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Sample records for intramolecular disulfide bonds

  1. Regulation of interleukin-4 signaling by extracellular reduction of intramolecular disulfides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Curbo, Sophie; Gaudin, Raphael; Carlsten, Mattias; Malmberg, Karl-Johan; Troye-Blomberg, Marita; Ahlborg, Niklas; Karlsson, Anna; Johansson, Magnus; Lundberg, Mathias

    2009-01-01

    Interleukin-4 (IL-4) contains three structurally important intramolecular disulfides that are required for the bioactivity of the cytokine. We show that the cell surface of HeLa cells and endotoxin-activated monocytes can reduce IL-4 intramolecular disulfides in the extracellular space and inhibit binding of IL-4 to the IL-4Rα receptor. IL-4 disulfides were in vitro reduced by thioredoxin 1 (Trx1) and protein disulfide isomerase (PDI). Reduction of IL-4 disulfides by the cell surface of HeLa cells was inhibited by auranofin, an inhibitor of thioredoxin reductase that is an electron donor to both Trx1 and PDI. Both Trx1 and PDI have been shown to be located at the cell surface and our data suggests that these enzymes are involved in catalyzing reduction of IL-4 disulfides. The pro-drug N-acetylcysteine (NAC) that promotes T-helper type 1 responses was also shown to mediate the reduction of IL-4 disulfides. Our data provides evidence for a novel redox dependent pathway for regulation of cytokine activity by extracellular reduction of intramolecular disulfides at the cell surface by members of the thioredoxin enzyme family.

  2. Disulfide bond within mu-calpain active site inhibits activity and autolysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lametsch, René; Lonergan, Steven; Huff-Lonergan, Elisabeth

    2008-09-01

    Oxidative processes have the ability to influence mu-calpain activity. In the present study the influence of oxidation on activity and autolysis of mu-calpain was examined. Furthermore, LC-MS/MS analysis was employed to identify and characterize protein modifications caused by oxidation. The results revealed that the activity of mu-calpain is diminished by oxidation with H2O2 in a reversible manner involving cysteine and that the rate of autolysis of mu-calpain concomitantly slowed. The LC-MS/MS analysis of the oxidized mu-calpain revealed that the amino acid residues 105-133 contained a disulfide bond between Cys(108) and Cys(115). The finding that the active site cysteine in mu-calpain is able to form a disulfide bond has, to our knowledge, not been reported before. This could be part of a unique oxidation mechanism for mu-calpain. The results also showed that the formation of the disulfide bond is limited in the control (no oxidant added), and further limited in a concentration-dependent manner when beta-mercaptoethanol is added. However, the disulfide bond is still present to some extent in all conditions indicating that the active site cysteine is potentially highly susceptible to the formation of this intramolecular disulfide bond.

  3. Additional disulfide bonds in insulin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vinther, Tine N; Pettersson, Ingrid; Huus, Kasper

    2015-01-01

    The structure of insulin, a glucose homeostasis-controlling hormone, is highly conserved in all vertebrates and stabilized by three disulfide bonds. Recently, we designed a novel insulin analogue containing a fourth disulfide bond located between positions A10-B4. The N-terminus of insulin's B......-chain is flexible and can adapt multiple conformations. We examined how well disulfide bond predictions algorithms could identify disulfide bonds in this region of insulin. In order to identify stable insulin analogues with additional disulfide bonds, which could be expressed, the Cβ cut-off distance had...... in comparison to analogues with additional disulfide bonds that were more difficult to predict. In contrast, addition of the fourth disulfide bond rendered all analogues resistant to fibrillation under stress conditions and all stable analogues bound to the insulin receptor with picomolar affinities. Thus...

  4. Radiation-induced cleavage of disulfide bonds in proteins. Clivage radiolytique des ponts disulfure des proteines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Favaudon, V; Tourbez, H; Lhoste, J M [Paris-11 Univ., 91 - Orsay (FR); Houee-Levin, C [Paris-5 Univ., 75 (FR)

    1991-06-01

    The reduction of the disulfide bonds in apo-Riboflavin-Binding Protein (apoRBP) by the CO{sub 2}{sup -}{center dot} radical occurred under {gamma}-ray irradiation as a chain reaction whose efficiency increased upon acidification of the medium. Pulse-radiolysis analysis showed a rapid one-electron oxidation of the disulfide bonds yielding the anionic or protonated form of the disulfide radical. The main decay path of this radical under acidic conditions consisted of the rapid formation of a thiyl radical intermediate in equilibrium with the closed, cyclic form. At pH 8 the disulfide radical anion decayed via intramolecular and/or intermolecular routes including disproportionation, protein-protein crosslinking, non-dismutative recombination processes, and reaction with sulfhydryl groups in pre-reduced systems.

  5. EThcD Discrimination of Isomeric Leucine/Isoleucine Residues in Sequencing of the Intact Skin Frog Peptides with Intramolecular Disulfide Bond

    Science.gov (United States)

    Samgina, Tatiana Yu; Kovalev, Sergey V.; Tolpina, Miriam D.; Trebse, Polonca; Torkar, Gregor; Lebedev, Albert T.

    2018-05-01

    Our scientific interests involve de novo sequencing of non-tryptic natural amphibian skin peptides including those with intramolecular S-S bond by means of exclusively mass spectrometry. Reliable discrimination of the isomeric leucine/isoleucine residues during peptide sequencing by means of mass spectrometry represents a bottleneck in the workflow for complete automation of the primary structure elucidation of these compounds. MS3 is capable of solving the problem. Earlier we demonstrated the advanced efficiency of ETD-HCD method to discriminate Leu/Ile in individual peptides by consecutive application of ETD to the polyprotonated peptides followed by HCD applied to the manually selected primary z-ions with the targeted isomeric residues at their N-termini and registration of the characteristic w-ions. Later this approach was extended to deal with several (4-7) broad band mass ranges, without special isolation of the primary z-ions. The present paper demonstrates an advanced version of this method when EThcD is applied in the whole mass range to a complex mixture of natural non-tryptic peptides without their separation and intermediate isolation of the targeted z-ions. The proposed EThcD method showed over 81% efficiency for the large natural peptides with intact disulfide ring, while the interfering process of radical site migration is suppressed. Due to higher speed and sensitivity, the proposed EThcD approach facilitates the analytical procedure and allows for the automation of the entire experiment and data processing. Moreover, in some cases it gives a chance to establish the nature of the residues in the intact intramolecular disulfide loops. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  6. Amino Acid Patterns around Disulfide Bonds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Brett Drury

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available Disulfide bonds provide an inexhaustible source of information on molecular evolution and biological specificity. In this work, we described the amino acid composition around disulfide bonds in a set of disulfide-rich proteins using appropriate descriptors, based on ANOVA (for all twenty natural amino acids or classes of amino acids clustered according to their chemical similarities and Scheffé (for the disulfide-rich proteins superfamilies statistics. We found that weakly hydrophilic and aromatic amino acids are quite abundant in the regions around disulfide bonds, contrary to aliphatic and hydrophobic amino acids. The density distributions (as a function of the distance to the center of the disulfide bonds for all defined entities presented an overall unimodal behavior: the densities are null at short distances, have maxima at intermediate distances and decrease for long distances. In the end, the amino acid environment around the disulfide bonds was found to be different for different superfamilies, allowing the clustering of proteins in a biologically relevant way, suggesting that this type of chemical information might be used as a tool to assess the relationship between very divergent sets of disulfide-rich proteins.

  7. Synthesis of Reusable Silica Nanosphere-Supported Pt(IV Complex for Formation of Disulfide Bonds in Peptides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiaonan Hou

    2017-02-01

    Full Text Available Some peptide-based drugs, including oxytocin, vasopressin, ziconotide, pramlintide, nesiritide, and octreotide, contain one intramolecular disulfide bond. A novel and reusable monodispersed silica nanosphere-supported Pt(IV complex (SiO2@TPEA@Pt(IV; TPEA: N-[3-(trimethoxysilylpropyl]ethylenediamine was synthesized via a four-step procedure and was used for the formation of intramolecular disulfide bonds in peptides. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM and chemical mapping results for the Pt(II intermediates and for SiO2@TPEA@Pt(IV show that the silica nanospheres possess a monodisperse spherical structure and contain uniformly-distributed Si, O, C, N, Cl, and Pt. The valence state of Pt on the silica nanospheres was characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS. The Pt(IV loaded on SiO2@TPEA@Pt(IV was 0.15 mmol/g, as determined by UV-VIS spectrometry. The formation of intramolecular disulfides in six dithiol-containing peptides of variable lengths by the use of SiO2@TPEA@Pt(IV was investigated, and the relative oxidation yields were determined by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC. In addition, peptide 1 (Ac-CPFC-NH2 was utilized to study the reusability of SiO2@TPEA@Pt(IV. No significant decrease in the relative oxidation yield was observed after ten reaction cycles. Moreover, the structure of SiO2@TPEA@Pt(IV after being used for ten cycles was determined to be similar to its initial one, demonstrating the cycling stability of the complex.

  8. Determination of Disulfide Bond Connectivity of Cysteine-rich Peptide IpTx{sub a}

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lee, Chul Won; Kim, Jim Il [Chonnam National Univ., Gwangju (Korea, Republic of); Sato, Kazuki [Fukuoka Women' s Univ., Fukuoka (Japan)

    2013-06-15

    Cysteine-rich peptides stabilized by intramolecular disulfide bonds have often been isolated from venoms of microbes, animals and plants. These peptides typically have much higher stability and improved biopharmaceutical properties compared to their linear counterparts. Therefore the correct disulfide bond formation of small proteins and peptides has been extensively studied for a better understanding of their folding mechanism and achieving efficient generation of the naturally occurring biologically active product. Imperatoxin A (IpTx{sub a}), a peptide toxin containing 6 cysteine residues, was isolated from the venom of scorpion Pandinus imperator, selectively binds the ryanodine receptors and activates Ca{sup 2+} release from sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). IpTx{sub a} increases the binding of ryanodine to ryanodine receptors (RyRs) and encourages reconstituted single channel to induce subconductance states.

  9. Characterization of intramolecular disulfide bonds and secondary modifications of the glycoprotein from viral hemorrhagic septicemia virus, a fish rhabdovirus

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Einer-Jensen, Katja; Nielsen, Thomas Krogh; Roepstorff, Peter

    1998-01-01

    were analyzed by mass spectrometry before and after chemical reduction, and six disulfide bonds were identified: Cys29-Cys339, Cys44-Cys295, Cys90-Cys132, Cys172-Cys177, Cys195-Cys265, and Cys231-CyS236. Mass spectrometric analysis in combination with glycosidases allowed characterization of the glycan...... of the protein, The present study was initiated to identify the disulfide bonds and other structural aspects relevant to vaccine design. The N-terminal amino acid residue was identified as being a pyroglutamic acid, corresponding to Gln21 of the primary transcript, Peptides from endoproteinase-degraded G protein...... cysteine residues are situated at conserved positions, This finding suggests that there might be some common disulfide bonding pattern among the six rhabdoviruses....

  10. Widespread Disulfide Bonding in Proteins from Thermophilic Archaea

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julien Jorda

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Disulfide bonds are generally not used to stabilize proteins in the cytosolic compartments of bacteria or eukaryotic cells, owing to the chemically reducing nature of those environments. In contrast, certain thermophilic archaea use disulfide bonding as a major mechanism for protein stabilization. Here, we provide a current survey of completely sequenced genomes, applying computational methods to estimate the use of disulfide bonding across the Archaea. Microbes belonging to the Crenarchaeal branch, which are essentially all hyperthermophilic, are universally rich in disulfide bonding while lesser degrees of disulfide bonding are found among the thermophilic Euryarchaea, excluding those that are methanogenic. The results help clarify which parts of the archaeal lineage are likely to yield more examples and additional specific data on protein disulfide bonding, as increasing genomic sequencing efforts are brought to bear.

  11. Widespread disulfide bonding in proteins from thermophilic archaea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jorda, Julien; Yeates, Todd O

    2011-01-01

    Disulfide bonds are generally not used to stabilize proteins in the cytosolic compartments of bacteria or eukaryotic cells, owing to the chemically reducing nature of those environments. In contrast, certain thermophilic archaea use disulfide bonding as a major mechanism for protein stabilization. Here, we provide a current survey of completely sequenced genomes, applying computational methods to estimate the use of disulfide bonding across the Archaea. Microbes belonging to the Crenarchaeal branch, which are essentially all hyperthermophilic, are universally rich in disulfide bonding while lesser degrees of disulfide bonding are found among the thermophilic Euryarchaea, excluding those that are methanogenic. The results help clarify which parts of the archaeal lineage are likely to yield more examples and additional specific data on protein disulfide bonding, as increasing genomic sequencing efforts are brought to bear.

  12. Detection and function of an intramolecular disulfide bond in the pH-responsive CadC of Escherichia coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dönhöfer Alexandra

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background In an acidic and lysine-rich environment Escherichia coli induces expression of the cadBA operon which encodes CadA, the lysine decarboxylase, and CadB, the lysine/cadaverine antiporter. cadBA expression is dependent on CadC, a membrane-integrated transcriptional activator which belongs to the ToxR-like protein family. Activation of CadC requires two stimuli, lysine and low pH. Whereas lysine is detected by an interplay between CadC and the lysine-specific transporter LysP, pH alterations are sensed by CadC directly. Crystal structural analyses revealed a close proximity between two periplasmic cysteines, Cys208 and Cys272. Results Substitution of Cys208 and/or Cys272 by alanine resulted in CadC derivatives that were active in response to only one stimulus, either lysine or pH 5.8. Differential in vivo thiol trapping revealed a disulfide bond between these two residues at pH 7.6, but not at pH 5.8. When Cys208 and Cys272 were replaced by aspartate and lysine, respectively, virtually wild-type behavior was restored indicating that the disulfide bond could be mimicked by a salt bridge. Conclusion A disulfide bond was found in the periplasmic domain of CadC that supports an inactive state of CadC at pH 7.6. At pH 5.8 disulfide bond formation is prevented which transforms CadC into a semi-active state. These results provide new insights into the function of a pH sensor.

  13. On the photostability of the disulfide bond

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Stephansen, Anne Boutrup; Larsen, Martin Alex Bjørn; Klein, Liv Bærenholdt

    2014-01-01

    Photostability is an essential property of molecular building blocks of nature. Disulfides are central in the structure determination of proteins, which is in striking contradiction to the result that the S-S bond is a photochemically labile structural entity that cleaves to form free radicals upon...... on a sub 50 fs timescale without further ado. In a cyclic motif resembling the cysteine-disulfide bond in proteins, light can perturb the S-S bond to generate short-lived diradicaloid species, but the sulfur atoms are conformationally restricted by the ring that prevents the sulfur atoms from flying apart...... the photostability of disulfide-bonds must be ascribed a cyclic structural arrangement....

  14. Widespread Disulfide Bonding in Proteins from Thermophilic Archaea

    OpenAIRE

    Jorda, Julien; Yeates, Todd O.

    2011-01-01

    Disulfide bonds are generally not used to stabilize proteins in the cytosolic compartments of bacteria or eukaryotic cells, owing to the chemically reducing nature of those environments. In contrast, certain thermophilic archaea use disulfide bonding as a major mechanism for protein stabilization. Here, we provide a current survey of completely sequenced genomes, applying computational methods to estimate the use of disulfide bonding across the Archaea. Microbes belonging to the Crenarchaea...

  15. The influence of the Cys46/Cys55 disulfide bond on the redox and spectroscopic properties of human neuroglobin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bellei, Marzia; Bortolotti, Carlo Augusto; Di Rocco, Giulia; Borsari, Marco; Lancellotti, Lidia; Ranieri, Antonio; Sola, Marco; Battistuzzi, Gianantonio

    2018-01-01

    Neuroglobin is a monomeric globin containing a six-coordinate heme b, expressed in the nervous system, which exerts an important neuroprotective role. In the human protein (hNgb), Cys46 and Cys55 form an intramolecular disulfide bond under oxidizing conditions, whose cleavage induces a helix-to-strand rearrangement of the CD loop that strengthens the bond between the heme iron and the distal histidine. Hence, it is conceivable that the intramolecular disulfide bridge modulates the functionality of human neuroglobin by controlling exogenous ligand binding. In this work, we investigated the influence of the Cys46/Cys55 disulfide bond on the redox properties and on the pH-dependent conformational equilibria of hNgb, using UV-vis spectroelectrochemistry, cyclic voltammetry, electronic absorption spectroscopy and magnetic circular dichroism (MCD). We found that the SS bridge significantly affects the heme Fe(III) to Fe(II) reduction enthalpy (ΔH°' rc ) and entropy (ΔS°' rc ), mostly as a consequence of changes in the reduction-induced solvent reorganization effects, without affecting the axial ligand-binding interactions and the polarity and electrostatics of the heme environment. Between pH3 and 12, the electronic properties of the heme of ferric hNgb are sensitive to five acid-base equilibria, which are scarcely affected by the Cys46/Cys55 disulfide bridge. The equilibria occurring at extreme pH values induce heme release, while those occurring between pH5 and 10 alter the electronic properties of the heme without modifying its axial coordination and low spin state. They involve the sidechains of non-coordinating aminoacids close to the heme and at least one heme propionate. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Disulfide Linkage Characterization of Disulfide Bond-Containing Proteins and Peptides by Reducing Electrochemistry and Mass Spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cramer, Christian N; Haselmann, Kim F; Olsen, Jesper V

    2016-01-01

    in protein sequencing by tandem MS (MS/MS). Electrochemical (EC) reduction of disulfide bonds has recently been demonstrated to provide efficient reduction efficiencies, significantly enhancing sequence coverages in online coupling with MS characterization. In this study, the potential use of EC disulfide...... link between parent disulfide-linked fragments and free reduced peptides in an LC-EC-MS platform of nonreduced proteolytic protein digestions. Here we report the successful use of EC as a partial reduction approach in mapping of disulfide bonds of intact human insulin (HI) and lysozyme. In addition, we...... established a LC-EC-MS platform advantageous in disulfide characterization of complex and highly disulfide-bonded proteins such as human serum albumin (HSA) by online EC reduction of nonreduced proteolytic digestions....

  17. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding in malonaldehyde and its radical analogues.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Chen; Kumar, Manoj; Finney, Brian A; Francisco, Joseph S

    2017-09-28

    High level Brueckner doubles with triples correction method-based ab initio calculations have been used to investigate the nature of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and intramolecular hydrogen atom transfer in cis-malonaldehyde (MA) and its radical analogues. The radicals considered here are the ones that correspond to the homolytic cleavage of C-H bonds in cis-MA. The results suggest that cis-MA and its radical analogues, cis-MA RS , and cis-MA RA , both exist in planar geometry. The calculated intramolecular O-H⋯O=C bond in cis-MA is shorter than that in the radical analogues. The intramolecular hydrogen bond in cis-MA is stronger than in its radicals by at least 3.0 kcal/mol. The stability of a cis-malonaldehyde radical correlates with the extent of electron spin delocalization; cis-MA RA , in which the radical spin is more delocalized, is the most stable MA radical, whereas cis-MA RS , in which the radical spin is strongly localized, is the least stable radical. The natural bond orbital analysis indicates that the intramolecular hydrogen bonding (O⋯H⋯O) in cis-malonaldehyde radicals is stabilized by the interaction between the lone pair orbitals of donor oxygen and the σ * orbital of acceptor O-H bond (n → σ * OH ). The calculated barriers indicate that the intramolecular proton transfer in cis-MA involves 2.2 kcal/mol lower barrier than that in cis-MA RS .

  18. Recent mass spectrometry-based techniques and considerations for disulfide bond characterization in proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lakbub, Jude C; Shipman, Joshua T; Desaire, Heather

    2018-04-01

    Disulfide bonds are important structural moieties of proteins: they ensure proper folding, provide stability, and ensure proper function. With the increasing use of proteins for biotherapeutics, particularly monoclonal antibodies, which are highly disulfide bonded, it is now important to confirm the correct disulfide bond connectivity and to verify the presence, or absence, of disulfide bond variants in the protein therapeutics. These studies help to ensure safety and efficacy. Hence, disulfide bonds are among the critical quality attributes of proteins that have to be monitored closely during the development of biotherapeutics. However, disulfide bond analysis is challenging because of the complexity of the biomolecules. Mass spectrometry (MS) has been the go-to analytical tool for the characterization of such complex biomolecules, and several methods have been reported to meet the challenging task of mapping disulfide bonds in proteins. In this review, we describe the relevant, recent MS-based techniques and provide important considerations needed for efficient disulfide bond analysis in proteins. The review focuses on methods for proper sample preparation, fragmentation techniques for disulfide bond analysis, recent disulfide bond mapping methods based on the fragmentation techniques, and automated algorithms designed for rapid analysis of disulfide bonds from liquid chromatography-MS/MS data. Researchers involved in method development for protein characterization can use the information herein to facilitate development of new MS-based methods for protein disulfide bond analysis. In addition, individuals characterizing biotherapeutics, especially by disulfide bond mapping in antibodies, can use this review to choose the best strategies for disulfide bond assignment of their biologic products. Graphical Abstract This review, describing characterization methods for disulfide bonds in proteins, focuses on three critical components: sample preparation, mass

  19. UV Photofragmentation Dynamics of Protonated Cystine: Disulfide Bond Rupture.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Soorkia, Satchin; Dehon, Christophe; Kumar, S Sunil; Pedrazzani, Mélanie; Frantzen, Emilie; Lucas, Bruno; Barat, Michel; Fayeton, Jacqueline A; Jouvet, Christophe

    2014-04-03

    Disulfide bonds (S-S) play a central role in stabilizing the native structure of proteins against denaturation. Experimentally, identification of these linkages in peptide and protein structure characterization remains challenging. UV photodissociation (UVPD) can be a valuable tool in identifying disulfide linkages. Here, the S-S bond acts as a UV chromophore and absorption of one UV photon corresponds to a σ-σ* transition. We have investigated the photodissociation dynamics of protonated cystine, which is a dimer of two cysteines linked by a disulfide bridge, at 263 nm (4.7 eV) using a multicoincidence technique in which fragments coming from the same fragmentation event are detected. Two types of bond cleavages are observed corresponding to the disulfide (S-S) and adjacent C-S bond ruptures. We show that the S-S cleavage leads to three different fragment ions via three different fragmentation mechanisms. The UVPD results are compared to collision-induced dissociation (CID) and electron-induced dissociation (EID) studies.

  20. Competing Intramolecular vs. Intermolecular Hydrogen Bonds in Solution

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Peter I. Nagy

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available A hydrogen bond for a local-minimum-energy structure can be identified according to the definition of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC recommendation 2011 or by finding a special bond critical point on the density map of the structure in the framework of the atoms-in-molecules theory. Nonetheless, a given structural conformation may be simply favored by electrostatic interactions. The present review surveys the in-solution competition of the conformations with intramolecular vs. intermolecular hydrogen bonds for different types of small organic molecules. In their most stable gas-phase structure, an intramolecular hydrogen bond is possible. In a protic solution, the intramolecular hydrogen bond may disrupt in favor of two solute-solvent intermolecular hydrogen bonds. The balance of the increased internal energy and the stabilizing effect of the solute-solvent interactions regulates the new conformer composition in the liquid phase. The review additionally considers the solvent effects on the stability of simple dimeric systems as revealed from molecular dynamics simulations or on the basis of the calculated potential of mean force curves. Finally, studies of the solvent effects on the type of the intermolecular hydrogen bond (neutral or ionic in acid-base complexes have been surveyed.

  1. Thermodynamic and mechanical effects of disulfide bonds in CXCLl7 chemokine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Singer, Christopher

    Chemokines are a family of signaling proteins mainly responsible for the chemotaxis of leukocytes, where their biological activity is modulated by their oligomerization state. Here, the dynamics and thermodynamic stability are characterized in monomer and homodimer structures of CXCL7, one of the most abundant platelet chemokines. The effects of dimerization and disulfide bond formation are investigated using computational methods that include molecular dynamics (MD) simulations and the Distance Constraint Model (DCM). A consistent picture emerges for the effect of dimerization and role of the Cys5-Cys31 and Cys7- Cys47 disulfide bonds. Surprisingly, neither disulfide bond is critical for maintaining structural stability in the monomer or dimer, although the monomer is destabilized more than the dimer upon removal of disulfide bonds. Instead, it is found that disulfide bonds influence the native state dynamics as well as modulates the relative stability between monomer and dimer. The combined analysis elucidates how CXCL7 is mechanically stable as a monomer, and how upon dimerization flexibly correlated motions are induced between the 30s and 50s loop within each monomer and across the dimer interface. Interestingly, the greatest gain in flexibility upon dimerization occurs when both disulfide bonds are present in each domain, and the homodimer is least stable relative to its two monomers. These results suggest the highly conserved disulfide bonds in chemokines facilitate a structural mechanism for distinguishing functional characteristics between monomer and dimer.

  2. Preventing disulfide bond formation weakens non-covalent forces among lysozyme aggregates.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vijay Kumar Ravi

    Full Text Available Nonnative disulfide bonds have been observed among protein aggregates in several diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, cataract and so on. The molecular mechanism by which formation of such bonds promotes protein aggregation is poorly understood. Here in this work we employ previously well characterized aggregation of hen eggwhite lysozyme (HEWL at alkaline pH to dissect the molecular role of nonnative disulfide bonds on growth of HEWL aggregates. We employed time-resolved fluorescence anisotropy, atomic force microscopy and single-molecule force spectroscopy to quantify the size, morphology and non-covalent interaction forces among the aggregates, respectively. These measurements were performed under conditions when disulfide bond formation was allowed (control and alternatively when it was prevented by alkylation of free thiols using iodoacetamide. Blocking disulfide bond formation affected growth but not growth kinetics of aggregates which were ∼50% reduced in volume, flatter in vertical dimension and non-fibrillar in comparison to control. Interestingly, single-molecule force spectroscopy data revealed that preventing disulfide bond formation weakened the non-covalent interaction forces among monomers in the aggregate by at least ten fold, thereby stalling their growth and yielding smaller aggregates in comparison to control. We conclude that while constrained protein chain dynamics in correctly disulfide bonded amyloidogenic proteins may protect them from venturing into partial folded conformations that can trigger entry into aggregation pathways, aberrant disulfide bonds in non-amyloidogenic proteins (like HEWL on the other hand, may strengthen non-covalent intermolecular forces among monomers and promote their aggregation.

  3. Protein disulfide bond generation in Escherichia coli DsbB–DsbA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Inaba, Kenji

    2008-01-01

    The crystal structure of the DsbB–DsbA–ubiquinone ternary complex has revealed a mechanism of protein disulfide bond generation in Escherichia coli. Protein disulfide bond formation is catalyzed by a series of Dsb enzymes present in the periplasm of Escherichia coli. The crystal structure of the DsbB–DsbA–ubiquinone ternary complex provided important insights into mechanisms of the de novo disulfide bond generation cooperated by DsbB and ubiquinone and of the disulfide bond shuttle from DsbB to DsbA. The structural basis for prevention of the crosstalk between the DsbA–DsbB oxidative and the DsbC–DsbD reductive pathways has also been proposed

  4. Disulfide bond effects on protein stability: designed variants of Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor-V.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zavodszky, M; Chen, C W; Huang, J K; Zolkiewski, M; Wen, L; Krishnamoorthi, R

    2001-01-01

    Attempts to increase protein stability by insertion of novel disulfide bonds have not always been successful. According to the two current models, cross-links enhance stability mainly through denatured state effects. We have investigated the effects of removal and addition of disulfide cross-links, protein flexibility in the vicinity of a cross-link, and disulfide loop size on the stability of Cucurbita maxima trypsin inhibitor-V (CMTI-V; 7 kD) by differential scanning calorimetry. CMTI-V offers the advantage of a large, flexible, and solvent-exposed loop not involved in extensive intra-molecular interactions. We have uncovered a negative correlation between retention time in hydrophobic column chromatography, a measure of protein hydrophobicity, and melting temperature (T(m)), an indicator of native state stabilization, for CMTI-V and its variants. In conjunction with the complete set of thermodynamic parameters of denaturation, this has led to the following deductions: (1) In the less stable, disulfide-removed C3S/C48S (Delta Delta G(d)(50 degrees C) = -4 kcal/mole; Delta T(m) = -22 degrees C), the native state is destabilized more than the denatured state; this also applies to the less-stable CMTI-V* (Delta Delta G(d)(50 degrees C) = -3 kcal/mole; Delta T(m) = -11 degrees C), in which the disulfide-containing loop is opened by specific hydrolysis of the Lys(44)-Asp(45) peptide bond; (2) In the less stable, disulfide-inserted E38C/W54C (Delta Delta G(d)(50 degrees C) = -1 kcal/mole; Delta T(m) = +2 degrees C), the denatured state is more stabilized than the native state; and (3) In the more stable, disulfide-engineered V42C/R52C (Delta Delta G(d)(50 degrees C) = +1 kcal/mole; Delta T(m) = +17 degrees C), the native state is more stabilized than the denatured state. These results show that a cross-link stabilizes both native and denatured states, and differential stabilization of the two states causes either loss or gain in protein stability. Removal of hydrogen

  5. Intramolecularly Hydrogen-Bonded Polypyrroles as Electro-Optical Sensors

    National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

    Nicholson, Jesse

    2001-01-01

    We have developed a new class of polypyrroles bearing both hydrogen-bond acceptor and hydrogen-donor groups such that the intramolecular hydrogen bonding holds the system planar enhancing conjugation...

  6. Analysis of Disulfide Bond Formation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Braakman, Ineke; Lamriben, Lydia; van Zadelhoff, Guus; Hebert, Daniel N.

    2017-01-01

    In this unit, protocols are provided for detection of disulfide bond formation in cultures of intact cells and in an in vitro translation system containing isolated microsomes or semi-permeabilized cells. First, the newly synthesized protein of interest is biosynthetically labeled with radioactive

  7. Alpha-cyclodextrins reversibly capped with disulfide bonds

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Kumprecht, Lukáš; Buděšínský, Miloš; Bouř, Petr; Kraus, Tomáš

    2010-01-01

    Roč. 34, č. 10 (2010), s. 2254-2260 ISSN 1144-0546 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA400550810 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : cyclodextrins * disulfide bond * dynamic covalent bond Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry Impact factor: 2.631, year: 2010

  8. In-Depth Characterization of Protein Disulfide Bonds by Online Liquid Chromatography-Electrochemistry-Mass Spectrometry

    Science.gov (United States)

    Switzar, Linda; Nicolardi, Simone; Rutten, Julie W.; Oberstein, Saskia A. J. Lesnik; Aartsma-Rus, Annemieke; van der Burgt, Yuri E. M.

    2016-01-01

    Disulfide bonds are an important class of protein post-translational modifications, yet this structurally crucial modification type is commonly overlooked in mass spectrometry (MS)-based proteomics approaches. Recently, the benefits of online electrochemistry-assisted reduction of protein S-S bonds prior to MS analysis were exemplified by successful characterization of disulfide bonds in peptides and small proteins. In the current study, we have combined liquid chromatography (LC) with electrochemistry (EC) and mass analysis by Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR) MS in an online LC-EC-MS platform to characterize protein disulfide bonds in a bottom-up proteomics workflow. A key advantage of a LC-based strategy is the use of the retention time in identifying both intra- and interpeptide disulfide bonds. This is demonstrated by performing two sequential analyses of a certain protein digest, once without and once with electrochemical reduction. In this way, the "parent" disulfide-linked peptide detected in the first run has a retention time-based correlation with the EC-reduced peptides detected in the second run, thus simplifying disulfide bond mapping. Using this platform, both inter- and intra-disulfide-linked peptides were characterized in two different proteins, ß-lactoglobulin and ribonuclease B. In order to prevent disulfide reshuffling during the digestion process, proteins were digested at a relatively low pH, using (a combination of) the high specificity proteases trypsin and Glu-C. With this approach, disulfide bonds in ß-lactoglobulin and ribonuclease B were comprehensively identified and localized, showing that online LC-EC-MS is a useful tool for the characterization of protein disulfide bonds.

  9. Loss of metal ions, disulfide reduction and mutations related to familial ALS promote formation of amyloid-like aggregates from superoxide dismutase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zeynep A Oztug Durer

    Full Text Available Mutations in the gene encoding Cu-Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1 are one of the causes of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS. Fibrillar inclusions containing SOD1 and SOD1 inclusions that bind the amyloid-specific dye thioflavin S have been found in neurons of transgenic mice expressing mutant SOD1. Therefore, the formation of amyloid fibrils from human SOD1 was investigated. When agitated at acidic pH in the presence of low concentrations of guanidine or acetonitrile, metalated SOD1 formed fibrillar material which bound both thioflavin T and Congo red and had circular dichroism and infrared spectra characteristic of amyloid. While metalated SOD1 did not form amyloid-like aggregates at neutral pH, either removing metals from SOD1 with its intramolecular disulfide bond intact or reducing the intramolecular disulfide bond of metalated SOD1 was sufficient to promote formation of these aggregates. SOD1 formed amyloid-like aggregates both with and without intermolecular disulfide bonds, depending on the incubation conditions, and a mutant SOD1 lacking free sulfhydryl groups (AS-SOD1 formed amyloid-like aggregates at neutral pH under reducing conditions. ALS mutations enhanced the ability of disulfide-reduced SOD1 to form amyloid-like aggregates, and apo-AS-SOD1 formed amyloid-like aggregates at pH 7 only when an ALS mutation was also present. These results indicate that some mutations related to ALS promote formation of amyloid-like aggregates by facilitating the loss of metals and/or by making the intramolecular disulfide bond more susceptible to reduction, thus allowing the conversion of SOD1 to a form that aggregates to form resembling amyloid. Furthermore, the occurrence of amyloid-like aggregates per se does not depend on forming intermolecular disulfide bonds, and multiple forms of such aggregates can be produced from SOD1.

  10. Enhancing Protein Disulfide Bond Cleavage by UV Excitation and Electron Capture Dissociation for Top-Down Mass Spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wongkongkathep, Piriya; Li, Huilin; Zhang, Xing; Loo, Rachel R Ogorzalek; Julian, Ryan R; Loo, Joseph A

    2015-11-15

    The application of ion pre-activation with 266 nm ultraviolet (UV) laser irradiation combined with electron capture dissociation (ECD) is demonstrated to enhance top-down mass spectrometry sequence coverage of disulfide bond containing proteins. UV-based activation can homolytically cleave a disulfide bond to yield two separated thiol radicals. Activated ECD experiments of insulin and ribonuclease A containing three and four disulfide bonds, respectively, were performed. UV-activation in combination with ECD allowed the three disulfide bonds of insulin to be cleaved and the overall sequence coverage to be increased. For the larger sized ribonuclease A with four disulfide bonds, irradiation from an infrared laser (10.6 µm) to disrupt non-covalent interactions was combined with UV-activation to facilitate the cleavage of up to three disulfide bonds. Preferences for disulfide bond cleavage are dependent on protein structure and sequence. Disulfide bonds can reform if the generated radicals remain in close proximity. By varying the time delay between the UV-activation and the ECD events, it was determined that disulfide bonds reform within 10-100 msec after their UV-homolytic cleavage.

  11. Insulin analog with additional disulfide bond has increased stability and preserved activity

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vinther, Tine N.; Norrman, Mathias; Ribel, Ulla

    2013-01-01

    Insulin is a key hormone controlling glucose homeostasis. All known vertebrate insulin analogs have a classical structure with three 100% conserved disulfide bonds that are essential for structural stability and thus the function of insulin. It might be hypothesized that an additional disulfide...... bond may enhance insulin structural stability which would be highly desirable in a pharmaceutical use. To address this hypothesis, we designed insulin with an additional interchain disulfide bond in positions A10/B4 based on Cα-Cα distances, solvent exposure, and side-chain orientation in human insulin...... (HI) structure. This insulin analog had increased affinity for the insulin receptor and apparently augmented glucodynamic potency in a normal rat model compared with HI. Addition of the disulfide bond also resulted in a 34.6°C increase in melting temperature and prevented insulin fibril formation...

  12. Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding and Conformational Preferences of Arzanol—An Antioxidant Acylphloroglucinol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Liliana Mammino

    2017-08-01

    Full Text Available Arzanol is a naturally-occurring prenylated acylphloroglucinol isolated from Helichrysum italicum and exhibiting anti-oxidant, antibiotic and antiviral activities. The molecule contains an α-pyrone moiety attached to the phloroglucinol moiety through a methylene bridge. The presence of several hydrogen bond donor or acceptor sites makes intramolecular hydrogen bonding patterns the dominant stabilising factor. Conformers with all the possible different hydrogen bonding patterns were calculated at the HF/6-31G(d,p and DFT/B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p levels with fully relaxed geometry in vacuo and in three solvents—chloroform, acetonitrile and water (these levels being chosen to enable comparisons with previous studies on acylphloroglucinols. Calculations in solution were performed with the Polarisable Continuum Model. The results show that the lowest energy conformers have the highest number of stronger intramolecular hydrogen bonds. The influence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding patterns on the other molecular properties is also analysed.

  13. A single disulfide bond disruption in the β3 integrin subunit promotes thiol/disulfide exchange, a molecular dynamics study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lihie Levin

    Full Text Available The integrins are a family of membrane receptors that attach a cell to its surrounding and play a crucial function in cell signaling. The combination of internal and external stimuli alters a folded non-active state of these proteins to an extended active configuration. The β3 subunit of the platelet αIIbβ3 integrin is made of well-structured domains rich in disulfide bonds. During the activation process some of the disulfides are re-shuffled by a mechanism requiring partial reduction of some of these bonds; any disruption in this mechanism can lead to inherent blood clotting diseases. In the present study we employed Molecular Dynamics simulations for tracing the sequence of structural fluctuations initiated by a single cysteine mutation in the β3 subunit of the receptor. These simulations showed that in-silico protein mutants exhibit major conformational deformations leading to possible disulfide exchange reactions. We suggest that any mutation that prevents Cys560 from reacting with one of the Cys(567-Cys(581 bonded pair, thus disrupting its ability to participate in a disulfide exchange reaction, will damage the activation mechanism of the integrin. This suggestion is in full agreement with previously published experiments. Furthermore, we suggest that rearrangement of disulfide bonds could be a part of a natural cascade of thiol/disulfide exchange reactions in the αIIbβ3 integrin, which are essential for the native activation process.

  14. Solvent Induced Disulfide Bond Formation in 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole

    OpenAIRE

    Palanisamy Kalimuthu; Palraj Kalimuthu; S. Abraham John

    2007-01-01

    Disulfide bond formation is the decisive event in the protein folding to determine the conformation and stability of protein. To achieve this disulfide bond formation in vitro, we took 2,5-dimercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole (DMcT) as a model compound. We found that disulfide bond formation takes place between two sulfhydryl groups of DMcT molecules in methanol. UV-Vis, FT-IR and mass spectroscopic as well as cyclic voltammetry were used to monitor the course of reaction. We proposed a mechanism for...

  15. Positions of disulfide bonds in rye (Secale cereale) seed chitinase-a.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamagami, T; Funatsu, G; Ishiguro, M

    2000-06-01

    The positions of disulfide bonds of rye seed chitinase-a (RSC-a) were identified by the isolation of disulfide-containing peptides produced with enzymatic and/or chemical cleavages of RSC-a, followed by sequencing them. An unequivocal assignment of disulfide bonds in this enzyme was as follows: Cys3-Cysl8, Cys12-Cys24, Cys15-Cys42, Cys17-Cys31, and Cys35-Cys39 in the chitin-binding domain (CB domain), Cys82-Cys144, Cys156-Cys164, and Cys282-Cys295 in the catalytic domain (Cat domain), and Cys263 was a free form.

  16. Disulphide bond formation in food protein aggregation and gelation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Visschers, R.W.; Jongh, de H.H.J.

    2005-01-01

    In this short review we discuss the role of cysteine residues and cystine bridges for the functional aggregation of food proteins. We evaluate how formation and cleavage of disulphide bonds proceeds at a molecular level, and how inter- and intramolecular disulfide bonds can be detected and modified.

  17. Dissecting the role of disulfide bonds on the amyloid formation of insulin

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Li, Yang; Gong, Hao; Sun, Yue; Yan, Juan; Cheng, Biao; Zhang, Xin; Huang, Jing; Yu, Mengying; Guo, Yu; Zheng, Ling; Huang, Kun

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► We dissect how individual disulfide bond affects the amyloidogenicity of insulin. ► A controlled reduction system for insulin is established in this study. ► Disulfide breakage is associated with unfolding and increased amyloidogenicity. ► Breakage of A6-A11 is associated with significantly increased cytotoxicity. ► Analogs without A6-A11 have a higher potency to form high order toxic oligomers. -- Abstract: Disulfide bonds play a critical role in the stability and folding of proteins. Here, we used insulin as a model system, to investigate the role of its individual disulfide bond during the amyloid formation of insulin. Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) was applied to reduce two of the three disulfide bonds in porcine insulin and the reduced disulfide bonds were then alkylated by iodoacetamide. Three disulfide bond-modified insulin analogs, INS-2 (lack of A6-A11), INS-3 (lack of A7-B7) and INS-6 (lack of both A6-A11 and A7-B7), were obtained. Far-UV circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopy results indicated that the secondary structure of INS-2 was the closest to insulin under neutral conditions, followed by INS-3 and INS-6, whereas in an acidic solution all analogs were essentially unfolded. To test how these modifications affect the amyloidogenicity of insulin, thioflavin-T (ThT) fluorescence and transmission electronic microscopy (TEM) were performed. Our results showed that all analogs were more prone to aggregation than insulin, with the order of aggregation rates being INS-6 > INS-3 > INS-2. Cross-linking of unmodified proteins (PICUP) assay results showed that analogs without A6-A11 (INS-2 and INS-6) have a higher potential for oligomerization than insulin and INS-3, which is accompanied with a higher cytotoxicity as the hemolytic assays of human erythrocytes suggested. The results indicated that breakage of A7-B7 induced more unfolding of the insulin structure and a higher amyloidogenicity than breakage of A6-A11, but breakage of A6

  18. A novel engineered interchain disulfide bond in the constant region enhances the thermostability of adalimumab Fab.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nakamura, Hitomi; Oda-Ueda, Naoko; Ueda, Tadashi; Ohkuri, Takatoshi

    2018-01-01

    We constructed a system for expressing the Fab of the therapeutic human monoclonal antibody adalimumab at a yield of 20 mg/L in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. To examine the contribution of interchain disulfide bonds to conformational stability, we prepared adalimumab Fab from which the interchain disulfide bond at the C-terminal region at both the CH 1 and CL domains was deleted by substitution of Cys with Ala (Fab ΔSS ). DSC measurements showed that the Tm values of Fab ΔSS were approximately 5 °C lower than those of wild-type Fab, suggesting that the interchain disulfide bond contributes to conformational thermostability. Using computer simulations, we designed a novel interchain disulfide bond outside the C-terminal region to increase the stability of Fab ΔSS . The resulting Fab (mutSS Fab ΔSS ) had the mutations H:V177C and L:Q160C in Fab ΔSS , confirming the formation of the disulfide bond between CH 1 and CL. The thermostability of mutSS Fab ΔSS was approximately 5 °C higher than that of Fab ΔSS . Therefore, the introduction of the designed interchain disulfide bond enhanced the thermostability of Fab ΔSS and mitigated the destabilization caused by partial reduction of the interchain disulfide bond at the C-terminal region, which occurs in site-specific modification such as PEGylation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. Conformational analysis by quantitative NOE measurements of the β-proton pairs across individual disulfide bonds in proteins

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takeda, Mitsuhiro; Terauchi, Tsutomu; Kainosho, Masatsune

    2012-01-01

    NOEs between the β-protons of cysteine residues across disulfide bonds in proteins provide direct information on the connectivities and conformations of these important cross-links, which are otherwise difficult to investigate. With conventional [U- 13 C, 15 N]-proteins, however, fast spin diffusion processes mediated by strong dipolar interactions between geminal β-protons prohibit the quantitative measurements and thus the analyses of long-range NOEs across disulfide bonds. We describe a robust approach for alleviating such difficulties, by using proteins selectively labeled with an equimolar mixture of (2R, 3S)-[β- 13 C; α,β- 2 H 2 ] Cys and (2R, 3R)-[β- 13 C; α,β- 2 H 2 ] Cys, but otherwise fully deuterated. Since either one of the prochiral methylene protons, namely β2 (proS) or β3 (proR), is always replaced with a deuteron and no other protons remain in proteins prepared by this labeling scheme, all four of the expected NOEs for the β-protons across disulfide bonds could be measured without any spin diffusion interference, even with long mixing times. Therefore, the NOEs for the β2 and β3 pairs across each of the disulfide bonds could be observed at high sensitivity, even though they are 25% of the theoretical maximum for each pair. With the NOE information, the disulfide bond connectivities can be unambiguously established for proteins with multiple disulfide bonds. In addition, the conformations around disulfide bonds, namely χ 2 and χ 3 , can be determined based on the precise proton distances of the four β-proton pairs, by quantitative measurements of the NOEs across the disulfide bonds. The feasibility of this method is demonstrated for bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor, which has three disulfide bonds.

  20. Enhanced production of a single domain antibody with an engineered stabilizing extra disulfide bond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Jinny L; Goldman, Ellen R; Zabetakis, Dan; Walper, Scott A; Turner, Kendrick B; Shriver-Lake, Lisa C; Anderson, George P

    2015-10-09

    Single domain antibodies derived from the variable region of the unique heavy chain antibodies found in camelids yield high affinity and regenerable recognition elements. Adding an additional disulfide bond that bridges framework regions is a proven method to increase their melting temperature, however often at the expense of protein production. To fulfill their full potential it is essential to achieve robust protein production of these stable binding elements. In this work, we tested the hypothesis that decreasing the isoelectric point of single domain antibody extra disulfide bond mutants whose production fell due to the incorporation of the extra disulfide bond would lead to recovery of the protein yield, while maintaining the favorable melting temperature and affinity. Introduction of negative charges into a disulfide bond mutant of a single domain antibody specific for the L1 antigen of the vaccinia virus led to approximately 3.5-fold increase of protein production to 14 mg/L, while affinity and melting temperature was maintained. In addition, refolding following heat denaturation improved from 15 to 70 %. It also maintained nearly 100 % of its binding function after heating to 85 °C for an hour at 1 mg/mL. Disappointingly, the replacement of neutral or positively charged amino acids with negatively charged ones to lower the isoelectric point of two anti-toxin single domain antibodies stabilized with a second disulfide bond yielded only slight increases in protein production. Nonetheless, for one of these binders the charge change itself stabilized the structure equivalent to disulfide bond addition, thus providing an alternative route to stabilization which is not accompanied by loss in production. The ability to produce high affinity, stable single domain antibodies is critical for their utility. While the addition of a second disulfide bond is a proven method for enhancing stability of single domain antibodies, it frequently comes at the cost of reduced

  1. Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in (2-Hydroxybenzoyl)benzoylmethane Enol

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Bjarke Knud Vilster; Winther, Morten; Spanget-Larsen, Jens

    2014-01-01

    , and the dienol form of 1,3-dibenzoylacetone. But in these examples the two H-bonds are equivalent, while in the case of OHDBM they are chemically different, involving one enolic and one phenolic hydroxy group. OHDBM is thus an interesting model compound with two competing H-bonds to the same carbonyl group......In the stable enol tautomer of the title compound (OHDBM), one carbonyl group is flanked by two β-hydroxy groups, giving rise to bifold intramolecular H-bonding. A similar situation is found in other β,β'-dihydroxy carbonyl compounds like chrysazin, anthralin, 2,2'-dihydroxybenzophenone...

  2. Chemical origin of blue- and redshifted hydrogen bonds: intramolecular hyperconjugation and its coupling with intermolecular hyperconjugation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, An Yong

    2007-04-21

    Upon formation of a H bond Y...H-XZ, intramolecular hyperconjugation n(Z)-->sigma*(X-H) of the proton donor plays a key role in red- and blueshift characters of H bonds and must be introduced in the concepts of hyperconjugation and rehybridization. Intermolecular hyperconjugation transfers electron density from Y to sigma*(X-H) and causes elongation and stretch frequency redshift of the X-H bond; intramolecular hyperconjugation couples with intermolecular hyperconjugation and can adjust electron density in sigma*(X-H); rehybridization causes contraction and stretch frequency blueshift of the X-H bond on complexation. The three factors--intra- and intermolecular hyperconjugations and rehybridization--determine commonly red- or blueshift of the formed H bond. A proton donor that has strong intramolecular hyperconjugation often forms blueshifted H bonds.

  3. The road to the first, fully active and more stable human insulin variant with an additional disulfide bond

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vinther, Tine N.; Kjeldsen, Thomas B.; Jensen, Knud Jørgen

    2015-01-01

    Insulin, a small peptide hormone, is crucial in maintaining blood glucose homeostasis. The stability and activity of the protein is directed by an intricate system involving disulfide bonds to stabilize the active monomeric species and by their non-covalent oligomerization. All known insulin...... variants in vertebrates consist of two peptide chains and have six cysteine residues, which form three disulfide bonds, two of them link the two chains and a third is an intra-chain bond in the A-chain. This classical insulin fold appears to have been conserved over half a billion years of evolution. We...... addressed the question whether a human insulin variant with four disulfide bonds could exist and be fully functional. In this review, we give an overview of the road to engineering four-disulfide bonded insulin analogs. During our journey, we discovered several active four disulfide bonded insulin analogs...

  4. Enhancing Protein Disulfide Bond Cleavage by UV Excitation and Electron Capture Dissociation for Top-Down Mass Spectrometry

    OpenAIRE

    Wongkongkathep, Piriya; Li, Huilin; Zhang, Xing; Loo, Rachel R. Ogorzalek; Julian, Ryan R.; Loo, Joseph A.

    2015-01-01

    The application of ion pre-activation with 266 nm ultraviolet (UV) laser irradiation combined with electron capture dissociation (ECD) is demonstrated to enhance top-down mass spectrometry sequence coverage of disulfide bond containing proteins. UV-based activation can homolytically cleave a disulfide bond to yield two separated thiol radicals. Activated ECD experiments of insulin and ribonuclease A containing three and four disulfide bonds, respectively, were performed. UV-activation in comb...

  5. Disruption of reducing pathways is not essential for efficient disulfide bond formation in the cytoplasm of E. coli

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hatahet Feras

    2010-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The formation of native disulfide bonds is a complex and essential post-translational modification for many proteins. The large scale production of these proteins can be difficult and depends on targeting the protein to a compartment in which disulfide bond formation naturally occurs, usually the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotes or the periplasm of prokaryotes. It is currently thought to be impossible to produce large amounts of disulfide bond containing protein in the cytoplasm of wild-type bacteria such as E. coli due to the presence of multiple pathways for their reduction. Results Here we show that the introduction of Erv1p, a sulfhydryl oxidase and FAD-dependent catalyst of disulfide bond formation found in the inter membrane space of mitochondria, allows the efficient formation of native disulfide bonds in heterologously expressed proteins in the cytoplasm of E. coli even without the disruption of genes involved in disulfide bond reduction, for example trxB and/or gor. Indeed yields of active disulfide bonded proteins were higher in BL21 (DE3 pLysSRARE, an E. coli strain with the reducing pathways intact, than in the commercial Δgor ΔtrxB strain rosetta-gami upon co-expression of Erv1p. Conclusions Our results refute the current paradigm in the field that disruption of at least one of the reducing pathways is essential for the efficient production of disulfide bond containing proteins in the cytoplasm of E. coli and open up new possibilities for the use of E. coli as a microbial cell factory.

  6. The significance of disulfide bonding in biological activity of HB-EGF, a mutagenesis approach

    OpenAIRE

    Hoskins, J.T.; Zhou, Z.; Harding, P.A.

    2008-01-01

    A site-directed mutagenesis approach was taken to disrupt each of 3 disulfide bonds within human HB-EGF by substituting serine for both cysteine residues that contribute to disulfide bonding. Each HB-EGF disulfide analogue (HB-EGF-Cys/Ser108/121, HB-EGF-Cys/Ser116/132, and HB-EGF-Cys/Ser134/143) was cloned under the regulation of the mouse metallothionein (MT) promoter and stably expressed in mouse fibroblasts. HB-EGF immunoreactive proteins with Mr of 6.5, 21 and 24kDa were observed from lys...

  7. A novel disulfide bond in the SH2 Domain of the C-terminal Src kinase controls catalytic activity.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, Jamie E; Whitford, Paul C; Shaffer, Jennifer; Onuchic, Jose N; Adams, Joseph A; Jennings, Patricia A

    2007-02-02

    The SH2 domain of the C-terminal Src kinase [Csk] contains a unique disulfide bond that is not present in other known SH2 domains. To investigate whether this unusual disulfide bond serves a novel function, the effects of disulfide bond formation on catalytic activity of the full-length protein and on the structure of the SH2 domain were investigated. The kinase activity of full-length Csk decreases by an order of magnitude upon formation of the disulfide bond in the distal SH2 domain. NMR spectra of the fully oxidized and fully reduced SH2 domains exhibit similar chemical shift patterns and are indicative of similar, well-defined tertiary structures. The solvent-accessible disulfide bond in the isolated SH2 domain is highly stable and far from the small lobe of the kinase domain. However, reduction of this bond results in chemical shift changes of resonances that map to a cluster of residues that extend from the disulfide bond across the molecule to a surface that is in direct contact with the small lobe of the kinase domain in the intact molecule. Normal mode analyses and molecular dynamics calculations suggest that disulfide bond formation has large effects on residues within the kinase domain, most notably within the active-site cleft. Overall, the data indicate that reversible cross-linking of two cysteine residues in the SH2 domain greatly impacts catalytic function and interdomain communication in Csk.

  8. Shedding light on disulfide bond formation: engineering a redox switch in green fluorescent protein

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Østergaard, H.; Henriksen, A.; Hansen, Flemming G.

    2001-01-01

    To visualize the formation of disulfide bonds in living cells, a pair of redox-active cysteines was introduced into the yellow fluorescent variant of green fluorescent protein. Formation of a disulfide bond between the two cysteines was fully reversible and resulted in a >2-fold decrease...... in the intrinsic fluorescence. Inter conversion between the two redox states could thus be followed in vitro as well as in vivoby non- invasive fluorimetric measurements. The 1.5 Angstrom crystal structure of the oxidized protein revealed a disulfide bond- induced distortion of the beta -barrel, as well...... the physiological range for redox-active cysteines. In the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli, the protein was a sensitive probe for the redox changes that occur upon disruption of the thioredoxin reductive pathway....

  9. Intramolecular Energy Transfer, Charge Transfer & Hydrogen Bond

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Ultrafast Dynamics of Chemical Reactions in Condensed Phase: Intramolecular Energy Transfer, Charge Transfer & Hydrogen Bond · PowerPoint Presentation · Slide 3 · Slide 4 · Slide 5 · Slide 6 · Slide 7 · Slide 8 · Slide 9 · Slide 10 · Slide 11 · Slide 12 · Slide 13 · Slide 14 · Slide 15 · Slide 16 · Slide 17 · Slide 18 · Slide 19.

  10. Photo-responsive liquid crystalline epoxy networks with exchangeable disulfide bonds

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Li, Yuzhan [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Zhang, Yuehong [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); Rios, Orlando [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Keum, Jong K. [Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Kessler, Michael R. [Washington State Univ., Pullman, WA (United States); North Dakota State Univ., Fargo, ND (United States)

    2017-07-27

    The increasing demand for intelligent materials has driven the development of polymers with a variety of functionalities. However, combining multiple functionalities within one polymer is still challenging because of the difficulties encountered in coordinating different functional building blocks during fabrication. In this work, we demonstrate the fabrication of a multifunctional liquid crystalline epoxy network (LCEN) using the combination of thermotropic liquid crystals, photo-responsive azobenzene molecules, and exchangeable disulfide bonds. In addition to shape memory behavior enabled by the reversible liquid crystalline phase transition and photo-induced bending behavior resulting from the photo-responsive azobenzene molecules, the introduction of dynamic disulfide bonds into the LCEN resulted in a structurally dynamic network, allowing the reshaping, repairing, and recycling of the material.

  11. OH stretching frequencies in systems with intramolecular hydrogen bonds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Spanget-Larsen, Jens; Hansen, Bjarke Knud Vilster; Hansen, Poul Erik

    2011-01-01

    OH stretching wavenumbers were investigated for 30 species with intramolecularly hydrogen bonded hydroxyl groups, covering the range from 3600 to ca. 1900 cm-1. Theoretical wavenumbers were predicted with B3LYP/6-31G(d) density functional theory using the standard harmonic approximation, as well...

  12. Modulation of Thiol-Disulfide Oxidoreductases for Increased Production of Disulfide-Bond-Containing Proteins in Bacillus subtilis

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kouwen, Thijs R. H. M.; Dubois, Jean-Yves F.; Freudl, Roland; Quax, Wim J.; van Dijl, Jan Maarten

    2008-01-01

    Disulfide bonds are important for the correct folding, structural integrity, and activity of many biotechnologically relevant proteins. For synthesis and subsequent secretion of these proteins in bacteria, such as the well-known "cell factory" Bacillus subtilis, it is often the correct formation of

  13. CD44 Binding to Hyaluronic Acid Is Redox Regulated by a Labile Disulfide Bond in the Hyaluronic Acid Binding Site.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Helena Kellett-Clarke

    Full Text Available CD44 is the primary leukocyte cell surface receptor for hyaluronic acid (HA, a component of the extracellular matrix. Enzymatic post translational cleavage of labile disulfide bonds is a mechanism by which proteins are structurally regulated by imparting an allosteric change and altering activity. We have identified one such disulfide bond in CD44 formed by Cys77 and Cys97 that stabilises the HA binding groove. This bond is labile on the surface of leukocytes treated with chemical and enzymatic reducing agents. Analysis of CD44 crystal structures reveal the disulfide bond to be solvent accessible and in the-LH hook configuration characteristic of labile disulfide bonds. Kinetic trapping and binding experiments on CD44-Fc chimeric proteins show the bond is preferentially reduced over the other disulfide bonds in CD44 and reduction inhibits the CD44-HA interaction. Furthermore cells transfected with CD44 no longer adhere to HA coated surfaces after pre-treatment with reducing agents. The implications of CD44 redox regulation are discussed in the context of immune function, disease and therapeutic strategies.

  14. Characterization of cyclic peptides containing disulfide bonds

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, Mindy; Liu, Mingtao; Struble, Elaine; Hettiarachchi, Kanthi

    2015-01-01

    Unlike linear peptides, analysis of cyclic peptides containing disulfide bonds is not straightforward and demands indirect methods to achieve a rigorous proof of structure. Three peptides that belong to this category, p-Cl-Phe-DPDPE, DPDPE, and CTOP, were analyzed and the results are presented in this paper. The great potential of two dimensional NMR and ESI tandem mass spectrometry was harnessed during the course of peptide characterizations. A new RP-HPLC method for the analysis of trifluor...

  15. SHuffle, a novel Escherichia coli protein expression strain capable of correctly folding disulfide bonded proteins in its cytoplasm

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lobstein Julie

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Production of correctly disulfide bonded proteins to high yields remains a challenge. Recombinant protein expression in Escherichia coli is the popular choice, especially within the research community. While there is an ever growing demand for new expression strains, few strains are dedicated to post-translational modifications, such as disulfide bond formation. Thus, new protein expression strains must be engineered and the parameters involved in producing disulfide bonded proteins must be understood. Results We have engineered a new E. coli protein expression strain named SHuffle, dedicated to producing correctly disulfide bonded active proteins to high yields within its cytoplasm. This strain is based on the trxB gor suppressor strain SMG96 where its cytoplasmic reductive pathways have been diminished, allowing for the formation of disulfide bonds in the cytoplasm. We have further engineered a major improvement by integrating into its chromosome a signal sequenceless disulfide bond isomerase, DsbC. We probed the redox state of DsbC in the oxidizing cytoplasm and evaluated its role in assisting the formation of correctly folded multi-disulfide bonded proteins. We optimized protein expression conditions, varying temperature, induction conditions, strain background and the co-expression of various helper proteins. We found that temperature has the biggest impact on improving yields and that the E. coli B strain background of this strain was superior to the K12 version. We also discovered that auto-expression of substrate target proteins using this strain resulted in higher yields of active pure protein. Finally, we found that co-expression of mutant thioredoxins and PDI homologs improved yields of various substrate proteins. Conclusions This work is the first extensive characterization of the trxB gor suppressor strain. The results presented should help researchers design the appropriate protein expression conditions using

  16. Hindered disulfide bonds to regulate release rate of model drug from mesoporous silica.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nadrah, Peter; Maver, Uroš; Jemec, Anita; Tišler, Tatjana; Bele, Marjan; Dražić, Goran; Benčina, Mojca; Pintar, Albin; Planinšek, Odon; Gaberšček, Miran

    2013-05-01

    With the advancement of drug delivery systems based on mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs), a simple and efficient method regulating the drug release kinetics is needed. We developed redox-responsive release systems with three levels of hindrance around the disulfide bond. A model drug (rhodamine B dye) was loaded into MSNs' mesoporous voids. The pore opening was capped with β-cyclodextrin in order to prevent leakage of drug. Indeed, in absence of a reducing agent the systems exhibited little leakage, while the addition of dithiothreitol cleaved the disulfide bonds and enabled the release of cargo. The release rate and the amount of released dye were tuned by the level of hindrance around disulfide bonds, with the increased hindrance causing a decrease in the release rate as well as in the amount of released drug. Thus, we demonstrated the ability of the present mesoporous systems to intrinsically control the release rate and the amount of the released cargo by only minor structural variations. Furthermore, an in vivo experiment on zebrafish confirmed that the present model delivery system is nonteratogenic.

  17. Engineering an improved IgG4 molecule with reduced disulfide bond heterogeneity and increased Fab domain thermal stability.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Peters, Shirley J; Smales, C Mark; Henry, Alistair J; Stephens, Paul E; West, Shauna; Humphreys, David P

    2012-07-13

    The integrity of antibody structure, stability, and biophysical characterization are becoming increasingly important as antibodies receive increasing scrutiny from regulatory authorities. We altered the disulfide bond arrangement of an IgG4 molecule by mutation of the Cys at the N terminus of the heavy chain constant domain 1 (C(H)1) (Kabat position 127) to a Ser and introduction of a Cys at a variety of positions (positions 227-230) at the C terminus of C(H)1. An inter-LC-C(H)1 disulfide bond is thus formed, which mimics the disulfide bond arrangement found in an IgG1 molecule. The antibody species present in the supernatant following transient expression in Chinese hamster ovary cells were analyzed by immunoblot to investigate product homogeneity, and purified product was analyzed by a thermofluor assay to determine thermal stability. We show that the light chain can form an inter-LC-C(H)1 disulfide bond with a Cys when present at several positions on the upper hinge (positions 227-230) and that such engineered disulfide bonds can consequently increase the Fab domain thermal stability between 3 and 6.8 °C. The IgG4 disulfide mutants displaying the greatest increase in Fab thermal stability were also the most homogeneous in terms of disulfide bond arrangement and antibody species present. Importantly, mutations did not affect the affinity for antigen of the resultant molecules. In combination with the previously described S241P mutation, we present an IgG4 molecule with increased Fab thermal stability and reduced product heterogeneity that potentially offers advantages for the production of IgG4 molecules.

  18. Photo-reduction on the rupture of disulfide bonds and the related protein assembling

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Wei

    It has been found that many proteins can self-assemble into nanoscale assemblies when they unfold or partially unfold under harsh conditions, such as low pH, high temperature, or the presence of denaturants, and so on. These nanoscale assemblies can have some applications such as the drug-delivery systems (DDSs). Here we report a study that a very physical way, the UV illumination, can be used to facilitate the formation of protein fibrils and nanoparticles under native conditions by breaking disulfide bonds in some disulfide-containing proteins. By controlling the intensity of UV light and the illumination time, we realized the preparation of self-assembly nanoparticles which encapsulate the anticancer drug doxorubicin (DOX) and can be used as the DDS for inhibiting the growth of tumor. The formation of fibrillary assemblies was also observed. The rupture of disulfide bonds through photo-reduction process due to the effect of tryptophan and tyrosine was studied, and the physical mechanism of the assembling of the related disulfide-containing proteins was also discussed. We thank the financial support from NSF of China and the 973 project.

  19. Crystallographic Studies Evidencing the High Energy Tolerance to Disrupting the Interface Disulfide Bond of Thioredoxin 1 from White Leg Shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adam A. Campos-Acevedo

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Thioredoxin (Trx is a small 12-kDa redox protein that catalyzes the reduction of disulfide bonds in proteins from different biological systems. A recent study of the crystal structure of white leg shrimp thioredoxin 1 from Litopenaeus vannamei (LvTrx revealed a dimeric form of the protein mediated by a covalent link through a disulfide bond between Cys73 from each monomer. In the present study, X-ray-induced damage in the catalytic and the interface disulfide bond of LvTrx was studied at atomic resolution at different transmission energies of 8% and 27%, 12.8 keV at 100 K in the beamline I-24 at Diamond Light Source. We found that at an absorbed dose of 32 MGy, the X-ray induces the cleavage of the disulfide bond of each catalytic site; however, the interface disulfide bond was cleaved at an X-ray adsorbed dose of 85 MGy; despite being the most solvent-exposed disulfide bond in LvTrx (~50 Å2. This result clearly established that the interface disulfide bond is very stable and, therefore, less susceptible to being reduced by X-rays. In fact, these studies open the possibility of the existence in solution of a dimeric LvTrx.

  20. Crystallographic studies evidencing the high energy tolerance to disrupting the interface disulfide bond of thioredoxin 1 from white leg shrimp Litopenaeus vannamei.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Campos-Acevedo, Adam A; Rudiño-Piñera, Enrique

    2014-12-15

    Thioredoxin (Trx) is a small 12-kDa redox protein that catalyzes the reduction of disulfide bonds in proteins from different biological systems. A recent study of the crystal structure of white leg shrimp thioredoxin 1 from Litopenaeus vannamei (LvTrx) revealed a dimeric form of the protein mediated by a covalent link through a disulfide bond between Cys73 from each monomer. In the present study, X-ray-induced damage in the catalytic and the interface disulfide bond of LvTrx was studied at atomic resolution at different transmission energies of 8% and 27%, 12.8 keV at 100 K in the beamline I-24 at Diamond Light Source. We found that at an absorbed dose of 32 MGy, the X-ray induces the cleavage of the disulfide bond of each catalytic site; however, the interface disulfide bond was cleaved at an X-ray adsorbed dose of 85 MGy; despite being the most solvent-exposed disulfide bond in LvTrx (~50 Å2). This result clearly established that the interface disulfide bond is very stable and, therefore, less susceptible to being reduced by X-rays. In fact, these studies open the possibility of the existence in solution of a dimeric LvTrx.

  1. CMPO-calix[4]arenes with spacer containing intramolecular hydrogen bonding: Effect of local rigidification on solvent extraction toward f-block elements

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chu, Hongzhu; He, Lutao; Jiang, Qian; Fang, Yuyu; Jia, Yiming; Yuan, Xiangyang; Zou, Shuliang; Li, Xianghui; Feng, Wen; Yang, Yuanyou; Liu, Ning; Luo, Shunzhong; Yang, Yanqiu; Yang, Liang; Yuan, Lihua

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • Three CMPO-calix[4]arenes with spacer containing intramolecular hydrogen bonds were designed and synthesized. • The influence of local rigidification caused by intramolecular hydrogen bonds upon extraction of f-elements was investigated. • Selective extraction is realized via tuning local chelating surroundings by aid of intramolecular hydrogen bonds. -- Abstract: To understand intramolecular hydrogen bonding in effecting liquid–liquid extraction behavior of CMPO-calixarenes, three CMPO-modified calix[4]arenes (CMPO-CA) 5a–5c with hydrogen-bonded spacer were designed and synthesized. The impact of spacer rotation that is hindered by introduction of intramolecular hydrogen bonding upon extraction of La 3+ , Eu 3+ , Yb 3+ , Th 4+ , and UO 2 2+ has been examined. The results show that 5b and 5c containing only one hydrogen bond with a less hindered rotation spacer extract La 3+ more efficiently than 5a containing two hydrogen bonds with a more hindered rotation spacer, demonstrating the importance of local rigidification of spacer in the design of extractants in influencing the coordination environment. The large difference in extractability between La 3+ and Yb 3+ (or Eu 3+ ) by 5b (or 5c), and the small difference by 5a, suggests intramolecular hydrogen bonding do exert pronounced influence upon selective extraction of light and heavy lanthanides. Log–log plot analysis indicates a 1:1, 2:1 and 1:1 stoichiometry (ligand/metal) for the extracted complex formed between 5b and La 3+ , Th 4+ , UO 2 2+ , respectively. Additionally, their corresponding acyclic analogs 7a–7c exhibit negligible extraction toward these metal ions. These results reveal the possibility of selective extraction via tuning local chelating surroundings of CMPO-CA by aid of intramolecular hydrogen bonding

  2. Does the Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond Affect the Spectroscopic Properties of Bicyclic Diazole Heterocycles?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Paweł Misiak

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The formation of an intramolecular hydrogen bond in pyrrolo[1,2-a]pyrazin-1(2H-one bicyclic diazoles was analyzed, and the influence of N-substitution on HB formation is discussed in this study. B3LYP/aug-cc-pVDZ calculations were performed for the diazole, and the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM approach as well as the natural bond orbital (NBO method was applied to analyze the strength of this interaction. It was found that the intramolecular hydrogen bond that closes an extra ring between the C=O proton acceptor group and the CH proton donor, that is, C=O⋯H–C, influences the spectroscopic properties of pyrrolopyrazine bicyclic diazoles, particularly the carbonyl frequencies. The influence of N-substitution on the aromaticity of heterocyclic rings is also discussed in this report.

  3. Role of the Disulfide Bond in Prion Protein Amyloid Formation: A Thermodynamic and Kinetic Analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Honda, Ryo

    2018-02-27

    Prion diseases are associated with the structural conversion of prion protein (PrP) to a β-sheet-rich aggregate, PrP Sc . Previous studies have indicated that a reduction of the disulfide bond linking C179 and C214 of PrP yields an amyloidlike β-rich aggregate in vitro. To gain mechanistic insights into the reduction-induced aggregation, here I characterized how disulfide bond reduction modulates the protein folding/misfolding landscape of PrP, by examining 1) the equilibrium stabilities of the native (N) and aggregated states relative to the unfolded (U) state, 2) the transition barrier separating the U and aggregated states, and 3) the final structure of amyloidlike misfolded aggregates. Kinetic and thermodynamic experiments revealed that disulfide bond reduction decreases the equilibrium stabilities of both the N and aggregated states by ∼3 kcal/mol, without changing either the amyloidlike aggregate structure, at least at the secondary structural level, or the transition barrier of aggregation. Therefore, disulfide bond reduction modulates the protein folding/misfolding landscape by entropically stabilizing disordered states, including the U and transition state of aggregation. This also indicates that the equilibrium stability of the N state, but not the transition barrier of aggregation, is the dominant factor determining the reduction-induced aggregation of PrP. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. On prediction of OH stretching frequencies in intramolecularly hydrogen bonded systems

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Poul Erik; Spanget-Larsen, Jens

    2012-01-01

    OH stretching frequencies are investigated for a series of non-tautomerizing systems with intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Effective OH stretching wavenumbers are predicted by the application of empirical correlation procedures based on the results of B3LYP/6-31G(d) theoretical calculations...

  5. Quantification of thiols and disulfides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winther, Jakob R.; Thorpe, Colin

    2014-01-01

    lengths to regulate thiol-disulfide bond homeostasis, typically with several, apparently redundant, systems working in parallel. Dissecting the extent of oxidation and reduction of disulfides is an ongoing challenge due, in part, to the facility of thiol/disulfide exchange reactions.......Disulfide bond formation is a key posttranslational modification, with implications for structure, function and stability of numerous proteins. While disulfide bond formation is a necessary and essential process for many proteins, it is deleterious and disruptive for others. Cells go to great...

  6. The significance of disulfide bonding in biological activity of HB-EGF, a mutagenesis approach

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoskins, J.T.; Zhou, Z.; Harding, P.A.

    2008-01-01

    A site-directed mutagenesis approach was taken to disrupt each of 3 disulfide bonds within human HB-EGF by substituting serine for both cysteine residues that contribute to disulfide bonding. Each HB-EGF disulfide analogue (HB-EGF-Cys/Ser 108/121 , HB-EGF-Cys/Ser 116/132 , and HB-EGF-Cys/Ser 134/143 ) was cloned under the regulation of the mouse metallothionein (MT) promoter and stably expressed in mouse fibroblasts. HB-EGF immunoreactive proteins with M r of 6.5, 21 and 24 kDa were observed from lysates of HB-EGF and each HB-EGF disulfide analogue. HB-EGF immunohistochemical analyses of each HB-EGF stable cell line demonstrated ubiquitous protein expression except HB-EGF-Cys/Ser 108/121 and HB-EGF-Cys/Ser 116/132 stable cell lines which exhibited accumulated expression immediately outside the nucleus. rHB-EGF, HB-EGF, and HB-EGF 134/143 proteins competed with 125 I-EGF in an A431 competitive binding assay, whereas HB-EGF-Cys/Ser 108/121 and HB-EGF-Cys/Ser 116/132 failed to compete. Each HB-EGF disulfide analogue lacked the ability to stimulate tyrosine phosphorylation of the 170 kDa EGFR. These results suggest that HB-EGF-Cys/Ser 134/143 antagonizes EGFRs

  7. Vibrational Spectroscopy of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds in the Infrared and Near-Infrared Regions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Schrøder, Sidsel Dahl

    and 1,4-diaminobutane). Experimentally, the hydrogen bonds have been studied with vibrational spectroscopy in the infrared and near-infrared regions. The focus is primarily on spectra recorded in the near-infrared regions, which in these studies are dominated by O-H and N-H stretching overtones....... Overtone spectra have been recorded with intracavity laser photoacoustic laser spectroscopy and conventional long path absorption spectroscopy. Theoretically, a combination of electronic structure calculations and local mode models have been employed to guide the assignment of bands in the vibrational......,4-diaminobutane, no sign of intramolecular N-H···N hydrogen bonds were identified in the overtone spectra. However, theoretical analyzes indicate that intramolecular N-H···N hydrogen bonds are present in all three diamines if two hydrogen atoms on one of the methylene groups are substituted with triuoromethyl...

