Effects of aldehyde or dipyrromethane substituents on the reaction course leading to meso-substituted porphyrins

To better understand the effects of diverse substituents on reactions leading to porphyrins, pyrrole+aldehyde condensations and related reactions of dipyrromethanes were examined. The course of pyrrole+aldehyde condensations was investigated by monitoring the yield of porphyrin (by UV-Vis spectroscopy), reaction of aldehyde (by TLC), and changes in the composition of oligomers (by laser desorption mass spectrometry). Reaction reversibility was examined via exchange experiments. Reversibility of reactions leading to porphyrin was further probed with studies of dipyrromethanes. The reaction course was found to depend on the nature of the substituent and the acid catalyst. Alkyl or electron-donating substituents displayed levels of reversibility (exchange/scrambling) on par or greater than that of the phenyl substituent, whereas electron-withdrawing or sterically bulky substituents exhibited little to no reversibility. The results obtained provide insight into the electronic and steric effects of different substituents and should facilitate the design of synthetic plans for preparing porphyrinic macrocycles.     

Die Koordinationszahl von Lanthaniden: Thermodynamik der LnIIIEDTA-Mischkomplexe mit den Anionen der 8-Hydroxychinolin-5-sulfonsäure,Iminodiessigsäure und Nitrilotriessigsäure

The values of ΔG, ΔH and ΔS for the formation of the mixed 1:1:1 lanthanide EDTA complexes with the anions of 8-hydroxyquinoline-5-sulfonic acid, iminodiacetic acid and nitrilotriacetic acid were determined by pH-titrations and a direct calorimetric method. These thermodynamic data are discussed and compared with those for the formation of the Ln(III)EDTA complexes. Contrary to current opinion it is concluded that all trivalent lanthanide aquoions have the same coordination number in dilute solution. However, in the series of the lanthanide EDTA complexes the coordination number changes between Sm and Tb. In this region, equilibria occur between two types of EDTA complexes with different numbers of coordinated water molecules: The corresponding equilibrium constants could be evaluated. The coordination number changes also in many other Ln complexes along the lanthanide series, and similar equilibria occur.     

Koordinationszahl und nephelauxetischer Effekt von Komplexen der Lanthaniden

The Eu^IIIEDTA complex exhibits a strong temperature dependence of its absorption band at 395 nm in dilute aqueous solution. Similar but much weaker effects can be observed in solutions of SmEDTA and GdEDTA, whereas EDTA complexes of the other lanthanide ions as well as the aquo ions of the whole series show no significant change of their absorption spectra in nation number along the series of the lanthanide EDTA complexes that takes place from Sm to Tb at room temperature. It can be concluded from the nephelauxetic effect that the coordination number decreases with increasing atomic number. The coordination numbers of the aquo ions are the same for all trivalent lanthanide ions in dilute solutions.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">parkin</Emphasis> counteracts symptoms in a <Emphasis Type="Italic">Drosophila</Emphasis> model of Parkinson's disease

Background

Parkinson's disease, a prevalent neurodegenerative disease, is characterized by the reduction of dopaminergic neurons resulting in the loss of motor control, resting tremor, the formation of neuronal inclusions and ultimately premature death. Two inherited forms of PD have been linked to mutations in the α-synuclein and parkin genes. The parkin protein functions as an ubiquitin ligase targeting specific proteins for degradation. Expression of human α-synuclein in Drosophila neurons recapitulates the loss of motor control, the development of neuronal inclusions, degeneration of dopaminergic neurons and the ommatidial array to provide an excellent genetic model of PD.

Results

To investigate the role of parkin, we have generated transgenic Drosophila that conditionally express parkin under the control of the yeast UAS enhancer. While expression of parkin has little consequence, co-expression of parkin with α-synuclein in the dopaminergic neurons suppresses the α-synuclein-induced premature loss of climbing ability. In addition directed expression of parkin in the eye counteracts the α-synuclein-induced degeneration of the ommatidial array. These results show that parkin suppresses the PD-like symptoms observed in the α-synuclein-dependent Drosophila model of PD.

Conclusion

The highly conserved parkin E3 ubiquitin ligase can suppress the damaging effects of human α-synuclein. These results are consistent with a role for parkin in targeting α-synuclein to the proteasome. If this relationship is conserved in humans, this suggests that up-regulation of parkin should suppress α-synucleinopathic PD. The development of therapies that regulate parkin activity may be crucial in the treatment of PD.