Micelles of lipid-oligonucleotide conjugates: implications for membrane anchoring and base pairing

This report examines the organization properties of new fluorescent DNA-lipids, either alone in water or in interaction with 1-octyl-beta-d-glucopyranoside micelles or egg phosphatidylcholine vesicles. We first describe the design and the syntheses of the conjugates. Then, we use UV-Vis absorption, steady-state fluorescence emission, electron microscopy, and fluorescence correlation spectroscopy after two-photon excitation to show that these DNA-lipids form spherical micelles in aqueous solution and incorporate much better in micelles than in vesicles. We also investigate the significance of the lipophilic chains of these DNA-lipids on the melting behavior of the double-stranded hybrids: in water melting curves are broadened whereas in amphiphilic assemblies duplexes melt as the unconjugated controls. This work is expected to be useful for improving the rational design of antisense medicines.     

Hydrolysis and Condensation of Transition Metal Alkoxide: Experiments and Simulations

We present here an experimental and numerical study of the chemical and aggregative mechanisms for titanium alkoxide in a reverse micellar medium. NMR experiments were done to study the first step of the sol-gel process: hydrolysis of titanium isopropoxide. Light and X-ray scattering experiments were then conducted to characterize the clustering of aggregates and aggregation kinetics. Fractal dimension, measured by U.S.A.X.S., varies with the hydrolysis ratio and the hydration of the surfactant. This evolution was explained by polydispersity of the hydrolysis which depends on the surfactant concentration. This hypothesis was tested through a numerical simulation of irreversible aggregation using a chemically limited aggregation model. The hydrolyzed sites are distributed among the monomers by a random procedure governed by a polydispersity parameterp, varying from 0 to 1. The total number of hydrolyzed sites is governed by a parameterq belonging to the interval [0, 1]. Thep-q evolution of the fractal dimension coincides rather well with the experimental data in all the region of the two dimensional phase space.     

Sodium diffusion through amorphous silica surfaces: a molecular dynamics study

We have studied the diffusion inside the silica network of sodium atoms initially located outside the surfaces of an amorphous silica film. We have focused our attention on structural and dynamical quantities, and we have found that the local environment of the sodium atoms is close to the local environment of the sodium atoms inside bulk sodo-silicate glasses obtained by quench. This is in agreement with recent experimental results.     

Synthesis and properties of water-soluble gold colloids covalently derivatized with neutral polymer monolayers

Citrate-capped gold nanoparticles as well as planar gold surfaces can be efficiently grafted with a covalently attached polymer monolayer a few nanometers thick, by simple contact of the metal surface with dilute aqueous solutions of hydrophilic polymers that are end-capped with disulfide moieties, as shown by UV/vis absorption, dynamic light scattering, and surface plasmon resonance studies. The hydrophilic polymer-coated gold colloids can be freeze-dried and stored as powders that can be subsequently dissolved to yield stable aqueous dispersions, even at very large concentrations. They allow for applying filtrations, gel permeation chromatography, or centrifugation. They do not suffer from undesirable nonspecific adsorption of proteins while allowing the diffusion of small species within the hydrogel surface coating. In addition, specific properties of the original hydrophilic polymers are retained such as a lower critical solution temperature. The latter feature could be useful to enhance optical responses of functionalized gold surfaces toward interaction with various substrates.     

Channel-Type Molecular Structures. Part 2. Synthesis of Bouquet-Shaped Molecules Based on a β-Cyclodextrin Core

A new series of channel-type molecules presenting the features of potential transmembrane structures is described. They result from the grafting of amphiphilic side chains on a β-cyclodextrin derivative 3 that constitutes the organizing core. They belong to the ‘bouquet’ family (B). Compounds bearing poly(oxyethylene) side chains, B 16 and 17 , and their polymethylene analogues B 18 and 19 , were synthesized. The properties investigated emphasize the suitability of such molecules to be incorporated into lipid bilayer membranes.     

Reactivite des β-cyclopropyl α-enones—I: Etude des transferts electroniques par voltametrie cyclique et de la reduction par l'electron solvate dans l'ammoniac liquide

Species produced by electron transfer to variously substituted bicyclo[3.1.0]hex-3-en-2-ones provide a better insight into the origin of 1,6-addition products sometimes observed by reaction of lithium diorganocuprates with β-cyclopropyl α-enones. Cyclic voltammetry of eight such bicyclohexenones show that the half-lives of the corresponding anion radicals are very short (t_{$\text{1}\text{2}$}?10^?4s) except when the initial molecule is phenyl substituted at C-4. In such cases the anion radicals are very stable (t_{$\text{1}\text{2}$}?6s) owing to the greater charge delocalization and we observe a second wave corresponding to the formation of the Dianion. The reduction of the same substrates by the solvated electron in liquid ammonia exhibits the same difference of behaviour. The molecules giving strongly reactive anion radicals only lead to the straight-forward product expected by conjugate reduction; while the 4-phenyl substituted substrates yield a mixture of products from normal conjugate reduction and rearrangement. This correlation strongly suggest that these last products arise from the rearrangement of the dianion.     

An approach to channel type molecular structures. 1. Synthesis ofBouquet-shaped molecules based on an [18]-O6 polyether macrocycle

An approach to a transmembrane cation channel is described. It is based on the grafting of oxygen bearing side-chains on a macrocyclic polyether unit that constitutes the organizing core. The resulting species has a structure of overall bouquet shape. The synthesis of such a molecule . _M ⁰ ,14a is described, together with that of its analogue bearing polymethylene side-chains _M ^C ,14b. The physicochemical properties of these molecules indicate that they possess the features expected on the basis of their structure.This paper is dedicated to the memory of the late Dr C. J. Pedersen.     

Direct HPLC resolution of beta-aminoalcohol (tazifylline,ranolazine, sotalol) enantiomers

Summary A routine chiral analysis has been developed to control the optical purity of chiral drugs and to monitor their asymmetric synthesis. The recent advent of new chiral stationary phases for HPLC enabled us to achieve the direct resolution of chiral drugs without any derivatization. The factors affecting chiral resolution on a new alpha₁-acid glycoprotein column (EnantioPac, LKB) were assessed with three beta-aminoalcohols.