  8. Combining biophysical methods to analyze the disulfide bond in SH2 domain of C-terminal Src kinase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Dongsheng; Cowburn, David

    2016-01-01

    The Src Homology 2 (SH2) domain is a structurally conserved protein domain that typically binds to a phosphorylated tyrosine in a peptide motif from the target protein. The SH2 domain of C-terminal Src kinase (Csk) contains a single disulfide bond, which is unusual for most SH2 domains. Although the global motion of SH2 domain regulates Csk function, little is known about the relationship between the disulfide bond and binding of the ligand. In this study, we combined X-ray crystallography, solution NMR, and other biophysical methods to reveal the interaction network in Csk. Denaturation studies have shown that disulfide bond contributes significantly to the stability of SH2 domain, and crystal structures of the oxidized and C122S mutant showed minor conformational changes. We further investigated the binding of SH2 domain to a phosphorylated peptide from Csk-binding protein upon reduction and oxidation using both NMR and fluorescence approaches. This work employed NMR, X-ray cryptography, and other biophysical methods to study a disulfide bond in Csk SH2 domain. In addition, this work provides in-depth understanding of the structural dynamics of Csk SH2 domain.

  9. Conversion of a disulfide bond into a thioacetal group during echinomycin biosynthesis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hotta, Kinya; Keegan, Ronan M.; Ranganathan, Soumya; Fang, Minyi; Bibby, Jaclyn; Winn, Martyn D.; Sato, Michio; Lian, Mingzhu; Watanabe, Kenji; Rigden, Daniel J.; Kim, Chu-Young (Liverpool); (Daresbury); (NU Singapore); (Shizuoka); (RAL)

    2013-12-02

    Echinomycin is a nonribosomal depsipeptide natural product with a range of interesting bioactivities that make it an important target for drug discovery and development. It contains a thioacetal bridge, a unique chemical motif derived from the disulfide bond of its precursor antibiotic triostin A by the action of an S-adenosyl-L-methionine-dependent methyltransferase, Ecm18. The crystal structure of Ecm18 in complex with its reaction products S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine and echinomycin was determined at 1.50 Å resolution. Phasing was achieved using a new molecular replacement package called AMPLE, which automatically derives search models from structure predictions based on ab initio protein modelling. Structural analysis indicates that a combination of proximity effects, medium effects, and catalysis by strain drives the unique transformation of the disulfide bond into the thioacetal linkage.

  10. Increased Functional Half-life of Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 by Recovering a Vestigial Disulfide Bond

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jihun Lee

    2010-12-01

    Full Text Available The fibroblast growth factor (FGF family of proteins contains an absolutely conserved Cys residue at position 83 that is present as a buried free cysteine. We have previously shown that mutation of the structurally adjacent residue, Ala66, to cysteine results in the formation of a stabilizing disulfide bond in FGF-1. This result suggests that the conserved free cysteine residue at position 83 in the FGF family of proteins represents a vestigial half-cystine. Here, we characterize the functional half-life and mitogenic activity of the oxidized form of the Ala66Cys mutation to identify the effect of the recovered vestigial disulfide bond between Cys83 and Cys66 upon the cellular function of FGF-1. The results show that the mitogenic activity of this mutant is significantly increased and that its functional half-life is greatly extended. These favorable effects are conferred by the formation of a disulfide bond that simultaneously increases thermodynamic stability of the protein and removes a reactive buried thiol at position 83. Recovering this vestigial disulfide by introducing a cysteine at position 66 is a potentially useful protein engineering strategy to improve the functional half-life of other FGF family members.

  11. Towards a Molecular Movie: Real Time Observation of Hydrogen Bond Breaking by Transient 2D-IR Spectroscopy in a Cyclic Peptide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolano, Christoph; Helbing, Jan; Sander, Wolfram; Hamm, Peter

    Transient two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy (T2D-IR) has been used to observe in real time the non-equilibrium structural dynamics of intramolecular hydrogen bond breaking in a small cyclic disulfide-bridged peptide.

  12. Structural characterization of PTX3 disulfide bond network and its multimeric status in cumulus matrix organization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inforzato, Antonio; Rivieccio, Vincenzo; Morreale, Antonio P; Bastone, Antonio; Salustri, Antonietta; Scarchilli, Laura; Verdoliva, Antonio; Vincenti, Silvia; Gallo, Grazia; Chiapparino, Caterina; Pacello, Lucrezia; Nucera, Eleonora; Serlupi-Crescenzi, Ottaviano; Day, Anthony J; Bottazzi, Barbara; Mantovani, Alberto; De Santis, Rita; Salvatori, Giovanni

    2008-04-11

    PTX3 is an acute phase glycoprotein that plays key roles in resistance to certain pathogens and in female fertility. PTX3 exerts its functions by interacting with a number of structurally unrelated molecules, a capacity that is likely to rely on its complex multimeric structure stabilized by interchain disulfide bonds. In this study, PAGE analyses performed under both native and denaturing conditions indicated that human recombinant PTX3 is mainly composed of covalently linked octamers. The network of disulfide bonds supporting this octameric assembly was resolved by mass spectrometry and Cys to Ser site-directed mutagenesis. Here we report that cysteine residues at positions 47, 49, and 103 in the N-terminal domain form three symmetric interchain disulfide bonds stabilizing four protein subunits in a tetrameric arrangement. Additional interchain disulfide bonds formed by the C-terminal domain cysteines Cys(317) and Cys(318) are responsible for linking the PTX3 tetramers into octamers. We also identified three intrachain disulfide bonds within the C-terminal domain that we used as structural constraints to build a new three-dimensional model for this domain. Previously it has been shown that PTX3 is a key component of the cumulus oophorus extracellular matrix, which forms around the oocyte prior to ovulation, because cumuli from PTX3(-/-) mice show defective matrix organization. Recombinant PTX3 is able to restore the normal phenotype ex vivo in cumuli from PTX3(-/-) mice. Here we demonstrate that PTX3 Cys to Ser mutants, mainly assembled into tetramers, exhibited wild type rescue activity, whereas a mutant, predominantly composed of dimers, had impaired functionality. These findings indicate that protein oligomerization is essential for PTX3 activity within the cumulus matrix and implicate PTX3 tetramers as the functional molecular units required for cumulus matrix organization and stabilization.

  13. Chaperonin GroE-facilitated refolding of disulfide-bonded and reduced Taka-amylase A from Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawata, Y; Hongo, K; Mizobata, T; Nagai, J

    1998-12-01

    The refolding characteristics of Taka-amylase A (TAA) from Aspergillus oryzae in the presence of the chaperonin GroE were studied in terms of activity and fluorescence. Disulfide-bonded (intact) TAA and non-disulfide-bonded (reduced) TAA were unfolded in guanidine hydrochloride and refolded by dilution into buffer containing GroE. The intermediates of both intact and reduced enzymes were trapped by GroEL in the absence of nucleotide. Upon addition of nucleotides such as ATP, ADP, CTP or UTP, the intermediates were released from GroEL and recovery of activity was detected. In both cases, the refolding yields in the presence of GroEL and ATP were higher than spontaneous recoveries. Fluorescence studies of intrinsic tryptophan and a hydrophobic probe, 8-anilinonaphthalene-1-sulfonate, suggested that the intermediates trapped by GroEL assumed conformations with different hydrophobic properties. The presence of protein disulfide isomerase or reduced and oxidized forms of glutathione in addition to GroE greatly enhanced the refolding reaction of reduced TAA. These findings suggest that GroE has an ability to recognize folding intermediates of TAA protein and facilitate refolding, regardless of the existence or absence of disulfide bonds in the protein.

  14. MLKL forms disulfide bond-dependent amyloid-like polymers to induce necroptosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Shuzhen; Liu, Hua; Johnston, Andrea; Hanna-Addams, Sarah; Reynoso, Eduardo; Xiang, Yougui; Wang, Zhigao

    2017-09-05

    Mixed-lineage kinase domain-like protein (MLKL) is essential for TNF-α-induced necroptosis. How MLKL promotes cell death is still under debate. Here we report that MLKL forms SDS-resistant, disulfide bond-dependent polymers during necroptosis in both human and mouse cells. MLKL polymers are independent of receptor-interacting protein kinase 1 and 3 (RIPK1/RIPK3) fibers. Large MLKL polymers are more than 2 million Da and are resistant to proteinase K digestion. MLKL polymers are fibers 5 nm in diameter under electron microscopy. Furthermore, the recombinant N-terminal domain of MLKL forms amyloid-like fibers and binds Congo red dye. MLKL mutants that cannot form polymers also fail to induce necroptosis efficiently. Finally, the compound necrosulfonamide conjugates cysteine 86 of human MLKL and blocks MLKL polymer formation and subsequent cell death. These results demonstrate that disulfide bond-dependent, amyloid-like MLKL polymers are necessary and sufficient to induce necroptosis.

  15. Nicotinamidase/pyrazinamidase of Mycobacterium tuberculosis forms homo-dimers stabilized by disulfide bonds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rueda, Daniel; Sheen, Patricia; Gilman, Robert H; Bueno, Carlos; Santos, Marco; Pando-Robles, Victoria; Batista, Cesar V; Zimic, Mirko

    2014-12-01

    Recombinant wild-pyrazinamidase from H37Rv Mycobacterium tuberculosis was analyzed by gel electrophoresis under differential reducing conditions to evaluate its quaternary structure. PZAse was fractionated by size exclusion chromatography under non-reducing conditions. PZAse activity was measured and mass spectrometry analysis was performed to determine the identity of proteins by de novo sequencing and to determine the presence of disulfide bonds. This study confirmed that M. tuberculosis wild type PZAse was able to form homo-dimers in vitro. Homo-dimers showed a slightly lower specific PZAse activity compared to monomeric PZAse. PZAse dimers were dissociated into monomers in response to reducing conditions. Mass spectrometry analysis confirmed the existence of disulfide bonds (C72-C138 and C138-C138) stabilizing the quaternary structure of the PZAse homo-dimer. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. The role of short-range Cys171-Cys178 disulfide bond in maintaining cutinase active site integrity: A molecular dynamics simulation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Matak, Mehdi Youssefi; Moghaddam, Majid Erfani

    2009-01-01

    Understanding structural determinants in enzyme active site integrity can provide a good knowledge to design efficient novel catalytic machineries. Fusarium solani pisi cutinase with classic triad Ser-His-Asp is a promising enzyme to scrutinize these structural determinants. We performed two MD simulations: one, with the native structure, and the other with the broken Cys171-Cys178 disulfide bond. This disulfide bond stabilizes a turn in active site on which catalytic Asp175 is located. Functionally important H-bonds and atomic fluctuations in catalytic pocket have been changed. We proposed that this disulfide bond within active site can be considered as an important determinant of cutinase active site structural integrity.

  17. Effect of intramolecular hydrogen bonding and electron donation on substituted anthrasemiquinone characteristics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pal, H.; Mukherjee, T.

    1994-01-01

    The acid-base and redox characteristics of the semiquinones of a number of hydroxy and amino-substituted anthraquinones have been investigated. Results are explained on the basis of electron-donating properties and intramolecular hydrogen bond forming capabilities of the substituents. (author). 4 refs., 1 tab., 1 fig

  18. Disulfide bonds in folding and transport of the mouse hepatitis virus glycoproteins

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Horzinek, M.C.; Opstelten, D.-J.E.; Groote, P. de; Vennema, H.; Rottier, P.J.M.

    1993-01-01

    We have analyzed the effects of reducing conditions on the folding of the spike (S) protein and on the intracellular transport of the membrane (M) protein of the mouse hepatitis coronavirus. These proteins differ in their potential to form disulfide bonds in the lumen of the endoplasmic reticulum

  19. Per-2,3-O-alkylated beta-cyclodextrin duplexes connected with disulfide bonds

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tatar, Ameneh; Grishina, Anastasia; Buděšínský, Miloš; Kraus, Tomáš

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 29, č. 1 (2017), s. 40-48 ISSN 1061-0278 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LD12019 Grant - others:COST(XE) CM1005 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : cyclodextrins * inclusion complexes * disulfide bonds Subject RIV: CC - Organic Chemistry OBOR OECD: Organic chemistry Impact factor: 1.264, year: 2016

  20. On Hydrogen Bonding in the Intramolecularly Chelated Taitomers of Enolic Malondialdehyde and its Mono- and Dithio-Analogues

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Carlsen, Lars; Duus, Fritz

    1980-01-01

    The intramolecular hydrogen bondings in enolic malondialdehyde and it mono- and dithio-analogues have been evaluated by a semiempricial SCF–MO–CNDO method. The calculations predict that the hydrogen bonds play an important part in the stabilities of malondialdehyde and monothiomalondialdehyde...

  1. Engineering a disulfide bond in the lid hinge region of Rhizopus chinensis lipase: increased thermostability and altered acyl chain length specificity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Xiao-Wei Yu

    Full Text Available The key to enzyme function is the maintenance of an appropriate balance between molecular stability and structural flexibility. The lid domain which is very important for "interfacial activation" is the most flexible part in the lipase structure. In this work, rational design was applied to explore the relationship between lid rigidity and lipase activity by introducing a disulfide bond in the hinge region of the lid, in the hope of improving the thermostability of R. chinensis lipase through stabilization of the lid domain without interfering with its catalytic performance. A disulfide bridge between F95C and F214C was introduced into the lipase from R. chinensis in the hinge region of the lid according to the prediction of the "Disulfide by Design" algorithm. The disulfide variant showed substantially improved thermostability with an eleven-fold increase in the t(1/2 value at 60°C and a 7°C increase of T(m compared with the parent enzyme, probably contributed by the stabilization of the geometric structure of the lid region. The additional disulfide bond did not interfere with the catalytic rate (k(cat and the catalytic efficiency towards the short-chain fatty acid substrate, however, the catalytic efficiency of the disulfide variant towards pNPP decreased by 1.5-fold probably due to the block of the hydrophobic substrate channel by the disulfide bond. Furthermore, in the synthesis of fatty acid methyl esters, the maximum conversion rate by RCLCYS reached 95% which was 9% higher than that by RCL. This is the first report on improving the thermostability of the lipase from R. chinensis by introduction of a disulfide bond in the lid hinge region without compromising the catalytic rate.

  2. CMPO-calix[4]arenes with spacer containing intramolecular hydrogen bonding: effect of local rigidification on solvent extraction toward f-block elements.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chu, Hongzhu; He, Lutao; Jiang, Qian; Fang, Yuyu; Jia, Yiming; Yuan, Xiangyang; Zou, Shuliang; Li, Xianghui; Feng, Wen; Yang, Yuanyou; Liu, Ning; Luo, Shunzhong; Yang, Yanqiu; Yang, Liang; Yuan, Lihua

    2014-01-15

    To understand intramolecular hydrogen bonding in effecting liquid-liquid extraction behavior of CMPO-calixarenes, three CMPO-modified calix[4]arenes (CMPO-CA) 5a-5c with hydrogen-bonded spacer were designed and synthesized. The impact of spacer rotation that is hindered by introduction of intramolecular hydrogen bonding upon extraction of La(3+), Eu(3+), Yb(3+), Th(4+), and UO2(2+) has been examined. The results show that 5b and 5c containing only one hydrogen bond with a less hindered rotation spacer extract La(3+) more efficiently than 5a containing two hydrogen bonds with a more hindered rotation spacer, demonstrating the importance of local rigidification of spacer in the design of extractants in influencing the coordination environment. The large difference in extractability between La(3+) and Yb(3+) (or Eu(3+)) by 5b (or 5c), and the small difference by 5a, suggests intramolecular hydrogen bonding do exert pronounced influence upon selective extraction of light and heavy lanthanides. Log-log plot analysis indicates a 1:1, 2:1 and 1:1 stoichiometry (ligand/metal) for the extracted complex formed between 5b and La(3+), Th(4+), UO2(2+), respectively. Additionally, their corresponding acyclic analogs 7a-7c exhibit negligible extraction toward these metal ions. These results reveal the possibility of selective extraction via tuning local chelating surroundings of CMPO-CA by aid of intramolecular hydrogen bonding. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  3. Photoinduced Intramolecular Bifurcate Hydrogen Bond: Unusual Mutual Influence of the Components.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sigalov, Mark V; Shainyan, Bagrat A; Sterkhova, Irina V

    2017-09-01

    A series of 7-hydroxy-2-methylidene-2,3-dihydro-1H-inden-1-ones with 2-pyrrolyl (3), 4-dimethylaminophenyl (4), 4-nitrophenyl (5), and carboxyl group (6) as substituents at the exocyclic double bond was synthesized in the form of the E-isomers (4-6) or predominantly as the Z-isomer (3) which in solution is converted to the E-isomer. The synthesized compounds and their model analogues were studied by NMR spectroscopy, X-ray analysis, and MP2 theoretical calculations. The E-isomers having intramolecular O-H···O═C hydrogen bond are converted by UV irradiation to the Z-isomers having bifurcated O-H···O···H-X hydrogen bond. Unexpected shortening (and, thus, strengthening) of the O-H···O═C component of the bifurcated hydrogen bond upon the formation of the C═O···H-X hydrogen bond was found experimentally, proved theoretically (MP2), and explained by a roundabout interaction of the H-donor (HX) and H-acceptor (C═O) via the system of conjugated bonds.

  4. TDDFT study on intramolecular hydrogen bond of photoexcited methyl salicylate.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Peng; Tian, Dongxu

    2014-01-01

    The equilibrium geometries, IR-spectra and transition mechanism of intramolecular hydrogen-bonded methyl salicylate in excited state were studied using DFT and TDDFT with 6-31++G (d, p) basis set. The length of hydrogen bond OH⋯OC is decreased from 1.73 Å in the ground state to 1.41 and 1.69 Å in the excited S1 and S3 states. The increase of bond length for HO and CO group also indicates that in excited state the hydrogen bond OH⋯OC is strengthened. IR spectra show HO and CO stretching bands are strongly redshifted by 1387 and 67 cm(-1) in the excited S1 and S3 states comparing to the ground state. The excitation energy and the absorption spectrum show the S3 state is the main excited state of the low-lying excited states. By analyzing the frontier molecular orbitals, the transition from the ground state to the excited S1 and S3 states was predicted to be the π→π∗ mode. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Efficient soluble expression of disulfide bonded proteins in the cytoplasm of Escherichia coli in fed-batch fermentations on chemically defined minimal media.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gąciarz, Anna; Khatri, Narendar Kumar; Velez-Suberbie, M Lourdes; Saaranen, Mirva J; Uchida, Yuko; Keshavarz-Moore, Eli; Ruddock, Lloyd W

    2017-06-15

    The production of recombinant proteins containing disulfide bonds in Escherichia coli is challenging. In most cases the protein of interest needs to be either targeted to the oxidizing periplasm or expressed in the cytoplasm in the form of inclusion bodies, then solubilized and re-folded in vitro. Both of these approaches have limitations. Previously we showed that soluble expression of disulfide bonded proteins in the cytoplasm of E. coli is possible at shake flask scale with a system, known as CyDisCo, which is based on co-expression of a protein of interest along with a sulfhydryl oxidase and a disulfide bond isomerase. With CyDisCo it is possible to produce disulfide bonded proteins in the presence of intact reducing pathways in the cytoplasm. Here we scaled up production of four disulfide bonded proteins to stirred tank bioreactors and achieved high cell densities and protein yields in glucose fed-batch fermentations, using an E. coli strain (BW25113) with the cytoplasmic reducing pathways intact. Even without process optimization production of purified human single chain IgA 1 antibody fragment reached 139 mg/L and hen avidin 71 mg/L, while purified yields of human growth hormone 1 and interleukin 6 were around 1 g/L. Preliminary results show that human growth hormone 1 was also efficiently produced in fermentations of W3110 strain and when glucose was replaced with glycerol as the carbon source. Our results show for the first time that efficient production of high yields of soluble disulfide bonded proteins in the cytoplasm of E. coli with the reducing pathways intact is feasible to scale-up to bioreactor cultivations on chemically defined minimal media.

  6. Microwave-assisted acid and base hydrolysis of intact proteins containing disulfide bonds for protein sequence analysis by mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reiz, Bela; Li, Liang

    2010-09-01

    Controlled hydrolysis of proteins to generate peptide ladders combined with mass spectrometric analysis of the resultant peptides can be used for protein sequencing. In this paper, two methods of improving the microwave-assisted protein hydrolysis process are described to enable rapid sequencing of proteins containing disulfide bonds and increase sequence coverage, respectively. It was demonstrated that proteins containing disulfide bonds could be sequenced by MS analysis by first performing hydrolysis for less than 2 min, followed by 1 h of reduction to release the peptides originally linked by disulfide bonds. It was shown that a strong base could be used as a catalyst for microwave-assisted protein hydrolysis, producing complementary sequence information to that generated by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis. However, using either acid or base hydrolysis, amide bond breakages in small regions of the polypeptide chains of the model proteins (e.g., cytochrome c and lysozyme) were not detected. Dynamic light scattering measurement of the proteins solubilized in an acid or base indicated that protein-protein interaction or aggregation was not the cause of the failure to hydrolyze certain amide bonds. It was speculated that there were some unknown local structures that might play a role in preventing an acid or base from reacting with the peptide bonds therein. 2010 American Society for Mass Spectrometry. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. {sup 13}C-NMR studies on disulfide bond isomerization in bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Takeda, Mitsuhiro [Kumamoto University, Department of Structural BioImaging, Faculty of Life Sciences (Japan); Miyanoiri, Yohei [Nagoya University, Structural Biology Research Center, Graduate School of Science (Japan); Terauchi, Tsutomu [Tokyo Metropolitan University, Graduate School of Science and Engineering (Japan); Kainosho, Masatsune, E-mail: kainosho@tmu.ac.jp [Nagoya University, Structural Biology Research Center, Graduate School of Science (Japan)

    2016-09-15

    Conformational isomerization of disulfide bonds is associated with the dynamics and thus the functional aspects of proteins. However, our understanding of the isomerization is limited by experimental difficulties in probing it. We explored the disulfide conformational isomerization of the Cys14–Cys38 disulfide bond in bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI), by performing an NMR line-shape analysis of its Cys carbon peaks. In this approach, 1D {sup 13}C spectra were recorded at small temperature intervals for BPTI samples selectively labeled with site-specifically {sup 13}C-enriched Cys, and the recorded peaks were displayed in the order of the temperature after the spectral scales were normalized to a carbon peak. Over the profile of the line-shape, exchange broadening that altered with temperature was manifested for the carbon peaks of Cys14 and Cys38. The Cys14–Cys38 disulfide bond reportedly exists in equilibrium between a high-populated (M) and two low-populated states (m{sub c14} and m{sub c38}). Consistent with the three-site exchange model, biphasic exchange broadening arising from the two processes was observed for the peak of the Cys14 α-carbon. As the exchange broadening is maximized when the exchange rate equals the chemical shift difference in Hz between equilibrating sites, semi-quantitative information that was useful for establishing conditions for {sup 13}C relaxation dispersion experiments was obtained through the carbon line-shape profile. With respect to the m{sub c38} isomerization, the {sup 1}H-{sup 13}C signals at the β-position of the minor state were resolved from the major peaks and detected by exchange experiments at a low temperature.

  8. Coupling gold nanoparticles to silica nanoparticles through disulfide bonds for glutathione detection

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shi Yupeng; Zhang Heng; Zhang Zhaomin; Yi Changqing; Yue Zhenfeng; Teng, Kar-Seng; Li Meijin; Yang Mengsu

    2013-01-01

    Advances in the controlled assembly of nanoscale building blocks have resulted in functional devices which can find applications in electronics, biomedical imaging, drug delivery etc. In this study, novel covalent nanohybrid materials based upon [Ru(bpy) 3 ] 2+ -doped silica nanoparticles (SiNPs) and gold nanoparticles (AuNPs), which could be conditioned as OFF–ON probes for glutathione (GSH) detection, were designed and assembled in sequence, with the disulfide bonds as the bridging elements. The structural and optical properties of the nanohybrid architectures were characterized using transmission electron microscopy, UV–vis spectroscopy and fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. Zeta potential measurements, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy were employed to monitor the reaction processes of the SiNPs–S–S–COOH and SiNPs–S–S–AuNPs synthesis. It was found that the covalent nanohybrid architectures were fluorescently dark (OFF state), indicating that SiNPs were effectively quenched by AuNPs. The fluorescence of the OFF–ON probe was resumed (ON state) when the bridge of the disulfide bond was cleaved by reducing reagents such as GSH. This work provides a new platform and strategy for GSH detection using covalent nanohybrid materials. (paper)

  9. Effect of trastuzumab interchain disulfide bond cleavage on Fcγ receptor binding and antibody-dependent tumour cell phagocytosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Mami; Yamanoi, Ayaka; Machino, Yusuke; Ootsubo, Michiko; Izawa, Ken-ichi; Kohroki, Junya; Masuho, Yasuhiko

    2016-01-01

    The Fc domain of human IgG1 binds to Fcγ receptors (FcγRs) to induce effector functions such as phagocytosis. There are four interchain disulfide bonds between the H and L chains. In this study, the disulfide bonds within the IgG1 trastuzumab (TRA), which is specific for HER2, were cleaved by mild S-sulfonation or by mild reduction followed by S-alkylation with three different reagents. The cleavage did not change the binding activities of TRA to HER2-bearing SK-BR-3 cells. The binding activities of TRA to FcγRIIA and FcγRIIB were greatly enhanced by modification with mild reduction and S-alkylation with ICH2CONH2 or N-(4-aminophenyl) maleimide, while the binding activities of TRA to FcγRI and FcγRIIIA were decreased by any of the four modifications. However, the interchain disulfide bond cleavage by the different modifications did not change the antibody-dependent cell-mediated phagocytosis (ADCP) of SK-BR-3 cells by activated THP-1 cells. The order of FcγR expression levels on the THP-1 cells was FcγRII > FcγRI > FcγRIII and ADCP was inhibited by blocking antibodies against FcγRI and FcγRII. These results imply that the effect of the interchain disulfide bond cleavage on FcγRs binding and ADCP is dependent on modifications of the cysteine residues and the FcγR isotypes. © The Authors 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Japanese Biochemical Society. All rights reserved.

  10. Evidence for excited-state intramolecular proton transfer in 4-chlorosalicylic acid from combined experimental and computational studies: Quantum chemical treatment of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding interaction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paul, Bijan Kumar [Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92 Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, Calcutta 700009 (India); Guchhait, Nikhil, E-mail: nikhil.guchhait@rediffmail.com [Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92 Acharya Prafulla Chandra Road, Calcutta 700009 (India)

    2012-07-25

    Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Experimental and computational studies on the photophysics of 4-chlorosalicylic acid. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Spectroscopically established ESIPT reaction substantiated by theoretical calculation. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Quantum chemical treatment of IMHB unveils strength, nature and directional nature. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Superiority of quantum chemical treatment of H-bond over geometric criteria. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Role of H-bond as a modulator of aromaticity. -- Abstract: The photophysical study of a pharmaceutically important chlorine substituted derivative of salicylic acid viz., 4-chlorosalicylic acid (4ClSA) has been carried out by steady-state absorption, emission and time-resolved emission spectroscopy. A large Stokes shifted emission band with negligible solvent polarity dependence marks the spectroscopic signature of excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) reaction in 4ClSA. Theoretical calculation by ab initio and Density Functional Theory methods yields results consistent with experimental findings. Theoretical potential energy surfaces predict the occurrence of proton transfer in S{sub 1}-state. Geometrical and energetic criteria, Atoms-In-Molecule topological parameters, Natural Bond Orbital population analysis have been exploited to evaluate the intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) interaction and to explore its directional nature. The inter-correlation between aromaticity and resonance assisted H-bond is also discussed in this context. Our results unveil that the quantum chemical treatment is a more accurate tool to assess hydrogen bonding interaction in comparison to geometrical criteria.

  11. Rational Design of Disulfide Bonds Increases Thermostability of a Mesophilic 1,3-1,4-β-Glucanase from Bacillus terquilensis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chengtuo Niu

    Full Text Available 1,3-1,4-β-glucanase is an important biocatalyst in brewing industry and animal feed industry, while its low thermostability often reduces its application performance. In this study, the thermostability of a mesophilic β-glucanase from Bacillus terquilensis was enhanced by rational design and engineering of disulfide bonds in the protein structure. Protein spatial configuration was analyzed to pre-exclude the residues pairs which negatively conflicted with the protein structure and ensure the contact of catalytic center. The changes in protein overall and local flexibility among the wild-type enzyme and the designated mutants were predicted to select the potential disulfide bonds for enhancement of thermostability. Two residue pairs (N31C-T187C and P102C-N125C were chosen as engineering targets and both of them were proved to significantly enhance the protein thermostability. After combinational mutagenesis, the double mutant N31C-T187C/P102C-N125C showed a 48.3% increase in half-life value at 60°C and a 4.1°C rise in melting temperature (Tm compared to wild-type enzyme. The catalytic property of N31C-T187C/P102C-N125C mutant was similar to that of wild-type enzyme. Interestingly, the optimal pH of double mutant was shifted from pH6.5 to pH6.0, which could also increase its industrial application. By comparison with mutants with single-Cys substitutions, the introduction of disulfide bonds and the induced new hydrogen bonds were proved to result in both local and overall rigidification and should be responsible for the improved thermostability. Therefore, the introduction of disulfide bonds for thermostability improvement could be rationally and highly-effectively designed by combination with spatial configuration analysis and molecular dynamics simulation.

  12. CO2·- radical induced cleavage of disulfide bonds in proteins. A gamma-ray and pulse radiolysis mechanistic investigation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Favaudon, V.; Tourbez, H.; Lhoste, J-M.; Houee-Levin, C.

    1990-01-01

    Disulfide bond reduction by the CO 2 ·- radical was investigated in aponeocarzinostatin, aporiboflavin-binding protein, and bovine immunoglobulin. Protein-bound cysteine free thiols were formed under γ-ray irradiation in the course of a pH-dependent and protein concentration dependent chain reaction. The chain efficiency increased upon acidification of the medium, with an apparent pK a around 5, and decreased abruptly below pH 3.6. It decreased also at neutral pH as cysteine accumulated. From pulse radiolysis analysis, CO 2 ·- proved able to induce rapid one-electron oxidation of thiols and of tyrosine phenolic groups in addition to one-electron donation to exposed disulfide bonds. The bulk rate constant of CO 2 ·- uptake by the native proteins was 5- to 10-fold faster at pH 3 than at pH 8, and the protonated form of the disulfide radical anion, appeared to be the major protein radical species formed under acidic conditions. Formation of the disulfide radical cation, phenoxyl radical Tyr-O · disproportionation, and phenoxyl radical induced oxidation of preformed thiol groups should also be taken into consideration to explain the fate of the oxygen-centered phenoxyl radical

  13. Contributions of a disulfide bond and a reduced cysteine side chain to the intrinsic activity of the high-density lipoprotein receptor SR-BI.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yu, Miao; Lau, Thomas Y; Carr, Steven A; Krieger, Monty

    2012-12-18

    The high-density lipoprotein (HDL) receptor scavenger receptor class B, type I (SR-BI), binds HDL and mediates selective cholesteryl ester uptake. SR-BI's structure and mechanism are poorly understood. We used mass spectrometry to assign the two disulfide bonds in SR-BI that connect cysteines within the conserved Cys(321)-Pro(322)-Cys(323) (CPC) motif and connect Cys(280) to Cys(334). We used site-specific mutagenesis to evaluate the contributions of the CPC motif and the side chain of extracellular Cys(384) to HDL binding and lipid uptake. The effects of CPC mutations on activity were context-dependent. Full wild-type (WT) activity required Pro(322) and Cys(323) only when Cys(321) was present. Reduced intrinsic activities were observed for CXC and CPX, but not XXC, XPX, or XXX mutants (X ≠ WT residue). Apparently, a free thiol side chain at position 321 that cannot form an intra-CPC disulfide bond with Cys(323) is deleterious, perhaps because of aberrant disulfide bond formation. Pro(322) may stabilize an otherwise strained CPC disulfide bond, thus supporting WT activity, but this disulfide bond is not absolutely required for normal activity. C(384)X (X = S, T, L, Y, G, or A) mutants exhibited altered activities that varied with the side chain's size: larger side chains phenocopied WT SR-BI treated with its thiosemicarbazone inhibitor BLT-1 (enhanced binding, weakened uptake); smaller side chains produced almost inverse effects (increased uptake:binding ratio). C(384)X mutants were BLT-1-resistant, supporting the proposal that Cys(384)'s thiol interacts with BLT-1. We discuss the implications of our findings on the functions of the extracellular loop cysteines in SR-BI and compare our results to those presented by other laboratories.

  14. UV-Photochemistry of the Disulfide Bond: Evolution of Early Photoproducts from Picosecond X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy at the Sulfur K-Edge.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ochmann, Miguel; Hussain, Abid; von Ahnen, Inga; Cordones, Amy A; Hong, Kiryong; Lee, Jae Hyuk; Ma, Rory; Adamczyk, Katrin; Kim, Tae Kyu; Schoenlein, Robert W; Vendrell, Oriol; Huse, Nils

    2018-05-30

    We have investigated dimethyl disulfide as the basic moiety for understanding the photochemistry of disulfide bonds, which are central to a broad range of biochemical processes. Picosecond time-resolved X-ray absorption spectroscopy at the sulfur K-edge provides unique element-specific insight into the photochemistry of the disulfide bond initiated by 267 nm femtosecond pulses. We observe a broad but distinct transient induced absorption spectrum which recovers on at least two time scales in the nanosecond range. We employed RASSCF electronic structure calculations to simulate the sulfur-1s transitions of multiple possible chemical species, and identified the methylthiyl and methylperthiyl radicals as the primary reaction products. In addition, we identify disulfur and the CH 2 S thione as the secondary reaction products of the perthiyl radical that are most likely to explain the observed spectral and kinetic signatures of our experiment. Our study underscores the importance of elemental specificity and the potential of time-resolved X-ray spectroscopy to identify short-lived reaction products in complex reaction schemes that underlie the rich photochemistry of disulfide systems.

  15. Soft Computing Methods for Disulfide Connectivity Prediction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Márquez-Chamorro, Alfonso E; Aguilar-Ruiz, Jesús S

    2015-01-01

    The problem of protein structure prediction (PSP) is one of the main challenges in structural bioinformatics. To tackle this problem, PSP can be divided into several subproblems. One of these subproblems is the prediction of disulfide bonds. The disulfide connectivity prediction problem consists in identifying which nonadjacent cysteines would be cross-linked from all possible candidates. Determining the disulfide bond connectivity between the cysteines of a protein is desirable as a previous step of the 3D PSP, as the protein conformational search space is highly reduced. The most representative soft computing approaches for the disulfide bonds connectivity prediction problem of the last decade are summarized in this paper. Certain aspects, such as the different methodologies based on soft computing approaches (artificial neural network or support vector machine) or features of the algorithms, are used for the classification of these methods.

  16. Kinetic and Thermodynamic Aspects of Cellular Thiol-Disulfide Redox Regulation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Kristine Steen; Hansen, Rosa Erritzøe; Winther, Jakob R

    2009-01-01

    . In the cytosol regulatory disulfide bonds are typically formed in spite of the prevailing reducing conditions and may thereby function as redox switches. Such disulfide bonds are protected from enzymatic reduction by kinetic barriers and are thus allowed to exist long enough to elicit the signal. Factors......Regulation of intracellular thiol-disulfide redox status is an essential part of cellular homeostasis. This involves the regulation of both oxidative and reductive pathways, production of oxidant scavengers and, importantly, the ability of cells to respond to changes in the redox environment...... that affect the rate of thiol-disulfide exchange and stability of disulfide bonds are discussed within the framework of the underlying chemical foundations. This includes the effect of thiol acidity (pKa), the local electrostatic environment, molecular strain and entropy. Even though a thiol-disulfide...

  17. Structure of thrombospondin type 3 repeats in bacterial outer membrane protein A reveals its intra-repeat disulfide bond-dependent calcium-binding capability

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Dai, Shuyan; Sun, Cancan; Tan, Kemin; Ye, Sheng; Zhang, Rongguang

    2017-09-01

    Eukaryotic thrombospondin type 3 repeat (TT3R) is an efficient calcium ion (Ca2+) binding motif only found in mammalian thrombospondin family. TT3R has also been found in prokaryotic cellulase Cel5G, which was thought to forfeit the Ca2+-binding capability due to the formation of intra-repeat disulfide bonds, instead of the inter-repeat ones possessed by eukaryotic TT3Rs. In this study, we have identified an enormous number of prokaryotic TT3R-containing proteins belonging to several different protein families, including outer membrane protein A (OmpA), an important structural protein connecting the outer membrane and the periplasmic peptidoglycan layer in gram-negative bacteria. Here, we report the crystal structure of the periplasmic region of OmpA from Capnocytophaga gingivalis, which contains a linker region comprising five consecutive TT3Rs. The structure of OmpA-TT3R exhibits a well-ordered architecture organized around two tightly-coordinated Ca2+ and confirms the presence of abnormal intra-repeat disulfide bonds. Further mutagenesis studies showed that the Ca2+-binding capability of OmpA-TT3R is indeed dependent on the proper formation of intra-repeat disulfide bonds, which help to fix a conserved glycine residue at its proper position for Ca2+ coordination. Additionally, despite lacking inter repeat disulfide bonds, the interfaces between adjacent OmpA-TT3Rs are enhanced by both hydrophobic and conserved aromatic-proline interactions.

  18. Modified electrophoretic and digestion conditions allow a simplified mass spectrometric evaluation of disulfide bonds

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pompach, Petr; Man, Petr; Kavan, Daniel; Hofbauerová, Kateřina; Kumar, Vinay; Bezouška, Karel; Havlíček, Vladimír; Novák, Petr

    2009-01-01

    Roč. 44, č. 11 (2009), s. 1571-1578 ISSN 1076-5174 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR KJB400200501; GA AV ČR IAA5020403; GA AV ČR KJB500200612; GA MŠk LC545; GA MŠk LC07017 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50200510 Keywords : disulfide bond * cystamine * gel electrophoresis Subject RIV: CE - Biochemistry Impact factor: 3.411, year: 2009

  19. Energy of Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding in ortho-Hydroxybenzaldehydes, Phenones and Quinones. Transfer of Aromaticity from ipso-Benzene Ring to the Enol System(s

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Danuta Rusinska-Roszak

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available Intramolecular hydrogen bonding (HB is one of the most studied noncovalent interactions of molecules. Many physical, spectral, and topological properties of compounds are under the influence of HB, and there are many parameters used to notice and to describe these changes. Hitherto, no general method of measurement of the energy of intramolecular hydrogen bond (EHB has been put into effect. We propose the molecular tailoring approach (MTA for EHB calculation, modified to apply it to Ar-O-H∙∙∙O=C systems. The method, based on quantum calculations, was checked earlier for hydroxycarbonyl-saturated compounds, and for structures with resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding (RAHB. For phenolic compounds, the accuracy, repeatability, and applicability of the method is now confirmed for nearly 140 structures. For each structure its aromaticity HOMA indices were calculated for the central (ipso ring and for the quasiaromatic rings given by intramolecular HB. The comparison of calculated HB energies and values of estimated aromaticity indices allowed us to observe, in some substituted phenols and quinones, the phenomenon of transfer of aromaticity from the ipso-ring to the H-bonded ring via the effect of electron delocalization.

  20. Engineered disulfide bonds increase active-site local stability and reduce catalytic activity of a cold-adapted alkaline phosphatase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Asgeirsson, Bjarni; Adalbjörnsson, Björn Vidar; Gylfason, Gudjón Andri

    2007-06-01

    Alkaline phosphatase is an extracellular enzyme that is membrane-bound in eukaryotes but resides in the periplasmic space of bacteria. It normally carries four cysteine residues that form two disulfide bonds, for instance in the APs of Escherichia coli and vertebrates. An AP variant from a Vibrio sp. has only one cysteine residue. This cysteine is second next to the nucleophilic serine in the active site. We have individually modified seven residues to cysteine that are on two loops predicted to be within a 5 A radius. Four of them formed a disulfide bond to the endogenous cysteine. Thermal stability was monitored by circular dichroism and activity measurements. Global stability was similar to the wild-type enzyme. However, a significant increase in heat-stability was observed for the disulfide-containing variants using activity as a measure, together with a large reduction in catalytic rates (k(cat)) and a general decrease in Km values. The results suggest that a high degree of mobility near the active site and in the helix carrying the endogenous cysteine is essential for full catalytic efficiency in the cold-adapted AP.

  1. Identification and prevention of antibody disulfide bond reduction during cell culture manufacturing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Trexler-Schmidt, Melody; Sargis, Sandy; Chiu, Jason; Sze-Khoo, Stefanie; Mun, Melissa; Kao, Yung-Hsiang; Laird, Michael W

    2010-06-15

    In the biopharmaceutical industry, therapeutic monoclonal antibodies are primarily produced in mammalian cell culture systems. During the scale-up of a monoclonal antibody production process, we observed excessive mechanical cell shear as well as significant reduction of the antibody's interchain disulfide bonds during harvest operations. This antibody reduction event was catastrophic as the product failed to meet the drug substance specifications and the bulk product was lost. Subsequent laboratory studies have demonstrated that cells subjected to mechanical shear release cellular enzymes that contribute to this antibody reduction phenomenon (manuscript submitted; Kao et al., 2009). Several methods to prevent this antibody reduction event were developed using a lab-scale model to reproduce the lysis and reduction events. These methods included modifications to the cell culture media with chemicals (e.g., cupric sulfate (CuSO(4))), pre- and post-harvest chemical additions to the cell culture fluid (CCF) (e.g., CuSO(4), EDTA, L-cystine), as well as lowering the pH and air sparging of the harvested CCF (HCCF). These methods were evaluated for their effectiveness in preventing disulfide bond reduction and their impact to product quality. Effective prevention methods, which yielded acceptable product quality were evaluated for their potential to be implemented at manufacturing-scale. The work described here identifies numerous effective reduction prevention measures from lab-scale studies; several of these methods were then successfully translated into manufacturing processes. 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  2. C—C bond formation in the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of triene amides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Abdelilah Benallou

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The mechanism nature of the intramolecular Diels–Alder reaction has been performed; and thus, the changes of C—C bond forming/breaking along IRC are characterized in this study. Conceptual DFT analyses of the most favorable adduct fused/exo shows that the flux electronic will take place from diene to dienophile moiety. Moreover, ELF topological analysis based on the electron density predicts that C—C bond is formed by the coupling of two pseudoradical centers generated at the most significant atoms of the molecules. However, C2 vs C3, also C1 and C4 interaction comes mainly from the global electron density transfer which takes place along the reaction. Two- stage one-step is the proposed mechanism of this reaction, the first stage aims for the formation of C2—C3 σ bond while the second stage aims for C1—C4 σ bond formation. Interestingly, the observed asynchronicity of this IMDA reaction due principally to the asymmetric reorganization of electron density at the most attractive centers.

  3. C-C bond formation in the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of triene amides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benallou, Abdelilah; El Alaoui El Abdallaoui, Habib; Garmes, Hocine

    2018-02-01

    The mechanism nature of the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction has been performed; and thus, the changes of C-C bond forming/breaking along IRC are characterized in this study. Conceptual DFT analyses of the most favorable adduct fused/exo shows that the flux electronic will take place from diene to dienophile moiety. Moreover, ELF topological analysis based on the electron density predicts that C-C bond is formed by the coupling of two pseudoradical centers generated at the most significant atoms of the molecules. However, C2 vs C3, also C1 and C4 interaction comes mainly from the global electron density transfer which takes place along the reaction. Two- stage one-step is the proposed mechanism of this reaction, the first stage aims for the formation of C2-C3 σ bond while the second stage aims for C1-C4 σ bond formation. Interestingly, the observed asynchronicity of this IMDA reaction due principally to the asymmetric reorganization of electron density at the most attractive centers.

  4. Intra- and inter-subunit disulfide bond formation is nonessential in adeno-associated viral capsids.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Nagesh Pulicherla

    Full Text Available The capsid proteins of adeno-associated viruses (AAV have five conserved cysteine residues. Structural analysis of AAV serotype 2 reveals that Cys289 and Cys361 are located adjacent to each other within each monomer, while Cys230 and Cys394 are located on opposite edges of each subunit and juxtaposed at the pentamer interface. The Cys482 residue is located at the base of a surface loop within the trimer region. Although plausible based on molecular dynamics simulations, intra- or inter-subunit disulfides have not been observed in structural studies. In the current study, we generated a panel of Cys-to-Ser mutants to interrogate the potential for disulfide bond formation in AAV capsids. The C289S, C361S and C482S mutants were similar to wild type AAV with regard to titer and transduction efficiency. However, AAV capsid protein subunits with C230S or C394S mutations were prone to proteasomal degradation within the host cells. Proteasomal inhibition partially blocked degradation of mutant capsid proteins, but failed to rescue infectious virions. While these results suggest that the Cys230/394 pair is critical, a C394V mutant was found viable, but not the corresponding C230V mutant. Although the exact nature of the structural contribution(s of Cys230 and Cys394 residues to AAV capsid formation remains to be determined, these results support the notion that disulfide bond formation within the Cys289/361 or Cys230/394 pair appears to be nonessential. These studies represent an important step towards understanding the role of inter-subunit interactions that drive AAV capsid assembly.

  5. Solubilization and folding of a fully active recombinant Gaussia luciferase with native disulfide bonds by using a SEP-Tag.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rathnayaka, Tharangani; Tawa, Minako; Nakamura, Takashi; Sohya, Shihori; Kuwajima, Kunihiro; Yohda, Masafumi; Kuroda, Yutaka

    2011-12-01

    Gaussia luciferase (GLuc) is the smallest known bioluminescent protein and is attracting much attention as a potential reporter protein. However, its 10 disulfide bond forming cysteines have hampered the efficient production of recombinant GLuc and thus limited its use in bio-imaging application. Here, we demonstrate that the addition of a short solubility enhancement peptide tag (SEP-Tag) to the C-terminus of GLuc (GLuc-C9D) significantly increased the fraction of soluble protein at a standard expression temperature. The expression time was much shorter, and the final yield of GLuc-C9D was significantly higher than with our previous pCold expression system. Reversed phase HPLC indicated that the GLuc-C9D variant folded with a single disulfide bond pattern after proper oxidization. Further, the thermal denaturation of GLuc-C9D was completely reversible, and its secondary structure content remained unchanged until 40°C as assessed by CD spectroscopy. The (1)H-NMR spectrum of GLuc indicated sharp well dispersed peaks typical for natively folded proteins. GLuc-C9D bioluminescence activity was strong and fully retained even after incubation at high temperatures. These results suggest that solubilization using SEP-Tags can be useful for producing large quantities of proteins containing multiple disulfide bonds. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  6. S center dot center dot center dot N chalcogen bonded complexes of carbon disulfide with diazines. Theoretical study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Zierkiewicz, W.; Fanfrlík, Jindřich; Michalczyk, M.; Michalska, D.; Hobza, Pavel

    2018-01-01

    Roč. 500, Jan 26 (2018), s. 37-44 ISSN 0301-0104 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : chalcogen bond * carbon disulfide * diazines * DFT Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 1.767, year: 2016

  7. Spectroscopic studies of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding in o-hydroxy Schiff bases, derived from diaminomaleonitrile, and their deprotonation reaction products

    Science.gov (United States)

    Szady-Chełmieniecka, Anna; Kołodziej, Beata; Morawiak, Maja; Kamieński, Bohdan; Schilf, Wojciech

    2018-01-01

    The structural study of five Schiff bases derived from diaminomaleonitrile (DAMN) and 2-hydroxy carbonyl compounds was performed using 1H, 13C and 15N NMR methods in solution and in the solid state as well. ATR-FTIR and X-Ray spectroscopies were used for confirmation of the results obtained by NMR method. The imine obtained from DAMN and benzaldehyde was synthesized as a model compound which lacks intramolecular hydrogen bond. Deprotonation of all synthesized compounds was done by treating with tetramethylguanidine (TMG). NMR data revealed that salicylidene Schiff bases in DMSO solution exist as OH forms without intramolecular hydrogen bonds and independent on the substituents in aromatic ring. In the case of 2-hydroxy naphthyl derivative, the OH proton is engaged into weak intramolecular hydrogen bond. Two of imines (salDAMN and 5-BrsalDAMN) exist in DMSO solution as equilibrium mixtures of two isomers (A and B). The structures of equilibrium mixture in the solid state have been studied by NMR, ATR-FTIR and X-Ray methods. The deprotonation of three studied compounds (salDAMN, 5-BrsalDAMN, and 5-CH3salDAMN) proceeded in two different ways: deprotonation of oxygen atom (X form) or of nitrogen atom of free primary amine group of DAMN moiety (Y form). For 5-NO2salDAMN and naphDAMN only one form (X) was observed.

  8. Complete Mapping of Complex Disulfide Patterns with Closely-Spaced Cysteines by In-Source Reduction and Data-Dependent Mass Spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cramer, Christian N; Kelstrup, Christian D; Olsen, Jesper V

    2017-01-01

    bonds are present in complicated patterns. This includes the presence of disulfide bonds in nested patterns and closely spaced cysteines. Unambiguous mapping of such disulfide bonds typically requires advanced MS approaches. In this study, we exploited in-source reduction (ISR) of disulfide bonds during...... the electrospray ionization process to facilitate disulfide bond assignments. We successfully developed a LC-ISR-MS/MS methodology to use as an online and fully automated partial reduction procedure. Postcolumn partial reduction by ISR provided fast and easy identification of peptides involved in disulfide bonding......Mapping of disulfide bonds is an essential part of protein characterization to ensure correct cysteine pairings. For this, mass spectrometry (MS) is the most widely used technique due to fast and accurate characterization. However, MS-based disulfide mapping is challenged when multiple disulfide...

  9. TD-DFT investigation of the potential energy surface for Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) reaction of 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline: Topological (AIM) and population (NBO) analysis of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding interaction

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, Bijan Kumar; Guchhait, Nikhil

    2011-01-01

    Here, we report a Density Functional Theoretical (DFT) study on the photophysics of a potent Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (ESIPT) molecular system, viz., 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline (HBQ). Particular emphasis has been rendered on the assessment of the proton transfer reaction in HBQ in the ground and excited-states through elucidation and a careful perusal of the potential energy surfaces (PES). The non-viability of Ground-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer (GSIPT) process is dictated by a high-energy barrier coupled with no energy minimum for the proton transferred (K-form) form at the ground-state (S 0 ) PES. Remarkable reduction of the barrier along with thermodynamic stability inversion between the enol (E-form) and the keto forms (K-form) of HBQ upon photoexcitation from S 0 to the S 1 -state advocate for the operation of ESIPT process. These findings have been cross-validated on the lexicon of analysis of optimized geometry parameters, Mulliken's charge distribution on the heavy atoms, and molecular orbitals (MO) of the E- and the K-forms of HBQ. Our computational results also corroborate to experimental observations. From the modulations in optimized geometry parameters in course of the PT process a critical assessment has been endeavoured to delve into the movement of the proton during the process. Additional stress has been placed on the analysis of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding (IMHB) interaction in HBQ. The IMHB interaction has been explored by calculation of electron density ρ(r) and the Laplacian ∇ 2 ρ(r) at the bond critical point (BCP) using Atoms-In-Molecule (AIM) method and by calculation of interaction between σ* of OH with the lone pair of the nitrogen atom using Natural Bond Orbital (NBO) analysis. - Highlights: → Theoretical modelling of the photophysics of an ESIPT probe 10-hydroxybenzo[h]quinoline (HBQ). → Calculation of intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) energy. → Role of hyperconjugative charge transfer

  10. Domain architecture of protein-disulfide isomerase facilitates its dual role as an oxidase and an isomerase in Ero1p-mediated disulfide formation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kulp, M. S.; Frickel, E. M.; Ellgaard, Lars

    2006-01-01

    reduction/rearrangement of non-native disulfides is poorly understood. We analyzed the role of individual PDI domains in disulfide bond formation in a reaction driven by their natural oxidant, Ero1p. We found that Ero1p oxidizes the isolated PDI catalytic thioredoxin domains, A and A' at the same rate......Native disulfide bond formation in eukaryotes is dependent on protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI) and its homologs, which contain varying combinations of catalytically active and inactive thioredoxin domains. However, the specific contribution of PDI to the formation of new disulfides versus...... catalytic (A) domain. The specific order of thioredoxin domains in PDI is important in establishing the asymmetry in the rate of oxidation of the two active sites thus allowing A and A', two thioredoxin domains that are similar in sequence and structure, to serve opposing functional roles as a disulfide...

  11. Intermolecular and very strong intramolecular C-SeO/N chalcogen bonds in nitrophenyl selenocyanate crystals.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Hui; Liu, Ju; Wang, Weizhou

    2018-02-14

    Single-crystal X-ray diffraction reveals that polymorphic ortho-nitrophenyl selenocyanate (o-NSC, crystals 1a and 1b) and monomorphic para-nitrophenyl selenocyanate (p-NSC, crystal 2) crystals are all stabilized mainly by intermolecular and very strong intramolecular C-SeO/N chalcogen bonds, as well as by other different interactions. Thermogravimetric (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry thermogram (DSC) analyses show that the starting decomposition temperatures and melting points of the three crystals are different, following the order 1b > 1a > 2, which is consistent with the structural characteristics of the crystals. In addition, atoms in molecules (AIM) and natural bond orbital (NBO) analyses indicate that the total strengths of the C-SeO and C-SeN chalcogen bonds decrease in the order 1b > 1a > 2. This study could be significant for engineering functional crystals based on robust C-SeO and C-SeN chalcogen bonds, and for designing drugs containing selenium as well as understanding their interaction in biosystems.

  12. Rotational Isomers, Intramolecular Hydrogen Bond, and IR Spectra of o-Vinylphenol Homologs

    Science.gov (United States)

    Glazunov, V. P.; Berdyshev, D. V.; Balaneva, N. N.; Radchenko, O. S.; Novikov, V. L.

    2018-03-01

    The ν(OH) stretching-mode bands in solution IR spectra of five o-vinylphenol (o-VPh) homologs in the slightly polar solvents CCl4 and n-hexane were studied. Several rotamers with free OH groups were found in solutions of o-VPh and its methyl-substituted derivatives in n-hexane. The proportion of rotamers in o-VPh homologs with intramolecular hydrogen bonds (IHBs) O-H...π varied from 22 to 97% in the gas and cyclohexane according to B3LYP/cc-pVTZ calculations. The theoretically estimated effective enthalpies -ΔH of their IHBs varied in the range 0.20-2.24 kcal/mol.

  13. The Disulfide Bond Cys255-Cys279 in the Immunoglobulin-Like Domain of Anthrax Toxin Receptor 2 Is Required for Membrane Insertion of Anthrax Protective Antigen Pore.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pedro Jacquez

    Full Text Available Anthrax toxin receptors act as molecular clamps or switches that control anthrax toxin entry, pH-dependent pore formation, and translocation of enzymatic moieties across the endosomal membranes. We previously reported that reduction of the disulfide bonds in the immunoglobulin-like (Ig domain of the anthrax toxin receptor 2 (ANTXR2 inhibited the function of the protective antigen (PA pore. In the present study, the disulfide linkage in the Ig domain was identified as Cys255-Cys279 and Cys230-Cys315. Specific disulfide bond deletion mutants were achieved by replacing Cys residues with Ala residues. Deletion of the disulfide bond C255-C279, but not C230-C315, inhibited the PA pore-induced release of the fluorescence dyes from the liposomes, suggesting that C255-C279 is essential for PA pore function. Furthermore, we found that deletion of C255-C279 did not affect PA prepore-to-pore conversion, but inhibited PA pore membrane insertion by trapping the PA membrane-inserting loops in proteinaceous hydrophobic pockets. Fluorescence spectra of Trp59, a residue adjacent to the PA-binding motif in von Willebrand factor A (VWA domain of ANTXR2, showed that deletion of C255-C279 resulted in a significant conformational change on the receptor ectodomain. The disulfide deletion-induced conformational change on the VWA domain was further confirmed by single-particle 3D reconstruction of the negatively stained PA-receptor heptameric complexes. Together, the biochemical and structural data obtained in this study provides a mechanistic insight into the role of the receptor disulfide bond C255-C279 in anthrax toxin action. Manipulation of the redox states of the receptor, specifically targeting to C255-C279, may become a novel strategy to treat anthrax.

  14. Determination of disulfide bridges of two spider toxins: hainantoxin-III and hainantoxin-IV

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    W Wang

    2009-01-01

    Full Text Available Peptide toxins are usually highly bridged proteins with multipairs of intrachain disulfide bonds. Analysis of disulfide connectivity is an important facet of protein structure determination. In this paper, we successfully assigned the disulfide linkage of two novel peptide toxins, called HNTX-III and HNTX-IV, isolated from the venom of Ornithoctonus hainana spider. Both peptides are useful inhibitors of TTX-sensitive voltage-gated sodium channels and are composed of six cysteine residues that form three disulfide bonds, respectively. Firstly, the peptides were partially reduced by tris(2-carboxyethyl-phosphine (TCEP in 0.1 M citrate buffer containing 6 M guanidine-HCl at 40° C for ten minutes. Subsequently, the partially reduced intermediates containing free thiols were separated by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (RP-HPLC and alkylated by rapid carboxamidomethylation. Then, the disulfide bonds of the intermediates were analyzed by Edman degradation. By using the strategy above, disulfide linkages of HNTX-III and HNTX-IV were determined as I-IV, II-V and III-VI pattern. In addition, this study also showed that this method may have a great potential for determining the disulfide bonds of spider peptide toxins.

  15. Efficient assembly of recombinant major histocompatibility complex class I molecules with preformed disulfide bonds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ostergaard Pedersen, L; Nissen, Mogens Holst; Hansen, N J

    2001-01-01

    The expression of major histocompatibility class I (MHC-I) crucially depends upon the binding of appropriate peptides. MHC-I from natural sources are therefore always preoccupied with peptides complicating their purification and analysis. Here, we present an efficient solution to this problem....... Recombinant MHC-I heavy chains were produced in Escherichia coli and subsequently purified under denaturing conditions. In contrast to common practice, the molecules were not reduced during the purification. The oxidized MHC-I heavy chain isoforms were highly active with respect to peptide binding....... This suggests that de novo folding of denatured MHC-I molecules proceed efficiently if directed by preformed disulfide bond(s). Importantly, these molecules express serological epitopes and stain specific T cells; and they bind peptides specifically. Several denatured MHC-I heavy chains were analyzed and shown...

  16. Reduction of disulfide bonds in peptides and proteins. Reduction des groupes disulfure dans les peptides et proteines

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Conte, D [Institut Curie, 75 - Paris (France); Houee-Levin, C [Paris-5 Univ., 75 (France)

    1993-04-01

    We have re-examined the mechanism of disulfide bond reduction in oxidized glutathione by C0[sub 2][sup .-] free radicals. The process appears to be a chain reaction whose initial yield depends on pH and on both peptide and formate ion concentrations, but remains independent on the radiation dose rate. Kinetic schemes drawn from studies on dithiothreitol are unable to account for the results obtained with glutathione and proteins, although the disulfide radical anion is the primary intermediate found with all compounds. The rate constant for its formation from C0[sub 2][sup .-] and glutathione is in the same range as those found using proteins, while decay pathways are somewhat different. Hypotheses are proposed to account for these differences. 6 figs., 2 tabs.

  17. Gold nanoparticles physicochemically bonded onto tungsten disulfide nanosheet edges exhibit augmented plasmon damping

    Science.gov (United States)

    Forcherio, Gregory T.; Dunklin, Jeremy R.; Backes, Claudia; Vaynzof, Yana; Benamara, Mourad; Roper, D. Keith

    2017-07-01

    Augmented plasmonic damping of dipole-resonant gold (Au) nanoparticles (NP) physicochemically bonded onto edges of tungsten disulfide (WS2) nanosheets, ostensibly due to hot electron injection, is quantified using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS). EELS allows single-particle spatial resolution. A measured 0.23 eV bandwidth expansion of the localized surface plasmon resonance upon covalent bonding of 20 nm AuNP to WS2 edges was deemed significant by Welch's t-test. Approximately 0.19 eV of the measured 0.23 eV expansion went beyond conventional radiative and nonradiative damping mechanisms according to discrete dipole models, ostensibly indicating emergence of hot electron transport from AuNP into the WS2. A quantum efficiency of up to 11±5% spanning a 7 fs transfer process across the optimized AuNP-TMD ohmic junction is conservatively calculated. Putative hot electron transport for AuNP physicochemically bonded to TMD edges exceeded that for AuNP physically deposited onto the TMD basal plane. This arose from contributions due to (i) direct physicochemical bond between AuNP and WS2; (ii) AuNP deposition at TMD edge sites; and (iii) lower intrinsic Schottky barrier. This improves understanding of photo-induced doping of TMD by metal NP which could benefit emerging catalytic and optoelectronic applications.

  18. Protein redox regulation in the thylakoid lumen: the importance of disulfide bonds for violaxanthin de-epoxidase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Simionato, Diana; Basso, Stefania; Zaffagnini, Mirko; Lana, Tobia; Marzotto, Francesco; Trost, Paolo; Morosinotto, Tomas

    2015-04-02

    When exposed to saturating light conditions photosynthetic eukaryotes activate the xanthophyll cycle where the carotenoid violaxanthin is converted into zeaxanthin by the enzyme violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE). VDE protein sequence includes 13 cysteine residues, 12 of which are strongly conserved in both land plants and algae. Site directed mutagenesis of Arabidopsis thaliana VDE showed that all these 12 conserved cysteines have a major role in protein function and their mutation leads to a strong reduction of activity. VDE is also shown to be active in its completely oxidized form presenting six disulfide bonds. Redox titration showed that VDE activity is sensitive to variation in redox potential, suggesting the possibility that dithiol/disulfide exchange reactions may represent a mechanism for VDE regulation. Copyright © 2015 Federation of European Biochemical Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Effect of solvent on proton location and dynamic behavior in short intramolecular hydrogen bonds studied by molecular dynamics simulations and NMR experiments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mori, Yukie; Masuda, Yuichi

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • MD simulations were performed to study dynamics of strong hydrogen bonds. • Nuclear magnetic relaxation times of proton were measured in solution. • The hydrogen bond of dibenzoylmethane enol is asymmetric in methanol solution. • Formation or breakage of intermolecular hydrogen bonds can trigger proton transfer. • Dimethylsulfoxide may form a bifurcated hydrogen bond with a hydrogen-bonded system. - Abstract: Hydrogen phthalate anion has a short strong O–H–O hydrogen bond (H-bond). According to previous experimental studies, the H-bond is asymmetric and two tautomers are interconverted in aqueous solutions. In the present study, the effects of polar solvents on the H-bond in a zwitterionic hydrogen phthalate derivative 1 were investigated by quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The analyses of the trajectories for the methanol solution showed that the H-bonding proton tends to be located closer to the carboxylate group that forms fewer intermolecular H-bonds, than to the other carboxylate group and that the intramolecular proton transfer in 1 is triggered by the breakage and/or formation of an intermolecular H-bond. The enol form of dibenzoylmethane (2) also has a short H-bond, and the OH bond is reported to be rather long (>1.1 Å) in the crystal. In the present study, the effects of the solvent on the H-bond in 2 were investigated by molecular orbital (MO) calculations, MD simulations and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for 2 in vacuum indicated that the barrier height for the intramolecular proton transfer is almost the same as the zero-point energy of the vibrational ground state, resulting in broad distribution of the proton density along the H-bond, owing to the nuclear quantum effect. The OH distances were determined in CCl 4 , acetonitrile, and dimethylsulfoxide solutions from the magnetic dipolar interactions between the 17 O and 1

  20. Effect of solvent on proton location and dynamic behavior in short intramolecular hydrogen bonds studied by molecular dynamics simulations and NMR experiments

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Mori, Yukie, E-mail: mori.yukie@ocha.ac.jp; Masuda, Yuichi

    2015-09-08

    Highlights: • MD simulations were performed to study dynamics of strong hydrogen bonds. • Nuclear magnetic relaxation times of proton were measured in solution. • The hydrogen bond of dibenzoylmethane enol is asymmetric in methanol solution. • Formation or breakage of intermolecular hydrogen bonds can trigger proton transfer. • Dimethylsulfoxide may form a bifurcated hydrogen bond with a hydrogen-bonded system. - Abstract: Hydrogen phthalate anion has a short strong O–H–O hydrogen bond (H-bond). According to previous experimental studies, the H-bond is asymmetric and two tautomers are interconverted in aqueous solutions. In the present study, the effects of polar solvents on the H-bond in a zwitterionic hydrogen phthalate derivative 1 were investigated by quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. The analyses of the trajectories for the methanol solution showed that the H-bonding proton tends to be located closer to the carboxylate group that forms fewer intermolecular H-bonds, than to the other carboxylate group and that the intramolecular proton transfer in 1 is triggered by the breakage and/or formation of an intermolecular H-bond. The enol form of dibenzoylmethane (2) also has a short H-bond, and the OH bond is reported to be rather long (>1.1 Å) in the crystal. In the present study, the effects of the solvent on the H-bond in 2 were investigated by molecular orbital (MO) calculations, MD simulations and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations for 2 in vacuum indicated that the barrier height for the intramolecular proton transfer is almost the same as the zero-point energy of the vibrational ground state, resulting in broad distribution of the proton density along the H-bond, owing to the nuclear quantum effect. The OH distances were determined in CCl{sub 4}, acetonitrile, and dimethylsulfoxide solutions from the magnetic dipolar interactions between the {sup 17

  1. Studies of the activity of cytosol on the mixed disulfide bond formed by proteins and radioprotector mercaptoethylguanidine

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Horvath, M [National Inst. of Oncology, Budapest (Hungary); Holland, J [Orszagos Onkologiai Intezet, Budapest (Hungary)

    1979-01-01

    The cytoplasm of normal and tumorous rat liver cells contains a heat-resistant compound with reducing ability to break the mixed disulfide bond of albumin-/sup 14/C-mercaptoethylguanidine. The reducing activity of cytosol is destoryed by 1000 krd /sup 60/Co-gamma-ray doses in diluted solution. In vivo supralethal of rats does not affect the activity of cytosol prepared from liver cells.

  2. Tunable differentiation of tertiary C-H bonds in intramolecular transition metal-catalyzed nitrene transfer reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbin, Joshua R; Schomaker, Jennifer M

    2017-04-13

    Metal-catalyzed nitrene transfer reactions are an appealing and efficient strategy for accessing tetrasubstituted amines through the direct amination of tertiary C-H bonds. Traditional catalysts for these reactions rely on substrate control to achieve site-selectivity in the C-H amination event; thus, tunability is challenging when competing C-H bonds have similar steric or electronic features. One consequence of this fact is that the impact of catalyst identity on the selectivity in the competitive amination of tertiary C-H bonds has not been well-explored, despite the potential for progress towards predictable and catalyst-controlled C-N bond formation. In this communication, we report investigations into tunable and site-selective nitrene transfers between tertiary C(sp 3 )-H bonds using a combination of transition metal catalysts, including complexes based on Ag, Mn, Rh and Ru. Particularly striking was the ability to reverse the selectivity of nitrene transfer by a simple change in the identity of the N-donor ligand supporting the Ag(i) complex. The combination of our Ag(i) catalysts with known Rh 2 (ii) complexes expands the scope of successful catalyst-controlled intramolecular nitrene transfer and represents a promising springboard for the future development of intermolecular C-H N-group transfer methods.

  3. Electrochemical reduction of disulfide-containing proteins for hydrogen/deuterium exchange monitored by mass spectrometry

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Mysling, Simon; Salbo, Rune; Ploug, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Characterization of disulfide bond-containing proteins by hydrogen/deuterium exchange monitored by mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) requires reduction of the disulfide bonds under acidic and cold conditions, where the amide hydrogen exchange reaction is quenched (pH 2.5, 0 °C). The reduction typically...... of TCEP. In the present study, we explore the feasibility of using electrochemical reduction as a substitute for TCEP in HDX-MS analyses. Our results demonstrate that efficient disulfide bond reduction is readily achieved by implementing an electrochemical cell into the HDX-MS workflow. We also identify...... some challenges in using electrochemical reduction in HDX-MS analyses and provide possible conditions to attenuate these limitations. For example, high salt concentrations hamper disulfide bond reduction, necessitating additional dilution of the sample with aqueous acidic solution at quench conditions....

  4. Gold nanoparticles physicochemically bonded onto tungsten disulfide nanosheet edges exhibit augmented plasmon damping

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gregory T. Forcherio

    2017-07-01

    Full Text Available Augmented plasmonic damping of dipole-resonant gold (Au nanoparticles (NP physicochemically bonded onto edges of tungsten disulfide (WS2 nanosheets, ostensibly due to hot electron injection, is quantified using electron energy loss spectroscopy (EELS. EELS allows single-particle spatial resolution. A measured 0.23 eV bandwidth expansion of the localized surface plasmon resonance upon covalent bonding of 20 nm AuNP to WS2 edges was deemed significant by Welch’s t-test. Approximately 0.19 eV of the measured 0.23 eV expansion went beyond conventional radiative and nonradiative damping mechanisms according to discrete dipole models, ostensibly indicating emergence of hot electron transport from AuNP into the WS2. A quantum efficiency of up to 11±5% spanning a 7 fs transfer process across the optimized AuNP-TMD ohmic junction is conservatively calculated. Putative hot electron transport for AuNP physicochemically bonded to TMD edges exceeded that for AuNP physically deposited onto the TMD basal plane. This arose from contributions due to (i direct physicochemical bond between AuNP and WS2; (ii AuNP deposition at TMD edge sites; and (iii lower intrinsic Schottky barrier. This improves understanding of photo-induced doping of TMD by metal NP which could benefit emerging catalytic and optoelectronic applications.

  5. Engineering macrocyclic figure–eight motif

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    TECS

    the helical arrangement is held by intramolecular hydrogen bonding or as a backbone requirement, .... knotted topology through disulfide bonds are called .... Reduction of imine double bond ... of A to NaBH4 in THF transformed to B. B can in.

  6. Thiol-disulfide exchange in peptides derived from human growth hormone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chandrasekhar, Saradha; Epling, Daniel E; Sophocleous, Andreas M; Topp, Elizabeth M

    2014-04-01

    Disulfide bonds stabilize proteins by cross-linking distant regions into a compact three-dimensional structure. They can also participate in hydrolytic and oxidative pathways to form nonnative disulfide bonds and other reactive species. Such covalent modifications can contribute to protein aggregation. Here, we present experimental data for the mechanism of thiol-disulfide exchange in tryptic peptides derived from human growth hormone in aqueous solution. Reaction kinetics was monitored to investigate the effect of pH (6.0-10.0), temperature (4-50°C), oxidation suppressants [ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) and N2 sparging], and peptide secondary structure (amide cyclized vs. open form). The concentrations of free thiol containing peptides, scrambled disulfides, and native disulfide-linked peptides generated via thiol-disulfide exchange and oxidation reactions were determined using reverse-phase HPLC and liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Concentration versus time data were fitted to a mathematical model using nonlinear least squares regression analysis. At all pH values, the model was able to fit the data with R(2) ≥ 0.95. Excluding oxidation suppressants (EDTA and N2 sparging) resulted in an increase in the formation of scrambled disulfides via oxidative pathways but did not influence the intrinsic rate of thiol-disulfide exchange. In addition, peptide secondary structure was found to influence the rate of thiol-disulfide exchange. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

  7. Influence of intramolecular hydrogen bonds on the binding potential of methylated β-cyclodextrin derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Gerhard Wenz

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Various heptasubstituted derivatives of β-cyclodextrin (β-CD bearing 1, 2 and 3 methyl substituents per glucose unit were synthesized by regioselective methods. Binding free energies and binding enthalpies of these hosts towards 4-tert-butylbenzoate and adamantane-1-carboxylate were determined by isothermal titration microcalorimetry (ITC. It was found that methyl substituents at the secondary positions of β-CD lead to a tremendous reduction of the binding potential, while methylation at the primary positions significantly improved binding. Stabilizing intramolecular hydrogen bonds between the glucose units were made responsible for the high binding potentials of those β-CD derivatives that possess secondary hydroxy groups.

  8. Behavior of the E-E' Bonds (E, E' = S and Se) in Glutathione Disulfide and Derivatives Elucidated by Quantum Chemical Calculations with the Quantum Theory of Atoms-in-Molecules Approach.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hayashi, Satoko; Tsubomoto, Yutaka; Nakanishi, Waro

    2018-02-17

    The nature of the E-E' bonds (E, E' = S and Se) in glutathione disulfide ( 1 ) and derivatives 2 - 3 , respectively, was elucidated by applying quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM) dual functional analysis (QTAIM-DFA), to clarify the basic contribution of E-E' in the biological redox process, such as the glutathione peroxidase process. Five most stable conformers a - e were obtained, after applying the Monte-Carlo method then structural optimizations. In QTAIM-DFA, total electron energy densities H b ( r c ) are plotted versus H b ( r c ) - V b ( r c )/2 at bond critical points (BCPs), where V b ( r c ) are potential energy densities at BCPs. Data from the fully optimized structures correspond to the static nature. Those containing perturbed structures around the fully optimized one in the plot represent the dynamic nature of interactions. The behavior of E-E' was examined carefully. Whereas E-E' in 1a - 3e were all predicted to have the weak covalent nature of the shared shell interactions, two different types of S-S were detected in 1 , depending on the conformational properties. Contributions from the intramolecular non-covalent interactions to stabilize the conformers were evaluated. An inverse relationship was observed between the stability of a conformer and the strength of E-E' in the conformer, of which reason was discussed.

  9. Behavior of the E–E’ Bonds (E, E’ = S and Se in Glutathione Disulfide and Derivatives Elucidated by Quantum Chemical Calculations with the Quantum Theory of Atoms-in-Molecules Approach

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satoko Hayashi

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available The nature of the E–E’ bonds (E, E’ = S and Se in glutathione disulfide (1 and derivatives 2–3, respectively, was elucidated by applying quantum theory of atoms-in-molecules (QTAIM dual functional analysis (QTAIM-DFA, to clarify the basic contribution of E–E’ in the biological redox process, such as the glutathione peroxidase process. Five most stable conformers a–e were obtained, after applying the Monte-Carlo method then structural optimizations. In QTAIM-DFA, total electron energy densities Hb(rc are plotted versus Hb(rc − Vb(rc/2 at bond critical points (BCPs, where Vb(rc are potential energy densities at BCPs. Data from the fully optimized structures correspond to the static nature. Those containing perturbed structures around the fully optimized one in the plot represent the dynamic nature of interactions. The behavior of E–E’ was examined carefully. Whereas E–E’ in 1a–3e were all predicted to have the weak covalent nature of the shared shell interactions, two different types of S–S were detected in 1, depending on the conformational properties. Contributions from the intramolecular non-covalent interactions to stabilize the conformers were evaluated. An inverse relationship was observed between the stability of a conformer and the strength of E–E’ in the conformer, of which reason was discussed.

  10. The synthesis of unsymmetric disulfides for use as radio-protectives

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chang, S.H.H.

