Solution structure, mutagenesis, and NH exchange studies of the MutT enzyme–Mg-8-oxo-dGMP complex

The MutT pyrophosphohydrolase from E. coli (129 residues) catalyzes the hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphates (NTP), including 8-oxo-dGTP, by substitution at Pβ, to yield NMP and pyrophosphate. The product, 8-oxo-dGMP is an unusually tight binding, slowly exchanging inhibitor with a K_D=52 nM, (ΔG°=−9.8 kcal/mol) which is 6.1 kcal/mol tighter than the binding of dGMP (ΔG°=−3.7 kcal/mol). The higher affinity for 8-oxo-dGMP results from a more favorable ΔH_binding (−32 kcal/mol) despite an unfavorable −TΔS°_binding (+22 kcal/mol). The solution structure of the MutT–Mg²⁺-8-oxo-dGMP complex shows a narrowed, hydrophobic nucleotide-binding cleft with Asn-119 and Arg-78 among the few polar residues. The N119A, N119D, R78K and R78A single mutations, and the R78K+N119A double mutant all showed largely intact active sites, on the basis of small changes in the kinetic parameters of dGTP hydrolysis and in ¹H–¹⁵N HSQC spectra. However, the N119A mutation profoundly weakened the active site binding of 8-oxo-dGMP by 4.3 kcal/mol (1650-fold). The N119D mutation also weakened 8-oxo-dGMP binding but only by 2.1 kcal/mol (37-fold), suggesting that Asn-119 functioned both as a hydrogen bond donor to C8=O, and a hydrogen bond acceptor from N7H of 8-oxo-dGMP, while aspartate at position −119 functioned as an acceptor of a single hydrogen bond. Much smaller weakening effects (0.3–0.4 kcal/mol) on the binding of dGMP and dAMP were found, indicating specific hydrogen bonding of Asn-119 to 8-oxo-dGMP. While formation of the wild type MutT–Mg²⁺-8-oxo-dGMP complex slowed the backbone NH exchange rates of 45 residues distributed throughout the protein, the same complex of the N119A mutant slowed the exchange rates of only 11 residues at or near the active site, indicating an increase in conformational flexibility of the N119A mutant. The R78K and R78A mutations weakened the binding of 8-oxo-dGMP by 1.7 and 1.1 kcal/mol, respectively, indicating a lesser role of Arg-78 than of Asn-119 in the selective binding of 8-oxo-dGMP, likely donating a single hydrogen bond to its C6=O. The R78K+N119A double mutant weakened the binding of 8-oxo-dGMP (K_I^slope=3.1 mM) by 6.5±0.2 kcal/mol which overlaps, within error with the sum of the effects of the two single mutants (6.0±0.3 kcal/mol). Such additive effects of the two single mutants in the double mutant are most simply explained by the independent functioning of Asn-119 and Arg-78 in the binding of 8-oxo-dGMP. Independent functioning of these two residues in nucleotide binding is consistent with their locations in the MutT–Mg²⁺-8-oxo-dGMP complex, on opposite sides of the active site cleft, with a distance of 8.4±0.5 Å between their side chain nitrogens.     

Differential scanning calorimetry studies on aged iron(III)-chromium(III)-hydroxide coprecipitates

DSC measurements in air from 20 to 800° are reported on aged iron(III)-chromium(III) coprecipitated hydroxides (with Fe³⁺Cr³⁺ wt% ratios of 91, 73, 11, 37 and 19). A comparison of the DSC profiles of aged coprecipitates with the thermal behaviour of freshly precipitated and well characterized samples provided information on the modification occurring in the structure and reactivity of the coprecipitates on prolonged aging.

---

Zusammenfassung Es werden DSC-Messungen an gealterten kogefällten Eisen(III)Chrom(III)-hydroxiden (mit Fe³⁺Cr³⁺ Gewichtsanteilen von 91, 73, 11, 37 und 19) im Temperaturbereich von 20 bis 800° beschrieben. Ein Vergleich der DSC-Profile von gealterten Kofällungen mit dem thermischen Verhalten frisch gefällter und gut definierbarer Proben lieferte Informationen über die Veränderungen in Struktur und Reaktivität der Koniederschläge bei längerem Altern.

