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Positive Charge (positive + charge)
Selected AbstractsTransitions of serum albumin in patients with glomerulosclerosis ,in vivo' characterization by electrophoretic titration curvesELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 14 2006Maurizio Bruschi Abstract HSA functions as a physiological transporter of solutes and small molecules that induce structural transitions ,in vitro'. Analysis of these transitions requires prior purification of HSA that could introduce bias due to conformational changes. We utilized electrophoretic titration curves to describe a neutral to acid (N,A) transition of HSA directly in sera of seven patients with active focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). The divergent electrophoretic profile of HSA was characterized by a shift in the range of pHs between 4.5 and 7.5 with an average variation of free electrophoretic mobility corresponding to loss of 1 positive charge in the pKa protonation range of histidyl residues and should involve domain I of HSA. ,In-gel' determination by maleimide-PEO2-biotin of free SH 34 of domain I showed inaccessibility of the dye at this site in pathological HSA and alkylation with the same complex induced N,A transition in normal HSA. Potential binders of free imidazoles such as Ca++ and/or of SH 34 such as NO were excluded on the basis of direct titration and studies on binding stimulation. This is the first report describing a transition of HSA directly ,in vivo', and the utilization of electrophoretic titration curves was critical to this purpose. This transition appears to be specific to FSGS and is unrelated to the nephrotic syndrome, Ca++ and NO binding. Spectroscopic analysis will elucidate the structural implication. [source] Capillary electrophoresis using copolymers of different composition as physical coatings: A comparative studyELECTROPHORESIS, Issue 5-6 2006Guillaume L. Erny Abstract In this work, a comparative study on the use of different polymers as physically adsorbed coatings for CE is presented. It is demonstrated that the use of ad hoc synthesized polymers as coatings allows tailoring the EOF in CE increasing the flexibility of this analytical technique. Namely, different polymers were synthesized at our laboratory using different percentages of ethylpyrrolidine methacrylate (EpyM) and N,N -dimethylacrylamide (DMA). Thus, by modifying the percentage of EpyM and DMA monomers it is possible to manipulate the positive charge of the copolymer, varying the global electrical charge on the capillary wall and with that the EOF. These coated capillaries are obtained by simply flushing a given EpyM,DMA aqueous solution into bare silica capillaries. It is shown that by using these coated capillaries at adequate pHs, faster or more resolved CE separations can be achieved depending on the requirements of each analysis. Moreover, it is demonstrated that these coated capillaries reduce the electrostatic adsorption of basic proteins onto the capillary wall. Furthermore, EpyM,DMA coatings allow the reproducible chiral separation of enantiomers through the partial filling technique (PFT). The EpyM,DMA coated capillaries are demonstrated to provide reproducible EOF values independently of the pH and polymer composition with%RSD values lower than 2% for the same day. It is also demonstrated that the coating procedure is reproducible between capillaries. The compatibility of this coating protocol with CE in microchips is discussed. [source] Structure,activity analysis of the potentiation by aminothiols of the chromosome-damaging effect of bleomycin in G0 human lymphocytesENVIRONMENTAL AND MOLECULAR MUTAGENESIS, Issue 2 2001George R. Hoffmann Abstract The radioprotective aminothiols 2-[(aminopropyl)amino] ethanethiol (WR-1065) and cysteamine (CSM) potentiate the induction of chromosomal damage by the radiomimetic compound bleomycin (BLM) in G0 human lymphocytes. To investigate the mechanism of potentiation, we measured the clastogenic activity of BLM in the cytokinesis-block micronucleus assay in the presence and absence of amines, thiols, and aminothiols. The hydroxy analog of WR-1065, 2-(3-aminopropylamino) ethanol (WR-OH), potentiates BLM only slightly, indicating the critical nature of the thiol group. As thiols, WR-1065 and CSM may donate electrons for the activation of Fe+2 -BLM or for the regeneration of Fe+2 -BLM from inactive Fe+3 -BLM. The amines putrescine, spermidine, and spermine all potentiate BLM, but they are weaker potentiators than the aminothiols, and they are effective only at high concentrations. Their activity, like that of WR-OH, is probably a consequence of conformational alteration of DNA. Dithioerythritol (DTE) and 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME), thiols lacking an amino group, are less effective potentiators of BLM than are the aminothiols. The thiol group of WR-1065 and CSM is therefore essential, but insufficient, for explaining the strong enhancement of BLM activity. The cationic nature of CSM and WR-1065, conferred by the amino groups, evidently concentrates the active thiol function at the site of BLM action on DNA. As expected on this basis, the diamine WR-1065 is a more effective potentiator of BLM than is the monoamine CSM, whereas cysteine and N -acetylcysteine (NAC), which lack a net positive charge, potentiate BLM only weakly. These studies suggest that potentiation of the clastogenic action of BLM by aminothiols can be explained by the combination of a thiol-mediated redox mechanism and an amine-mediated targeting of the thiol function to DNA. Environ. Mol. Mutagen. 37:117,127, 2001 © 2001 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] An Atropo-Stereogenic Diphosphane Ligand with a Proximal Cationic Charge: Specific Catalytic Properties of a Palladium Complex ThereofEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF INORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 19 2008Nathalie Debono Abstract A class of cationic diphosphane ligands combining phosphane and amidiniophosphane moieties is illustrated on the N -methyl,N -naphthylbenzimidazolium framework. The palladium(II) complex thereof is described and compared to the corresponding complex of the analogous neutral diphosphane. Contrary to first-level expectations, the N2C,P and N2CP,Pd bonds in the cationic diphosphane complex are not longer than those occurring in its neutral counterpart. In the cationic ligand, the proximal positive charge is indeed conjugated to one phosphanyl group, and the coordination scheme is tentatively interpreted by resonance of the phosphane,metal dative bond (+N2C,P:,[Pd]) with a carbene,phosphenium dative bond (N2C:,[+P:,Pd]). Despite this peculiar structural feature, the electronic , donation (vs. , acceptation) towards the palladium centre remains lowered in the cationic ligand. This specific property can be a priori valuable in a catalytic process where oxidative addition is not the limiting step. It is indeed shown that although the neutral complex is more active in Suzuki coupling reactions, the cationic complex is more active in Sonogashira-type coupling reactions involving predissociated halide substrates, namely an acyl chloride. These likely atropo-chiral ligands deserve to be resolved for application in asymmetric catalysis.(© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2008) [source] Pyrrolidino DNA with Bases Corresponding to the 2-Oxo Deletion Mutants of Thymine and Cytosine: Synthesis and Triplex-Forming PropertiesEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF ORGANIC CHEMISTRY, Issue 24 2007Alain Mayer Abstract The dual recognition properties of pyrrolidino DNA species as parallel triplex-forming oligonucleotides were previously found to be strongly dependent upon the nature of the pyrimidine bases. In the structure,activity study presented here we were able to exclude this differential binding being due to their 2-oxo function. We had previously reported on the incorporation of pyrrolidino C -nucleosides into triplex-forming 2,-deoxyoligonucleotides (TFOs). The basic nitrogen atom that replaces the 4,-oxygen atom of the 2,-deoxysugar in such modified units introduces a positive charge in the third strand, and this is able to produce favourable electrostatic interaction with the negatively charged DNA target duplex. A first series of pyrrolidino pseudonucleosides with the bases isocytosine and uracil proved successful for GC base-pair recognition, but was unsuccessful for AT base-pair recognition within the parallel triplex binding motif. Here we report on the synthesis of the two novel 2,-deoxypyrrolidino nucleosides carrying the bases pyridin-2-one and 2-aminopyridine, their phosphoramidite building blocks and theirincorporation into TFOs. Pyrrolidinylpyridin-2-one (dp2P) and -2-aminopyridine (dp2AP), prepared as part of a structure,activity profiling of pyrrolidino DNA in triplex binding, are deletion mutants of T and C, respectively. We found by Tm measurements that neither modification increased triplex binding efficiency relative to the iso-C- and -U-containing pyrrolidino TFOs. These experiments clearly show that the C4 carbonyl function, although important for triplex binding through indirect contributions in general, is not responsible for the differential binding of the latter two aminonucleosides and suggest that TFO conformation is more important. (© Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, 69451 Weinheim, Germany, 2007) [source] Functionalization of Chitosan via Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization for Gene DeliveryADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 18 2010Yuan Ping Abstract It is of crucial importance to modify chitosan-based polysaccharides in the designing of biomedical materials. In this work, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was employed to functionalize chitosan in a well-controlled manner. A series of new degradable cationic polymers (termed as PDCS) composed of biocompatible chitosan backbones and poly((2-dimethyl amino)ethyl methacrylate) (P(DMAEMA)) side chains of different length were designed as highly efficient gene vectors via ATRP. These vectors, termed as PDCS, exhibited good ability to condense plasmid DNA (pDNA) into nanoparticles with positive charge at nitrogen/phosphorus (N/P) ratios of 4 or higher. All PDCS vectors could well protect the condensed DNA from enzymatic degradation by DNase I and they displayed high level of transfectivity in both COS7, HEK293 and HepG2 cell lines. Most importantly, in comparison with high-molecular-weight P(DMAEMA) and ,gold-standard' PEI (25 kDa), the PDCS vectors showed considerable buffering capacity in the pH range of 7.4 to 5, and were capable of mediating much more efficient gene transfection at low N/P ratios. At their own optimal N/P ratios for trasnsfection, the PDCS/pDNA complexes showed much lower cytotoxicity. All the PDCS vectors were readily to be degradable in the presence of lysozyme at physiological conditions in vitro. These well-defined PDCS polymers have great potentials as efficient gene vectors in future gene therapy. [source] Roles of adenine anchoring and ion pairing at the coenzyme B12 -binding site in diol dehydratase catalysisFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 24 2008Ken-ichi Ogura The X-ray structure of the diol dehydratase,adeninylpentylcobalamin complex revealed that the adenine moiety of adenosylcobalamin is anchored in the adenine-binding pocket of the enzyme by hydrogen bonding of N3 with the side chain OH group of Ser,224, and of 6-NH2, N1 and N7 with main chain amide groups of other residues. A salt bridge is formed between the ,-NH2 group of Lys,135 and the phosphate group of cobalamin. To assess the importance of adenine anchoring and ion pairing, Ser,224 and Lys,135 mutants of diol dehydratase were prepared, and their catalytic properties investigated. The S,224A, S,224N and K,135E mutants were 19,2% as active as the wild-type enzyme, whereas the K,135A, K,135Q and K,135R mutants retained 58,76% of the wild-type activity. The presence of a positive charge at the ,135 residue increased the affinity for cobalamins but was not essential for catalysis, and the introduction of a negative charge there prevented the enzyme,cobalamin interaction. The S,224A and S,224N mutants showed a kcat/kinact value that was less than 2% that of the wild-type, whereas for Lys,135 mutants this value was in the range 25,75%, except for the K,135E mutant (7%). Unlike the wild-type holoenzyme, the S,224N and S,224A holoenzymes showed very low susceptibility to oxygen in the absence of substrate. These findings suggest that Ser,224 is important for cobalt,carbon bond activation and for preventing the enzyme from being inactivated. Upon inactivation of the S,224A holoenzyme during catalysis, cob(II)alamin accumulated, and a trace of doublet signal due to an organic radical disappeared in EPR. 5,-Deoxyadenosine was formed from the adenosyl group, and the apoenzyme itself was not damaged. This inactivation was thus considered to be a mechanism-based one. [source] Arginine-induced conformational change in the c -ring/a -subunit interface of ATP synthaseFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 