    1988-01-01

    Unsymmetric disulfides with radioprotective potential were synthesized by linking biomolecules, and related substances, to known radio-protective aminothiols via a disulfide bond. The biomolecules used in this research include mercaptoalcohols, mercaptopyridines and mercaptophenothiazines. Unsymmetric disulfides were synthesized by reacting two thiols with diethyl azodicarboxylate sequentially at low temperature. The reactions of thiols with thiosulfinate were studied as an alternative for synthesizing disulfides. A cross-linked polystyrene was thiolated by different reagents. The thiolation of polymers is part of a methodological study using solid phase synthesis to synthesize unsymmetric disulfides

  11. Occurrence of protein disulfide bonds in different domains of life: a comparison of proteins from the Protein Data Bank.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bošnjak, I; Bojović, V; Šegvić-Bubić, T; Bielen, A

    2014-03-01

    Disulfide bonds (SS bonds) are important post-translational modifications of proteins. They stabilize a three-dimensional (3D) structure (structural SS bonds) and also have the catalytic or regulatory functions (redox-active SS bonds). Although SS bonds are present in all groups of organisms, no comparative analyses of their frequency in proteins from different domains of life have been made to date. Using the Protein Data Bank, the number and subcellular locations of SS bonds in Archaea, Bacteria and Eukarya have been compared. Approximately three times higher frequency of proteins with SS bonds in eukaryotic secretory organelles (e.g. endoplasmic reticulum) than in bacterial periplasmic/secretory pathways was calculated. Protein length also affects the SS bond frequency: the average number of SS bonds is positively correlated with the length for longer proteins (>200 amino acids), while for the shorter and less stable proteins (proteins (250-350 amino acids) indicated a high number of SS bonds only in Archaea which could be explained by the need for additional protein stabilization in hyperthermophiles. The results emphasize higher capacity for the SS bond formation and isomerization in Eukarya when compared with Archaea and Bacteria.

  12. A Disulfide Bond-forming Machine Is Linked to the Sortase-mediated Pilus Assembly Pathway in the Gram-positive Bacterium Actinomyces oris*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reardon-Robinson, Melissa E.; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Chang, Chungyu; Wu, Chenggang; Jooya, Neda; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Das, Asis; Ton-That, Hung

    2015-01-01

    Export of cell surface pilins in Gram-positive bacteria likely occurs by the translocation of unfolded precursor polypeptides; however, how the unfolded pilins gain their native conformation is presently unknown. Here, we present physiological studies to demonstrate that the FimA pilin of Actinomyces oris contains two disulfide bonds. Alanine substitution of cysteine residues forming the C-terminal disulfide bridge abrogates pilus assembly, in turn eliminating biofilm formation and polymicrobial interaction. Transposon mutagenesis of A. oris yielded a mutant defective in adherence to Streptococcus oralis, and revealed the essential role of a vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) gene in pilus assembly. Targeted deletion of vkor results in the same defects, which are rescued by ectopic expression of VKOR, but not a mutant containing an alanine substitution in its conserved CXXC motif. Depletion of mdbA, which encodes a membrane-bound thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase, abrogates pilus assembly and alters cell morphology. Remarkably, overexpression of MdbA or a counterpart from Corynebacterium diphtheriae, rescues the Δvkor mutant. By alkylation assays, we demonstrate that VKOR is required for MdbA reoxidation. Furthermore, crystallographic studies reveal that A. oris MdbA harbors a thioredoxin-like fold with the conserved CXXC active site. Consistently, each MdbA enzyme catalyzes proper disulfide bond formation within FimA in vitro that requires the catalytic CXXC motif. Because the majority of signal peptide-containing proteins encoded by A. oris possess multiple Cys residues, we propose that MdbA and VKOR constitute a major folding machine for the secretome of this organism. This oxidative protein folding pathway may be a common feature in Actinobacteria. PMID:26170452

  13. A Disulfide Bond-forming Machine Is Linked to the Sortase-mediated Pilus Assembly Pathway in the Gram-positive Bacterium Actinomyces oris.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reardon-Robinson, Melissa E; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Chang, Chungyu; Wu, Chenggang; Jooya, Neda; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Das, Asis; Ton-That, Hung

    2015-08-28

    Export of cell surface pilins in Gram-positive bacteria likely occurs by the translocation of unfolded precursor polypeptides; however, how the unfolded pilins gain their native conformation is presently unknown. Here, we present physiological studies to demonstrate that the FimA pilin of Actinomyces oris contains two disulfide bonds. Alanine substitution of cysteine residues forming the C-terminal disulfide bridge abrogates pilus assembly, in turn eliminating biofilm formation and polymicrobial interaction. Transposon mutagenesis of A. oris yielded a mutant defective in adherence to Streptococcus oralis, and revealed the essential role of a vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) gene in pilus assembly. Targeted deletion of vkor results in the same defects, which are rescued by ectopic expression of VKOR, but not a mutant containing an alanine substitution in its conserved CXXC motif. Depletion of mdbA, which encodes a membrane-bound thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase, abrogates pilus assembly and alters cell morphology. Remarkably, overexpression of MdbA or a counterpart from Corynebacterium diphtheriae, rescues the Δvkor mutant. By alkylation assays, we demonstrate that VKOR is required for MdbA reoxidation. Furthermore, crystallographic studies reveal that A. oris MdbA harbors a thioredoxin-like fold with the conserved CXXC active site. Consistently, each MdbA enzyme catalyzes proper disulfide bond formation within FimA in vitro that requires the catalytic CXXC motif. Because the majority of signal peptide-containing proteins encoded by A. oris possess multiple Cys residues, we propose that MdbA and VKOR constitute a major folding machine for the secretome of this organism. This oxidative protein folding pathway may be a common feature in Actinobacteria. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  14. Kinetic analysis of the mechanism and specificity of protein-disulfide isomerase using fluorescence-quenched peptides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Westphal, V; Spetzler, J C; Meldal, M

    1998-01-01

    Protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI) is an abundant folding catalyst in the endoplasmic reticulum of eukaryotic cells. PDI introduces disulfide bonds into newly synthesized proteins and catalyzes disulfide bond isomerizations. We have synthesized a library of disulfide-linked fluorescence......-quenched peptides, individually linked to resin beads, for two purposes: 1) to probe PDI specificity, and 2) to identify simple, sensitive peptide substrates of PDI. Using this library, beads that became rapidly fluorescent by reduction by human PDI were selected. Amino acid sequencing of the bead-linked peptides...

  15. Highly efficient induction of chirality in intramolecular

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cossio; Arrieta; Lecea; Alajarin; Vidal; Tovar

    2000-06-16

    Highly stereocontrolled, intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloadditions between ketenimines and imines leading to 1,2-dihydroazeto[2, 1-b]quinazolines have been achieved. The source of stereocontrol is a chiral carbon atom adjacent either to the iminic carbon or nitrogen atom. In the first case, the stereocontrol stems from the preference for the axial conformer in the first transition structure. In the second case, the origin of the stereocontrol lies on the two-electron stabilizing interaction between the C-C bond being formed and the sigma orbital corresponding to the polar C-X bond, X being an electronegative atom. These models can be extended to other related systems for predicting the stereochemical outcome in this intramolecular reaction.

  16. Characterization of Disulfide-Linked Peptides Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Automated Data Analysis Software

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Zhidan; McGuinness, Kenneth N.; Crespo, Alejandro; Zhong, Wendy

    2018-05-01

    Disulfide bond formation is critical for maintaining structure stability and function of many peptides and proteins. Mass spectrometry has become an important tool for the elucidation of molecular connectivity. However, the interpretation of the tandem mass spectral data of disulfide-linked peptides has been a major challenge due to the lack of appropriate tools. Developing proper data analysis software is essential to quickly characterize disulfide-linked peptides. A thorough and in-depth understanding of how disulfide-linked peptides fragment in mass spectrometer is a key in developing software to interpret the tandem mass spectra of these peptides. Two model peptides with inter- and intra-chain disulfide linkages were used to study fragmentation behavior in both collisional-activated dissociation (CAD) and electron-based dissociation (ExD) experiments. Fragments generated from CAD and ExD can be categorized into three major types, which result from different S-S and C-S bond cleavage patterns. DiSulFinder is a computer algorithm that was newly developed based on the fragmentation observed in these peptides. The software is vendor neutral and capable of quickly and accurately identifying a variety of fragments generated from disulfide-linked peptides. DiSulFinder identifies peptide backbone fragments with S-S and C-S bond cleavages and, more importantly, can also identify fragments with the S-S bond still intact to aid disulfide linkage determination. With the assistance of this software, more comprehensive disulfide connectivity characterization can be achieved. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

  17. Characterization of Disulfide-Linked Peptides Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry Coupled with Automated Data Analysis Software.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liang, Zhidan; McGuinness, Kenneth N; Crespo, Alejandro; Zhong, Wendy

    2018-01-25

    Disulfide bond formation is critical for maintaining structure stability and function of many peptides and proteins. Mass spectrometry has become an important tool for the elucidation of molecular connectivity. However, the interpretation of the tandem mass spectral data of disulfide-linked peptides has been a major challenge due to the lack of appropriate tools. Developing proper data analysis software is essential to quickly characterize disulfide-linked peptides. A thorough and in-depth understanding of how disulfide-linked peptides fragment in mass spectrometer is a key in developing software to interpret the tandem mass spectra of these peptides. Two model peptides with inter- and intra-chain disulfide linkages were used to study fragmentation behavior in both collisional-activated dissociation (CAD) and electron-based dissociation (ExD) experiments. Fragments generated from CAD and ExD can be categorized into three major types, which result from different S-S and C-S bond cleavage patterns. DiSulFinder is a computer algorithm that was newly developed based on the fragmentation observed in these peptides. The software is vendor neutral and capable of quickly and accurately identifying a variety of fragments generated from disulfide-linked peptides. DiSulFinder identifies peptide backbone fragments with S-S and C-S bond cleavages and, more importantly, can also identify fragments with the S-S bond still intact to aid disulfide linkage determination. With the assistance of this software, more comprehensive disulfide connectivity characterization can be achieved. Graphical Abstract ᅟ.

  18. Structural basis for target protein recognition by the protein disulfide reductase thioredoxin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Maeda, Kenji; Hägglund, Per; Finnie, Christine

    2006-01-01

    Thioredoxin is ubiquitous and regulates various target proteins through disulfide bond reduction. We report the structure of thioredoxin (HvTrxh2 from barley) in a reaction intermediate complex with a protein substrate, barley alpha-amylase/subtilisin inhibitor (BASI). The crystal structure...... of this mixed disulfide shows a conserved hydrophobic motif in thioredoxin interacting with a sequence of residues from BASI through van der Waals contacts and backbone-backbone hydrogen bonds. The observed structural complementarity suggests that the recognition of features around protein disulfides plays...... a major role in the specificity and protein disulfide reductase activity of thioredoxin. This novel insight into the function of thioredoxin constitutes a basis for comprehensive understanding of its biological role. Moreover, comparison with structurally related proteins shows that thioredoxin shares...

  19. Determination of Double Bond Positions and Geometry of Methyl Linoleate Isomers with Dimethyl Disulfide Adducts by GC/MS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shibamoto, Shigeaki; Murata, Tasuku; Yamamoto, Kouhei

    2016-09-01

    The dimethyl disulfide (DMDS) adduct method is one of the convenient and effective methods for determining double bond positions of unsaturated fatty acid methyl esters (FAME) except conjugated FAME. When analyzed using gas chromatography/electron ionization-mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS), unsaturated FAME with DMDS added to the double bonds yields high intensity MS spectra of characteristic ions. The MS spectra of characteristic ions can then be used to easily confirm double bond positions. Here we explore the GC/EI-MS analysis of the DMDS adducts of methyl linoleate geometrical isomers isolated by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with a silver nitrate column. For C18:2-c9, c12 and C18:2-t9, t12, DMDS randomly formed adducts with double bonds at either carbon 9-10 or carbon 12-13, but not both at the same time due to steric hindrance. For C18:2-c9, t12 and C18:2-t9, c12, however, DMDS only formed adducts with the double bond in the cis configuration. Consequently, when analyzing fatty acids with methylene interrupted double bonds, with one double bond in the cis and one in the trans configuration, double bond positions cannot be completely confirmed.

  20. Disulfide mapping the voltage-sensing mechanism of a voltage-dependent potassium channel.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nozaki, Tomohiro; Ozawa, Shin-Ichiro; Harada, Hitomi; Kimura, Tomomi; Osawa, Masanori; Shimada, Ichio

    2016-11-17

    Voltage-dependent potassium (Kv) channels allow for the selective permeability of potassium ions in a membrane potential dependent manner, playing crucial roles in neurotransmission and muscle contraction. Kv channel is a tetramer, in which each subunit possesses a voltage-sensing domain (VSD) and a pore domain (PD). Although several lines of evidence indicated that membrane depolarization is sensed as the movement of helix S4 of the VSD, the detailed voltage-sensing mechanism remained elusive, due to the difficulty of structural analyses at resting potential. In this study, we conducted a comprehensive disulfide locking analysis of the VSD using 36 double Cys mutants, in order to identify the proximal residue pairs of the VSD in the presence or absence of a membrane potential. An intramolecular SS-bond was formed between 6 Cys pairs under both polarized and depolarized environment, and one pair only under depolarized environment. The multiple conformations captured by the SS-bond can be divided by two states, up and down, where S4 lies on the extracellular and intracellular sides of the membrane, respectively, with axial rotation of 180°. The transition between these two states is caused by the S4 translocation of 12 Å, enabling allosteric regulation of the gating at the PD.

  1. Removal of a C-terminal serine residue proximal to the inter-chain disulfide bond of a human IgG1 lambda light chain mediates enhanced antibody stability and antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shen, Yang; Zeng, Lin; Zhu, Aiping; Blanc, Tim; Patel, Dipa; Pennello, Anthony; Bari, Amtul; Ng, Stanley; Persaud, Kris; Kang, Yun (Kenneth); Balderes, Paul; Surguladze, David; Hindi, Sagit; Zhou, Qinwei; Ludwig, Dale L.; Snavely, Marshall

    2013-01-01

    Optimization of biophysical properties is a critical success factor for the developability of monoclonal antibodies with potential therapeutic applications. The inter-domain disulfide bond between light chain (Lc) and heavy chain (Hc) in human IgG1 lends structural support for antibody scaffold stability, optimal antigen binding, and normal Fc function. Recently, human IgG1λ has been suggested to exhibit significantly greater susceptibility to reduction of the inter Lc-Hc disulfide bond relative to the same disulfide bond in human IgG1κ. To understand the molecular basis for this observed difference in stability, the sequence and structure of human IgG1λ and human IgG1κ were compared. Based on this Lc comparison, three single mutations were made in the λ Lc proximal to the cysteine residue, which forms a disulfide bond with the Hc. We determined that deletion of S214 (dS) improved resistance of the association between Lc and Hc to thermal stress. In addition, deletion of this terminal serine from the Lc of IgG1λ provided further benefit, including an increase in stability at elevated pH, increased yield from transient transfection, and improved in vitro antibody dependent cell-mediated cytotoxicity (ADCC). These observations support the conclusion that the presence of the terminal serine of the λ Lc creates a weaker inter-chain disulfide bond between the Lc and Hc, leading to slightly reduced stability and a potential compromise in IgG1λ function. Our data from a human IgG1λ provide a basis for further investigation of the effects of deleting terminal serine from λLc on the stability and function of other human IgG1λ antibodies. PMID:23567210

  2. Electrochemistry-assisted top-down characterization of disulfide-containing proteins.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yun; Cui, Weidong; Zhang, Hao; Dewald, Howard D; Chen, Hao

    2012-04-17

    Covalent disulfide bond linkage in a protein represents an important challenge for mass spectrometry (MS)-based top-down protein structure analysis as it reduces the backbone cleavage efficiency for MS/MS dissociation. This study presents a strategy for solving this critical issue via integrating electrochemistry (EC) online with a top-down MS approach. In this approach, proteins undergo electrolytic reduction in an electrochemical cell to break disulfide bonds and then undergo online ionization into gaseous ions for analysis by electron-capture dissociation (ECD) and collision-induced dissociation (CID). The electrochemical reduction of proteins allows one to remove disulfide bond constraints and also leads to increased charge numbers of the resulting protein ions. As a result, sequence coverage was significantly enhanced, as exemplified by β-lactoglobulin A (24 vs 75 backbone cleavages before and after electrolytic reduction, respectively) and lysozyme (5 vs 66 backbone cleavages before and after electrolytic reduction, respectively). This methodology is fast and does not need chemical reductants, which would have an important impact in high-throughput proteomics research.

  3. Selective disulfide reduction for labeling and enhancement of Fab antibody fragments

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kirley, Terence L.; Greis, Kenneth D.; Norman, Andrew B.

    2016-01-01

    Many methods have been developed for chemical labeling and enhancement of the properties of antibodies and their common fragments, including the Fab and F(ab’) 2 fragments. Somewhat selective reduction of some antibody disulfide bonds has been previously achieved, yielding antibodies and antibody fragments that can be labeled at defined sites, enhancing their utility and properties. Selective reduction of the two hinge disulfide bonds present in F(ab’) 2 fragments using mild reduction has been useful. However, such reduction is often not quantitative and results in the reduction of multiple disulfide bonds, and therefore subsequent multiple labeling or conjugation sites are neither homogenous nor stoichiometric. Here, a simple and efficient selective reduction of the single disulfide bond linking the partial heavy chain and the intact light chain which compose the Fab fragment is accomplished utilizing tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) immobilized on agarose beads. The resultant reduced cysteine residues were labeled with several cysteine-selective fluorescent reagents, as well as by cysteine-directed PEGylation. These two cysteine residues can also be re-ligated by means of a bifunctional cysteine cross-linking agent, dibromobimane, thereby both restoring a covalent linkage between the heavy and light chains at this site, far removed from the antigen binding site, and also introducing a fluorescent probe. There are many other research and clinical uses for these selectively partially reduced Fab fragments, including biotinylation, toxin and drug conjugation, and incorporation of radioisotopes, and this technique enables simple generation of very useful Fab fragment derivatives with many potential applications. - Highlights: • TCEP agarose is effective for selective reduction of a single Fab disulfide bond. • This disulfide is solvent accessible and distant from the antigen binding site. • A variety of buffers of varying pHs can be used, simplifying

  4. Nickel-Catalyzed C-S Bond Formation via Decarbonylative Thioetherification of Esters, Amides and Intramolecular Recombination Fragment Coupling of Thioesters

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, Shao-Chi

    2018-01-15

    A nickel catalyzed cross-coupling protocol for the straightforward C-S bond formation has been developed. Various mercaptans and a wide range of ester and amide substrates bearing various substituents were tolerated in this process which afforded products in good to excellent yields. Furthermore, an intramolecular protocol for the synthesis of thioethers starting from thioesters has been developed. The utility of this protocol has been demonstrated in the synthesis of benzothiophene on the bench top.

  5. Nickel-Catalyzed C-S Bond Formation via Decarbonylative Thioetherification of Esters, Amides and Intramolecular Recombination Fragment Coupling of Thioesters

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, Shao-Chi; Liao, Hsuan-Hung; Chatupheeraphat, Adisak; Rueping, Magnus

    2018-01-01

    A nickel catalyzed cross-coupling protocol for the straightforward C-S bond formation has been developed. Various mercaptans and a wide range of ester and amide substrates bearing various substituents were tolerated in this process which afforded products in good to excellent yields. Furthermore, an intramolecular protocol for the synthesis of thioethers starting from thioesters has been developed. The utility of this protocol has been demonstrated in the synthesis of benzothiophene on the bench top.

  6. Compact conformations of human protein disulfide isomerase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shang Yang

    Full Text Available Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI composed of four thioredoxin-like domains a, b, b', and a', is a key enzyme catalyzing oxidative protein folding in the endoplasmic reticulum. Large scale molecular dynamics simulations starting from the crystal structures of human PDI (hPDI in the oxidized and reduced states were performed. The results indicate that hPDI adopts more compact conformations in solution than in the crystal structures, which are stabilized primarily by inter-domain interactions, including the salt bridges between domains a and b' observed for the first time. A prominent feature of the compact conformations is that the two catalytic domains a and a' can locate close enough for intra-molecular electron transfer, which was confirmed by the characterization of an intermediate with a disulfide between the two domains. Mutations, which disrupt the inter-domain interactions, lead to decreased reductase activity of hPDI. Our molecular dynamics simulations and biochemical experiments reveal the intrinsic conformational dynamics of hPDI and its biological impact.

  7. The effect of tensile stress on the conformational free energy landscape of disulfide bonds.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Padmesh Anjukandi

    Full Text Available Disulfide bridges are no longer considered to merely stabilize protein structure, but are increasingly recognized to play a functional role in many regulatory biomolecular processes. Recent studies have uncovered that the redox activity of native disulfides depends on their C-C-S-S dihedrals, χ2 and χ'2. Moreover, the interplay of chemical reactivity and mechanical stress of disulfide switches has been recently elucidated using force-clamp spectroscopy and computer simulation. The χ2 and χ'2 angles have been found to change from conformations that are open to nucleophilic attack to sterically hindered, so-called closed states upon exerting tensile stress. In view of the growing evidence of the importance of C-C-S-S dihedrals in tuning the reactivity of disulfides, here we present a systematic study of the conformational diversity of disulfides as a function of tensile stress. With the help of force-clamp metadynamics simulations, we show that tensile stress brings about a large stabilization of the closed conformers, thereby giving rise to drastic changes in the conformational free energy landscape of disulfides. Statistical analysis shows that native TDi, DO and interchain Ig protein disulfides prefer open conformations, whereas the intrachain disulfide bridges in Ig proteins favor closed conformations. Correlating mechanical stress with the distance between the two a-carbons of the disulfide moiety reveals that the strain of intrachain Ig protein disulfides corresponds to a mechanical activation of about 100 pN. Such mechanical activation leads to a severalfold increase of the rate of the elementary redox S(N2 reaction step. All these findings constitute a step forward towards achieving a full understanding of functional disulfides.

  8. Mutational analysis of Kex2 recognition sites and a disulfide bond in tannase from Aspergillus oryzae.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koseki, Takuya; Otsuka, Motohiro; Mizuno, Toshiyuki; Shiono, Yoshihito

    2017-01-22

    Aspergillus oryzae tannase (AoTanA), which contains two Kex2 recognition sites at positions Arg311 and Arg316, consists of two subunits that are generated by the cleavage of tannase gene product by the Kex2 protease. Based on the crystal structure of feruloyl esterase from Aspergillus oryzae (AoFaeB), which has been classified as a member of the fungal tannase family, the catalytic triad residues of AoTanA are predicted to be Ser195, Asp455, and His501, with the serine and histidine residues brought together by a disulfide bond of the neighboring cysteines, Cys194 and Cys502. In this study, we investigated the functional role of the Kex2 recognition sites and disulfide bond between the neighboring cysteines in AoTanA. We constructed a double variant (R311A/R316A), a seven amino-acid deletion variant of region Lys310-Arg316 (ΔKR), and two single variants (C194A and C502A). While the R311A/R316A variant exhibited the two bands similar to wild type by SDS-PAGE after treatment with endoglycosidase H, the ΔKR variant exhibited only one band. R311A/R316A variation had no effect on tannase activity and stability. Meanwhile, the ΔKR variant exhibited higher activity compared to the wild-type. The activities of the C194A and C502A variants decreased considerably (<0.24% of the wild-type) toward methyl gallate. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. A Disulfide Bond in the Membrane Protein IgaA Is Essential for Repression of the RcsCDB System

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Graciela Pucciarelli

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available IgaA is an integral inner membrane protein that was discovered as repressor of the RcsCDB phosphorelay system in the intracellular pathogen Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. The RcsCDB system, conserved in many members of the family Enterobacteriaceae, regulates expression of varied processes including motility, biofilm formation, virulence and response to envelope stress. IgaA is an essential protein to which, in response to envelope perturbation, the outer membrane lipoprotein RcsF has been proposed to bind in order to activate the RcsCDB phosphorelay. Envelope stress has also been reported to be sensed by a surface exposed domain of RcsF. These observations support a tight control of the RcsCDB system by RcsF and IgaA via mechanisms that, however, remain unknown. Interestingly, RcsF and IgaA have four conserved cysteine residues in loops exposed to the periplasmic space. Two non-consecutive disulfide bonds were shown to be required for RcsF function. Here, we report mutagenesis studies supporting the presence of one disulfide bond (C404-C425 in the major periplasmic loop of IgaA that is essential for repression of the RcsCDB phosphorelay. Our data therefore suggest that the redox state of the periplasm may be critical for the control of the RcsCDB system by its two upstream regulators, RcsF and IgaA.

  10. Phase transition and intramolecular hydrogen bonding in nitro derivatives of ortho-hydroxy acetophenones

    Science.gov (United States)

    Filarowski, A.; Kochel, A.; Koll, A.; Bator, G.; Mukherjee, S.

    2006-03-01

    The crystal structures of two ortho-hydroxy aryl ketones (5-chloro-3-nitro-2-hydroxyacetophenone, 5-methyl-3-nitro-2-hydroxyacetophenone and the complex 5-chloro-3-nitro-2-hydroxyacetophenone with 2-aminobenzoic acid (anthranilic acid)) were determined by X-ray diffraction. The existence of an intramolecular hydrogen bond of enol character between the hydroxyl and acetyl groups was found by the X-ray method. The enol character was also confirmed by DFT (B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)) calculations. A phase transition was found at 138 K in 5-chloro-3-nitro-2-hydroxyacetophenone. This phase transition was investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dilatometry, and the dielectric method. A study of the nitro-group dynamics in the ortho-hydroxy acetophenones was carried out with DFT (B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p)) calculations.

  11. Aggregation of bovine serum albumin upon cleavage of its disulfide bonds, studied by the time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering technique with synchrotron radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ueki, Tatzuo; Inoko, Yoji; Hiragi, Yuzuru; Kataoka, Mikio; Amemiya, Yoshiyuki; Izumi, Yoshinobu; Tagawa, Hiroyuki; Muroga, Yoshio

    1985-11-01

    A rapid mixing system of the stopped-flow type, used with small-angle X-ray scattering equipment using synchrotron radiation, is described. The process of aggregation of bovine serum albumin was traced with a time interval of 50s, initiated upon cleavage of its disulfide bonds by reduction with dithiothreitol. The results indicate that a 218-fold molar excess of dithiothreitol over the number of moles of disulfide bonds in bovine serum albumin is sufficient to initiate the reaction immediately after mixing, which reaches equilibrium in about 15 min. On the other hand, half this amount is not sufficient to initiate the reaction, so that the reaction is delayed by about 150s. Such a single-shot time-resolved experiment showed that experiments with a time interval of 100 ms are possible with repeated multi-shot runs. 26 refs.; 8 figs.

  12. Aggregation of bovine serum albumin upon cleavage of its disulfide bonds, studied by the time-resolved small-angle X-ray scattering technique with synchrotron radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ueki, Tatzuo; Inoko, Yoji; Izumi, Yoshinobu; Tagawa, Hiroyuki; Muroga, Yoshio

    1985-01-01

    A rapid mixing system of the stopped-flow type, used with small-angle X-ray scattering equipment using synchrotron radiation, is described. The process of aggregation of bovine serum albumin was traced with a time interval of 50 s, initiated upon cleavage of its disulfide bonds by reduction with dithiothreitol. The results indicate that a 218-fold molar excess of dithiothreitol over the number of moles of disulfide bonds in bovine serum albumin is sufficient to initiate the reaction immediately after mixing, which reaches equilibrium in about 15 min. On the other hand, half this amount is not sufficient to initiate the reaction, so that the reaction is delayed by about 150 s. Such a single-shot time-resolved experiment showed that experiments with a time interval of 100 ms are possible with repeated multi-shot runs. (Auth.)

  13. Binding of the respiratory chain inhibitor antimycin to the mitochondrial bc1 complex: a new crystal structure reveals an altered intramolecular hydrogen-bonding pattern.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Li-Shar; Cobessi, David; Tung, Eric Y; Berry, Edward A

    2005-08-19

    Antimycin A (antimycin), one of the first known and most potent inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, binds to the quinone reduction site of the cytochrome bc1 complex. Structure-activity relationship studies have shown that the N-formylamino-salicyl-amide group is responsible for most of the binding specificity, and suggested that a low pKa for the phenolic OH group and an intramolecular H-bond between that OH and the carbonyl O of the salicylamide linkage are important. Two previous X-ray structures of antimycin bound to vertebrate bc1 complex gave conflicting results. A new structure reported here of the bovine mitochondrial bc1 complex at 2.28 A resolution with antimycin bound, allows us for the first time to reliably describe the binding of antimycin and shows that the intramolecular hydrogen bond described in solution and in the small-molecule structure is replaced by one involving the NH rather than carbonyl O of the amide linkage, with rotation of the amide group relative to the aromatic ring. The phenolic OH and formylamino N form H-bonds with conserved Asp228 of cytochrome b, and the formylamino O H-bonds via a water molecule to Lys227. A strong density, the right size and shape for a diatomic molecule is found between the other side of the dilactone ring and the alphaA helix.

  14. Binding of the Respiratory Chain Inhibitor Antimycin to theMitochondrial bc1 Complex: A New Crystal Structure Reveals an AlteredIntramolecular Hydrogen-Bonding Pattern

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Huang, Li-shar; Cobessi, David; Tung, Eric Y.; Berry, Edward A.

    2005-05-10

    Antimycin A (antimycin), one of the first known and most potent inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, binds to the quinone reduction site of the cytochrome bc1 complex.Structure-activity-relationship studies have shown that the N-formylamino-salicyl-amide group is responsible for most of the binding specificity, and suggested that a low pKa for the phenolic OH group and an intramolecular H-bond between that OH and the carbonyl O of the salicylamide linkage are important. Two previous X-ray structures of antimycin bound to vertebrate bc1 complex gave conflicting results. A new structure reported here of the bovine mitochondrial bc1 complex at 2.28Angstrom resolution with antimycin bound, allows us for the first time to reliably describe the binding of antimycin and shows that the intramolecular hydrogen bond described in solution and in the small-molecule structure is replaced by one involving the NH rather than carbonyl O of the amide linkage, with rotation of the amide group relative to the aromatic ring. The phenolic OH and formylamino N form H-bonds with conserved Asp228 of cyt b, and the formylamino O H-bonds via a water molecule to Lys227. A strong density the right size and shape for a diatomic molecule is found between the other side of the dilactone ring and the alpha-A helix.

  15. Significant improvement of thermal stability of glucose 1-dehydrogenase by introducing disulfide bonds at the tetramer interface.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Haitao; Gao, Fen; Liu, Danfeng; Li, Zeli; Xu, Xiaohong; Wu, Min; Zhao, Yuhua

    2013-12-10

    Rational design was applied to glucose 1-dehydrogenase (LsGDH) from Lysinibacillus sphaericus G10 to improve its thermal stability by introduction of disulfide bridges between subunits. One out of the eleven mutants, designated as DS255, displayed significantly enhanced thermal stability with considerable soluble expression and high specific activity. It was extremely stable at pH ranging from 4.5 to 10.5, as it retained nearly 100% activity after incubating at different buffers for 1h. Mutant DS255 also exhibited high thermostability, having a half-life of 9900min at 50°C, which was 1868-fold as that of its wild type. Moreover, both of the increased free energy of denaturation and decreased entropy of denaturation of DS255 suggested that the enzyme structure was stabilized by the engineered disulfide bonds. On account of its robust stability, mutant DS255 would be a competitive candidate in practical applications of chiral chemicals synthesis, biofuel cells and glucose biosensors. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Identification of thioredoxin target disulfides in proteins released from barley aleurone layers

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hägglund, Per; Bunkenborg, J.; Yang, Fen

    2010-01-01

    Thioredoxins are ubiquitous disulfide reductases involved in a wide range of cellular processes including DNA synthesis, oxidative stress response and apoptosis. In cereal seeds thioredoxins are proposed to facilitate the germination process by reducing disulfide bonds in storage proteins and other...

  17. Competing intramolecular N-H⋯O=C hydrogen bonds and extended intermolecular network in 1-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-3-(2-methyl-4-oxopentan-2-yl) thiourea analyzed by experimental and theoretical methods

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Saeed, Aamer, E-mail: aamersaeed@yahoo.com [Department of Chemistry, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320 (Pakistan); Khurshid, Asma [Department of Chemistry, Quaid-I-Azam University, Islamabad 45320 (Pakistan); Jasinski, Jerry P. [Department of Chemistry, Keene State College, 229 Main Street Keene, NH 03435-2001 (United States); Pozzi, C. Gustavo; Fantoni, Adolfo C. [Instituto de Física La Plata, Departamento de Física, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, 49 y 115, La Plata, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Erben, Mauricio F., E-mail: erben@quimica.unlp.edu.ar [CEQUINOR (UNLP, CONICET-CCT La Plata), Departamento de Química, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, C.C. 962, (1900) La Plata, Buenos Aires (Argentina)

    2014-03-18

    Highlights: • Two distinct N-H⋯O=C intramolecular competing hydrogen bonds are feasible in the title molecule. • Crystal structures and vibrational properties were determined. • The C=O and C=S double bonds of the acyl-thiourea group are mutually oriented in opposite directions. • A strong hyperconjugative lpO1 → σ{sup ∗}(N2-H) remote interaction was detected. • Topological analysis reveals a Cl⋯N interaction playing a relevant role in crystal packing. - Abstract: The synthesis of a novel 1-acyl-thiourea species (C{sub 14}H{sub 17}N{sub 2}O{sub 2}SCl), has been tailored in such a way that two distinct N-H⋯O=C intramolecular competing hydrogen bonds are feasible. The X-ray structure analysis as well as the vibrational (FT-IR and FT-Raman) data reveal that the S conformation is preferred, with the C=O and C=S bonds of the acyl-thiourea group pointing in opposite directions. The preference for the intramolecular N-H⋯O=C hydrogen bond within the -C(O)NHC(S)NH- core is confirmed. The Natural Bond Orbital and the Atom in Molecule approaches demonstrate that a strong hyperconjugative lpO → σ{sup ∗}(N-H) remote interaction between the acyl and the thioamide N-H groups is responsible for the stabilization of the S conformation. Intermolecular interactions have been characterized in the periodic system electron density and the topological analysis reveals the presence of an extended intermolecular network in the crystal, including a Cl⋯N interaction playing a relevant role in crystal packing.

  18. Copper-zinc superoxide dismutase is activated through a sulfenic acid intermediate at a copper ion entry site.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fetherolf, Morgan M; Boyd, Stefanie D; Taylor, Alexander B; Kim, Hee Jong; Wohlschlegel, James A; Blackburn, Ninian J; Hart, P John; Winge, Dennis R; Winkler, Duane D

    2017-07-21

    Metallochaperones are a diverse family of trafficking molecules that provide metal ions to protein targets for use as cofactors. The copper chaperone for superoxide dismutase (Ccs1) activates immature copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (Sod1) by delivering copper and facilitating the oxidation of the Sod1 intramolecular disulfide bond. Here, we present structural, spectroscopic, and cell-based data supporting a novel copper-induced mechanism for Sod1 activation. Ccs1 binding exposes an electropositive cavity and proposed "entry site" for copper ion delivery on immature Sod1. Copper-mediated sulfenylation leads to a sulfenic acid intermediate that eventually resolves to form the Sod1 disulfide bond with concomitant release of copper into the Sod1 active site. Sod1 is the predominant disulfide bond-requiring enzyme in the cytoplasm, and this copper-induced mechanism of disulfide bond formation obviates the need for a thiol/disulfide oxidoreductase in that compartment. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  19. C-H Bond Functionalization via Hydride Transfer: Formation of α-Arylated Piperidines and 1,2,3,4-Tetrahydroisoquinolines via Stereoselective Intramolecular Amination of Benzylic C-H Bonds

    OpenAIRE

    Vadola, Paul A.; Carrera, Ignacio; Sames, Dalibor

    2012-01-01

    We here report a study of the intramolecular amination of sp3 C-H bonds via the hydride transfer cyclization of N-tosylimines (HT-amination). In this transformation, 5-aryl-aldehydes are subjected to N-toluenesulfonamide in the presence of BF3•OEt2 to effect imine formation and HT-cyclization, leading to 2-aryl-piperidines and 3-aryl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines in a one-pot procedure. We examined the reactivity of a range of aldehyde substrates as a function of their conformational flexib...

  20. INTRAMOLECULAR ISOTOPE EFFECTS IN HYDROCARBON MASS SPECTRA

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stevenson, D. P.; Schachtschneider, J. H.

    1963-07-15

    Approximate calculations based on the quasi-equilibrium rate theory of the origin of mass spectra are shown to lead to an approximately correct magnitude for the intramolecular ( pi /sup -/) isotope effect on C--H bond dissociation probabilities of various deuterohydrocarbons. (auth)

  1. Conformational analysis and design of cross-strand disulfides in antiparallel β-sheets.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Indu, S; Kochat, V; Thakurela, S; Ramakrishnan, C; Varadarajan, Raghavan

    2011-01-01

    Cross-strand disulfides bridge two cysteines in a registered pair of antiparallel β-strands. A nonredundant data set comprising 5025 polypeptides containing 2311 disulfides was used to study cross-strand disulfides. Seventy-six cross-strand disulfides were found of which 75 and 1 occurred at non-hydrogen-bonded (NHB) and hydrogen-bonded (HB) registered pairs, respectively. Conformational analysis and modeling studies demonstrated that disulfide formation at HB pairs necessarily requires an extremely rare and positive χ¹ value for at least one of the cysteine residues. Disulfides at HB positions also have more unfavorable steric repulsion with the main chain. Thirteen pairs of disulfides were introduced in NHB and HB pairs in four model proteins: leucine binding protein (LBP), leucine, isoleucine, valine binding protein (LIVBP), maltose binding protein (MBP), and Top7. All mutants LIVBP T247C V331C showed disulfide formation either on purification, or on treatment with oxidants. Protein stability in both oxidized and reduced states of all mutants was measured. Relative to wild type, LBP and MBP mutants were destabilized with respect to chemical denaturation, although the sole exposed NHB LBP mutant showed an increase of 3.1°C in T(m). All Top7 mutants were characterized for stability through guanidinium thiocyanate chemical denaturation. Both exposed and two of the three buried NHB mutants were appreciably stabilized. All four HB Top7 mutants were destabilized (ΔΔG⁰ = -3.3 to -6.7 kcal/mol). The data demonstrate that introduction of cross-strand disulfides at exposed NHB pairs is a robust method of improving protein stability. All four exposed Top7 disulfide mutants showed mild redox activity. © 2010 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  2. Conformational analysis of large and highly disulfide-stabilized proteins by integrating online electrochemical reduction into an optimized H/D exchange mass spectrometry workflow

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Trabjerg, Esben; Jakobsen, Rasmus Uffe; Mysling, Simon

    2015-01-01

    Analysis of disulfide-bonded proteins by HDX-MS requires effective and rapid reduction of disulfide bonds before enzymatic digestion in order to increase sequence coverage. In a conventional HDX-MS workflow, disulfide bonds are reduced chemically by addition of a reducing agent to the quench......-antibody, respectively. The presented results demonstrate the successful electrochemical reduction during HDX-MS analysis of both a small exceptional tightly disulfide-bonded protein (NGF) as well as the largest protein attempted to date (IgG1-antibody). We envision that online electrochemical reduction...... the electrochemical reduction efficiency during HDX-MS analysis of two particularly challenging disulfide stabilized proteins: a therapeutic IgG1-antibody and Nerve Growth Factor-β (NGF). Several different parameters (flow rate, applied square wave potential as well as the type of labeling- and quench buffer) were...

  3. Role of protein disulfide isomerase and other thiol-reactive proteins in HIV-1 envelope protein-mediated fusion

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ou Wu; Silver, Jonathan

    2006-01-01

    Cell-surface protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) has been proposed to promote disulfide bond rearrangements in HIV-1 envelope protein (Env) that accompany Env-mediated fusion. We evaluated the role of PDI in ways that have not been previously tested by downregulating PDI with siRNA and by overexpressing wild-type or variant forms of PDI in transiently and stably transfected cells. These manipulations, as well as treatment with anti-PDI antibodies, had only small effects on infection or cell fusion mediated by NL4-3 or AD8 strains of HIV-1. However, the cell-surface thiol-reactive reagent 5, 5'-dithiobis(2-nitrobenzoic acid) (DTNB) had a much stronger inhibitory effect in our system, suggesting that cell-surface thiol-containing molecules other than PDI, acting alone or in concert, have a greater effect than PDI on HIV-1 Env-mediated fusion. We evaluated one such candidate, thioredoxin, a PDI family member reported to reduce a labile disulfide bond in CD4. We found that the ability of thioredoxin to reduce the disulfide bond in CD4 is enhanced in the presence of HIV-1 Env gp120 and that thioredoxin also reduces disulfide bonds in gp120 directly in the absence of CD4. We discuss the implications of these observations for identification of molecules involved in disulfide rearrangements in Env during fusion

  4. How thioredoxin dissociates its mixed disulfide.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Goedele Roos

    2009-08-01

    Full Text Available The dissociation mechanism of the thioredoxin (Trx mixed disulfide complexes is unknown and has been debated for more than twenty years. Specifically, opposing arguments for the activation of the nucleophilic cysteine as a thiolate during the dissociation of the complex have been put forward. As a key model, the complex between Trx and its endogenous substrate, arsenate reductase (ArsC, was used. In this structure, a Cys29(Trx-Cys89(ArsC intermediate disulfide is formed by the nucleophilic attack of Cys29(Trx on the exposed Cys82(ArsC-Cys89(ArsC in oxidized ArsC. With theoretical reactivity analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and biochemical complex formation experiments with Cys-mutants, Trx mixed disulfide dissociation was studied. We observed that the conformational changes around the intermediate disulfide bring Cys32(Trx in contact with Cys29(Trx. Cys32(Trx is activated for its nucleophilic attack by hydrogen bonds, and Cys32(Trx is found to be more reactive than Cys82(ArsC. Additionally, Cys32(Trx directs its nucleophilic attack on the more susceptible Cys29(Trx and not on Cys89(ArsC. This multidisciplinary approach provides fresh insights into a universal thiol/disulfide exchange reaction mechanism that results in reduced substrate and oxidized Trx.

  5. Spectral and cyclic voltammetric studies on some intramolecularly hydrogen bonded arylhydrazones: Crystal and molecular structure of 2-(2-(3-nitrophenyl)hydrazono)-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sethukumar, A.; Arul Prakasam, B.

    2010-01-01

    A series of arylhydrazone derivatives ( 1- 7) were prepared by the coupling of acetylacetone/dimedone with respective aromatic diazonium salts and characterized by IR, 1H and 13C NMR spectra. The IR and NMR spectral data clearly manifests the effective intramolecular hydrogen bonding in all the cases. Cyclic voltammetric studies certainly indicate that in all the cases the reduced center is C dbnd N bond of hydrazonic moiety. The single crystal X-ray structural analysis of 2-(2-(3-nitrophenyl)hydrazono)-5,5-dimethylcyclohexane-1,3-dione ( 6) is also reported. Single crystal X-ray analysis of 6 evidences the intramolecular hydrogen bonding with the N(2)⋯O(4) distance of 2.642(15) Å, which can be designated as S(6) according to Etter's graph nomenclature. The cyclohexane ring conformation in the molecule ( 6) can be described as an envelope. RAHB studies suggest that the resonance assistance for hydrogen bonding is significantly reduced for the compound ( 6) due to the non-planarity of the six atoms which are involved in resonant cycle S(6) of Etter's graph. The planarity of the resonant cycle S(6) is very much disturbed by the conformational requirement of the cyclohexane ring and hence RAHB concept is less operative in this case.

  6. A structural model of pestivirus E(rns) based on disulfide bond connectivity and homology modeling reveals an extremely rare vicinal disulfide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Langedijk, J.P.M.; Veelen, van P.A.; Schaaper, W.M.M.; Ru, de A.H.; Meloen, R.H.; Hulst, M.M.

    2002-01-01

    Erns is a pestivirus envelope glycoprotein and is the only known viral surface protein with RNase activity. Erns is a disulfide-linked homodimer of 100 kDa; it is found on the surface of pestivirus-infected cells and is secreted into the medium. In this study, the disulfide arrangement of the nine

  7. Selective disulfide reduction for labeling and enhancement of Fab antibody fragments.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirley, Terence L; Greis, Kenneth D; Norman, Andrew B

    2016-11-25

    Many methods have been developed for chemical labeling and enhancement of the properties of antibodies and their common fragments, including the Fab and F(ab') 2 fragments. Somewhat selective reduction of some antibody disulfide bonds has been previously achieved, yielding antibodies and antibody fragments that can be labeled at defined sites, enhancing their utility and properties. Selective reduction of the two hinge disulfide bonds present in F(ab') 2 fragments using mild reduction has been useful. However, such reduction is often not quantitative and results in the reduction of multiple disulfide bonds, and therefore subsequent multiple labeling or conjugation sites are neither homogenous nor stoichiometric. Here, a simple and efficient selective reduction of the single disulfide bond linking the partial heavy chain and the intact light chain which compose the Fab fragment is accomplished utilizing tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine (TCEP) immobilized on agarose beads. The resultant reduced cysteine residues were labeled with several cysteine-selective fluorescent reagents, as well as by cysteine-directed PEGylation. These two cysteine residues can also be re-ligated by means of a bifunctional cysteine cross-linking agent, dibromobimane, thereby both restoring a covalent linkage between the heavy and light chains at this site, far removed from the antigen binding site, and also introducing a fluorescent probe. There are many other research and clinical uses for these selectively partially reduced Fab fragments, including biotinylation, toxin and drug conjugation, and incorporation of radioisotopes, and this technique enables simple generation of very useful Fab fragment derivatives with many potential applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. Geometrical criteria versus quantum chemical criteria for assessment of intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) interaction: A computational comparison into the effect of chlorine substitution on IMHB of salicylic acid in its lowest energy ground state conformer

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Paul, Bijan Kumar [Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92 A.P.C. Road, Calcutta 700009 (India); Guchhait, Nikhil, E-mail: nikhil.guchhait@rediffmail.com [Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92 A.P.C. Road, Calcutta 700009 (India)

    2013-02-01

    Highlights: ► Intramolecular hydrogen bonding (IMHB) in salicylic acid and its chloro derivatives. ► A complex effect of +R and −I effect of chlorine substituents on IMHB energy. ► Interplay between IMHB energy and aromaticity. ► Directional nature of IMHB from quantum chemical assessment. ► Quantum chemical treatment vs. geometrical criteria to assess weak interaction. - Abstract: Density functional theory based computational study has been performed to characterize intramolecular hydrogen bonding (IMHB) interaction in a series of salicylic acid derivatives varying in chlorine substitution on the benzene ring. The molecular systems studied are salicylic acid, 5-chlorosalicylic acid, 3,5-dichlorosalicylic acid and 3,5,6-tricholorosalicylic acid. Major emphasis is rendered on the analysis of IMHB interaction by calculation of electron density ρ(r) and Laplacian ∇{sup 2}ρ(r) at the bond critical point using atoms-in-molecule theory. Topological features, energy densities based on ρ(r) through perturbing the intramolecular H-bond distances suggest that at equilibrium geometry the IMHB interaction develops certain characteristics typical of covalent interaction. The interplay between aromaticity and resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding (RAHB) is discussed using both geometrical and magnetic criteria as the descriptors of aromaticity. The optimized geometry features, molecular electrostatic potential map analysis are also found to produce a consensus view in relation with the formation of RAHB in these systems.

  9. Geometrical criteria versus quantum chemical criteria for assessment of intramolecular hydrogen bond (IMHB) interaction: A computational comparison into the effect of chlorine substitution on IMHB of salicylic acid in its lowest energy ground state conformer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Paul, Bijan Kumar; Guchhait, Nikhil

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: ► Intramolecular hydrogen bonding (IMHB) in salicylic acid and its chloro derivatives. ► A complex effect of +R and −I effect of chlorine substituents on IMHB energy. ► Interplay between IMHB energy and aromaticity. ► Directional nature of IMHB from quantum chemical assessment. ► Quantum chemical treatment vs. geometrical criteria to assess weak interaction. - Abstract: Density functional theory based computational study has been performed to characterize intramolecular hydrogen bonding (IMHB) interaction in a series of salicylic acid derivatives varying in chlorine substitution on the benzene ring. The molecular systems studied are salicylic acid, 5-chlorosalicylic acid, 3,5-dichlorosalicylic acid and 3,5,6-tricholorosalicylic acid. Major emphasis is rendered on the analysis of IMHB interaction by calculation of electron density ρ(r) and Laplacian ∇ 2 ρ(r) at the bond critical point using atoms-in-molecule theory. Topological features, energy densities based on ρ(r) through perturbing the intramolecular H-bond distances suggest that at equilibrium geometry the IMHB interaction develops certain characteristics typical of covalent interaction. The interplay between aromaticity and resonance-assisted hydrogen bonding (RAHB) is discussed using both geometrical and magnetic criteria as the descriptors of aromaticity. The optimized geometry features, molecular electrostatic potential map analysis are also found to produce a consensus view in relation with the formation of RAHB in these systems

  10. Direct, simple derivatization of disulfide bonds in proteins with organic mercury in alkaline medium without any chemical pre-reducing agents

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Campanella, Beatrice; Onor, Massimo [National Research Council of Italy, C.N.R., Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organo Metallici-ICCOM- UOS Pisa, Area di Ricerca, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa (Italy); Ferrari, Carlo [National Research Council of Italy, C.N.R., Istituto Nazionale di Ottica, INO-UOS Pisa, Area di Ricerca, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa (Italy); D’Ulivo, Alessandro [National Research Council of Italy, C.N.R., Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organo Metallici-ICCOM- UOS Pisa, Area di Ricerca, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa (Italy); Bramanti, Emilia, E-mail: bramanti@pi.iccom.cnr.it [National Research Council of Italy, C.N.R., Istituto di Chimica dei Composti Organo Metallici-ICCOM- UOS Pisa, Area di Ricerca, Via G. Moruzzi 1, 56124 Pisa (Italy)

    2014-09-16

    Highlights: • A simple procedure for the derivatization of proteins disulfide bonds. • Cysteine groups in several proteins derivatised with pHMB in alkaline media. • 75–100% labelling of cysteines in proteins with pHMB. - Abstract: In this work we have studied the derivatization of protein disulfide bonds with p-Hydroxymercurybenzoate (pHMB) in strong alkaline medium without any preliminary reduction. The reaction has been followed by the determination of the protein–pHMB complex using size exclusion chromatography coupled to a microwave/UV mercury oxidation system for the on-line oxidation of free and protein-complexed pHMB and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (SEC–CVG–AFS) detection. The reaction has been optimized by an experimental design using lysozyme as a model protein and applied to several thiolic proteins. The proposed method reports, for the first time, that it is possible to label 75–100% cysteines of proteins and, thus, to determine thiolic proteins without the need of any reducing step to obtain reduced -SH groups before mercury labelling. We obtained a detection limit of 100 nmol L{sup −1} based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for unbound and complexed pHMB, corresponding to a detection limit of proteins ranged between 3 and 360 nmol L{sup −1}, depending on the number of cysteines in the protein sequence.

  11. Direct, simple derivatization of disulfide bonds in proteins with organic mercury in alkaline medium without any chemical pre-reducing agents

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Campanella, Beatrice; Onor, Massimo; Ferrari, Carlo; D’Ulivo, Alessandro; Bramanti, Emilia

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • A simple procedure for the derivatization of proteins disulfide bonds. • Cysteine groups in several proteins derivatised with pHMB in alkaline media. • 75–100% labelling of cysteines in proteins with pHMB. - Abstract: In this work we have studied the derivatization of protein disulfide bonds with p-Hydroxymercurybenzoate (pHMB) in strong alkaline medium without any preliminary reduction. The reaction has been followed by the determination of the protein–pHMB complex using size exclusion chromatography coupled to a microwave/UV mercury oxidation system for the on-line oxidation of free and protein-complexed pHMB and atomic fluorescence spectrometry (SEC–CVG–AFS) detection. The reaction has been optimized by an experimental design using lysozyme as a model protein and applied to several thiolic proteins. The proposed method reports, for the first time, that it is possible to label 75–100% cysteines of proteins and, thus, to determine thiolic proteins without the need of any reducing step to obtain reduced -SH groups before mercury labelling. We obtained a detection limit of 100 nmol L −1 based on a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 for unbound and complexed pHMB, corresponding to a detection limit of proteins ranged between 3 and 360 nmol L −1 , depending on the number of cysteines in the protein sequence

  12. Self-healing polyurethane/attapulgite nanocomposites based on disulfide bonds and shape memory effect

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Xu, Yurun; Chen, Dajun, E-mail: cdj@dhu.edu.cn

    2017-07-01

    Nanocomposites with remarkable enhanced mechanical properties have attracted great research efforts recently. In this work, a series of self-healing polyurethane/attapulgite nanocomposites were prepared by solution blending. Introducing self-healing ability and attapulgite (AT) reinforcement simultaneously led to prolonged material lifetime and enhanced mechanical properties. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation indicated that AT could achieve a uniform dispersion in polyurethane matrix when AT content was relatively low. The influences on mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile test. Results showed that incorporating an appropriate content of AT would lead to an enhanced tensile properties. The interactions between AT and polyurethane matrix were studied by effective cross-linking density calculation and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Results indicated that rich hydrogen bonds were formed between AT and polyurethane matrix. Displacement data was utilized to evaluate the influence on shape memory effect. With the incorporation of AT, deformation of the sample under external force was restrained. Meanwhile, closure of the scratches still can be accomplished during healing process. Results of healing test suggested that incorporating 1% of AT would also promote self-healing property. - Highlights: • Composites with both self-healing and enhanced mechanical property are prepared. • Healing mechanism relies on disulfide exchange reaction and shape memory effect. • Mechanical enhancement is caused by rich hydrogen bonds introduced by attapulgite.

  13. Self-healing polyurethane/attapulgite nanocomposites based on disulfide bonds and shape memory effect

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xu, Yurun; Chen, Dajun

    2017-01-01

    Nanocomposites with remarkable enhanced mechanical properties have attracted great research efforts recently. In this work, a series of self-healing polyurethane/attapulgite nanocomposites were prepared by solution blending. Introducing self-healing ability and attapulgite (AT) reinforcement simultaneously led to prolonged material lifetime and enhanced mechanical properties. Scanning electron microscope (SEM) observation indicated that AT could achieve a uniform dispersion in polyurethane matrix when AT content was relatively low. The influences on mechanical properties were evaluated by tensile test. Results showed that incorporating an appropriate content of AT would lead to an enhanced tensile properties. The interactions between AT and polyurethane matrix were studied by effective cross-linking density calculation and Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) analysis. Results indicated that rich hydrogen bonds were formed between AT and polyurethane matrix. Displacement data was utilized to evaluate the influence on shape memory effect. With the incorporation of AT, deformation of the sample under external force was restrained. Meanwhile, closure of the scratches still can be accomplished during healing process. Results of healing test suggested that incorporating 1% of AT would also promote self-healing property. - Highlights: • Composites with both self-healing and enhanced mechanical property are prepared. • Healing mechanism relies on disulfide exchange reaction and shape memory effect. • Mechanical enhancement is caused by rich hydrogen bonds introduced by attapulgite.

  14. Altering intra- to inter-molecular hydrogen bonding by dimethylsulfoxide: A TDDFT study of charge transfer for coumarin 343

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Xiaochun; Yin, Hang; Li, Hui; Shi, Ying

    2017-04-01

    DFT and TDDFT methods were carried out to investigate the influences of intramolecular and intermolecular hydrogen bonding on excited state charge transfer for coumarin 343 (C343). Intramolecular hydrogen bonding is formed between carboxylic acid group and carbonyl group in C343 monomer. However, in dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) solution, DMSO 'opens up' the intramolecular hydrogen bonding and forms solute-solvent intermolecular hydrogen bonded C343-DMSO complex. Analysis of frontier molecular orbitals reveals that intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) occurs in the first excited state both for C343 monomer and complex. The results of optimized geometric structures indicate that the intramolecular hydrogen bonding interaction is strengthened while the intermolecular hydrogen bonding is weakened in excited state, which is confirmed again by monitoring the shifts of characteristic peaks of infrared spectra. We demonstrated that DMSO solvent can not only break the intramolecular hydrogen bonding to form intermolecular hydrogen bonding with C343 but also alter the mechanism of excited state hydrogen bonding strengthening.

  15. Cleavage of the interchain disulfide bonds in rituximab increases its affinity for FcγRIIIA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suzuki, Mami; Yamanoi, Ayaka; Machino, Yusuke; Kobayashi, Eiji; Fukuchi, Kaori; Tsukimoto, Mitsutoshi; Kojima, Shuji; Kohroki, Junya; Akimoto, Kazunori; Masuho, Yasuhiko

    2013-07-05

    The Fc region of human IgG1 mediates effector function via binding to Fcγ receptors and complement activation. The H and L chains of IgG1 antibodies are joined by four interchain disulfide bonds. In this study, these bonds within the therapeutic IgG1 rituximab (RTX) were cleaved either by mild reduction followed by alkylation or by mild S-sulfonation; consequently, two modified RTXs - A-RTX (alkylated) and S-RTX (S-sulfonated) - were formed, and both were almost as potent as unmodified RTX when binding CD20 antigen. Unexpectedly, each modified RTX had a higher binding affinity for FcγRIIIA (CD16A) than did unmodified RTX. However, S-RTX and A-RTX were each less potent than RTX in an assay of antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC). In this ADCC assay, each modified RTX showed decreased secretion of granzyme B, but no change in perforin secretion, from effector cells. These results provide significant information on the structures within IgG1 that are involved in binding FcγRIIIA, and they may be useful in the development of therapeutic antagonists for FcγRIIIA. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. Imbalance of heterologous protein folding and disulfide bond formation rates yields runaway oxidative stress

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tyo Keith EJ

    2012-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background The protein secretory pathway must process a wide assortment of native proteins for eukaryotic cells to function. As well, recombinant protein secretion is used extensively to produce many biologics and industrial enzymes. Therefore, secretory pathway dysfunction can be highly detrimental to the cell and can drastically inhibit product titers in biochemical production. Because the secretory pathway is a highly-integrated, multi-organelle system, dysfunction can happen at many levels and dissecting the root cause can be challenging. In this study, we apply a systems biology approach to analyze secretory pathway dysfunctions resulting from heterologous production of a small protein (insulin precursor or a larger protein (α-amylase. Results HAC1-dependent and independent dysfunctions and cellular responses were apparent across multiple datasets. In particular, processes involving (a degradation of protein/recycling amino acids, (b overall transcription/translation repression, and (c oxidative stress were broadly associated with secretory stress. Conclusions Apparent runaway oxidative stress due to radical production observed here and elsewhere can be explained by a futile cycle of disulfide formation and breaking that consumes reduced glutathione and produces reactive oxygen species. The futile cycle is dominating when protein folding rates are low relative to disulfide bond formation rates. While not strictly conclusive with the present data, this insight does provide a molecular interpretation to an, until now, largely empirical understanding of optimizing heterologous protein secretion. This molecular insight has direct implications on engineering a broad range of recombinant proteins for secretion and provides potential hypotheses for the root causes of several secretory-associated diseases.

  17. Dissecting molecular interactions involved in recognition of target disulfides by the barley thioredoxin system

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Björnberg, Olof; Maeda, Kenji; Svensson, Birte

    2012-01-01

    Thioredoxin reduces disulfide bonds, thus regulating activities of target proteins in various biological systems, e.g., inactivation of inhibitors of starch hydrolases and proteases in germinating plant seeds. In the three-dimensional structure of a complex with barley α-amylase/subtilisin inhibi......Thioredoxin reduces disulfide bonds, thus regulating activities of target proteins in various biological systems, e.g., inactivation of inhibitors of starch hydrolases and proteases in germinating plant seeds. In the three-dimensional structure of a complex with barley α...... thioredoxin reductase. HvTrxh2 M88G and M88A adjacent to the invariant cis-proline lost efficiency in both BASI disulfide reduction and recycling by thioredoxin reductase. These effects were further pronounced in M88P lacking a backbone NH group. Remarkably, HvTrxh2 E86R in the same loop displayed overall...... retained catalytic properties, with the exception of a 3-fold increased activity toward BASI. From the 104VGA106 loop, a backbone hydrogen bond donated by A106 appears to be important for target disulfide recognition as A106P lost 90% activity toward BASI but was efficiently recycled by thioredoxin...

  18. Antagonistic effect of disulfide-rich peptide aptamers selected by cDNA display on interleukin-6-dependent cell proliferation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nemoto, Naoto; Tsutsui, Chihiro; Yamaguchi, Junichi; Ueno, Shingo; Machida, Masayuki; Kobayashi, Toshikatsu; Sakai, Takafumi

    2012-01-01

    Highlights: ► Disulfide-rich peptide aptamer inhibits IL-6-dependent cell proliferation. ► Disulfide bond of peptide aptamer is essential for its affinity to IL-6R. ► Inhibitory effect of peptide depends on number and pattern of its disulfide bonds. -- Abstract: Several engineered protein scaffolds have been developed recently to circumvent particular disadvantages of antibodies such as their large size and complex composition, low stability, and high production costs. We previously identified peptide aptamers containing one or two disulfide-bonds as an alternative ligand to the interleukin-6 receptor (IL-6R). Peptide aptamers (32 amino acids in length) were screened from a random peptide library by in vitro peptide selection using the evolutionary molecular engineering method “cDNA display”. In this report, the antagonistic activity of the peptide aptamers were examined by an in vitro competition enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and an IL-6-dependent cell proliferation assay. The results revealed that a disulfide-rich peptide aptamer inhibited IL-6-dependent cell proliferation with similar efficacy to an anti-IL-6R monoclonal antibody.

  19. Increasing the reactivity of an artificial dithiol-disulfide pair through modification of the electrostatic milieu

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Rosa E; Østergaard, Henrik; Winther, Jakob R

    2005-01-01

    K(a) value of Cys149, as well as favorable electrostatic interactions with the negatively charged reagents. The results presented here show that the electrostatic milieu of cysteine thiols in proteins can have substantial effects on the rates of the thiol-disulfide exchange reactions.......The thiol-disulfide exchange reaction plays a central role in the formation of disulfide bonds in newly synthesized proteins and is involved in many aspects of cellular metabolism. Because the thiolate form of the cysteine residue is the key reactive species, its electrostatic milieu is thought...... surface. We have studied properties of vicinal cysteine residues in proteins using a model system based on redox-sensitive yellow fluorescent protein (rxYFP). In this system, the formation of a disulfide bond between two cysteines Cys149 and Cys202 is accompanied by a 2.2-fold decrease in fluorescence...

  20. A class III chitinase without disulfide bonds from the fern, Pteris ryukyuensis: crystal structure and ligand-binding studies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kitaoku, Yoshihito; Umemoto, Naoyuki; Ohnuma, Takayuki; Numata, Tomoyuki; Taira, Toki; Sakuda, Shohei; Fukamizo, Tamo

    2015-10-01

    We first solved the crystal structure of class III catalytic domain of a chitinase from fern (PrChiA-cat), and found a structural difference between PrChiA-cat and hevamine. PrChiA-cat was found to have reduced affinities to chitin oligosaccharides and allosamidin. Plant class III chitinases are subdivided into enzymes with three disulfide bonds and those without disulfide bonds. We here referred to the former enzymes as class IIIa chitinases and the latter as class IIIb chitinases. In this study, we solved the crystal structure of the class IIIb catalytic domain of a chitinase from the fern Pteris ryukyuensis (PrChiA-cat), and compared it with that of hevamine, a class IIIa chitinase from Hevea brasiliensis. PrChiA-cat was found to adopt an (α/β)8 fold typical of GH18 chitinases in a similar manner to that of hevamine. However, PrChiA-cat also had two large loops that extruded from the catalytic site, and the corresponding loops in hevamine were markedly smaller than those of PrChiA-cat. An HPLC analysis of the enzymatic products revealed that the mode of action of PrChiA-cat toward chitin oligosaccharides, (GlcNAc) n (n = 4-6), differed from those of hevamine and the other class IIIa chitinases. The binding affinities of (GlcNAc)3 and (GlcNAc)4 toward the inactive mutant of PrChiA-cat were determined by isothermal titration calorimetry, and were markedly lower than those toward other members of the GH18 family. The affinity and the inhibitory activity of allosamidin toward PrChiA-cat were also lower than those toward the GH18 chitinases investigated to date. Several hydrogen bonds found in the crystal structure of hevamine-allosamidin complex were missing in the modeled structure of PrChiA-cat-allosamidin complex. The structural findings for PrChiA-cat successfully interpreted the functional data presented.

  1. Studying Chemical Reactions, One Bond at a Time, with Single Molecule AFM Techniques

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fernandez, Julio M.

    2008-03-01

    The mechanisms by which mechanical forces regulate the kinetics of a chemical reaction are unknown. In my lecture I will demonstrate how we use single molecule force-clamp spectroscopy and protein engineering to study the effect of force on the kinetics of thiol/disulfide exchange. Reduction of disulfide bond via the thiol/disulfide exchange chemical reaction is crucial in regulating protein function and is of common occurrence in mechanically stressed proteins. While reduction is thought to proceed through a substitution nucleophilic bimolecular (SN2) reaction, the role of a mechanical force in modulating this chemical reaction is unknown. We apply a constant stretching force to single engineered disulfide bonds and measure their rate of reduction by dithiothreitol (DTT). We find that while the reduction rate is linearly dependent on the concentration of DTT, it is exponentially dependent on the applied force, increasing 10-fold over a 300 pN range. This result predicts that the disulfide bond lengthens by 0.34 å at the transition state of the thiol/disulfide exchange reaction. In addition to DTT, we also study the reduction of the engineered disulfide bond by the E. coli enzyme thioredoxin (Trx). Thioredoxins are enzymes that catalyze disulfide bond reduction in all organisms. As before, we apply a mechanical force in the range of 25-450 pN to the engineered disulfide bond substrate and monitor the reduction of these bonds by individual enzymes. In sharp contrast with the data obtained with DTT, we now observe two alternative forms of the catalytic reaction, the first requiring a reorientation of the substrate disulfide bond, causing a shortening of the substrate polypeptide by 0.76±0.07 å, and the second elongating the substrate disulfide bond by 0.21±0.01 å. These results support the view that the Trx active site regulates the geometry of the participating sulfur atoms, with sub-ångström precision, in order to achieve efficient catalysis. Single molecule

  2. Identification of Thioredoxin Target Disulfides Using Isotope-Coded Affinity Tags

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hägglund, Per; Bunkenborg, Jakob; Maeda, Kenji

    2014-01-01

    Thioredoxins (Trx) are small redox proteins that reduce disulfide bonds in various target proteins and maintain cellular thiol redox control. Here, a thiol-specific labeling and affinity enrichment approach for identification and relative quantification of Trx target disulfides in complex protein...... reduction is determined by LC-MS/MS-based quantification of tryptic peptides labeled with "light" (12C) and "heavy" (13C) ICAT reagents. The methodology can be adapted to monitor the effect of different reductants or oxidants on the redox status of thiol/disulfide proteomes in biological systems....... extracts is described. The procedure utilizes the isotope-coded affinity tag (ICAT) reagents containing a thiol reactive iodoacetamide group and a biotin affinity tag to target peptides containing reduced cysteine residues. The identification of substrates for Trx and the extent of target disulfide...

  3. Intradomain Confinement of Disulfides in the Folding of Two Consecutive Modules of the LDL Receptor.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan Martínez-Oliván

    Full Text Available The LDL receptor internalizes circulating LDL and VLDL particles for degradation. Its extracellular binding domain contains ten (seven LA and three EGF cysteine-rich modules, each bearing three disulfide bonds. Despite the enormous number of disulfide combinations possible, LDLR oxidative folding leads to a single native species with 30 unique intradomain disulfides. Previous folding studies of the LDLR have shown that non native disulfides are initially formed that lead to compact species. Accordingly, the folding of the LDLR has been described as a "coordinated nonvectorial" reaction, and it has been proposed that early compaction funnels the reaction toward the native structure. Here we analyze the oxidative folding of LA4 and LA5, the modules critical for ApoE binding, isolated and in the LA45 tandem. Compared to LA5, LA4 folding is slow and inefficient, resembling that of LA5 disease-linked mutants. Without Ca++, it leads to a mixture of many two-disulfide scrambled species and, with Ca++, to the native form plus two three-disulfide intermediates. The folding of the LA45 tandem seems to recapitulate that of the individual repeats. Importantly, although the folding of the LA45 tandem takes place through formation of scrambled isomers, no interdomain disulfides are detected, i.e. the two adjacent modules fold independently without the assistance of interdomain covalent interactions. Reduction of incredibly large disulfide combinatorial spaces, such as that in the LDLR, by intradomain confinement of disulfide bond formation might be also essential for the efficient folding of other homologous disulfide-rich receptors.

  4. THE ROLE OF INTRAMOLECULAR TIES ENERGY IN THE PYROLYSIS PROCESS OF PET

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    P. Iu. Salikov

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Summary. Recycling plastic waste to focus on. The main type of used products made of polyethylene terephthalate (PET is a container from the various types of beverages. There was considered a possibility of waste of PET (bottles, bottles, packaging containers by pyrolysis. Most of the proposed methods are not suitable for recycling (recycling of waste consumption contamination. Purpose - to develop technological foundations and optimum modes waste PET to obtain useful secondary products, taking into account the energy of chemical intramolecular bonds. Applied scientific basis of recycling PET into useful forms of secondary products, in particular the establishment of the collapse of the intramolecular bonds, depending on the temperature of the pyrolysis method of mathematical processing - differentiation of polynomial equations change in the degree of pyrolysis temperature-dependent. The optimum modes of processing. The block diagram of apparatus for processing contaminated waste PET pyrolysis methods of control processing in accordance with the specified composition of secondary products. The possibility of controlling the amount and types of fuel components of secondary products due to measurable parameters of the pyrolysis process. The effective temperature pyrolysis of waste PET with the CCA-tures energy intramolecular bonds.

  5. On the Mechanism of the Copper-Mediated C-S Bond Formation in the Intramolecular Disproportionation of Imine Disulfides

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Rokob, Tibor András; Rulíšek, Lubomír; Šrogl, Jiří; Révész, Agnes; Zins, Emilie-Laure; Schröder, Detlef

    2011-01-01

    Roč. 50, č. 20 (2011), s. 9968-9979 ISSN 0020-1669 R&D Projects: GA MŠk LC512 Grant - others:European Research Council(XE) AdG HORIZOMS Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40550506 Keywords : collision-induced dissociation * DFT calculations * C-S bond formation * Cu(I) catalysis * infrared multiphoton spectroscopy Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.601, year: 2011

  6. Unraveling the cellular response to oxidative stress in the endoplasmic reticulum

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Henning Gram

    , disulfide bonds are predominantly generated by the two isoforms of the ER oxidoreductin-1 (Ero1) family: Ero1α and Ero1β. Both enzymes oxidize the active-site cysteines in protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs), which in turn introduce disulfide bonds into newly synthesized proteins. Ero1 is re......-oxidized by molecular oxygen and this step generates hydrogen peroxide: a reactive oxygen species. Intramolecular disulfide bonds tightly regulate the oxidase activity of Ero1α. Whereas the regulatory mechanisms that regulate Ero1α activity are well understood, the overall cellular response to oxidative stress....... Interestingly, depletion of GPx8 in cells induced expression of an antioxidant response marker only in the presence of Ero1. These findings imply that GPx8 is an important scavenger of Ero1-generated hydrogen peroxide, and thus provides a critical function in negotiating oxidative stress originating from...

  7. Improvement in the thermostability of chitosanase from Bacillus ehimensis by introducing artificial disulfide bonds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sheng, Jun; Ji, Xiaofeng; Zheng, Yuan; Wang, Zhipeng; Sun, Mi

    2016-10-01

    To determine the effects of artificial disulfide bridges on the thermostability and catalytic efficiency of chitosanase EAG1. Five artificial disulfide bridges were designed based on the structural information derived from the three-dimensional (3-D) model of chitosanase EAG1. Two beneficial mutants (G113C/D116C, A207C-L286C) were located in the flexible surface loop region, whereas the similar substitutions introduced in α-helices regions had a negligible effect. Mut5, the most active mutant, had a longer half-life at 50 °C (from 10.5 to 69.3 min) and a 200 % higher catalytic efficiency (K cat/K m) than that of the original EAG1. The contribution of disulfide bridges to enzyme thermostability is mainly dependent on its location within the polypeptide chain. Strategical placement of a disulfide bridge in flexible regions provides a rigid support and creation of a protected microenvironment, which is effective in improving enzyme's thermostability and catalytic efficiency.

