Crystallization of Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C N-(1-D-carboxyethyl)-L-norvaline dehydrogenase and its complex with NAD+

The novel NAD+-linked opine dehydrogenase from a soil isolate Arthrobacter sp. strain 1C belongs to an enzyme superfamily whose members exhibit quite diverse substrate specificites. Crystals of this opine dehydrogenase, obtained in the presence or absence of co-factor and substrates, have been shown to diffract to beyond 1.8 ? resolution. X-ray precession photographs have established that the crystals belong to space group P21212, with cell parameters a = 104.9, b = 80.0, c = 45.5 ? and a single subunit in the asymmetric unit. The elucidation of the three-dimensional structure of this enzyme will provide a structural framework for this novel class of dehydrogenases to enable a comparison to be made with other enzyme families and also as the basis for mutagenesis experiments directed towards the production of natural and synthetic opine-type compounds containing two chiral centres.     

Simultaneous determination of35S and14C in double-labelled organic compounds by liquid scintillation counting

An isotope analytical method for the simultaneous determination of³⁵S and¹⁴C in double-labelled organic compounds by liquid scintillation counting is described. The sample is burned in a stream of oxygen. Sulfur oxides are converted to sulfuric acid and separated from other combustion products, including carbon-14 dioxide, on a heated quartz wool column previously wetted with hydrogen peroxide. Carbon dioxide is collected from the gas stream by an absorbent suitable for liquid scintillation counting. The residual sulfuric acid is rinsed off the column with water and the aqueous solution obtained is mixed with a liquid scintillation cocktail for radioactivity measurement. The final solutions ready for counting are obtained in less than fifteen minutes, quantitative collection recovery is achieved and no cross contamination occurs.     

Steroids,LIII: New routes to aminosteroids

Summary Steroid ketoximes were reduced with sodium tetrahydroborate in the presence of nickel chloride or molybdenum trioxide. These processes yielded 17- and 20-aminosteroids (1c–5c) in higher yields than common reduction methods.

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Steroide, 53. Mitt.: Neue Wege zu Aminosteroiden

Zusammenfassung Oxime von Ketosteroiden wurden mit NaBH₄ in Gegenwart von NiCl₂ und MoO₃ reduziert. Dieses Verfahren lieferte 17- und 20-Aminosteroide(1c–5c) in größeren Ausbeuten als übliche Methoden.

     

Simultaneous Determination of Hydrogen Peroxide and Organic Hydroperoxides in Water

The kinetics of the reactions of H 2 O 2 and of methyl, ethyl, tert -butyl, and cumene hydroperoxides with I m were investigated in the presence and absence of molybdate as catalyst. These results were utilized to develop an analytical method for the simultaneous determination of H 2 O 2 and organic hydroperoxides in aqueous solutions. The total amount of H 2 O 2 and organic hydroperoxides can be determined by the spectrophotometric measurement of $ {\rm I}_3^ - $ formed quantitatively during 30 min of heating at 60°C. Catalase selectively decomposes H 2 O 2 in solutions containing organic hydroperoxides. The total amount of the latter can therefore be determined iodometrically after H 2 O 2 decomposition. In the oxidation of leuco crystal violet to crystal violet by H 2 O 2 and organic hydroperoxides, horseradish peroxidase exerts similar activities in the reactions involving methyl and ethyl hydroperoxides and H 2 O 2 , but its activity is much lower with tert -butyl and cumene hydroperoxide. It was observed that acetate buffer is unsuitable for pH adjustment in this type of hydroperoxide determination in consequence of the slow oxidation of the dye in the blank solution.     

The rα-structures of partially oriented 1,2,4,5-and 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene determined from their proton magnetic resonance spectra with natural abundance 13C-satellites

By recording two spectra of the same molecule in different nematic liquid crystals, and analysing the data simultaneously, information has been obtained on the molecular structures of 1,2,4,5- (1) and 1,2,3,4-tetrachlorobenzene (2). Carbon–hydrogen and carbon–carbon internuclear distance ratios, as well as bond lengths and bond angles, were computed and corrected for harmonic vibrations. Only part of the molecular structure of 2 could be derived with reasonable precision; the reasons for this limitation are discussed. The spectra of the two isomers were also analysed in isotropic solvents in order to determine the indirect coupling constants. One- and two-bond ¹³C isotope effects on the chemical shifts of the protons were observed. The solvent effects of the different nematic liquid crystals on the structure were found to be small compared with the experimental error.     