9 2008Thomas Vorburger The rotational mechanism of ATP synthases requires a unique interface between the stator a subunit and the rotating c -ring to accommodate stability and smooth rotation simultaneously. The recently published c -ring crystal structure of the ATP synthase of Ilyobacter tartaricus represents the conformation in the absence of subunit a. However, in order to understand the dynamic structural processes during ion translocation, studies in the presence of subunit a are required. Here, by intersubunit Cys,Cys cross-linking, the relative topography of the interacting helical faces of subunits a and c from the I. tartaricus ATP synthase has been mapped. According to these data, the essential stator arginine (aR226) is located between the c -ring binding pocket and the cytoplasm. Furthermore, the spatially vicinal residues cT67C and cG68C in the isolated c -ring structure yielded largely asymmetric cross-linking products with aN230C of subunit a, suggesting a small, but significant conformational change of binding-site residues upon contact with subunit a. The conformational change was dependent on the positive charge of the stator arginine or the aR226H substitution. Energy-minimization calculations revealed possible modes for the interaction between the stator arginine and the c -ring. These biochemical results and structural restraints support a model in which the stator arginine operates as a pendulum, moving in and out of the binding pocket as the c -ring rotates along the interface with subunit a. This mechanism allows efficient interaction between subunit a and the c- ring and simultaneously allows almost frictionless movement against each other. [source] Role of the surface charges D72 and K8 in the function and structural stability of the cytochrome c6 from Nostoc sp.FEBS JOURNAL, Issue 13 2005PCC 711 We investigated the role of electrostatic charges at positions D72 and K8 in the function and structural stability of cytochrome c6 from Nostoc sp. PCC 7119 (cyt c6). A series of mutant forms was generated to span the possible combinations of charge neutralization (by mutation to alanine) and charge inversion (by mutation to lysine and aspartate, respectively) in these positions. All forms of cyt c6 were functionally characterized by laser flash absorption spectroscopy, and their stability was probed by urea-induced folding equilibrium relaxation experiments and differential scanning calorimetry. Neutralization or inversion of the positive charge at position K8 reduced the efficiency of electron transfer to photosystem I. This effect could not be reversed by compensating for the change in global charge that had been introduced by the mutation, indicating a specific role for K8 in the formation of the electron transfer complex between cyt c6 and photosystem I. Replacement of D72 by asparagine or lysine increased the efficiency of electron transfer to photosystem I, but destabilized the protein. D72 apparently participates in electrostatic interactions that stabilize the structure of cyt c6. The destabilizing effect was reduced when aspartate was replaced by the small amino acid alanine. Complementing the mutation D72A with a charge neutralization or inversion at position K8 led to mutant forms of cyt c6 that were more stable than the wild-type under all tested conditions. [source] R120G ,B-crystallin promotes the unfolding of reduced ,-lactalbumin and is inherently unstableFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 3 2005Teresa M. Treweek ,-Crystallin is the principal lens protein which, in addition to its structural role, also acts as a molecular chaperone, to prevent aggregation and precipitation of other lens proteins. One of its two subunits, ,B-crystallin, is also expressed in many nonlenticular tissues, and a natural missense mutation, R120G, has been associated with cataract and desmin-related myopathy, a disorder of skeletal muscles [Vicart P, Caron A, Guicheney P, Li Z, Prevost MC, Faure A, Chateau D, Chapon F, Tome F, Dupret JM, Paulin D & Fardeau M (1998) Nat Genet20, 92,95]. In the present study, real-time 1H-NMR spectroscopy showed that the ability of R120G ,B-crystallin to stabilize the partially folded, molten globule state of ,-lactalbumin was significantly reduced in comparison with wild-type ,B-crystallin. The mutant showed enhanced interaction with, and promoted unfolding of, reduced ,-lactalbumin, but showed limited chaperone activity for other target proteins. Using NMR spectroscopy, gel electrophoresis, and MS, we observed that, unlike the wild-type protein, R120G ,B-crystallin is intrinsically unstable in solution, with unfolding of the protein over time leading to aggregation and progressive truncation from the C-terminus. Light scattering, MS, and size-exclusion chromatography data indicated that R120G ,B-crystallin exists as a larger oligomer than wild-type ,B-crystallin, and its size increases with time. It is likely that removal of the positive charge from R120 of ,B-crystallin causes partial unfolding, increased exposure of hydrophobic regions, and enhances its susceptibility to proteolysis, thus reducing its solubility and promoting its aggregation and complexation with other proteins. These characteristics may explain the involvement of R120G ,B-crystallin with human disease states. [source] Role of electrostatics in the interaction between plastocyanin and photosystem I of the cyanobacterium Phormidium laminosumFEBS JOURNAL, Issue 23 2002Beatrix G. Schlarb-Ridley The interactions between photosystem I and five charge mutants of plastocyanin from the cyanobacterium Phormidium laminosum were investigated in vitro. The dependence of the overall rate constant of reaction, k2, on ionic strength was investigated using laser flash photolysis. The rate constant of the wild-type reaction increased with ionic strength, indicating repulsion between the reaction partners. Removing a negative charge on plastocyanin (D44A) accelerated the reaction and made it independent of ionic strength; removing a positive charge adjacent to D44 (K53A) had little effect. Neutralizing and inverting the charge on R93 slowed the reaction down and increased the repulsion. Specific effects of MgCl2 were observed for mutants K53A, R93Q and R93E. Thermodynamic analysis of the transition state revealed positive activation entropies, suggesting partial desolvation of the interface in the transition state. In comparison with plants, plastocyanin and photosystem I of Phormidium laminosum react slowly at low ionic strength, whereas the two systems have similar rates in the range of physiological salt concentrations. We