  8. Disulfide Bridges: Bringing Together Frustrated Structure in a Bioactive Peptide.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Yi; Schulten, Klaus; Gruebele, Martin; Bansal, Paramjit S; Wilson, David; Daly, Norelle L

    2016-04-26

    Disulfide bridges are commonly found covalent bonds that are usually believed to maintain structural stability of proteins. Here, we investigate the influence of disulfide bridges on protein dynamics through molecular dynamics simulations on the cysteine-rich trypsin inhibitor MCoTI-II with three disulfide bridges. Correlation analysis of the reduced cyclic peptide shows that two of the three disulfide distances (Cys(11)-Cys(23) and Cys(17)-Cys(29)) are anticorrelated within ∼1 μs of bridge formation or dissolution: when the peptide is in nativelike structures and one of the distances shortens to allow bond formation, the other tends to lengthen. Simulations over longer timescales, when the denatured state is less structured, do not show the anticorrelation. We propose that the native state contains structural elements that frustrate one another's folding, and that the two bridges are critical for snapping the frustrated native structure into place. In contrast, the Cys(4)-Cys(21) bridge is predicted to form together with either of the other two bridges. Indeed, experimental chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance data show that an engineered peptide with the Cys(4)-Cys(21) bridge deleted can still fold into its near-native structure even in its noncyclic form, confirming the lesser role of the Cys(4)-Cys(21) bridge. The results highlight the importance of disulfide bridges in a small bioactive peptide to bring together frustrated structure in addition to maintaining protein structural stability. Copyright © 2016 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. Strengthening injectable thermo-sensitive NIPAAm-g-chitosan hydrogels using chemical cross-linking of disulfide bonds as scaffolds for tissue engineering.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wu, Shu-Wei; Liu, Xifeng; Miller, A Lee; Cheng, Yu-Shiuan; Yeh, Ming-Long; Lu, Lichun

    2018-07-15

    In the present study, we fabricated non-toxic, injectable, and thermo-sensitive NIPAAm-g-chitosan (NC) hydrogels with thiol modification for introduction of disulfide cross-linking strategy. Previously, NIPAAm and chitosan copolymer has been proven to have excellent biocompatibility, biodegradability and rapid phase transition after injection, suitable to serve as cell carriers or implanted scaffolds. However, weak mechanical properties significantly limit their potential for biomedical fields. In order to overcome this issue, we incorporated thiol side chains into chitosan by covalently conjugating N-acetyl-cysteine (NAC) with carbodiimide chemistry to strengthen mechanical properties. After oxidation of thiols into disulfide bonds, modified NC hydrogels did improve the compressive modulus over 9 folds (11.4 kPa). Oscillatory frequency sweep showed a positive correlation between storage modulus and cross-liking density as well. Additionally, there was no cytotoxicity observed to mesenchymal stem cells, fibroblasts and osteoblasts. We suggested that the thiol-modified thermo-sensitive polysaccharide hydrogels are promising to be a cell-laden biomaterial for tissue regeneration. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Conformational properties of oxazole-amino acids: effect of the intramolecular N-H···N hydrogen bond.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Siodłak, Dawid; Staś, Monika; Broda, Małgorzata A; Bujak, Maciej; Lis, Tadeusz

    2014-03-06

    Oxazole ring occurs in numerous natural peptides, but conformational properties of the amino acid residue containing the oxazole ring in place of the C-terminal amide bond are poorly recognized. A series of model compounds constituted by the oxazole-amino acids occurring in nature, that is, oxazole-alanine (L-Ala-Ozl), oxazole-dehydroalanine (ΔAla-Ozl), and oxazole-dehydrobutyrine ((Z)-ΔAbu-Ozl), was investigated using theoretical calculations supported by FTIR and NMR spectra and single-crystal X-ray diffraction. It was found that the main feature of the studied oxazole-amino acids is the stable conformation β2 with the torsion angles φ and ψ of -150°, -10° for L-Ala-Ozl, -180°, 0° for ΔAla-Ozl, and -120°, 0° for (Z)-ΔAbu-Ozl, respectively. The conformation β2 is stabilized by the intramolecular N-H···N hydrogen bond and predominates in the low polar environment. In the case of the oxazole-dehydroamino acids, the π-electron conjugation that is spread on the oxazole ring and C(α)═C(β) double bond is an additional stabilizing interaction. The tendency to adopt the conformation β2 clearly decreases with increasing the polarity of environment, but still the oxazole-dehydroamino acids are considered to be more rigid and resistant to conformational changes.

  11. An Engineered Disulfide Bond Reversibly Traps the IgE-Fc3-4 in a Closed, Nonreceptor Binding Conformation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wurzburg, Beth A.; Kim, Beomkyu; Tarchevskaya, Svetlana S.; Eggel, Alexander; Vogel, Monique; Jardetzky, Theodore S. [Bern; (Stanford-MED)

    2013-08-02

    IgE antibodies interact with the high affinity IgE Fc receptor, FcϵRI, and activate inflammatory pathways associated with the allergic response. The IgE-Fc region, comprising the C-terminal domains of the IgE heavy chain, binds FcϵRI and can adopt different conformations ranging from a closed form incompatible with receptor binding to an open, receptor-bound state. A number of intermediate states are also observed in different IgE-Fc crystal forms. To further explore this apparent IgE-Fc conformational flexibility and to potentially trap a closed, inactive state, we generated a series of disulfide bond mutants. Here we describe the structure and biochemical properties of an IgE-Fc mutant that is trapped in the closed, non-receptor binding state via an engineered disulfide at residue 335 (Cys-335). Reduction of the disulfide at Cys-335 restores the ability of IgE-Fc to bind to its high affinity receptor, FcϵRIα. The structure of the Cys-335 mutant shows that its conformation is within the range of previously observed, closed form IgE-Fc structures and that it retains the hydrophobic pocket found in the hinge region of the closed conformation. Locking the IgE-Fc into the closed state with the Cys-335 mutation does not affect binding of two other IgE-Fc ligands, omalizumab and DARPin E2_79, demonstrating selective blocking of the high affinity receptor binding.

  12. An efficient algorithmic approach for mass spectrometry-based disulfide connectivity determination using multi-ion analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yen Ten-Yang

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Determining the disulfide (S-S bond pattern in a protein is often crucial for understanding its structure and function. In recent research, mass spectrometry (MS based analysis has been applied to this problem following protein digestion under both partial reduction and non-reduction conditions. However, this paradigm still awaits solutions to certain algorithmic problems fundamental amongst which is the efficient matching of an exponentially growing set of putative S-S bonded structural alternatives to the large amounts of experimental spectrometric data. Current methods circumvent this challenge primarily through simplifications, such as by assuming only the occurrence of certain ion-types (b-ions and y-ions that predominate in the more popular dissociation methods, such as collision-induced dissociation (CID. Unfortunately, this can adversely impact the quality of results. Method We present an algorithmic approach to this problem that can, with high computational efficiency, analyze multiple ions types (a, b, bo, b*, c, x, y, yo, y*, and z and deal with complex bonding topologies, such as inter/intra bonding involving more than two peptides. The proposed approach combines an approximation algorithm-based search formulation with data driven parameter estimation. This formulation considers only those regions of the search space where the correct solution resides with a high likelihood. Putative disulfide bonds thus obtained are finally combined in a globally consistent pattern to yield the overall disulfide bonding topology of the molecule. Additionally, each bond is associated with a confidence score, which aids in interpretation and assimilation of the results. Results The method was tested on nine different eukaryotic Glycosyltransferases possessing disulfide bonding topologies of varying complexity. Its performance was found to be characterized by high efficiency (in terms of time and the fraction of search space

  13. β-Boomerang Antimicrobial and Antiendotoxic Peptides: Lipidation and Disulfide Bond Effects on Activity and Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mohanram, Harini; Bhattacharjya, Surajit

    2014-04-21

    Drug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial pathogens and endotoxin- or lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-mediated inflammations are among some of the most  prominent health issues globally. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) are eminent molecules that can kill drug-resistant strains and neutralize LPS toxicity. LPS, the outer layer of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria safeguards cell integrity against hydrophobic compounds, including antibiotics and AMPs. Apart from maintaining structural integrity, LPS, when released into the blood stream, also induces inflammatory pathways leading to septic shock. In previous works, we have reported the de novo design of a set of 12-amino acid long cationic/hydrophobic peptides for LPS binding and activity. These peptides adopt β-boomerang like conformations in complex with LPS. Structure-activity studies demonstrated some critical features of the β-boomerang scaffold that may be utilized for the further development of potent analogs. In this work, β-boomerang lipopeptides were designed and structure-activity correlation studies were carried out. These lipopeptides were homo-dimerized through a disulfide bridge to stabilize conformations and for improved activity. The designed peptides exhibited potent antibacterial activity and efficiently neutralized LPS toxicity under in vitro assays. NMR structure of C4YI13C in aqueous solution demonstrated the conserved folding of the lipopeptide with a boomerang aromatic lock stabilized with disulfide bond at the C-terminus and acylation at the N-terminus. These lipo-peptides displaying bacterial sterilization and low hemolytic activity may be useful for future applications as antimicrobial and antiendotoxin molecules.

  14. β-Boomerang Antimicrobial and Antiendotoxic Peptides: Lipidation and Disulfide Bond Effects on Activity and Structure

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Harini Mohanram

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Drug-resistant Gram-negative bacterial pathogens and endotoxin- or lipopolysaccharide (LPS-mediated inflammations are among some of the most  prominent health issues globally. Antimicrobial peptides (AMPs are eminent molecules that can kill drug-resistant strains and neutralize LPS toxicity. LPS, the outer layer of the outer membrane of Gram-negative bacteria safeguards cell integrity against hydrophobic compounds, including antibiotics and AMPs. Apart from maintaining structural integrity, LPS, when released into the blood stream, also induces inflammatory pathways leading to septic shock. In previous works, we have reported the de novo design of a set of 12-amino acid long cationic/hydrophobic peptides for LPS binding and activity. These peptides adopt β-boomerang like conformations in complex with LPS. Structure-activity studies demonstrated some critical features of the β-boomerang scaffold that may be utilized for the further development of potent analogs. In this work, β-boomerang lipopeptides were designed and structure-activity correlation studies were carried out. These lipopeptides were homo-dimerized through a disulfide bridge to stabilize conformations and for improved activity. The designed peptides exhibited potent antibacterial activity and efficiently neutralized LPS toxicity under in vitro assays. NMR structure of C4YI13C in aqueous solution demonstrated the conserved folding of the lipopeptide with a boomerang aromatic lock stabilized with disulfide bond at the C-terminus and acylation at the N-terminus. These lipo-peptides displaying bacterial sterilization and low hemolytic activity may be useful for future applications as antimicrobial and antiendotoxin molecules.

  15. Differential effects of the loss of intrachain- versus interchain-disulfide bonds in the cystine-knot domain of von Willebrand factor on the clinical phenotype of von Willebrand disease

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Tjernberg, Pernilla; Vos, Hans L.; Spaargaren-van Riel, Caroline C.; Luken, Brenda M.; Voorberg, Jan; Bertina, Rogier M.; Eikenboom, Jeroen C. J.

    2006-01-01

    Von Willebrand factor (VWF) contains a large number of cysteine residues, which all form disulfide bonds. Mutations of cysteines located in the cystine-knot (CK) domain of VWF have been identified in both qualitative type 2A (IID) and quantitative type 3 von Willebrand disease (VWD). Our objective

  16. Structure of conkunitzin-S1, a neurotoxin and Kunitz-fold disulfide variant from cone snail

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dy, Catherine Y.; Buczek, Pawel; Imperial, Julita S.; Bulaj, Grzegorz; Horvath, Martin P.

    2006-01-01

    Most Kunitz proteins like BPTI and α-dendrotoxin are stabilized by three disulfide bonds. The crystal structure shows how subtle repacking of non-covalent interactions may compensate for disulfide bond loss in a naturally occurring two-disulfide variant, conkunitzin-S1, the first discovered member of a new conotoxin family. Cone snails (Conus) are predatory marine mollusks that immobilize prey with venom containing 50–200 neurotoxic polypeptides. Most of these polypeptides are small disulfide-rich conotoxins that can be classified into families according to their respective ion-channel targets and patterns of cysteine–cysteine disulfides. Conkunitzin-S1, a potassium-channel pore-blocking toxin isolated from C. striatus venom, is a member of a newly defined conotoxin family with sequence homology to Kunitz-fold proteins such as α-dendrotoxin and bovine pancreatic trypsin inhibitor (BPTI). While conkunitzin-S1 and α-dendrotoxin are 42% identical in amino-acid sequence, conkunitzin-S1 has only four of the six cysteines normally found in Kunitz proteins. Here, the crystal structure of conkunitzin-S1 is reported. Conkunitzin-S1 adopts the canonical 3 10 –β–β–α Kunitz fold complete with additional distinguishing structural features including two completely buried water molecules. The crystal structure, although completely consistent with previously reported NMR distance restraints, provides a greater degree of precision for atomic coordinates, especially for S atoms and buried solvent molecules. The region normally cross-linked by cysteines II and IV in other Kunitz proteins retains a network of hydrogen bonds and van der Waals interactions comparable to those found in α-dendrotoxin and BPTI. In conkunitzin-S1, glycine occupies the sequence position normally reserved for cysteine II and the special steric properties of glycine allow additional van der Waals contacts with the glutamine residue substituting for cysteine IV. Evolution has thus defrayed the

  17. Structures of class A macrophage scavenger receptors. Electron microscopic study of flexible, multidomain, fibrous proteins and determination of the disulfide bond pattern of the scavenger receptor cysteine-rich domain.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Resnick, D; Chatterton, J E; Schwartz, K; Slayter, H; Krieger, M

    1996-10-25

    Structures of secreted forms of the human type I and II class A macrophage scavenger receptors were studied using biochemical and biophysical methods. Proteolytic analysis was used to determine the intramolecular disulfide bonds in the type I-specific scavenger receptor cysteine-rich (SRCR) domain: Cys2-Cys7, Cys3-Cys8, and Cys5-Cys6. This pattern is likely to be shared by the highly homologous domains in the many other members of the SRCR domain superfamily. Electron microscopy using rotary shadowing and negative staining showed that the type I and II receptors are extended molecules whose contour lengths are approximately 440 A. They comprised two adjacent fibrous segments, an alpha-helical coiled-coil ( approximately 230 A, including a contribution from the N-terminal spacer domain) and a collagenous triple helix ( approximately 210 A). The type I molecules also contained a C-terminal globular structure ( approximately 58 x 76 A) composed of three SRCR domains. The fibrous domains were joined by an extremely flexible hinge. The angle between these domains varied from 0 to 180 degrees and depended on the conditions of sample preparation. Unexpectedly, at physiologic pH, the prevalent angle seen using rotary shadowing was 0 degrees , resulting in a structure that is significantly more compact than previously suggested. The apparent juxtaposition of the fibrous domains at neutral pH provides a framework for future structure-function studies of these unusual multiligand receptors.

  18. NMR study of conformational exchange and double-well proton potential in intramolecular hydrogen bonds in monoanions of succinic acid and derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Guo, Jing; Tolstoy, Peter M; Koeppe, B; Denisov, Gleb S; Limbach, Hans-Heinrich

    2011-09-08

    We present a (1)H, (2)H, and (13)C NMR study of the monoanions of succinic (1), meso- and rac-dimethylsuccinic (2, 3), and methylsuccinic (4) acids (with tetraalkylammonium as the counterion) dissolved in CDF(3)/CDF(2)Cl at 300-120 K. In all four monoanions, the carboxylic groups are linked by a short intramolecular OHO hydrogen bond revealed by the bridging-proton chemical shift of about 20 ppm. We show that the flexibility of the carbon skeleton allows for two gauche isomers in monoanions 1, 2, and 4, interconverting through experimental energy barriers of 10-15 kcal/mol (the process itself and the energy barrier are also reproduced in MP2/6-311++G** calculations). In 3, one of the gauche forms is absent because of the steric repulsion of the methyl groups. In all four monoanions, the bridging proton is located in a double-well potential and subject, at least to some extent, to proton tautomerism, for which we estimate the two proton positions to be separated by ca. 0.2 Å. In 1 and 3, the proton potential is symmetric. In 2, slowing the conformational interconversion introduces an asymmetry to the proton potential, an effect that might be strong enough even to synchronize the proton tautomerism with the interconversion of the two gauche forms. In 4, the asymmetry of the proton potential is due to the asymmetric substitution. The intramolecular H-bond is likely to remain intact during the interconversion of the gauche forms in 1, 3, and 4, whereas the situation in 2 is less clear.

  19. Natural disulfide bond-disrupted mutants of AVR4 of the tomato pathogen Cladosporium fulvum are sensitive to proteolysis, circumvent Cf-4-mediated resistance, but retain their chitin binding ability.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Burg, van den H.A.; Westerink, N.; Francoijs, C.J.J.; Roth, R.; Woestenenk, E.A.; Boeren, J.A.; Wit, de P.J.G.M.; Joosten, M.H.A.J.; Vervoort, J.J.M.

    2003-01-01

    The extracellular AVR4 elicitor of the pathogenic fungus Cladosporium fulvum induces defense responses in the tomato genotype Cf-4. Here, the four disulfide bonds of AVR4 were identified as Cys-11-41, Cys-21-27, Cys-35-80, and Cys-57-72 by partial reduction with Tris-(2-carboxyethyl)-phosphine

  20. BINDING OF THE RESPIRATORY CHAIN INHIBITOR ANTIMYCIN TO THE MITOCHONDRIAL bc1 COMPLEX: A NEW CRYSTAL STRUCTURE REVEALS AN ALTERED INTRAMOLECULAR HYDROGEN-BONDING PATTERN.

    OpenAIRE

    Huang, Li-shar; Cobessi, David; Tung, Eric Y.; Berry, Edward A.

    2005-01-01

    Antimycin A (antimycin), one of the first known and most potent inhibitors of the mitochondrial respiratory chain, binds to the quinone reduction site of the cytochrome bc1 complex. Structure-activity-relationship studies have shown that the N-formylamino-salicyl-amide group is responsible for most of the binding specificity, and suggested that a low pKa for the phenolic OH group and an intramolecular H-bond between that OH and the carbonyl O of the salicylamide linkage are important. Tw...

  1. The Strength of Hydrogen Bonds between Fluoro-Organics and Alcohols, a Theoretical Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rosenberg, Robert E

    2018-05-10

    Fluorinated organic compounds are ubiquitous in the pharmaceutical and agricultural industries. To better discern the mode of action of these compounds, it is critical to understand the strengths of hydrogen bonds involving fluorine. There are only a few published examples of the strengths of these bonds. This study provides a high level ab initio study of inter- and intramolecular hydrogen bonds between RF and R'OH, where R and R' are aryl, vinyl, alkyl, and cycloalkyl. Intermolecular binding energies average near 5 kcal/mol, while intramolecular binding energies average about 3 kcal/mol. Inclusion of zero-point energies and applying a counterpoise correction lessen the difference. In both series, modest increases in binding energies are seen with increased acidity of R'OH and increased electron donation of R in RF. In the intramolecular compounds, binding energy increases with the rigidity of the F-(C) n -OH ring. Inclusion of free energy corrections at 298 K results in exoergic binding energies for the intramolecular compounds and endoergic binding energies for the intermolecular compounds. Parameters such as bond lengths, vibrational frequencies, and atomic populations are consistent with formation of a hydrogen bond and with slightly stronger binding in the intermolecular cases over the intramolecular cases. However, these parameters correlated poorly with binding energies.

  2. Prokaryotic soluble overexpression and purification of bioactive human growth hormone by fusion to thioredoxin, maltose binding protein, and protein disulfide isomerase.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Minh Tan Nguyen

    Full Text Available Human growth hormone (hGH is synthesized by somatotroph cells of the anterior pituitary gland and induces cell proliferation and growth. This protein has been approved for the treatment of various conditions, including hGH deficiency, chronic renal failure, and Turner syndrome. Efficient production of hGH in Escherichia coli (E. coli has proven difficult because the E. coli-expressed hormone tends to aggregate and form inclusion bodies, resulting in poor solubility. In this study, seven N-terminal fusion partners, hexahistidine (His6, thioredoxin (Trx, glutathione S-transferase (GST, maltose-binding protein (MBP, N-utilization substance protein A (NusA, protein disulfide bond isomerase (PDI, and the b'a' domain of PDI (PDIb'a', were tested for soluble overexpression of codon-optimized hGH in E. coli. We found that MBP and hPDI tags significantly increased the solubility of the hormone. In addition, lowering the expression temperature to 18°C also dramatically increased the solubility of all the fusion proteins. We purified hGH from MBP-, PDIb'a'-, or Trx-tagged hGH expressed at 18°C in E. coli using simple chromatographic techniques and compared the final purity, yield, and activity of hGH to assess the impact of each partner protein. Purified hGH was highly pure on silver-stained gel and contained very low levels of endotoxin. On average, ∼37 mg, ∼12 mg, and ∼7 mg of hGH were obtained from 500 mL-cell cultures of Trx-hGH, MBP-hGH, and PDIb'a'-hGH, respectively. Subsequently, hGH was analyzed using mass spectroscopy to confirm the presence of two intra-molecular disulfide bonds. The bioactivity of purified hGHs was demonstrated using Nb2-11 cell.

  3. Structural Basis of a Thiol-Disulfide Oxidoreductase in the Hedgehog-Forming Actinobacterium Corynebacterium matruchotii.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Luong, Truc Thanh; Tirgar, Reyhaneh; Reardon-Robinson, Melissa E; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Ton-That, Hung

    2018-05-01

    The actinobacterium Corynebacterium matruchotii has been implicated in nucleation of oral microbial consortia leading to biofilm formation. Due to the lack of genetic tools, little is known about basic cellular processes, including protein secretion and folding, in this organism. We report here a survey of the C. matruchotii genome, which encodes a large number of exported proteins containing paired cysteine residues, and identified an oxidoreductase that is highly homologous to the Corynebacterium diphtheriae thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase MdbA (MdbA Cd ). Crystallization studies uncovered that the 1.2-Å resolution structure of C. matruchotii MdbA (MdbA Cm ) possesses two conserved features found in actinobacterial MdbA enzymes, a thioredoxin-like fold and an extended α-helical domain. By reconstituting the disulfide bond-forming machine in vitro , we demonstrated that MdbA Cm catalyzes disulfide bond formation within the actinobacterial pilin FimA. A new gene deletion method supported that mdbA is essential in C. matruchotii Remarkably, heterologous expression of MdbA Cm in the C. diphtheriae Δ mdbA mutant rescued its known defects in cell growth and morphology, toxin production, and pilus assembly, and this thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase activity required the catalytic motif CXXC. Altogether, the results suggest that MdbA Cm is a major thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase, which likely mediates posttranslocational protein folding in C. matruchotii by a mechanism that is conserved in Actinobacteria IMPORTANCE The actinobacterium Corynebacterium matruchotii has been implicated in the development of oral biofilms or dental plaque; however, little is known about the basic cellular processes in this organism. We report here a high-resolution structure of a C. matruchotii oxidoreductase that is highly homologous to the Corynebacterium diphtheriae thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase MdbA. By biochemical analysis, we demonstrated that C. matruchotii MdbA catalyzes disulfide

  4. Fluorine substitution and nonconventional OH...pi intramolecular bond: high-resolution UV spectroscopy and ab initio calculations of 2-(p-fluorophenyl)ethanol.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karaminkov, Rosen; Chervenkov, Sotir; Neusser, Hans J

    2008-05-21

    The para-fluorinated flexible neurotransmitter analogue 2-phenylethanol has been investigated by highly resolved resonance-enhanced two-photon ionisation two-colour UV laser spectroscopy with mass resolution and ab initio structural optimisations and energy calculations. Two stable conformations, gauche and anti, separated by a high potential barrier have been identified in the cold molecular beam by rotational analysis of the vibronic band structures. The theoretically predicted higher-lying conformations most likely relax to these two structures during the adiabatic expansion. The lowest-energy gauche conformer is stabilised by an intramolecular nonconventional OH...pi-type hydrogen bond between the terminal OH group of the side chain and the pi electrons of the phenyl ring. The good agreement between the experimental and theoretical results demonstrates that even the substitution with a strongly electronegative atom of 2-phenylethanol at the para position has no noticeable effect on the strength and orientation of the OH...pi bond.

  5. N-glycosylation and disulfide bonding affects GPRC6A receptor expression, function, and dimerization

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørskov-Lauritsen, Lenea; Jørgensen, Stine; Bräuner-Osborne, Hans

    2015-01-01

    Investigation of post-translational modifications of receptor proteins is important for our understanding of receptor pharmacology and disease physiology. However, our knowledge about post-translational modifications of class C G protein-coupled receptors and how these modifications regulate expr...... covalently linked dimers through cysteine disulfide linkage in the extracellular amino-terminal domain and here we show that GPRC6A indeed is a homodimer and that a disulfide bridge between the C131 residues is formed....

  6. The human protein disulfide isomerase gene family

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Galligan James J

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Enzyme-mediated disulfide bond formation is a highly conserved process affecting over one-third of all eukaryotic proteins. The enzymes primarily responsible for facilitating thiol-disulfide exchange are members of an expanding family of proteins known as protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs. These proteins are part of a larger superfamily of proteins known as the thioredoxin protein family (TRX. As members of the PDI family of proteins, all proteins contain a TRX-like structural domain and are predominantly expressed in the endoplasmic reticulum. Subcellular localization and the presence of a TRX domain, however, comprise the short list of distinguishing features required for gene family classification. To date, the PDI gene family contains 21 members, varying in domain composition, molecular weight, tissue expression, and cellular processing. Given their vital role in protein-folding, loss of PDI activity has been associated with the pathogenesis of numerous disease states, most commonly related to the unfolded protein response (UPR. Over the past decade, UPR has become a very attractive therapeutic target for multiple pathologies including Alzheimer disease, Parkinson disease, alcoholic and non-alcoholic liver disease, and type-2 diabetes. Understanding the mechanisms of protein-folding, specifically thiol-disulfide exchange, may lead to development of a novel class of therapeutics that would help alleviate a wide range of diseases by targeting the UPR.

  7. 1.42 A crystal structure of mini-IGF-1(2): an analysis of the disulfide isomerization property and receptor binding property of IGF-1 based on the three-dimensional structure

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yun Caihong; Tang Yuehua; Feng Youmin; An Xiaomin; Chang Wenrui; Liang Dongcai

    2004-01-01

    Insulin and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) share a homologous sequence, a similar three-dimensional structure and weakly overlapping biological activity, but IGF-1 folds into two thermodynamically stable disulfide isomers, while insulin folds into one unique stable tertiary structure. This is a very interesting phenomenon in which one amino acid sequence encodes two three-dimensional structures, and its molecular mechanism has remained unclear for a long time. In this study, the crystal structure of mini-IGF-1(2), a disulfide isomer of an artificial analog of IGF-1, was solved by the SAD/SIRAS method using our in-house X-ray source. Evidence was found in the structure showing that the intra-A-chain/domain disulfide bond of some molecules was broken; thus, it was proposed that disulfide isomerization begins with the breakdown of this disulfide bond. Furthermore, based on the structural comparison of IGF-1 and insulin, a new assumption was made that in insulin the several hydrogen bonds formed between the N-terminal region of the B-chain and the intra-A-chain disulfide region of the A-chain are the main reason for the stability of the intra-A-chain disulfide bond and for the prevention of disulfide isomerization, while Phe B1 and His B5 are very important for the formation of these hydrogen bonds. Moreover, the receptor binding property of IGF-1 was analyzed in detail based on the structural comparison of mini-IGF-1(2), native IGF-1, and small mini-IGF-1

  8. Relative stabilities of IgG1 and IgG4 Fab domains: Influence of the light–heavy interchain disulfide bond architecture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Heads, James T; Adams, Ralph; D'Hooghe, Lena E; Page, Matt J T; Humphreys, David P; Popplewell, Andrew G; Lawson, Alastair D; Henry, Alistair J

    2012-01-01

    The stability of therapeutic antibodies is a prime pharmaceutical concern. In this work we examined thermal stability differences between human IgG1 and IgG4 Fab domains containing the same variable regions using the thermofluor assay. It was found that the IgG1 Fab domain is up to 11°C more stable than the IgG4 Fab domain containing the same variable region. We investigated the cause of this difference with the aim of developing a molecule with the enhanced stability of the IgG1 Fab and the biological properties of an IgG4 Fc. We found that replacing the seven residues, which differ between IgG1 CH1 and IgG4 CH1 domains, while retaining the native IgG1 light-heavy interchain disulfide (L–H) bond, did not affect thermal stability. Introducing the IgG1 type L–H interchain disulfide bond (DSB) into the IgG4 Fab resulted in an increase in thermal stability to levels observed in the IgG1 Fab with the same variable region. Conversely, replacement of the IgG1 L–H interchain DSB with the IgG4 type L–H interchain DSB reduced the thermal stability. We utilized the increased stability of the IgG1 Fab and designed a hybrid antibody with an IgG1 CH1 linked to an IgG4 Fc via an IgG1 hinge. This construct has the expected biophysical properties of both the IgG4 Fc and IgG1 Fab domains and may therefore be a pharmaceutically relevant format. PMID:22761163

  9. Hexa-histidin tag position influences disulfide structure but not binding behavior of in vitro folded N-terminal domain of rat corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 2a

    OpenAIRE

    Klose, Jana; Wendt, Norbert; Kubald, Sybille; Krause, Eberhard; Fechner, Klaus; Beyermann, Michael; Bienert, Michael; Rudolph, Rainer; Rothemund, Sven

    2004-01-01

    The oxidative folding, particularly the arrangement of disulfide bonds of recombinant extracellular N-terminal domains of the corticotropin-releasing factor receptor type 2a bearing five cysteines (C2 to C6), was investigated. Depending on the position of a His-tag, two types of disulfide patterns were found. In the case of an N-terminal His-tag, the disulfide bonds C2–C3 and C4–C6 were found, leaving C5 free, whereas the C-terminal position of the His-tag led to the disulfide pattern C2–C5 a...

  10. Mechanism of thioredoxin-catalyzed disulfide reduction. Activation of the buried thiol and role of the variable active-site residues

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Carvalho, A.P.; Swart, M.; van Stralen, J.N.P.; Fernandes, P.A.; Ramos, M.E.; Bickelhaupt, F.M.

    2008-01-01

    Thioredoxins (Trx) are enzymes with a characteristic CXYC active-site motif that catalyze the reduction of disulfide bonds in other proteins. We have theoretically explored this reaction mechanism, both in the gas phase and in water, using density functional theory. The mechanism of disulfide

  11. Conferring specificity in redox pathways by enzymatic thiol/disulfide exchange reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Netto, Luis Eduardo S; de Oliveira, Marcos Antonio; Tairum, Carlos A; da Silva Neto, José Freire

    2016-01-01

    Thiol-disulfide exchange reactions are highly reversible, displaying nucleophilic substitutions mechanism (S(N)2 type). For aliphatic, low molecular thiols, these reactions are slow, but can attain million times faster rates in enzymatic processes. Thioredoxin (Trx) proteins were the first enzymes described to accelerate thiol-disulfide exchange reactions and their high reactivity is related to the high nucleophilicity of the attacking thiol. Substrate specificity in Trx is achieved by several factors, including polar, hydrophobic, and topological interactions through a groove in the active site. Glutaredoxin (Grx) enzymes also contain the Trx fold, but they do not share amino acid sequence similarity with Trx. A conserved glutathione binding site is a typical feature of Grx that can reduce substrates by two mechanisms (mono and dithiol). The high reactivity of Grx enzymes is related to the very acid pK(a) values of reactive Cys that plays roles as good leaving groups. Therefore, although distinct oxidoreductases catalyze similar thiol–disulfide exchange reactions, their enzymatic mechanisms vary. PDI and DsbA are two other oxidoreductases, but they are involved in disulfide bond formation, instead of disulfide reduction, which is related to the oxidative environment where they are found. PDI enzymes and DsbC are endowed with disulfide isomerase activity, which is related with their tetra-domain architecture. As illustrative description of specificity in thiol-disulfide exchange, redox aspects of transcription activation in bacteria, yeast, and mammals are presented in an evolutionary perspective. Therefore, thiol-disulfide exchange reactions play important roles in conferring specificity to pathways, a required feature for signaling.

  12. Conformational landscape and pathway of disulfide bond reduction of human alpha defensin

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Snijder, Joost; Van De Waterbeemd, Michiel; Glover, Matthew S.; Shi, Liuqing; Clemmer, David E.; Heck, Albert J R

    2015-01-01

    Human alpha defensins are a class of antimicrobial peptides with additional antiviral activity. Such antimicrobial peptides constitute a major part of mammalian innate immunity. Alpha defensins contain six cysteines, which form three well defined disulfide bridges under oxidizing conditions.

  13. Disulfide scrambling in superoxide dismutase 1 reduces its cytotoxic effect in cultured cells and promotes protein aggregation.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lina Leinartaitė

    Full Text Available Mutations in the gene coding for superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1 are associated with familiar forms of the neurodegenerative disease amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS. These mutations are believed to result in a "gain of toxic function", leading to neuronal degeneration. The exact mechanism is still unknown, but misfolding/aggregation events are generally acknowledged as important pathological events in this process. Recently, we observed that demetallated apoSOD1, with cysteine 6 and 111 substituted for alanine, is toxic to cultured neuroblastoma cells. This toxicity depended on an intact, high affinity Zn(2+ site. It was therefor contradictory to discover that wild-type apoSOD1 was not toxic, despite of its high affinity for Zn(2+. This inconsistency was hypothesized to originate from erroneous disulfide formation involving C6 and C111. Using high resolution non-reducing SDS-PAGE, we have in this study demonstrated that the inability of wild-type apoSOD1 to cause cell death stems from formation of non-native intra-molecular disulfides. Moreover, monomeric apoSOD1 variants capable of such disulfide scrambling aggregated into ThT positive oligomers under physiological conditions without agitation. The oligomers were stabilized by inter-molecular disulfides and morphologically resembled what has in other neurodegenerative diseases been termed protofibrils. Disulfide scrambling thus appears to be an important event for misfolding and aggregation of SOD1, but may also be significant for protein function involving cysteines, e.g. mitochondrial import and copper loading.

  14. Disulfide bonds in the ectodomain of anthrax toxin receptor 2 are required for the receptor-bound protective-antigen pore to function.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jianjun Sun

    Full Text Available BACKGROUND: Cell-surface receptors play essential roles in anthrax toxin action by providing the toxin with a high-affinity anchor and self-assembly site on the plasma membrane, mediating the toxin entry into cells through endocytosis, and shifting the pH threshold for prepore-to-pore conversion of anthrax toxin protective antigen (PA to a more acidic pH, thereby inhibiting premature pore formation. Each of the two known anthrax toxin receptors, ANTXR1 and ANTXR2, has an ectodomain comprised of an N-terminal von Willebrand factor A domain (VWA, which binds PA, and an uncharacterized immunoglobulin-like domain (Ig that connects VWA to the membrane-spanning domain. Potential roles of the receptor Ig domain in anthrax toxin action have not been investigated heretofore. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We expressed and purified the ANTXR2 ectodomain (R2-VWA-Ig in E. coli and showed that it contains three disulfide bonds: one in R2-VWA and two in R2-Ig. Reduction of the ectodomain inhibited functioning of the pore, as measured by K(+ release from liposomes or Chinese hamster ovary cells or by PA-mediated translocation of a model substrate across the plasma membrane. However, reduction did not affect binding of the ectodomain to PA or the transition of ectodomain-bound PA prepore to the pore conformation. The inhibitory effect depended specifically on reduction of the disulfides within R2-Ig. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We conclude that disulfide integrity within R2-Ig is essential for proper functioning of receptor-bound PA pore. This finding provides a novel venue to investigate the mechanism of anthrax toxin action and suggests new strategies for inhibiting toxin action.

  15. Production of recombinant disulfide-rich venom peptides for structural and functional analysis via expression in the periplasm of E. coli.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julie K Klint

    Full Text Available Disulfide-rich peptides are the dominant component of most animal venoms. These peptides have received much attention as leads for the development of novel therapeutic agents and bioinsecticides because they target a wide range of neuronal receptors and ion channels with a high degree of potency and selectivity. In addition, their rigid disulfide framework makes them particularly well suited for addressing the crucial issue of in vivo stability. Structural and functional characterization of these peptides necessitates the development of a robust, reliable expression system that maintains their native disulfide framework. The bacterium Escherichia coli has long been used for economical production of recombinant proteins. However, the expression of functional disulfide-rich proteins in the reducing environment of the E. coli cytoplasm presents a significant challenge. Thus, we present here an optimised protocol for the expression of disulfide-rich venom peptides in the periplasm of E. coli, which is where the endogenous machinery for production of disulfide-bonds is located. The parameters that have been investigated include choice of media, induction conditions, lysis methods, methods of fusion protein and peptide purification, and sample preparation for NMR studies. After each section a recommendation is made for conditions to use. We demonstrate the use of this method for the production of venom peptides ranging in size from 2 to 8 kDa and containing 2-6 disulfide bonds.

  16. Structural and catalytic characterization of a thermally stable and acid-stable variant of human carbonic anhydrase II containing an engineered disulfide bond

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Boone, Christopher D.; Habibzadegan, Andrew [University of Florida, PO Box 100245, Gainesville, FL 32610 (United States); Tu, Chingkuang; Silverman, David N. [University of Florida, PO Box 100267, Gainesville, FL 32610 (United States); McKenna, Robert, E-mail: rmckenna@ufl.edu [University of Florida, PO Box 100245, Gainesville, FL 32610 (United States)

    2013-08-01

    The X-ray crystallographic structure of the disulfide-containing HCAII (dsHCAII) has been solved to 1.77 Å resolution and revealed that successful oxidation of the cysteine bond was achieved while also retaining desirable active-site geometry. The carbonic anhydrases (CAs) are a family of mostly zinc metalloenzymes that catalyze the reversible hydration of CO{sub 2} to bicarbonate and a proton. Recently, there has been industrial interest in utilizing CAs as biocatalysts for carbon sequestration and biofuel production. The conditions used in these processes, however, result in high temperatures and acidic pH. This unfavorable environment results in rapid destabilization and loss of catalytic activity in CAs, ultimately resulting in cost-inefficient high-maintenance operation of the system. In order to negate these detrimental industrial conditions, cysteines at residues 23 (Ala23Cys) and 203 (Leu203Cys) were engineered into a wild-type variant of human CA II (HCAII) containing the mutation Cys206Ser. The X-ray crystallographic structure of the disulfide-containing HCAII (dsHCAII) was solved to 1.77 Å resolution and revealed that successful oxidation of the cysteine bond was achieved while also retaining desirable active-site geometry. Kinetic studies utilizing the measurement of {sup 18}O-labeled CO{sub 2} by mass spectrometry revealed that dsHCAII retained high catalytic efficiency, and differential scanning calorimetry showed acid stability and thermal stability that was enhanced by up to 14 K compared with native HCAII. Together, these studies have shown that dsHCAII has properties that could be used in an industrial setting to help to lower costs and improve the overall reaction efficiency.

  17. Engineering out motion: introduction of a de novo disulfide bond and a salt bridge designed to close a dynamic cleft on the surface of cytochrome b5.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Storch, E M; Daggett, V; Atkins, W M

    1999-04-20

    A previous molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of cytochrome b5 (cyt b5) at 25 degrees C displayed localized dynamics on the surface of the protein giving rise to the periodic formation of a cleft that provides access to the heme through a protected hydrophobic channel [Storch and Daggett (1995) Biochemistry 34, 9682]. Here we describe the production and testing of mutants designed to prevent the cleft from opening using a combination of experimental and theoretical techniques. Two mutants have been designed to close the surface cleft: S18D to introduce a salt bridge and S18C:R47C to incorporate a disulfide bond. The putative cleft forms between two separate cores of the protein: one is structural in nature and can be monitored through the fluorescence of Trp 22, and the other binds the heme prosthetic group and can be tracked via heme absorbance. An increase in motion localized to the cleft region was observed for each protein, except for the disulfide-containing variant, in MD simulations at 50 degrees C compared to simulations at 25 degrees C. For the disulfide-containing variant, the cleft remained closed. Both urea and temperature denaturation curves were nearly identical for wild-type and mutant proteins when heme absorbance was monitored. In contrast, fluorescence studies revealed oxidized S18C:R47C to be considerably more stable based on the midpoints of the denaturation transitions, Tm and U1/2. Moreover, the fluorescence changes for each protein were complete at approximately 50 degrees C and a urea concentration of approximately 3.9 M, significantly below the temperature and urea concentration (62 degrees C, 5 M urea) required to observe heme release. In addition, solvent accessibility based on acrylamide quenching of Trp 22 was lower in the S18C:R47C mutant, particularly at 50 degrees C, before heme release [presented in the accompanying paper (58)]. The results suggest that a constraining disulfide bond can be designed to inhibit dynamic cleft formation

  18. The origin of enantioselectivity in the l-threonine-derived phosphine-sulfonamide catalyzed aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman reaction: Effects of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding

    KAUST Repository

    Lee, Richmond

    2013-01-01

    l-Threonine-derived phosphine-sulfonamide 4 was identified as the most efficient catalyst to promote enantioselective aza-Morita-Baylis-Hillman (MBH) reactions, affording the desired aza-MBH adducts with excellent enantioselectivities. Density functional theory (DFT) studies were carried out to elucidate the origin of the observed enantioselectivity. The importance of the intramolecular N-H⋯O hydrogen-bonding interaction between the sulfonamide and enolate groups was identified to be crucial in inducing a high degree of stereochemical control in both the enolate addition to imine and the subsequent proton transfer step, affording aza-MBH reactions with excellent enantioselectivity. © 2013 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

  19. Inactivation of barley limit dextrinase inhibitor by thioredoxin-catalysed disulfide reduction

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Jensen, Johanne Mørch; Hägglund, Per; Christensen, Hans Erik Mølager

    2012-01-01

    and one glutathionylated cysteine. Here, thioredoxin is shown to progressively reduce disulfide bonds in LDI accompanied by loss of activity. A preferential reduction of the glutathionylated cysteine, as indicated by thiol quantification and molecular mass analysis using electrospray ionisation mass......Barley limit dextrinase (LD) that catalyses hydrolysis of α-1,6 glucosidic linkages in starch-derived dextrins is inhibited by limit dextrinase inhibitor (LDI) found in mature seeds. LDI belongs to the chloroform/methanol soluble protein family (CM-protein family) and has four disulfide bridges...... spectrometry, was not related to LDI inactivation. LDI reduction is proposed to cause conformational destabilisation leading to loss of function....

  20. Molecular Characterization and Analysis of a Novel Protein Disulfide Isomerase-Like Protein of Eimeria tenella

    OpenAIRE

    Han, Hongyu; Dong, Hui; Zhu, Shunhai; Zhao, Qiping; Jiang, Lianlian; Wang, Yange; Li, Liujia; Wu, Youlin; Huang, Bing

    2014-01-01

    Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) and PDI-like proteins are members of the thioredoxin superfamily. They contain thioredoxin-like domains and catalyze the physiological oxidation, reduction and isomerization of protein disulfide bonds, which are involved in cell function and development in prokaryotes and eukaryotes. In this study, EtPDIL, a novel PDI-like gene of Eimeria tenella, was cloned using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) according to the expressed sequence tag (EST). The EtPDI...

  1. A simple semi-empirical approximation for bond energy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jorge, F.E.; Giambiagi, M.; Giambiagi, M.S. de.

    1985-01-01

    A simple semi-empirical expression for bond energy, related with a generalized bond index, is proposed and applied within the IEH framework. The correlation with experimental data is good for the intermolecular bond energy of base pairs of nucleic acids and other hydrogen bonded systems. The intramolecular bond energies for a sample of molecules containing typical bonds and for hydrides are discussed. The results are compared with those obtained by other methods. (Author) [pt

  2. Intramolecular photoinduced electron-transfer in azobenzene-perylene diimide

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Feng Wen-Ke; Wang Shu-Feng; Gong Qi-Huang; Feng Yi-Yu; Feng Wei; Yi Wen-Hui

    2010-01-01

    This paper studies the intramolecular photoinduced electron-transfer (PET) of covalent bonded azobenzene-perylene diimide (AZO-PDI) in solvents by using steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy together with ultrafast transient absorption spectroscopic techniques. Fast fluorescence quenching is observed when AZO-PDI is excited at characteristic wavelengths of AZO and perylene moieties. Reductive electron-transfer with transfer rate faster than 10 11 s −1 is found. This PET process is also consolidated by femtosecond transient absorption spectra

  3. Hydrogen bond strengthening induces fluorescence quenching of PRODAN derivative by turning on twisted intramolecular charge transfer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Yonggang; Li, Donglin; Li, Chaozheng; Liu, YuFang; Jiang, Kai

    2017-12-01

    Researchers have proposed different effective mechanisms of hydrogen bonding (HB) on the fluorescence of 6-propionyl-2-dimethylaminonaphthalene (PRODAN) and its derivatives. Herein, excited state transition and dynamics analysis confirm that the fluorescence of PD (a derivative of PRODAN with ethyl replaced by 3-hydroxy-2,2-dimethylpropan) emits from the planar intramolecular charge transfer (PICT) state rather than twist ICT (TICT) state, because the fluorescence emission and surface hopping from the TICT state to the twist ground (T-S0) state is energy forbidden. Nevertheless, the strengthening of intramolecular-HB (intra-HB) and intermolecular-HB (inter-HB) of PD-(methanol)2 smooth the pathway of surface hopping from TICT to T-S0 state and the external conversion going to planar ground state by decreasing the energy difference of the two states. This smoothing changes the fluorescence state of PD-(methanol)2 to the TICT state in which fluorescence emission does not occur but surface hopping, leading to the partial fluorescence quenching of PD in methanol solvent. This conclusion is different from previous related reports. Moreover, the inter-HB strengthening of PD-methanol in PICT state induces the cleavage of intra-HB and a fluorescence red-shift of 54 nm compared to PD. This red-shift increases to 66 nm for PD-(methanol)2 for the strengthening of the one intra-HB and two inter-HBs. The dipole moments of PD-methanol and PD-(methanol)2 respectively increase about 10.3D and 8.1D in PICT state compared to PD. The synergistic effect of intra-HB and inter-HB induces partial quenching of PD in methanol solvent by turning on the TICT state and fluorescence red-shift. This work gives a reasonable description on the fluorescence red-shift and partial quenching of PD in methanol solvent, which will bring insight into the study of spectroscopic properties of molecules owning better spectral characteristics.

  4. On the intramolecular origin of the blue shift of A-H stretching frequencies: triatomic hydrides HAX.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karpfen, Alfred; Kryachko, Eugene S

    2009-04-30

    A series of intermolecular complexes formed between the triatomic hydrides HAX and various interaction partners are investigated computationally aiming (1) to demonstrate that either an appearance or nonappearance of a blue shift of the A-H stretching frequency is directly related to the sign of the intramolecular coupling that exists between the two degrees of freedom, the A-H and A-X bond lengths, and (2) to offer the following conjecture: the theoretical protonation of a triatomic neutral molecule HAX at the site X is a simple and rather efficient probe of a red or blue shift that the stretching frequency nu(A-H) undergoes upon complex formation regardless of whether this bond is directly involved in hydrogen bonding or not. In other words, to predict whether this A-H bond is capable to display a blue or red shift of nu(A-H), it suffices to compare the equilibrium structures and vibrational spectra of a given molecule with its protonated counterpart. The two above goals are achieved invoking a series of 11 triatomic molecules: HNO, HSN, HPO, and HPS characterized by a negative intramolecular coupling; HON and HNS as intermediate cases; and HOF, HOCl, HCN, HNC, and HCP with a positive intramolecular coupling. For these purposes, the latter molecules are investigated at the MP2/6-311++G(2p,2d) level in the neutral and protonated HAXH(+) forms as well as their complexes with H(2)O and with the fluoromethanes H(3)CF, H(2)CF(2), and HCF(3).

  5. A Direct Proof of the Resonance-Impaired Hydrogen Bond (RIHB) Concept.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xuhui; Wu, Wei; Mo, Yirong

    2018-01-24

    The concept of resonance-enhanced hydrogen bond (RAHB) has been widely accepted and applied as it highlights the positive impact of π-conjugation on intramolecular H-bonds. However, electron delocalization is directional and there is a possibility that π-resonance goes from the H-bond acceptor to the H-bond donor, leading to a negative impact on H-bonds. Here we used the block-localized wavefunction (BLW) method which is a variant of ab initio valence bond (VB) theory and able to derive strictly electron-localized structures self-consistently, to quantify the interplay between H-bond and π-resonance in the terms of geometry, energetics and spectral properties. The comparison of geometrical optimizations with and without π-resonance shows that conjugation can indeed either enhance or weaken intramolecular H-bonds. We further experimented with various substituents attached to either the H-bond acceptor and/or H-bond donor side(s) to tune the H-bonding strength in both directions. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  6. PDILT, a divergent testis-specific protein disulfide isomerase with a non-classical SXXC motif that engages in disulfide-dependent interactions in the endoplasmic reticulum.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Lith, Marcel; Hartigan, Nichola; Hatch, Jennifer; Benham, Adam M

    2005-01-14

    Protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) is the archetypal enzyme involved in the formation and reshuffling of disulfide bonds in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). PDI achieves its redox function through two highly conserved thioredoxin domains, and PDI can also operate as an ER chaperone. The substrate specificities and the exact functions of most other PDI family proteins remain important unsolved questions in biology. Here, we characterize a new and striking member of the PDI family, which we have named protein disulfide isomerase-like protein of the testis (PDILT). PDILT is the first eukaryotic SXXC protein to be characterized in the ER. Our experiments have unveiled a novel, glycosylated PDI-like protein whose tissue-specific expression and unusual motifs have implications for the evolution, catalytic function, and substrate selection of thioredoxin family proteins. We show that PDILT is an ER resident glycoprotein that liaises with partner proteins in disulfide-dependent complexes within the testis. PDILT interacts with the oxidoreductase Ero1alpha, demonstrating that the N-terminal cysteine of the CXXC sequence is not required for binding of PDI family proteins to ER oxidoreductases. The expression of PDILT, in addition to PDI in the testis, suggests that PDILT performs a specialized chaperone function in testicular cells. PDILT is an unusual PDI relative that highlights the adaptability of chaperone and redox function in enzymes of the endoplasmic reticulum.

  7. Photoinduced Cross-Linking of Dynamic Poly(disulfide) Films via Thiol Oxidative Coupling.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Feillée, Noémi; Chemtob, Abraham; Ley, Christian; Croutxé-Barghorn, Céline; Allonas, Xavier; Ponche, Arnaud; Le Nouen, Didier; Majjad, Hicham; Jacomine, Léandro

    2016-01-01

    Initially developed as an elastomer with an excellent record of barrier and chemical resistance properties, poly(disulfide) has experienced a revival linked to the dynamic nature of the S-S covalent bond. A novel photobase-catalyzed oxidative polymerization of multifunctional thiols to poly(disulfide) network is reported. Based solely on air oxidation, the single-step process is triggered by the photodecarboxylation of a xanthone acetic acid liberating a strong bicyclic guanidine base. Starting with a 1 μm thick film based on trithiol poly(ethylene oxide) oligomer, the UV-mediated oxidation of thiols to disulfides occurs in a matter of minutes both selectively, i.e., without overoxidation, and quantitatively as assessed by a range of spectroscopic techniques. Thiolate formation and film thickness determine the reaction rates and yield. Spatial control of the photopolymerization serves to generate robust micropatterns, while the reductive cleavage of S-S bridges allows the recycling of 40% of the initial thiol groups. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  8. Rapid expansion of the protein disulfide isomerase gene family facilitates the folding of venom peptides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Safavi-Hemami, Helena; Li, Qing; Jackson, Ronneshia L.

    2016-01-01

    Formation of correct disulfide bonds in the endoplasmic reticulum is a crucial step for folding proteins destined for secretion. Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs) play a central role in this process. We report a previously unidentified, hypervariable family of PDIs that represents the most...... diverse gene family of oxidoreductases described in a single genus to date. These enzymes are highly expressed specifically in the venom glands of predatory cone snails, animals that synthesize a remarkably diverse set of cysteine-rich peptide toxins (conotoxins). Enzymes in this PDI family, termed...

  9. QTAIM and Stress Tensor Characterization of Intramolecular Interactions Along Dynamics Trajectories of a Light-Driven Rotary Molecular Motor.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Lingling; Huan, Guo; Momen, Roya; Azizi, Alireza; Xu, Tianlv; Kirk, Steven R; Filatov, Michael; Jenkins, Samantha

    2017-06-29

    A quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) and stress tensor analysis was applied to analyze intramolecular interactions influencing the photoisomerization dynamics of a light-driven rotary molecular motor. For selected nonadiabatic molecular dynamics trajectories characterized by markedly different S 1 state lifetimes, the electron densities were obtained using the ensemble density functional theory method. The analysis revealed that torsional motion of the molecular motor blades from the Franck-Condon point to the S 1 energy minimum and the S 1 /S 0 conical intersection is controlled by two factors: greater numbers of intramolecular bonds before the hop-time and unusually strongly coupled bonds between the atoms of the rotor and the stator blades. This results in the effective stalling of the progress along the torsional path for an extended period of time. This finding suggests a possibility of chemical tuning of the speed of photoisomerization of molecular motors and related molecular switches by reshaping their molecular backbones to decrease or increase the degree of coupling and numbers of intramolecular bond critical points as revealed by the QTAIM/stress tensor analysis of the electron density. Additionally, the stress tensor scalar and vector analysis was found to provide new methods to follow the trajectories, and from this, new insight was gained into the behavior of the S 1 state in the vicinity of the conical intersection.

  10. Mechanism of Intramolecular Rhodium- and Palladium-Catalyzed Alkene Alkoxyfunctionalizations

    KAUST Repository

    Vummaleti, Sai V. C.

    2015-11-13

    Density functional theory calculations have been used to investigate the reaction mechanism for the [Rh]-catalyzed intramolecular alkoxyacylation ([Rh] = [RhI(dppp)+] (dppp, 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane) and [Pd]/BPh3 dual catalytic system assisted intramolecular alkoxycyanation ([Pd] = Pd-Xantphos) using acylated and cyanated 2-allylphenol derivatives as substrates, respectively. Our results substantially confirm the proposed mechanism for both [Rh]- and [Pd]/ BPh3-mediated alkoxyfunctionalizations, offering a detailed geometrical and energetical understanding of all the elementary steps. Furthermore, for the [Rh]-mediated alkoxyacylation, our observations support the hypothesis that the quinoline group of the substrate is crucial to stabilize the acyl metal complex and prevent further decarbonylation. For [Pd]/BPh3-catalyzed alkoxycyanation, our findings clarify how the Lewis acid BPh3 cocatalyst accelerates the only slow step of the reaction, corresponding to the oxidative addition of the cyanate O-CN bond to the Pd center. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

  11. Mechanism of Intramolecular Rhodium- and Palladium-Catalyzed Alkene Alkoxyfunctionalizations

    KAUST Repository

    Vummaleti, Sai V. C.; Alghamdi, Miasser; Poater, Albert; Falivene, Laura; Scaranto, Jessica; Beetstra, Dirk J.; Morton, Jason G.; Cavallo, Luigi

    2015-01-01

    Density functional theory calculations have been used to investigate the reaction mechanism for the [Rh]-catalyzed intramolecular alkoxyacylation ([Rh] = [RhI(dppp)+] (dppp, 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane) and [Pd]/BPh3 dual catalytic system assisted intramolecular alkoxycyanation ([Pd] = Pd-Xantphos) using acylated and cyanated 2-allylphenol derivatives as substrates, respectively. Our results substantially confirm the proposed mechanism for both [Rh]- and [Pd]/ BPh3-mediated alkoxyfunctionalizations, offering a detailed geometrical and energetical understanding of all the elementary steps. Furthermore, for the [Rh]-mediated alkoxyacylation, our observations support the hypothesis that the quinoline group of the substrate is crucial to stabilize the acyl metal complex and prevent further decarbonylation. For [Pd]/BPh3-catalyzed alkoxycyanation, our findings clarify how the Lewis acid BPh3 cocatalyst accelerates the only slow step of the reaction, corresponding to the oxidative addition of the cyanate O-CN bond to the Pd center. © 2015 American Chemical Society.

  12. Novel Roles of the Non-catalytic Elements of Yeast Protein-disulfide Isomerase in Its Interplay with Endoplasmic Reticulum Oxidoreductin 1*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Yingbo; Zhang, Lihui; Yu, Jiaojiao; Wang, Chih-chen; Wang, Lei

    2016-01-01

    The formation of disulfide bonds in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) of eukaryotic cells is catalyzed by the sulfhydryl oxidase, ER oxidoreductin 1 (Ero1), and protein-disulfide isomerase (PDI). PDI is oxidized by Ero1 to continuously introduce disulfides into substrates, and feedback regulates Ero1 activity by manipulating the regulatory disulfides of Ero1. In this study we find that yeast Ero1p is enzymatically active even with its regulatory disulfides intact, and further activation of Ero1p by reduction of the regulatory disulfides requires the reduction of non-catalytic Cys90-Cys97 disulfide in Pdi1p. The principal client-binding site in the Pdi1p b′ domain is necessary not only for the functional Ero1p-Pdi1p disulfide relay but also for the activation of Ero1p. We also demonstrate by complementary activation assays that the regulatory disulfides in Ero1p are much more stable than those in human Ero1α. These new findings on yeast Ero1p-Pdi1p interplay reveal significant differences from our previously identified mode of human Ero1α-PDI interplay and provide insights into the evolution of the eukaryotic oxidative protein folding pathway. PMID:26846856

  13. Role for the disulfide-bonded region of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp41 in receptor-triggered activation of membrane fusion function

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bellamy-McIntyre, Anna K.; Baer, Severine; Ludlow, Louise; Drummer, Heidi E.; Poumbourios, Pantelis

    2010-01-01

    The conserved disulfide-bonded region (DSR) of the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) fusion glycoprotein, gp41, mediates association with the receptor-binding glycoprotein, gp120. Interactions between gp120, CD4 and chemokine receptors activate the fusion activity of gp41. The introduction of W596L and W610F mutations to the DSR of HIV-1 QH1549.13 blocked viral entry and hemifusion without affecting gp120-gp41 association. The fusion defect correlated with inhibition of CD4-triggered gp41 pre-hairpin formation, consistent with the DSR mutations having decoupled receptor-induced conformational changes in gp120 from gp41 activation. Our data implicate the DSR in sensing conformational changes in the gp120-gp41 complex that lead to fusion activation.

  14. Hydrogen bonding analysis of hydroxyl groups in glucose aqueous solutions by a molecular dynamics simulation study

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Chen, Cong; Li, Wei Zhong; Song, Yong Chen; Weng, Lin Dong; Zhang, Ning

    2012-01-01

    Molecular dynamics simulations have been performed to investigate hydrogen bonding characteristics of hydroxyl groups in glucose aqueous solutions with different concentrations. The hydrogen bonding abilities and strength of different O and H atom types have been calculated and compared. The acceptor/donor efficiencies have been predicted and it has been found that: (1) O2-HO2 and O3-HO3 are more efficient intramolecular hydrogen bonding acceptors than donors; (2) O1-HO1, O4-HO4 and O6-HO6 are more efficient intramolecular hydrogen bonding donors than acceptors; (5) O1-HO1 and O6-HO6 are more efficient intermolecular hydrogen bonding acceptors than donors while hydroxyl groups O2-HO2 and O4-HO4 are more efficient intermolecular hydrogen bonding donors than acceptors. The hydrogen bonding abilities of hydroxyl groups revealed that: (1) the hydrogen bonding ability of OH2-H w is larger than that of hydroxyl groups in glucose; (2) among the hydroxyl groups in glucose, the hydrogen bonding ability of O6-HO6 is the largest and the hydrogen bonding ability of O4-HO4 is the smallest; (3) the intermolecular hydrogen bonding ability of O6-HO6 is the largest; (4) the order for intramolecular hydrogen bonding abilities (from large to small) is O2-HO2, O1-HO1, O3-HO3, O6-HO6 and O4-HO4

  15. Synthesis of Bioactive 2-(Arylaminothiazolo[5,4-f]-quinazolin-9-ones via the Hügershoff Reaction or Cu- Catalyzed Intramolecular C-S Bond Formation

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Damien Hédou

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A library of thirty eight novel thiazolo[5,4-f]quinazolin-9(8H-one derivatives (series 8, 10, 14 and 17 was prepared via the Hügershoff reaction and a Cu catalyzed intramolecular C-S bond formation, helped by microwave-assisted technology when required. The efficient multistep synthesis of the key 6-amino-3-cyclopropylquinazolin-4(3H-one (3 has been reinvestigated and performed on a multigram scale from the starting 5-nitroanthranilic acid. The inhibitory potency of the final products was evaluated against five kinases involved in Alzheimer’s disease and showed that some molecules of the 17 series described in this paper are particularly promising for the development of novel multi-target inhibitors of kinases.

  16. 1,2,3-Triazole Rings as a Disulfide Bond Mimetic in Chimeric AGRP-Melanocortin Peptides: Design, Synthesis, and Functional Characterization.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tala, Srinivasa R; Singh, Anamika; Lensing, Cody J; Schnell, Sathya M; Freeman, Katie T; Rocca, James R; Haskell-Luevano, Carrie

    2018-05-16

    The melanocortin system is involved in the regulation of complex physiological functions, including energy and weight homeostasis, feeding behavior, inflammation, sexual function, pigmentation, and exocrine gland function. The five melanocortin receptors that belong to the superfamily of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) are regulated by endogenously expressed agonists and antagonists. The aim of this study was to explore the potential of replacing the disulfide bridge in chimeric AGRP-melanocortin peptide Tyr-c[Cys-His-d-Phe-Arg-Trp-Asn-Ala-Phe-Cys]-Tyr-NH 2 (1) with 1,2,3-triazole moieties. A series of 1,2,3-triazole-bridged peptidomimetics were designed, synthesized, and pharmacologically evaluated at the mouse melanocortin receptors. The ligands possessed nanomolar to micromolar agonist cAMP signaling potency. A key finding was that the disulfide bond in peptide 1 can be replaced with the monotriazole ring with minimal effect on the functional activity at the melanocortin receptors. The 1,5-disubstituted triazole-bridged peptide 6 showed equipotent functional activity at the mMC3R and modest 5-fold decreased agonist potency at the mMC4R compared to those of 1. Interestingly, the 1,4- and 1,5-disubstituted isomers of the triazole ring resulted in different selectivities at the receptor subtypes, indicating subtle structural features that may be exploited in the generation of selective melanocortin ligands. Introducing cyclic and acyclic bis-triazole moieties into chimeric AGRP template 1 generally decreased agonist activity. These results will be useful for the further design of neuronal chemical probes for the melanocortin receptors as well as in other receptor systems.

  17. Unique Intramolecular Electronic Communications in Mono-ferrocenylpyrimidine Derivatives: Correlation between Redox Properties and Structural Nature

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Xiang, Debo; Noel, Jerome; Shao, Huibo; Dupas, Georges; Merbouh, Nabyl; Yu, Hua-Zhong

    2015-01-01

    Highlights: • Unique intramolecular electronic communications (electron withdrawing and π-bond delocalization effects) exist in the mono-ferrocenylpyrimidine derivatives. • The redox potential shift correlates the pyrimidine ring torsion angle with the extent of electron delocalization. • The correlation between redox properties and structural nature in mono-ferrocenylpyrimidine derivatives is evident. - Abstract: The correlation between redox properties and structural nature in a complete set of mono-ferrocenylpyrimidine derivatives (2-ferrocenylpyrimidine, 2-FcPy; 4-ferrocenylpyrimidine, 4-FcPy; 5-ferrocenylpyrimidine, 5-FcPy) was evaluated by investigating the intramolecular electronic communications. Both conventional electrochemical measurements in organic solvents and thin-film voltammetric studies of these compounds were carried out. It was discovered that their formal potentials are significantly different from each other, and shift negatively in the order of 4-FcPy > 5-FcPy > 2-FcPy. This result suggests that the intramolecular electronic communication is dictated by the delocalization effect of the π-bonding systems in 2-FcPy, and that the electron-withdrawing effect of the nitrogen atoms in the pyrimidine ring plays the key role in 4-FcPy and 5-FcPy. The single crystal X-ray structure analyis and Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculation provided additional evidence (e.g., different torsion angles between the cyclopentadienyl and pyrimidine rings) to support the observed correlation between the redox properties and structural nature

  18. Photoinduced intramolecular substitution reaction of aryl halide with carbonyl oxygen of amide group

    CERN Document Server

    Park, Y T; Kim, M S; Kwon, J H

    2002-01-01

    Photoreaction of N-(o-halophenyl)acetamide in basic acetonitrile produces an intramolecular substituted product, 2-methylbenzoxazole in addition to reduced product, acetanilide, whereas photoreaction of N-(o-halobenzyl)acetamide affords a reduced product, N-benzylacetamide only. On the basis of preparative reaction, kinetics, and UV/vis absorption behavior, an electrophilic aromatic substitution of aryl halide with oxygen of its amide bond are proposed.

  19. Photoinduced intramolecular substitution reaction of aryl halide with carbonyl oxygen of amide group

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Park, Yong Tae; Song, Myong Geun; Kim, Moon Sub; Kwon, Jeong Hee [Kyungpook National Univ., Daegu (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-09-01

    Photoreaction of N-(o-halophenyl)acetamide in basic acetonitrile produces an intramolecular substituted product, 2-methylbenzoxazole in addition to reduced product, acetanilide, whereas photoreaction of N-(o-halobenzyl)acetamide affords a reduced product, N-benzylacetamide only. On the basis of preparative reaction, kinetics, and UV/vis absorption behavior, an electrophilic aromatic substitution of aryl halide with oxygen of its amide bond are proposed.

  20. Photoinduced intramolecular substitution reaction of aryl halide with carbonyl oxygen of amide group

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Park, Yong Tae; Song, Myong Geun; Kim, Moon Sub; Kwon, Jeong Hee

    2002-01-01

    Photoreaction of N-(o-halophenyl)acetamide in basic acetonitrile produces an intramolecular substituted product, 2-methylbenzoxazole in addition to reduced product, acetanilide, whereas photoreaction of N-(o-halobenzyl)acetamide affords a reduced product, N-benzylacetamide only. On the basis of preparative reaction, kinetics, and UV/vis absorption behavior, an electrophilic aromatic substitution of aryl halide with oxygen of its amide bond are proposed

  1. Discovery of S···C≡N Intramolecular Bonding in a Thiophenylcyanoacrylate-Based Dye: Realizing Charge Transfer Pathways and Dye···TiO 2 Anchoring Characteristics for Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Cole, Jacqueline M. [Cavendish; ISIS; Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States; Department; Blood-Forsythe, Martin A. [Cavendish; Lin, Tze-Chia [Cavendish; Pattison, Philip [Swiss; Gong, Yun [Cavendish; Vázquez-Mayagoitia, Álvaro [Argonne National Laboratory, 9700 S. Cass Avenue, Argonne, Illinois 60439, United States; Waddell, Paul G. [Cavendish; Australian Centre for Neutron Scattering, Australian Nuclear Science; Zhang, Lei [Cavendish; Koumura, Nagatoshi [National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology, 1-1-1 Higashi, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8565, Japan; Mori, Shogo [Division

    2017-07-25

    Donor-pi-acceptor dyes containing thiophenyl pi-conjugated units and cyanoacrylate acceptor groups are among the best-performing organic chromophores used in dye-sensitized solar cell (DSC) applications. Yet, the molecular origins of their high photovoltaic output have remained unclear until now. This synchrotron-based X-ray diffraction study elucidates these origins for the high-performance thiophenylcyanoacrylate-based dye MK-2 (7.7% DSC device efficiency) and its molecular building block, MK-44. The crystal structures of MK-2 and MK-44 are both determined, while a high-resolution charge-density mapping of the smaller molecule was also possible, enabling the nature of its bonding to be detailed. A strong S center dot center dot center dot C equivalent to N intramolecular interaction is discovered, which bears a bond critical point, thus proving that this interaction should be formally classified as a chemical bond. A topological analysis of the pi-conjugated portion of MK-44 shows that this S center dot center dot center dot C equivalent to N bonding underpins the highly efficient intramolecular charge transfer(ICT) in thiophenylcyanoacrylate dyes. This manifests as two bipartite ICT pathways bearing carboxylate and nitrile end points. In turn, these pathways dictate a preferred COO/CN anchoring mode for the dye as it adsorbs onto TiO2 surfaces, to form the dye TiO2 interface that constitutes the DSC working electrode. These results corroborate a recent proposal that all cyanoacrylate groups anchor onto TiO2 in this COO/CN binding configuration. Conformational analysis of the MK-44 and MK-2 crystal structures reveals that this S center dot center dot center dot C equivalent to N bonding will persist in MK-2. Accordingly, this newly discovered bond affords a rational explanation for the attractive photovoltaic properties of,MK-2. More generally, this study provides the first unequivocal evidence for an S center dot center dot center dot C equivalent to N

  2. Intramolecular symmetry-adapted perturbation theory with a single-determinant wavefunction

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pastorczak, Ewa; Prlj, Antonio; Corminboeuf, Clémence, E-mail: clemence.corminboeuf@epfl.ch [Laboratory for Computational Molecular Design, Institut des Sciences et Ingénierie Chimiques, École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, CH-1015 Lausanne (Switzerland); Gonthier, Jérôme F. [Center for Computational Molecular Science and Technology, School of Chemistry and Biochemistry, School of Computational Science and Engineering, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia 30332-0400 (United States)

    2015-12-14

    We introduce an intramolecular energy decomposition scheme for analyzing non-covalent interactions within molecules in the spirit of symmetry-adapted perturbation theory (SAPT). The proposed intra-SAPT approach is based upon the Chemical Hamiltonian of Mayer [Int. J. Quantum Chem. 23(2), 341–363 (1983)] and the recently introduced zeroth-order wavefunction [J. F. Gonthier and C. Corminboeuf, J. Chem. Phys. 140(15), 154107 (2014)]. The scheme decomposes the interaction energy between weakly bound fragments located within the same molecule into physically meaningful components, i.e., electrostatic-exchange, induction, and dispersion. Here, we discuss the key steps of the approach and demonstrate that a single-determinant wavefunction can already deliver a detailed and insightful description of a wide range of intramolecular non-covalent phenomena such as hydrogen bonds, dihydrogen contacts, and π − π stacking interactions. Intra-SAPT is also used to shed the light on competing intra- and intermolecular interactions.

  3. Backbone conformation affects duplex initiation and duplex propagation in hybridisation of synthetic H-bonding oligomers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Iadevaia, Giulia; Núñez-Villanueva, Diego; Stross, Alexander E; Hunter, Christopher A

    2018-06-06

    Synthetic oligomers equipped with complementary H-bond donor and acceptor side chains form multiply H-bonded duplexes in organic solvents. Comparison of the duplex forming properties of four families of oligomers with different backbones shows that formation of an extended duplex with three or four inter-strand H-bonds is more challenging than formation of complexes that make only two H-bonds. The stabilities of 1 : 1 complexes formed between length complementary homo-oligomers equipped with either phosphine oxide or phenol recognition modules were measured in toluene. When the backbone is very flexible (pentane-1,5-diyl thioether), the stability increases uniformly by an order of magnitude for each additional base-pair added to the duplex: the effective molarities for formation of the first intramolecular H-bond (duplex initiation) and subsequent intramolecular H-bonds (duplex propagation) are similar. This flexible system is compared with three more rigid backbones that are isomeric combinations of an aromatic ring and methylene groups. One of the rigid systems behaves in exactly the same way as the flexible backbone, but the other two do not. For these systems, the effective molarity for formation of the first intramolecular H-bond is the same as that found for the other two backbones, but additional H-bonds are not formed between the longer oligomers. The effective molarities are too low for duplex propagation in these systems, because the oligomer backbones cannot adopt conformations compatible with formation of an extended duplex.

  4. Cysteine-Rich Peptide Family with Unusual Disulfide Connectivity from Jasminum sambac.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kumari, Geeta; Serra, Aida; Shin, Joon; Nguyen, Phuong Q T; Sze, Siu Kwan; Yoon, Ho Sup; Tam, James P

    2015-11-25

    Cysteine-rich peptides (CRPs) are natural products with privileged peptidyl structures that represent a potentially rich source of bioactive compounds. Here, the discovery and characterization of a novel plant CRP family, jasmintides from Jasminum sambac of the Oleaceae family, are described. Two 27-amino acid jasmintides (jS1 and jS2) were identified at the gene and protein levels. Disulfide bond mapping of jS1 by mass spectrometry and its confirmation by NMR spectroscopy revealed disulfide bond connectivity of C-1-C-5, C-2-C-4, and C-3-C-6, a cystine motif that has not been reported in plant CRPs. Structural determination showed that jS1 displays a well-defined structure framed by three short antiparallel β-sheets. Genomic analysis showed that jasmintides share a three-domain precursor arrangement with a C-terminal mature domain preceded by a long pro-domain of 46 residues and an intron cleavage site between the signal sequence and pro-domain. The compact cysteine-rich structure together with an N-terminal pyroglutamic acid residue confers jasmintides high resistance to heat and enzymatic degradation, including exopeptidase treatment. Collectively, these results reveal a new plant CRP structure with an unusual cystine connectivity, which could be useful as a scaffold for designing peptide drugs.

  5. Numerical simulation of dynamic quenching of dual-split fluorescence of molecules with intramolecular hydrogen bonds

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Morozov, V.A.; Chuvulkin, N.D.; Smolenskij, E.A.; Dubina, Yu.M.

    2014-01-01

    The dynamic quenching of intensity pulses of the dual-split fluorescence (DSF) has been simulated using numerical solutions of the equations for the population matrix of five states of the model fluorescent molecule (FM). The state with the highest energy is considered as resonantly excited by irradiation, and two other excited states populated by subsequent relaxation processes are taken as initial states for the FM transitions with emission of the DSF photons. The FM model parameters are selected to fit typical parameters of the molecules with intramolecular proton photo transfer. Quenching is considered as a consequence of non-radiative decay of the FM excited states due to collisions with the quencher molecules. Examples of two types of the DSF quenching of the FM are given. The first type leads to an intramolecular radiationless decay of particular excited states of the FM, and the second one results in radiationless transitions from the same states to the quencher molecule states. (authors)

  6. Spectroscopic, DFT, and XRD Studies of Hydrogen Bonds in N-Unsubstituted 2-Aminobenzamides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mphahlele, Malose Jack; Maluleka, Marole Maria; Rhyman, Lydia; Ramasami, Ponnadurai; Mampa, Richard Mokome

    2017-01-04

    The structures of the mono- and the dihalogenated N -unsubstituted 2-aminobenzamides were characterized by means of the spectroscopic (¹H-NMR, UV-Vis, FT-IR, and FT-Raman) and X-ray crystallographic techniques complemented with a density functional theory (DFT) method. The hindered rotation of the C(O)-NH₂ single bond resulted in non-equivalence of the amide protons and therefore two distinct resonances of different chemical shift values in the ¹H-NMR spectra of these compounds were observed. 2-Amino-5-bromobenzamide ( ABB ) as a model confirmed the presence of strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds between oxygen and the amine hydrogen. However, intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the carbonyl oxygen and the amine protons was not observed in the solution phase due to a rapid exchange of these two protons with the solvent and fast rotation of the Ar-NH₂ single bond. XRD also revealed the ability of the amide unit of these compounds to function as a hydrogen bond donor and acceptor simultaneously to form strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between oxygen of one molecule and the NH moiety of the amine or amide group of the other molecule and between the amine nitrogen and the amide hydrogen of different molecules. DFT calculations using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) basis set revealed that the conformer ( A ) with oxygen and 2-amine on the same side predominates possibly due to the formation of a six-membered intramolecular ring, which is assisted by hydrogen bonding as observed in the single crystal XRD structure.

  7. Spectroscopic, DFT, and XRD Studies of Hydrogen Bonds in N-Unsubstituted 2-Aminobenzamides

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Malose Jack Mphahlele

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available The structures of the mono- and the dihalogenated N-unsubstituted 2-aminobenzamides were characterized by means of the spectroscopic (1H-NMR, UV-Vis, FT-IR, and FT-Raman and X-ray crystallographic techniques complemented with a density functional theory (DFT method. The hindered rotation of the C(O–NH2 single bond resulted in non-equivalence of the amide protons and therefore two distinct resonances of different chemical shift values in the 1H-NMR spectra of these compounds were observed. 2-Amino-5-bromobenzamide (ABB as a model confirmed the presence of strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds between oxygen and the amine hydrogen. However, intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the carbonyl oxygen and the amine protons was not observed in the solution phase due to a rapid exchange of these two protons with the solvent and fast rotation of the Ar–NH2 single bond. XRD also revealed the ability of the amide unit of these compounds to function as a hydrogen bond donor and acceptor simultaneously to form strong intermolecular hydrogen bonding between oxygen of one molecule and the NH moiety of the amine or amide group of the other molecule and between the amine nitrogen and the amide hydrogen of different molecules. DFT calculations using the B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p basis set revealed that the conformer (A with oxygen and 2-amine on the same side predominates possibly due to the formation of a six-membered intramolecular ring, which is assisted by hydrogen bonding as observed in the single crystal XRD structure.