---

---

Dedicated to Professor Wahid U. Malik, Founder-President, Indian Council of Chemists, India, with profound regards and fond memories of his youthful enthusiasm and ceaseless and pioneering efforts towards the development of chemical education and research activities at the University of Roorkee, Roorkee, India, on the occasion of his 70th birthday.

---

Paper presented at the World Conference on Thermal Analysis, Capri (Italy), 1989.

---

We thank Professor J. Pescia, Dr.G. Ablart and N. Favillier of Laboratoire de Magnétisme et d'Electronique Quantique for their interest in this work. A. C. Vajpei expresses his gratefulness to C.N.R.S. and C.N.O.U.S., Paris, for financial support of this work.     

Atomic Layer Deposited Ti2O3 Thin Films

Ti₂O₃ thin films have been prepared through atomic layer deposition and subjected to electrical resistivity measurements as a function of temperature. The as-prepared films were stable for up to three weeks. In Ti₂O₃ thin films, the insulator-metal transition is observed at ∼80 K, with nearly 3–4 orders of magnitude change in resistivity. The anomalous increase in electrical resistivity in the films is in accordance with the two-band model. However, the energy interval between the bands depending on the crystallographic c/a ratio leads to a change in electrical resistivity as a function of temperature.     

Numerical Investigation of Graphene as a Back Surface Field Layer on the Performance of Cadmium Telluride Solar Cell

This paper numerically explores the possibility of ultrathin layering and high efficiency of graphene as a back surface field (BSF) based on a CdTe solar cell by Personal computer one-dimensional (PC1D) simulation. CdTe solar cells have been characterized and studied by varying the carrier lifetime, doping concentration, thickness, and bandgap of the graphene layer. With simulation results, the highest short-circuit current (I_sc = 2.09 A), power conversion efficiency (η = 15%), and quantum efficiency (QE~85%) were achieved at a carrier lifetime of 1 × 10³ μs and a doping concentration of 1 × 10¹⁷ cm⁻³ of graphene as a BSF layer-based CdTe solar cell. The thickness of the graphene BSF layer (1 μm) was proven the ultrathin, optimal, and obtainable for the fabrication of high-performance CdTe solar cells, confirming the suitability of graphene material as a BSF. This simulation confirmed that a CdTe solar cell with the proposed graphene as the BSF layer might be highly efficient with optimized parameters for fabrication.     

Phenothiazine–BODIPY–Fullerene Triads as Photosynthetic Reaction Center Models: Substitution and Solvent Polarity Effects on Photoinduced Charge Separation and Recombination

Novel photosynthetic reaction center model compounds of the type donor₂–donor₁–acceptor, composed of phenothiazine, BF₂‐chelated dipyrromethene (BODIPY), and fullerene, respectively, have been newly synthesized using multistep synthetic methods. X‐ray structures of three of the phenothiazine‐BODIPY intermediate compounds have been solved to visualize the substitution effect caused by the phenothiazine on the BODIPY macrocycle. Optical absorption and emission, computational, and differential pulse voltammetry studies were systematically performed to establish the molecular integrity of the triads. The N‐substituted phenothiazine was found to be easier to oxidize by 60 mV compared to the C‐substituted analogue. The geometry and electronic structures were obtained by B3LYP/6‐31G(dp) calculations (for H, B, N, and O) and B3LYP/6‐31G(df) calculations (for S) in vacuum, followed by a single‐point calculation in benzonitrile utilizing the polarizable continuum model (PCM). The HOMO?1, HOMO, and LUMO were, respectively, on the BODIPY, phenothiazine and fullerene entities, which agreed well with the site of electron transfer determined from electrochemical studies. The energy‐level diagram deduced from these data helped in elucidating the mechanistic details of the photochemical events. Excitation of BODIPY resulted in ultrafast electron transfer to produce PTZ–BODIPY^.+–C₆₀^.?; subsequent hole shift resulted in PTZ^.+–BODIPY–C₆₀^.? charge‐separated species. The return of the charge‐separated species was found to be solvent dependent. In nonpolar solvents the PTZ^.+–BODIPY–C₆₀^.? species populated the ³C₆₀* prior to returning to the ground state, while in polar solvent no such process was observed due to relative positioning of the energy levels. The ¹BODIPY* generated radical ion‐pair in these triads persisted for few nanoseconds due to electron transfer/hole‐shift mechanism.     