conclude that in P. laminosum, in contrast with plants in vitro, hydrophobic interactions are more important than electrostatics for the reactions of plastocyanin, both with photosystem I (this paper) and with cytochrome f[Schlarb-Ridley, B.G., Bendall, D.S. & Howe, C.J. (2002) Biochemistry41, 3279,3285]. We discuss the implications of this conclusion for the divergent evolution of cyanobacterial and plant plastocyanins. [source] Near IR Sensitization of Organic Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells: Towards Optimization of the Spectral Response of Organic Solar CellsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 2 2010Markus Koppe Abstract The spectroscopic response of a poly(3-hexylthiophene)/[6,6]-phenyl-C61 -butyric acid methyl ester (P3HT/PCBM)-based bulk heterojunction solar cell is extended into the near infrared region (NIR) of the spectrum by adding the low bandgap polymer poly[2,6-(4,4-bis-(2-ethylhexyl)-4H -cyclopenta[2,1- b;3,4- b´]-dithiophene)- alt -4,7-(2,1,3-benzothiadiazole)] [PCPDTBT] to the blend. The dominant mechanism behind the enhanced photosensitivity of the ternary blend is found to be a two-step process: first, an ultrafast and efficient photoinduced charge transfer generates positive charges on P3HT and PCPDTBT and a negative charge on PCBM. In a second step, the positive charge on PCPDTBT is transferred to P3HT. Thus, P3HT serves two purposes. On the one hand it is involved in the generation of charge carriers by the photoinduced electron transfer to PCBM, and, on the other hand, it forms the charge transport matrix for the positive carriers transferred from PCPDTBT. Other mechanisms, such as energy transfer or photoinduced charge transfer directly between the two polymers, are found to be absent or negligible. [source] Lipid-Like Nanoparticles for Small Interfering RNA Delivery to Endothelial CellsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 19 2009Seung-Woo Cho Abstract Here, nanoparticles composed of lipid-like materials (lipidoids) to facilitate non-viral delivery of small interfering RNA (siRNA) to endothelial cells (ECs) are developed. Nanoparticles composed of siRNA and lipidoids with small size (,200,nm) and positive charge (,34,mV) are formed by self-assembly of lipidoids and siRNA. Ten lipidoids are synthesized and screened for their ability to facilitate the delivery of siRNA into ECs. Particles composed of leading lipidoids show significantly better delivery to ECs than a leading commercially available transfection reagent, Lipofectamine 2000. As a model of potential therapeutic application, nanoparticles composed of the top performing lipidoid, NA114, are studied for their ability to deliver siRNA targeting anti-angiogenic factor (SHP-1) to human ECs. Silencing of SHP-1 expression significantly enhances EC proliferation and decreases EC apoptosis under a simulated ischemic condition. [source] Combined Effect of Nitrogen- and Oxygen-Containing Functional Groups of Microporous Activated Carbon on its Electrochemical Performance in SupercapacitorsADVANCED FUNCTIONAL MATERIALS, Issue 3 2009Denisa Hulicova-Jurcakova Abstract Microporous activated carbon originating from coconut shell, as received or oxidized with nitric acid, is treated with melamine and urea and heated to 950,°C in an inert atmosphere to modify the carbon surface with nitrogen- and oxygen-containing groups for a systematic investigation of their combined effect on electrochemical performance in 1,M H2SO4 supercapacitors. The chemistry of the samples is characterized using elemental analysis, Boehm titration, potentiometric titration, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Sorption of nitrogen and carbon dioxide is used to determine the textural properties. The results show that the surface chemistry is affected by the type of nitrogen precursor and the specific groups present on the surface before the treatment leading to the incorporation of nitrogen. Analysis of the electrochemical behavior of urea- and melamine-treated samples reveal pseudocapacitance from both the oxygen and the nitrogen containing functional groups located in the pores larger than 10,Å. On the other hand, pores between 5,Å and 6,Å are most effective in a double-layer formation, which correlates well with the size of hydrated ions. Although the quaternary and pyridinic-N-oxides nitrogen groups have enhancing effects on capacitance due to the positive charge, and thus an improved electron transfer at high current loads, the most important functional groups affecting energy storage performance are pyrrolic and pyridinic nitrogen along with quinone oxygen. [source] Space Charge Measurement in MgO/LDPE Nanocomposite up to Breakdown under DC Ramp VoltageIEEJ TRANSACTIONS ON ELECTRICAL AND ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING, Issue 4 2010Yoshinobu Murakami Member Abstract To understand the basic electric properties of nanosized magnesium oxide (MgO)/low-density polyethylene (LDPE) nanocomposites under an applied DC voltage, the DC breakdown strength and space charge up to the breakdown under a DC ramp voltage were investigated. Compared to that of the LDPE sample, the sample containing a MgO nanofiller (hereafter, called a nanocomposite) had a higher DC breakdown strength. In the case of the LDPE sample, the homo charges, which contained a large negative charge and a small positive charge, were only observed near the electrodes just prior to breakdown. However, in the case of the nanocomposite sample, the positive charge increased as the average field increased until the average field reached a certain value. After that, the positive charge decreased as the average field increased until breakdown occurred. The field enhancement rate (=maximum field/average field) of the nanocomposite sample increased with the average field, until it became saturated. After peaking, the field enhancement rate of the nanocomposite sample decreased as the average field increased. These observations suggest that, instead of the MgO nanofiller suppressing the electronic avalanche, it suppresses the conduction current, which was determined by the space charge, leading to the higher DC breakdown strength. Copyright © 2010 Institute of Electrical Engineers of Japan. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. [source] Effect of self-assemblies of various surfactants in their single and mixed states on the BZ oscillatory reactionINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CHEMICAL KINETICS, Issue 11 2010Muzaffar Hussain Najar Micelles of different surfactants are well known to affect chemical equilibria and reactivities by selectively sequestering the reagent substrates through electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions. In this article, the effects of micelles of various surfactants on different parameters of the Ce(IV)-catalyzed Belousov,Zhabotinsky (BZ) oscillatory reaction at 35°C in nonstirred closed conditions are studied by employing spectrophotometry and tensiometry. Surfactants used in this study are the cationics hexadecyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) and pentamethylene-1,5-bis(N -hexadecyl- N,N -dimethylammonium)bromide gemini (Gemini), anionic sodium dodecylbenzene sulfonate (SDBS), and nonionic Brij58, whereas the binary surfactant systems used are cationic,nonionic CTAB+Brij58 and anionic,nonionic SDBS+Brij58. The results revealed that the induction period shows a definite variation with increasing concentration of different surfactants above their critical micelle concentration (cmc). The amplitudes of oscillation and absorbance maxima and minima are enhanced in the presence of micelles of CTAB and Gemini surfactants, whereas micelles of SDBS and Brij58 have almost no effect on the nature of the oscillations. However, mixed micelles of CTAB+Brij58 and SDBS+Brij58 binary mixtures show a quite different effect on the overall behavior of the oscillations. The enhanced effect of CTAB and Gemini surfactants on the overall nature of oscillations has been attributed to the positive charge on the surface of their micelles and to some extent on the presence of nitrogen in their head group. The effect of mixed binary micelles may be attributed to their synergistic nature. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Chem Kinet 42: 659,668, 2010 [source] Donor-Stabilized Phosphenium Adducts as New Efficient and Immobilizing Ligands in Palladium-Catalyzed Alkynylation and Platinum-Catalyzed Hydrogenation in Ionic LiquidsADVANCED SYNTHESIS & CATALYSIS (PREVIOUSLY: JOURNAL FUER PRAKTISCHE CHEMIE), Issue 10 2009Samer Saleh Abstract The straightforward synthesis of a new donor-stabilized phosphenium ligand 3d by addition of bromodifurylphosphine to 1,3-dimethylimidazolium-2-carboxylate 1 is described. The obtained ligand exhibits a very strong ,-acceptor character, comparable to that of triphenyl phosphite [P(OPh)3] or of tris-halogenophosphines, with a ,CO(A1) at 2087,cm,1 for its nickel tricarbonyl complex. This ligand, as well as the related 3a which was obtained from chlorodiphenylphosphine, were tested in palladium-catalyzed aryl alkynylation and in the platinum-catalyzed selective hydrogenation of chloronitrobenzenes, both in an ionic liquid phase. In CC bond cross-coupling we observed that the increase of the ,-acceptor character in ligand 3d, due to the introduction of an additional electron-withdrawing group, provides a very efficient catalyst in the alkynylation reaction of aryl bromides with phenylacetylene, including the deactivated 4-bromoanisole or the sterically hindered 2-bromonaphthalene. The catalytic activity decreases with recycling due to the sensitiveness of ligands to protonation in the ionic phase. Conversely, a multiple recycling of the metal/ligand system in non-acidic media was achieved from platinum-catalyzed hydrogenation of m- chloronitrobenzene. The catalytic results obtained by employing the complex of platinum(II) chloride with 3a [trans -PtCl2(3a)2] in comparison with the non-ionic related trans -tris(triphenylphosphine)platinum dichloride [trans -PtCl2(PPh3)2] complex clearly indicate that the simultaneous existence of a strong ,-acceptor character and a positive charge within the ligand 3a significantly increases the life-time of the platinum catalyst. The selectivity of the reaction is also improved by decreasing the undesirable formation of dehalogenation products. This cationic platinum complex trans -PtCl2(3a)2 is the first example of a highly selective catalyst for hydrogenation of chloronitroarenes immobilized in an ionic liquid phase. The system was recycled six times without noticeable metal leaching in the organic phase, and no loss of activity. [source] Hydrodenitrification with PdCu Catalysts: Catalyst Optimization by Experimental and Quantum Chemical ApproachesISRAEL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 1 2006Irena Efremenko A continuous process for nitrate and nitrite abatement from drinking water by catalytic hydrogenation has been developed in our lab. We describe the experimental process development procedure, and support it with semiempirical quantum chemical methods. Comparisons of activated carbon (ACC) and silica glass fiber (GFC) cloths as supports for mono- and bimetallic Pd-Cu catalysts show the former to be 45-fold and 15-fold more active for nitrite and nitrate hydrogenation, respectively, than the latter. Catalysts prepared by selective deposition of Cu on Pd/ACC led to better activity for nitrate hydrogenation than catalysts prepared by co-impregnation or ion exchange methods. The optimal Cu:Pd atomic ratio was found to be 1:2. The computational results show the following: (i) The dispersion of Pd catalysts supported on ACC is much higher than that on GFC due to the larger surface area and higher density of adsorption sites, and that accounts for the higher activity of PdCu/ACC; (ii) Nanosized Pd particles supported on ACC have a semispherical shape and possess preferentially close-packed triangular surfaces, while Pd/GFC particles are extended in the direction parallel to the support surface and show both fcc (100) and (111) planes; (iii) The interaction of Cu atoms with both supports is stronger than that of Pd; adsorbed Cu atoms show a greater ability to form monometallic than bimetallic bonds and that should result in poor mixing of the metal upon co-impregnation, as was observed experimentally; (iv) Cu atoms in bimetallic PdCu particles admit a significant positive charge; the experimentally measured solubility of metal atoms correlates with their calculated charges. The best catalyst (2 wt%Pd-0.6 wt%Cu/ACC) was employed in a novel continuous flow reactor for nitrate hydrogenation in distilled and tap water. The advantages of the reactor investigated over a conventional packed bed reactor are discussed, suggesting a potential for further process intensification. [source] A generalized exo -anomeric effect.ISRAEL JOURNAL OF CHEMISTRY, Issue 3-4 2000Substituent, solvent effects on the conformational equilibria of 2-(arylseleno)cyclohexanones The effects of substitution and solvent on the conformational equilibria of 2-[(4-R-substituted-phenyl)seleno]cyclohexanones are described. The conformational equilibria were determined