Isolation of mitogenic substance from sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum IFO 9395 extracted with phosphate buffer.

The buffer extracts (3S) of sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum IFO 9395 contained mitogenic substance(s) to murine splenocytes (Shinohara et al. Chem. Pharm. Bull., 38, 2219 (1990)). Although the native 3S was slightly mitogenic, heating of 3S induced significant mitogenic activity. To isolate the mitogen, we separated 3S by ion-exchange and gel filtration chromatographies. The isolated mitogen, named sclerogen, has a molecular mass of 32 kilodaltons (kDa) on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and the isoelectric point (pI) of 5.9 by chromatofocusing. Sclerogen was significantly mitogenic in vitro against murine splenocytes after heat denaturation, and also showed the augmentation of the primary mixed lymphocyte reaction (MLR) in vitro. However, sclerogen did not show the activation of an alternative pathway of complement and hemagglutination activity. These results suggest that sclerogen is a unique mitogen which differs from lectins and shows mitogenicity after heat denaturation.     

Preparation and characterization of macroporous polystyrene resins containing ethynyl groups and transition metal acetylide complexes

Ethynylated polystyrene resins were prepared as functionalized polymer supports by the iodination reaction of macroporous polystyrene resins and reacted with transition metal diethynyl complex (Mt = Ni) and metal halides (Mt = Rh, Pd, and Pt) in a basic solvent using cuprous iodide as a catalyst to obtain macroporous polystyrene resins containing organotransition metals. The distribution of the metal acetylide complexes in the modified macroporous resins was determined by an electron probe microanalyzer. A gradient in the transition metal distribution was observed in any case of the modified resins. The stability of the organotransition metal complexes in the polymer matrix could be compared with a low molecular weight analogous complex quantitatively.     

Simultaneous imaging of the structure and fluorescence of a supramolecular nanostructure formed by the coupling of π‐conjugated polymer chains in the intermolecular interaction

We fabricated a micrometer‐long supramolecular chain in which π‐conjugated polyrotaxane was coupled. A new experimental setup was designed and constructed, and the simultaneous direct imaging of the structure and fluorescent function was achieved. Furthermore, we identified the formation of a polymer intertwined network and observed novel fluorescence due to a long‐range interaction via this intertwined network over a distance of 5 μm or more without quenching over 15 min in the near field. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 801–809, 2006     

γ-Radiolysis of 5-fluorouracil and 5-fluorouridine derivatives having sulfur-containing substituents

γ-Radiolysis reactions of eight 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) derivatives having sulfonyl group-containing substituents at the 1-position and five 5-fluorouridine (5-FUR) derivatives having thioureido group-containing substituents were studied under the conditions where hydrated electron (e_aq^?) and hydroxyl radical (HO·) become the principal reactive species. The 5-FU and 5-FUR derivatives were radiolyzed to give 5-FU and 5-FUR, respectively. The efficiency of the reactions depended upon the nature of reactive species and also upon the nature of substituents. The reactivity features of the γ-radiolysis reactions are discussed.     

A new synthesis of indoloquinolizines by Pictet-Spengler reaction of tryptamine type 1,2-dihydropyridines utilizing sec-nitrodienamine

The Pictet-Spengler reaction of tryptamine type 1,2-dihydropyridine 5c derived from the cycloaddition of the sec-nitrodienamine 3c with acetaldehyde afforded the indoloquinolizine derivatives 6 and 7.     

Multipole induced splitting of metal-cage vibrations in crystalline endohedral D2d-M2@C84 dimetallofullerenes

Metal-carbon cage vibrations of crystalline endohedral D2d-M2@C84 (M=Sc,Y,Dy) dimetallofullerenes were analyzed by temperature dependent Raman scattering and a dynamical force field model. Three groups of metal-carbon cage modes were found at energies of 35-200 cm(-1) and assigned to metal-cage stretching and deformation vibrations. They exhibit a textbook example for the splitting of molecular vibrations in a crystal field. Induced dipole-dipole and quadrupole-quadrupole interactions account quantitatively for the observed mode splitting. Based on the metal-cage vibrational structure it is demonstrated that D2d-Y2@C84 dimetallofullerene retains a monoclinic crystal structure up to 550 K and undergoes a transition from a disordered to an ordered orientational state at a temperature of approximately 150 K.     

Thermoswitching property in TCNQ salts of ionenes containing poly(ethylene oxide) segments

Ionene polymers characterized by the alternating structure of ionene and crystalline poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) segments were prepared as a function of PEO segment size. A microstructure of these ionenes and their 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) salts were investigated with x-ray diffraction patterns, thermal scanning behavior, and polarizing micrographs. On the basis of this microstructure, the change in resistivity with temperature was studied. In Arrhenius' plots of the resistivity the simple salts in which the spherulites consisting of the PEO segments were observed showed a sharp decrease in resistivity with a rise in temperature [critical temperature resistor (CTR)] at about the melting point of the PEO segments, whereas the other simple salts in which the spherulites were not observed showed linear temperature dependence. The switching properties were confirmed similarly in repetitive heating/cooling cycles. This CTR characteristic was attributed to an increase in continuity in the conduction paths by melting spherulites. The apparent switching properties were not observed in the complex salts.