy (?60.29 kJ mol^?1). In addition, the charge transfer between the cation and the anion, the binding energy, the energy difference between the frontier orbitals, and the second‐order perturbation energy of HDN were all the largest among the investigated compounds. These strongest intramolecular interactions accounted for the highest decomposition temperature of HDN among all four compounds. The IR spectra in the gas phase and in aqueous solution were very different and showed the significant influence of the solvent. The UV spectrum showed the strongest absorption at about 253 nm. An orbital‐interaction diagram demonstrated that the transition of electrons mainly happened inside the anion of HDN. The detonation velocity (D=8.34 km s^?1) and detonation pressure (P=30.18 GPa) of HDN were both higher than those of ADN (D=7.55 km s^?1 and P=24.83 GPa). The composite explosive HDN/CL‐20 with the weight ratio w_CL?20/w_HDN=0.388:0.612 showed the best performance (D=9.36 km s^?1, P=39.82 GPa), which was close to that of CL‐20 (D=9.73 km s^?1, P=45.19 GPa) and slightly better than that of the composite explosive ADN/CL‐20 (w_CL?20/w_ADN=0.298:0.702, D=9.34 km s^?1, P=39.63 GPa).     

In Situ Facile Synthesis of Ru‐Based Core–Shell Nanoparticles Supported on Carbon Black and Their High Catalytic Activity in the Dehydrogenation of Amine‐Boranes

Well‐dispersed core–shell Ru@M (M=Co, Ni, Fe) nanoparticles (NPs) supported on carbon black have been synthesized via a facile in situ one‐step procedure under ambient condition. Core‐shell Ru@Co NPs were synthesized and characterized for the first time. The as‐synthesized Ru@Co and Ru@Ni NPs exhibit superior catalytic activity in the hydrolysis of ammonia borane compared with their monometallic and alloy counterparts. The Ru@Co/C NPs are the most reactive, with a turnover frequency (TOF) value of 320 (mol min^?1) mol_Ru^?1 and activation energy (E_a) of 21.16 kJ mol^?1. Ru@Ni/C NPs are the next most active, whereas Ru@Fe/C NPs are almost inactive. Additionally, the as‐synthesized NPs supported on carbon black exhibit higher catalytic activity than catalysts on other conventional supports, such as SiO₂ and γ‐Al₂O₃.     

On the molecular mechanism of ion specific Hofmeister series

Hofmeister series ranks the ability of salt ions in influencing a variety of properties and processes in aqueous solutions.In this review,we reexamine how these ions and some other small molecules affect water structure and thermodynamic properties,such as surface tension and protein backbone solvation.We illustrate the difficulties in interpreting the thermodynamic information based on structural and dynamic arguments.As an alternative,we show that the solvation properties of ions and proteins/small molecules can be used to explain the salt effects on the thermodynamic properties of the solutions.Our analysis shows that the often neglected cation-anion cooperativity plays a very important role in these effects.We also argue that the change of hydrogen donor/acceptor equilibrium by added cosolutes/cosolvents can be used to explain their effects on protein secondary structure denaturation/protection:those increase hydrogen donor concentrations such as urea and salts with strongly solvated cations/weakly hydrated anions tend to dissolve protein backbone acting as secondary structure denaturants,whereas those lack of hydrogen donors but rich in acceptors have the opposite effect.     

o‐Fluorination of Aromatic Azides Yields Improved Azido‐Based Fluorescent Probes for Hydrogen Sulfide: Synthesis,Spectra, and Bioimaging

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is an endogenously produced gaseous signaling molecule with multiple biological functions. To visualize the endogenous in situ production of H₂S in real time, new coumarin‐ and boron‐dipyrromethene‐based fluorescent turn‐on probes were developed for fast sensing of H₂S in aqueous buffer and in living cells. Introduction of a fluoro group in the ortho position of the aromatic azide can lead to a greater than twofold increase in the rate of reaction with H₂S. On the basis of o‐fluorinated aromatic azides, fluorescent probes with high sensitivity and selectivity toward H₂S over other biologically relevant species were designed and synthesized. The probes can be used to in situ to visualize exogenous H₂S and D ‐cysteine‐dependent endogenously produced H₂S in living cells, which makes them promising tools for potential applications in H₂S biology.     

The Research of Sulfuric Acidic Recycling of Aluminum Industry Fluorine-containing Waste Products

The article presents the method of recycling aluminum industry fluorine-containing waste products to produce hydrogen fluoride. We carried out the estimate of the thermodynamic parameters of sulfuric acidic recycling of fluorine-containing waste products. We considered the necessity of waste products preliminary oxidizing roast stage to reduce carbonic constituent due to the interaction between carbonic constituent blocks of the sulfuric acid and waste products. We also carried out the researches for kinetic characteristics and to determine the optimal conditions for the to recycle sulfuric acidic in the fluorine-containing waste products.