A New Chiral Director for the Highly Diastereoselective Borane Reductionof Steroid-20-ones

 The synthesis of a new chiral boroxazolidine was achieved which was used to control the stereochemistry of the borane reduction of the 20-keto group of steroids. The otherwise hardly accessible 20α-(20S)-alcohol can thus be prepared in a yield of 91%.     

Compression of long-cavity Ti:sapphire oscillator pulses with large-mode-area photonic crystal fibers

Motivated by the pulse compression challenge of novel long-cavity, high-pulse-energy Ti:sapphire laser oscillators, we report on ~280 nm supercontinuum generation and 4.5-times compression of close to transform limited, high-energy oscillator pulses using different large-mode-area photonic crystal fibers and standard chirped mirrors. As input, we used pulses of a long-cavity Ti:sapphire oscillator with 190 nJ pulse energy, 70 fs pulse length and 3.6 MHz repetition rate. Compressed pulses at the fiber/compressor output had a duration of 15–18 fs with up to 100 nJ pulse energy representing as much as 53 % throughput for the fiber/chirped mirror system. Using transform-limited input pulses, we could use short fiber pieces and thus a simple, low-dispersion chirped mirror compressor comprised of one pair of mirrors.     

Effect of olefins on the thermal decomposition of propane part I. The model reaction

Study of the thermal decomposition of propane at very low conversions in the temperature range 760–830 K led to refinement of the mechanism of the reaction. The quotient V/V characterizing the two decomposition routes connected with the 1- and 2-propyl radicals proved to depend linearly on the initial propane concentration. This suggested the occurrence of intermolecular radical isomerization: in competition with decomposition of the 2-propyl radical: The linearity led to the conclusion that the selectivity of H-abstraction from the methyl and methylene groups by the methyl radical is practically the same as that by the H atom. The temperature-dependence of this selectivity ( μ = kCH₃/kCH₂) was given by Further evaluation of the dependence gave the Arrhenius representation for the ratio of the rate coefficients of the above isomerization and decomposition reactions. Steady-state treatment resulted in the rate equation of the process, comparison of which with measurements gave further Arrhenius dependences.     

Effects of alkenes on the thermal decomposition of propane part II. Influence of ethylene

Experiments with propane-ethylene mixtures in the temperature range 760–830 K resulted in refinement of the role of ethylene inhibition in the decomposition of propane. The source of the rate-reducing effect of ethylene is the reaction This replaces the decomposition chains more slowly by means of the reactions than H-atoms do by direct H-abstraction from propane. Analysis of the ratios of the product formation rates showed that the selectivity of the ethyl radical for the abstraction of hydrogen of different bond strengths from propane was practically the same as that of the H-atom. The ratio of the rate constants of hydrogen addition to ethylene and methyl-hydrogen abstraction from propane by the H-atom (3) was determined as was that of the decomposition and the similar H-abstraction of the ethyl radical Interpretation of the influence of ethylene required the completion of the mechanism with further initiation of the reaction besides termination via ethyl radicals.     

Effects of Olefins on the Thermal Decomposition of Propane Part IV. Influence of Propylene

On the basis of the thermal decomposition of mixtures of propylene and propane with molar ratios of 0.0–0.33 in the temperature range 779–812K, the influencing functions describing the inhibition by propylene of the decomposition of propane were determined. The rate-reducing effect is explained mainly by the reactions (in which ^.R = ^.H, ^.CH₃ and 2-?₃H₇) and also by the addition reactions It was established that the bulk of the allyl radicals formed participate in the chain step, but, due to their lower reactivity, they restore the decomposition chain more slowly than the original radicals do. From the characteristic change in the ratio υ/υ, the rate ratios of hydrogenabstraction reaction by radicals from propylene and propane could be determined. In these reactions there was no significant difference between the selectivities of the radicals. For an interpretation of the changes, the decomposition mechanism must be completed with the reaction Evaluation of the influencing curves revealed that the initiation reactions must be taken into account. By parameter estimation we have determined the rate ratios characterizing the above initiation reactions, the unimolecular decomposition of propane, hydrogen abstraction by radicals from propane and propylene, intermolecular isomerization of the 2-propyl radical via propane and propylene, and abstraction of propane hydrogens by the ethyl and methyl radicals; these are given in Tables II.