Electrocatalysis by foreign metal monolayers: Oxidation of formic acid on platinum

It was demonstrated that some foreign metal monolayers formed by underpotential deposition have pronounced catalytic effects on the oxidation of formic acid on platinum. The explanation of these effects was sought within the framewor of existing data on the formic acid oxidation and the underpotential deposition. It was found that the catalytic effect of foreign metal monolayers originates in the decrease of hydrogen adsorption thus preventing the formation of the main poisoning species COH. At the same time these experiments confirm the previously postulated mechanism of formation of the poisoning species involving adsorbed hydrogen.     

Phase separation of p53 precedes aggregation and is affected by oncogenic mutations and ligands

Mutant p53 tends to form aggregates with amyloid properties, especially amyloid oligomers inside the nucleus, which are believed to cause oncogenic gain-of-function (GoF). The mechanism of the formation of the aggregates in the nucleus remains uncertain. The present study demonstrated that the DNA-binding domain of p53 (p53C) underwent phase separation (PS) on the pathway to aggregation under various conditions. p53C phase separated in the presence of the crowding agent polyethylene glycol (PEG). Similarly, mutant p53C (M237I and R249S) underwent PS; however, the process evolved to a solid-like phase transition faster than that in the case of wild-type p53C. The data obtained by microscopy of live cells indicated that transfection of mutant full-length p53 into the cells tended to result in PS and phase transition (PT) in the nuclear compartments, which are likely the cause of the GoF effects. Fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) experiments revealed liquid characteristics of the condensates in the nucleus. Mutant p53 tended to undergo gel- and solid-like phase transitions in the nucleus and in nuclear bodies demonstrated by slow and incomplete recovery of fluorescence after photobleaching. Polyanions, such as heparin and RNA, were able to modulate PS and PT in vitro. Heparin apparently stabilized the condensates in a gel-like state, and RNA apparently induced a solid-like state of the protein even in the absence of PEG. Conditions that destabilize p53C into a molten globule conformation also produced liquid droplets in the absence of crowding. The disordered transactivation domain (TAD) modulated both phase separation and amyloid aggregation. In summary, our data provide mechanistic insight into the formation of p53 condensates and conditions that may result in the formation of aggregated structures, such as mutant amyloid oligomers, in cancer. The pathway of mutant p53 from liquid droplets to gel-like and solid-like (amyloid) species may be a suitable target for anticancer therapy.

Mutant p53 tends to form aggregates with amyloid properties, especially amyloid oligomers inside the nucleus, which are believed to cause oncogenic gain-of-function (GoF).     

Optically activated functionalization reactions in Si quantum dots

Using ab initio calculations, we have studied the influence of optical activation on functionalization reactions of silicon quantum dots with unsaturated hydrocarbons. We find that the energy barrier for the replacement of silicon-hydrogen with silicon-carbon bonds is dramatically reduced if the silicon dot is optically excited. These results provide an explanation for recent experiments on optically excited porous silicon. In addition, our calculations point at the existence of an intermediate spin-polarized state formed by the dot and an alkene or alkyne, upon relaxation after absorbing a photon. This state could be detected experimentally, by, for example, electron spin resonance measurements. Based on the results of our calculations as a function of the dot size, varied from 0.8 to 1.5 nm, we propose that light activated reactions could be used to functionalize and size select silicon quantum dots at the same time.     

Electrochemical oxidation of formic acid at noble metals: Catalytic effects of foreign metal monolayers

The catalytic effects of a submonolayer of lead on noble metals have been shown and discussed in terms of a previously published model. A theoretical analysis of these effects is presented. It was demonstrated that foreign metal monolayers allow a determination of the true catalytic activity of electrodes in the case of self-poisoning reactions. A volcano-shaped curve for oxidation of formic acid on noble metal electrodes was obtained.     

Testing equality in lisp-like environments

A function is presented to test equality between lists. In any case the function requires at most one single traversal of the lists and behaves as follows:

1. if there are no cycles, it works as standardEQU AL functions;
2. if there are cycles, it does not give information about equality, but it can detect cycles, i.e. it signals which lists are cyclic.

A simplified version of the function is also considered which is always at least as efficient as standardEQU AL; it grants protection against cycles without signaling them. A coroutine organized version of the function is shown.     

Reaction of dichloroketene and sulfene with N,N-disubstituted α-aminomethyleneketones. Synthesis of pyrano[2,3-e]indazole and 1,2-oxathiino[6,5-e]indazole derivatives