  8. Rh(I) -Catalyzed Intramolecular Carbonylative C-H/C-I Coupling of 2-Iodobiphenyls Using Furfural as a Carbonyl Source.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Furusawa, Takuma; Morimoto, Tsumoru; Nishiyama, Yasuhiro; Tanimoto, Hiroki; Kakiuchi, Kiyomi

    2016-08-19

    Synthesis of fluoren-9-ones by a Rh-catalyzed intramolecular C-H/C-I carbonylative coupling of 2-iodobiphenyls using furfural as a carbonyl source is presented. The findings indicate that the rate-determining step is not a C-H bond cleavage but, rather, the oxidative addition of the C-I bond to a Rh(I) center. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Intramolecular Association within the SAFT Framework

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Avlund, Ane Søgaard; Kontogeorgis, Georgios; Chapman, Walter G.

    2011-01-01

    A general theory for modelling intramolecular association within the SAFT framework is proposed. Sear and Jackson [Phys. Rev. E. 50 (1), 386 (1994)] and Ghonasgi and Chapman [J. Chem. Phys. 102 (6), 2585 (1995)] have previously extended SAFT to include intramolecular association for chains with two...... the contribution to the Helmholtz free energy from association (inter- as well as intramolecularly) at equilibrium. Sear and Jackson rederived the contribution to the Helmholtz free energy from association from the theory by Wertheim [J. Stat. Phys. 42 (3–4), 459 (1986)] with inclusion of intramolecular...

  10. Microsolvation effect and hydrogen-bonding pattern of taurine-water TA-(H2O)n (n = 1-3) complexes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Dai, Yumei; Wang, Yuhua; Huang, Zhengguo; Wang, Hongke; Yu, Lei

    2012-01-01

    The microsolvation of taurine (TA) with one, two or three water molecules was investigated by a density functional theory (DFT) approach. Quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM) analyses were employed to elucidate the hydrogen bond (H-bond) interaction characteristics in TA-(H(2)O)(n) (n = 1-3) complexes. The results showed that the intramolecular H-bond formed between the hydroxyl and the N atom of TA are retained in most TA-(H(2)O)(n) (n = 1-3) complexes, and are strengthened via cooperative effects among multiple H-bonds from n = 1-3. A trend of proton transformation exists from the hydroxyl to the N atom, which finally results in the cleavage of the origin intramolecular H-bond and the formation of a new intramolecular H-bond between the amino and the O atom of TA. Therefore, the most stable TA-(H(2)O)(3) complex becomes a zwitterionic complex rather than a neutral type. A many-body interaction analysis showed that the major contributors to the binding energies for complexes are the two-body energies, while three-body energies and relaxation energies make significant contributions to the binding energies for some complexes, whereas the four-body energies are too small to be significant.

  11. On the relevance of sophisticated structural annotations for disulfide connectivity pattern prediction.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Julien Becker

    Full Text Available Disulfide bridges strongly constrain the native structure of many proteins and predicting their formation is therefore a key sub-problem of protein structure and function inference. Most recently proposed approaches for this prediction problem adopt the following pipeline: first they enrich the primary sequence with structural annotations, second they apply a binary classifier to each candidate pair of cysteines to predict disulfide bonding probabilities and finally, they use a maximum weight graph matching algorithm to derive the predicted disulfide connectivity pattern of a protein. In this paper, we adopt this three step pipeline and propose an extensive study of the relevance of various structural annotations and feature encodings. In particular, we consider five kinds of structural annotations, among which three are novel in the context of disulfide bridge prediction. So as to be usable by machine learning algorithms, these annotations must be encoded into features. For this purpose, we propose four different feature encodings based on local windows and on different kinds of histograms. The combination of structural annotations with these possible encodings leads to a large number of possible feature functions. In order to identify a minimal subset of relevant feature functions among those, we propose an efficient and interpretable feature function selection scheme, designed so as to avoid any form of overfitting. We apply this scheme on top of three supervised learning algorithms: k-nearest neighbors, support vector machines and extremely randomized trees. Our results indicate that the use of only the PSSM (position-specific scoring matrix together with the CSP (cysteine separation profile are sufficient to construct a high performance disulfide pattern predictor and that extremely randomized trees reach a disulfide pattern prediction accuracy of [Formula: see text] on the benchmark dataset SPX[Formula: see text], which corresponds to

  12. Structure-based design of a disulfide-linked oligomeric form of the simian virus 40 (SV40) large T antigen DNA-binding domain

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Meinke, Gretchen; Phelan, Paul; Fradet-Turcotte, Amélie; Archambault, Jacques; Bullock, Peter A.

    2011-01-01

    With the aim of forming the ‘lock-washer’ conformation of the origin-binding domain of SV40 large T antigen in solution, using structure-based analysis an intermolecular disulfide bridge was engineered into the origin-binding domain to generate higher order oligomers in solution. The 1.7 Å resolution structure shows that the mutant forms a spiral in the crystal and has the de novo disulfide bond at the protein interface, although structural rearrangements at the interface are observed relative to the wild type. The modular multifunctional protein large T antigen (T-ag) from simian virus 40 orchestrates many of the events needed for replication of the viral double-stranded DNA genome. This protein assembles into single and double hexamers on specific DNA sequences located at the origin of replication. This complicated process begins when the origin-binding domain of large T antigen (T-ag ODB) binds the GAGGC sequences in the central region (site II) of the viral origin of replication. While many of the functions of purified T-ag OBD can be studied in isolation, it is primarily monomeric in solution and cannot assemble into hexamers. To overcome this limitation, the possibility of engineering intermolecular disulfide bonds in the origin-binding domain which could oligomerize in solution was investigated. A recent crystal structure of the wild-type T-ag OBD showed that this domain forms a left-handed spiral in the crystal with six subunits per turn. Therefore, we analyzed the protein interface of this structure and identified two residues that could potentially support an intermolecular disulfide bond if changed to cysteines. SDS–PAGE analysis established that the mutant T-ag OBD formed higher oligomeric products in a redox-dependent manner. In addition, the 1.7 Å resolution crystal structure of the engineered disulfide-linked T-ag OBD is reported, which establishes that oligomerization took place in the expected manner

  13. TDDFT study on excited state intramolecular proton transfer mechanism in 2-amino-3-(2‧-benzazolyl)-quinolines

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jia, Xueli; Li, Chaozheng; Li, Donglin; Liu, Yufang

    2018-03-01

    The intramolecular proton transfer reaction of the 2-amino-3-(2‧-benzoxazolyl)-quinoline (ABO) and 2-amino-3-(2‧-benzothiazolyl)-quinoline (ABT) molecules in both S0 and S1 states at B3LYP/6-311 ++G(d,p) level in ethanol solvent have been studied to reveal the deactivation mechanism of the tautomers of the two molecules from the S1 state to the S0 state. The results show that the tautomers of ABO and ABT molecules may return to the S0 state by emitting fluorescence. In addition, the bond lengths, angles and infrared spectra are analyzed to confirm the hydrogen bonds strengthened upon photoexcitation, which can facilitate the proton transfer process. The frontier molecular orbitals (MOs) and natural bond orbital (NBO) are also calculated to indicate the intramolecular charge transfer which can be used to explore the tendency of ESIPT reaction. The potential energy surfaces of the ABO and ABT molecules in the S0 and S1 states have been constructed. According to the energy potential barrier of 9.12 kcal/mol for ABO molecule and 5.96 kcal/mol for ABT molecule, it can be indicated that the proton transfer may occur in the S1 state.

  14. Intramolecular CH···O hydrogen bonds in the AI and BI DNA-like conformers of canonical nucleosides and their Watson-Crick pairs. Quantum chemical and AIM analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yurenko, Yevgen P; Zhurakivsky, Roman O; Samijlenko, Svitlana P; Hovorun, Dmytro M

    2011-08-01

    The aim of this work is to cast some light on the H-bonds in double-stranded DNA in its AI and BI forms. For this purpose, we have performed the MP2 and DFT quantum chemical calculations of the canonical nucleoside conformers, relative to the AI and BI DNA forms, and their Watson-Crick pairs, which were regarded as the simplest models of the double-stranded DNA. Based on the atoms-in-molecules analysis (AIM), five types of the CH···O hydrogen bonds, involving bases and sugar, were detected numerically from 1 to 3 per a conformer: C2'H···O5', C1'H···O2, C6H···O5', C8H···O5', and C6H···O4'. The energy values of H-bonds occupy the range of 2.3-5.6 kcal/mol, surely exceeding the kT value (0.62 kcal/mol). The nucleoside CH···O hydrogen bonds appeared to "survive" turns of bases against the sugar, sometimes in rather large ranges of the angle values, pertinent to certain conformations, which points out to the source of the DNA lability, necessary for the conformational adaptation in processes of its functioning. The calculation of the interactions in the dA·T nucleoside pair gives evidence, that additionally to the N6H···O4 and N1···N3H canonical H-bonds, between the bases adenine and thymine the third one (C2H···O2) is formed, which, though being rather weak (about 1 kcal/mol), satisfies the AIM criteria of H-bonding and may be classified as a true H-bond. The total energy of all the CH···O nontraditional intramolecular H-bonds in DNA nucleoside pairs appeared to be commensurable with the energy of H-bonds between the bases in Watson-Crick pairs, which implies their possible important role in the DNA shaping.

  15. Location of protons in N-H···N hydrogen-bonded systems: a theoretical study on intramolecular pyridine-dihydropyridine and pyridine-pyridinium pairs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mori, Yukie; Takano, Keiko

    2012-08-21

    Two-dimensional potential energy surfaces (PESs) were calculated for the degenerate intramolecular proton transfer (PT) in two N-H···N hydrogen-bonded systems, (Z)-2-(2-pyridylmethylidene)-1,2-dihydropyridine (1) and monoprotonated di(2-pyridyl) ether (2), at the MP2/cc-pVDZ level of theory. The calculated PES had two minima in both cases. The energy barrier in 1 was higher than the zero-point energy (ZPE) level, while that in 2 was close to the ZPE. Vibrational wavefunctions were obtained by solving time-independent Schrödinger equations with the calculated PESs. The maximum points of the probability density were shifted from the energy minima towards the region where the covalent N-H bond was elongated and the N···N distance shortened. The effects of a polar solvent on the PES were investigated with the continuum or cluster models in such a way that the solute-solvent electrostatic interactions could be taken into account under non-equilibrated conditions. A solvated contact ion-pair was modelled by a cluster consisting of one cation 2, one chloride ion and 26 molecules of acetonitrile. The calculation with this model suggested that the bridging proton is localised in the deeper well due to the significant asymmetry of the PES and the high potential barrier.

  16. Investigation of protein FTT1103 electroactivity using carbon and mercury electrodes. Surface-inhibition approach for disulfide oxidoreductases using silver amalgam powder

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Večerková, R.; Hernychová, L.; Dobeš, P.; Vrba, J.; Josypčuk, Bohdan; Bartošík, M.; Vacek, J.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 830, JUN 2014 (2014), s. 23-32 ISSN 0003-2670 Institutional support: RVO:61388955 Keywords : Disulfide bond forming protein * Electrochemical sensing * Membrane proteins Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.513, year: 2014

  17. Purification of correctly oxidized MHC class I heavy-chain molecules under denaturing conditions: a novel strategy exploiting disulfide assisted protein folding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ferré, Henrik; Ruffet, Emmanuel; Blicher, Thomas

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this study has been to develop a strategy for purifying correctly oxidized denatured major histocompability complex class I (MHC-I) heavy-chain molecules, which on dilution, fold efficiently and become functional. Expression of heavy-chain molecules in bacteria results in the formation...... of insoluble cellular inclusion bodies, which must be solubilized under denaturing conditions. Their subsequent purification and refolding is complicated by the fact that (1). correct folding can only take place in combined presence of beta(2)-microglobulin and a binding peptide; and (2). optimal in vitro...... conditions for disulfide bond formation ( approximately pH 8) and peptide binding ( approximately pH 6.6) are far from complementary. Here we present a two-step strategy, which relies on uncoupling the events of disulfide bond formation and peptide binding. In the first phase, heavy-chain molecules...

  18. Purification of correctly oxidized MHC class I heavy-chain molecules under denaturing conditions: A novel strategy exploiting disulfide assisted protein folding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ferré, Henrik; Ruffet, E.; Blicher, T.

    2003-01-01

    The aim of this study has been to develop a strategy for purifying correctly oxidized denatured major histocompability complex class I (MHC-I) heavy-chain molecules, which on dilution, fold efficiently and become functional. Expression of heavy-chain molecules in bacteria results in the formation...... of insoluble cellular inclusion bodies, which must be solubilized under denaturing conditions. Their subsequent purification and refolding is complicated by the fact that (1) correct folding can only take place in combined presence of beta(2)-microglobulin and a binding peptide; and (2) optimal in vitro...... conditions for disulfide bond formation (similar topH 8) and peptide binding (similar topH 6.6) are far from complementary. Here we present a two-step strategy, which relies on uncoupling the events of disulfide bond formation and peptide binding. In the first phase, heavy-chain molecules with correct...

  19. Remote Stereoinductive Intramolecular Nitrile Oxide Cycloaddition: Asymmetric Total Synthesis and Structure Revision of (-)-11β-Hydroxycurvularin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choe, Hyeonjeong; Pham, Thuy Trang; Lee, Joo Yun; Latif, Muhammad; Park, Haeil; Kang, Young Kee; Lee, Jongkook

    2016-03-18

    The first total synthesis and structure revision of (-)-11β-hydroxycurvularin (1b), a macrolide possessing a β-hydroxyketone moiety, were accomplished. The β-hydroxyketone moiety in this natural product was introduced by cleavage of the N-O bond in an isoxazoline ring that was formed diastereoselectively in a 1,5-remote stereocontrolled fashion by employing intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition.

  20. Unprecedented twofold intramolecular hydroamination in diam(m)ine-dicarboxylatodichloridoplatinum(IV) complexes - ethane-1,2-diamine vs. ammine ligands.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reithofer, Michael R; Galanski, Markus; Arion, Vladimir B; Keppler, Bernhard K

    2008-03-07

    Reaction of (OC-6-13)-bis(2Z-3-carboxyacrylato)dichlorido(ethane-1,2-diamine)platinum(IV) and (OC-6-13)-diamminebis(2Z-3-carboxyacrylato)dichloridoplatinum(IV) with propylamine in the presence of 1,1'-carbonyl diimidazole afforded not the expected amides; instead, beside amide formation, a twofold intramolecular attack of the am(m)ine ligand at the C[double bond, length as m-dash]C bonds was observed involving either both (ethane-1,2-diamine) or only one (ammine) coordinated nitrogen atom(s).

  1. Folding and activity of hybrid sequence, disulfide-stabilized peptides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pease, J.H.B.; Storrs, R.W.; Wemmer, D.E. (Univ. of California, Berkeley (USA))

    1990-08-01

    Peptides have been synthesized that have hybrid sequences, partially derived from the bee venom peptide apamin and partially from the S peptide of ribonuclease A. The hybrid peptides were demonstrated by NMR spectroscopy to fold, forming the same disulfides and basic three-dimensional structure as native apamin, containing a {beta}-turn and an {alpha}-helix. These hybrids were active in complementing S protein, reactivating nuclease activity. In addition, the hybrid peptide was effective in inducing antibodies that cross-react with the RNase, without conjugation to a carrier protein. The stability of the folded structure of this peptide suggests that it should be possible to elicit antibodies that will react not only with a specific sequence, but also with a specific secondary structure. Hybrid sequence peptides also provide opportunities to study separately nucleation and propagation steps in formation of secondary structure. The authors show that in S peptide the {alpha}-helix does not end abruptly but rather terminates gradually over four or five residues. In general, these hybrid sequence peptides, which fold predictably because of disulfide bond formation, can provide opportunities for examining structure - function relationships for many biologically active sequences.

  2. Folding and activity of hybrid sequence, disulfide-stabilized peptides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pease, J.H.B.; Storrs, R.W.; Wemmer, D.E.

    1990-01-01

    Peptides have been synthesized that have hybrid sequences, partially derived from the bee venom peptide apamin and partially from the S peptide of ribonuclease A. The hybrid peptides were demonstrated by NMR spectroscopy to fold, forming the same disulfides and basic three-dimensional structure as native apamin, containing a β-turn and an α-helix. These hybrids were active in complementing S protein, reactivating nuclease activity. In addition, the hybrid peptide was effective in inducing antibodies that cross-react with the RNase, without conjugation to a carrier protein. The stability of the folded structure of this peptide suggests that it should be possible to elicit antibodies that will react not only with a specific sequence, but also with a specific secondary structure. Hybrid sequence peptides also provide opportunities to study separately nucleation and propagation steps in formation of secondary structure. The authors show that in S peptide the α-helix does not end abruptly but rather terminates gradually over four or five residues. In general, these hybrid sequence peptides, which fold predictably because of disulfide bond formation, can provide opportunities for examining structure - function relationships for many biologically active sequences

  3. NMR and IR Investigations of Strong Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Poul Erik Hansen

    2017-03-01

    Full Text Available For the purpose of this review, strong hydrogen bonds have been defined on the basis of experimental data, such as OH stretching wavenumbers, νOH, and OH chemical shifts, δOH (in the latter case, after correction for ring current effects. Limits for O–H···Y systems are taken as 2800 > νOH > 1800 cm−1, and 19 ppm > δOH > 15 ppm. Recent results as well as an account of theoretical advances are presented for a series of important classes of compounds such as β-diketone enols, β-thioxoketone enols, Mannich bases, proton sponges, quinoline N-oxides and diacid anions. The O···O distance has long been used as a parameter for hydrogen bond strength in O–H···O systems. On a broad scale, a correlation between OH stretching wavenumbers and O···O distances is observed, as demonstrated experimentally as well as theoretically, but for substituted β-diketone enols this correlation is relatively weak.

  4. Thiol-Disulfide Exchange between Glutaredoxin and Glutathione

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Iversen, Rasmus; Andersen, Peter Anders; Jensen, Kristine Steen

    2010-01-01

    Glutaredoxins are ubiquitous thiol-disulfide oxidoreductases which catalyze the reduction of glutathione-protein mixed disulfides. Belonging to the thioredoxin family, they contain a conserved active site CXXC motif. The N-proximal active site cysteine can form a mixed disulfide with glutathione ...... has been replaced with serine. The exchange reaction between the reduced protein and oxidized glutathione leading to formation of the mixed disulfide could readily be monitored by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) due to the enthalpic contributions from the noncovalent interactions...

  5. Excited-state intramolecular proton transfer of 2-acetylindan-1,3-dione studied by ultrafast absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pramod Kumar Verma

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available We employ transient absorption from the deep-UV to the visible region and fluorescence upconversion to investigate the photoinduced excited-state intramolecular proton-transfer dynamics in a biologically relevant drug molecule, 2-acetylindan-1,3-dione. The molecule is a ß-diketone which in the electronic ground state exists as exocyclic enol with an intramolecular H-bond. Upon electronic excitation at 300 nm, the first excited state of the exocyclic enol is initially populated, followed by ultrafast proton transfer (≈160 fs to form the vibrationally hot endocyclic enol. Subsequently, solvent-induced vibrational relaxation takes place (≈10 ps followed by decay (≈390 ps to the corresponding ground state.

  6. Multiple ways to make disulfides

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bulleid, Neil J; Ellgaard, Lars

    2011-01-01

    Our concept of how disulfides form in proteins entering the secretory pathway has changed dramatically in recent years. The discovery of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) oxidoreductin 1 (ERO1) was followed by the demonstration that this enzyme couples oxygen reduction to de novo formation of disulfides...

  7. An unusual cysteine VL87 affects the antibody fragment conformations without interfering with the disulfide bond formation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Attallah, Carolina; Aguilar, María Fernanda; Garay, A Sergio; Herrera, Fernando E; Etcheverrigaray, Marina; Oggero, Marcos; Rodrigues, Daniel E

    2017-10-01

    The Cys residues are almost perfectly conserved in all antibodies. They contribute significantly to the antibody fragment stability. The relevance of two natural contiguous Cys residues of an anti-recombinant human-follicle stimulation hormone (rhFSH) in a format of single-chain variable fragment (scFv) was studied. This scFv contains 5 Cys residues: V H 22 and V H 92 in the variable heavy chain (V H ) and V L 23, V L 87 and V L 88 in the variable light chain (V L ). The influence of two unusual contiguous Cys at positions V L 87 and V L 88 was studied by considering the wild type fragment and mutant variants: V L -C88S, V L -C87S, V L -C87Y. The analysis was carried out using antigen-binding ability measurement by indirect specific ELISA and a detailed molecular modeling that comprises homology methods, long molecular dynamics simulations and docking. We found that V L -C87 affected the antibody fragment stability without interfering with the disulfide bond formation. The effect of mutating the V L -C87 by a usual residue at this position like Tyr caused distant structural changes at the V H region that confers a higher mobility to the V H -CDR2 and V H -CDR3 loops improving the scFv binding to the antigen. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  8. Transpeptidase activity of penicillin-binding protein SpoVD in peptidoglycan synthesis conditionally depends on the disulfide reductase StoA.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bukowska-Faniband, Ewa; Hederstedt, Lars

    2017-07-01

    Endospore cortex peptidoglycan synthesis is not required for bacterial growth but essential for endospore heat resistance. It therefore constitutes an amenable system for research on peptidoglycan biogenesis. The Bacillus subtilis sporulation-specific class B penicillin-binding protein (PBP) SpoVD and many homologous PBPs contain two conserved cysteine residues of unknown function in the transpeptidase domain - one as residue x in the SxN catalytic site motif and the other in a flexible loop near the catalytic site. A disulfide bond between these residues blocks the function of SpoVD in cortex synthesis. With a combination of experiments with purified proteins and B. subtilis mutant cells, it was shown that in active SpoVD the two cysteine residues most probably interact by hydrogen bonding and that this is important for peptidoglycan synthesis in vivo. It was furthermore demonstrated that the sporulation-specific thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase StoA reduces SpoVD and that requirement of StoA for cortex synthesis can be suppressed by two completely different types of structural alterations in SpoVD. It is concluded that StoA plays a critical role mainly during maturation of SpoVD in the forespore outer membrane. The findings advance our understanding of essential PBPs and redox control of extra-cytoplasmic protein disulfides in bacterial cells. © 2017 The Authors. Molecular Microbiology Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  9. Instantaneous normal mode analysis for intermolecular and intramolecular vibrations of water from atomic point of view.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Yu-Chun; Tang, Ping-Han; Wu, Ten-Ming

    2013-11-28

    By exploiting the instantaneous normal mode (INM) analysis for models of flexible molecules, we investigate intermolecular and intramolecular vibrations of water from the atomic point of view. With two flexible SPC/E models, our investigations include three aspects about their INM spectra, which are separated into the unstable, intermolecular, bending, and stretching bands. First, the O- and H-atom contributions in the four INM bands are calculated and their stable INM spectra are compared with the power spectra of the atomic velocity autocorrelation functions. The unstable and intermolecular bands of the flexible models are also compared with those of the SPC/E model of rigid molecules. Second, we formulate the inverse participation ratio (IPR) of the INMs, respectively, for the O- and H-atom and molecule. With the IPRs, the numbers of the three species participated in the INMs are estimated so that the localization characters of the INMs in each band are studied. Further, by the ratio of the IPR of the H atom to that of the O atom, we explore the number of involved OH bond per molecule participated in the INMs. Third, by classifying simulated molecules into subensembles according to the geometry of their local environments or their H-bond configurations, we examine the local-structure effects on the bending and stretching INM bands. All of our results are verified to be insensible to the definition of H-bond. Our conclusions about the intermolecular and intramolecular vibrations in water are given.

  10. Redox-sensitive structural change in the A-domain of HMGB1 and its implication for the binding to cisplatin modified DNA

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wang, Jing; Tochio, Naoya; Takeuchi, Aya; Uewaki, Jun-ichi; Kobayashi, Naohiro; Tate, Shin-ichi

    2013-01-01

    Highlights: •The structure of the oxidized A-domain of human HMGB1 was solved. •Phe38 ring was flipped in the oxidized structure from that in the reduced form. •The flipped ring disables the intercalation into the cisplatinated lesions. •The functionally relevant redox-dependent structural change was described. -- Abstract: HMGB1 (high-mobility group B1) is a ubiquitously expressed bifunctional protein that acts as a nuclear protein in cells and also as an inflammatory mediator in the extracellular space. HMGB1 changes its functions according to the redox states in both intra- and extra-cellular environments. Two cysteines, Cys23 and Cys45, in the A-domain of HMGB1 form a disulfide bond under oxidative conditions. The A-domain with the disulfide bond shows reduced affinity to cisplatin modified DNA. We have solved the oxidized A-domain structure by NMR. In the structure, Phe38 has a flipped ring orientation from that found in the reduced form; the phenyl ring in the reduced form intercalates into the platinated lesion in DNA. The phenyl ring orientation in the oxidized form is stabilized through intramolecular hydrophobic contacts. The reorientation of the Phe38 ring by the disulfide bond in the A-domain may explain the reduced HMGB1 binding affinity towards cisplatinated DNA

  11. Engineered disulfide bonds restore chaperone-like function of DJ-1 mutants linked to familial Parkinson's disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Logan, Todd; Clark, Lindsay; Ray, Soumya S

    2010-07-13

    Loss-of-function mutations such as L166P, A104T, and M26I in the DJ-1 gene (PARK7) have been linked to autosomal-recessive early onset Parkinson's disease (PD). Cellular and structural studies of the familial mutants suggest that these mutations may destabilize the dimeric structure. To look for common dynamical signatures among the DJ-1 mutants, short MD simulations of up to 1000 ps were conducted to identify the weakest region of the protein (residues 38-70). In an attempt to stabilize the protein, we mutated residue Val 51 to cysteine (V51C) to make a symmetry-related disulfide bridge with the preexisting Cys 53 on the opposite subunit. We found that the introduction of this disulfide linkage stabilized the mutants A104T and M26I against thermal denaturation, improved their ability to scavenge reactive oxygen species (ROS), and restored a chaperone-like function of blocking alpha-synuclein aggregation. The L166P mutant was far too unstable to be rescued by introduction of the V51C mutation. The results presented here point to the possible development of pharmacological chaperones, which may eventually lead to PD therapeutics.

  12. CuI-Catalyzed: One-Pot Synthesis of Diaryl Disulfides from Aryl Halides and Carbon Disulfide

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mohammad Soleiman-Beigi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available A new application of carbon disulfide in the presence of KF/Al2O3 is reported for the synthesis of organic symmetrical diaryl disulfides. These products were synthesized by one-pot reaction of aryl halides with the in situ generated trithiocarbonate ion in the presence of copper under air atmosphere.

  13. Intramolecular hydrogen bond: Can it be part of the basis set of ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    However, we know that IMHB is a weak bond and hence its RFC has to be a measure of bond strength. .... oxalic acid, 1,4-butanediol, and 1,2-ethanediol, where .... −59.0. −56.2. −62.8. −165.8 −59.4 −179.4 −170.9. Relative energies∗∗. HF.

  14. Diels-Alder reactions in water : Enforced hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bonding

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Engberts, Jan B.F.N.

    1995-01-01

    Second-order rate constants have been measured for the Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of cyclopentadiene with dienophiles of varying hydrophobicity and hydrogen-bond acceptor capacity in water, in a series of organic solvents and in alcohol-water mixtures. The intramolecular DA reaction of

  15. DIELS-ALDER REACTIONS IN WATER - ENFORCED HYDROPHOBIC INTERACTION AND HYDROGEN-BONDING

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Engberts, J.B.F.N.

    Second-order rate constants have been measured for the Diels-Alder (DA) reactions of cyclopentadiene with dienophiles of varying hydrophobicity and hydrogen-bond acceptor capacity in water, in a series of organic solvents and in alcohol-water mixtures. The intramolecular DA reaction of

  16. On the Catalytic Effect of Water in the Intramolecular Diels–Alder Reaction of Quinone Systems: A Theoretical Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Renato Contreras

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available The mechanism of the intramolecular Diels–Alder (IMDA reaction of benzoquinone 1, in the absence and in the presence of three water molecules, 1w, has been studied by means of density functional theory (DFT methods, using the M05-2X and B3LYP functionals for exploration of the potential energy surface (PES. The energy and geometrical results obtained are complemented with a population analysis using the NBO method, and an analysis based on the global, local and group electrophilicity and nucleophilicity indices. Both implicit and explicit solvation emphasize the increase of the polarity of the reaction and the reduction of activation free energies associated with the transition states (TSs of this IMDA process. These results are reinforced by the analysis of the reactivity indices derived from the conceptual DFT, which show that the increase of the electrophilicity of the quinone framework by the hydrogen-bond formation correctly explains the high polar character of this intramolecular process. Large polarization at the TSs promoted by hydrogen-bonds and implicit solvation by water together with a high electrophilicity-nucleophilicity difference consistently explains the catalytic effects of water molecules.

  17. Vibrational spectra and natural bond orbital analysis of organic crystal L-prolinium picrate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Edwin, Bismi; Amalanathan, M.; Hubert Joe, I.

    2012-10-01

    Vibrational spectral analysis and quantum chemical computations based on density functional theory (DFT) have been performed on the organic crystal L-prolinium picrate (LPP). The equilibrium geometry, various bonding features and harmonic vibrational wavenumbers of LPP have been investigated using B3LYP method. The calculated molecular geometry has been compared with the experimental data. The detailed interpretation of the vibrational spectra has been carried out with the aid of VEDA 4 program. The various intramolecular interactions confirming the biological activity of the compound have been exposed by natural bond orbital analysis. The distribution of Mulliken atomic charges and bending of natural hybrid orbitals associated with hydrogen bonding also reflects the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding thereby enhancing bioactivity. The analysis of the electron density of HOMO and LUMO gives an idea of the delocalization and low value of energy gap indicates electron transport in the molecule and thereby bioactivity. Vibrational analysis reveals the presence of strong O-H⋯O and N-H⋯O interaction between L-prolinium and picrate ions providing evidence for the charge transfer interaction between the donor and acceptor groups and is responsible for its bioactivity.

  18. Redox Reactivity of Cerium Oxide Nanoparticles Induces the Formation of Disulfide Bridges in Thiol-Containing Biomolecules.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rollin-Genetet, Françoise; Seidel, Caroline; Artells, Ester; Auffan, Mélanie; Thiéry, Alain; Vidaud, Claude

    2015-12-21

    The redox state of disulfide bonds is implicated in many redox control systems, such as the cysteine-cystine couple. Among proteins, ubiquitous cysteine-rich metallothioneins possess thiolate metal binding groups susceptible to metal exchange in detoxification processes. CeO2 NPs are commonly used in various industrial applications due to their redox properties. These redox properties that enable dual oxidation states (Ce(IV)/Ce(III)) to exist at their surface may act as oxidants for biomolecules. The interaction among metallothioneins, cysteine, and CeO2 NPs was investigated through various biophysical approaches to shed light on the potential effects of the Ce(4+)/Ce(3+) redox system on the thiol groups of these biomolecules. The possible reaction mechanisms include the formation of a disulfide bridge/Ce(III) complex resulting from the interaction between Ce(IV) and the thiol groups, leading to metal unloading from the MTs, depending on their metal content and cluster type. The formation of stable Ce(3+) disulfide complexes has been demonstrated via their fluorescence properties. This work provides the first evidence of thiol concentration-dependent catalytic oxidation mechanisms between pristine CeO2 NPs and thiol-containing biomolecules.

  19. The disulfide-rich Metridia luciferase refolded from E. coli inclusion bodies reveals the properties of a native folded enzyme produced in insect cells.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Markova, Svetlana V; Larionova, Marina D; Gorbunova, Darya A; Vysotski, Eugene S

    2017-10-01

    The bioluminescence of a marine copepod Metridia longa is determined by a small secreted coelenterazine-dependent luciferase that uses coelenterazine as a substrate of enzymatic reaction to generate light (λ max =480nm). To date, four different isoforms of the luciferase differing in size, sequences, and properties have been cloned by functional screening. All of them contain ten conserved Cys residues that suggests up to five SS intramolecular bonds per luciferase molecule. Whereas the use of copepod luciferases as bioluminescent reporters in biomedical research in vivo is growing from year to year, their application for in vitro assays is still limited by the difficulty in obtaining significant amounts of luciferase. The most cost-effective host for producing recombinant proteins is Escherichia coli. However, prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells maintain the reductive environment in cytoplasm that hinders the disulfide bond formation and consequently the proper folding of luciferase. Here we report the expression of the MLuc7 isoform of M. longa luciferase in E. coli cells and the efficient procedure for refolding from inclusion bodies yielding a high-active monomeric protein. Furthermore, in a set of identical experiments we demonstrate that bioluminescent and structural features of MLuc7 produced in bacterial cells are identical to those of MLuc7 isoform produced from culture medium of insect cells. Although the yield of high-purity protein is only 6mg/L, the application of E. coli cells to produce the luciferase is simpler and more cost-effective than the use of insect cells. We expect that the suggested technology of Metridia luciferase production allows obtaining of sufficient amounts of protein both for the development of novel in vitro analytical assays with the use of MLuc7 as a label and for structural studies. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  20. Exploration of zeroth-order wavefunctions and energies as a first step toward intramolecular symmetry-adapted perturbation theory

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonthier, Jérôme F.; Corminboeuf, Clémence

    2014-04-01

    Non-covalent interactions occur between and within all molecules and have a profound impact on structural and electronic phenomena in chemistry, biology, and material science. Understanding the nature of inter- and intramolecular interactions is essential not only for establishing the relation between structure and properties, but also for facilitating the rational design of molecules with targeted properties. These objectives have motivated the development of theoretical schemes decomposing intermolecular interactions into physically meaningful terms. Among the various existing energy decomposition schemes, Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT) is one of the most successful as it naturally decomposes the interaction energy into physical and intuitive terms. Unfortunately, analogous approaches for intramolecular energies are theoretically highly challenging and virtually nonexistent. Here, we introduce a zeroth-order wavefunction and energy, which represent the first step toward the development of an intramolecular variant of the SAPT formalism. The proposed energy expression is based on the Chemical Hamiltonian Approach (CHA), which relies upon an asymmetric interpretation of the electronic integrals. The orbitals are optimized with a non-hermitian Fock matrix based on two variants: one using orbitals strictly localized on individual fragments and the other using canonical (delocalized) orbitals. The zeroth-order wavefunction and energy expression are validated on a series of prototypical systems. The computed intramolecular interaction energies demonstrate that our approach combining the CHA with strictly localized orbitals achieves reasonable interaction energies and basis set dependence in addition to producing intuitive energy trends. Our zeroth-order wavefunction is the primary step fundamental to the derivation of any perturbation theory correction, which has the potential to truly transform our understanding and quantification of non-bonded

  1. Exploration of zeroth-order wavefunctions and energies as a first step toward intramolecular symmetry-adapted perturbation theory

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gonthier, Jérôme F.; Corminboeuf, Clémence

    2014-01-01

    Non-covalent interactions occur between and within all molecules and have a profound impact on structural and electronic phenomena in chemistry, biology, and material science. Understanding the nature of inter- and intramolecular interactions is essential not only for establishing the relation between structure and properties, but also for facilitating the rational design of molecules with targeted properties. These objectives have motivated the development of theoretical schemes decomposing intermolecular interactions into physically meaningful terms. Among the various existing energy decomposition schemes, Symmetry-Adapted Perturbation Theory (SAPT) is one of the most successful as it naturally decomposes the interaction energy into physical and intuitive terms. Unfortunately, analogous approaches for intramolecular energies are theoretically highly challenging and virtually nonexistent. Here, we introduce a zeroth-order wavefunction and energy, which represent the first step toward the development of an intramolecular variant of the SAPT formalism. The proposed energy expression is based on the Chemical Hamiltonian Approach (CHA), which relies upon an asymmetric interpretation of the electronic integrals. The orbitals are optimized with a non-hermitian Fock matrix based on two variants: one using orbitals strictly localized on individual fragments and the other using canonical (delocalized) orbitals. The zeroth-order wavefunction and energy expression are validated on a series of prototypical systems. The computed intramolecular interaction energies demonstrate that our approach combining the CHA with strictly localized orbitals achieves reasonable interaction energies and basis set dependence in addition to producing intuitive energy trends. Our zeroth-order wavefunction is the primary step fundamental to the derivation of any perturbation theory correction, which has the potential to truly transform our understanding and quantification of non-bonded

  2. A theoretical investigation on the regioselectivity of the intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder and 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of 2-vinyloxybenzaldehyde derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hamzehloueian Mahshid

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The present study reports a systematic computational analysis of the two possible pathways, fused and bridged, for an intramolecular hetero Diels-Alder (IMHDA and an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (IMDCA of 2-vinyloxybenzaldehyde derivatives. The potential energy surface analysis for both reactions is in agreement with experimental observations. The activation energies associated with the two regioisomeric channels in IMHDA reaction show that the bridged product is favored, although in IMDCA, the most stable TS results the fused product. The global electronic properties of fragments within each molecule were studied to discuss the reactivity patterns and charge transfer direction in the intramolecular processes. The asynchronicity of the bond formation and aromaticity of the optimized TSs in the Diels-Alder reaction as well as cycloaddition reaction were evaluated. Finally, 1H NMR chemical shifts of the possible regioisomers have been calculated using the GIAO method which of the most stable products are in agreement with the experimental data in the both reaction.

  3. Theoretical study of γ-aminobutyric acid conformers: Intramolecular interactions and ionization energies

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Ke-Dong; Wang, Mei-Ting; Meng, Ju

    2014-10-01

    Allowing for all combinations of internal single-bond rotamers, 1,296 unique trial structures of γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) are obtained. All of these structures are optimized at the M06-2X level of theory and a total of 68 local minimal conformers are found. The nine low-lying conformers are used for further studies. According to the calculated relative Gibbs free energies at M06-2X level of theory, we find that the dispersion is important for the relative energy of GABA. The intramolecular hydrogen bonds and hyperconjugative interaction and their effects on the conformational stability are studied. The results show that both of them have great influence on the conformers. The vertical ionization energies (VIE) are calculated and match the experimental data well. The results show that the neutral GABA in the gas phase is a multi-conformer system and at least four conformations exist.

  4. Protein binding of N-2-mercaptoethyl-1,3-diaminopropane via mixed disulfide formation after oral administration of WR 2721

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Tabachnik, N.F.; Blackburn, P.; Peterson, C.M.; Cerami, A.

    1982-02-01

    Earlier studies have shown that WR 2721 (H2N-(CH2)3-NH(CH2)2SPO3H2) is converted to its free thiol form, N-2-mercaptoethyl-1,3-diaminopropane (MDP), at the acidic pH of the stomach. MDP is a radioprotective compound and a mucolytic agent capable of decreasing sputum viscosity in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. Conversion of WR 2721 and MDP to the corresponding sulfonic acid (MDP-SO3H) permits quantitative determination of these compounds in physiological fluids by use of an automatic amino acid analyzer. After oral administration of WR 2721 to human patients and rabbits it is converted to MDP and the free thiol form of the drug associates with plasma proteins by mixed disulfide linkage. The plasma proteins serve as a depot and reservoir of MDP for potential exchange at the tissues. When incubated with whole sputum or with purified mucin solutions in vitro, MDP decreased the viscosity of these solutions by reduction of the accessible disulfide bonds of the mucin molecule and was subsequently found in mixed disulfide association with the mucin molecule. The association of MDP with proteins via mixed disulfide linkage has important implications for the development of optimal dose regimens for administration of WR 2721 to patients.

  5. Protein binding of N-2-mercaptoethyl-1,3-diaminopropane via mixed disulfide formation after oral administration of WR 2721

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tabachnik, N.F.; Blackburn, P.; Peterson, C.M.; Cerami, A.

    1982-01-01

    Earlier studies have shown that WR 2721 [H2N-(CH2)3-NH(CH2)2SPO3H2] is converted to its free thiol form, N-2-mercaptoethyl-1,3-diaminopropane (MDP), at the acidic pH of the stomach. MDP is a radioprotective compound and a mucolytic agent capable of decreasing sputum viscosity in the lungs of patients with cystic fibrosis. Conversion of WR 2721 and MDP to the corresponding sulfonic acid (MDP-SO3H) permits quantitative determination of these compounds in physiological fluids by use of an automatic amino acid analyzer. After oral administration of WR 2721 to human patients and rabbits it is converted to MDP and the free thiol form of the drug associates with plasma proteins by mixed disulfide linkage. The plasma proteins serve as a depot and reservoir of MDP for potential exchange at the tissues. When incubated with whole sputum or with purified mucin solutions in vitro, MDP decreased the viscosity of these solutions by reduction of the accessible disulfide bonds of the mucin molecule and was subsequently found in mixed disulfide association with the mucin molecule. The association of MDP with proteins via mixed disulfide linkage has important implications for the development of optimal dose regimens for administration of WR 2721 to patients

  6. Excited state Intramolecular Proton Transfer in Anthralin

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Møller, Søren; Andersen, Kristine B.; Spanget-Larsen, Jens

    1998-01-01

    Quantum chemical calculations performed on anthralin (1,8-dihydroxy-9(10H)-anthracenone) predict the possibility of an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer process. Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of the compound dissolved in n-hexane at ambient temperature results in an unus......Quantum chemical calculations performed on anthralin (1,8-dihydroxy-9(10H)-anthracenone) predict the possibility of an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer process. Fluorescence excitation and emission spectra of the compound dissolved in n-hexane at ambient temperature results......, associated with an excited-state intramolecular proton transfer process....

  7. Radioiodine-labeled disulfide: a novel radiotracer for evaluation of tumor uptake

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ryu, E. K.; Choi, Y. S.; Byun, S. S.; Baek, J. Y.; Lee, K. H.; Kim, S. E.; Choi, Y.; Kim, B. T. [Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

    2002-07-01

    Diallyl disulfide found in garlic has been known to inhibit the growth of various cancer cells. In this study, iodine-substituted disulfides were synthesized and their growth inhibitory effects on cancer cells (SUN C5 and MCF-7) were investigated. Dibenzyl disulfide was labeled with {sup 123}I/{sup 125}I for evaluation of tumor uptake. Halogen-substituted disulfides were synthesized using 2,2'-dithiobis(benzothiazole) and one equivalent each of the corresponding thiols. Growth inhibition studies were performed on cancer cells that were grown at 37 .deg. C for 48 hr prior to exposure to the disulfides. Radioiodine-labeled disulfide was prepared by halogen exchange reaction on the 4-bromodibenzyl disulfide in the presence of Na{sup 123}I/{sup 125}I and CuCl at 150 .deg. C for 60 min, followed by HPLC purification. Uptake of the radioactivity to SUN C5 cells was measured as a function of time, and inhibition studies were performed in the presence of either S-methyl methanethiosulfonate (MMTS) or diallyl disulfide. Disulfides were synthesized in the high yields (90%). Tumor growth inhibition studies by the 3 iododisulfides showed the inhibition (>95%) comparable to diallyl disulfide (100%). Cu(I)-assisted radioiodination gave 4-{sup 123}I/{sup 125}I-iododibenzyl disulfide in overall 30-40% radiochemical yield and with high specific activity. Cell uptake studies of the radiolabeled disulfide showed a time-dependent increase of the uptake (4-fold increase from 15 min to 2 hr). Both MMTS, a glutathione depleting agent, and diallyl disulfide reduced the uptake of the radioactivity in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition studies suggest that uptake of disulfide to the tumor cells could be mediated by thiol-disulfide exchange. This study demonstrates that radioiodine-labeled dibenzyl disulfide may be useful for evaluation of tumor uptake.

  8. Molecular basis for the redox control of nuclear transport of the structural chromatin protein Hmgb1

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hoppe, George; Talcott, Katherine E.; Bhattacharya, Sanjoy K.; Crabb, John W.; Sears, Jonathan E.

    2006-01-01

    Oxidative stress can induce a covalent disulfide bond between protein and peptide thiols that is reversible through enzymatic catalysis. This process provides a post-translational mechanism for control of protein function and may also protect thiol groups from irreversible oxidation. High mobility group protein B1 (Hmgb1), a DNA-binding structural chromosomal protein and transcriptional co-activator was identified as a substrate of glutaredoxin. Hmgb1 contains 3 cysteines, Cys23, 45, and 106. In mild oxidative conditions, Cys23 and Cys45 readily form an intramolecular disulfide bridge, whereas Cys106 remains in the reduced form. The disulfide bond between Cys23 and Cys45 is a target of glutathione-dependent reduction by glutaredoxin. Endogenous Hmgb1 as well as GFP-tagged wild-type Hmgb1 co-localize in the nucleus of CHO cells. While replacement of Hmgb1 Cys23 and/or 45 with serines did not affect the nuclear distribution of the mutant proteins, Cys106-to-Ser and triple cysteine mutations impaired nuclear localization of Hmgb1. Our cysteine targeted mutational analysis suggests that Cys23 and 45 induce conformational changes in response to oxidative stress, whereas Cys106 appears to be critical for the nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of Hmgb1

  9. Methods of measuring Protein Disulfide Isomerase activity: a critical overview

    Science.gov (United States)

    Watanabe, Monica; Laurindo, Francisco; Fernandes, Denise

    2014-09-01

    Protein disulfide isomerase is an essential redox chaperone from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and is responsible for correct disulfide bond formation in nascent proteins. PDI is also found in other cellular locations in the cell, particularly the cell surface. Overall, PDI contributes to ER and global cell redox homeostasis and signaling. The knowledge about PDI structure and function progressed substantially based on in vitro studies using recombinant PDI and chimeric proteins. In these experimental scenarios, PDI reductase and chaperone activities are readily approachable. In contrast, assays to measure PDI isomerase activity, the hallmark of PDI family, are more complex. Assessment of PDI roles in cells and tissues mainly relies on gain- or loss-of-function studies. However, there is limited information regarding correlation of experimental readouts with the distinct types of PDI activities. In this mini-review, we evaluate the main methods described for measuring the different kinds of PDI activity: thiol reductase, thiol oxidase, thiol isomerase and chaperone. We emphasize the need to use appropriate controls and the role of critical interferents (e.g., detergent, presence of reducing agents). We also discuss the translation of results from in vitro studies with purified recombinant PDI to cellular and tissue samples, with critical comments on the interpretation of results.

  10. Dynamic combinatorial chemistry with diselenides and disulfides in water

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Rasmussen, Brian; Sørensen, Anne; Gotfredsen, Henrik

    2014-01-01

    Diselenide exchange is introduced as a reversible reaction in dynamic combinatorial chemistry in water. At neutral pH, diselenides are found to mix with disulfides and form dynamic combinatorial libraries of diselenides, disulfides, and selenenylsulfides. This journal is......Diselenide exchange is introduced as a reversible reaction in dynamic combinatorial chemistry in water. At neutral pH, diselenides are found to mix with disulfides and form dynamic combinatorial libraries of diselenides, disulfides, and selenenylsulfides. This journal is...

  11. Identification of a disulfide bridge important for transport function of SNAT4 neutral amino acid transporter.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Rugmani Padmanabhan Iyer

    Full Text Available SNAT4 is a member of system N/A amino acid transport family that primarily expresses in liver and muscles and mediates the transport of L-alanine. However, little is known about the structure and function of the SNAT family of transporters. In this study, we showed a dose-dependent inhibition in transporter activity of SNAT4 with the treatment of reducing agents, dithiothreitol (DTT and Tris(2-carboxyethylphosphine (TCEP, indicating the possible involvement of disulfide bridge(s. Mutation of residue Cys-232, and the two highly conserved residues Cys-249 and Cys-321, compromised the transport function of SNAT4. However, this reduction was not caused by the decrease of SNAT4 on the cell surface since the cysteine-null mutant generated by replacing all five cysteines with alanine was equally capable of being expressed on the cell surface as wild-type SNAT4. Interestingly, by retaining two cysteine residues, 249 and 321, a significant level of L-alanine uptake was restored, indicating the possible formation of disulfide bond between these two conserved residues. Biotinylation crosslinking of free thiol groups with MTSEA-biotin provided direct evidence for the existence of a disulfide bridge between Cys-249 and Cys-321. Moreover, in the presence of DTT or TCEP, transport activity of the mutant retaining Cys-249 and Cys-321 was reduced in a dose-dependent manner and this reduction is gradually recovered with increased concentration of H2O2. Disruption of the disulfide bridge also decreased the transport of L-arginine, but to a lesser degree than that of L-alanine. Together, these results suggest that cysteine residues 249 and 321 form a disulfide bridge, which plays an important role in substrate transport but has no effect on trafficking of SNAT4 to the cell surface.

  12. Insights into the Intramolecular Properties of η6-Arene-Ru-Based Anticancer Complexes Using Quantum Calculations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Adebayo A. Adeniyi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available The factors that determine the stability and the effects of noncovalent interaction on the η6-arene ruthenium anticancer complexes are determined using DFT method. The intramolecular and intra-atomic properties were computed for two models of these half-sandwich ruthenium anticancer complexes and their respective hydrated forms. The results showed that the stability of these complexes depends largely on the network of hydrogen bonds (HB, strong nature of charge transfer, polarizability, and electrostatic energies that exist within the complexes. The hydrogen bonds strength was found to be related to the reported anticancer activities and the activation of the complexes by hydration. The metal–ligand bonds were found to be closed shell systems that are characterised by high positive Laplacian values of electron density. Two of the complexes are found to be predominantly characterised by LMCT while the other two are predominately characterised by MLCT.

  13. The dimers of glyoxal and acrolein with H 2O and HF: Negative intramolecular coupling and blue-shifted C-H stretch

    Science.gov (United States)

    Karpfen, Alfred; Kryachko, Eugene S.

    2010-04-01

    The structures and the vibrational spectra of the hydrogen-bonded complexes: glyoxal-H 2O, glyoxal-HF, acrolein-H 2O, and acrolein-HF, are investigated within the MP2/aug-cc-pVTZ computational approach. It is demonstrated that the calculated blue shifts of the C-H stretching frequencies in the glyoxal-H 2O complexes are only indirectly pertinent to hydrogen bonding to the C-H group. The comparison with the glyoxal-HF and the acrolein-HF complexes reveals that these blue shifts are a direct consequence of a negative intramolecular coupling between vicinal C dbnd O and C-H bonds in the aldehyde groups of isolated glyoxal and acrolein molecules. To support this interpretation, the halogen-bonded complexes glyoxal-BrF and acrolein-BrF are discussed.

  14. 11-Hydroxyundecyl octadecyl disulfide self-assembled monolayers on Au(1 1 1)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albayrak, Erol [Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir 40000 (Turkey); Karabuga, Semistan [Department of Chemistry, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş 46030 (Turkey); Bracco, Gianangelo [CNR-IMEM and Department of Physics, University of Genoa, via Dodecaneso 33, Genoa 16146 (Italy); Danışman, M. Fatih, E-mail: danisman@metu.edu.tr [Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800 (Turkey)

    2014-08-30

    Highlights: • 11-Hydroxyundecyl octadecyl disulfide self-assembled monolayers on Au(1 1 1) surface were grown by supersonic molecular beam deposition. • Two different lying down monolayer phases were observed depending on the substrate temperature. • High temperature monolayer phase has a diffraction pattern similar to that of mercaptoundecanol SAMs. • Desorption from several different chemisorbed and physisorbed states were observed. - Abstract: Here, we report a helium atom diffraction study of 11-hydroxyundecyl octadecyl disulfide (CH{sub 3}-(CH{sub 2}){sub 17}-S-S-(CH{sub 2}){sub 11}-OH, HOD) self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) produced by supersonic molecular beam deposition (SMBD). Two different lying down monolayer phases were observed depending on the substrate temperature. At low temperatures a poorly ordered phase was observed, while the diffraction patterns of the film grown at high temperatures were similar to that of mercaptoundecanol (MUD) SAMs reported previously in the literature. The transition from the low temperature phase to the high temperature phase is due to S-S bond cleavage at the surface. Desorption from several different chemisorbed and physisorbed states were observed with energies in the same range as observed for MUD and octadecanelthiol (ODT) SAMs.

  15. Effects of hydrogen bonds on solid state TATB, RDX, and DATB under high pressures

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Guo Feng; Hu Hai-Quan; Zhang Hong; Cheng Xin-Lu

    2014-01-01

    To probe the behavior of hydrogen bonds in solid energetic materials, we conduct ReaxFF and SCC–DFTB molecular dynamics simulations of crystalline TATB, RDX, and DATB. By comparing the intra- and inter-molecular hydrogen bonding rates, we find that the crystal structures are stabilized by inter-molecular hydrogen bond networks. Under high-pressure, the inter- and intra-molecular hydrogen bonds in solid TATB and DATB are nearly equivalent. The hydrogen bonds in solid TATB and DATB are much shorter than in solid RDX, which suggests strong hydrogen bond interactions existing in these energetic materials. Stretching of the C–H bond is observed in solid RDX, which may lead to further decomposition and even detonation. (condensed matter: structural, mechanical, and thermal properties)

  16. Steric effects in peptide and protein exchange with activated disulfides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kerr, Jason; Schlosser, Jessica L; Griffin, Donald R; Wong, Darice Y; Kasko, Andrea M

    2013-08-12

    Disulfide exchange is an important bioconjugation tool, enabling chemical modification of peptides and proteins containing free cysteines. We previously reported the synthesis of a macromer bearing an activated disulfide and its incorporation into hydrogels. Despite their ability to diffuse freely into hydrogels, larger proteins were unable to undergo in-gel disulfide exchange. In order to understand this phenomenon, we synthesized four different activated disulfide-bearing model compounds (Mn = 300 Da to 10 kDa) and quantified their rate of disulfide exchange with a small peptide (glutathione), a moderate-sized protein (β-lactoglobulin), and a large protein (bovine serum albumin) in four different pH solutions (6.0, 7.0, 7.4, and 8.0) to mimic biological systems. Rate constants of exchange depend significantly on the size and accessibility of the thiolate. pH also significantly affects the rate of reaction, with the faster reactions occurring at higher pH. Surprisingly, little difference in exchange rates is seen between macromolecular disulfides of varying size (Mn = 2 kDa - 10 kDa), although all undergo exchange more slowly than their small molecule analogue (MW = 300 g/mol). The maximum exchange efficiencies (% disulfides exchanged after 24 h) are not siginificantly affected by thiol size or pH, but somewhat affected by disulfide size. Therefore, while all three factors investigated (pH, disulfide size, and thiolate size) can influence the exchange kinetics and extent of reaction, the size of the thiolate and its accessibility plays the most significant role.

  17. Chemoreactomic analysis of thiamine disulfide, thiamine hydrochloride, and benfotiamine molecules

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    O. A. Gromova

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective: to analyze the interactions that could indicate the potential pharmacological properties of the molecules of thiamin, thiamine disulfide, and others.Material and methods. The investigators simulated the properties of thiamine disulfide (bistiamin versus those of the reference molecules of thiamin hydrochloride and benfotiamine. The study was performed using chemoreactomic simulation that is the newest area in post-genome pharmacology.Results and discussion. Chemoreactomic analysis has shown that thiamine disulfide can inhibit the molecular receptors involved in blood pressure regulation: adrenoceptors, vasopressin receptor, and angiotensin receptor. Thiamine disulfide can inhibit the reuptake of serotonin, increase its levels, inhibit benzodiazepine receptor and dopamine reuptake, and enhance neuronal acetylcholine release to a large extent than benfotiamine. These molecular effects are consistent with the sedative and anticonvulsant action profile of thiamine disulfide. Simulation has indicated that thiamine disulfide has neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, normolipidemic, and antitumor activities.Conclusion. The simulation results are confirmed by the available clinical and experimental findings and indicate the virtually unstudied molecular mechanisms of action of thiamine disulfide, benfotiamine, and thiamin hydrochloride. 

  18. Functional Role of the Disulfide Isomerase ERp57 in Axonal Regeneration.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valentina Castillo

    Full Text Available ERp57 (also known as grp58 and PDIA3 is a protein disulfide isomerase that catalyzes disulfide bonds formation of glycoproteins as part of the calnexin and calreticulin cycle. ERp57 is markedly upregulated in most common neurodegenerative diseases downstream of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER stress response. Despite accumulating correlative evidence supporting a neuroprotective role of ERp57, the contribution of this foldase to the physiology of the nervous system remains unknown. Here we developed a transgenic mouse model that overexpresses ERp57 in the nervous system under the control of the prion promoter. We analyzed the susceptibility of ERp57 transgenic mice to undergo neurodegeneration. Unexpectedly, ERp57 overexpression did not affect dopaminergic neuron loss and striatal denervation after injection of a Parkinson's disease-inducing neurotoxin. In sharp contrast, ERp57 transgenic animals presented enhanced locomotor recovery after mechanical injury to the sciatic nerve. These protective effects were associated with enhanced myelin removal, macrophage infiltration and axonal regeneration. Our results suggest that ERp57 specifically contributes to peripheral nerve regeneration, whereas its activity is dispensable for the survival of a specific neuronal population of the central nervous system. These results demonstrate for the first time a functional role of a component of the ER proteostasis network in peripheral nerve regeneration.

  19. Impaired Thiol-Disulfide Balance in Acute Brucellosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kolgelier, Servet; Ergin, Merve; Demir, Lutfi Saltuk; Inkaya, Ahmet Cagkan; Aktug Demir, Nazlim; Alisik, Murat; Erel, Ozcan

    2017-05-24

    The objective of this study was to examine a novel profile: thiol-disulfide homeostasis in acute brucellosis. The study included 90 patients with acute brucellosis, and 27 healthy controls. Thiol-disulfide profile tests were analyzed by a recently developed method, and ceruloplasmin levels were determined. Native thiol levels were 256.72 ± 48.20 μmol/L in the acute brucellosis group and 461.13 ± 45.37 μmol/L in the healthy group, and total thiol levels were 298.58 ± 51.78 μmol/L in the acute brucellosis group and 504.83 ± 51.05 μmol/L in the healthy group (p brucellosis than in the healthy controls (p brucellosis. The strong associations between thiol-disulfide parameters and a positive acute-phase reactant reflected the disruption of the balance between the antioxidant and oxidant systems. Since thiol groups act as anti-inflammatory mediators, the alteration in the thiol-disulfide homeostasis may be involved in brucellosis.

  20. Two-pulse laser control of bond-selective fragmentation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Amstrup, Bjarne; Henriksen, Niels Engholm

    1996-01-01

    We elaborate on a two-pulse (pump-pump) laser control scheme for selective bond-breaking in molecules [Amstrup and Henriksen, J. Chem. Phys. 97, 8285 (1992)]. We show, in particular, that with this scheme one can overcome the obstacle of intramolecular vibrational relaxation. As an example, we...... consider an ozone molecule with isotopic substitution, that is, (OOO)-O-16-O-16-O-18. It is shown that asymmetric bond stretching can be created in simple (intense) laser fields. We predict that an alternating high selectivity between the channels O-16+(OO)-O-16-O-18 and (OO)-O-16-O-16+ O-18 can...

  1. NMR and IR investigations of strong intramolecular hydrogen bonds

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Poul Erik; Spanget-Larsen, Jens

    2017-01-01

    been used as a parameter for hydrogen bond strength in O–H···O systems. On a broad scale, a correlation between OH stretching wavenumbers and O···O distances is observed, as demonstrated experimentally as well as theoretically, but for substituted beta-diketone enols this correlation is relatively weak.......–1, and 19 >  dOH > 15 ppm. Recent results as well as an account of theoretical advances are presented for a series of important classes of compounds such as beta-diketone enols, beta-thioxoketone enols, Mannich bases, proton sponges, quinoline N-oxides and diacid anions. The O···O distance has long...

  2. A concise, efficient synthesis of sugar-based benzothiazoles through chemoselective intramolecular C-S coupling

    KAUST Repository

    Shen, Chao

    2012-01-01

    Sugar-based benzothiazoles are a new class of molecules promising for many biological applications. Here, we have synthesized a wide range of sugar-based benzothiazoles from readily accessible glycosyl thioureas by chemoselective, palladium-catalyzed C-S coupling reactions. Corroborated by theoretical calculations, a mechanistic investigation indicates that the coordination to the palladium by a pivaloyl carbonyl group and the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding play important roles in the efficiency and chemoselectivity of reaction. These fluorescent glycoconjugates can be observed to readily enter mammalian tumor cells and exhibit potential in vitro antitumor activity. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012.

  3. Activation of Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutase in the absence of oxygen and the copper chaperone CCS.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leitch, Jeffry M; Jensen, Laran T; Bouldin, Samantha D; Outten, Caryn E; Hart, P John; Culotta, Valeria C

    2009-08-14

    Eukaryotic Cu,Zn-superoxide dismutases (SOD1s) are generally thought to acquire the essential copper cofactor and intramolecular disulfide bond through the action of the CCS copper chaperone. However, several metazoan SOD1s have been shown to acquire activity in vivo in the absence of CCS, and the Cu,Zn-SOD from Caenorhabditis elegans has evolved complete independence from CCS. To investigate SOD1 activation in the absence of CCS, we compared and contrasted the CCS-independent activation of C. elegans and human SOD1 to the strict CCS-dependent activation of Saccharomyces cerevisiae SOD1. Using a yeast expression system, both pathways were seen to acquire copper derived from cell surface transporters and compete for the same intracellular pool of copper. Like CCS, CCS-independent activation occurs rapidly with a preexisting pool of apo-SOD1 without the need for new protein synthesis. The two pathways, however, strongly diverge when assayed for the SOD1 disulfide. SOD1 molecules that are activated without CCS exhibit disulfide oxidation in vivo without oxygen and under copper-depleted conditions. The strict requirement for copper, oxygen, and CCS in disulfide bond oxidation appears exclusive to yeast SOD1, and we find that a unique proline at position 144 in yeast SOD1 is responsible for this disulfide effect. CCS-dependent and -independent pathways also exhibit differential requirements for molecular oxygen. CCS activation of SOD1 requires oxygen, whereas the CCS-independent pathway is able to activate SOD1s even under anaerobic conditions. In this manner, Cu,Zn-SOD from metazoans may retain activity over a wide range of physiological oxygen tensions.

  4. A novel and facile decay path of Criegee intermediates by intramolecular insertion reactions via roaming transition states

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nguyen, Trong-Nghia; Putikam, Raghunath; Lin, M. C.

    2015-01-01

    We have discovered a new and highly competitive product channel in the unimolecular decay process for small Criegee intermediates, CH 2 OO and anti/syn-CH 3 C(H)OO, occurring by intramolecular insertion reactions via a roaming-like transition state (TS) based on quantum-chemical calculations. Our results show that in the decomposition of CH 2 OO and anti-CH 3 C(H)OO, the predominant paths directly produce cis-HC(O)OH and syn-CH 3 C(O)OH acids with >110 kcal/mol exothermicities via loose roaming-like insertion TSs involving the terminal O atom and the neighboring C–H bonds. For syn-CH 3 C(H)OO, the major decomposition channel occurs by abstraction of a H atom from the CH 3 group by the terminal O atom producing CH 2 C(H)O–OH. At 298 K, the intramolecular insertion process in CH 2 OO was found to be 600 times faster than the commonly assumed ring-closing reaction

  5. Construction of Azabicyclo[6.4.0]dodecatrienes Based on Rhodium(I)-Catalyzed Intramolecular [6+2] Cycloaddition between Azetidine, Allene, and Alkynes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yasuda, Shigeo; Yokosawa, Haruna; Mukai, Chisato

    2016-01-01

    Treatment of the allenylazetidine-alkynes with a catalytic amount of [RhCl(CO)dppp]2 (dppp: 1,3-bis(diphenylphosphino)propane) effected the intramolecular hetero-[6+2]-type ring-closing reaction via the C-C bond cleavage of the azetidine ring to produce azabicyclo[6.4.0]dodecatriene derivatives in good to excellent yields. The formation of the oxa analogue could also be achieved.

  6. Crystal structure and hydrogen bonding in N-(1-deoxy-β-d-fructopyranos-1-yl-2-aminoisobutyric acid

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeri V. Mossine

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available The title compound, alternatively called d-fructose-2-aminoisobutyric acid (FruAib, C10H19NO7, (I, crystallizes exclusively in the β-pyranose form, with two conformationally non-equivalent molecules [(IA and (IB] in the asymmetric unit. In solution, FruAib establishes an equilibrium, with 75.6% of the population consisting of β-pyranose, 10.4% β-furanose, 10.1% α-furanose, 3.0% α-pyranose and <0.7% the acyclic forms. The carbohydrate ring in (I has the normal 2C5 chair conformation and the amino acid portion is in the zwitterion form. Bond lengths and valence angles compare well with the average values from related pyranose structures. All carboxyl, hydroxy and ammonium groups are involved in hydrogen bonding and form a three-dimensional network of infinite chains that are connected through homodromic rings and short chains. Intramolecular hydrogen bonds bridge the amino acid and sugar portions in both molecules. A comparative Hirshfeld surfaces analysis of FruAib and four other sugar–amino acids suggests an increasing role of intramolecular heteroatom interactions in crystal structures with an increasing proportion of C—H bonds.

  7. Conformational Effects through Hydrogen Bonding in a Constrained γ-Peptide Template: From Intraresidue Seven-Membered Rings to a Gel-Forming Sheet Structure.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Awada, Hawraà; Grison, Claire M; Charnay-Pouget, Florence; Baltaze, Jean-Pierre; Brisset, François; Guillot, Régis; Robin, Sylvie; Hachem, Ali; Jaber, Nada; Naoufal, Daoud; Yazbeck, Ogaritte; Aitken, David J

    2017-05-05

    A series of three short oligomers (di-, tri-, and tetramers) of cis-2-(aminomethyl)cyclobutane carboxylic acid, a γ-amino acid featuring a cyclobutane ring constraint, were prepared, and their conformational behavior was examined spectroscopically and by molecular modeling. In dilute solutions, these peptides showed a number of low-energy conformers, including ribbonlike structures pleated around a rarely observed series of intramolecular seven-membered hydrogen bonds. In more concentrated solutions, these interactions defer to an organized supramolecular assembly, leading to thermoreversible organogel formation notably for the tripeptide, which produced fibrillar xerogels. In the solid state, the dipeptide adopted a fully extended conformation featuring a one-dimensional network of intermolecularly H-bonded molecules stacked in an antiparallel sheet alignment. This work provides unique insight into the interplay between inter- and intramolecular H-bonded conformer topologies for the same peptide template.

  8. Brain MRI findings of carbon disulfide poisoning

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cha, Joo Hee; Kim, Mi Jung; Yim, Sang Hyuk; Kim, Sam Soo; Han, Heon; Kim, Rok Ho

    2002-01-01

    To evaluate the findings of brain MRI in patients with carbon disulfide poisoning. Ninety-one patients who had suffered carbon disulfide poisoning [male:female=87:4; age, 32-74 (mean 53.3) years] were included in this study. To determine the extent of white matter hyperintensity (Grade 0-V) and lacunar infarction, T2-weighted MR imaging of the brain was performed. T2-weighted images depicted white matter hyperintensity in 70 patients (76.9%) and lacunar infarcts in 27 (29.7%). In these patients, the prevalent findings at T2-weighted MR imaging of the brain were white matter hyperintensity and lacunar infarcts. Disturbance of the cardiovascular system by carbon disulfide might account for these results

  9. Twisted intramolecular charge transfer investigation of semi organic L-Glutamic acid hydrochloride single crystal for organic light-emitting and optical limiting applications

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joy, Lija K.; George, Merin; Alex, Javeesh; Aravind, Arun; Sajan, D.; Vinitha, G.

    2018-03-01

    Single crystals of L-Glutamic acid hydrochloride (LGHCl) were grown by slow evaporation solution technique and good crystalline perfection was confirmed by Powder X-ray diffraction studies. The complete vibrational studies of the compound were analyzed by FT-IR, FT-Raman and UV-visible spectra combined with Normal Coordinate Analysis (NCA) following the scaled quantum mechanical force field methodology and density functional theory (DFT). Twisted Intramolecular Charge Transfer (ICT) occurs due to the presence of strong ionic intra-molecular Nsbnd H⋯O hydrogen bonding was confirmed by Hirshfeld Surface analysis. The existence of intermolecular Nsbnd H⋯Cl hydrogen bonds due to the interaction between the lone pair of oxygen with the antibonding orbital was established by NBO analysis. The Z-scan result indicated that the title molecule exhibits saturable absorption behavior. The attractive third-order nonlinear properties suggest that LGHCl can be a promising candidate for the design and development devices for optical limiting applications. LGHCL exhibits distinct emission in the blue region of the fluorescence lifetime which proves to be a potential candidate for blue- Organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) fabrication.

  10. Multimolecular Salivary Mucin Complex Is Altered in Saliva of Cigarette Smokers: Detection of Disulfide Bridges by Raman Spectroscopy

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Motoe Taniguchi

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Saliva contains mucins, which protect epithelial cells. We showed a smaller amount of salivary mucin, both MG1 and MG2, in the premenopausal female smokers than in their nonsmoking counterparts. Smokers' MG1, which contains almost 2% cysteine/half cystine in its amino acid residues, turned out to be chemically altered in the nonsmoker’s saliva. The smaller acidic glycoprotein bands were detectable only in smoker’s saliva in the range of 20–25 kDa and at 45 kDa, suggesting that degradation, at least in part, caused the reduction of MG1 mucin. This is in agreement with the previous finding that free radicals in cigarette smoke modify mucins in both sugar and protein moieties. Moreover, proteins such as amylase and albumin are bound to other proteins through disulfide bonds and are identifiable only after reduction with DTT. Confocal laser Raman microspectroscopy identified a disulfide stretch band of significantly stronger intensity per protein in the stimulated saliva of smokers alone. We conclude that the saliva of smokers, especially stimulated saliva, contains significantly more oxidized form of proteins with increased disulfide bridges, that reduces protection for oral epithelium. Raman microspectroscopy can be used for an easy detection of the damaged salivary proteins.

  11. Hydrogen bonds of sodium alginate/Antarctic krill protein composite material.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yang, Lijun; Guo, Jing; Yu, Yue; An, Qingda; Wang, Liyan; Li, Shenglin; Huang, Xuelin; Mu, Siyang; Qi, Shanwei

    2016-05-20

    Sodium alginate/Antarctic krill protein composite material (SA/AKP) was successfully obtained by blending method. The hydrogen bonds of SA/AKP composite material were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and Nuclear magnetic resonance hydrogen spectrum (HNMR). Experiment manifested the existence of intermolecular and intramolecular hydrogen bonds in SA/AKP system; strength of intermolecular hydrogen bond enhanced with the increase of AKP in the composite material and the interaction strength of hydrogen bonding followed the order: OH…Ether O>OH…π>OH…N. The percentage of intermolecular hydrogen bond decreased with increase of pH. At the same time, the effect of hydrogen bonds on properties of the composite material was discussed. The increase of intermolecular hydrogen bonding led to the decrease of crystallinity, increase of apparent viscosity and surface tension, as well as obvious decrease of heat resistance of SA/AKP composite material. SA/AKP fiber SEM images and energy spectrum showed that crystallized salt was separated from the fiber, which possibly led to the fibrillation of the composite fibers. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Ero1-PDI interactions, the response to redox flux and the implications for disulfide bond formation in the mammalian endoplasmic reticulum

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Benham, A.M.; Lith, M. van; Sitia, R.; Braakman, I.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/073923737

    2013-01-01

    The protein folding machinery of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) ensures that proteins entering the eukaryotic secretory pathway acquire appropriate post-translational modifications and reach a stably folded state. An important component of this protein folding process is the supply of disulfide

  13. The Origin of the Non-Additivity in Resonance-Assisted Hydrogen Bond Systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Xuhui; Zhang, Huaiyu; Jiang, Xiaoyu; Wu, Wei; Mo, Yirong

    2017-11-09

    The concept of resonance-assisted hydrogen bond (RAHB) has been widely accepted, and its impact on structures and energetics can be best studied computationally using the block-localized wave function (BLW) method, which is a variant of ab initio valence bond (VB) theory and able to derive strictly electron-localized structures self-consistently. In this work, we use the BLW method to examine a few molecules that result from the merging of two malonaldehyde molecules. As each of these molecules contains two hydrogen bonds, these intramolecular hydrogen bonds may be cooperative or anticooperative, depended on their relative orientations, and compared with the hydrogen bond in malonaldehyde. Apart from quantitatively confirming the concept of RAHB, the comparison of the computations with and without π resonance shows that both σ-framework and π-resonance contribute to the nonadditivity in these RAHB systems with multiple hydrogen bonds.

  14. Fused-Ring Formation by an Intramolecular "Cut-and-Sew" Reaction between Cyclobutanones and Alkynes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deng, Lin; Jin, Likun; Dong, Guangbin

    2018-03-01

    The development of a catalytic intramolecular "cut-and-sew" transformation between cyclobutanones and alkynes to construct cyclohexenone-fused rings is described herein. The challenge arises from the need for selective coupling at the more sterically hindered proximal position, and can be addressed by using an electron-rich, but less bulky, phosphine ligand. The control experiment and 13 C-labelling study suggest that the reaction may start with cleavage of the less hindered distal C-C bond of cyclobutanones, followed by decarbonylation and CO reinsertion to enable Rh insertion at the more hindered proximal position. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding in N-salicylideneaniline: FT-IR spectrum and quantum chemical calculations

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moosavi-Tekyeh, Zainab; Dastani, Najmeh

    2015-12-01

    FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra of N-salicylideneaniline (SAn) and its deuterated analogue (D-SAn) are recorded, and the theoretical calculations are performed on their molecular structures and vibrational frequencies. The same calculations are performed for SAn in different solutions using the polarizable conductor continuum model (CPCM) method. Comparisons between the spectra obtained and the corresponding theoretical calculations are used to assign the vibrational frequencies for these compounds. The spectral behavior of SAn upon deuteration is also used to distinguish the positions of OH vibrational frequencies. The hydrogen bond strength of SAn is investigated by applying the atoms-in-molecules (AIM) theory, natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, and geometry calculations. The harmonic vibrational frequencies of SAn are calculated at B3LYP and X3LYP levels of theory using 6-31G*, 6-311G**, and 6-311++G** basis sets. The AIM results support a medium hydrogen bonding in SAn. The observed νOH/νOD and γOH/γOD for SAn appear at 2940/2122 and 830/589 cm-1, respectively.

