Molecular determinants in the bioactivation of the dopaminergic neurotoxin N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP)

Summary Nineteen analogs of the dopaminergic neurotoxin N-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) have been used as probes to study the structural parameters that influence MAO-catalyzed oxidation. In this study, the efficiency of enzyme-catalyzed substrate oxidation was found to be unrelated to parameters such as the ionization potential, dipole moment, net atomic charge at C5 and the dihedral angle between the phenyl ring and the tetrahydropyridine moiety. Conformational analysis revealed that substitution at the C2 position of MPTP yields atropisomers. It is suggested that one of these atropisomers would be either inactive or substantially less active than the other. Therefore, the relative oxidative efficiency and toxicity of these compounds reported earlier may have been significantly underestimated. Based on the conformational analysis and other data, a rudimentary model of the MAO substrate site has been developed which partially explains the substrate specificities of MAO A and MAO B.Each substrate binding site can be divided into two regions, (a) an amine-binding pocket (for the tetrahydropyridine moiety), and (b) a bulky substituent region (for the phenyl group and its substituents). The length of the substrate binding site (measured along the long axis of MPTP) is approximately 8.5 Å, and the width of the amine-binding pocket is approximately 2.5 Å (from C3 to C5). The bulky substituent region contains a central area for binding the phenyl group of MPTP. This central area is flanked by two hydrophobic pockets, P2 and P3. In MAO A, the pocket P2-A is oriented 45–135° relative to the plane of the tetrahydropyridine moiety, with a radius of 3.1 Å from C2 of the phenyl ring. The radius of a similar but smaller pocket, P2-B, in MAO B, is approximately 2.7 Å. In MAO B, the pocket P3-B (radius 2.36 Å from C3) is larger than a similar pocket P3-A (radius 1.70 Å from C3) in MAO A. The foregoing characterization suggests that differences in the size and topography of both of the substituent pockets play an important role in determining the substrate specificities of these two isozymes.     

Adsorption of water molecules in slit pores

We report molecular dynamics (MD) simulations on the adsorption of water in attractive and repulsive slit pores, where the slit and a bulk region are in contact with each other. Water structure, surface force and adsorption behavior are investigated as a function of the overall density in the bulk region. The gas–liquid transition in both types of pores occurs at similar densities of the bulk region.     

Reagentless system for sulphite determination based on polyaniline

A new reagentless system for sulphite (or sulphur dioxide) determination is reported based on the use of an organic conducting polymer, polyaniline, and its absorbance variation at 550 nm, depending on the sulphite concentration. After chemical polymerisation of aniline a very thin film of polyaniline is obtained. Although the response is not fully reversible, each film can be used for at least 10 measurements for low analyte concentrations (up to 0.5 mg l⁻¹) and five measurements for higher sulphite concentrations. Moreover, the reproducibility, ease of preparation and low cost of the films, permit the use of a new disposable system for each measurement. When the change in absorbance at 550 nm was measured for 210 s (stabilisation time), the system showed a linear response, which ranged from 0.025 to 1.50 mg l⁻¹ of sulphite. A theory with regard to the reaction mechanism between the polyaniline films and sulphite is also proposed. The system was applied to sulphite determination in wine samples and the results were in agreement with those obtained by the Official Method of Analysis (iodometric titration).     

一种测定蛋白质的分子吸收光谱分析新体系

使用四溴荧光素(TBFS)作为蛋白质的染色剂,建立了一种测定蛋白质的分子吸收光谱分析新体系———BSA 四溴荧光素,体系十分简单,BSA浓度在0.11～60.0μg·ml-1范围符合比耳定律;测定15.0μg·ml-1BSA溶液10次,求得相对标准偏差为1.26%,桑德尔灵敏度为0 094μg·cm-2。可直接用于血清样品中蛋白质的测定,测得质量控制血清样品中蛋白质质量为35.4±2.4mg,与标准值36.9mg吻合。回收率在97.0%～108.3%之间,结果满意。     