The polar 1,4-cycloaddition of dichloroketene to N,N-disubstituted (E)-5-aminomethylene-1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-(1-methyl)(1-phenyl)-4H-indazol-4-ones V, prepared from 1,5,6,7-tetrahydro-(1-methyl)(1-phenyl)-4H-indazol-4-ones via the 5-hydroxymethylene derivatives, gave in good yield N,N-disubstituted 4-amino-3,3-dichloro-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-(7-methyl)(7-phenyl)pyrano[2,3-e]indazol-(3H)ones VI, which are derivatives of the new heterocyclic system pyrano[2,3-e]indazole. Dehydrochlorination of VI with DBN afforded N,N-disubstituted 4-amino-3-chloro-6,7-dihydro(7-methyl)(7-phenyl)pyrano[2,3-e]indazol-2(5H]-ones VII generally in satisfactory yield. Full aromatization with DDQ of VII was tried only in the case of dimethylamino derivatives, giving a moderate yield of 3-chloro-4-dimethylamino(7-methyl)(7-phenyl)pyrano[2,3-e]indazol-2(7H)-ones. Cycloaddition of sulfene to V occurred only in the case of aliphatic N-substitution to give in moderate yield 4-dialkylamino-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-(7-methyl)(7-phenyl)-3H-1,2-oxathiino[6,5-e]indazole 2,2-dioxides, which are derivatives of the new heterocyclic system 1,2-oxathiino[6,5-e]indazole.     

Core modified oxybenziporphyrins: new aromatic ligands for metal-carbon bond activation

Successful syntheses of two new aromatic core modified oxybenziporphyrins by a simple '3 + 1' methodology and the first aromatic core modified oxybenziporphyrin palladium complex are reported.     

Copper(II) interaction with unstructured prion domain outside the octarepeat region: speciation, stability, and binding details of copper(II) complexes with PrP106-126 peptides

Copper(II) complexes of the neurotoxic peptide fragments of human and chicken prion proteins were studied by potentiometric, UV-vis, CD, and EPR spectroscopic and ESI-MS methods. The peptides included the terminally blocked native and scrambled sequences of HuPrP106-126 (HuPrPAc106-126NH2 and ScrHuPrPAc106-126NH2) and also the nona- and tetrapeptide fragments of both the human and chicken prion proteins (HuPrPAc106-114NH2, ChPrPAc119-127NH2, HuPrPAc109-112NH2, and ChPrPAc122-125NH2). The histidyl imidazole-N donor atoms were found to be the major copper(II) binding sites of all peptides; 3N and 4N complexes containing additional 2 and 3 deprotonated amide-N donors, respectively, are the major species in the physiological pH range. The complex formation processes for nona- and tetrapeptides are very similar, supporting the fact that successive deprotonation and metal ion coordination of amide functions go toward the N-termini in the form of joined six- and five-membered chelates. As a consequence, the peptide sequences investigated here, related to the neurotoxic region of the human PrP106-126 sequence, show a higher metal-binding affinity than the octarepeat fragments. In the case of the HuPrP peptide sequences, a weak pH-dependent binding of the Met109 residue was also detected in the 3N-coordinated complexes.     

Environmental effects on a prion's helix II domain: copper(II) and membrane interactions with PrP180-193 and its analogues

An abnormal interaction between copper and the prion protein is believed to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Copper binding has been mainly attributed to the N-terminal domain of the prion protein, but this hypothesis has recently been challenged in some papers which suggest that the C-terminal domain might also compete for metal anchoring. In particular, the segment corresponding to the helix II region of the prion protein, namely PrP180-193, has been shown both to bind copper and to exhibit a copper-enhanced cytotoxicity, as well as to interact with artificial membranes. The present work is aimed at extending these results by choosing the most representative model of this domain and by determining its copper affinity. With this aim, the different role played by the electrostatic properties of the C- and N-termini of PrP180-193 (VNITIKQHTVTTTT) in determining its conformational behaviour, copper coordination and ability to perturb model membranes was investigated. Owing to the low solubility of PrP180-193, its copper affinity was evaluated by using the shorter PrPAc184-188NH2 (IKQHT) analogue as a model. ESI-MS, ESR, UV/Vis, and CD measurements were carried out on the copper(II)/PrPAc184-188NH2 and copper(II)/PrP180-193NH2 systems, and showed that PrPAc184-188NH2 is a reliable model for the metal interaction with the helix II domain. The affinity of copper(II) for the helix II fragment is higher than that for the octarepeat and PrP106-126 peptides. Finally, the different ability of PrP180-193 analogues to perturb the DPPC model membrane was assessed by DSC measurements. The possible biological consequences of these findings are also discussed briefly.     

X-ray spectroscopic characterization of Cu2+-phenanthroline complexes intercalated in α-zirconium phosphate

X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy provides evidence that when [Cu(phen)₂]²⁺(phen = 1,10-phenanthroline) is diffused between the layers of -zirconium phosphate, the complex species does not remain intact after intercalation, but some Cu-N bonds are broken, replaced with Cu-O bonds and the released nitrogen atoms can now interact with the PO₃-OH groups of the host. XPS also provides evidence for coordination of the Cu²⁺ ions when they are diffused by ion exchange in the phenanthroline--zirconium phosphate intercalation compound. Although Cu²⁺ and phen are in a 1 : 1 molar ratio in the interlayer region of the host, so that a 1 : 1 coordination could be expected between the two species, the characteristic peaks of the uncoordinated phenanthroline, even though at a low intensity, are still present. The differences between the two Cu(II)-intercalation compounds are discussed.