Nickel‐Catalyzed α‐Carbonylalkylarylation of Vinylarenes: Expedient Access to γ,γ‐Diarylcarbonyl and Aryltetralone Derivatives

We report a Ni‐catalyzed regioselective α‐carbonylalkylarylation of vinylarenes with α‐halocarbonyl compounds and arylzinc reagents. The reaction works with primary, secondary, and tertiary α‐halocarbonyl molecules, and electronically varied arylzinc reagents. The reaction generates γ,γ‐diarylcarbonyl derivatives with α‐secondary, tertiary, and quaternary carbon centers. The products can be readily converted to aryltetralones, including a precursor to Zoloft, an antidepressant drug.     

Diorganotin(IV) bis(O,O-alkylenedithiophosphates)

O,O-Alkylenedithiophosphates of diorganotin(IV) of the type R₂Sn[SP(S)O₂G]₂ (R = Me, Et, n-Bu, Ph; G = CH₂CMe₂CH₂, CMe₂CMe₂, CMe₂CH₂CHMe) have been synthesized by the reactions of diorganotin(IV) dichlorides with ammonium O,O-alkylenedithiophosphates or that of diorganotin(IV) oxides with O,O-alkylenedithiophosphoric acids in 1:2 molar ratio in benzene. These new complexes are white solids which are soluble in common organic solvents and are monomeric in refluxing benzene; and they have been characterized by elemental analysis and by different spectroscopic (IR, ¹H, ¹³C, ³¹P and ¹¹⁹Sn NMR) studies, on the basis of which a six coordinated octahedral structure has been suggested in solution.     

Structural interpretation of specific heat measurements on glassy Se100− x Sb x alloys

Differential scanning calorimetry was used to study glassy Se_{100- x} Sb _x (x = 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10) alloys at a heating rate of 10°C min^?1 under non-isothermal conditions. An extremely large increase in the specific heat, C_p , was observed at the glass-transition temperature. It was also found that the values of C_p below and above the glass-transition temperature, C_pg and C_pe , respectively, are highly composition dependent. This indicates that the Sb additive used in the present study influences the structure of the a-Se. The variation of C_p reveals local extrema in the Se–Sb glassy system at x = 4 and x = 8. The composition dependence of both C_pe and C_pg is explained in terms of the atomic structure.     

Synthesis,characterization, molecular docking and biological activity of 5,6-bis-(4-fluoro-phenyl)-3,4,7,8-tetraaza-bicyclo[8.3.1]tetradeca-1(13),4,6,10(14),11-pentaene-2,9-dione and its transition metal complexes

Macrocyclic Schiff base ligand through the condensation of 1,3-dicarbonyl-phenyl-dihydrazide with 4,4′-difluorobenzil and its Co(II), Ni(II), Cu(II) and Zn(II) metal complexes have been synthesized. The ligand and metal complexes were characterized by analytical and physicochemical methods. An octahedral geometry arising from coordination of N2O2 donor atoms from the macrocyclic framework has been proposed for all metal complexes. Synthesized ligand and metal complexes were investigated for in vitro antibacterial and antioxidant activity. Complex [Ni(C₂₂H₁₄N₄F₂O₂)(OCOCH₃)₂] has shown remarkable antibacterial activity (Minimum inhibitory concentration 8–16?μg/ml) comparable to commercial antibiotic Ciprofloxacin. Anticancer activity of synthesized compounds against Squamous Cell Carcinoma (SCC4), head and neck cancer cell line has also been studied at different concentrations and at different time points. Complexes [Co(C₂₂H₁₄N₄F₂O₂)(NO₃)₂] and [Cu(C₂₂H₁₄N₄F₂O₂)(OCOCH₃)₂] have shown remarkable anticancer results (IC₅₀ 31.1 and 43.1?μM) against the tested cell line in concentration dependent manner. Molecular docking studies were carried out to find the binding mode of the synthesized macrocyclic Schiff base ligand to Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor (EGFR) Kinase (PDB ID: 1M17).