Magnetic Resonance Access to Transiently Formed Protein Complexes

Protein–protein interactions are of utmost importance to an understanding of biological phenomena since non-covalent and therefore reversible couplings between basic proteins leads to the formation of complex regulatory and adaptive molecular systems. Such systems are capable of maintaining their integrity and respond to external stimuli, processes intimately related to living organisms. These interactions, however, span a wide range of dissociation constants, from sub-nanomolar affinities in tight complexes to high-micromolar or even millimolar affinities in weak, transiently formed protein complexes. Herein, we demonstrate how novel NMR and EPR techniques can be used for the characterization of weak protein–protein (ligand) complexes. Applications to intrinsically disordered proteins and transiently formed protein complexes illustrate the potential of these novel techniques to study hitherto unobserved (and unobservable) higher-order structures of proteins.     

FeIII in a high-spin state in bis(5-bromosalicylaldehyde 4-ethylthiosemicarbazonato-κ3O,N1,S)ferrate(III) nitrate monohydrate,the first example of such a cationic FeIII complex unit

The synthesis and crystal structure (100 K) of the title compound, [Fe(C₁₀H₁₁BrN₃OS)₂]NO₃·H₂O, is reported. The asymmetric unit consists of an octahedral [Fe^III(HL)₂]⁺ cation, where HL^? is H-5-Br-thsa-Et or 5-bromosalicylaldehyde 4-ethylthiosemicarbazonate(1?) {systematic name: 4-bromo-2-[(4-ethylthiosemicarbazidoidene)methyl]phenolate}, a nitrate anion and a noncoordinated water molecule. Each HL^? ligand binds via the thione S, the imine N and the phenolate O atom, resulting in an Fe^IIIS₂N₂O₂ chromophore. The ligands are orientated in two perpendicular planes, with the O and S atoms in cis and the N atoms in trans positions. This [Fe(HL)₂](anion)·H₂O compound contains the first known cationic Fe^III entity containing two salicylaldehyde thiosemicarbazone derivatives. The Fe^III ion is in the high-spin state at 100 K. In addition, a comparative IR spectroscopic study of the free ligand and the ferric complex is presented, demonstrating that such an analysis provides a quick identification of the degree of deprotonation and the coordination mode of the ligand in this class of metal compounds. The variable-temperature magnetic susceptibility measurements (5–320 K) are consistent with the presence of a high-spin Fe^III ion with a zero-field splitting D = 0.439 (1) cm^?1.     

GaAs pyramidal quantum dot coupled to wetting layer in an AlGaAs matrix: A strain-free system

In this contribution, the electronic and linear and nonlinear optical properties of pyramid-shaped GaAs quantum dots (QDs) coupled to wetting layer (WL) in an Al_0.3Ga_0.7As matrix have been investigated. This nanostructure is relaxed from strain effects due to very small lattice-mismatching. Three transitions of P-to-S, WL-to-P, and WL-to-S were considered and the corresponding transition dipole moments, oscillator strengths, and linear and nonlinear optical properties regarding to these transitions were investigated as a function of the QD height. The results showed that for P-to-S transition, which is a purely in-plane-polarized transition, the dependence of electronic and optical properties on the size is moderate and can be neglected. But for WL-to-P and WL-to-S transitions, which are in-plane- and z-polarized transitions, respectively, the electronic as well as optical properties are strongly size-dependent. Furthermore, a competition between WL-to-S and WL-to-P transitions was observed when the QD size changed.     

Ferrimagnetic behaviors in a double-wall cubic metal nanotube

A double-wall cubic metal nanotube consists of the ferromagnetic spin-1 inner shell and spin-3/2 surface shell. It is of the ferrimagnetic exchange coupling between two shells. Considering the single-ion anisotropy and transverse field exist together, the magnetization, the initial susceptibility, the internal energy and the specific heat have been investigated by using the effective-field theory with correlations. Some interesting phenomena have been found in the thermal variations of the system. Magnetization appears two or three compensation points in certain parameters. It is an unconventional ferrimagnetic behavior in the nanotube. The shapes of total magnetization and the initial susceptibility are great influenced by the surface exchange coupling, surface single-ion anisotropy and surface transverse field. Some results of nanotube may have potential applications in different research fields, such as electronics, optics, mechanics, and even biomedicine and molecular devices.     

