Synthesis of paramagnetic BODIPY dyes as new double (spin and fluorescence) sensors

Paramagnetic pyrroline and 1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine derivatives of BODIPY and their diamagnetic analogs have been synthesized and characterized as novel redox double sensor and cation sensitive reagents.     

Fatty acid binding site of mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 as probed by EPR spectroscopy of spin-labeled fatty acids

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy of spin-labeled fatty acids was used to investigate their interaction withEscherichia coli-expressed human mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2 refolded from inclusion bodies in nonaethylene glycol monododecyl ether (C₁₂E₉) micelles. 5-DOXYL-stearic acid and 4-PROXYL-palmitic acid bound to UCP2 exhibited additional clearly separated h_+1I, h_?1I “immobile” peaks in the low- and high-field region, respectively, separated by 42 and 44 Gauss, and extensively reduced h_+1M, h_?1M “mobile” peaks, separated by about 30 G, whereas with 7-DOXYL-stearic acid the I and M peaks were smoothed together into one wide peak. Competition of 4-PROXYL-palmitic acid with added palmitic acid, arachidonic acid, and all-cis-8,11,14-eicosatrienoic acid and of 7-DOXYL-stearic acid with arachidonic acid was indicated by the disappearance of the h_+1I, h_?1I “immobile” peaks, whereas redistribution in micelles without protein was indicated by the rising of the h_+1M, h_?1M “mobile” peaks. In conclusion, a competition of palmitic, arachidonic, and eicosatrienoic acid within a putative fatty acid binding site was observed for mitochondrial uncoupling protein UCP2. This finding together with the observation of EPR spectra of highly immobilized probes exclusively in the presence of the recombinant UCP2 suggest the existence of a fatty acid binding site on UCP2 which is a prerequisite of the fatty acid cycling mechanism as previously postulated for UCP1.     

Conversion of single-stranded oligonucleotides into cloned duplexes and its consecutive application to short artificial genes.

A general method to convert single-stranded, chemically synthesized oligonucleotides into cloned duplexes is described. Oligonucleotides supplied with 3'-terminal extensions that are complementary to 3'-protruding ends obtained by certain restriction enzymes can be cloned either directly or with the help of an adapter molecule into double-stranded vectors. Two methods have also been developed for consecutive cloning applications. According to these methods, the synthetic oligonucleotides (and their enzymatically prepared complementary strands) are joined, one after the other, inside a cloning vector, each joining requiring one cloning step. Synthetic genes are thus built up from oligonucleotides corresponding to only one strand of the DNA. The sequential assembly of the cloned duplex takes place in the 5' to 3' direction. Each oligonucleotide is supplied with a four-nucleotide-long 3'-terminal extension, but this sequence is eliminated when the joining takes place, leaving no limiting sequence between the oligonucleotides. The two consecutive cloning methods, the adapter and the polycloning site methods, are illustrated by the assembly of short artificial genes.     

Layered droplet microstructures in sheared emulsions: finite-size effects

We investigate the influence of confinement on the steady state microstructure of emulsions sheared between parallel plates, in a regime where the average droplet dimension is comparable to the gap width between the confining walls. Utilizing droplet velocimetry, we find that the droplets can organize into discrete layers under the influence of shear. The number of layers decreases from two (at relatively higher shear rates) to one (at lower shear rates), as the drops grow slightly larger due to coalescence. We argue that the layering and overall composition profile may be controlled by the interplay of droplet collisions (which can cause separation of droplet centers in the velocity gradient direction), droplet migration toward the centerline (due to wall effects), and droplet packing constraints. We also study the effects of mixture composition on droplet microstructure, and summarize these results in the form of a morphology diagram in the parameter space of mass fraction and shear rate. We find that formation of strings of the suspended phase (reported earlier by our group in flow-visualization studies on confined emulsions) is observed over a broad composition window. We also find a stable (nontransient) morphology wherein the droplets are arranged in highly ordered pearl-necklace chain structures.     

Nitration of dithieno[3,4-b:3′,2′-d]pyridine and dithieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]pyridine

The nitration of dithieno[3,4-b:3′,2′-d]pyridine ( 2 ) and dithieno[2,3-b:3′,2′-d]pyridine ( 3 ) has been studied. Nitration of 2 occurred in both positions of the c-fused thiophene ring, while 3 was predominantly substituted in the 2-position. The structures of the nitro derivatives were proven by extensive use of ¹H and ¹³C nmr spectroscopy.     

Mass spectra of substituted pyrrolidine-N-oxyl radicals

Electron impact mass spectra of 65 pyrrolidine-N-oxyl derivatives have been assigned on a ‘peak-to-subgraph’ basis. On average, 50% of the total ion current is represented by structurally significant fragments associated with the nitroxide group. Secondary fragmentation is, as a rule, of a minor importance (30%), and fragments due to functional groups other than NO^· seldom contribute more than 10% of the total ion current An enhanced specificity of fragmentation is observed when one or more of the 2,2, 5,5-methyl groups is replaced by a longer aliphatic chain or an aromatic group.     

On the reaction of dithiocarbamates with nitrogen-containing derivates of oxalic acid

Summary The action of bisimidochlorides of oxalic acid on dithiocarbamates produces 2-thioxo-3-aryl(alkyl)-4,5-diiminothiazolidines by cycloacylation. The molecular structure of 2-thioxo-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4,5-bis(phenylimino)-thiazolidine is confirmed by X-ray crystal structure analysis.

---

Zur Reaktion von Dithiocarbaminaten mit stickstoffhaltigen Derivaten der Oxalsäure

Zusammenfassung Bei der Einwirkung von Bisimidchloriden der Oxalsäure auf Dithiocarbaminate entstehen durch Cycloacylierung 2-Thioxo-3-aryl(alkyl)-4,5-diiminothiazolidine. Die Molekülstruktur von 2-Thioxo-3-(4-methoxyphenyl)-4,5-bis(phenylimino)thiazolidin wird durch Röntgenkristallstrukturanalyse bestätigt.

     

Macrocyclic ligands with potential axial interactions. The preparation of copper(II), nickel(II) and cobalt(III) complexes of 7,14-o-hydroxyphenyl-5,12-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,11-diene

Summary The new macrocyclic ligand 7,14-o-hydroxyphenyl-5,12-dimethyl-1,4,8,11-tetraazacyclotetradeca-4,11-diene (1=L) has been prepared and complexes with copper(II), nickel(II) and cobalt(III) characterised. The nickel(II) complex is a yellow square-planar species, while the purple-red copper(II) complex is probably tetragonal in both the solid state and solution. The complexes appear to have an N-meso arrangement of the chiral nitrogen centres with the HOC₆H₄ groups occupying equatorial sites so that axial interactions with the metal do not occur. A variety oftrans-[CoLX₂]ClO₄ complexes (X=Cl, Br, NO₂, or N₃) have been characterised.