  16. Measurement of glutathione-protein mixed disulfides

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Livesey, J.C.; Reed, D.J.

    1984-01-01

    The development of a sensitive and highly specific assay for the presence of mixed disulfides between protein thiol groups and endogenous thiols has been undertaken. Previous investigations on the concentrations of glutathione (GSH), glutathione disulfide (GSSG) and protein glutathione mixed disulfides (ProSSG) have been of limited usefulness because of the poor specificity of the assays used. Our assay for these forms of glutathione is based on high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and is an extension of an earlier method. After perchloric acid precipitation, the protein sample is washed with an organic solvent to fully denature the protein. Up to a 10-fold increase in GSH released from fetal bovine serum (FBS) protein has been found when the protein precipitate is washed with ethanol rather than ether, as earlier suggested. Similar effects have been observed with an as yet unidentified thiol which elutes in the chromatography system with a retention volume similar to cysteine

  17. Structures and related properties of helical, disulfide-stabilized peptides

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pagel, Mark D. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

    1993-11-01

    The three dimensional structure of several peptides were determined by NMR spectroscopy and distance geometry calculations. Each peptide formed a predictable, rigid structure, consisting of an α-helix, a "scaffold" region which packed along one face of the helix, and two disulfide bridges which covalently connect the helix and scaffold regions. The peptide Apa-M5 was designed to constrain the M5 peptide from MLCK in a helical geometry using the apamin disulfide scaffold. This scaffold constrains the N- terminal end of the helix with two disulfide bridges and a reverse turn. Like the M5 peptide, Apa-M5 was found to bind calmodulin in a Ca2+-dependent 1:1 stoichiometry. However, the dissociation constant of the (Apa-M5)-calmodulin complex, 107 nM, was 100-fold higher than the dissociation constant of the M5-calmodulin complex. This difference was due to a putative steric overlap between the Apa-M5 scaffold and calmodulin. The peptide Apa-Cro was designed to replace the large structural protein matrix of λ Cro with the apamin disulfide scaffold. However, Apa-Cro did not bind the consensus DNA operator half-site of λ Cro, probably due to a steric overlap between the Apa-Cro disulfide framework and the DNA. The amino acid sequence of the scaffold-disulfide bridge arrangement of the peptide Max was derived from the core sequence of scyllatoxin, which contains an α-helix constrained at the C-terminal end by two disulfide bridges and a two-stranded βsheet scaffold. Max was shown to fold with >84% yield to form a predictable, stable structure that is similar to scyllatoxin. The folding and stability properties of Max make this scaffold and disulfide bridge arrangement an ideal candidate for the development of hybrid sequence peptides. The dynamics of a fraying C-terminal end of the helix of the peptide Apa-AlaN was determined by analysis of 15N NMR relaxation properties.

  18. Structural differences between glycosylated, disulfide-linked heterodimeric Knob-into-Hole Fc fragment and its homodimeric Knob-Knob and Hole-Hole side products.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kuglstatter, A; Stihle, M; Neumann, C; Müller, C; Schaefer, W; Klein, C; Benz, J

    2017-09-01

    An increasing number of bispecific therapeutic antibodies are progressing through clinical development. The Knob-into-Hole (KiH) technology uses complementary mutations in the CH3 region of the antibody Fc fragment to achieve heavy chain heterodimerization. Here we describe the X-ray crystal structures of glycosylated and disulfide-engineered heterodimeric KiH Fc fragment and its homodimeric Knob-Knob and Hole-Hole side products. The heterodimer structure confirms the KiH design principle and supports the hypothesis that glycosylation stabilizes a closed Fc conformation. Both homodimer structures show parallel Fc fragment architectures, in contrast to recently reported crystal structures of the corresponding aglycosylated Fc fragments which in the absence of disulfide mutations show an unexpected antiparallel arrangement. The glycosylated Knob-Knob Fc fragment is destabilized as indicated by variability in the relative orientation of its CH3 domains. The glycosylated Hole-Hole Fc fragment shows an unexpected intermolecular disulfide bond via the introduced Y349C Hole mutation which results in a large CH3 domain shift and a new CH3-CH3 interface. The crystal structures of glycosylated, disulfide-linked KiH Fc fragment and its Knob-Knob and Hole-Hole side products reported here will facilitate further design of highly efficient antibody heterodimerization strategies. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  19. Molecular Dynamics Simulation of Barnase: Contribution of Noncovalent Intramolecular Interaction to Thermostability

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Zhiguo Chen

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Bacillus amyloliquefaciens ribonuclease Barnase (RNase Ba is a 12 kD (kilodalton small extracellular ribonuclease. It has broad application prospects in agriculture, clinical medicine, pharmaceutical, and so forth. In this work, the thermal stability of Barnase has been studied using molecular dynamics simulation at different temperatures. The present study focuses on the contribution of noncovalent intramolecular interaction to protein stability and how they affect the thermal stability of the enzyme. Profiles of root mean square deviation and root mean square fluctuation identify thermostable and thermosensitive regions of Barnase. Analyses of trajectories in terms of secondary structure content, intramolecular hydrogen bonds and salt bridge interactions indicate distinct differences in different temperature simulations. In the simulations, Four three-member salt bridge networks (Asp8-Arg110-Asp12, Arg83-Asp75-Arg87, Lys66-Asp93-Arg69, and Asp54-Lys27-Glu73 have been identified as critical salt bridges for thermostability which are maintained stably at higher temperature enhancing stability of three hydrophobic cores. The study may help enlighten our knowledge of protein structural properties, noncovalent interactions which can stabilize secondary peptide structures or promote folding, and also help understand their actions better. Such an understanding is required for designing efficient enzymes with characteristics for particular applications at desired working temperatures.

  20. Heat conduction in chain polymer liquids: molecular dynamics study on the contributions of inter- and intramolecular energy transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ohara, Taku; Yuan, Tan Chia; Torii, Daichi; Kikugawa, Gota; Kosugi, Naohiro

    2011-07-21

    In this paper, the molecular mechanisms which determine the thermal conductivity of long chain polymer liquids are discussed, based on the results observed in molecular dynamics simulations. Linear n-alkanes, which are typical polymer molecules, were chosen as the target of our studies. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations of bulk liquid n-alkanes under a constant temperature gradient were performed. Saturated liquids of n-alkanes with six different chain lengths were examined at the same reduced temperature (0.7T(c)), and the contributions of inter- and intramolecular energy transfer to heat conduction flux, which were identified as components of heat flux by the authors' previous study [J. Chem. Phys. 128, 044504 (2008)], were observed. The present study compared n-alkane liquids with various molecular lengths at the same reduced temperature and corresponding saturated densities, and found that the contribution of intramolecular energy transfer to the total heat flux, relative to that of intermolecular energy transfer, increased with the molecular length. The study revealed that in long chain polymer liquids, thermal energy is mainly transferred in the space along the stiff intramolecular bonds. This finding implies a connection between anisotropic thermal conductivity and the orientation of molecules in various organized structures with long polymer molecules aligned in a certain direction, which includes confined polymer liquids and self-organized structures such as membranes of amphiphilic molecules in water.

  1. Thiol/disulfide redox states in signaling and sensing

    Science.gov (United States)

    Go, Young-Mi; Jones, Dean P.

    2015-01-01

    Rapid advances in redox systems biology are creating new opportunities to understand complexities of human disease and contributions of environmental exposures. New understanding of thiol-disulfide systems have occurred during the past decade as a consequence of the discoveries that thiol and disulfide systems are maintained in kinetically controlled steady-states displaced from thermodynamic equilibrium, that a widely distributed family of NADPH oxidases produces oxidants that function in cell signaling, and that a family of peroxiredoxins utilize thioredoxin as a reductant to complement the well-studied glutathione antioxidant system for peroxide elimination and redox regulation. This review focuses on thiol/disulfide redox state in biologic systems and the knowledge base available to support development of integrated redox systems biology models to better understand the function and dysfunction of thiol-disulfide redox systems. In particular, central principles have emerged concerning redox compartmentalization and utility of thiol/disulfide redox measures as indicators of physiologic function. Advances in redox proteomics show that, in addition to functioning in protein active sites and cell signaling, cysteine residues also serve as redox sensors to integrate biologic functions. These advances provide a framework for translation of redox systems biology concepts to practical use in understanding and treating human disease. Biological responses to cadmium, a widespread environmental agent, are used to illustrate the utility of these advances to the understanding of complex pleiotropic toxicities. PMID:23356510

  2. Similarities between intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds in RNA kissing complexes found by means of cross-correlated relaxation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Dittmer, Jens; Kim, Chul-Hyun; Bodenhausen, Geoffrey

    2003-01-01

    The bond lengths and dynamics of intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds in an RNA kissing complex have been characterized by determining the NMR relaxation rates of various double- and triple-quantum coherences that involve an imino proton and two neighboring nitrogen-15 nuclei belonging to opposite bases. New experiments allow one to determine the chemical shift anisotropy of the imino protons. The bond lengths derived from dipolar relaxation and the lack of modulations of the nitrogen chemical shifts indicate that the intermolecular hydrogen bonds which hold the kissing complex together are very similar to the intramolecular hydrogen bonds in the double-stranded stem of the RNA

  3. Synthesis of Chromane Derivatives via Indium-mediated Intramolecular Allenylation and Allylation to Imines

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, Han Young; Yu, Yeon Kwon

    2004-01-01

    The results of preparing chromans by intramolecular allylation are shown in Table 2. The results indicated that the indium-mediated allylation was not as efficient as the allenylation. About 10-20% decrease in yields was observed. As mentioned above, in each case only a single isomer was observed, and the stereochemistry of the product was determined as cis by analysis of 1 H NMR and NOE spectra. There are, however, still some limitations in these transformations. Especially, in the case of allylation mixtures of cis and trans isomers are always produced in about 2 : 1 ratio (cis/trans). The ratio was not improved under the various reaction conditions we attempted. Since the indium-mediated addition to carbonyl groups has been successful, it occurred to us that it would be worthwhile to test the addition to carbon-nitrogen double bonds, that is, imine groups. We wish to report here the results of the investigations on allylation and allenylation to C=N bond to provide the chromane structures. The whole transformations

  4. A novel and facile decay path of Criegee intermediates by intramolecular insertion reactions via roaming transition states

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Nguyen, Trong-Nghia [Department of Applied Chemistry and Institute of Molecular Science, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China); Department of Physical Chemistry, Hanoi University of Science and Technology, Hanoi (Viet Nam); Putikam, Raghunath; Lin, M. C., E-mail: chemmcl@emory.edu [Department of Applied Chemistry and Institute of Molecular Science, National Chiao Tung University, Hsinchu 30010, Taiwan (China)

    2015-03-28

    We have discovered a new and highly competitive product channel in the unimolecular decay process for small Criegee intermediates, CH{sub 2}OO and anti/syn-CH{sub 3}C(H)OO, occurring by intramolecular insertion reactions via a roaming-like transition state (TS) based on quantum-chemical calculations. Our results show that in the decomposition of CH{sub 2}OO and anti-CH{sub 3}C(H)OO, the predominant paths directly produce cis-HC(O)OH and syn-CH{sub 3}C(O)OH acids with >110 kcal/mol exothermicities via loose roaming-like insertion TSs involving the terminal O atom and the neighboring C–H bonds. For syn-CH{sub 3}C(H)OO, the major decomposition channel occurs by abstraction of a H atom from the CH{sub 3} group by the terminal O atom producing CH{sub 2}C(H)O–OH. At 298 K, the intramolecular insertion process in CH{sub 2}OO was found to be 600 times faster than the commonly assumed ring-closing reaction.

  5. Phylogeny of the Vitamin K 2,3-Epoxide Reductase (VKOR) Family and Evolutionary Relationship to the Disulfide Bond Formation Protein B (DsbB) Family.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bevans, Carville G; Krettler, Christoph; Reinhart, Christoph; Watzka, Matthias; Oldenburg, Johannes

    2015-07-29

    In humans and other vertebrate animals, vitamin K 2,3-epoxide reductase (VKOR) family enzymes are the gatekeepers between nutritionally acquired K vitamins and the vitamin K cycle responsible for posttranslational modifications that confer biological activity upon vitamin K-dependent proteins with crucial roles in hemostasis, bone development and homeostasis, hormonal carbohydrate regulation and fertility. We report a phylogenetic analysis of the VKOR family that identifies five major clades. Combined phylogenetic and site-specific conservation analyses point to clade-specific similarities and differences in structure and function. We discovered a single-site determinant uniquely identifying VKOR homologs belonging to human pathogenic, obligate intracellular prokaryotes and protists. Building on previous work by Sevier et al. (Protein Science 14:1630), we analyzed structural data from both VKOR and prokaryotic disulfide bond formation protein B (DsbB) families and hypothesize an ancient evolutionary relationship between the two families where one family arose from the other through a gene duplication/deletion event. This has resulted in circular permutation of primary sequence threading through the four-helical bundle protein folds of both families. This is the first report of circular permutation relating distant a-helical membrane protein sequences and folds. In conclusion, we suggest a chronology for the evolution of the five extant VKOR clades.

  6. Quantifying the global cellular thiol-disulfide status

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Rosa E; Roth, Doris; Winther, Jakob R

    2009-01-01

    It is widely accepted that the redox status of protein thiols is of central importance to protein structure and folding and that glutathione is an important low-molecular-mass redox regulator. However, the total cellular pools of thiols and disulfides and their relative abundance have never been...... determined. In this study, we have assembled a global picture of the cellular thiol-disulfide status in cultured mammalian cells. We have quantified the absolute levels of protein thiols, protein disulfides, and glutathionylated protein (PSSG) in all cellular protein, including membrane proteins. These data...... cell types. However, when cells are exposed to a sublethal dose of the thiol-specific oxidant diamide, PSSG levels increase to >15% of all protein cysteine. Glutathione is typically characterized as the "cellular redox buffer"; nevertheless, our data show that protein thiols represent a larger active...

  7. A molybdenum disulfide/carbon nanotube heterogeneous complementary inverter.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Huang, Jun; Somu, Sivasubramanian; Busnaina, Ahmed

    2012-08-24

    We report a simple, bottom-up/top-down approach for integrating drastically different nanoscale building blocks to form a heterogeneous complementary inverter circuit based on layered molybdenum disulfide and carbon nanotube (CNT) bundles. The fabricated CNT/MoS(2) inverter is composed of n-type molybdenum disulfide (MOS(2)) and p-type CNT transistors, with a high voltage gain of 1.3. The CNT channels are fabricated using directed assembly while the layered molybdenum disulfide channels are fabricated by mechanical exfoliation. This bottom-up fabrication approach for integrating various nanoscale elements with unique characteristics provides an alternative cost-effective methodology to complementary metal-oxide-semiconductors, laying the foundation for the realization of high performance logic circuits.

  8. The dehydrogenase region of the NADPH oxidase component Nox2 acts as a protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) resembling PDIA3 with a role in the binding of the activator protein p67phox

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bechor, Edna; Dahan, Iris; Fradin, Tanya; Berdichevsky, Yevgeny; Zahavi, Anat; Rafalowski, Meirav; Federman-Gross, Aya; Pick, Edgar

    2015-02-01

    The superoxide (O2.-)-generating NADPH oxidase of phagocytes consists of a membrane component, cytochrome b558 (a heterodimer of Nox2 and p22phox), and four cytosolic components, p47phox, p67phox, p40phox, and Rac. The catalytic component, responsible for O2.- generation, is Nox2. It is activated by the interaction of the dehydrogenase region (DHR) of Nox2 with the cytosolic components, principally with p67phox. Using a peptide-protein binding assay, we found that Nox2 peptides containing a 369CysGlyCys371 triad (CGC) bound p67phox with high affinity, dependent upon the establishment of a disulfide bond between the two cysteines. Serially truncated recombinant Nox2 DHR proteins bound p67phox only when they comprised the CGC triad. CGC resembles the catalytic motif (CGHC) of protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs). This led to the hypothesis that Nox2 establishes disulfide bonds with p67phox via a thiol-dilsulfide exchange reaction and, thus, functions as a PDI. Evidence for this was provided by the following: 1. Recombinant Nox2 protein, which contained the CGC triad, exhibited PDI-like disulfide reductase activity; 2. Truncation of Nox2 C-terminal to the CGC triad or mutating C369 and C371 to R, resulted in loss of PDI activity; 3. Comparison of the sequence of the DHR of Nox2 with PDI family members revealed three small regions of homology with PDIA3; 4. Two monoclonal anti-Nox2 antibodies, with epitopes corresponding to regions of Nox2/PDIA3 homology, reacted with PDIA3 but not with PDIA1; 5. A polyclonal anti-PDIA3 (but not an anti-PDIA1) antibody reacted with Nox2; 6. p67phox, in which all cysteines were mutated to serines, lost its ability to bind to a Nox2 peptide containing the CGC triad and had an impaired capacity to support oxidase activity in vitro. We propose a model of oxidase assembly in which binding of p67phox to Nox2 via disulfide bonds, by virtue of the intrinsic PDI activity of Nox2, stabilizes the primary interaction between the two components.

  9. An Internal Disulfide Locks a Misfolded Aggregation-prone Intermediate in Cataract-linked Mutants of Human γD-Crystallin.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serebryany, Eugene; Woodard, Jaie C; Adkar, Bharat V; Shabab, Mohammed; King, Jonathan A; Shakhnovich, Eugene I

    2016-09-02

    Considerable mechanistic insight has been gained into amyloid aggregation; however, a large number of non-amyloid protein aggregates are considered "amorphous," and in most cases, little is known about their mechanisms. Amorphous aggregation of γ-crystallins in the eye lens causes cataract, a widespread disease of aging. We combined simulations and experiments to study the mechanism of aggregation of two γD-crystallin mutants, W42R and W42Q: the former a congenital cataract mutation, and the latter a mimic of age-related oxidative damage. We found that formation of an internal disulfide was necessary and sufficient for aggregation under physiological conditions. Two-chain all-atom simulations predicted that one non-native disulfide in particular, between Cys(32) and Cys(41), was likely to stabilize an unfolding intermediate prone to intermolecular interactions. Mass spectrometry and mutagenesis experiments confirmed the presence of this bond in the aggregates and its necessity for oxidative aggregation under physiological conditions in vitro Mining the simulation data linked formation of this disulfide to extrusion of the N-terminal β-hairpin and rearrangement of the native β-sheet topology. Specific binding between the extruded hairpin and a distal β-sheet, in an intermolecular chain reaction similar to domain swapping, is the most probable mechanism of aggregate propagation. © 2016 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  10. An Internal Disulfide Locks a Misfolded Aggregation-prone Intermediate in Cataract-linked Mutants of Human γD-Crystallin*

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serebryany, Eugene; Woodard, Jaie C.; Adkar, Bharat V.; Shabab, Mohammed; King, Jonathan A.; Shakhnovich, Eugene I.

    2016-01-01

    Considerable mechanistic insight has been gained into amyloid aggregation; however, a large number of non-amyloid protein aggregates are considered “amorphous,” and in most cases, little is known about their mechanisms. Amorphous aggregation of γ-crystallins in the eye lens causes cataract, a widespread disease of aging. We combined simulations and experiments to study the mechanism of aggregation of two γD-crystallin mutants, W42R and W42Q: the former a congenital cataract mutation, and the latter a mimic of age-related oxidative damage. We found that formation of an internal disulfide was necessary and sufficient for aggregation under physiological conditions. Two-chain all-atom simulations predicted that one non-native disulfide in particular, between Cys32 and Cys41, was likely to stabilize an unfolding intermediate prone to intermolecular interactions. Mass spectrometry and mutagenesis experiments confirmed the presence of this bond in the aggregates and its necessity for oxidative aggregation under physiological conditions in vitro. Mining the simulation data linked formation of this disulfide to extrusion of the N-terminal β-hairpin and rearrangement of the native β-sheet topology. Specific binding between the extruded hairpin and a distal β-sheet, in an intermolecular chain reaction similar to domain swapping, is the most probable mechanism of aggregate propagation. PMID:27417136

  11. Synthesis of Cyclohexane-Fused Isocoumarins via Cationic Palladium(II)-Catalyzed Cascade Cyclization Reaction of Alkyne-Tethered Carbonyl Compounds Initiated by Intramolecular Oxypalladation of Ester-Substituted Aryl Alkynes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Jianbo; Han, Xiuling; Lu, Xiyan

    2016-04-15

    A cationic Pd(II)-catalyzed cascade cyclization reaction of alkyne-tethered carbonyl compounds was developed. This reaction is initiated by intramolecular oxypalladation of alkynes with an ester group followed by 1,2-addition of the formed C-Pd(II) bond to the carbonyl group, providing a highly efficient method for the synthesis of cyclohexane-fused isocoumarins.

  12. Molecular Docking Simulation of Neuraminidase Influenza A Subtype H1N1 with Potential Inhibitor of Disulfide Cyclic Peptide (DNY, NNY, LRL)

    Science.gov (United States)

    Putra, R. P.; Imaniastuti, R.; Nasution, M. A. F.; Kerami, Djati; Tambunan, U. S. F.

    2018-04-01

    Oseltamivir resistance as an inhibitor of neuraminidase influenza A virus subtype H1N1 has been reported lately. Therefore, to solve this problem, several kinds of research has been conducted to design and discover disulfide cyclic peptide ligands through molecular docking method, to find the potential inhibitors for neuraminidase H1N1 which then can disturb the virus replication. This research was studied and evaluated the interaction of ligands toward enzyme using molecular docking simulation, which was performed on three disulfide cyclic peptide inhibitors (DNY, LRL, and NNT), along with oseltamivir and zanamivir as the standard ligands using MOE 2008.10 software. The docking simulation shows that all disulfide cyclic peptide ligands have lower Gibbs free binding energies (ΔGbinding) than the standard ligands, with DNY ligand has the lowest ΔGbinding at -7.8544 kcal/mol. Furthermore, these ligands were also had better molecular interactions with neuraminidase than the standards, owing by the hydrogen bonds that were formed during the docking simulation. In the end, we concluded that DNY, LRL and NNT ligands have the potential to be developed as the inhibitor of neuraminidase H1N1.

  13. New stereoselective intramolecular

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alajarin; Vidal; Tovar; Ramirez De Arellano MC; Cossio; Arrieta; Lecea

    2000-11-03

    Efficient 1,4-asymmetric induction has been achieved in the highly stereocontrolled intramolecular [2 + 2] cycloadditions between ketenimines and imines, leading to 1,2-dihydroazeto[2, 1-b]quinazolines. The chiral methine carbon adjacent to the iminic nitrogen controls the exclusive formation of the cycloadducts with relative trans configuration at C2 and C8. The stepwise mechanistic model, based on theoretical calculations, fully supports the stereochemical outcome of these cycloadditions.

  14. Reactivity of hydropersulfides toward the hydroxyl radical unraveled: disulfide bond cleavage, hydrogen atom transfer, and proton-coupled electron transfer.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anglada, Josep M; Crehuet, Ramon; Adhikari, Sarju; Francisco, Joseph S; Xia, Yu

    2018-02-14

    Hydropersulfides (RSSH) are highly reactive as nucleophiles and hydrogen atom transfer reagents. These chemical properties are believed to be key for them to act as antioxidants in cells. The reaction involving the radical species and the disulfide bond (S-S) in RSSH, a known redox-active group, however, has been scarcely studied, resulting in an incomplete understanding of the chemical nature of RSSH. We have performed a high-level theoretical investigation on the reactions of the hydroxyl radical (˙OH) toward a set of RSSH (R = -H, -CH 3 , -NH 2 , -C(O)OH, -CN, and -NO 2 ). The results show that S-S cleavage and H-atom abstraction are the two competing channels. The electron inductive effect of R induces selective ˙OH substitution at one sulfur atom upon S-S cleavage, forming RSOH and ˙SH for the electron donating groups (EDGs), whereas producing HSOH and ˙SR for the electron withdrawing groups (EWGs). The H-Atom abstraction by ˙OH follows a classical hydrogen atom transfer (hat) mechanism, producing RSS˙ and H 2 O. Surprisingly, a proton-coupled electron transfer (pcet) process also occurs for R being an EDG. Although for RSSH having EWGs hat is the leading channel, S-S cleavage can be competitive or even dominant for the EDGs. The overall reactivity of RSSH toward ˙OH attack is greatly enhanced with the presence of an EDG, with CH 3 SSH being the most reactive species found in this study (overall rate constant: 4.55 × 10 12 M -1 s -1 ). Our results highlight the complexity in RSSH reaction chemistry, the extent of which is closely modulated by the inductive effect of the substituents in the case of the oxidation by hydroxyl radicals.

  15. Intramolecular excimer formation of diastereoisomeric model compounds of polystyrene in fluid solution: their local molecular motion and photophysical properties

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Itagaki, Hideyuki; Horie, Kazuyuki; Mita, Itaru; Washio, Masakazu; Tagawa, Seiichi; Tabata, Yoneho

    1989-01-01

    The dynamic process of intramolecular excimer formation in diasteroisomeric oligomers model compounds of polystyrene, was investigated by using a picosecond pulse radiolysis technique. Monomer fluorescence of all-racemic isomers decays single-exponentially, while that of other isomers decays dual-exponentially. Multicomponent fluorescence decay curves are supposed to be mainly induced by conformational changes. The results suggest that the excimer in oligostyrenes (or polystyrene) is formed mainly in meso diad. It is definitely proved that there exists singlet energy migration in styrene trimer and tetramer systems. The conformational change in PS3 and PS4 is concluded to occur by way of cooperative motions in backbone chains bond such as a crankshaft transition, not by way of independent rotation around each carbon-carbon bond of the backbone chain. (author)

  16. C-H Bond Functionalization via Hydride Transfer: Direct Coupling of Unactivated Alkynes and sp3 C-H Bonds Catalyzed by Platinum Tetraiodide

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vadola, Paul A.; Sames, Dalibor

    2010-01-01

    We report a catalytic intramolecular coupling between terminal unactivated alkynes and sp3 C-H bonds via the through-space hydride transfer (HT-cyclization of alkynes). This method enables one-step preparation of complex heterocyclic compounds by α-alkenylation of readily available cyclic ethers and amines. We show that PtI4 is an effective Lewis acid catalyst for the activation of terminal alkynes for the hydride attack and subsequent C-C bond formation. In addition, we have shown that the activity of neutral platinum salts (PtXn) can be modulated by the halide ligands. This modulation in turn allows for fine-tuning of the platinum center reactivity to match the reactivity and stability of selected substrates and products. PMID:19852462

  17. A Comprehensive Analysis in Terms of Molecule-Intrinsic, Quasi-Atomic Orbitals. III. The Covalent Bonding Structure of Urea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    West, Aaron C; Schmidt, Michael W; Gordon, Mark S; Ruedenberg, Klaus

    2015-10-15

    The analysis of molecular electron density matrices in terms of quasi-atomic orbitals, which was developed in previous investigations, is quantitatively exemplified by a detailed application to the urea molecule. The analysis is found to identify strong and weak covalent bonding interactions as well as intramolecular charge transfers. It yields a qualitative as well as quantitative ab initio description of the bonding structure of this molecule, which raises questions regarding some traditional rationalizations.

  18. Total synthesis of (+/-)-taiwaniaquinol B via a domino intramolecular friedel-crafts acylation/carbonyl alpha-tert-alkylation reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fillion, Eric; Fishlock, Dan

    2005-09-28

    The first synthesis of taiwaniaquinol B, a 6-nor-5(6-->7)abeoabietane-type diterpenoid exhibiting the uncommon fused 6-5-6 tricyclic carbon skeleton, was accomplished in 15 steps. A Lewis acid-promoted tandem intramolecular Friedel-Crafts/carbonyl alpha-tert-alkylation reaction was exploited as the core strategy for the synthesis of the sterically congested 1-indanone-containing tricyclic structure. This multiple carbon-carbon bond forming reaction exploits the unique reactivity of Meldrum's acid. The facile precursor synthesis makes this a useful methodology for the expedient modification and assembly of sterically congested 1-indanone-containing ring systems.

  19. Modification of molybdenum disulfide in methanol solvent for hydrogen evolution reaction

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niyitanga, Theophile; Jeong, Hae Kyung

    2018-05-01

    Molybdenum disulfide is a promising catalyst to replace the expensive platinum as an electrocatalyst but needs to be modified to present excellent electrocatalytic properties. Herein, we successfully modify molybdenum disulfide in methanol solvent for hydrogen evolution reaction by using a simple hydrothermal method. Overpotential reduced to -0.6 V from -1.5 V, and energy band gap decreased from 1.73 eV to 1.58 eV after the modification. The modified molybdenum disulfide also demonstrated lower resistance (42 Ω) at high frequency (1000 kHz) compared with that (240 Ω) of the precursor, showing that conductivity of the modified molybdenum disulfide has improved.

  20. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Bjarke Knud Vilster; Winther, Morten; Spanget-Larsen, Jens

    2006-01-01

    The vibrational structure of the title compound (DBM) was investigated by FTIR spectroscopy in liquid solutions, by FTIR linear dichroism (LD) measurements, and by Raman spectroscopy. The results were supported by the application of theoretical model calculations and analyzed with particular atte...

  1. Intramolecular addition of benzylic radicals onto ketenimines. Synthesis of 2-alkylindoles.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alajarín, Mateo; Vidal, Angel; Ortín, María-Mar

    2003-12-07

    The inter- and intramolecular addition of free radicals onto ketenimines is studied. All the attempts to add intermolecularly several silicon, oxygen or carbon centered radicals to N-(4-methylphenyl)-C,C-diphenyl ketenimine were unsuccessful. In contrast, the intramolecular addition of benzylic radicals, generated from xanthates, onto the central carbon of a ketenimine function with its N atom linked to the ortho position of the aromatic ring occurred under a variety of reaction conditions. These intramolecular cyclizations provide a novel radical-mediated synthesis of 2-alkylindoles.

  2. Intramolecular and nonlinear dynamics

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Davis, M.J. [Argonne National Laboratory, IL (United States)

    1993-12-01

    Research in this program focuses on three interconnected areas. The first involves the study of intramolecular dynamics, particularly of highly excited systems. The second area involves the use of nonlinear dynamics as a tool for the study of molecular dynamics and complex kinetics. The third area is the study of the classical/quantum correspondence for highly excited systems, particularly systems exhibiting classical chaos.

  3. Structural, photophysical, and theoretical studies of imidazole-based excited-state intramolecular proton transfer molecules

    Science.gov (United States)

    Somasundaram, Sivaraman; Kamaraj, Eswaran; Hwang, Su Jin; Park, Sanghyuk

    2018-02-01

    Imidazole-based excited state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) blue fluorescent molecules, 2-(1-(4-chlorophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenol (BHPI-Cl) and 2-(1-(4-bromophenyl)-4,5-diphenyl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)phenol (BHPI-Br) were designed and synthesized by Debus-Radziszewski method through a one-pot multicomponent reaction in high yield. The synthesized compounds were fully characterized by 1H NMR, 13C NMR, FT-IR, FT-Raman, GC-Mass, and elemental analysis. The molecular structures in single crystal lattice were studied by X-ray crystallographic analysis. Because of the intramolecular hydrogen bonding, hydroxyphenyl group is planar to the central imidazole ring, while the other phenyl rings gave distorted conformations to the central heterocyclic ring. BHPI-Cl and BHPI-Br molecules showed intense ESIPT fluorescence at 480 nm, because the two twisted phenyl rings on 4- and 5-positions have reduced intermolecular interaction between adjacent molecules in each crystal through a head-to-tail packing manner. Quantum chemical calculations of energies were carried out by (TD-)DFT using B3LYP/6-31G(d, p) basis set to predict the electronic absorption spectra of the compounds, and they showed good agreement between the computational and the experimental values. The thermal analyses of the synthesized molecules were also carried out by TGA/DSC method.

  4. Development of controlled drug release systems based on thiolated polymers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernkop-Schnürch, A; Scholler, S; Biebel, R G

    2000-05-03

    The purpose of the present study was to generate mucoadhesive matrix-tablets based on thiolated polymers. Mediated by a carbodiimide, L-cysteine was thereby covalently linked to polycarbophil (PCP) and sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC). The resulting thiolated polymers displayed 100+/-8 and 1280+/-84 micromol thiol groups per gram, respectively (means+/-S.D.; n=6-8). In aqueous solutions these modified polymers were capable of forming inter- and/or intramolecular disulfide bonds. The velocity of this process augmented with increase of the polymer- and decrease of the proton-concentration. The oxidation proceeded more rapidly within thiolated PCP than within thiolated CMC. Due to the formation of disulfide bonds within thiol-containing polymers, the stability of matrix-tablets based on such polymers could be strongly improved. Whereas tablets based on the corresponding unmodified polymer disintegrated within 2 h, the swollen carrier matrix of thiolated CMC and PCP remained stable for 6.2 h (mean, n=4) and more than 48 h, respectively. Release studies of the model drug rifampicin demonstrated that a controlled release can be provided by thiolated polymer tablets. The combination of high stability, controlled drug release and mucoadhesive properties renders matrix-tablets based on thiolated polymers useful as novel drug delivery systems.

  5. Coherent pulse and environmental characteristics of the intramolecular proton-transfer lasers based on 3-hydroxyflavone and fisetin

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parthenopoulos, Dimitri A.; Kasha, Michael

    1988-04-01

    Coherent stimulated emission and laser beams of good quality are reported for 3-hydroxyfiavone (3-HF) and a polyhydroxyfiavone, risetin, acting as intramolecular proton-transfer lasers. The laser beam quality of these materials is comparable to that observed for rhodamine-6G. Studies of amplified spontaneous emission of 3-hydroxyflavone in highly polar solvents are also reported. The very large changes in dipole moment upon electronic excitation of 3-HF expected according to ZINDO semiempirical molecular orbital calculations fail to give rise to spectral shifts in the high dielectric constant solvents. The results are interpreted as a masking spectral effect caused by specific hydrogen bonding by the solvent.

  6. Intramolecular and Transannular Diels-Alder Reactions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Tanner, David Ackland; Ascic, Erhad

    2014-01-01

    Few reactions can compete with the Diels-Alder (DA) [4+2] cycloaddition for the rapid and efficient generation of molecular complexity. The DA reaction is atom-economic and stereospecific, as well as diastereo- and regioselective. The intramolecular version (IMDA) of the DA cycloaddition and its...... and dienophile, methods for acceleration of IMDA reactions (such as use of high pressure) and catalysis (using oxophilic or carbophilic metal complexes, Brønsted acids, and enzymes). The use of furans as diene components (IMDAF), intramolecular hetero-DA (IMHDA) and IMDA reactions with inverse electron demand...... are also covered. Applications of IMDA to asymmetric synthesis (from substrate control through to enantioselective catalysis, including organocatalysis) are presented, along with tandem sequences involving IMDA cycloaddition. A theme pervading the whole chapter is the use of IMDA reactions for the total...

  7. Preliminary crystallographic data of the three homologues of the thiol–disulfide oxidoreductase DsbA in Neisseria meningitidis

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lafaye, Céline [Laboratoire des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Structurale, CEA/CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier, 41 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38027 Grenoble CEDEX 01 (France); Iwena, Thomas; Ferrer, Jean-Luc [Laboratoire de Cristallogénèse et Cristallisation des Protéines, Institut de Biologie Structurale, CEA/CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier, 41 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38027 Grenoble CEDEX 01 (France); Kroll, J. Simon [Department of Paediatrics, Imperial College London, St Mary’s Hospital Campus, Norfolk Place, London W2 1PG (United Kingdom); Griat, Mickael; Serre, Laurence, E-mail: laurence.serre@ibs.fr [Laboratoire des Protéines Membranaires, Institut de Biologie Structurale, CEA/CNRS/Université Joseph Fourier, 41 Rue Jules Horowitz, 38027 Grenoble CEDEX 01 (France)

    2008-02-01

    The Neisseria meningitidis genome possesses three genes encoding active DsbAs. To throw light on the reason for this genetic multiplicity, the three enzymes have been purified and crystallized. Bacterial virulence depends on the correct folding of surface-exposed proteins, a process that is catalyzed by the thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase DsbA, which facilitates the synthesis of disulfide bonds in Gram-negative bacteria. Uniquely among bacteria, the Neisseria meningitidis genome possesses three genes encoding active DsbAs: DsbA1, DsbA2 and DsbA3. DsbA1 and DsbA2 have been characterized as lipoproteins involved in natural competence and in host-interactive biology, while the function of DsbA3 remains unknown. In an attempt to shed light on the reason for this multiplicity of dsbA genes, the three enzymes from N. meningitidis have been purified and crystallized in the presence of high concentrations of ammonium sulfate. The best crystals were obtained using DsbA1 and DsbA3; they belong to the orthorhombic and tetragonal systems and diffract to 1.5 and 2.7 Å resolution, respectively.

  8. Large area synthesis, characterization, and anisotropic etching of two dimensional tungsten disulfide films

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mutlu, Zafer; Ozkan, Mihrimah; Ozkan, Cengiz S.

    2016-01-01

    Emergent properties of tungsten disulfide at the quantum confinement limit hold promise for electronic and optoelectronic applications. Here we report on the large area synthesis of atomically thin tungsten disulfide films with strong photoluminescence properties via sulfurization of the pre-deposited tungsten films. Detailed characterization of the pre-deposited tungsten films and tungsten disulfide films are performed using microscopy and spectroscopy methods. By directly heating tungsten disulfide films in air, we have shown that the films tend to be etched into a series of triangular shaped pits with the same orientations, revealing the anisotropic etching behavior of tungsten disulfide edges. Moreover, the dimensions of the triangular pits increase with the number of layers, suggesting a thickness dependent behavior of etching in tungsten disulfide films. This method offers a promising new avenue for engineering the edge structures of tungsten disulfide films. - Highlights: • Large-scale synthesis of WS_2 films is achieved via sulfurization of W films. • Annealing of W films leads to a substantial improvement in the quality of WS_2 films. • WS_2 films show laser power dependent photoluminescence characteristics. • WS_2 films are etched with well-oriented triangular pits upon annealing in air. • Anisotropic oxidative etching is greatly affected by the thickness of WS_2 films.

  9. Effect of aromatization of the ring on intramolecular H-bond in 3-hydroxy-4-formylo derivatives of fulvene

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oziminski, Wojciech P.; Krygowski, Tadeusz M.

    2011-06-01

    DFT optimization of H-bonded 3-hydroxy-4-formylo derivatives of fulvene aromatized by amino substitution at C6 or by complexation with Li atom was performed using the B3LYP functional together with 6-311+G(d,p) basis set. Several aromaticity indicators (HOMA, NICS, pEDA and Shannon aromaticity) confirm an increase of aromaticity in the sequence: fulvene, 6-aminofulvene, Li-complex with fulvene and in the case of H-bonded 3-hydroxy-4-formylo derivatives, exhibited in the same sequence an increase of H-bond strength estimated by direct comparison of energy for H-bonded and open conformations, as well as by using AIM based electron densities at bond critical point.

  10. Rotational Spectrum, Conformational Composition, Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonding, and Quantum Chemical Calculations of Mercaptoacetonitrile (HSCH2C≡N), a Compound of Potential Astrochemical Interest.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Møllendal, Harald; Samdal, Svein; Guillemin, Jean-Claude

    2016-03-31

    The microwave spectra of mercaptoacetonitrile (HSCH2C≡N) and one deuterated species (DSCH2C≡N) were investigated in the 7.5-124 GHz spectral interval. The spectra of two conformers denoted SC and AP were assigned. The H-S-C-C chain of atoms is synclinal in SC and anti-periplanar in AP. The ground state of SC is split into two substates separated by a comparatively small energy difference resulting in closely spaced transitions with equal intensities. Several transitions of the parent species of SC deviate from Watson's Hamiltonian. Only slight improvements were obtained using a Hamiltonian that takes coupling between the two substates into account. Deviations from Watson's Hamiltonian were also observed for the parent species of AP. However, the spectrum of the deuterated species, which was investigated only for the SC conformer, fits satisfactorily to Watson's Hamiltonian. Relative intensity measurements found SC to be lower in energy than AP by 3.8(3) kJ/mol. The strength of the intramolecular hydrogen bond between the thiol and cyano groups was estimated to be ∼2.1 kJ/mol. The microwave work was augmented by quantum chemical calculations at CCSD and MP2 levels using basis sets of minimum triple-ζ quality. Mercaptoacetonitrile has astrochemical interest, and the spectra presented herein should be useful for a potential identification of this compound in the interstellar medium. Three different ways of generating mercaptoacetonitrile from compounds already found in the interstellar medium were explored by quantum chemical calculations.

  11. Role of hydrogen bonds in the reaction mechanism of chalcone isomerase.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jez, Joseph M; Bowman, Marianne E; Noel, Joseph P

    2002-04-23

    In flavonoid, isoflavonoid, and anthocyanin biosynthesis, chalcone isomerase (CHI) catalyzes the intramolecular cyclization of chalcones into (S)-flavanones with a second-order rate constant that approaches the diffusion-controlled limit. The three-dimensional structures of alfalfa CHI complexed with different flavanones indicate that two sets of hydrogen bonds may possess critical roles in catalysis. The first set of interactions includes two conserved amino acids (Thr48 and Tyr106) that mediate a hydrogen bond network with two active site water molecules. The second set of hydrogen bonds occurs between the flavanone 7-hydroxyl group and two active site residues (Asn113 and Thr190). Comparison of the steady-state kinetic parameters of wild-type and mutant CHIs demonstrates that efficient cyclization of various chalcones into their respective flavanones requires both sets of contacts. For example, the T48A, T48S, Y106F, N113A, and T190A mutants exhibit 1550-, 3-, 30-, 7-, and 6-fold reductions in k(cat) and 2-3-fold changes in K(m) with 4,2',4'-trihydroxychalcone as a substrate. Kinetic comparisons of the pH-dependence of the reactions catalyzed by wild-type and mutant enzymes indicate that the active site hydrogen bonds contributed by these four residues do not significantly alter the pK(a) of the intramolecular cyclization reaction. Determinations of solvent kinetic isotope and solvent viscosity effects for wild-type and mutant enzymes reveal a change from a diffusion-controlled reaction to one limited by chemistry in the T48A and Y106F mutants. The X-ray crystal structures of the T48A and Y106F mutants support the assertion that the observed kinetic effects result from the loss of key hydrogen bonds at the CHI active site. Our results are consistent with a reaction mechanism for CHI in which Thr48 polarizes the ketone of the substrate and Tyr106 stabilizes a key catalytic water molecule. Hydrogen bonds contributed by Asn113 and Thr190 provide additional

  12. Chemoselective Radical Dehalogenation and C-C Bond Formation on Aryl Halide Substrates Using Organic Photoredox Catalysts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Poelma, Saemi O; Burnett, G Leslie; Discekici, Emre H; Mattson, Kaila M; Treat, Nicolas J; Luo, Yingdong; Hudson, Zachary M; Shankel, Shelby L; Clark, Paul G; Kramer, John W; Hawker, Craig J; Read de Alaniz, Javier

    2016-08-19

    Despite the number of methods available for dehalogenation and carbon-carbon bond formation using aryl halides, strategies that provide chemoselectivity for systems bearing multiple carbon-halogen bonds are still needed. Herein, we report the ability to tune the reduction potential of metal-free phenothiazine-based photoredox catalysts and demonstrate the application of these catalysts for chemoselective carbon-halogen bond activation to achieve C-C cross-coupling reactions as well as reductive dehalogenations. This procedure works both for conjugated polyhalides as well as unconjugated substrates. We further illustrate the usefulness of this protocol by intramolecular cyclization of a pyrrole substrate, an advanced building block for a family of natural products known to exhibit biological activity.

  13. Unusual NHC-Iridium(I) Complexes and Their Use in the Intramolecular Hydroamination of Unactivated Aminoalkenes

    KAUST Repository

    Sipos, Gellé rt; Ou, Arnold; Skelton, Brian W.; Falivene, Laura; Cavallo, Luigi; Dorta, Reto

    2016-01-01

    N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands with naphthyl side chains were employed for the synthesis of unsaturated, yet isolable [(NHC)Ir(cod)]+ (cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene) complexes. These compounds are stabilised by an interaction of the aromatic wingtip that leads to a sideways tilt of the NHC-Ir bond. Detailed studies show how the tilting of such N-heterocyclic carbenes affects the electronic shielding properties of the carbene carbon atom and how this is reflected by significant upfield shifts in the 13CNMR signals. When employed in the intramolecular hydroamination, these [(NHC)Ir(cod)]+ species show very high catalytic activity under mild reaction conditions. An enantiopure version of the catalyst system produces pyrrolidines with excellent enantioselectivities. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  14. Unusual NHC-Iridium(I) Complexes and Their Use in the Intramolecular Hydroamination of Unactivated Aminoalkenes

    KAUST Repository

    Sipos, Gellért

    2016-04-10

    N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) ligands with naphthyl side chains were employed for the synthesis of unsaturated, yet isolable [(NHC)Ir(cod)]+ (cod=1,5-cyclooctadiene) complexes. These compounds are stabilised by an interaction of the aromatic wingtip that leads to a sideways tilt of the NHC-Ir bond. Detailed studies show how the tilting of such N-heterocyclic carbenes affects the electronic shielding properties of the carbene carbon atom and how this is reflected by significant upfield shifts in the 13CNMR signals. When employed in the intramolecular hydroamination, these [(NHC)Ir(cod)]+ species show very high catalytic activity under mild reaction conditions. An enantiopure version of the catalyst system produces pyrrolidines with excellent enantioselectivities. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  15. Electrostatic influence of local cysteine environments on disulfide exchange kinetics.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Snyder, G H; Cennerazzo, M J; Karalis, A J; Field, D

    1981-11-10

    The ionic strength dependence of the bimolecular rate constant for reaction of the negative disulfide 5,5'-dithiobis (2-nitrobenzoic acid) with cysteines in fragments of naturally occurring proteins was determined by stopped-flow spectroscopy. The Debye-Hückel relationship was applied to determine the effective charge at the cysteine and thereby determine the extent to which nearby neighbors in the primary sequence influence the kinetics. Corrections for the secondary salt effect on cysteine pKs were determined by direct spectrometric pH titration of sulfhydryl groups or by observation of the ionic strength dependence of kinetics of cysteine reaction with the neutral disulfide 2,2'-dithiodipyridine. Quantitative expressions was verified by model studies with N-acetyl-cystein. At ionic strengths equal to or greater than 20 mM, the net charge at the polypeptide cysteine site is the sum of the single negative charge of the thiolate anion and the charges of the amino acids immediately preceding and following the cysteine in the primary sequence. At lower ionic strengths, more distant residues influence kinetics. At pH 7.0, 23 degree C, and an ionic strength of 20 mM, rate constants for reaction of the negative disulfide with a cysteine having two positive neighbors, one positive and one neutral neighbor, or two neutral neighbors are 132000, 3350, and 367 s-1 M-1, respectively. This corresponds to a contribution to the activation energy of 0.65- 1.1 kcal/mol per ion pair involved in collision between the cysteine and disulfide regions. The results permit the estimation that cysteine local environments may provide a means of achieving a 10(6)-fold range in rate constants in disulfide exchange reactions in random-coil proteins. This range may prove useful in developing strategies for directing disulfide pairing in synthetic proteins.

  16. Photoswitchable Intramolecular H-Stacking of Perylenebisimide

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Wang, Jiaobing; Kulago, Artem; Browne, Wesley R.; Feringa, Ben L.

    2010-01-01

    Dynamic control over the formation of H- or J-type aggregates of chromophores is of fundamental importance for developing responsive organic optoelectronic materials. In this study, the first example of photoswitching between a nonstacked and an intramolecularly H-stacked arrangement of

  17. Edge eigen-stress and eigen-displacement of armchair molybdenum disulfide nanoribbons

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Wu, Quan; Li, Xi [Corrosion and Protection Center, Key Laboratory for Environmental Fracture (MOE), University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China); Volinsky, Alex A., E-mail: volinsky@usf.edu [Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL 33620 (United States); Su, Yanjing, E-mail: yjsu@ustb.edu.cn [Corrosion and Protection Center, Key Laboratory for Environmental Fracture (MOE), University of Science and Technology Beijing, Beijing 100083 (China)

    2017-05-10

    Edge effects on mechanical properties of armchair molybdenum disulfide nanoribbons were investigated using first principles calculations. The edge eigen-stress model was applied to explain the relaxation process of forming molybdenum disulfide nanoribbon. Edge effects on surface atoms fluctuation degree were obtained from each fully relaxed nanoribbon with different width. Changes of the relaxed armchair molybdenum disulfide nanoribbons structure can be expressed using hexagonal perimeters pattern. Based on the thickness change, relaxed armchair molybdenum disulfide nanoribbons tensile/compression tests were simulated, providing intrinsic edge elastic parameters, such as eigen-stress, Young's modulus and Poisson's ratio. - Highlights: • Edge effects on mechanical properties of armchair MoS{sub 2} nanoribbons were investigated. • Structure changes of different width armchair MoS{sub 2} nanoribbons were obtained. • Tensile/compressive tests were conducted to determine elastic constants. • Mechanical properties are compared for two and three dimensional conditions.

  18. Scaling of the critical free length for progressive unfolding of self-bonded graphene

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kwan, Kenny; Cranford, Steven W., E-mail: s.cranford@neu.edu [Laboratory of Nanotechnology in Civil Engineering (NICE), Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northeastern University, 400 Snell Engineering, 360 Huntington Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02115 (United States)

    2014-05-19

    Like filled pasta, rolled or folded graphene can form a large nanocapsule surrounding a hollow interior. Use as a molecular carrier, however, requires understanding of the opening of such vessels. Here, we investigate a monolayer sheet of graphene as a theoretical trial platform for such a nanocapsule. The graphene is bonded to itself via aligned disulfide (S-S) bonds. Through theoretical analysis and atomistic modeling, we probe the critical nonbonded length (free length, L{sub crit}) that induces fracture-like progressive unfolding as a function of folding radius (R{sub i}). We show a clear linear scaling relationship between the length and radius, which can be used to determine the necessary bond density to predict mechanical opening/closing. However, stochastic dissipated energy limits any exact elastic formulation, and the required energy far exceeds the dissociation energy of the S-S bond. We account for the necessary dissipated kinetic energy through a simple scaling factor (Ω), which agrees well with computational results.

  19. Intramolecular interactions in a new tris-dithizonatocobalt(III) complex

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eschwege, Karel G. von; As, Lydia van; Joubert, Chris C.; Swarts, Jannie C.; Aquino, Manuel A.S.; Cameron, T. Stanley

    2013-01-01

    Graphical abstract: Electrochemically Co(HDz) 3 (5), show three main ligand-based redox processes, two reductions and one oxidation. Ligand oxidations can be resolved into three components highlighting effective intramolecular interactions between molecular fragments; a spectroelectrochemical study of (5) highlighted spectroscopic changes during the six observed redox steps. - Highlights: • Comparative CV's of dithizone (1), PhHg(HDz) and new Co(HDz) 3 (5), is discussed. • One oxidation and two reductions per ligand and a Co III/II couple for (5) are observed. • Mono- and tris-coordinated PhHg(HDz) and (5) have stable metal thioether bonds. • Crystal structure details explain good resolution between ligand redox processes. • Spectro-electrochemistry of (5) highlights spectroscopic properties of redox products. - Abstract: The reactions between dithizone (H 2 Dz (1)) or potassium dithizonate (KHDz (3)), and [Co(H 2 O) 6 ] 2+ (6), in acetone or methanol to liberate tris-dithizonatocobalt(III), Co(HDz) 3 (5), are described. The structure of (5) was confirmed by single crystal X-ray analyses and shows bidentate coordination to Co III via S and N donor atoms for all three HDz − ligands. A comparative voltammetric and spectro-electrochemical study revealed that (1) can be oxidised in two one-electron transfer steps, to generate a disulphide first and then HDz + . In contrast, upon complexation with cobalt, the free mercaptan group of (1) becomes a stable “metal thioether”, Co-S-C, which effectively prevents disulphide formation in all three ligands of (5) upon electrochemical oxidation. As a result, each ligand of Co(HDz) 3 shows just one oxidation process. Intramolecular communication between ligands is evident because the three separate ligand-based oxidations are well resolved. Two irreversible ligand reduction steps, each consisting of three unresolved components related to each of the three ligands, were also observed. The Co II /Co III couple

  20. 1,1,3,3-Tetramethylguanidine solvated lanthanide aryloxides: pre-catalysts for intramolecular hydroalkoxylation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Janini, Thomas E; Rakosi, Robert; Durr, Christopher B; Bertke, Jeffrey A; Bunge, Scott D

    2009-12-21

    The synthesis and structural characterization of six 1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine (H-TMG) solvated lanthanide aryloxide complexes are reported. Ln[N{Si(CH3)3}2]3 (Ln = Nd, La) was reacted with two equivalents of both H-TMG and HOAr {HOAr = HOC6H2(CMe3)2-2,6 (H-DBP) or HOC6H2(CMe3)2-2,6-CH3-4 (H-4MeDBP)} and one equivelent of ethanol (HOEt) to yield the corresponding [Nd(H-TMG)2(4MeDBP)2(OEt)] (1) and [La(H-TMG)2(DBP)2(OEt)] (2). Compounds 1 and 2 were further reacted with 4-pentyn-1-ol {HO(CH2)3C[triple bond]CH} to isolate [Nd(H-TMG)2(4MeDBP)2{O(CH2)3C[triple bond]CH}] (3) and [La(H-TMG)2(DBP)2{O(CH2)3C[triple bond]CH}] (4), respectively. Three equivalents of HOAr and one equivalent of H-TMG were additionally reacted with Ln[N{Si(CH3)3}2]3 to generate [Nd(4MeDBP)3(H-TMG)] (5) and [La(DBP)3(H-TMG)] (6). In order to examine the formation of 1-6, the interaction of H-TMG and HOAr was further examined in solution and the hydrogen bonded complexes (H-TMG:HOAr), 7 and 8, were isolated. Upon successful isolation of 1-6, the utility of 1, 2, 4 and 5 as pre-catalysts for the intramolecular hydroalkoxylation of 4-pentyn-1-ol was investigated. The bulk powders for all complexes were found to be in agreement with the crystal structures based on elemental analyses, FT-IR spectroscopy, and 1H and 13C NMR investigations.

  1. Conductance and activation energy for electron transport in series and parallel intramolecular circuits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Liang-Yan; Wu, Ning; Rabitz, Herschel

    2016-11-30

    We investigate electron transport through series and parallel intramolecular circuits in the framework of the multi-level Redfield theory. Based on the assumption of weak monomer-bath couplings, the simulations depict the length and temperature dependence in six types of intramolecular circuits. In the tunneling regime, we find that the intramolecular circuit rule is only valid in the weak monomer coupling limit. In the thermally activated hopping regime, for circuits based on two different molecular units M a and M b with distinct activation energies E act,a > E act,b , the activation energies of M a and M b in series are nearly the same as E act,a while those in parallel are nearly the same as E act,b . This study gives a comprehensive description of electron transport through intramolecular circuits from tunneling to thermally activated hopping. We hope that this work can motivate additional studies to design intramolecular circuits based on different types of building blocks, and to explore the corresponding circuit laws and the length and temperature dependence of conductance.

  2. Influence of chain topology and bond potential on the glass transition of polymer chains simulated with the bond fluctuation model

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Freire, J J

    2008-01-01

    The bond fluctuation model with a bond potential has been applied to investigation of the glass transition of linear chains and chains with a regular disposition of small branches. Cooling and subsequent heating curves are obtained for the chain energies and also for the mean acceptance probability of a bead jump. In order to mimic different trends to vitrification, a factor B gauging the strength of the bond potential with respect to the long-range potential (i.e. the intramolecular or intermolecular potential between indirectly bonded beads) has been introduced. (A higher value of B leads to a preference for the highest bond lengths and a higher total energy, implying a greater tendency to vitrify.) Different cases have been considered for linear chains: no long-range potential, no bond potential and several choices for B. Furthermore, two distinct values of B have been considered for alternate bonds in linear chains. In the case of the branched chains, mixed models with different values of B for bonds in the main chain and in the branches have also been investigated. The possible presence of ordering or crystallization has been characterized by calculating the collective light scattering function of the different samples after annealing at a convenient temperature below the onset of the abrupt change in the curves associated with a thermodynamic transition. It is concluded that ordering is inherited more efficiently in the systems with branched chains and also for higher values of B. The branched molecules with the highest B values in the main chain bonds exhibit two distinct transitions in the heating curves, which may be associated with two glass transitions. This behavior has been detected experimentally for chains with relatively long flexible branches

  3. Influence of chain topology and bond potential on the glass transition of polymer chains simulated with the bond fluctuation model

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Freire, J J [Departamento de Ciencias y Tecnicas FisicoquImicas, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional de Educacion a Distancia (UNED), Senda del Rey 9, 28040 Madrid (Spain)], E-mail: jfreire@invi.uned.es

    2008-07-16

    The bond fluctuation model with a bond potential has been applied to investigation of the glass transition of linear chains and chains with a regular disposition of small branches. Cooling and subsequent heating curves are obtained for the chain energies and also for the mean acceptance probability of a bead jump. In order to mimic different trends to vitrification, a factor B gauging the strength of the bond potential with respect to the long-range potential (i.e. the intramolecular or intermolecular potential between indirectly bonded beads) has been introduced. (A higher value of B leads to a preference for the highest bond lengths and a higher total energy, implying a greater tendency to vitrify.) Different cases have been considered for linear chains: no long-range potential, no bond potential and several choices for B. Furthermore, two distinct values of B have been considered for alternate bonds in linear chains. In the case of the branched chains, mixed models with different values of B for bonds in the main chain and in the branches have also been investigated. The possible presence of ordering or crystallization has been characterized by calculating the collective light scattering function of the different samples after annealing at a convenient temperature below the onset of the abrupt change in the curves associated with a thermodynamic transition. It is concluded that ordering is inherited more efficiently in the systems with branched chains and also for higher values of B. The branched molecules with the highest B values in the main chain bonds exhibit two distinct transitions in the heating curves, which may be associated with two glass transitions. This behavior has been detected experimentally for chains with relatively long flexible branches.

  4. Isopeptide bonds of the major pilin protein BcpA influence pilus structure and bundle formation on the surface of Bacillus cereus

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hendrickx, Antoni P.A.; Poor, Catherine B.; Jureller, Justin E.; Budzik, Jonathan M.; He, Chuan; Schneewind, Olaf (UC)

    2012-09-05

    Bacillus cereus strains elaborate pili on their surface using a mechanism of sortase-mediated cross-linking of major and minor pilus components. Here we used a combination of electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy to visualize these structures. Pili occur as single, double or higher order assemblies of filaments formed from monomers of the major pilin, BcpA, capped by the minor pilin, BcpB. Previous studies demonstrated that within assembled pili, four domains of BcpA -- CNA{sub 1}, CNA{sub 2}, XNA and CNA{sub 3} -- each acquire intramolecular lysine-asparagine isopeptide bonds formed via catalytic glutamic acid or aspartic acid residues. Here we showed that mutants unable to form the intramolecular isopeptide bonds in the CNA2 or CNA3 domains retain the ability to form pilus bundles. A mutant lacking the CNA{sub 1} isopeptide bond assembled deformed pilin subunits that failed to associate as bundles. X-ray crystallography revealed that the BcpA variant Asp{sup 312}Ala, lacking an aspartyl catalyst, did not generate the isopeptide bond within the jelly-roll structure of XNA. The Asp{sup 312}Ala mutant was also unable to form bundles and promoted the assembly of deformed pili. Thus, structural integrity of the CNA{sub 1} and XNA domains are determinants for the association of pili into higher order bundle structures and determine native pilus structure.

  5. Oxidation of the N-terminal domain of the wheat metallothionein Ec -1 leads to the formation of three distinct disulfide bridges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tarasava, Katsiaryna; Chesnov, Serge; Freisinger, Eva

    2016-05-01

    Metallothioneins (MTs) are low molecular weight proteins, characterized by a high cysteine content and the ability to coordinate large amounts of d(10) metal ions, for example, Zn(II), Cd(II), and Cu(I), in form of metal-thiolate clusters. Depending on intracellular conditions such as redox potential or metal ion concentrations, MTs can occur in various states ranging from the fully metal-loaded holo- to the metal-free apo-form. The Cys thiolate groups in the apo-form can be either reduced or be involved in disulfide bridges. Although oxidation-mediated Zn(II) release might be a possible mechanism for the regulation of Zn(II) availability by MTs, no concise information regarding the associated pathways and the structure of oxidized apo-MT forms is available. Using the well-studied Zn2 γ-Ec -1 domain of the wheat Zn6 Ec -1 MT we attempt here to answer several question regarding the structure and biophysical properties of oxidized MT forms, such as: (1) does disulfide bond formation increase the stability against proteolysis, (2) is the overall peptide backbone fold similar for the holo- and the oxidized apo-MT form, and (3) are disulfide bridges specifically or randomly formed? Our investigations show that oxidation leads to three distinct disulfide bridges independently of the applied oxidation conditions and of the initial species used for oxidation, that is, the apo- or the holo-form. In addition, the oxidized apo-form is as stable against proteolysis as Zn2 γ-Ec -1, rendering the currently assumed degradation of oxidized MTs unlikely and suggesting a role of the oxidation process for the extension of protein lifetime in absence of sufficient amounts of metal ions. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 295-308, 2016. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  6. Hydrogen bond dynamics governs the effective photoprotection mechanism of plant phenolic sunscreens.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Liu, Fang; Du, Likai; Lan, Zhenggang; Gao, Jun

    2017-02-15

    Sinapic acid derivatives are important sunscreen species in natural plants, which could provide protection from solar UV radiation. Using a combination of ultrafast excited state dynamics, together with classical molecular dynamics studies, we demonstrate that there is direct coupling of hydrogen bond motion with excited state photoprotection dynamics as part of the basic mechanism in solution. Beyond the intra-molecular degree of freedom, the inter-molecular motions on all timescales are potentially important for the photochemical or photophysical events, ranging from the ultrafast hydrogen bond motion to solvent rearrangements. This provides not only an enhanced understanding of the anomalous experimental spectroscopic results, but also the key idea in the development of sunscreen agents with improved photo-chemical properties. We suggest that the hydrogen bond dynamics coupled excited state photoprotection mechanism may also be possible in a broad range of bio-related molecules in the condensed phase.

  7. The controlled formation and cleavage of an intramolecular d8-d8 Pt-Pt interaction in a dinuclear cycloplatinated molecular "pivot-hinge".

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koo, Chi-Kin; Wong, Ka-Leung; Lau, Kai-Cheung; Wong, Wai-Yeung; Lam, Michael Hon-Wah

    2009-08-03

    The bis(diphenylphosphino)methane (dppm)-bridged dinuclear cycloplatinated complex {[Pt(L)](2)(mu-dppm)}(2+) (Pt(2)dppm; HL: 2-phenyl-6-(1H-pyrazol-3-yl)-pyridine) demonstrates interesting reversible "pivot-hinge"-like intramolecular motions in response to the protonation/deprotonation of L. In its protonated "closed" configuration, the two platinum(II) centers are held in position by intramolecular d(8)-d(8) Pt-Pt interaction. In its deprotonated "open" configuration, such Pt-Pt interaction is cleaved. To further understand the mechanism behind this hingelike motion, an analogous dinuclear cycloplatinated complex, {[Pt(L)](2)(mu-dchpm)}(2+) (Pt(2)dchpm) with bis(dicyclohexylphosphino)methane (dchpm) as the bridging ligand, was synthesized. From its protonation/deprotonation responses, it was revealed that aromatic pi-pi interactions between the phenyl moieties of the mu-dppm and the deprotonated pyrazolyl rings of L was essential to the reversible cleavage of the intramolecular Pt-Pt interaction in Pt(2)dppm. In the case of Pt(2)dchpm, spectroscopic and spectrofluorometric titrations as well as X-ray crystallography indicated that the distance between the two platinum(II) centers shrank upon deprotonation, thus causing a redshift in its room-temperature triplet metal-metal-to-ligand charge-transfer emission from 614 to 625 nm. Ab initio calculations revealed the presence of intramolecular hydrogen bonding between the deprotonated and negatively charged 1-pyrazolyl-N moiety and the methylene CH and phenyl C-H of the mu-dppm. The "open" configuration of the deprotonated Pt(2)dppm was estimated to be 19 kcal mol(-1) more stable than its alternative "closed" configuration. On the other hand, the open configuration of the deprotonated Pt(2)dchpm was 6 kcal mol(-1) less stable than its alternative closed configuration.

  8. Inhibition of carbon disulfide on bio-desulfurization in the process of ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Biological desulfurization is a novel technology for the removal of hydrogen sulfide from some biogas or sour gas, in which there are always a certain amounts of carbon disulfide together with much hydrogen sulfide. Nowadays, carbon disulfide is found to have negative effect on the biological desulfurization, but seldom ...

  9. Identification, activity and disulfide connectivity of C-di-GMP regulating proteins in Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kajal Gupta

    2010-11-01

    Full Text Available C-di-GMP, a bacterial second messenger plays a key role in survival and adaptation of bacteria under different environmental conditions. The level of c-di-GMP is regulated by two opposing activities, namely diguanylate cyclase (DGC and phosphodiesterase (PDE-A exhibited by GGDEF and EAL domain, respectively in the same protein. Previously, we reported a bifunctional GGDEF-EAL domain protein, MSDGC-1 from Mycobacterium smegmatis showing both these activities (Kumar and Chatterji, 2008. In this current report, we have identified and characterized the homologous protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Rv 1354c named as MtbDGC. MtbDGC is also a bifunctional protein, which can synthesize and degrade c-di-GMP in vitro. Further we expressed Mtbdgc in M. smegmatis and it was able to complement the MSDGC-1 knock out strain by restoring the long term survival of M. smegmatis. Another protein Rv 1357c, named as MtbPDE, is an EAL domain protein and degrades c-di-GMP to pGpG in vitro. Rv1354c and 1357c have seven cysteine amino acids in their sequence, distributed along the full length of the protein. Disulfide bonds play an important role in stabilizing protein structure and regulating protein function. By proteolytic digestion and mass spectrometric analysis of MtbDGC, connectivity between cysteine pairs Cys94-Cys584, Cys2-Cys479 and Cys429-Cys614 was determined, whereas the third cysteine (Cys406 from N terminal was found to be free in MtbDGC protein, which was further confirmed by alkylation with iodoacetamide labeling. Bioinformatics modeling investigations also supported the pattern of disulfide connectivity obtained by Mass spectrometric analysis. Cys406 was mutated to serine by site directed mutagenesis and the mutant MtbC406S was not found to be active and was not able to synthesize or degrade c-di-GMP. The disulfide connectivity established here would help further in understanding the structure - function relationship in MtbDGC.

  10. Chemoreactomic analysis of thiamine disulfide, thiamine hydrochloride, and benfotiamine molecules

    OpenAIRE

    O. A. Gromova; I. Yu. Torshin; L. V. Stakhovskaya; L. E. Fedotova

    2017-01-01

    Objective: to analyze the interactions that could indicate the potential pharmacological properties of the molecules of thiamin, thiamine disulfide, and others.Material and methods. The investigators simulated the properties of thiamine disulfide (bistiamin) versus those of the reference molecules of thiamin hydrochloride and benfotiamine. The study was performed using chemoreactomic simulation that is the newest area in post-genome pharmacology.Results and discussion. Chemoreactomic analysis...

  11. Copper(II)-catalyzed amidations of alkynyl bromides as a general synthesis of ynamides and Z-enamides. An intramolecular amidation for the synthesis of macrocyclic ynamides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhang, Xuejun; Zhang, Yanshi; Huang, Jian; Hsung, Richard P; Kurtz, Kimberly C M; Oppenheimer, Jossian; Petersen, Matthew E; Sagamanova, Irina K; Shen, Lichun; Tracey, Michael R

    2006-05-26

    A general and efficient method for the coupling of a wide range of amides with alkynyl bromides is described here. This novel amidation reaction involves a catalytic protocol using copper(II) sulfate-pentahydrate and 1,10-phenanthroline to direct the sp-C-N bond formation, leading to a structurally diverse array of ynamides including macrocyclic ynamides via an intramolecular amidation. Given the surging interest in ynamide chemistry, this atom economical synthesis of ynamides should invoke further attention from the synthetic organic community.

  12. X-ray and Hydrogen-bonding Properties of 1-((1H-benzotriazol-1-ylmethylnaphthalen-2-ol

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaime Ríos-Motta

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available The solid state structure of 1-((1H-benzotriazol-1-ylmethylnaphthalen-2-ol, C17H13N3O, shows that this Mannich base crystallizes forming intermolecular N···HO hydrogen bonds, rather than intramolecular ones. Factors contributing to this choice of hydrogen-bonding mode are discussed. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic system, P21/c space group, with lattice constants: a = 11.7934(9 Å, b = 14.3002(14 Å, c = 8.4444(8 Å, β = 106.243(5 deg, V = 1367.3(2 Å3, Z = 4, F(000 = 576, R1 = 6.96%, wR2 = 11.4%.

  13. Intermolecular-directed reactivity in solid media. Radiogenic formation of phosphorus-centered radicals in chiral diphosphine disulfides studied by ESR

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Aagaard, O.M.; Janssen, R.A.J.; de Waal, B.F.M.; Buck, H.M. (Eindhoven Univ. of Technology (Netherlands)); Kanters, J.A.; Schouten, A. (State Univ. of Utrecht (Netherlands))

    1990-07-04

    Single-crystal, powder, and frozen-matrix ESR experiments have been performed to study the radiogenic electron-capture properties of several diastereoisomeric and asymmetric diphosphine disulfides (R{sub 1}R{sub 2}P(S)P(S)R{sub 3}R{sub 4}). The principal values of the hyperfine couplings of several phosphorus-centered radical configurations are determined and related to the spin density distribution. Attention is focused on the strong differences in radiogenic properties, observed between the meso and racemic forms of phenyl- and tolyl-substituted diphosphine disulfides. The most striking result is that X irradiation of the crystalline meso compounds MePhP(S)P(S)MePh, Me(p-Tol)P(S)P(S)Me(p-Tol), and Ph(PhCH{sub 2})P(S)P(S)Ph(CH{sub 2}Ph) does not lead to the formation of a three-electron bond P-P {sigma}* radical but invariably results in configurations in which the unpaired electron is primarily localized on one half of the molecule. X irradiation of the corresponding racemic forms, on the other hand, gives rise to P-P {sigma}* configurations.

  14. A comparative immunogenicity study in rabbits of disulfide-stabilized, proteolytically cleaved, soluble trimeric human immunodeficiency virus type 1 gp140, trimeric cleavage-defective gp140 and monomeric gp120

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Beddows, Simon; Franti, Michael; Dey, Antu K.; Kirschner, Marc; Iyer, Sai Prasad N.; Fisch, Danielle C.; Ketas, Thomas; Yuste, Eloisa; Desrosiers, Ronald C.; Klasse, Per Johan; Maddon, Paul J.; Olson, William C.; Moore, John P.

    2007-01-01

    The human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) surface envelope glycoprotein (Env) complex, a homotrimer containing gp120 surface glycoprotein and gp41 transmembrane glycoprotein subunits, mediates the binding and fusion of the virus with susceptible target cells. The Env complex is the target for neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) and is the basis for vaccines intended to induce NAbs. Early generation vaccines based on monomeric gp120 subunits did not confer protection from infection; one alternative approach is therefore to make and evaluate soluble forms of the trimeric Env complex. We have directly compared the immunogenicity in rabbits of two forms of soluble trimeric Env and monomeric gp120 based on the sequence of HIV-1 JR-FL . Both protein-only and DNA-prime, protein-boost immunization formats were evaluated, DNA-priming having little or no influence on the outcome. One form of trimeric Env was made by disrupting the gp120-gp41 cleavage site by mutagenesis (gp140 UNC ), the other contains an intramolecular disulfide bond to stabilize the cleaved gp120 and gp41 moieties (SOSIP.R6 gp140). Among the three immunogens, SOSIP.R6 gp140 most frequently elicited neutralizing antibodies against the homologous, neutralization-resistant strain, HIV-1 JR-FL . All three proteins induced NAbs against more sensitive strains, but the breadth of activity against heterologous primary isolates was limited. When antibodies able to neutralize HIV-1 JR-FL were detected, antigen depletion studies showed they were not directed at the V3 region but were targeted at other, undefined gp120 and also non-gp120 epitopes

  15. Study of a photo-induced lysozyme-riboflavin bond

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ferrer, I; Silva, E

    1985-01-01

    Irradiation of lysozyme in the presence of riboflavin results in the formation of a lysozyme-riboflavin adduct. Reduction and carboxymethylation of the four disulfide bonds as well as the chemical modification of the Tyr residues and the photochemical alteration of the His residue in lysozyme, do not affect the formation of the photo-induced lysozyme-riboflavin bond. When the lysozyme-riboflavin adduct was subjected to mild acid hydrolysis and ion exchange chromatography, the retention of a compound containing /sup 14/C-riboflavin was observed. Free /sup 14/C-riboflavin, on the contrary is not retained by the column. The photo-oxidation of free Trp in the presence of /sup 14/C-riboflavin, gave a compound which bound to the ion exchange resin like the above-mentioned derivative. The photo-oxidation of the Trp residues in lysozyme and in peptides obtained from lysozyme showed very high quantum yields, and these values were directly related to the incorporation of /sup 14/C-riboflavin in these samples.

  16. Study of a photo-induced lysozyme-riboflavin bond

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ferrer, I.; Silva, E.

    1985-01-01

    Irradiation of lysozyme in the presence of riboflavin results in the formation of a lysozyme-riboflavin adduct. Reduction and carboxymethylation of the four disulfide bonds as well as the chemical modification of the Tyr residues and the photochemical alteration of the His residue in lysozyme, do not affect the formation of the photo-induced lysozyme-riboflavin bond. When the lysozyme-riboflavin adduct was subjected to mild acid hydrolysis and ion exchange chromatography, the retention of a compound containing 14 C-riboflavin was observed. Free 14 C-ribboflavin, on the contrary is not retained by the column. The photo-oxidation of free Trp in the presence of 14 C-riboflavin, gave a compound which bound to the ion exchange resin like the above-mentioned derivative. The photo-oxidation of the Trp residues in lysozyme and in peptides obtained from lysozyme showed very high quantum yields, and these values were directly related to the incorporation of 14 C-riboflavin in these samples. (orig.)