Asymmetric enolate alkylation via templation with chiral synthetic receptors

C₃-Symmetric chiral receptors have been developed for enantioselective alkylation of sodium enolates of active methylene compounds. It has been demonstrated that a 1:1 binding complex forms between these receptors and sodium enolates in THF-d₈/CD₃CN by ¹H NMR titration experiments. Moderate enantiomeric enrichment of the benzylation product of 2-acetylcyclohexanone has been demonstrated using this strategy. Templation of enolate alkylation by synthetic receptors represents a new approach to asymmetric induction.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Pyrrolpigmente, 38. Mitt.: Zur Assoziation von Gallenpigmenten

The long standing problem of solvent dependent absorption spectra of certain bile pigments such as bilirubindimethylester has been solved by measurement of molecular masses by means of vapour pressure osmometry. Using this method and the investigation of the concentration and temperature dependence of the absorption spectra on several model compounds an association equilibrium for pigments of the rubinoid structural type could be confirmed. Moreover the optical properties of the coexisting species and the corresponding equilibrium constants could be deduced by spectroscopic techniques. Verdinoid pigments lacking free carboxylic functions on the other hand tend to be monomeric in solution. A heteroassociated species involving equimolar amounts of a verdinoid and a rubinoid pigment could be verified existing on adsorbents like silicagel.

37. Mitt.:Falk, H., Thirring, K., Tetrahedron, im Druck.     

我国区域绿色技术创新效率的分类测度和提升模式研究——基于非期望产出的SBM-SupSBM模型

本文首先运用考虑非期望产出的SBM-SupSBM模型估计我国各省市绿色技术创新效率并进行分类:稳定上升类、平稳类、大幅度波动类以及下降类。之后从企业内部和外部两方面对绿色技术创新效率提升的影响因素提出假设,着重考虑大幅度波动类别省份的效率提升。运用面板数据模型各影响因素进行验证,结论显示:企业规模对绿色技术创新效率波动较大的省份起到显著的抑制作用,环境规制和技术进步对绿色技术创新效率波动较大的省份作用不明显。针对分析结果,提出结论:在提升绿色技术创新效率的过程中,应注重企业规模和技术进步的协同作用,以及技术的开放程度。     

One-Pot Formation of Carbonates from the Reactions of Carbonyl Compounds with Samarium Diiodide and Methyl Chloroformate

Treatment of carbonyl compounds with SmI₂ and methyl chloroformate in the presence of molecular sieves provides the cyclic carbonates or biscarbonates of pinacols. This one-pot reaction proceeds rapidly even with aliphatic ketones. The stereochemistry obtained by this procedure is different from that of conventional pinacolic couplings.     

The molecular and crystal structures of two diastereomeric 3,4-dihydropyrromethenones

The molecular and crystal structures of the two racemic diastereomeric 3,4-dihydropyrromethenone derivatives1 and2 of configurations (Z) and (E) were determined at 93 K (1, 2) and at room temperature (1). From an analysis of the crystallographically observed temperature coefficients a pseudorotation flexibility of the pyrrolidinone ring in the crystal is deduced. In both compounds a nearly orthogonal arrangement between the two heterocyclic ring systems is observed, which is ascribed to the steric bulk of the substituents in positions 1 and 3 of the pyrrolidinone ring.Herrn Prof.Josef Schurz zum 60. Geburtstag gewidmet.     

Structure and Dynamics of Methyl-substituted Beryllocene: [Be(C5Me5)2]

In this paper we study theoretically the molecular structure of [Be(C₅Me₅)₂], with special interest in similarities and differences found in the computed geometric parameters, depending on the treatment of the electron correlation used. Given the low energy differences found between the different configurations studied (less than 4 kcal mol⁻¹), and the high fluxionality found in experimental studies for this compound, we analyzed the dynamics of the system by means of first principles molecular dynamics calculations. A complex dynamics is found and analyzed in terms of two molecular rearrangement processes: 1,2-sigmatropic intraring rearrangement and a ring inversion mechanism that interchanges the roles (with regard to their coordination to the central Be atom) of the two rings.Dedicated to Dr. Jeal Paul Malrieu on occasion of his 65th birthday.