烟草热解残余物中自由基的分析

使用顺磁共振波谱技术研究了烟草热解残余物中自由基的形成及其在环境中的转化。研究结果表明:烟草热解时会在其残余物上形成大量自由基。热解温度较低时(400~500℃)主要形成以O原子为中心的自由基,而热解温度较高(600~700℃)时,主要形成以C原子为中心的自由基。烟草热解残余物与空气接触后,会生成新的以O原子为中心的自由基,从而使自由基数量在短时间(60~120 min)内增加,随后自由基数量和种类趋于稳定,并可长期存在于环境中。     

Probing Relaxation Dynamics in Five-Coordinate Dysprosium Single-Molecule Magnets

A new family of five-coordinate lanthanide single-molecule magnets (Ln SMMs) [Dy(Mes*O)₂(THF)₂X] (Mes*=2,4,6-tri-tert-butylphenyl; X=Cl, 1 ; Br, 2 ; I, 3 ) is reported with energy barriers to magnetic reversal >1200 K. The five-coordinate Dy^III ions have distorted square pyramidal geometries, with halide anions on the apex, and two Mes*O ligands mutually trans- to each other, and the two THF molecules forming the second trans- pair. These geometrical features lead to a large magnetic anisotropy in these complexes along the trans-Mes*O direction. QTM and Raman relaxation times are enhanced by varying the apex halide from Cl to Br to I, or by dilution in a diamagnetic yttrium analogue.     

Structure of a Protein–RNA Complex by Solid‐State NMR Spectroscopy

Solid‐state NMR (ssNMR) is applicable to high molecular‐weight (MW) protein assemblies in a non‐amorphous precipitate. The technique yields atomic resolution structural information on both soluble and insoluble particles without limitations of MW or requirement of crystals. Herein, we propose and demonstrate an approach that yields the structure of protein–RNA complexes (RNP) solely from ssNMR data. Instead of using low‐sensitivity magnetization transfer steps between heteronuclei of the protein and the RNA, we measure paramagnetic relaxation enhancement effects elicited on the RNA by a paramagnetic tag coupled to the protein. We demonstrate that this data, together with chemical‐shift‐perturbation data, yields an accurate structure of an RNP complex, starting from the bound structures of its components. The possibility of characterizing protein–RNA interactions by ssNMR may enable applications to large RNP complexes, whose structures are not accessible by other methods.     

锶锆共掺杂对钛酸钡陶瓷结构和介电性质的影响

采用固相反应法制备了(Ba0.85 Sr0.15)(Ti1-xZrx)O3(x=0.10,0.15,0.20,0.25)陶瓷.通过X射线粉末衍射、介电温谱测试和电子顺磁共振技术对其进行了结构表征、介电性能评价和杂质定性检测.结果表明:(Ba0.85 Sr0.15)(Ti1-xZrx)O3陶瓷显示平均立方钙钛矿结构,随着...     

Third-order Nonlinear Optical Properties of Octa-substituted Metal-free Phthalocyanine Thin Films

Third-order nonlinear optical susceptibility, χ⁽³⁾ of symmetrically octa-substituted metal-free phthalocyanine thin films measured by the third-harmonic generation technique are reported. The metal-free phthalocyanine has been found to show a χ⁽³⁾ (−3ω; ω,ω, ω) value as large as 7.73×10⁻¹² esu at 1.80 μm. The figure of merit, χ⁽³⁾/α, was estimated to be 4.17×10¹⁷ esu cm at 1.05 μm and 6.97×10¹⁶ esu cm at 1.65 μm. Both linear and third-order optical properties of liquid-crystalline metal-free phthalocyanines are discussed     

Some novel photosensitive diacetylene diurethanes and their mixtures in common polymers

Some new octa-3,5-diynylene diurethanes were prepared using 3-butyn-1-ol, and all were found to be highly light-sensitive and to undergo topochemical polymerization on exposure to irradiation. The di-n-octyldiurethane was mixed with vinyl polymers such as poly(vinyl acetate) and poly(N,N-dimethylamino-ethyl methacrylate) and the mixtures were made into thin films by spin coating. The films were then irradiated by an electron beam to polymerize the diacetylene. The purple films thus obtained showed third-order nonlinear susceptibility, χ⁽³⁾, of the order of 10⁻¹⁰–10⁻¹¹ e.s.u.