  17. Structures and the Hydrogen Bonding Abilities of Estrogens Studied by Supersonic Jet/laser Spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Morishima, Fumiya; Inokuchi, Yoshiya; Ebata, Takayuki

    2013-06-01

    Estrone, estradiol, estriol are known as endogenous estrogen which have the same steroidal frame with different substituent, leading to difference of physiological activity upon the formation of hydrogen bond with estrogen receptor. In the present study, structures of estrogens and their hydrated clusters in a supersonic jet have been studied by various laser spectroscopic techniques and density functional theory calculation to study how the difference of substituents affects their hydrogen bonding ability. Infrared spectra in the OH stretching region indicate a formation of intramolecular hydrogen-bond in estriol, which may lead to weaker physiological activity among the three estrogens. We also measured electronic and infrared spectra of 1:1 hydrated clusters of estrogen. The results show a switch of stable hydration site from the phenolic OH group to the five member ring by substituting one more OH group.

  18. The Chemistry of Alk-1-yn-1-yl DisulfidesA Review

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Senning, Alexander Erich Eugen

    2009-01-01

    The preparation and the properties of the elusive alk-1-yn-1-yl disulfides are reviewed, including the most recent quantum chemical findings with regard to their reactivity.......The preparation and the properties of the elusive alk-1-yn-1-yl disulfides are reviewed, including the most recent quantum chemical findings with regard to their reactivity....

  19. Solvent control of intramolecular proton transfer

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Manolova, Y.; Marciniak, Heinz; Tschierlei, S.

    2017-01-01

    of molecules in the enol and zwitterionic proton transfer (PT) form exists in the ground state. However, the zwitterion is the energetically favored one in the electronically excited state. Optical excitation of the enol form results in intramolecular proton transfer and formation of the PT form within 1.4 ps...

  20. Excited-state intramolecular hydrogen transfer (ESIHT) of 1,8-Dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (DHAQ) characterized by ultrafast electronic and vibrational spectroscopy and computational modeling

    KAUST Repository

    Mohammed, Omar F.

    2014-05-01

    We combine ultrafast electronic and vibrational spectroscopy and computational modeling to investigate the photoinduced excited-state intramolecular hydrogen-transfer dynamics in 1,8-dihydroxy-9,10-anthraquinone (DHAQ) in tetrachloroethene, acetonitrile, dimethyl sulfoxide, and methanol. We analyze the electronic excited states of DHAQ with various possible hydrogen-bonding schemes and provide a general description of the electronic excited-state dynamics based on a systematic analysis of femtosecond UV/vis and UV/IR pump-probe spectroscopic data. Upon photoabsorption at 400 nm, the S 2 electronic excited state is initially populated, followed by a rapid equilibration within 150 fs through population transfer to the S 1 state where DHAQ exhibits ESIHT dynamics. In this equilibration process, the excited-state population is distributed between the 9,10-quinone (S2) and 1,10-quinone (S1) states while undergoing vibrational energy redistribution, vibrational cooling, and solvation dynamics on the 0.1-50 ps time scale. Transient UV/vis pump-probe data in methanol also suggest additional relaxation dynamics on the subnanosecond time scale, which we tentatively ascribe to hydrogen bond dynamics of DHAQ with the protic solvent, affecting the equilibrium population dynamics within the S2 and S1 electronic excited states. Ultimately, the two excited singlet states decay with a solvent-dependent time constant ranging from 139 to 210 ps. The concomitant electronic ground-state recovery is, however, only partial because a large fraction of the population relaxes to the first triplet state. From the similarity of the time scales involved, we conjecture that the solvent plays a crucial role in breaking the intramolecular hydrogen bond of DHAQ during the S2/S1 relaxation to either the ground or triplet state. © 2014 American Chemical Society.

  1. Buckwheat trypsin inhibitor with helical hairpin structure belongs to a new family of plant defence peptides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oparin, Peter B; Mineev, Konstantin S; Dunaevsky, Yakov E; Arseniev, Alexander S; Belozersky, Mikhail A; Grishin, Eugene V; Egorov, Tsezi A; Vassilevski, Alexander A

    2012-08-15

    A new peptide trypsin inhibitor named BWI-2c was obtained from buckwheat (Fagopyrum esculentum) seeds by sequential affinity, ion exchange and reversed-phase chromatography. The peptide was sequenced and found to contain 41 amino acid residues, with four cysteine residues involved in two intramolecular disulfide bonds. Recombinant BWI-2c identical to the natural peptide was produced in Escherichia coli in a form of a cleavable fusion with thioredoxin. The 3D (three-dimensional) structure of the peptide in solution was determined by NMR spectroscopy, revealing two antiparallel α-helices stapled by disulfide bonds. Together with VhTI, a trypsin inhibitor from veronica (Veronica hederifolia), BWI-2c represents a new family of protease inhibitors with an unusual α-helical hairpin fold. The linker sequence between the helices represents the so-called trypsin inhibitory loop responsible for direct binding to the active site of the enzyme that cleaves BWI-2c at the functionally important residue Arg(19). The inhibition constant was determined for BWI-2c against trypsin (1.7×10(-1)0 M), and the peptide was tested on other enzymes, including those from various insect digestive systems, revealing high selectivity to trypsin-like proteases. Structural similarity shared by BWI-2c, VhTI and several other plant defence peptides leads to the acknowledgement of a new widespread family of plant peptides termed α-hairpinins.

  2. Bonding and compressibility in molecular and polymeric phases of solid CO2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Gracia, L; Marques, M; Beltran, A; Pendas, A Martin; Recio, J M

    2004-01-01

    We present the results of a theoretical study of the response of molecular CO 2 -I and CO 2 -III, and polymeric CO 2 -V polymorphs to hydrostatic pressure. Total energy calculations and geometry optimizations have been performed under the local density functional approximation combining a pseudopotential and planewave scheme as implemented in the VASP code. Using the atoms in molecules theory, the network of inter- and intra-molecular chemical bonds of the different phases are rigorously characterized in terms of the values of the electron density and the Laplacian at the bond critical points. The chemical graph of a hypothetical orthorhombic structure displays bonding features that are associated with a precursor geometry of polymeric carbon four-fold coordinated phases. In addition, the bulk compressibility is decomposed into atomic and molecular contributions with the aim of providing a better understanding of the reasons that explain the emergence of low compressible polymorphs at high pressures

  3. Transition Metal Free C-N Bond Forming Dearomatizations and Aryl C-H Aminations by in Situ Release of a Hydroxylamine-Based Aminating Agent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Farndon, Joshua J; Ma, Xiaofeng; Bower, John F

    2017-10-11

    We outline a simple protocol that accesses directly unprotected secondary amines by intramolecular C-N bond forming dearomatization or aryl C-H amination. The method is dependent on the generation of a potent electrophilic aminating agent released by in situ deprotection of O-Ts activated N-Boc hydroxylamines.

  4. Photoswitchable Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds in 5-Phenylazopyrimidines Revealed By In Situ Irradiation NMR Spectroscopy

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Procházková, Eliška; Čechová, Lucie; Kind, J.; Janeba, Zlatko; Thiele, C. M.; Dračínský, Martin

    2018-01-01

    Roč. 24, č. 2 (2018), s. 492-498 ISSN 0947-6539 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA15-11223S Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : azopyrimidines * heterocycles * hydrogen bonds * NMR spectroscopy * UV/Vis in situ irradiation Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 5.317, year: 2016

  5. Rv2969c, essential for optimal growth in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a DsbA-like enzyme that interacts with VKOR-derived peptides and has atypical features of DsbA-like disulfide oxidases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Premkumar, Lakshmanane; Heras, Begoña; Duprez, Wilko; Walden, Patricia; Halili, Maria; Kurth, Fabian; Fairlie, David P.; Martin, Jennifer L.

    2013-01-01

    The gene product of M. tuberculosis Rv2969c is shown to be a disulfide oxidase enzyme that has a canonical DsbA-like fold with novel structural and functional characteristics. The bacterial disulfide machinery is an attractive molecular target for developing new antibacterials because it is required for the production of multiple virulence factors. The archetypal disulfide oxidase proteins in Escherichia coli (Ec) are DsbA and DsbB, which together form a functional unit: DsbA introduces disulfides into folding proteins and DsbB reoxidizes DsbA to maintain it in the active form. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), no DsbB homologue is encoded but a functionally similar but structurally divergent protein, MtbVKOR, has been identified. Here, the Mtb protein Rv2969c is investigated and it is shown that it is the DsbA-like partner protein of MtbVKOR. It is found that it has the characteristic redox features of a DsbA-like protein: a highly acidic catalytic cysteine, a highly oxidizing potential and a destabilizing active-site disulfide bond. Rv2969c also has peptide-oxidizing activity and recognizes peptide segments derived from the periplasmic loops of MtbVKOR. Unlike the archetypal EcDsbA enzyme, Rv2969c has little or no activity in disulfide-reducing and disulfide-isomerase assays. The crystal structure of Rv2969c reveals a canonical DsbA fold comprising a thioredoxin domain with an embedded helical domain. However, Rv2969c diverges considerably from other DsbAs, including having an additional C-terminal helix (H8) that may restrain the mobility of the catalytic helix H1. The enzyme is also characterized by a very shallow hydrophobic binding surface and a negative electrostatic surface potential surrounding the catalytic cysteine. The structure of Rv2969c was also used to model the structure of a paralogous DsbA-like domain of the Ser/Thr protein kinase PknE. Together, these results show that Rv2969c is a DsbA-like protein with unique properties and a limited

  6. Rv2969c, essential for optimal growth in Mycobacterium tuberculosis, is a DsbA-like enzyme that interacts with VKOR-derived peptides and has atypical features of DsbA-like disulfide oxidases

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Premkumar, Lakshmanane, E-mail: p.lakshmanane@imb.uq.edu.au; Heras, Begoña; Duprez, Wilko; Walden, Patricia; Halili, Maria; Kurth, Fabian; Fairlie, David P.; Martin, Jennifer L., E-mail: p.lakshmanane@imb.uq.edu.au [University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4067 (Australia)

    2013-10-01

    The gene product of M. tuberculosis Rv2969c is shown to be a disulfide oxidase enzyme that has a canonical DsbA-like fold with novel structural and functional characteristics. The bacterial disulfide machinery is an attractive molecular target for developing new antibacterials because it is required for the production of multiple virulence factors. The archetypal disulfide oxidase proteins in Escherichia coli (Ec) are DsbA and DsbB, which together form a functional unit: DsbA introduces disulfides into folding proteins and DsbB reoxidizes DsbA to maintain it in the active form. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), no DsbB homologue is encoded but a functionally similar but structurally divergent protein, MtbVKOR, has been identified. Here, the Mtb protein Rv2969c is investigated and it is shown that it is the DsbA-like partner protein of MtbVKOR. It is found that it has the characteristic redox features of a DsbA-like protein: a highly acidic catalytic cysteine, a highly oxidizing potential and a destabilizing active-site disulfide bond. Rv2969c also has peptide-oxidizing activity and recognizes peptide segments derived from the periplasmic loops of MtbVKOR. Unlike the archetypal EcDsbA enzyme, Rv2969c has little or no activity in disulfide-reducing and disulfide-isomerase assays. The crystal structure of Rv2969c reveals a canonical DsbA fold comprising a thioredoxin domain with an embedded helical domain. However, Rv2969c diverges considerably from other DsbAs, including having an additional C-terminal helix (H8) that may restrain the mobility of the catalytic helix H1. The enzyme is also characterized by a very shallow hydrophobic binding surface and a negative electrostatic surface potential surrounding the catalytic cysteine. The structure of Rv2969c was also used to model the structure of a paralogous DsbA-like domain of the Ser/Thr protein kinase PknE. Together, these results show that Rv2969c is a DsbA-like protein with unique properties and a limited

  7. Selective removal of heavy metal ions by disulfide linked polymer networks

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ko, Dongah [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Lee, Joo Sung [Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Patel, Hasmukh A. [Department of Chemistry, Northwestern University, Evanston, IL 60208 (United States); Jakobsen, Mogens H. [Department of Micro and Nano technology, Technical University of Denmark, Ørsteds Plads, 345B, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark); Hwang, Yuhoon [Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, 232 Gongreung-ro, Nowon-gu, Seoul 01811 (Korea, Republic of); Yavuz, Cafer T. [Graduate School of EEWS, Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), Daejeon 34141 (Korea, Republic of); Hansen, Hans Chr. Bruun [Department of Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of Copenhagen, Frederiksberg, Thorvaldsensvej 40, 1871 Frederiksberg C (Denmark); Andersen, Henrik R., E-mail: henrik@ndersen.net [Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, Miljøvej 113, 2800 Kgs. Lyngby (Denmark)

    2017-06-15

    Highlights: • Disulfide/thiol polymer networks are promising as sorbent for heavy metals. • Rapid sorption and high Langmuir affinity constant (a{sub L}) for stormwater treatment. • Selective sorption for copper, cadmium, and zinc in the presence of calcium. • Reusability likely due to structure stability of disulfide linked polymer networks. - Abstract: Heavy metal contaminated surface water is one of the oldest pollution problems, which is critical to ecosystems and human health. We devised disulfide linked polymer networks and employed as a sorbent for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Although the polymer network material has a moderate surface area, it demonstrated cadmium removal efficiency equivalent to highly porous activated carbon while it showed 16 times faster sorption kinetics compared to activated carbon, owing to the high affinity of cadmium towards disulfide and thiol functionality in the polymer network. The metal sorption mechanism on polymer network was studied by sorption kinetics, effect of pH, and metal complexation. We observed that the metal ions–copper, cadmium, and zinc showed high binding affinity in polymer network, even in the presence of competing cations like calcium in water.

  8. New thiol-responsive mono-cleavable block copolymer micelles labeled with single disulfides.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sourkohi, Behnoush Khorsand; Schmidt, Rolf; Oh, Jung Kwon

    2011-10-18

    Thiol-responsive symmetric triblock copolymers having single disulfide linkages in the middle blocks (called mono-cleavable block copolymers, ss-ABP(2)) were synthesized by atom transfer radical polymerization in the presence of a disulfide-labeled difunctional Br-initiator. These brush-like triblock copolymers consist of a hydrophobic polyacrylate block having pendent oligo(propylene oxide) and a hydrophilic polymethacrylate block having pendent oligo(ethylene oxide). Gel permeation chromatography and (1)H NMR results confirmed the synthesis of well-defined mono-cleavable block copolymers and revealed that polymerizations were well controlled. Because of amphiphilic nature, these copolymers self-assembled to form colloidally stable micelles above critical micellar concentration of 0.032 mg · mL(-1). In response to reductive reactions, disulfides in thiol-responsive micelles were cleaved. Atomic force microscopy and dynamic light scattering analysis suggested that the cleavage of disulfides caused dissociation of micelles to smaller-sized assembled structures in water. Moreover, in a biomedical perspective, the mono-cleavable block copolymer micelles are not cytotoxic and thus biocompatible. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Non-statistical effects in bond fission reactions of 1,2-difluoroethane

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schranz, Harold W.; Raff, Lionel M.; Thompson, Donald L.

    1991-08-01

    A microcanonical, classical variational transition-state theory based on the use of the efficient microcanonical sampling (EMS) procedure is applied to simple bond fission in 1,2-difluoroethane. Comparison is made with results of trajectory calculations performed on the same global potential-energy surface. Agreement between the statistical theory and trajectory results for CC CF and CH bond fissions is poor with differences as large as a factor of 125. Most importantly, at the lower energy studied, 6.0 eV, the statistical calculations predict considerably slower rates than those computed from trajectories. We conclude from these results that the statistical assumptions inherent in the transition-state theory method are not valid for 1,2-difluoroethane in spite of the fact that the total intramolecular energy transfer rate out of CH and CC normal and local modes is large relative to the bond fission rates. The IVR rate is not globally rapid and the trajectories do not access all of the energetically available phase space uniformly on the timescale of the reactions.

  10. A novel disulfide-rich protein motif from avian eggshell membranes.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vamsi K Kodali

    2011-03-01

    Full Text Available Under the shell of a chicken egg are two opposed proteinaceous disulfide-rich membranes. They are fabricated in the avian oviduct using fibers formed from proteins that are extensively coupled by irreversible lysine-derived crosslinks. The intractability of these eggshell membranes (ESM has slowed their characterization and their protein composition remains uncertain. In this work, reductive alkylation of ESM followed by proteolytic digestion led to the identification of a cysteine rich ESM protein (abbreviated CREMP that was similar to spore coat protein SP75 from cellular slime molds. Analysis of the cysteine repeats in partial sequences of CREMP reveals runs of remarkably repetitive patterns. Module a contains a C-X(4-C-X(5-C-X(8-C-X(6 pattern (where X represents intervening non-cysteine residues. These inter-cysteine amino acid residues are also strikingly conserved. The evolutionarily-related module b has the same cysteine spacing as a, but has 11 amino acid residues at its C-terminus. Different stretches of CREMP sequences in chicken genomic DNA fragments show diverse repeat patterns: e.g. all a modules; an alternation of a-b modules; or an a-b-b arrangement. Comparable CREMP proteins are found in contigs of the zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata and in the oviparous green anole lizard (Anolis carolinensis. In all these cases the long runs of highly conserved modular repeats have evidently led to difficulties in the assembly of full length DNA sequences. Hence the number, and the amino acid lengths, of CREMP proteins are currently unknown. A 118 amino acid fragment (representing an a-b-a-b pattern from a chicken oviduct EST library expressed in Escherichia coli is a well folded, highly anisotropic, protein with a large chemical shift dispersion in 2D solution NMR spectra. Structure is completely lost on reduction of the 8 disulfide bonds of this protein fragment. Finally, solid state NMR spectra suggest a surprising degree of order in intact

  11. Corynebacterium diphtheriae methionine sulfoxide reductase a exploits a unique mycothiol redox relay mechanism.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tossounian, Maria-Armineh; Pedre, Brandán; Wahni, Khadija; Erdogan, Huriye; Vertommen, Didier; Van Molle, Inge; Messens, Joris

    2015-05-01

    Methionine sulfoxide reductases are conserved enzymes that reduce oxidized methionines in proteins and play a pivotal role in cellular redox signaling. We have unraveled the redox relay mechanisms of methionine sulfoxide reductase A of the pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae (Cd-MsrA) and shown that this enzyme is coupled to two independent redox relay pathways. Steady-state kinetics combined with mass spectrometry of Cd-MsrA mutants give a view of the essential cysteine residues for catalysis. Cd-MsrA combines a nucleophilic cysteine sulfenylation reaction with an intramolecular disulfide bond cascade linked to the thioredoxin pathway. Within this cascade, the oxidative equivalents are transferred to the surface of the protein while releasing the reduced substrate. Alternatively, MsrA catalyzes methionine sulfoxide reduction linked to the mycothiol/mycoredoxin-1 pathway. After the nucleophilic cysteine sulfenylation reaction, MsrA forms a mixed disulfide with mycothiol, which is transferred via a thiol disulfide relay mechanism to a second cysteine for reduction by mycoredoxin-1. With x-ray crystallography, we visualize two essential intermediates of the thioredoxin relay mechanism and a cacodylate molecule mimicking the substrate interactions in the active site. The interplay of both redox pathways in redox signaling regulation forms the basis for further research into the oxidative stress response of this pathogen. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

  12. Generation of a Multicomponent Library of Disulfide Donor-Acceptor Architectures Using Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Drożdż, Wojciech; Kołodziejski, Michał; Markiewicz, Grzegorz; Jenczak, Anna; Stefankiewicz, Artur R

    2015-07-17

    We describe here the generation of new donor-acceptor disulfide architectures obtained in aqueous solution at physiological pH. The application of a dynamic combinatorial chemistry approach allowed us to generate a large number of new disulfide macrocyclic architectures together with a new type of [2]catenanes consisting of four distinct components. Up to fifteen types of structurally-distinct dynamic architectures have been generated through one-pot disulfide exchange reactions between four thiol-functionalized aqueous components. The distribution of disulfide products formed was found to be strongly dependent on the structural features of the thiol components employed. This work not only constitutes a success in the synthesis of topologically- and morphologically-complex targets, but it may also open new horizons for the use of this methodology in the construction of molecular machines.

  13. Effects of acid concentration on intramolecular charge transfer ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    rate. Time-dependent density functional theory calculations have been performed to understand the observed spectroscopic results. Keywords. Intramolecular charge transfer; absorption and fluorescence; time resolved fluorescence measurements; acid concentration dependence; time-dependent density functional theory.

  14. Photoinduced intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) reaction in trans-methyl p-(dimethylamino) cinnamate: A combined fluorescence measurement and quantum chemical calculations

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Chakraborty, Amrita [Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92, A. P. C. Road, Kolkata 700009 (India); Kar, Samiran [Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Jadavpur, Kolkata 700 032 (India); Guchhait, Nikhil [Department of Chemistry, University of Calcutta, 92, A. P. C. Road, Kolkata 700009 (India)], E-mail: nikhilg@postmark.net

    2006-01-05

    The photophysical behaviour of trans-methyl p-(dimethylamino) cinnamate (t-MDMAC) donor-acceptor system has been investigated by steady-state absorption and emission spectroscopy and quantum chemical calculations. The molecule t-MDMAC shows an emission from the locally excited state in non-polar solvents. In addition to weak local emission, a strong solvent dependent red shifted fluorescence in polar aprotic solvents is attributed to highly polar intramolecular charge transfer state. However, the formation of hydrogen-bonded clusters with polar protic solvents has been suggested from a linear correlation between the observed red shifted fluorescence band maxima with hydrogen bonding parameters ({alpha}). Calculations by ab initio and density functional theory show that the lone pair electron at nitrogen center is out of plane of the benzene ring in the global minimum ground state structure. In the gas phase, a potential energy surface along the twist coordinate at the donor (-NMe{sub 2}) and acceptor (-CH = CHCOOMe) sites shows stabilization of S{sub 1} state and destabilization S{sub 2} and S{sub 0} states. A similar potential energy calculation along the twist coordinate in acetonitrile solvent using non-equilibrium polarized continuum model also shows more stabilization of S{sub 1} state relative to other states and supports solvent dependent red shifted emission properties. In all types of calculations it is found that the nitrogen lone pair is delocalized over the benzene ring in the global minimum ground state and is localized on the nitrogen centre at the 90 deg. twisted configuration. The S{sub 1} energy state stabilization along the twist coordinate at the donor site and localized nitrogen lone pair at the perpendicular configuration support well the observed dual fluorescence in terms of proposed twisted intramolecular charge transfer (TICT) model.

  15. Performance of Several Density Functional Theory Methods on Describing Hydrogen-Bond Interactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rao, Li; Ke, Hongwei; Fu, Gang; Xu, Xin; Yan, Yijing

    2009-01-13

    We have investigated eleven density functionals, including LDA, PBE, mPWPW91, TPSS, B3LYP, X3LYP, PBE0, O3LYP, B97-1, MPW1K, and TPSSh, for their performances on describing hydrogen bond (HB) interactions. The emphasis has been laid not only on their abilities to calculate the intermolecular hydrogen bonding energies but also on their performances in predicting the relative energies of intermolecular H-bonded complexes and the conformer stabilities due to intramolecular hydrogen bondings. As compared to the best theoretical values, we found that although PBE and PBE0 gave the best estimation of HB strengths, they might fail to predict the correct order of relative HB energies, which might lead to a wrong prediction of the global minimum for different conformers. TPSS and TPSSh did not always improve over PBE and PBE0. B3LYP was found to underestimate the intermolecular HB strengths but was among the best performers in calculating the relative HB energies. We showed here that X3LYP and B97-1 were able to give good values for both absolute HB strengths and relative HB energies, making these functionals good candidates for HB description.

  16. Cytoplasmic glutathione redox status determines survival upon exposure to the thiol-oxidant 4,4'-dipyridyl disulfide

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    López-Mirabal, H Reynaldo; Thorsen, Michael; Kielland-Brandt, Morten C

    2007-01-01

    Dipyridyl disulfide (DPS) is a highly reactive thiol oxidant that functions as electron acceptor in thiol-disulfide exchange reactions. DPS is very toxic to yeasts, impairing growth at low micromolar concentrations. The genes TRX2 (thioredoxin), SOD1 (superoxide dismutase), GSH1 (gamma-glutamyl-c......Dipyridyl disulfide (DPS) is a highly reactive thiol oxidant that functions as electron acceptor in thiol-disulfide exchange reactions. DPS is very toxic to yeasts, impairing growth at low micromolar concentrations. The genes TRX2 (thioredoxin), SOD1 (superoxide dismutase), GSH1 (gamma...... antioxidant pools of glutathione (GSH) and thioredoxin are required for resistance to DPS. We found that DPS-sensitive mutants display increases in the disulfide form of GSH (GSSG) during DPS exposure that roughly correlate with their more oxidizing GSH redox potential in the cytosol and their degree of DPS...

  17. Do resonance-assisted intramolecular halogen bonds exist without a charge transfer and a sigma-hole?

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Pandiyan, B. V.; Deepa, Palanisamy; Kolandaivel, P.

    2015-01-01

    Roč. 17, č. 41 (2015), s. 27496-27508 ISSN 1463-9076 R&D Projects: GA ČR GBP208/12/G016 Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : ab initio * hydrogen bonds * noncovalent interactions Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 4.449, year: 2015

  18. Functional and structural studies of the disulfide isomerase DsbC from the plant pathogen Xylella fastidiosa reveals a redox-dependent oligomeric modulation in vitro.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Santos, Clelton A; Toledo, Marcelo A S; Trivella, Daniela B B; Beloti, Lilian L; Schneider, Dilaine R S; Saraiva, Antonio M; Crucello, Aline; Azzoni, Adriano R; Souza, Alessandra A; Aparicio, Ricardo; Souza, Anete P

    2012-10-01

    Xylella fastidiosa is a Gram-negative bacterium that grows as a biofilm inside the xylem vessels of susceptible plants and causes several economically relevant crop diseases. In the present study, we report the functional and low-resolution structural characterization of the X. fastidiosa disulfide isomerase DsbC (XfDsbC). DsbC is part of the disulfide bond reduction/isomerization pathway in the bacterial periplasm and plays an important role in oxidative protein folding. In the present study, we demonstrate the presence of XfDsbC during different stages of X. fastidiosa biofilm development. XfDsbC was not detected during X. fastidiosa planktonic growth; however, after administering a sublethal copper shock, we observed an overexpression of XfDsbC that also occurred during planktonic growth. These results suggest that X. fastidiosa can use XfDsbC in vivo under oxidative stress conditions similar to those induced by copper. In addition, using dynamic light scattering and small-angle X-ray scattering, we observed that the oligomeric state of XfDsbC in vitro may be dependent on the redox environment. Under reducing conditions, XfDsbC is present as a dimer, whereas a putative tetrameric form was observed under nonreducing conditions. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the overexpression of XfDsbC during biofilm formation and provide the first structural model of a bacterial disulfide isomerase in solution. © 2012 The Authors Journal compilation © 2012 FEBS.

  19. Live-cell imaging of biothiols via thiol/disulfide exchange to trigger the photoinduced electron transfer of gold-nanodot sensor

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Liu, Ching-Ping; Wu, Te-Haw; Liu, Chia-Yeh; Lin, Shu-Yi

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • The ultrasmall size, PAMAM dendrimer-entrapped Au 8 -clusters were synthesized. • Thiol/disulfide exchange with biothiols to release 2-PyT resulted in quenching. • The sensing platform can detect both low and high molecular weight thiols. • Capable of imaging biothiols including protein thiols in living cells. - Abstract: Biothiols have been reported to involve in intracellular redox-homeostasis against oxidative stress. In this study, a highly selective and sensitive fluorescent probe for sensing biothiols is explored by using an ultrasmall gold nanodot (AuND), the dendrimer-entrapped Au 8 -cluster. This strategy relies upon a thiol/disulfide exchange to trigger the fluorescence change through a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process between the Au 8 -cluster (as an electron donor) and 2-pyridinethiol (2-PyT) (as an electron acceptor) for sensing biothiols. When 2-PyT is released via the cleavage of disulfide bonds by biothiols, the PET process from the Au 8 -cluster to 2-PyT is initiated, resulting in fluorescence quenching. The fluorescence intensity was found to decrease linearly with glutathione (GSH) concentration (0–1500 μM) at physiological relevant levels and the limit of detection for GSH was 15.4 μM. Compared to most nanoparticle-based fluorescent probes that are limited to detect low molecular weight thiols (LMWTs; i.e., GSH and cysteine), the ultrasmall Au 8 -cluster-based probe exhibited less steric hindrance and can be directly applied in selectively and sensitively detecting both LMWTs and high molecular weight thiols (HMWTs; i.e., protein thiols). Based on such sensing platform, the surface-functionalized Au 8 -cluster has significant promise for use as an efficient nanoprobe for intracellular fluorescence imaging of biothiols including protein thiols in living cells whereas other nanoparticle-based fluorescent probes cannot

  20. Live-cell imaging of biothiols via thiol/disulfide exchange to trigger the photoinduced electron transfer of gold-nanodot sensor

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Liu, Ching-Ping; Wu, Te-Haw; Liu, Chia-Yeh; Lin, Shu-Yi, E-mail: shuyi@nhri.org.tw

    2014-11-07

    Highlights: • The ultrasmall size, PAMAM dendrimer-entrapped Au{sub 8}-clusters were synthesized. • Thiol/disulfide exchange with biothiols to release 2-PyT resulted in quenching. • The sensing platform can detect both low and high molecular weight thiols. • Capable of imaging biothiols including protein thiols in living cells. - Abstract: Biothiols have been reported to involve in intracellular redox-homeostasis against oxidative stress. In this study, a highly selective and sensitive fluorescent probe for sensing biothiols is explored by using an ultrasmall gold nanodot (AuND), the dendrimer-entrapped Au{sub 8}-cluster. This strategy relies upon a thiol/disulfide exchange to trigger the fluorescence change through a photoinduced electron transfer (PET) process between the Au{sub 8}-cluster (as an electron donor) and 2-pyridinethiol (2-PyT) (as an electron acceptor) for sensing biothiols. When 2-PyT is released via the cleavage of disulfide bonds by biothiols, the PET process from the Au{sub 8}-cluster to 2-PyT is initiated, resulting in fluorescence quenching. The fluorescence intensity was found to decrease linearly with glutathione (GSH) concentration (0–1500 μM) at physiological relevant levels and the limit of detection for GSH was 15.4 μM. Compared to most nanoparticle-based fluorescent probes that are limited to detect low molecular weight thiols (LMWTs; i.e., GSH and cysteine), the ultrasmall Au{sub 8}-cluster-based probe exhibited less steric hindrance and can be directly applied in selectively and sensitively detecting both LMWTs and high molecular weight thiols (HMWTs; i.e., protein thiols). Based on such sensing platform, the surface-functionalized Au{sub 8}-cluster has significant promise for use as an efficient nanoprobe for intracellular fluorescence imaging of biothiols including protein thiols in living cells whereas other nanoparticle-based fluorescent probes cannot.

  1. An analytic study of molybdenum disulfide nanofluids using the modern approach of Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivatives

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ali Abro, Kashif; Hussain, Mukkarum; Mahmood Baig, Mirza

    2017-10-01

    The significance of the different shapes of molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles contained in ethylene glycol has recently attracted researchers, because of the numerical or experimental analyses on the shapes of molybdenum disulfide and the lack of fractionalized analytic approaches. This work is dedicated to examining the shape impacts of molybdenum disulfide nanofluids in the mixed convection flow with magnetic field and a porous medium. Ethylene glycol is chosen as the base fluid in which molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles are suspended. Non-spherically shaped molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles, namely, platelet, blade, cylinder and brick, are utilized in this analysis. The modeling of the problem is characterized by employing the modern approach of Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivatives and the governing partial differential equations are solved via Laplace transforms with inversion. Solutions are obtained for temperature distribution and velocity field and expressed in terms of compact form of M-function, Mba(T) . In the end, a figures are drawn to compare the different non-spherically shaped molybdenum disulfide nanoparticles. Furthermore, the Atangana-Baleanu fractional derivatives model has been compared with ordinary derivatives models and discussed graphically by setting various rheological parameters.

  2. Synthesis of tetraalkyl thiuram disulfides using different oxidants in recycling solvent mixture

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Milosavljević Milutin M.

    2012-01-01

    Full Text Available A new optimized laboratory synthesis of tetraalkyl thiuram disulfides, starting from dialkyl amines and carbon disulfide in presence of three oxidants (hydrogen peroxide, potassium peroxodisulfate and sodium hypochlorite and appropriate reaction medium: two mixtures of isopropyl alcohol - water used in two consecutive syntheses, was presented in this work. First synthesis was performed in a recycled azeotropic mixture of isopropyl alcohol - water 87.7% - 12.3%, and second in a filtrate obtained after first synthesis, which was a mixture of isopropyl alcohol - water 70.4% - 29.6%. After the second synthesis and filtration, recycled azeotropic mixture isopropyl alcohol - water 87.7% - 12.3% was regenerated from the filtrate by rectification. Considering this, the technology for beneficial use of recycling isopropyl alcohol - water mixture as reaction medium for tetraalkyl thiuram disulfides synthesis was developed. Such concept contributes to extraordinary economical benefit of implemented optimal laboratory synthesis at semi-industrial level. High yields of tetraalkyl thiuram disulfides syntheses were obtained at both laboratory and semiindustrial level. Structure and purity of synthesized compounds were confirmed by elemental analysis, as well as FTIR, 1H and 13C NMR, and MS spectral data.

  3. Vinylcyclopropylacyl and polyeneacyl radicals. Intramolecular ketene alkyl radical additions in ring synthesis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    De Boeck, Benoit; Herbert, Nicola M A; Harrington-Frost, Nicole M; Pattenden, Gerald

    2005-01-21

    Treatment of a variety of substituted vinylcyclopropyl selenyl esters, e.g. 11, with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN in refluxing benzene leads to the corresponding acyl radical intermediates, which undergo rearrangement and intramolecular cyclisations via their ketene alkyl radical equivalents producing cyclohexenones in 50-60% yield. By contrast, treatment of conjugated triene selenyl esters, e.g. 32, with Bu(3)SnH-AIBN produces substituted 2-cyclopentenones via intramolecular cyclisations of their ketene alkyl radical intermediates. Under the same radical-initiating conditions the selenyl esters derived from o-vinylbenzoic acid and o-vinylcinnamic acid undergo intramolecular cyclisations producing 1-indanone and 5,6-dihydrobenzocyclohepten-7-one respectively in 60-70% yields. A tandem radical cyclisation from the alpha,beta,gamma,delta-diene selenyl ester 31 provides an expeditious synthesis of the diquinane 35 in 69% yield.

  4. Structure and Intramolecular Proton Transfer of Alanine Radical Cations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lee, Gab Yong

    2012-01-01

    The structures of the four lowest alanine conformers, along with their radical cations and the effect of ionization on the intramolecular proton transfer process, are studied using the density functional theory and MP2 method. The energy order of the radical cations of alanine differs from that of the corresponding neutral conformers due to changes in the basicity of the NH 2 group upon ionization. Ionization favors the intramolecular proton transfer process, leading to a proton-transferred radical-cation structure, [NH 3 + -CHCH 3 -COO·], which contrasts with the fact that a proton-transferred zwitterionic conformer is not stable for a neutral alanine in the gas phase. The energy barrier during the proton transfer process is calculated to be about 6 kcal/mol

  5. Dendritic biomimicry: microenvironmental hydrogen-bonding effects on tryptophan fluorescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koenig, S; Müller, L; Smith, D K

    2001-03-02

    Two series of dendritically modified tryptophan derivatives have been synthesised and their emission spectra measured in a range of different solvents. This paper presents the syntheses of these novel dendritic structures and discusses their emission spectra in terms of both solvent and dendritic effects. In the first series of dendrimers, the NH group of the indole ring is available for hydrogen bonding, whilst in the second series, the indole NH group has been converted to NMe. Direct comparison of the emission wavelengths of analogous NH and NMe derivatives indicates the importance of the Kamlet-Taft solvent beta3 parameter, which reflects the ability of the solvent to accept a hydrogen bond from the NH group, an effect not possible for the NMe series of dendrimers. For the NH dendrimers, the attachment of a dendritic shell to the tryptophan subunit leads to a red shift in emission wavelength. This dendritic effect only operates in non-hydrogen-bonding solvents. For the NMe dendrimers, however, the attachment of a dendritic shell has no effect on the emission spectra of the indole ring. This proves the importance of hydrogen bonding between the branched shell and the indole NH group in causing the dendritic effect. This is the first time a dendritic effect has been unambiguously assigned to individual hydrogen-bonding interactions and indicates that such intramolecular interactions are important in dendrimers, just as they are in proteins. Furthermore, this paper sheds light on the use of tryptophan residues as a probe of the microenvironment within proteins--in particular, it stresses the importance of hydrogen bonds formed by the indole NH group.

  6. Stability of a metabolizable ester bond in radioimmunoconjugates

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arano, Yasushi; Wakisaka, Kouji; Mukai, Takahiro; Uezono, Takashi; Motonari, Hiroshi; Akizawa, Hiromichi; Kairiyama, Claudia; Ohmomo, Yoshiro; Tanaka, Chiaki; Ishiyama, Munetaka; Sakahara, Harumi; Konishi, Junji; Yokoyama, Akira

    1996-01-01

    Ester bonds have been used as metabolizable linkages to reduce radioactivity levels in non-target tissues following the administration of antibodies labeled with metallic radionuclides. In this radiochemical design of antibodies, while the ester bonds should be cleaved rapidly in non-target tissues, high stability of the ester bonds in plasma is also required to preserve target radioactivity levels. To assess the structural requirements to stabilize the ester bond, a new benzyl-EDTA-derived bifunctional chelating agent with an ester bond, (1-[4-[4-(2-maleimidoethoxy)succinamido]benzyl]ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'- tetraacetic acid; MESS-Bz-EDTA), was developed. MESS-Bz-EDTA was coupled with a thiolated monoclonal antibody (OST7, IgG 1 ) prepared by reducing its disulfide bonds to introduce the ester bond close and proximal to the antibody molecule. For comparison, 1-[4-(5-maleimidopentyl)aminobenzyl]ethylenediamine-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid (EMCS-Bz-EDTA) and meleimidoethyl 3-[ 131 I]iodohippurate (MIH) was coupled to OST7 under the same conjunction chemistry. When incubated in 50% murine plasma or a buffered-solution of neutral pH, OST7-MESS-Bz-EDTA- 111 In rapidly released the radioactivity, and more than 95% of the initial radioactivity was liberated after a 24 h incubation in both solutions, due to a cleavage of the ester bond. On the other hand, only about 20% of the radioactivity was released from OST7-MIH- 131 I in both solutions during the same incubation period. In mice biodistribution studies, while a slightly faster radioactivity clearance from the blood with less radioactivity levels in the liver and kidneys was observed with OST7-MIH- 131 I than with OST7-EMCS-Bz-EDTA- 111 In, OST7-MESS-Bz-EDTA- 111 In indicated radioactivity clearance from the blood much faster than and almost comparable to that of OST7-MIH- 131 I and succinamidobenzyl-EDTA- 111 In, respectively. These findings as well as previous findings on radiolabeled antibodies with ester bonds

  7. Approach to characterization of the higher order structure of disulfide-containing proteins using hydrogen/deuterium exchange and top-down mass spectrometry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Guanbo; Kaltashov, Igor A

    2014-08-05

    Top-down hydrogen/deuterium exchange (HDX) with mass spectrometric (MS) detection has recently matured to become a potent biophysical tool capable of providing valuable information on higher order structure and conformational dynamics of proteins at an unprecedented level of structural detail. However, the scope of the proteins amenable to the analysis by top-down HDX MS still remains limited, with the protein size and the presence of disulfide bonds being the two most important limiting factors. While the limitations imposed by the physical size of the proteins gradually become more relaxed as the sensitivity, resolution and dynamic range of modern MS instrumentation continue to improve at an ever accelerating pace, the presence of the disulfide linkages remains a much less forgiving limitation even for the proteins of relatively modest size. To circumvent this problem, we introduce an online chemical reduction step following completion and quenching of the HDX reactions and prior to the top-down MS measurements of deuterium occupancy of individual backbone amides. Application of the new methodology to the top-down HDX MS characterization of a small (99 residue long) disulfide-containing protein β2-microglobulin allowed the backbone amide protection to be probed with nearly a single-residue resolution across the entire sequence. The high-resolution backbone protection pattern deduced from the top-down HDX MS measurements carried out under native conditions is in excellent agreement with the crystal structure of the protein and high-resolution NMR data, suggesting that introduction of the chemical reduction step to the top-down routine does not trigger hydrogen scrambling either during the electrospray ionization process or in the gas phase prior to the protein ion dissociation.

  8. The adsorption of acrolein on a Pt (1 1 1): A study of chemical bonding and electronic structure

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pirillo, S.; López-Corral, I.; Germán, E.; Juan, A.

    2012-12-01

    The adsorption of acrolein on a Pt (1 1 1) surface was studied using ab-initio and semiempirical calculations. Geometry optimization and densities of states (DOS) curves were carried out using the Vienna Ab-initio Simulation Package (VASP) code. We started our study with the preferential geometries corresponding to the different acrolein/Pt (1 1 1) adsorption modes previously reported. Then, we examined the evolution of the chemical bonding in these geometries, using the crystal orbital overlap population (COOP) and overlap population (OP) analysis of selected pairs of atoms. We analyzed the acrolein intramolecular bonds, Pt (1 1 1) superficial bonds and new moleculesbnd surface formed bonds after adsorption. We found that Ptsbnd Pt bonds interacting with the molecule and acrolein Cdbnd O and Cdbnd C bonds are weakened after adsorption; this last bond is significantly linked to the surface. The obtained Csbnd Pt and Osbnd Pt OP values suggest that the most stable adsorption modes are η3-cis and η4-trans, while the η1-trans is the less favored configuration. We also found that C pz orbital and Pt pz and d orbitals participate strongly in the adsorption process.

  9. Modeling on-column reduction of trisulfide bonds in monoclonal antibodies during protein A chromatography.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ghose, Sanchayita; Rajshekaran, Rupshika; Labanca, Marisa; Conley, Lynn

    2017-01-06

    Trisulfides can be a common post-translational modification in many recombinant monoclonal antibodies. These are a source of product heterogeneity that add to the complexity of product characterization and hence, need to be reduced for consistent product quality. Trisulfide bonds can be converted to the regular disulfide bonds by incorporating a novel cysteine wash step during Protein A affinity chromatography. An empirical model is developed for this on-column reduction reaction to compare the reaction rates as a function of typical operating parameters such as temperature, cysteine concentration, reaction time and starting level of trisulfides. The model presented here is anticipated to assist in the development of optimal wash conditions for the Protein A step to effectively reduce trisulfides to desired levels. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Intramolecular electron transfer in single-site-mutated azurins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farver, O; Skov, L K; Pascher, T

    1993-01-01

    . Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 86, 6968-6972]. The RSSR- radical produced in the above reaction was reoxidized in a slower intramolecular electron-transfer process (30-70 s-1 at 298 K) concomitant with a further reduction of the Cu(II) ion. The temperature dependence of the latter rates was determined......, lambda = 135 kJ mol-1 for the reorganization energy was derived. When Trp48, situated midway between the donor and the acceptor, was replaced by Leu or Met, only a small change in the rate of intramolecular electron transfer was observed, indicating that the aromatic residue in this position...... is apparently only marginally involved in electron transfer in wild-type azurin. Pathway calculations also suggest that a longer, through-backbone path is more efficient than the shorter one involving Trp48. The former pathway yields an exponential decay factor, beta, of 6.6 nm-1. Another mutation, raising...

  11. Sulfur dioxide induced aggregation of wine thaumatin-like proteins: Role of disulfide bonds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chagas, Ricardo; Laia, César A T; Ferreira, Ricardo B; Ferreira, Luísa M

    2018-09-01

    Aggregation of heat unstable wine proteins is responsible for the economically and technologically detrimental problem called wine protein haze. This is caused by the aggregation of thermally unfolded proteins that can precipitate in bottled wine. To study the influence of SO 2 in this phenomenon, wine proteins were isolated and thaumatins were identified has the most prone to aggregate in the presence of this compound. Isolated wine thaumatins aggregation was followed by dynamic light scattering (DLS), circular dichroism (CD), fluorescence spectroscopy and size exclusion chromatography (SEC). Our experimental results demonstrate that protein thermal unfolding after exposure of the protein to 70 °C does not present differences whether SO 2 is present or not. Conversely, when the protein solution is cooled to 15 °C (after heat stress) significant analytical changes can be observed between samples with and without SO 2 . A remarkable change of circular dichroism spectra in the region 220-230 nm is observed (which can be related to S-S torsion angles), as well as an increase in tryptophan fluorescence intensity (absence of fluorescence quenching by S-S bonds). Formation of covalently-linked dimeric and tetrameric protein species were also detected by SEC. The ability to dissolve the aggregates with 8 M urea seems to indicate that hydrophobic interactions are prevalent in the formed aggregates. Also, the reduction of these aggregates with tris (2-carboxyethyl) phosphine (TCEP) to only monomeric species reveals the presence of intermolecular S-S bonds. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Functional differences in yeast protein disulfide isomerases

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nørgaard, P; Westphal, V; Tachibana, C

    2001-01-01

    PDI1 is the essential gene encoding protein disulfide isomerase in yeast. The Saccharomyces cerevisiae genome, however, contains four other nonessential genes with homology to PDI1: MPD1, MPD2, EUG1, and EPS1. We have investigated the effects of simultaneous deletions of these genes. In several...

  13. Elucidation of the relationships between H-bonding patterns and excited state dynamics in cyclovalone.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lamperti, Marco; Maspero, Angelo; Tønnesen, Hanne H; Bondani, Maria; Nardo, Luca

    2014-08-28

    Cyclovalone is a synthetic curcumin derivative in which the keto-enolic system is replaced by a cyclohexanone ring. This modification of the chemical structure might in principle result in an excited state that is more stable than that of curcumin, which in turn should produce an enhanced phototoxicity. Indeed, although curcumin exhibits photosensitized antibacterial activity, this compound is characterized by very fast excited-state dynamics which limit its efficacy as a photosensitizer. In previous works we showed that the main non-radiative decay pathway of keto-enolic curcuminoids is through excited-state transfer of the enolic proton to the keto-oxygen. Another effective deactivation pathway involves an intermolecular charge transfer mechanism occurring at the phenyl rings, made possible by intramolecular H-bonding between the methoxy and the hydroxyl substituent. In this paper we present UV-Vis and IR absorption spectra data with the aim of elucidating the intramolecular charge distribution of this compound and its solvation patterns in different environments, with particular focus on solute-solvent H-bonding features. Moreover, we discuss steady state and time-resolved fluorescence data that aim at characterizing the excited-state dynamics of cyclovalone, and we compare its decay photophysics to that of curcumin. Finally, because during the characterization procedures we found evidence of very fast photodegradation of cyclovalone, its photostability in four organic solvents was studied by HPLC and the corresponding relative degradation rates were calculated.

  14. Elucidation of the Relationships between H-Bonding Patterns and Excited State Dynamics in Cyclovalone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Marco Lamperti

    2014-08-01

    Full Text Available Cyclovalone is a synthetic curcumin derivative in which the keto-enolic system is replaced by a cyclohexanone ring. This modification of the chemical structure might in principle result in an excited state that is more stable than that of curcumin, which in turn should produce an enhanced phototoxicity. Indeed, although curcumin exhibits photosensitized antibacterial activity, this compound is characterized by very fast excited-state dynamics which limit its efficacy as a photosensitizer. In previous works we showed that the main non-radiative decay pathway of keto-enolic curcuminoids is through excited-state transfer of the enolic proton to the keto-oxygen. Another effective deactivation pathway involves an intermolecular charge transfer mechanism occurring at the phenyl rings, made possible by intramolecular H-bonding between the methoxy and the hydroxyl substituent. In this paper we present UV-Vis and IR absorption spectra data with the aim of elucidating the intramolecular charge distribution of this compound and its solvation patterns in different environments, with particular focus on solute-solvent H-bonding features. Moreover, we discuss steady state and time-resolved fluorescence data that aim at characterizing the excited-state dynamics of cyclovalone, and we compare its decay photophysics to that of curcumin. Finally, because during the characterization procedures we found evidence of very fast photodegradation of cyclovalone, its photostability in four organic solvents was studied by HPLC and the corresponding relative degradation rates were calculated.

  15. Thiomers for oral delivery of hydrophilic macromolecular drugs.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas; Hoffer, Martin H; Kafedjiiski, Krum

    2004-11-01

    In recent years thiolated polymers (thiomers) have appeared as a promising new tool in oral drug delivery. Thiomers are obtained by the immobilisation of thio-bearing ligands to mucoadhesive polymeric excipients. By the formation of disulfide bonds with mucus glycoproteins, the mucoadhesive properties of thiomers are up to 130-fold improved compared with the corresponding unmodified polymers. Owing to the formation of inter- and intramolecular disulfide bonds within the thiomer itself, matrix tablets and particulate delivery systems show strong cohesive properties, resulting in comparatively higher stability, prolonged disintegration times and a more controlled drug release. The permeation of hydrophilic macromolecular drugs through the gastrointestinal (GI) mucosa can be improved by the use of thiomers. Furthermore, some thiomers exhibit improved inhibitory properties towards GI peptidases. The efficacy of thiomers in oral drug delivery has been demonstrated by various in vivo studies. A pharmacological efficacy of 1%, for example, was achieved in rats by oral administration of calcitonin tablets comprising a thiomer. Furthermore, tablets comprising a thiomer and pegylated insulin resulted in a pharmacological efficacy of 7% after oral application to diabetic mice. Low-molecular-weight heparin embedded in thiolated polycarbophil led to an absolute bioavailability of > or = 20% after oral administration to rats. In these studies, formulations comprising the corresponding unmodified polymer had only a marginal or no effect. These results indicate drug carrier systems based on thiomers appear to be a promising tool for oral delivery of hydrophilic macromolecular drugs.

  16. Thiomers: potential excipients for non-invasive peptide delivery systems.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernkop-Schnürch, Andreas; Krauland, Alexander H; Leitner, Verena M; Palmberger, Thomas

    2004-09-01

    In recent years thiolated polymers or so-called thiomers have appeared as a promising alternative in the arena of non-invasive peptide delivery. Thiomers are generated by the immobilisation of thiol-bearing ligands to mucoadhesive polymeric excipients. By formation of disulfide bonds with mucus glycoproteins, the mucoadhesive properties of these polymers are improved up to 130-fold. Due to formation of inter- and intramolecular disulfide bonds within the thiomer itself, dosage forms such as tablets or microparticles display strong cohesive properties resulting in comparatively higher stability, prolonged disintegration times and a more controlled release of the embedded peptide drug. The permeation of peptide drugs through mucosa can be improved by the use of thiolated polymers. Additionally some thiomers exhibit improved inhibitory properties towards peptidases. The efficacy of thiomers in non-invasive peptide delivery could be demonstrated by various in vivo studies. Tablets comprising a thiomer and pegylated insulin, for instance, resulted in a pharmacological efficacy of 7% after oral application to diabetic mice. Furthermore, a pharmacological efficacy of 1.3% was achieved in rats by oral administration of calcitonin tablets comprising a thiomer. Human growth hormone in a thiomer-gel was applied nasally to rats and led to a bioavailability of 2.75%. In all these studies, formulations comprising the corresponding unmodified polymer had only a marginal or no effect. According to these results drug carrier systems based on thiomers seem to be a promising tool for non-invasive peptide drug delivery.

  17. IR Dissociation spectroscopy of ethylene bonded to CH4, CH2D2 and CD4 and intramolecular dynamics of NeCl2

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Janda, K.C.

    1986-01-01

    The goal of my project is to understand how intramolecular vibrational relaxation effects the high resolution spectroscopy of vibrationally excited molecules. Their first results indicated that for molecular complexes of ethylene, vibrationally excited in the nu 7 out-of-plane bending mode, IVR is so fast that high resolution spectroscopy is vitiated by lifetime broadening. Only for rare gas-ethylene complexes was rotational resolution achieved. These results led them to postulate that IVR in ethylene complexes occurs by a V-T,R mechanism where the rate is limited by angular momentum constraints

  18. Variation in the Subcellular Localization and Protein Folding Activity among Arabidopsis thaliana Homologs of Protein Disulfide Isomerase

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Christen Y. L. Yuen

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available Protein disulfide isomerases (PDIs catalyze the formation, breakage, and rearrangement of disulfide bonds to properly fold nascent polypeptides within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER. Classical animal and yeast PDIs possess two catalytic thioredoxin-like domains (a, a′ and two non-catalytic domains (b, b′, in the order a-b-b′-a′. The model plant, Arabidopsis thaliana, encodes 12 PDI-like proteins, six of which possess the classical PDI domain arrangement (AtPDI1 through AtPDI6. Three additional AtPDIs (AtPDI9, AtPDI10, AtPDI11 possess two thioredoxin domains, but without intervening b-b′ domains. C-terminal green fluorescent protein (GFP fusions to each of the nine dual-thioredoxin PDI homologs localized predominantly to the ER lumen when transiently expressed in protoplasts. Additionally, expression of AtPDI9:GFP-KDEL and AtPDI10: GFP-KDDL was associated with the formation of ER bodies. AtPDI9, AtPDI10, and AtPDI11 mediated the oxidative folding of alkaline phosphatase when heterologously expressed in the Escherichia coli protein folding mutant, dsbA−. However, only three classical AtPDIs (AtPDI2, AtPDI5, AtPDI6 functionally complemented dsbA−. Interestingly, chemical inducers of the ER unfolded protein response were previously shown to upregulate most of the AtPDIs that complemented dsbA−. The results indicate that Arabidopsis PDIs differ in their localization and protein folding activities to fulfill distinct molecular functions in the ER.

  19. Symmetry of intramolecular quantum dynamics

    CERN Document Server

    Burenin, Alexander V

    2012-01-01

    The main goal of this book is to give a systematic description of intramolecular quantum dynamics on the basis of only the symmetry principles. In this respect, the book has no analogs in the world literature. The obtained models lead to a simple, purely algebraic, scheme of calculation and are rigorous in the sense that their correctness is limited only to the correct choice of symmetry of the internal dynamics. The book is basically intended for scientists working in the field of molecular spectroscopy, quantum and structural chemistry.

  20. Identification of Thioredoxin Disulfide Targets Using a Quantitative Proteomics Approach Based on Isotope-Coded Affinity Tags

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hägglund, Per; Bunkenborg, Jakob; Maeda, Kenji

    2008-01-01

    Thioredoxin (Trx) is a ubiquitous protein disulfide reductase involved in a wide range of cellular redox processes. A large number of putative target proteins have been identified using proteomics approaches, but insight into target specificity at the molecular level is lacking since the reactivity...... of Trx toward individual disulfides has not been quantified. Here, a novel proteomics procedure is described for quantification of Trx-mediated target disulfide reduction based on thiol-specific differential labeling with the iodoacetamide-based isotope-coded affinity tag (ICAT) reagents. Briefly......, protein extract of embryos from germinated barley seeds was treated +/- Trx, and thiols released from target protein disulfides were irreversibly blocked with iodoacetamide. The remaining cysteine residues in the Trx-treated and the control (-Trx) samples were then chemically reduced and labeled...

  1. Near-infrared analysis of hydrogen-bonding in glass- and rubber-state amorphous saccharide solids.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izutsu, Ken-ichi; Hiyama, Yukio; Yomota, Chikako; Kawanishi, Toru

    2009-01-01

    Near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopic analysis of noncrystalline polyols and saccharides (e.g., glycerol, sorbitol, maltitol, glucose, sucrose, maltose) was performed at different temperatures (30-80 degrees C) to elucidate the effect of glass transition on molecular interaction. Transmission NIR spectra (4,000-12,000 cm(-1)) of the liquids and cooled-melt amorphous solids showed broad absorption bands that indicate random configuration of molecules. Heating of the samples decreased an intermolecular hydrogen-bonding OH vibration band intensity (6,200-6,500 cm(-1)) with a concomitant increase in a free and intramolecular hydrogen-bonding OH group band (6,600-7,100 cm(-1)). Large reduction of the intermolecular hydrogen-bonding band intensity at temperatures above the glass transition (T(g)) of the individual solids should explain the higher molecular mobility and lower viscosity in the rubber state. Mixing of the polyols with a high T(g) saccharide (maltose) or an inorganic salt (sodium tetraborate) shifted both the glass transition and the inflection point of the hydrogen-bonding band intensity to higher temperatures. The implications of these results for pharmaceutical formulation design and process monitoring (PAT) are discussed.

  2. Hydrosilylation induced by N→Si intramolecular coordination: spontaneous transformation of organosilanes into 1-aza-silole-type molecules in the absence of a catalyst.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Novák, Miroslav; Dostál, Libor; Alonso, Mercedes; De Proft, Frank; Růžička, Aleš; Lyčka, Antonín; Jambor, Roman

    2014-02-24

    Our attempts to synthesize the N→Si intramolecularly coordinated organosilanes Ph2 L(1) SiH (1 a), PhL(1) SiH2 (2 a), Ph2 L(2) SiH (3 a), and PhL(2) SiH2 (4 a) containing a CH=N imine group (in which L(1) is the C,N-chelating ligand {2-[CH=N(C6 H3 -2,6-iPr2)]C6 H4}(-) and L(2) is {2-[CH=N(tBu)]C6 H4}(-)) yielded 1-[2,6-bis(diisopropyl)phenyl]-2,2-diphenyl-1-aza-silole (1), 1-[2,6-bis(diisopropyl)phenyl]-2-phenyl-2-hydrido-1-aza-silole (2), 1-tert-butyl-2,2-diphenyl-1-aza-silole (3), and 1-tert-butyl-2-phenyl-2-hydrido-1-aza-silole (4), respectively. Isolated organosilicon amides 1-4 are an outcome of the spontaneous hydrosilylation of the CH=N imine moiety induced by N→Si intramolecular coordination. Compounds 1-4 were characterized by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. The geometries of organosilanes 1 a-4 a and their corresponding hydrosilylated products 1-4 were optimized and fully characterized at the B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level of theory. The molecular structure determination of 1-3 suggested the presence of a Si-N double bond. Natural bond orbital (NBO) analysis, however, shows a very strong donor-acceptor interaction between the lone pair of the nitrogen atom and the formal empty p orbital on the silicon and therefore, the calculations show that the Si-N bond is highly polarized pointing to a predominantly zwitterionic Si(+) N(-) bond in 1-4. Since compounds 1-4 are hydrosilylated products of 1 a-4 a, the free energies (ΔG298), enthalpies (ΔH298), and entropies (ΔH298) were computed for the hydrosilylation reaction of 1 a-4 a with both B3LYP and B3LYP-D methods. On the basis of the very negative ΔG298 values, the hydrosilylation reaction is highly exergonic and compounds 1 a-4 a are spontaneously transformed into 1-4 in the absence of a catalyst. Copyright © 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  3. Mutation of the Streptococcus gordonii Thiol-Disulfide Oxidoreductase SdbA Leads to Enhanced Biofilm Formation Mediated by the CiaRH Two-Component Signaling System.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Lauren Davey

    Full Text Available Streptococcus gordonii is a commensal inhabitant of human oral biofilms. Previously, we identified an enzyme called SdbA that played an important role in biofilm formation by S. gordonii. SdbA is thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase that catalyzes disulfide bonds in secreted proteins. Surprisingly, inactivation of SdbA results in enhanced biofilm formation. In this study we investigated the basis for biofilm formation by the ΔsdbA mutant. The results revealed that biofilm formation was mediated by the interaction between the CiaRH and ComDE two-component signalling systems. Although it did not affect biofilm formation by the S. gordonii parent strain, CiaRH was upregulated in the ΔsdbA mutant and it was essential for the enhanced biofilm phenotype. The biofilm phenotype was reversed by inactivation of CiaRH or by the addition of competence stimulating peptide, the production of which is blocked by CiaRH activity. Competition assays showed that the enhanced biofilm phenotype also corresponded to increased oral colonization in mice. Thus, the interaction between SdbA, CiaRH and ComDE affects biofilm formation both in vitro and in vivo.

  4. Photodegradable, Photoadaptable Hydrogels via Radical-Mediated Disulfide Fragmentation Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fairbanks, Benjamin D; Singh, Samir P; Bowman, Christopher N; Anseth, Kristi S

    2011-04-26

    Various techniques have been adopted to impart a biological responsiveness to synthetic hydrogels for the delivery of therapeutic agents as well as the study and manipulation of biological processes and tissue development. Such techniques and materials include polyelectrolyte gels that swell and deswell with changes in pH, thermosensitive gels that contract at physiological temperatures, and peptide cross-linked hydrogels that degrade upon peptidolysis by cell-secreted enzymes. Herein we report a unique approach to photochemically deform and degrade disulfide cross-linked hydrogels, mitigating the challenges of light attenuation and low quantum yield, permitting the degradation of hydrogels up to 2 mm thick within 120 s at low light intensities (10 mW/cm(2) at 365 nm). Hydrogels were formed by the oxidation of thiol-functionalized 4-armed poly(ethylene glycol) macromolecules. These disulfide cross-linked hydrogels were then swollen in a lithium acylphosphinate photoinitiator solution. Upon exposure to light, photogenerated radicals initiate multiple fragmentation and disulfide exchange reactions, permitting and promoting photodeformation, photowelding, and photodegradation. This novel, but simple, approach to generate photoadaptable hydrogels portends the study of cellular response to mechanically and topographically dynamic substrates as well as novel encapsulations by the welding of solid substrates. The principles and techniques described herein hold implications for more than hydrogel materials but also for photoadaptable polymers more generally.

  5. Optimal expression of a Fab-effector fusion protein in Escherichia coli by removing the cysteine residues responsible for an interchain disulfide bond of a Fab molecule.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, Hyeon-Ju; Kim, Hye-Jin; Jung, Mun-Sik; Han, Jae-Kyu; Cha, Sang-Hoon

    2017-04-01

    Development of novel bi-functional or even tri-functional Fab-effector fusion proteins would have a great potential in the biomedical sciences. However, the expression of Fab-effector fusion proteins in Escherichia coli is problematic especially when a eukaryotic effector moiety is genetically linked to a Fab due to the lack of proper chaperone proteins and an inappropriate physicochemical environment intrinsic to the microbial hosts. We previously reported that a human Fab molecule, referred to as SL335, reactive to human serum albumin has a prolonged in vivo serum half-life in rats. We, herein, tested six discrete SL335-human growth hormone (hGH) fusion constructs as a model system to define an optimal Fab-effector fusion format for E. coli expression. We found that one variant, referred to as HserG/Lser, outperformed the others in terms of a soluble expression yield and functionality in that HserG/Lser has a functional hGH bioactivity and possesses an serum albumin-binding affinity comparable to SL335. Our results clearly demonstrated that the genetic linkage of an effector domain to the C-terminus of Fd (V H +C H1 ) and the removal of cysteine (Cys) residues responsible for an interchain disulfide bond (IDB) ina Fab molecule optimize the periplasmic expression of a Fab-effector fusion protein in E. coli. We believe that our approach can contribute the development of diverse bi-functional Fab-effector fusion proteins by providing a simple strategy that enables the reliable expression of a functional fusion proteins in E. coli. Copyright © 2017 European Federation of Immunological Societies. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Benzothiazole-Based AIEgen with Tunable Excited-State Intramolecular Proton Transfer and Restricted Intramolecular Rotation Processes for Highly Sensitive Physiological pH Sensing.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Kai; Feng, Qi; Niu, Guangle; Zhang, Weijie; Li, Yuanyuan; Kang, Miaomiao; Xu, Kui; He, Juan; Hou, Hongwei; Tang, Ben Zhong

    2018-04-23

    In this work, a benzothiazole-based aggregation-induced emission luminogen (AIEgen) of 2-(5-(4-carboxyphenyl)-2-hydroxyphenyl)benzothiazole (3) was designed and synthesized, which exhibited multifluorescence emissions in different dispersed or aggregated states based on tunable excited-state intramolecular proton transfer (ESIPT) and restricted intramolecular rotation (RIR) processes. 3 was successfully used as a ratiometric fluorescent chemosensor for the detection of pH, which exhibited reversible acid/base-switched yellow/cyan emission transition. More importantly, the pH jump of 3 was very precipitous from 7.0 to 8.0 with a midpoint of 7.5, which was well matched with the physiological pH. This feature makes 3 very suitable for the highly sensitive detection of pH fluctuation in biosamples and neutral water samples. 3 was also successfully used as a ratiometric fluorescence chemosensor for the detection of acidic and basic organic vapors in test papers.

  7. Atypical protein disulfide isomerases (PDI: Comparison of the molecular and catalytic properties of poplar PDI-A and PDI-M with PDI-L1A.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Benjamin Selles

    Full Text Available Protein disulfide isomerases are overwhelmingly multi-modular redox catalysts able to perform the formation, reduction or isomerisation of disulfide bonds. We present here the biochemical characterization of three different poplar PDI isoforms. PDI-A is characterized by a single catalytic Trx module, the so-called a domain, whereas PDI-L1a and PDI-M display an a-b-b'-a' and a°-a-b organisation respectively. Their activities have been tested in vitro using purified recombinant proteins and a series of model substrates as insulin, NADPH thioredoxin reductase, NADP malate dehydrogenase (NADP-MDH, peroxiredoxins or RNase A. We demonstrated that PDI-A exhibited none of the usually reported activities, although the cysteines of the WCKHC active site signature are able to form a disulfide with a redox midpoint potential of -170 mV at pH 7.0. The fact that it is able to bind a [Fe2S2] cluster upon Escherichia coli expression and anaerobic purification might indicate that it does not have a function in dithiol-disulfide exchange reactions. The two other proteins were able to catalyze oxidation or reduction reactions, PDI-L1a being more efficient in most cases, except that it was unable to activate the non-physiological substrate NADP-MDH, in contrast to PDI-M. To further evaluate the contribution of the catalytic domains of PDI-M, the dicysteinic motifs have been independently mutated in each a domain. The results indicated that the two a domains seem interconnected and that the a° module preferentially catalyzed oxidation reactions whereas the a module catalyzed reduction reactions, in line with the respective redox potentials of -170 mV and -190 mV at pH 7.0. Overall, these in vitro results illustrate that the number and position of a and b domains influence the redox properties and substrate recognition (both electron donors and acceptors of PDI which contributes to understand why this protein family expanded along evolution.

  8. Experimental and theoretical studies on the structural, spectroscopic and hydrogen bonding on 4-nitro-n-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) benzenamine

    Science.gov (United States)

    Subhapriya, G.; Kalyanaraman, S.; Jeyachandran, M.; Ragavendran, V.; Krishnakumar, V.

    2018-04-01

    Synthesized 4-nitro-N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl) benzenamine (NDPBA) molecule was confirmed applying the tool of NMR. Theoretical prediction addressed the NMR chemical shifts and correlated well with the experimental data. The molecule subjected to theoretical DFT at 6-311++G** level unraveled the spectroscopic and structural properties of the NDPBA molecule. Moreover the structural features proved the occurrence of intramolecular Nsbnd H· · O hydrogen bonding in the molecule which was further confirmed with the help of Frontier molecular orbital analysis. Vibrational spectroscopic characterization through FT-IR and Raman experimentally and theoretically gave an account for the vibrational properties. An illustration of the topology of the molecule theoretically helped also in finding the hydrogen bonding energy.

  9. Preparation of CN /Carbon Nanotube Intramolecular Junctions by ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    NICO

    intramolecular junctions composed of CNx with a bamboo-like structure and empty hollow carbon nanotubes were observed, ... and excellent thermal and mechanical properties.1,2 In recent .... tion of hexane, and the other segment with a curved compart- ... by an arrow lies at the interface of the junction between 'b' and.

  10. Intramolecular BSSE and dispersion affect the structure of a dipeptide conformer

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hameed, Rabia; Khan, Afsar; van Mourik, Tanja

    2018-05-01

    B3LYP and MP2 calculations with the commonly-used 6-31+G(d) basis set predict qualitatively different structures for the Tyr-Gly conformer book1, which is the most stable conformer identified in a previous study. The structures differ mainly in the ψtyr Ramachandran angle (138° in the B3LYP structure and 120° in the MP2 structure). The causes for the discrepant structures are attributed to missing dispersion in the B3LYP calculations and large intramolecular BSSE in the MP2 calculations. The correct ψtyr value is estimated to be 130°. The MP2/6-31+G(d) profile identified an additional conformer, not present on the B3LYP surface, with a ψtyr value of 96° and a more folded structure. This minimum is, however, likely an artefact of large intramolecular BSSE values. We recommend the use of basis sets of at least quadruple-zeta quality in density functional theory (DFT), DFTaugmented with an empirical dispersion term (DFT-D) and second-order Møller-Plesset perturbation theory (MP2 ) calculations in cases where intramolecular BSSE is expected to be large.

  11. Ionic properties of non-aqueous liquid and PVDF-based gel electrolytes containing a cesium thiolate/disulfide redox couple

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Renard, Ingrid; Li Hongmei; Marsan, Benoit

    2003-01-01

    Liquid electrolytes containing a cesium thiolate/disulfide redox couple, prepared from 5-mercapto-1-methyltetrazole cesium salt (CsT) and di-5-(1-methyltetrazole)disulfide (T 2 ) dissolved in several aprotic solvents and solvent mixtures, have been studied using various techniques. FTIR spectroscopy reveals that relatively strong interactions occur between the reduced species T - and DMSO or DMF while Cs + ions are very weakly coordinated to the S=O or C=O bond. It is shown that the electrolyte consisting of 1.55 mol kg -1 CsT in the solvent mixture DMSO/DMF (40/60%) exhibits the highest conductivity (1.1x10 -2 and 2.3x10 -2 S cm -1 at 23 and 80 deg. C, respectively), and that the presence of the oxidized species T 2 does not affect significantly its electrical properties up to a CsT:T 2 molar ratio of 5:1. Conductivity values as a function of salt concentration are discussed in terms of the effective number of charge carriers, taking into account the level of ionic association, and of the ionic mobility. Optically transparent gel electrolytes have been prepared by incorporation of the optimal liquid electrolyte into various amounts of poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF). It is shown that ionic mobility is not much affected by the polymer concentration, suggesting that migration of ions occurs mainly through the solvent mixture surrounded by the PVDF matrix

  12. Self-healing polymer gels based on dynamic covalent bonds%基于动态共价键的可自愈合聚合物凝胶

    Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

    张云飞; 邓国华

    2012-01-01

    简要介绍了动态共价键既具有普通共价键的高强度和稳定性,又能像分子间作用力(如氢键)那样可逆地断裂和重组的特点,以及基于动态共价键构筑智能凝胶材料的优势。综述了多种动态共价键,如芳香基苯并呋喃酮二聚体(diarylbibenzo furanone,DABBF)、三硫酯(trithiocarbonate,TTC)、芳基硼酸酯、酰腙键(acylhydrazone bond)、双硫键(disulfide bond)等的结构及其动态化学,以及应用它们合成聚合物凝胶的方法、凝胶的自愈合机理和性能。提出了发现和采用多种动态共价键构筑可自愈合聚合物凝胶的趋势,为此须解决多种动态共价键的相容性、凝胶自愈合机理与性能的光谱表征等问题,并加强应用研究。%Dynamic covalent bonds have high mechanical strength and stability like ordinary covalent bonds and can reversibly break and rebuild like intermolecular forces(such as hydrogen bonding).The properties of dynamic covalent bonds are introduced.The advantages of building smart gels based on dynamic covalent bonds are described.Specifically,the structure and dynamic chemistry of diarylbibenzo furanone(DABBF),trithiocarbonate(TTC),phenylboronic aciddiol ester bond,acylhydrazone bond and disulfide bond are reviewed.The methods of utilizing those dynamic covalent bonds to construct dynamic gels with self-healing properties,including the healing mechanisms,are presented.Combining two or more covalent bonds to construct dynamic gels with more complex responsiveness are proposed.Problems,such as compatibility of the dynamic covalent bonds,spectroscopic methods for characterizing self-healing mechanisms and capabilities,and application-oriented systems need to be further investigated.

  13. Hirshfeld atom refinement for modelling strong hydrogen bonds.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Woińska, Magdalena; Jayatilaka, Dylan; Spackman, Mark A; Edwards, Alison J; Dominiak, Paulina M; Woźniak, Krzysztof; Nishibori, Eiji; Sugimoto, Kunihisa; Grabowsky, Simon

    2014-09-01

    High-resolution low-temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction data of the salt L-phenylalaninium hydrogen maleate are used to test the new automated iterative Hirshfeld atom refinement (HAR) procedure for the modelling of strong hydrogen bonds. The HAR models used present the first examples of Z' > 1 treatments in the framework of wavefunction-based refinement methods. L-Phenylalaninium hydrogen maleate exhibits several hydrogen bonds in its crystal structure, of which the shortest and the most challenging to model is the O-H...O intramolecular hydrogen bond present in the hydrogen maleate anion (O...O distance is about 2.41 Å). In particular, the reconstruction of the electron density in the hydrogen maleate moiety and the determination of hydrogen-atom properties [positions, bond distances and anisotropic displacement parameters (ADPs)] are the focus of the study. For comparison to the HAR results, different spherical (independent atom model, IAM) and aspherical (free multipole model, MM; transferable aspherical atom model, TAAM) X-ray refinement techniques as well as results from a low-temperature neutron-diffraction experiment are employed. Hydrogen-atom ADPs are furthermore compared to those derived from a TLS/rigid-body (SHADE) treatment of the X-ray structures. The reference neutron-diffraction experiment reveals a truly symmetric hydrogen bond in the hydrogen maleate anion. Only with HAR is it possible to freely refine hydrogen-atom positions and ADPs from the X-ray data, which leads to the best electron-density model and the closest agreement with the structural parameters derived from the neutron-diffraction experiment, e.g. the symmetric hydrogen position can be reproduced. The multipole-based refinement techniques (MM and TAAM) yield slightly asymmetric positions, whereas the IAM yields a significantly asymmetric position.

  14. Simultaneous electrochemical determination of L-cysteine and L-cysteine disulfide at carbon ionic liquid electrode.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Safavi, Afsaneh; Ahmadi, Raheleh; Mahyari, Farzaneh Aghakhani

    2014-04-01

    A linear sweep voltammetric method is used for direct simultaneous determination of L-cysteine and L-cysteine disulfide (cystine) based on carbon ionic liquid electrode. With carbon ionic liquid electrode as a high performance electrode, two oxidation peaks for L-cysteine (0.62 V) and L-cysteine disulfide (1.3 V) were observed with a significant separation of about 680 mV (vs. Ag/AgCl) in phosphate buffer solution (pH 6.0). The linear ranges were obtained as 1.0-450 and 5.0-700 μM and detection limits were estimated to be 0.298 and 4.258 μM for L-cysteine and L-cysteine disulfide, respectively. This composite electrode was applied for simultaneous determination of L-cysteine and L-cysteine disulfide in two real samples, artificial urine and nutrient broth. Satisfactory results were obtained which clearly indicate the applicability of the proposed electrode for simultaneous determination of these compounds in complex matrices.