by comparison of the linewidths of the H-2 resonances in the 1H NMR spectra of the conformationally averaged systems with those of the anancomeric (highly biased) 4-isopropyl-2-substituted cyclohexanones. The substituent (R = NMe2, OMe, Me, H, F, Cl, CF3, NO2) and solvent ((CD3)2CO, CD3CN, CD2Cl2, CDCl3) effects are discussed in terms of electrostatic effects and the possible stabilizing orbital interactions. The values of Keq (axial-equatorial) increase as the substituent becomes more electron withdrawing, in agreement with the dominance of nSe , ,*C=O or ,C-Se , ,*C=O orbital interactions in the axial conformers. The increase in the proportion of the equatorial isomers in more polar solvents for a given substituent suggests a damping of the dipolar interactions in the equatorial isomers. However, the proportion of the equatorial isomers in a given solvent increases as the substituent becomes more electron withdrawing, indicating that electrostatic interactions do not dominate in controlling the conformational equilibria. Analysis of the equilibrium data by means of a dual substituent parameter approach indicates the best correlation with ,I and ,+R substituent constants in CD2Cl2 and with ,I and ,°R substituent constants in CD3CN, with similar sensitivities to the resonance and polar effects. The correlations are interpreted in terms of accommodation of effective positive charge on the selenium atom in the axial isomers in CD2Cl2, and a lesser sensitivity to the buildup of positive charge in the more polar solvent CD3CN. Comparison of the IR ,CO -stretching frequencies for the axial and equatorial ArSe-substituted anancomeric systems (R = NO2, NMe2) indicates a higher stretching frequency for the NO2 -substituted isomers. In the case of the NMe2 -substituted compounds, ,CO appears at a higher frequency in the equatorial isomer, whereas in the case of the NO2 -substituted compounds, ,CO is less sensitive to the axial or equatorial orientation of the substituent. The results are consistent with the operation of nse , ,*c=0 or ,C-Se , ,*C=O orbital interactions in the axial isomers. The JC2-H2 values in the axially-substituted anancomeric isomers are of greater magnitude than those in the equatorially-substituted isomers, which is also consistent with the operation of the orbital interactions described above. There is, however, no marked substituent effect on the JC2,H2 values within the series of axial or equatorial isomers. We argue that this does not support the dominance of ,C-Se , ,*C=O orbital interactions. Examination of crystal structures reported in the literature for related compounds indicates a particular gauche orientation about the C2,Se bond, which lends further support to the operation of an nSe , ,*C=O orbital interaction. We suggest that the latter interaction is a manifestation of a generalized exo -anomeric effect. [source] Gas phase behavior of radical cations of perfluoroalkyl-1,2,4-triazines: an experimental and theoretical studyJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 9 2009Gianluca Giorgi Abstract Electron ionization mass spectrometry and low-energy collision-induced decomposition reactions occurring in a tridimensional ion trap, together with density functional theory (DFT) calculations on neutrals, even- and odd-electron cations, have been used to study the gas-phase ion chemistry of a series of perfluoroalkyl-1,2,4-triazines. Loss of oxygen, due to thermal degradation occurring before ionization, likely involving the hydroxylamino group, has been observed. Compounds having a carbonyl group at position 6 of the triazine ring fragment in the source by elimination of NO followed by HF or CO. The decomposition pathways occurring due to CID experiments have shown interesting features depending on the nature and structure of precursor ions. Most of them involve elimination of endocyclic atoms, thereby producing contraction of the original six-membered ring or formation of acyclic structures. DFT (B3LYP/6-31G(d,p)) calculations have been used for evaluating structure, stability and properties of neutral and ionic species involved in gas-phase processes. In particular, it has been calculated that in the molecular ion the unpaired electron is mainly located on the exocyclic nitrogen, while the positive charge is on the C(6) carbon atom. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Quantitative peptidomics of mouse pituitary: comparison of different stable isotopic tagsJOURNAL OF MASS SPECTROMETRY (INCORP BIOLOGICAL MASS SPECTROMETRY), Issue 2 2005Fa-Yun Che Abstract Determining the relative levels of neuropeptides in two samples is important for many biological studies. An efficient, sensitive and accurate technique for relative quantitative analysis involves tagging the peptides in the two samples with isotopically distinct labels, pooling the samples and analyzing them using liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS). In this study, we compared two different sets of isotopic tags for analysis of endogenous mouse pituitary peptides: succinic anhydride with either four hydrogens or deuteriums and [3-(2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yloxycarbonyl)propyl]trimethylammonium chloride with either nine hydrogens or deuteriums. These two labels react with amines and impart either a negative charge (succinyl) or a positive charge (4-trimethylammoniumbutyryl (TMAB)). Every endogenous mouse pituitary peptide labeled with the light TMAB reagent eluted from the C18 reversed-phase column at essentially the same time as the corresponding peptide labeled with the heavy reagent. Most of the peptides labeled with succinyl groups also showed co-elution of the heavy- and light-labeled forms on LC/MS. The mass difference between the heavy and light TMAB reagents (9 Da per label) was larger than that of the heavy and light succinyl labels (4 Da per label), and for some peptides the larger mass difference provided more accurate determination of the relative abundance of each form. Altogether, using both labels, 82 peptides were detected in Cpefat/fat mouse pituitary extracts. Of these, only 16 were detected with both labels, 41 were detected only with the TMAB label and 25 were detected only with the succinyl label. A number of these peptides were de novo sequenced using low-energy collisional tandem mass spectrometry. Whereas the succinyl group was stable to the collision-induced dissociation of the peptide, the TMAB-labeled peptides lost 59 Da per H9 TMAB group. Several peptides identified in this analysis represent previously undescribed post-translational processing products of known pituitary prohormones. In conclusion, both succinyl and TMAB isotopic labels are useful for quantitative peptidomics, and together these two labels provide more complete coverage of the endogenous peptides. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Acetylcholinesterase inhibitors from Stephania venosa tuberJOURNAL OF PHARMACY AND PHARMACOLOGY: AN INTERNATI ONAL JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCE, Issue 5 2006Kornkanok Ingkaninan Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibitors have lately gained interest as potential drugs in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Three AChE inhibitors were isolated from tubers of a Thai medicinal plant, Stephania venosa (Bl) Spreng. They were identified as quaternary protoberberine alkaloids, stepharanine, cyclanoline and N -methyl stepholidine. They expressed inhibitory activity on AChE with IC50 values (concentration that caused 50% inhibition of activity) of 14.1K ± 0.81, 9.23 ± 3.47 and 31.30 ± 3.67 ,M, respectively. The AChE inhibitory activity of these compounds was compared with those of the related compounds, palmatine, jatrorrhizine and berberine, as well as tertiary protoberberine alkaloids isolated from the same plant, stepholidine and corydalmine. The results suggest that the positive charge at the nitrogen of the tetrahydroisoquinoline portion, steric substitution at the nitrogen, planarity of the molecule or substitutions at C-2, ,3, ,9, and ,10 affect the AChE inhibitory activity of protoberberine alkaloids. [source] Ionic liquids as mobile phase additives for high-performance liquid chromatography separation of phenoxy acid herbicides and phenolsJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 23-24 2009Xialin Hu Abstract In this present study, 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C4MIM]Cl), 1-octyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C8MIM]Cl), and 1-decyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride ([C10MIM]Cl) were adopted as mobile phase additives in the high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to simultaneously separate phenoxy acid herbicides and phenols at neutral pH. It was found that by using 20,mM of [C4MIM]Cl, baseline separation and good chromatograms for all the acid compounds were obtained on a normal reversed-phase C18 column. The retention time of the target acid compounds shortened with the increase of the alkyl chain length and the concentrations of ionic liquids, probably due to the delocalization of the positive charge on the imidazolium cation, the repulsion between chlorine ions of ionic liquids and the acid compounds, as well as the stereo-hindrance effect. The mechanism with ionic liquids as mobile additives for the separation of acid compounds was discussed. [source] Ion-pair mediated transport of small model peptides in liquid phase micro extraction under acidic conditionsJOURNAL OF SEPARATION SCIENCE, JSS, Issue 3 2005J. Léon E. Reubsaet Abstract This paper discusses the behaviour of five small model peptides in a three phase (aqueous donor-organic-aqueous acceptor) liquid phase micro extraction system in relation to their physico-chemical properties (charge, hydrophobicity). It is proved that for all peptides transport over the organic phase is mediated by aliphatic sulphonic acids. Heptane-1-sulphonic acid gave the best overall recoveries. It appeared that peptides with hydrophobic properties (IPI) and a high number of positive charges (KYK) show good recoveries and are enriched in the acceptor phase. Variation in the pH (1.6,4.4) of the donor phase shows that there are peptide-dependent optimal pH-values for their recovery. Increasing pH in the acceptor phase shows that in most cases the recovery decreases due to decreased ion-pair mediated membrane transport. For KYK the partition between the organic phase and the aqueous acceptor-phase is also driven by the solubility in the aqueous acceptor phase. Increase of the ion strength of the acceptor phase did not affect the recovery of the peptides. Except for KYK, which showed decreased recovery when the ion strength increased. Another finding is that delocalisation of positive charge causes bad recovery, probably due to incomplete ion-pair-peptide complex formation. [source] Electrokinetic Properties of Nanosized SiC Particles in Highly Concentrated Electrolyte SolutionsJOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN CERAMIC SOCIETY, Issue 7 2001Sheng-Chang Wang In this research, the electrokinetic behavior and stability of nanosized SiC particles suspended in various electroplating solutions were studied. Analyses were performed using electrophoretic mobility photometry and streaming current (SC) techniques. The electrolytes included NiCl2, Ni(SO3NH2)2, and Na3Co(NO2)6, which are currently used in composite plating solutions with concentrations as high as 0.5M. The results showed that the adsorption of dissolved Ni2+ ions onto the surface of the SiC in the pH range 4,8 changed the sign and magnitude of the surface potential. Moreover, trivalent complex species Co(NO2)63, replaced nickel species on the SiC surface and decreased the surface charge of SiC to between pH 3 and pH 5. Even in a highly concentrated electrolyte solution, the SiC particles still maintained a positive charge in a Ni(SO3NH2)2 suspension with nickel coplating on the cathode. The difference between the SC reading and the zeta potential, as well as the surface adsorption of various species onto the SiC, are discussed here. [source] Local existence for the one-dimensional Vlasov,Poisson system with infinite massMATHEMATICAL METHODS IN THE APPLIED SCIENCES, Issue 5 2007Stephen Pankavich Abstract A collisionless plasma is modelled by the Vlasov,Poisson system in one dimension. We consider the situation in which mobile negative ions balance a fixed background of positive charge, which is independent of space and time, as ,x, , ,. Thus, the total positive charge and the total negative charge are both infinite. Smooth solutions with appropriate asymptotic behaviour are shown to exist locally in time, and criteria for the continuation of these solutions are established. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Functional analysis of the large periplasmic loop of the Escherichia coli K-12 WaaL O-antigen ligaseMOLECULAR MICROBIOLOGY, Issue 6 2008José M. Pérez Summary WaaL is a membrane enzyme implicated in ligating undecaprenyl-diphosphate (Und-PP)-linked O antigen to lipid A-core oligosaccharide. We determined the periplasmic location of a large (EL5) and small (EL4) adjacent loops in the Escherichia coli K-12 WaaL. Structural models of the EL5 from the K-12, R1 and R4 E. coli ligases were generated by molecular dynamics. Despite the poor amino acid sequence conservation among these proteins, the models afforded similar folds consisting of two pairs of almost perpendicular ,-helices. One ,-helix in each pair contributes a histidine and an arginine facing each other, which are highly conserved in WaaL homologues. Mutations in either residue rendered WaaL non-functional, since mutant proteins were unable to restore O antigen surface expression. Replacements of residues located away from the putative catalytic centre and non-conserved residues within the centre itself did not affect ligation. Furthermore, replacing a highly conserved arginine in EL4 with various amino acids inactivates WaaL function, but functionality reappears when the positive charge is restored by a replacement with lysine. These results lead us to propose that the conserved amino acids in the two adjacent periplasmic loops could interact with Und-PP, which is the common component in all WaaL substrates. [source] Phosphate uptake in Chara: membrane transport via Na/Pi cotransportPLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 2 2000R. J. Reid ABSTRACT Phosphate uptake in the freshwater charophyte plant Chara corallina was found to be strongly dependent on the presence of Na in the external medium. Based on the reciprocal stimulations of 32Pi uptake by Na and 22Na uptake by Pi, the logical mechanism for Pi uptake appears to be a nNa/Pi symport with a half-maximal stimulation (Km) for Na of approximately 300 ,M and a Km for Pi of approximately 10 ,M. Comparison of the stimulations of 32Pi and 22Na influxes at pH 6 gives a stoichiometry of Na : Pi of 5·68. The reduction in Pi influx with increasing pH is consistent with the transported species being the monovalent H2PO4,. In voltage-clamp experiments, currents elicited by Pi in the presence of Na were equivalent to an influx of positive charge which exceeded the measured influxes of 32P by a factor of 6·26. Intracellular perfusion was used to examine the dependence of Pi influx on ATP and Na. In perfused cells, Pi influx was low when ATP was absent from the internal medium or Na was absent from the external medium. Addition of ATP alone had little effect whereas addition of Na alone increased the 32Pi influx slightly. Addition of both ATP and Na together restored Pi influx to rates comparable to those of intact cells. It is suggested that the ATP is required for membrane hyperpolarization which in turn drives the highly electrogenic flux of Pi with up to 6 Na. However, consideration of the electrochemical potential differences for Na and Pi at pH less than 6 shows that nNa/Pi would not be feasible. It is suggested that at low pH, H+ may substitute for Na. [source] Analysis of the plasticity of location of the Arg244 positive charge within the active site of the TEM-1 ,-lactamasePROTEIN SCIENCE, Issue 10 2009David C. Marciano Abstract A large number of ,-lactamases have emerged that are capable of conferring bacterial resistance to ,-lactam antibiotics. Comparison of the structural and functional features of this family has refined understanding of the catalytic properties of these enzymes. An arginine residue present at position 244 in TEM-1 ,-lactamase interacts with the carboxyl group common to penicillin and cephalosporin antibiotics and thereby stabilizes both the substrate and transition state complexes. A comparison of class A ,-lactamase sequences reveals that arginine at position 244 is not conserved, although a positive charge at this structural location is conserved and is provided by an arginine at positions 220 or 276 for those enzymes lacking arginine at position 244. The plasticity of the location of positive charge in the ,-lactamase active site was experimentally investigated by relocating the arginine at position 244 in TEM-1 ,-lactamase to positions 220, 272, and 276 by site-directed mutagenesis. Kinetic analysis of the engineered ,-lactamases revealed that removal of arginine 244 by alanine mutation reduced catalytic efficiency against all substrates tested and restoration of an arginine at positions 272 or 276 partially suppresses the catalytic defect of the Arg244Ala substitution. These results suggest an evolutionary mechanism for the observed divergence of the position of positive charge in the active site of class A ,-lactamases. [source] Influence of substituent groups at the 3-position on the mass spectral fragmentation pathways of cephalosporinsRAPID COMMUNICATIONS IN MASS SPECTROMETRY, Issue 14 2010Jin Li The structural fragment ions of nine cephalosporins were studied by electrospray ionization quadrapole trap mass spectrometry (Q-Trap MSn) in positive mode. The influence of substituent groups in the 3-position on fragmentation pathway B, an ,-cleavage between the C7C8 single bond, coupled with a [2,4]-trans-Diels-Alder cleavage simultaneously within the six-membered heterocyclic ring, was also investigated. It was found that when the substituent groups were methyl, chloride, vinyl, or propenyl, fragmentations belonging to pathway B were detected; however, when the substituents were heteroatoms such as O, N, or S, pathway B fragmentation was not detected. This suggested that the [M,R3]+ ion, which was produced by the bond cleavage within the substituent group at the 3-position, had a key influence on fragmentation pathway B. This could be attributed to the strong electronegativity of the heteroatoms (O, N, S) that favors the production of the [M,R3]+ ion. Moreover, having the positive charge of the [M,R3]+ ion localized on the nitrogen atom in the 1-position changed the electron density distribution of the heterocyclic structure, which prohibits a [2,4]-reverse-Diels-Alder fragmentation and as a result fragmentation pathway B could not occur. The influence of the substituent group in the 3-position was determined by the intensity ratio (e/d) of ions produced by fragmentation pathway A, a [2,2]-trans-Diels-Alder cleavage within the quaternary lactam ring, including the breaking of the amide bond and the C6C7 single bond (ion d), and fragmentation pathway B (ion e). The results indicate that the electronegativity of the substituent group was a key influencing factor of pathway B fragmentation intensity, because the intensity ratio (e/d) is higher for a chlorine atom, a vinyl, or a propenyl group than that of a methyl group. This study provided some theoretical basis for the identification of cephalosporin antibiotics and structural analysis of related substances in drugs. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||