  15. Sky-blue emitting bridged diiridium complexes: beneficial effects of intramolecular π-π stacking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Congrave, Daniel G; Hsu, Yu-Ting; Batsanov, Andrei S; Beeby, Andrew; Bryce, Martin R

    2018-02-06

    The potential of intramolecular π-π interactions to influence the photophysical properties of diiridium complexes is an unexplored topic, and provides the motivation for the present study. A series of diarylhydrazide-bridged diiridium complexes functionalised with phenylpyridine (ppy)-based cyclometalating ligands is reported. It is shown by NMR studies in solution and single crystal X-ray analysis that intramolecular π-π interactions between the bridging and cyclometalating ligands rigidify the complexes leading to high luminescence quantum efficiencies in solution and in doped films. Fluorine substituents on the phenyl rings of the bridge promote the intramolecular π-π interactions. Notably, these non-covalent interactions are harnessed in the rational design and synthesis of the first examples of highly emissive sky-blue diiridium complexes featuring conjugated bridging ligands, for which they play a vital role in the structural and photophysical properties. Experimental results are supported by computational studies.

  16. Enantio- and Stereoselective Construction of Atisane Scaffold via Organocatalytic Intramolecular Michael Reaction and Diels-Alder Reaction.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sekita, Hiroko; Adachi, Kyohei; Kobayashi, Ippei; Sato, Yusuke; Nakada, Masahisa

    2017-05-05

    An enantio- and stereoselective construction of the atisane scaffold via organocatalytic intramolecular Michael reaction and Diels-Alder reaction is described. The organocatalytic intramolecular Michael reaction has been found to stereoselectively generate a trans-stereodiad comprising an all-carbon quaternary and a tertiary stereogenic centers. Use of the chiral secondary amine bearing thiourea with benzoic acid as additive is the key to obtaining the desired product with excellent ee in synthetically acceptable yield. The prepared chiral building block has been successfully converted to the compound including the atisane scaffold via the highly stereoselective intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction.

  17. Long-range intramolecular electron transfer in azurins

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farver, O; Pecht, I

    1989-01-01

    . aeruginosa) and (6.0 +/- 1.0) x 10(8) M-1.s-1 (Alcaligenes); (ii) a slow unimolecular phase with specific rates of 44 +/- 7 s-1 in the former and 8.5 +/- 1.5 s-1 for the latter (all at 298 K, 0.1 M ionic strength). Concomitant with the fast reduction of Cu(II), the single disulfide bridge linking cysteine-3...

  18. Hydrothermal Synthesis of Disulfide-Containing Uranyl Compounds. In Situ Ligand Synthesis versus Direct Assembly

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Rowland, Clare E. [George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States); Belai, Nebebech [George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States); Knope, Karah E. [George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States); Cahill, Christopher L. [George Washington Univ., Washington, DC (United States)

    2010-01-29

    Three disulfide-containing uranyl compounds, [UO2(C7H4O2S)3]·H2O (1), [UO2(C7H4O2S)2(C7H5O2S)] (2), and [UO2(C7H4O2S)4] (3) have been hydrothermally synthesized. Both in situ disulfide bond formation from 3- and 4-mercaptobenzoic acid (C7H5O2S, MBA) to yield 3,3'- and 4,4'-dithiobisbenzoic acid (C14H8O4S2, DTBA) and direct assembly with the presynthesized dimeric ligands have been explored. While the starting materials 4-MBA and 4,4'-DTBA both yield 2 via in situ ligand synthesis and direct assembly, respectively, we observe the formation of 1 from the starting material 3-MBA via in situ ligand synthesis and of 3 from the direct assembly of the uranyl cation with 3,3'-DTBA. Concurrently with the synthesis of 1 and 2, we have observed the in situ formation of the crystalline dimeric organic species, 3,3'-DTBA, [(C7H5O2S)2] (4) and 4,4'-DTBA, [(C7H5O2S)2] (5). Herein we report the synthesis and crystallographic characterization of 1-5, as well as observations regarding the utility of product formation via direct assembly and in situ ligand synthesis.

  19. New analogs of the CART peptide with anorexigenic potency: the importance of individual disulfide bridges.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Blechová, Miroslava; Nagelová, Veronika; Záková, Lenka; Demianová, Zuzana; Zelezná, Blanka; Maletínská, Lenka

    2013-01-01

    The CART (cocaine- and amphetamine-regulated transcript) peptide is an anorexigenic neuropeptide that acts in the hypothalamus. The receptor and the mechanism of action of this peptide are still unknown. In our previous study, we showed that the CART peptide binds specifically to PC12 rat pheochromocytoma cells in both the native and differentiated into neuronal phenotype. Two biologically active forms, CART(55-102) and CART(61-102), with equal biological activity, contain three disulfide bridges. To clarify the importance of each of these disulfide bridges in maintaining the biological activity of CART(61-102), an Ala scan at particular S-S bridges forming cysteines was performed, and analogs with only one or two disulfide bridges were synthesized. In this study, a stabilized CART(61-102) analog with norleucine instead of methionine at position 67 was also prepared and was found to bind to PC12 cells with an anorexigenic potency similar to that of CART(61-102). The binding study revealed that out of all analogs tested, [Ala(68,86)]CART(61-102), which contains two disulfide bridges (positions 74-94 and 88-101), preserved a high affinity to both native PC12 cells and those that had been differentiated into neurons. In food intake and behavioral tests with mice after intracerebroventricular administration, this analog showed strong and long-lasting anorexigenic potency. Therefore, the disulfide bridge between cysteines 68 and 86 in CART(61-102) can be omitted without a loss of biological activity, but the preservation of two other disulfide bridges and the full-length peptide are essential for biological activity. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. Study of the helium cross-section of unsymmetric disulfide self-assembled monolayers on Au(111)

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Albayrak, Erol [Department of Materials and Metallurgical Engineering, Ahi Evran University, Kırşehir 40000 (Turkey); Karabuga, Semistan [Department of Chemistry, Kahramanmaraş Sütçü İmam University, Kahramanmaraş 46030 (Turkey); Bracco, Gianangelo [CNR-IMEM and Department of Physics, University of Genoa, Via Dodecaneso 33, Genoa 16146 (Italy); Danışman, M. Fatih, E-mail: danisman@metu.edu.tr [Department of Chemistry, Middle East Technical University, Ankara 06800 (Turkey)

    2016-12-30

    Highlights: • Unsymmetrtic disulfide (HDD and HOD) self assembled monolayers were grown on Au(111) by supersonic molecular beam deposition. • Helium scattering cross sections for these two different unsymmetric disulfides were determined. • A common low temperature film phase was observed for the studied disulfides. - Abstract: We have investigated the formation of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of 11-hydroxyundecyl decyl disulfide (CH{sub 3}-(CH{sub 2}){sub 9}-S-S-(CH{sub 2}){sub 11}-OH, HDD) and 11-hydroxyundecyl octadecyl disulfide (CH{sub 3}-(CH{sub 2}){sub 17}-S-S-(CH{sub 2}){sub 11}-OH, HOD) produced by supersonic molecular beam deposition (SMBD). The study has been carried out by means of helium diffraction at very low film coverage. In this regime helium single molecule cross sections have been estimated in a temperature range between 100 K and 450 K. The results show a different behavior above 300 K that has been interpreted as the starting of mobility with the formation of two thiolate moieties either linked by a gold adatom or distant enough to prevent cross section overlapping. Finally, helium diffraction patterns measured at 80 K for the SAMs grown at 200 K are discussed and the results support the proposed hypothesis of molecular dissociation based on the cross section data.

  1. Changes in Thiol-Disulfide Homeostasis of the Body to Surgical Trauma in Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Polat, Murat; Ozcan, Onder; Sahan, Leyla; Üstündag-Budak, Yasemin; Alisik, Murat; Yilmaz, Nigar; Erel, Özcan

    2016-12-01

    We aimed to investigate the short-term effect of laparoscopic surgery on serum thiol-disulfide homeostasis levels as a marker of oxidant stress of surgical trauma in elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy patients. Venous blood samples were collected, and levels of native thiols, total thiols, and disulfides were determined with a novel automated assay. Total antioxidant capacity (measured as the ferric-reducing ability of plasma) and serum ischemia modified albumin, expressed as absorbance units assayed by the albumin cobalt binding test, were determined. The major findings of the present study were that native thiol (283 ± 45 versus 241 ± 61 μmol/L), total thiol (313 ± 49 versus 263 ± 67 μmol/L), and disulfide (14.9 ± 4.6 versus 11.0 ± 6.1 μmol/L) levels were decreased significantly during operation and although they increased, they did not return to preoperation levels 24 hours after laparoscopic surgery compared to the levels at baseline. Disulfide/native thiol and disulfide/total thiol levels did not change during laparoscopic surgery. The decrease in plasma level of native and total thiol groups suggests impairment of the antioxidant capacity of plasma; however, the delicate balance between the different redox forms of thiols was maintained during surgery.

  2. Intramolecular inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reactions of pyrimidines

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Frissen, A.E.

    1990-01-01

    This thesis deals with the intramolecular inverse electron demand Diels-Alder reaction of pyrimidines. The main objective of the study was to investigate the synthetic applicability of this reaction and to get more insight in the electronic and steric effects which determine the reactivity

  3. Intramolecular 13C analysis of tree rings provides multiple plant ecophysiology signals covering decades.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wieloch, Thomas; Ehlers, Ina; Yu, Jun; Frank, David; Grabner, Michael; Gessler, Arthur; Schleucher, Jürgen

    2018-03-22

    Measurements of carbon isotope contents of plant organic matter provide important information in diverse fields such as plant breeding, ecophysiology, biogeochemistry and paleoclimatology. They are currently based on 13 C/ 12 C ratios of specific, whole metabolites, but we show here that intramolecular ratios provide higher resolution information. In the glucose units of tree-ring cellulose of 12 tree species, we detected large differences in 13 C/ 12 C ratios (>10‰) among carbon atoms, which provide isotopically distinct inputs to major global C pools, including wood and soil organic matter. Thus, considering position-specific differences can improve characterisation of soil-to-atmosphere carbon fluxes and soil metabolism. In a Pinus nigra tree-ring archive formed from 1961 to 1995, we found novel 13 C signals, and show that intramolecular analysis enables more comprehensive and precise signal extraction from tree rings, and thus higher resolution reconstruction of plants' responses to climate change. Moreover, we propose an ecophysiological mechanism for the introduction of a 13 C signal, which links an environmental shift to the triggered metabolic shift and its intramolecular 13 C signature. In conclusion, intramolecular 13 C analyses can provide valuable new information about long-term metabolic dynamics for numerous applications.

  4. Rapid examination of the kinetic process of intramolecular lactamization of gabapentin using DSC-FTIR

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hsu, C.-H.; Lin, S.-Y.

    2009-01-01

    The thermal stability and thermodynamics of gabapentin (GBP) in the solid state were investigated by DSC and TG techniques, and FTIR microspectroscopy. The detailed intramolecular lactamization process of GBP to form gabapentin-lactam (GBP-L) was also determined by thermal FTIR microspectroscopy. GBP exhibited a DSC endothermic peak at 169 deg. C. The weight loss in TG curve of GBP suggested that the evaporation process of water liberated via intramolecular lactamization was simultaneously combined with the evaporation process of GBP-L having a DSC endothermic peak at 91 deg. C. A thermal FTIR microspectroscopy clearly evidenced the IR spectra at 3350 cm -1 for water liberated and at 1701 cm -1 for lactam structure formed due to the lactam formation of GBP. This study indicates that the activation energy for combined processes of intramolecular lactamization of GBP and evaporation of GBP-L was about 114.3 ± 23.3 kJ/mol, but for the evaporation of GBP-L alone was 76.2 ± 1.5 kJ/mol. A powerful simultaneous DSC-FTIR combined technique was easily used to quickly examine the detailed kinetic processes of intramolecular cyclization of GPB and evaporation of GBP-L in the solid state

  5. Sequence Classification: 103815 [

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Non-TMB TMH Non-TMB Non-TMB Non-TMB Non-TMB >gi|52144563|ref|YP_082265.1| disulfide bond... formation protein (disulfide bond oxidoreductase) || http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/protein/52144563 ...

  6. Sequence Classification: 132534 [

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available Non-TMB TMH Non-TMB Non-TMB Non-TMB Non-TMB >gi|49480300|ref|YP_035017.1| disulfide bond... formation protein (disulfide bond oxidoreductase) || http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/protein/49480300 ...

  7. Thiol/Disulfide system plays a crucial role in redox protection in the acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacterium Leptospirillum ferriphilum.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Javiera Norambuena

    Full Text Available Thiol/disulfide systems are involved in the maintenance of the redox status of proteins and other molecules that contain thiol/disulfide groups. Leptospirillum ferriphilum DSM14647, an acidophilic bacterium that uses Fe(2+ as electron donor, and withstands very high concentrations of iron and other redox active metals, is a good model to study how acidophiles preserve the thiol/disulfide balance. We studied the composition of thiol/disulfide systems and their role in the oxidative stress response in this extremophile bacterium. Bioinformatic analysis using genomic data and enzymatic assays using protein extracts from cells grown under oxidative stress revealed that the major thiol/disulfide system from L. ferriphilum are a cytoplasmic thioredoxin system (composed by thioredoxins Trx and thioredoxin reductase TR, periplasmic thiol oxidation system (DsbA/DsbB and a c-type cytochrome maturation system (DsbD/DsbE. Upon exposure of L. ferriphilum to reactive oxygen species (ROS-generating compounds, transcriptional activation of the genes encoding Trxs and the TR enzyme, which results in an increase of the corresponding activity, was observed. Altogether these data suggest that the thioredoxin-based thiol/disulfide system plays an important role in redox protection of L. ferriphilum favoring the survival of this microorganism under extreme environmental oxidative conditions.

  8. Hydrogen Bonding: Between Strengthening the Crystal Packing and Improving Solubility of Three Haloperidol Derivatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Saluja, Hardeep; Mehanna, Ahmed; Panicucci, Riccardo; Atef, Eman

    2016-06-01

    The purpose of this study is to confirm the impact of polar functional groups on inter and intra-molecular hydrogen bonding in haloperidol (HP) and droperidol (DP) and, hence, their effects on dissolution using a new approach. To confirm our theory, a new molecule: deshydroxy-haloperidol (DHP) was designed and its synthesis was requested from a contract laboratory. The molecule was then studied and compared to DP and HP. Unlike DHP, both the HP and DP molecules have hydrogen donor groups, therefore, DHP was used to confirm the relative effects of the hydrogen donor group on solubility and crystal packing. The solid dispersions of the three structurally related molecules: HP, DP, and DHP were prepared using PVPK30, and characterized using XRPD and IR. A comparative dissolution study was carried out in aqueous medium. The absence of a hydrogen bonding donor group in DHP resulted in an unexpected increase in its aqueous solubility and dissolution rate from solid dispersion, which is attributed to weaker crystal pack. The increased dissolution rate of HP and DP from solid dispersions is attributed to drug-polymer hydrogen bonding that interferes with the drug-drug intermolecular hydrogen bonding and provides thermodynamic stability of the dispersed drug molecules. The drug-drug intermolecular hydrogen bond is the driving force for precipitation and crystal packing.

  9. Hydrogen Bonding: Between Strengthening the Crystal Packing and Improving Solubility of Three Haloperidol Derivatives

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hardeep Saluja

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available The purpose of this study is to confirm the impact of polar functional groups on inter and intra-molecular hydrogen bonding in haloperidol (HP and droperidol (DP and, hence, their effects on dissolution using a new approach. To confirm our theory, a new molecule: deshydroxy-haloperidol (DHP was designed and its synthesis was requested from a contract laboratory. The molecule was then studied and compared to DP and HP. Unlike DHP, both the HP and DP molecules have hydrogen donor groups, therefore, DHP was used to confirm the relative effects of the hydrogen donor group on solubility and crystal packing. The solid dispersions of the three structurally related molecules: HP, DP, and DHP were prepared using PVPK30, and characterized using XRPD and IR. A comparative dissolution study was carried out in aqueous medium. The absence of a hydrogen bonding donor group in DHP resulted in an unexpected increase in its aqueous solubility and dissolution rate from solid dispersion, which is attributed to weaker crystal pack. The increased dissolution rate of HP and DP from solid dispersions is attributed to drug-polymer hydrogen bonding that interferes with the drug-drug intermolecular hydrogen bonding and provides thermodynamic stability of the dispersed drug molecules. The drug-drug intermolecular hydrogen bond is the driving force for precipitation and crystal packing.

  10. Evaluation of dynamic serum thiol/disulfide homeostasis in locally advanced and metastatic gastric cancer

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mutlu Hizal

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Gastric cancer is one the most diagnosed cancer and the third leading cause of death from cancer worldwide. As an indicator of antioxidant capacity thiol/disulfide homeostasis regulates detoxification, cell signal mechanisms, apoptosis, transcription and antioxidant defense mechanisms. Disregulation of thiol/disulfide homeostasis identified in other cancer types by recent data. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the thiol/disulfide homeostasis in advanced gastric cancer patients. Methods: The patients who diagnosed with gastric cancer and healthy control subjects were included to study. Serum samples for the thiol-disulphide test were obtained at the time of diagnosis. Thiol-disulphide homeostasis tests were measured by the automated spectrophotometric method. Thiol-disulphide homeostasis was also measured according to clinical and laboratory features. Results: Thirty newly diagnosed advanced gastric adenocarcinoma patients and 28 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. The native thiol (NT and total thiol (TT levels of patients' group were significantly lower compared with controls (p = 0.001 and p < 0.001. In the CEA high (≥5.4 ng/ml group, DS/NT ratio were higher compared with CEA low (<5.4 ng/ml group (p = 0.024. In CA.19-9 high (≥28.3 kU/L group, both DS and DS/NT ratio were significantly higher compared with a CA19-9 low(<28.3 kU/L group (p < 0.05 both. The correlation between CEA and DS levels was also significant (p = 0.02. There was also a positive correlation between CEA levels and DS/NT ratio (p = 0.01. Conclusion: Derangements of thiol/disulfide homeostasis may have a role in gastric cancer pathogenesis and the higher level of oxidative stress may relate to extensive and aggressiveness of the advanced disease. The diagnostic and prognostic values of thiol/disulfide products need to identify with further studies. Keywords: Thiol, Disulfide, Oxidative stress, Gastric cancer, Metastatic

  11. Low-intensity electromagnetic irradiation of 70.6 and 73 GHz frequencies enhances the effects of disulfide bonds reducer on Escherichia coli growth and affects the bacterial surface oxidation-reduction state

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Torgomyan, Heghine; Trchounian, Armen

    2011-01-01

    Highlights: → Low intensity 70.6 and 73 GHz electromagnetic irradiation (EMI) strongly suppressed Escherichia coli growth at 73 GHz and pH 7.3. → Reducer DL-dithiothreitol had bactericidal effect and disturbed the SH-groups number. → EMI enhanced E. coli sensitivity toward dithiothreitol. → EMI decreased the SH-groups number of membrane disturbed by ATP and N,N'-dicyclohexycarbodiimide. → The changed membrane oxidation-reduction state could be the primary mechanisms in EMI effects. -- Abstract: Low-intensity electromagnetic irradiation (EMI) of 70.6 and 73 GHz frequencies (flux capacity - 0.06 mW cm -2 ) had bactericidal effects on Escherichia coli. This EMI (1 h) exposure suppressed the growth of E. coli K-12(λ). The pH value (6.0-8.0) did not significantly affect the growth. The lag-phase duration was prolonged, and the growth specific rate was inhibited, and these effects were more noticeable after 73 GHz irradiation. These effects were enhanced by the addition of DL-dithiothreitol (DTT), a strong reducer of disulfide bonds in surface membrane proteins, which in its turn also has bactericidal effect. Further, the number of accessible SH-groups in membrane vesicles was markedly decreased by EMI that was augmented by N,N'-dicyclohexycarbodiimide and DTT. These results indicate a change in the oxidation-reduction state of bacterial cell membrane proteins that could be the primary membranous mechanism in the bactericidal effects of low-intensity EMI of the 70.6 and 73 GHz frequencies.

  12. A thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase of the Gram-positive pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae is essential for viability, pilus assembly, toxin production and virulence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reardon-Robinson, Melissa E; Osipiuk, Jerzy; Jooya, Neda; Chang, Chungyu; Joachimiak, Andrzej; Das, Asis; Ton-That, Hung

    2015-12-01

    The Gram-positive pathogen Corynebacterium diphtheriae exports through the Sec apparatus many extracellular proteins that include the key virulence factors diphtheria toxin and the adhesive pili. How these proteins attain their native conformations after translocation as unfolded precursors remains elusive. The fact that the majority of these exported proteins contain multiple cysteine residues and that several membrane-bound oxidoreductases are encoded in the corynebacterial genome suggests the existence of an oxidative protein-folding pathway in this organism. Here we show that the shaft pilin SpaA harbors a disulfide bond in vivo and alanine substitution of these cysteines abrogates SpaA polymerization and leads to the secretion of degraded SpaA peptides. We then identified a thiol-disulfide oxidoreductase (MdbA), whose structure exhibits a conserved thioredoxin-like domain with a CPHC active site. Remarkably, deletion of mdbA results in a severe temperature-sensitive cell division phenotype. This mutant also fails to assemble pilus structures and is greatly defective in toxin production. Consistent with these defects, the ΔmdbA mutant is attenuated in a guinea pig model of diphtheritic toxemia. Given its diverse cellular functions in cell division, pilus assembly and toxin production, we propose that MdbA is a component of the general oxidative folding machine in C. diphtheriae. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

  13. Crystal structure of Aquifex aeolicus gene product Aq1627: a putative phosphoglucosamine mutase reveals a unique C-terminal end-to-end disulfide linkage.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sridharan, Upasana; Kuramitsu, Seiki; Yokoyama, Shigeyuki; Kumarevel, Thirumananseri; Ponnuraj, Karthe

    2017-06-27

    The Aq1627 gene from Aquifex aeolicus, a hyperthermophilic bacterium has been cloned and overexpressed in Escherichia coli. The protein was purified to homogeneity and its X-ray crystal structure was determined to 1.3 Å resolution using multiple wavelength anomalous dispersion phasing. The structural and sequence analysis of Aq1627 is suggestive of a putative phosphoglucosamine mutase. The structural features of Aq1627 further indicate that it could belong to a new subclass of the phosphoglucosamine mutase family. Aq1627 structure contains a unique C-terminal end-to-end disulfide bond, which links two monomers and this structural information can be used in protein engineering to make proteins more stable in different applications.

  14. Symmetry of quantum intramolecular dynamics

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Burenin, Alexander V

    2002-01-01

    The paper reviews the current progress in describing quantum intramolecular dynamics using merely symmetry principles as a basis. This closed qualitative approach is of particular interest because it is the only method currently available for a broad class of topical problems in the internal dynamics of molecules. Moreover, a molecule makes a physical system whose collective internal motions are geometrically structured, so that its description by perturbation methods requires a symmetry analysis of this structure. The nature of the geometrical symmetry groups crucial for the closed formulation of the qualitative approach is discussed. In particular, the point group of a molecule is of this type. (methodological notes)

  15. Interchange reaction of disulfides and denaturation of oxytocin by copper(II)/ascorbic acid/O2 system.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inoue, H; Hirobe, M

    1987-05-29

    The interchange reaction of disulfides was caused by the copper(II)/ascorbic acid/O2 system. The incubation of two symmetric disulfides, L-cystinyl-bis-L-phenylalanine (PP) and L-cystinyl-bis-L-tyrosine (TT), with L-ascorbic acid and CuSO4 in potassium phosphate buffer (pH 7.2, 50 mM) resulted in the formation of an asymmetric disulfide, L-cystinyl-L-phenylalanine-L-tyrosine (PT), and the final ratio of PP:PT:TT was 1:2:1. As the reaction was inhibited by catalase and DMSO only at the initial time, hydroxyl radical generated by the copper(II)/ascorbic acid/O2 system seemed to be responsible for the initiation of the reaction. Oxytocin and insulin were denatured by this system, and catalase and DMSO similarly inhibited these denaturations. As the composition of amino acids was unchanged after the reaction, hydroxyl radical was thought to cause the cleavage and/or interchange reaction of disulfides to denature the peptides.

  16. Formation of benzo[f]-1-indanone frameworks by regulable intramolecular annulations of gem-dialkylthio trienynes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Zhongxue; Liu, Ying; Barry, Badru-Deen; Liao, Peiqiu; Bi, Xihe

    2015-02-20

    An atom-economic route to benzo[f]-1-indanone frameworks has been developed starting from the readily available gem-dialkylthio trienynes by intramolecular annulations. The chemoselectivity of the intramolecular cyclizations can be regulated by both the base and the type of gas atmosphere used in the reaction, thus allowing the divergent synthesis of the corresponding functionalized benzo[f]-1-indanones in good to excellent yields.

  17. Intramolecular oxidative deselenization of acylselenoureas: a facile synthesis of benzoxazole amides and carbonic anhydrase inhibitors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Angeli, A; Peat, T S; Bartolucci, G; Nocentini, A; Supuran, C T; Carta, F

    2016-12-28

    A mild, efficient and one pot procedure to access benzoxazoles using easily accessible acylselenoureas as starting materials has been discovered. Mechanistic studies revealed a pH dependent intramolecular oxidative deselenization, with ring closure due to an intramolecular nucleophilic attack of a phenoxide ion. All the benzoxazoles herein reported possessed a primary sulfonamide zinc binding group and showed effective inhibitory action on the enzymes, carbonic anhydrases.

  18. Intramolecular Diels-Alder Reactions in Organic Synthesis

    OpenAIRE

    Sizemore, Nicholas Blandford Luke

    2014-01-01

    Intramolecular Diels-Alder (IMDA) reactions are an important class of reactions in synthetic organic chemistry for the rapid construction of polycyclic frameworks. Three classes of IMDA reactions were investigated synthetically and computationally: 1) all-carbon type 1 IMDA reactions, 2) N-acylnitroso type 2 IMDA reactions, and 3) cyano-azadiene IMDA reactions. The first class was implemented in research toward the total synthesis of maoecrystal Z and isopalhinine A. The second class was stud...

  19. Electrical Transport Properties of Polycrystalline Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-07-14

    Lou, Sina Najmaei, Matin Amani, Matthew L. Chin, Zheng Se. TASK NUMBER Liu Sf. WORK UNIT NUMBER 7. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAMES AND ADDRESSES 8...Transport Properties of Polycrystalline Monolayer Molybdenum Disulfide Sina Najmaei,t.§ Matin Ama ni,M Matthew L. Chin,* Zhe ng liu/ ·"·v: A. Gle n

  20. Kinetics and mechanisms of thiol-disulfide exchange covering direct substitution and thiol oxidation-mediated pathways.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nagy, Péter

    2013-05-01

    Disulfides are important building blocks in the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins, serving as inter- and intra-subunit cross links. Disulfides are also the major products of thiol oxidation, a process that has primary roles in defense mechanisms against oxidative stress and in redox regulation of cell signaling. Although disulfides are relatively stable, their reduction, isomerisation, and interconversion as well as their production reactions are catalyzed by delicate enzyme machineries, providing a dynamic system in biology. Redox homeostasis, a thermodynamic parameter that determines which reactions can occur in cellular compartments, is also balanced by the thiol-disulfide pool. However, it is the kinetic properties of the reactions that best represent cell dynamics, because the partitioning of the possible reactions depends on kinetic parameters. This review is focused on the kinetics and mechanisms of thiol-disulfide substitution and redox reactions. It summarizes the challenges and advances that are associated with kinetic investigations in small molecular and enzymatic systems from a rigorous chemical perspective using biological examples. The most important parameters that influence reaction rates are discussed in detail. Kinetic studies of proteins are more challenging than small molecules, and quite often investigators are forced to sacrifice the rigor of the experimental approach to obtain the important kinetic and mechanistic information. However, recent technological advances allow a more comprehensive analysis of enzymatic systems via using the systematic kinetics apparatus that was developed for small molecule reactions, which is expected to provide further insight into the cell's machinery.

  1. Molecular dynamics simulations of single siloxane dendrimers: Molecular structure and intramolecular mobility of terminal groups

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kurbatov, A. O.; Balabaev, N. K.; Mazo, M. A.; Kramarenko, E. Yu.

    2018-01-01

    Molecular dynamics simulations of two types of isolated siloxane dendrimers of various generations (from the 2nd to the 8th) have been performed for temperatures ranging from 150 K to 600 K. The first type of dendrimer molecules has short spacers consisting of a single oxygen atom. In the dendrimers of the second type, spacers are longer and comprised of two oxygen atoms separated by a single silicon atom. A comparative analysis of molecular macroscopic parameters such as the gyration radius and the shape factor as well as atom distributions within dendrimer interior has been performed for varying generation number, temperature, and spacer length. It has been found that the short-spacer dendrimers of the 7th and 8th generations have a stressed central part with elongated bonds and deformed valence angles. Investigation of the time evolution of radial displacements of the terminal Si atoms has shown that a fraction of the Si groups have a reduced mobility. Therefore, rather long time trajectories (of the order of tens of nanoseconds) are required to study dendrimer intramolecular dynamics.

  2. Enantioselective synthesis of almorexant via iridium-catalysed intramolecular allylic amidation

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Fananas Mastral, Martin; Teichert, Johannes F.; Fernandez-Salas, Jose Antonio; Heijnen, Dorus; Feringa, Ben L.

    2013-01-01

    An enantioselective synthesis of almorexant, a potent antagonist of human orexin receptors, is presented. The chiral tetrahydroisoquinoline core structure was prepared via iridium-catalysed asymmetric intramolecular allylic amidation. Further key catalytic steps of the synthesis include an oxidative

  3. Thiolated polymers: synthesis and in vitro evaluation of polymer-cysteamine conjugates.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bernkop-Schnürch, A; Clausen, A E; Hnatyszyn, M

    2001-09-11

    The purpose of the present study was to synthesize and characterize novel thiolated polymers. Mediated by a carbodiimide cysteamine was covalently linked to sodium carboxymethylcellulose (CMC) and polycarbophil (PCP). The resulting CMC-cysteamine conjugates displayed 77.9+/-6.7 and 365.1+/-8.7 micromol thiol groups per gram of polymer, whereas the PCP-cysteamine conjugates showed 26.3+/-1.9 and 122.7+/-3.8 micromol thiol groups per gram of polymer (mean+/-S.D.; n=3). In aqueous solutions above pH 5.0 both modified polymers were capable of forming inter- and/or intra-molecular disulfide bonds. The reaction velocity of this oxidation process was accelerated with a decrease in the proton concentration. The oxidation proceeded more rapidly within thiolated CMC than within thiolated PCP. Permeation studies carried out in Ussing-type chambers with freshly excised intestinal mucosa from guinea pigs utilizing sodium fluorescein as model drug for the paracellular uptake revealed an enhancement ratio (R=P(app) (conjugate)/P(app) (control)) of 1.15 and 1.41 (mean+/-S.D.; n=3) for the higher thiolated CMC-cysteamine (0.5%; m/v) and PCP-cysteamine conjugate (1.0%; m/v), respectively. The decrease in the transepithelial electrical resistance values was in good correlation with the enhancement ratios. Due to a high crosslinking tendency by the formation of disulfide bonds stabilizing drug carrier systems based on thiolated polymers and a permeation enhancing effect, CMC- and PCP-cysteamine conjugates represent promising excipients for the development of novel drug delivery systems.

  4. The Role of Conformational Flexibility on Protein Supercharging in Native Electrospray Ionization

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sterling, Harry J.; Cassou, Catherine A.; Trnka, Michael J.; Burlingame, A. L.; Krantz, Bryan A.; Williams, Evan R.

    2012-01-01

    Effects of covalent intramolecular bonds, either native disulfide bridges or chemical crosslinks, on ESI supercharging of proteins from aqueous solutions were investigated. Chemically modifying cytochrome c with up to seven crosslinks or ubiquitin with up to two crosslinks did not affect the average or maximum charge states of these proteins in the absence of m-nitrobenzyl alcohol (m-NBA), but the extent of supercharging induced by m-NBA increased with decreasing numbers of crosslinks. For the model random coil polypeptide reduced/alkylated RNase A, a decrease in charging with increasing m-NBA concentration attributable to reduced surface tension of the ESI droplet was observed, whereas native RNase A electrosprayed from these same solutions exhibited enhanced charging. The inverse relationship between the extent of supercharging and the number of intramolecular crosslinks for folded proteins, as well as the absence of supercharging for proteins that are random coils in aqueous solution, indicate that conformational restrictions induced by the crosslinks reduce the extent of supercharging. These results provide additional evidence that protein and protein complex supercharging from aqueous solution is primarily due to partial or significant unfolding that occurs as a result of chemical and/or thermal denaturation induced by the supercharging reagent late in the ESI droplet lifetime. PMID:21399817

  5. Endoplasmic reticulum-dependent redox reactions control endoplasmic reticulum-associated degradation and pathogen entry.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Walczak, Christopher P; Bernardi, Kaleena M; Tsai, Billy

    2012-04-15

    Protein misfolding within the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) is managed by an ER quality control system that retro-translocates aberrant proteins into the cytosol for proteasomal destruction. This process, known as ER-associated degradation, utilizes the action of ER redox enzymes to accommodate the disulfide-bonded nature of misfolded proteins. Strikingly, various pathogenic viruses and toxins co-opt these redox components to reach the cytosol during entry. These redox factors thus regulate critical cellular homeostasis and host-pathogen interactions. Recent studies identify specific members of the protein disulfide isomerase (PDI) family, which use their chaperone and catalytic activities, in engaging both misfolded ER proteins and pathogens. The precise molecular mechanism by which a dedicated PDI family member disrupts the disulfide bonds in the misfolded ER proteins and pathogens, as well as how they act to unfold these substrates to promote their ER-to-cytosol membrane transport, remain poorly characterized. How PDI family members distinguish folded versus misfolded ER substrates remains enigmatic. What physical characteristics surrounding a substrate's disulfide bond instruct PDI that it is mispaired or native? For the pathogens, as their disulfide bonds normally serve a critical role in providing physical support, what conformational changes experienced in the host enable their disulfide bonds to be disrupted? A combination of more rigorous biochemical and high-resolution structural studies should begin to address these questions.

  6. NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-LAFR-01-0178 [SEVENS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available CBRC-LAFR-01-0178 ref|YP_345668.1| putative disulfide bond formation protein [Rhodo...coccus erythropolis PR4] dbj|BAE46176.1| putative disulfide bond formation protein [Rhodococcus erythropolis PR4] YP_345668.1 1.3 28% ...

  7. Acetic Acid Can Catalyze Succinimide Formation from Aspartic Acid Residues by a Concerted Bond Reorganization Mechanism: A Computational Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ohgi Takahashi

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Succinimide formation from aspartic acid (Asp residues is a concern in the formulation of protein drugs. Based on density functional theory calculations using Ace-Asp-Nme (Ace = acetyl, Nme = NHMe as a model compound, we propose the possibility that acetic acid (AA, which is often used in protein drug formulation for mildly acidic buffer solutions, catalyzes the succinimide formation from Asp residues by acting as a proton-transfer mediator. The proposed mechanism comprises two steps: cyclization (intramolecular addition to form a gem-diol tetrahedral intermediate and dehydration of the intermediate. Both steps are catalyzed by an AA molecule, and the first step was predicted to be rate-determining. The cyclization results from a bond formation between the amide nitrogen on the C-terminal side and the side-chain carboxyl carbon, which is part of an extensive bond reorganization (formation and breaking of single bonds and the interchange of single and double bonds occurring concertedly in a cyclic structure formed by the amide NH bond, the AA molecule and the side-chain C=O group and involving a double proton transfer. The second step also involves an AA-mediated bond reorganization. Carboxylic acids other than AA are also expected to catalyze the succinimide formation by a similar mechanism.

  8. Acetic acid can catalyze succinimide formation from aspartic acid residues by a concerted bond reorganization mechanism: a computational study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Takahashi, Ohgi; Kirikoshi, Ryota; Manabe, Noriyoshi

    2015-01-12

    Succinimide formation from aspartic acid (Asp) residues is a concern in the formulation of protein drugs. Based on density functional theory calculations using Ace-Asp-Nme (Ace = acetyl, Nme = NHMe) as a model compound, we propose the possibility that acetic acid (AA), which is often used in protein drug formulation for mildly acidic buffer solutions, catalyzes the succinimide formation from Asp residues by acting as a proton-transfer mediator. The proposed mechanism comprises two steps: cyclization (intramolecular addition) to form a gem-diol tetrahedral intermediate and dehydration of the intermediate. Both steps are catalyzed by an AA molecule, and the first step was predicted to be rate-determining. The cyclization results from a bond formation between the amide nitrogen on the C-terminal side and the side-chain carboxyl carbon, which is part of an extensive bond reorganization (formation and breaking of single bonds and the interchange of single and double bonds) occurring concertedly in a cyclic structure formed by the amide NH bond, the AA molecule and the side-chain C=O group and involving a double proton transfer. The second step also involves an AA-mediated bond reorganization. Carboxylic acids other than AA are also expected to catalyze the succinimide formation by a similar mechanism.

  9. The human selenoprotein VCP-interacting membrane protein (VIMP) is non-globular and harbors a reductase function in an intrinsically disordered region

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Christensen, Lea Cecilie; Jensen, Njal Winther; Lages Lino Vala, Andrea

    2012-01-01

    that Cys-188 in cVIMP-Cys forms a disulfide bond with Cys-174, consistent with the presence of a Cys174-Sec188 selenosulfide bond in the native sequence. For the disulfide bond in cVIMP-Cys we determined the reduction potential to -200 mV, and showed it to be a good substrate of thioredoxin. Based...

  10. Intramolecular electron transfer through a bridging carboxylate group coordinated to two cobalt(III)-ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Wieghardt, K.

    1978-01-01

    Reduction of the binuclear μ-p-nitrobenzoato -di-μ-hydroxo -bis[triammine cobalt(III)] cation with (CH 3 ) 2 COH radicals yields a radical cation with the p-nitrobenzoato radical being coordinated to two cobalt(III) ions at the carboxylic group. The unprotonated form of this species undergoes intramolecular electron transfer producing Co(II) (k = (3.3 +- 0.3). x 10 3 s -1 ). The role of the carboxylate group in the intramolecular electron transfer process is tentatively assessed in terms of an intramolecular outer-sphere reaction because of lack of overlap of the donor orbitals (π) and the acceptor orbital (sigma). The protonated form of the radical cation (pKsub(a) = 2.5) disproportionates via a bimolecular process without production of Co(II). The effect of two coordinated Co(III) ions as compared to only one on the properties of the nitrobenzoate radical anion are discussed. (orig.) 891 HK 892 GM [de

  11. Communication: Hydrogen bonding interactions in water-alcohol mixtures from X-ray absorption spectroscopy

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lam, Royce K.; Smith, Jacob W.; Saykally, Richard J., E-mail: saykally@berkeley.edu [Department of Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA and Chemical Sciences Division, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

    2016-05-21

    While methanol and ethanol are macroscopically miscible with water, their mixtures exhibit negative excess entropies of mixing. Despite considerable effort in both experiment and theory, there remains significant disagreement regarding the origin of this effect. Different models for the liquid mixture structure have been proposed to address this behavior, including the enhancement of the water hydrogen bonding network around the alcohol hydrophobic groups and microscopic immiscibility or clustering. We have investigated mixtures of methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol with water by liquid microjet X-ray absorption spectroscopy on the oxygen K-edge, an atom-specific probe providing details of both inter- and intra-molecular structure. The measured spectra evidence a significant enhancement of hydrogen bonding originating from the methanol and ethanol hydroxyl groups upon the addition of water. These additional hydrogen bonding interactions would strengthen the liquid-liquid interactions, resulting in additional ordering in the liquid structures and leading to a reduction in entropy and a negative enthalpy of mixing, consistent with existing thermodynamic data. In contrast, the spectra of the isopropanol-water mixtures exhibit an increase in the number of broken alcohol hydrogen bonds for mixtures containing up to 0.5 water mole fraction, an observation consistent with existing enthalpy of mixing data, suggesting that the measured negative excess entropy is a result of clustering or micro-immiscibility.

  12. Communication: Hydrogen bonding interactions in water-alcohol mixtures from X-ray absorption spectroscopy

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lam, Royce K.; Smith, Jacob W.; Saykally, Richard J.

    2016-05-01

    While methanol and ethanol are macroscopically miscible with water, their mixtures exhibit negative excess entropies of mixing. Despite considerable effort in both experiment and theory, there remains significant disagreement regarding the origin of this effect. Different models for the liquid mixture structure have been proposed to address this behavior, including the enhancement of the water hydrogen bonding network around the alcohol hydrophobic groups and microscopic immiscibility or clustering. We have investigated mixtures of methanol, ethanol, and isopropanol with water by liquid microjet X-ray absorption spectroscopy on the oxygen K-edge, an atom-specific probe providing details of both inter- and intra-molecular structure. The measured spectra evidence a significant enhancement of hydrogen bonding originating from the methanol and ethanol hydroxyl groups upon the addition of water. These additional hydrogen bonding interactions would strengthen the liquid-liquid interactions, resulting in additional ordering in the liquid structures and leading to a reduction in entropy and a negative enthalpy of mixing, consistent with existing thermodynamic data. In contrast, the spectra of the isopropanol-water mixtures exhibit an increase in the number of broken alcohol hydrogen bonds for mixtures containing up to 0.5 water mole fraction, an observation consistent with existing enthalpy of mixing data, suggesting that the measured negative excess entropy is a result of clustering or micro-immiscibility.

  13. Abiotic synthesis of organic compounds from carbon disulfide under hydrothermal conditions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rushdi, Ahmed I; Simoneit, Bernd R T

    2005-12-01

    Abiotic formation of organic compounds under hydrothermal conditions is of interest to bio, geo-, and cosmochemists. Oceanic sulfur-rich hydrothermal systems have been proposed as settings for the abiotic synthesis of organic compounds. Carbon disulfide is a common component of magmatic and hot spring gases, and is present in marine and terrestrial hydrothermal systems. Thus, its reactivity should be considered as another carbon source in addition to carbon dioxide in reductive aqueous thermosynthesis. We have examined the formation of organic compounds in aqueous solutions of carbon disulfide and oxalic acid at 175 degrees C for 5 and 72 h. The synthesis products from carbon disulfide in acidic aqueous solutions yielded a series of organic sulfur compounds. The major compounds after 5 h of reaction included dimethyl polysulfides (54.5%), methyl perthioacetate (27.6%), dimethyl trithiocarbonate (6.8%), trithianes (2.7%), hexathiepane (1.4%), trithiolanes (0.8%), and trithiacycloheptanes (0.3%). The main compounds after 72 h of reaction consisted of trithiacycloheptanes (39.4%), pentathiepane (11.6%), tetrathiocyclooctanes (11.5%), trithiolanes (10.6%), tetrathianes (4.4%), trithianes (1.2%), dimethyl trisulfide (1.1%), and numerous minor compounds. It is concluded that the abiotic formation of aliphatic straight-chain and cyclic polysulfides is possible under hydrothermal conditions and warrants further studies.

  14. Kinetic study of the interaction of glutathione with four antitumor disulfides: possible mechanism for cellular glutathione depletion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kirkpatrick, D L

    1989-01-01

    The reactions between the cellular tripeptide, glutathione (GSH) and four disulfide derivatives of 6-mercaptopurine (6-MP) and 6-thioguanine (6-TG) (compounds 1-4) were studied kinetically. The decyl and phenyl derivatives of 6-MP and 6-TG were reacted with GSH in phosphate buffer (pH 7.4 or 6.0) at 25.0 degrees C and were monitored spectrophotometrically by observing the release of 6-MP and 6-TG. Second order kinetics were observed, with rate constants of 142, 564, 4174 and 429 M-1 s-1 being measured for compounds 1-4, respectively. When the reactions were carried out in the presence of GSH-S-transferase the rates were enhanced 1.3-5.4 times those observed in the absence of enzyme. Products of the reactions were isolated by chromatography and tentatively identified by TLC or fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry. It was observed that GSH reacted with each disulfide in a 1:1 manner, forming a mixed disulfide between GSH and decanethiol or thiophenol while releasing 6-MP or 6-TG. It was concluded that the reported depletion of GSH from EMT6 cells after exposure to these disulfides could be due to their reaction with GSH, and the formation of the mixed disulfides.

  15. β1 subunit stabilises sodium channel Nav1.7 against mechanical stress.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Körner, Jannis; Meents, Jannis; Machtens, Jan-Philipp; Lampert, Angelika

    2018-06-01

    The voltage-gated sodium channel Nav1.7 is a key player in neuronal excitability and pain signalling. In addition to voltage sensing, the channel is also modulated by mechanical stress. Using whole-cell patch-clamp experiments, we discovered that the sodium channel subunit β1 is able to prevent the impact of mechanical stress on Nav1.7. An intramolecular disulfide bond of β1 was identified to be essential for stabilisation of inactivation, but not activation, against mechanical stress using molecular dynamics simulations, homology modelling and site-directed mutagenesis. Our results highlight the role of segment 6 of domain IV in fast inactivation. We present a candidate mechanism for sodium channel stabilisation against mechanical stress, ensuring reliable channel functionality in living systems. Voltage-gated sodium channels are key players in neuronal excitability and pain signalling. Precise gating of these channels is crucial as even small functional alterations can lead to pathological phenotypes such as pain or heart failure. Mechanical stress has been shown to affect sodium channel activation and inactivation. This suggests that stabilising components are necessary to ensure precise channel gating in living organisms. Here, we show that mechanical shear stress affects voltage dependence of activation and fast inactivation of the Nav1.7 channel. Co-expression of the β1 subunit, however, protects both gating modes of Nav1.7 against mechanical shear stress. Using molecular dynamics simulation, homology modelling and site-directed mutagenesis, we identify an intramolecular disulfide bond of β1 (Cys21-Cys43) which is partially involved in this process: the β1-C43A mutant prevents mechanical modulation of voltage dependence of activation, but not of fast inactivation. Our data emphasise the unique role of segment 6 of domain IV for sodium channel fast inactivation and confirm previous reports that the intracellular process of fast inactivation can be

  16. Intramolecular electron transfer in ascorbate oxidase is enhanced in the presence of oxygen

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Farver, O; Wherland, S; Pecht, I

    1994-01-01

    Intramolecular electron transfer from the type 1 copper center to the type 3 copper(II) pair is induced in the multi-copper enzyme, ascorbate oxidase, following pulse radiolytic reduction of the type 1 Cu(II) ion. In the presence of a slight excess of dioxygen over ascorbate oxidase, interaction...... between the trinuclear copper center and O2 is observed even with singly reduced ascorbate oxidase molecules. Under these conditions, the rate constant for intramolecular electron transfer from type 1 Cu(I) to type 3 Cu(II) increases 5-fold to 1100 +/- 300 s-1 (20 degrees C, pH 5.8) as compared...

  17. NCBI nr-aa BLAST: CBRC-GGAL-35-0365 [SEVENS

    Lifescience Database Archive (English)

    Full Text Available CBRC-GGAL-35-0365 ref|YP_001490374.1| disulfide bond formation protein, DsbB family... [Arcobacter butzleri RM4018] gb|ABV67705.1| disulfide bond formation protein, DsbB family [Arcobacter butzleri RM4018] YP_001490374.1 0.11 28% ...

  18. Selenocysteine in thiol/disulfide-like exchange reactions.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hondal, Robert J; Marino, Stefano M; Gladyshev, Vadim N

    2013-05-01

    Among trace elements used as cofactors in enzymes, selenium is unique in that it is incorporated into proteins co-translationally in the form of an amino acid, selenocysteine (Sec). Sec differs from cysteine (Cys) by only one atom (selenium versus sulfur), yet this switch dramatically influences important aspects of enzyme reactivity. The main focus of this review is an updated and critical discussion on how Sec might be used to accelerate thiol/disulfide-like exchange reactions in natural selenoenzymes, compared with their Cys-containing homologs. We discuss in detail three major aspects associated with thiol/disulfide exchange reactions: (i) nucleophilicity of the attacking thiolate (or selenolate); (ii) electrophilicity of the center sulfur (or selenium) atom; and (iii) stability of the leaving group (sulfur or selenium). In all these cases, we analyze the benefits that selenium might provide in these types of reactions. It is the biological thiol oxidoreductase-like function that benefits from the use of Sec, since Sec functions to chemically accelerate the rate of these reactions. We review various hypotheses that could help explain why Sec is used in enzymes, particularly with regard to competitive chemical advantages provided by the presence of the selenium atom in enzymes. Ultimately, these chemical advantages must be connected to biological functions of Sec.

  19. Evaluation of intramolecular charge transfer state of 4-N, N ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Abstract. Intramolecular charge transfer of 4-N,N-dimethylamino cinnamaldehyde (DMACA) in vacuum and in five different aprotic solvents has been studied by using time-dependent density functional theory. (TDDFT). Polarizable continuum model (PCM) was employed to consider solvent–solute interactions. The potential ...

  20. Crystal structure of the starch-binding domain of glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Suyama, Yousuke; Muraki, Norifumi; Kusunoki, Masami; Miyake, Hideo

    2017-10-01

    Glucoamylases are widely used commercially to produce glucose syrup from starch. The starch-binding domain (SBD) of glucoamylase from Aspergillus niger is a small globular protein containing a disulfide bond. The structure of A. niger SBD has been determined by NMR, but the conformation surrounding the disulfide bond was unclear. Therefore, X-ray crystal structural analysis was used to attempt to clarify the conformation of this region. The SBD was purified from an Escherichia coli-based expression system and crystallized at 293 K. The initial phase was determined by the molecular-replacement method, and the asymmetric unit of the crystal contained four protomers, two of which were related by a noncrystallographic twofold axis. Finally, the structure was solved at 2.0 Å resolution. The SBD consisted of seven β-strands and eight loops, and the conformation surrounding the disulfide bond was determined from a clear electron-density map. Comparison of X-ray- and NMR-determined structures of the free SBD showed no significant difference in the conformation of each β-strand, but the conformations of the loops containing the disulfide bond and the L5 loop were different. In particular, the difference in the position of the C α atom of Cys509 between the X-ray- and NMR-determined structures was 13.3 Å. In addition, the B factors of the amino-acid residues surrounding the disulfide bond are higher than those of other residues. Therefore, the conformation surrounding the disulfide bond is suggested to be highly flexible.

  1. MTH1745, a protein disulfide isomerase-like protein from thermophilic archaea, Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicum involving in stress response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ding, Xia; Lv, Zhen-Mei; Zhao, Yang; Min, Hang; Yang, Wei-Jun

    2008-01-01

    MTH1745 is a putative protein disulfide isomerase characterized with 151 amino acid residues and a CPAC active-site from the anaerobic archaea Methanothermobacter thermoautotrophicum. The potential functions of MTH1745 are not clear. In the present study, we show a crucial role of MTH1745 in protecting cells against stress which may be related to its functions as a disulfide isomerase and its chaperone properties. Using real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses, the level of MTH1745 messenger RNA (mRNA) in the thermophilic archaea M. thermoautotrophicum was found to be stress-induced in that it was significantly higher under low (50 degrees C) and high (70 degrees C) growth temperatures than under the optimal growth temperature for the organism (65 degrees C). Additionally, the expression of MTH1745 mRNA was up-regulated by cold shock (4 degrees C). Furthermore, the survival of MTH1745 expressing Escherichia coli cells was markedly higher than that of control cells in response to heat shock (51.0 degrees C). These results indicated that MTH1745 plays an important role in the resistance of stress. By assay of enzyme activities in vitro, MTH1745 also exhibited a chaperone function by promoting the functional folding of citrate synthase after thermodenaturation. On the other hand, MTH1745 was also shown to function as a disulfide isomerase on the refolding of denatured and reduced ribonuclease A. On the basis of its single thioredoxin domain, function as a disulfide isomerase, and its chaperone activity, we suggest that MTH1745 may be an ancient protein disulfide isomerase. These studies may provide clues to the understanding of the function of protein disulfide isomerase in archaea.

  2. Low-intensity electromagnetic irradiation of 70.6 and 73 GHz frequencies enhances the effects of disulfide bonds reducer on Escherichia coli growth and affects the bacterial surface oxidation-reduction state

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Torgomyan, Heghine [Department of Biophysics of Biology Faculty, Yerevan State University, Yerevan 0025 (Armenia); Trchounian, Armen, E-mail: Trchounian@ysu.am [Department of Biophysics of Biology Faculty, Yerevan State University, Yerevan 0025 (Armenia)

    2011-10-14

    Highlights: {yields} Low intensity 70.6 and 73 GHz electromagnetic irradiation (EMI) strongly suppressed Escherichia coli growth at 73 GHz and pH 7.3. {yields} Reducer DL-dithiothreitol had bactericidal effect and disturbed the SH-groups number. {yields} EMI enhanced E. coli sensitivity toward dithiothreitol. {yields} EMI decreased the SH-groups number of membrane disturbed by ATP and N,N'-dicyclohexycarbodiimide. {yields} The changed membrane oxidation-reduction state could be the primary mechanisms in EMI effects. -- Abstract: Low-intensity electromagnetic irradiation (EMI) of 70.6 and 73 GHz frequencies (flux capacity - 0.06 mW cm{sup -2}) had bactericidal effects on Escherichia coli. This EMI (1 h) exposure suppressed the growth of E. coli K-12({lambda}). The pH value (6.0-8.0) did not significantly affect the growth. The lag-phase duration was prolonged, and the growth specific rate was inhibited, and these effects were more noticeable after 73 GHz irradiation. These effects were enhanced by the addition of DL-dithiothreitol (DTT), a strong reducer of disulfide bonds in surface membrane proteins, which in its turn also has bactericidal effect. Further, the number of accessible SH-groups in membrane vesicles was markedly decreased by EMI that was augmented by N,N'-dicyclohexycarbodiimide and DTT. These results indicate a change in the oxidation-reduction state of bacterial cell membrane proteins that could be the primary membranous mechanism in the bactericidal effects of low-intensity EMI of the 70.6 and 73 GHz frequencies.

  3. Identification of the PDI-family member ERp90 as an interaction partner of ERFAD

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Riemer, Jan; Hansen, Henning G; Appenzeller-Herzog, C.

    2011-01-01

    that comprises five potential thioredoxin (Trx)-like domains. Mature ERp90 contains 10 cysteine residues, of which at least some form intramolecular disulfides. While none of the Trx domains contain a canonical Cys-Xaa-Xaa-Cys active-site motif, other conserved cysteines could endow the protein with redox...

  4. Disulfide-induced self-assembled targets: A novel strategy for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs via unmodified gold nanoparticles

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shokri, Ehsan; Hosseini, Morteza; Davari, Mehdi D.; Ganjali, Mohammad R.; Peppelenbosch, Maikel P.; Rezaee, Farhad

    2017-04-01

    A modified non-cross-linking gold-nanoparticles (Au-NPs) aggregation strategy has been developed for the label free colorimetric detection of DNAs/RNAs based on self-assembling target species in the presence of thiolated probes. Two complementary thiol- modified probes, each of which specifically binds at one half of the target introduced SH groups at both ends of dsDNA. Continuous disulfide bond formation at 3‧ and 5‧ terminals of targets leads to the self-assembly of dsDNAs into the sulfur- rich and flexible products with different lengths. These products have a high affinity for the surface of Au-NPs and efficiently protect the surface from salt induced aggregation. To evaluate the assay efficacy, a small part of the citrus tristeza virus (CTV) genome was targeted, leading to a detection limit of about 5 × 10-9 mol.L-1 over a linear ranged from 20 × 10-9 to 10 × 10-7 mol.L-1. This approach also exhibits good reproducibility and recovery levels in the presence of plant total RNA or human plasma total circulating RNA extracts. Self-assembled targets can be then sensitively distinguished from non-assembled or mismatched targets after gel electrophoresis. The disulfide reaction method and integrating self-assembled DNAs/RNAs targets with bare AuNPs as a sensitive indicator provide us a powerful and simple visual detection tool for a wide range of applications.

  5. A novel stereoselective synthesis of N-heterocycles by intramolecular hydrovinylation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bothe, Ulrich; Rudbeck, H. C.; Tanner, David Ackland

    2001-01-01

    A novel method for the synthesis of bicyclic amines has been developed. Cyclisation of 1,6-dienes by intramolecular hydrovinylation in the presence of catalytic amounts of allylpalladium chloride dimer afforded bicyclic amines in one step. Added phosphines, silver salts, as well as the nature of ...

  6. Kinetics and Mechanisms of Thiol–Disulfide Exchange Covering Direct Substitution and Thiol Oxidation-Mediated Pathways

    Science.gov (United States)

    2013-01-01

    Abstract Significance: Disulfides are important building blocks in the secondary and tertiary structures of proteins, serving as inter- and intra-subunit cross links. Disulfides are also the major products of thiol oxidation, a process that has primary roles in defense mechanisms against oxidative stress and in redox regulation of cell signaling. Although disulfides are relatively stable, their reduction, isomerisation, and interconversion as well as their production reactions are catalyzed by delicate enzyme machineries, providing a dynamic system in biology. Redox homeostasis, a thermodynamic parameter that determines which reactions can occur in cellular compartments, is also balanced by the thiol–disulfide pool. However, it is the kinetic properties of the reactions that best represent cell dynamics, because the partitioning of the possible reactions depends on kinetic parameters. Critical Issues: This review is focused on the kinetics and mechanisms of thiol–disulfide substitution and redox reactions. It summarizes the challenges and advances that are associated with kinetic investigations in small molecular and enzymatic systems from a rigorous chemical perspective using biological examples. The most important parameters that influence reaction rates are discussed in detail. Recent Advances and Future Directions: Kinetic studies of proteins are more challenging than small molecules, and quite often investigators are forced to sacrifice the rigor of the experimental approach to obtain the important kinetic and mechanistic information. However, recent technological advances allow a more comprehensive analysis of enzymatic systems via using the systematic kinetics apparatus that was developed for small molecule reactions, which is expected to provide further insight into the cell's machinery. Antioxid. Redox Signal. 18, 1623–1641. PMID:23075118

  7. Dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis and effects of smoking on homeostasis parameters in patients with psoriasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Emre, Selma; Demirseren, Duriye Deniz; Alisik, Murat; Aktas, Akin; Neselioglu, Salim; Erel, Ozcan

    2017-12-01

    Recently, increased reactive oxygen species (ROS), reduced antioxidant capacity, and oxidative stress have been suggested in the pathogenesis of psoriasis. The aim of this study to evaluate the thiol/disulfide homeostasis in patients with psoriasis. Ninety patients with psoriasis who did not receive any systemic treatment in the last six  months were included in the study. Seventy-six age and gender-matched healthy volunteers served as control group. Thiol/disulfide homeostasis was measured in venous blood samples obtained from patient and control groups. Native thiol and total thiol levels were significantly higher in patients than in control group. When thiol/disulfide hemostasis parameters and clinical and demographic characteristics were compared, a negative correlation was detected between native thiol and total thiol with age. The levels of total thiols had also negative correlation with PASI and duration of the disease. When we divided the patients into smokers and non-smokers, native thiol and total thiol levels were significantly higher in smokers than in controls, whereas native thiol and total thiol levels were comparable in non-smoker patients and controls. Thiol/disulfide balance shifted towards thiol in psoriasis patients and this may be responsible for increased keratinocyte proliferation in the pathogenesis of psoriasis.

  8. Stability and Reactivity of Cyclometallated Naphthylamine Complexes in Pd-C Bond Insertion Reactions with Coordinated Alkynylphosphanes

    KAUST Repository

    Chen, Shuli

    2013-09-17

    Phenylbis(phenylethynyl)phosphane PhP(C≡CPh)2 coordinates regiospecifically to the α-methyl-chiral ortho-platinated and -palladated naphthylamine units at the positions trans to the nitrogen donors. The P→Pt coordination bond is kinetically inert, whereas the P→Pd bond is labile. Upon heating of these phosphane complexes at 70 °C, one of the C≡C bonds in the coordinated PhP(C≡CPh)2 was activated towards an intermolecular Pd-C bond insertion reaction with an external ortho-palladated naphthylamine ring. No intramolecular insertion reaction occurred. In contrast to its palladium analogue, the ortho-platinated ring is not reactive towards coordinated PhP(C≡CPh)2, although it can promote the Pd-C bond insertion reaction. However, despite the high kinetic stability of the P→Pt coordination, the organoplatinum unit is a noticeably weaker activator than its organopalladium counterpart. The chirality of the reacting ortho-metallated naphthylamine ligand exhibited high stereochemical influence on the formation of the new stereogenic phosphorus center during the course of these C-C bond-formation reactions. The coordination chemistry and the absolute stereochemistry of the dimetallic products were determined by single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis. The asymmetric monoinsertion of PhP(C≡CPh)2 coordinated to a cyclometallated N,N-dimethyl naphthyl/benzylamine template into the Pd-C bonds of N,N-dimethylnaphthylamine palladacycles has been demonstrated for the synthesis of a variety of new P-stereogenic homo- or heterodimetallic complexes. Copyright © 2013 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

  9. Differential expression of disulfide reductase enzymes in a free-living platyhelminth (Dugesia dorotocephala.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alberto Guevara-Flores

    Full Text Available A search of the disulfide reductase activities expressed in the adult stage of the free-living platyhelminth Dugesia dorotocephala was carried out. Using GSSG or DTNB as substrates, it was possible to obtain a purified fraction containing both GSSG and DTNB reductase activities. Through the purification procedure, both disulfide reductase activities were obtained in the same chromatographic peak. By mass spectrometry analysis of peptide fragments obtained after tryptic digestion of the purified fraction, the presence of glutathione reductase (GR, thioredoxin-glutathione reductase (TGR, and a putative thioredoxin reductase (TrxR was detected. Using the gold compound auranofin to selectively inhibit the GSSG reductase activity of TGR, it was found that barely 5% of the total GR activity in the D. dorotocephala extract can be assigned to GR. Such strategy did allow us to determine the kinetic parameters for both GR and TGR. Although It was not possible to discriminate DTNB reductase activity due to TrxR from that of TGR, a chromatofocusing experiment with a D. dorotocephala extract resulted in the obtention of a minor protein fraction enriched in TrxR, strongly suggesting its presence as a functional protein. Thus, unlike its parasitic counterparts, in the free-living platyhelminth lineage the three disulfide reductases are present as functional proteins, albeit TGR is still the major disulfide reductase involved in the reduction of both Trx and GSSG. This fact suggests the development of TGR in parasitic flatworms was not linked to a parasitic mode of life.

  10. Intra- und intermolecular hydrogen bonds. Spectroscopic, quantum chemical and molecular dynamics studies

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Simperler, A.

    1999-03-01

    Intra- and intermolecular H-bonds have been investigated with spectroscopic, quantum chemical, and molecular dynamics methods. The work is divided into the following three parts: 1. Intramolecular interactions in ortho-substituted phenols. Theoretical and experimental data that characterizes the intramolecular hydrogen bonds in 48 different o-substituted phenols are discussed. The study covers various kinds of O-H ... Y -type interactions (Y= N, O, S, F, Cl, Br, I, C=C, C=-C, and C-=N). The bond strength sequences for several series of systematically related compounds as obtained from IR spectroscopy data (i.e., v(OH) stretching frequencies) are discussed and reproduced with several theoretical methods (B3LYP/6-31G(d,p), B3LYP/6-311G(d,p), B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p), B3LYP/DZVP, MP2/6-31G(d,p), and MP2/6-31++G(d,p) levels of theory). The experimentally determined sequences are interpreted in terms of the intrinsic properties of the molecules: hydrogen bond distances, Mulliken partial charges, van der Waals radii, and electron densities of the Y-proton acceptors. 2. Competitive hydrogen bonds and conformational equilibria in 2,6-disubstituted phenols containing two different carbonyl substituents. The rotational isomers of ten unsymmetrical 2,6-disubstituted phenols as obtained by combinations of five different carbonyl substituents (COOH, COOCH 3 , CHO, COCH 3 , and CONH 2 ) have been theoretically investigated at the B3LYP/6-31G(d,p) level of theory. The relative stability of four to five conformers of each compound were determined by full geometry optimization for free molecules as well as for molecules in reaction fields with dielectric constants up to ε=37.5. A comparison with IR spectroscopic data of available compounds revealed excellent agreement with the theoretically predicted stability sequences and conformational equilibria. The stability of a conformer could be interpreted to be governed by the following two contributions: (i) an attractive hydrogen bond

  11. Femtosecond laser studies of ultrafast intramolecular processes

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayden, C. [Sandia National Laboratories, Livermore, CA (United States)

    1993-12-01

    The goal of this research is to better understand the detailed mechanisms of chemical reactions by observing, directly in time, the dynamics of fundamental chemical processes. In this work femtosecond laser pulses are used to initiate chemical processes and follow the progress of these processes in time. The authors are currently studying ultrafast internal conversion and subsequent intramolecular relaxation in unsaturated hydrocarbons. In addition, the authors are developing nonlinear optical techniques to prepare and monitor the time evolution of specific vibrational motions in ground electronic state molecules.

  12. Changes in serum albumin conformation under the effect of UV-radiation

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Stepuro, I I; Artsukevich, A N; Ostrovskij, Yu N [AN Belorusskoj SSR, Minsk

    1981-01-01

    It has been established that a rapid photolysis of one (the most libile) disulfide bridge in bull serum albumins (BSA) and man's serum albumins (MSA) is caused by the sensitizing effect of 212 and 214 triptophan residues respectively; in fact the residues decompose simultaneously with the destruction of disulfide bond. This effect is not observed in 6-8 M guanosine. Conformation rebuilding of albumin globule is observed after the destruction of disulfide bond in albumin by UV-radiation and sodium boron hydride; it is accompanied by the decrease of accessible for fluorescent probe arginine residues, the accessibility of lysine residues being unchanged. Probe fluorescent intensity - 1.8-anilinonaphthalenesulfonate - decreases after the reduction of disulfide bond by 60-70% due to the loss of accessibility for chromophore of arginine residues.

  13. Changes in serum albumin conformation under the effect of UV-radiation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Stepuro, I.I.; Artsukevich, A.N.; Ostrovskij, Yu.N.

    1981-01-01

    It has been established that a rapid photolysis of one (the most libile) disulfide bridge in bull serum albumins (BSA) and man's serum albumins (MSA) is caused by the sensitizing effect of 212 and 214 triptophan residues respectively; in fact the residues decompose simultaneously with the destruction of disulfide bond. This effect is not observed in 6-8 M guanosine. Conformation rebuilding of albumin globule is observed after the destruction of disulfide bond in albumin by UV-radiation and sodium boron hydride; it is accompanied by the decrease of accessible for fluorescent probe arginine residues, the accessibility of lysine residues being unchanged. Probe fluorescent intensity - 1.8-anilinonaphthalenesulfonate - decreases after the reduction of disulfide bond by 60-70% due to the loss of accessibility for chromophore of arginine residues

  14. Site-specific Isopeptide Bridge Tethering of Chimeric gp41 N-terminal Heptad Repeat Helical Trimers for the Treatment of HIV-1 Infection

    Science.gov (United States)

    Wang, Chao; Li, Xue; Yu, Fei; Lu, Lu; Jiang, Xifeng; Xu, Xiaoyu; Wang, Huixin; Lai, Wenqing; Zhang, Tianhong; Zhang, Zhenqing; Ye, Ling; Jiang, Shibo; Liu, Keliang

    2016-01-01

    Peptides derived from the N-terminal heptad repeat (NHR) of HIV-1 gp41 can be potent inhibitors against viral entry when presented in a nonaggregating trimeric coiled-coil conformation via the introduction of exogenous trimerization motifs and intermolecular disulfide bonds. We recently discovered that crosslinking isopeptide bridges within the de novo helical trimers added exceptional resistance to unfolding. Herein, we attempted to optimize (CCIZN17)3, a representative disulfide bond-stabilized chimeric NHR-trimer, by incorporating site-specific interhelical isopeptide bonds as the redox-sensitive disulfide surrogate. In this process, we systematically examined the effect of isopeptide bond position and molecular sizes of auxiliary trimeric coiled-coil motif and NHR fragments on the antiviral potency of these NHR-trimers. Pleasingly, (IZ14N24N)3 possessed promising inhibitory activity against HIV-1 infection and markedly increased proteolytic stability relative to its disulfide-tethered counterpart, suggesting good potential for further development as an effective antiviral agent for treatment of HIV-1 infection. PMID:27562370

  15. Crystal structure, vibrational spectra and DFT studies of hydrogen bonded 1,2,4-triazolium hydrogenselenate

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arjunan, V.; Thirunarayanan, S.; Marchewka, M. K.; Mohan, S.

    2017-10-01

    The new hydrogen bonded molecular complex 1,2,4-triazolium hydrogenselenate (THS) is prepared by the reaction of 1H-1,2,4-triazole and selenic acid. This complex is stabilised by N-H⋯O and C-H⋯O hydrogen bonding and electrostatic attractive forces between 1H and 1,2,4-triazolium cations and hydrogen selenate anions. The XRD studies revealed that intermolecular proton transfer occur from selenic acid to 1H-1,2,4-triazole molecule, results in the formation of 1,2,4-triazolium hydrogenselenate which contains 1,2,4-triazolium cations and hydrogenselenate anions. The molecular structure of THS crystal has also been optimised by using Density Functional Theory (DFT) using B3LYP/cc-pVTZ and B3LYP/6-311++G** methods in order to find the whole characteristics of the molecular complex. The theoretical structural parameters such as bond length, bond angle and dihedral angle determined by DFT methods are well agreed with the XRD parameters. The atomic charges and thermodynamic properties are also calculated and analysed. The energies of frontier molecular orbitals HOMO, LUMO, HOMO-1, LUMO+1 and LUMO-HUMO energy gap are calculated to understand the kinetic stability and chemical reactivity of the molecular complex. The natural bond orbital analysis (NBO) has been performed in order to study the intramolecular bonding interactions and delocalisation of electrons. These intra molecular charge transfer may induce biological activities such as antimicrobials, antiinflammatory, antifungal etc. The complete vibrational assignments of THS have been performed by using FT-IR and FT-Raman spectra.

  16. Selective removal of heavy metal ions by disulfide linked polymer networks

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Ko, Dongah; Sung Lee, Joo; Patel, Hasmukh A.

    2017-01-01

    Heavy metal contaminated surface water is one of the oldest pollution problems, which is critical to ecosystems and human health. We devised disulfide linked polymer networks and employed as a sorbent for removing heavy metal ions from contaminated water. Although the polymer network material has...... a moderate surface area, it demonstrated cadmium removal efficiency equivalent to highly porous activated carbon while it showed 16 times faster sorption kinetics compared to activated carbon, owing to the high affinity of cadmium towards disulfide and thiol functionality in the polymer network. The metal...... sorption mechanism on polymer network was studied by sorption kinetics, effect of pH, and metal complexation. We observed that the metal ions―copper, cadmium, and zinc showed high binding affinity in polymer network, even in the presence of competing cations like calcium in water....

  17. Redox and pH Responsive Poly (Amidoamine Dendrimer-Heparin Conjugates via Disulfide Linkages for Letrozole Delivery

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Thanh Luan Nguyen

    2017-01-01

    Full Text Available Heparin (Hep conjugated to poly (amidoamine dendrimer G3.5 (P via redox-sensitive disulfide bond (P-SS-Hep was studied. The redox and pH dual-responsive nanocarriers were prepared by a simple method that minimized many complex steps as previous studies. The functional characterization of G3.5 coated Hep was investigated by the proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The size and formation were characterized by the dynamic light scattering, zeta potential, and transmission electron microscopy. P-SS-Hep was spherical in shape with average diameter about 11 nm loaded with more than 20% letrozole. This drug carrier could not only eliminate toxicity to cells and improve the drugs solubility but also increase biocompatibility of the system under reductive environment of glutathione. In particular, P-SS-Hep could enhance the effectiveness of cancer therapy after removing Hep from the surface. These results demonstrated that the P-SS-Hep conjugates could be a promising candidate as redox and pH responsive nanocarriers for cancer chemotherapy.

  18. On combinatorial properties of elementary intramolecular operations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vladimir Rogojin

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Here we tackle a problem from biology in terms of discrete mathematics. We are interested in a complex DNA manipulation process happening in eukaryotic organisms of a subclass of ciliate species called {\\it Stichotrichia} during so-called gene assembly. This process is in particular interesting since one can interpret gene assembly in ciliates as sorting of permutations. We survey here results related to studies on sorting permutations with some specific rewriting rules that formalize elementary intramolecular gene assembly operations. The research question is ``what permutation may be sorted with our operations?"

  19. Disulfide-mediated stabilization of the IκB kinase binding domain of NF-κB essential modulator (NEMO).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zhou, Li; Yeo, Alan T; Ballarano, Carmine; Weber, Urs; Allen, Karen N; Gilmore, Thomas D; Whitty, Adrian

    2014-12-23

    Human NEMO (NF-κB essential modulator) is a 419 residue scaffolding protein that, together with catalytic subunits IKKα and IKKβ, forms the IκB kinase (IKK) complex, a key regulator of NF-κB pathway signaling. NEMO is an elongated homodimer comprising mostly α-helix. It has been shown that a NEMO fragment spanning residues 44-111, which contains the IKKα/β binding site, is structurally disordered in the absence of bound IKKβ. Herein we show that enforcing dimerization of NEMO1-120 or NEMO44-111 constructs through introduction of one or two interchain disulfide bonds, through oxidation of the native Cys54 residue and/or at position 107 through a Leu107Cys mutation, induces a stable α-helical coiled-coil structure that is preorganized to bind IKKβ with high affinity. Chemical and thermal denaturation studies showed that, in the context of a covalent dimer, the ordered structure was stabilized relative to the denatured state by up to 3 kcal/mol. A full-length NEMO-L107C protein formed covalent dimers upon treatment of mammalian cells with H2O2. Furthermore, NEMO-L107C bound endogenous IKKβ in A293T cells, reconstituted TNF-induced NF-κB signaling in NEMO-deficient cells, and interacted with TRAF6. Our results indicate that the IKKβ binding domain of NEMO possesses an ordered structure in the unbound state, provided that it is constrained within a dimer as is the case in the constitutively dimeric full-length NEMO protein. The stability of the NEMO coiled coil is maintained by strong interhelix interactions in the region centered on residue 54. The disulfide-linked constructs we describe herein may be useful for crystallization of NEMO's IKKβ binding domain in the absence of bound IKKβ, thereby facilitating the structural characterization of small-molecule inhibitors.

  20. Intramolecular Diels-Alder reactions of pyrimidines, a synthetic and computational study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Stolle, W.A.W.

    1992-01-01

    This thesis deals with an investigation on the ringtransformation reactions of 2and 5-(ω-alkynyl)pyrimidine derivatives, which undergo upon heating an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction and subsequently a spontaneous retro Diels- Alder reaction. To get a better insight into the