Does nuclear proliferation in Asia threaten the future of the NPT?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vandier, Pierre

2005-01-01

Asia is a region which presents all kinds of situation with respect to nuclear proliferation: nuclear countries, proliferating countries, countries non members of the NPT, countries violating the NPT, pacifist countries, threshold countries, and so on. Through an assessment of nuclear proliferation in Asia, the author first outlines the weaknesses of the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT), and then discusses origins of tensions which may re-launch a nuclear arms race. In a third part, the author assesses the future of the Treaty within the arrangement for the struggle against nuclear proliferation as its has been strengthened in 2005

Modification of nanoelectrode ensembles by thiols and disulfides to prevent non specific adsorption of proteins

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Silvestrini, M. [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy); Schiavuta, P.; Scopece, P. [Associazione CIVEN, via delle Industrie 5, 30175 Marghera - Venice (Italy); Pecchielan, G.; Moretto, L.M. [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy); Ugo, P., E-mail: ugo@unive.it [Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, University Ca' Foscari of Venice, Santa Marta 2137, 30123 Venice (Italy)

2011-09-01

Highlights: > Complex nanostructures are built on the gold surface of ensembles of nanoelectrodes. > Gold surface of nanoelectrodes was functionalized with SAM of organic sulphurs. > The polycarbonate surrounding nanoelectrodes was functionalized with proteins. > SAMs protect the nanoelectrodes from undesired proteins adsorption. - Abstract: The possibility to functionalize selectively with thiols or disulfides the surface of the gold nanoelectrodes of polycarbonate templated nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) is studied. It is shown that the Au nanoelectrodes can be coated by a self assembled monolayer (SAM) of thioctic acid (TA) or 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic (MES) acid. The study of the electrochemical behavior of SAM-modified NEEs by cyclic voltammetry (CV) at different solution pH, using ferrocenecarboxylate as an anionic redox probe (FcCOO{sup -}) and (ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium (FA{sup +}) as a cationic redox probe, demonstrate that the SAM-modified nanoelectrodes are permselective, in that only cationic or neutral probes can access the SAM-coated nanoelectrode surface. CV, AFM and FTIR-ATR data indicate that proteins such as casein or bovine serum albumin, which are polyanionic at pH 7, adsorb on the surface of NEEs untreated with thiols, tending to block the electron transfer of the ferrocenyl redox probes. On the contrary, the pre-treatment of the NEE with an anionic SAM protects the nanoelectrodes from protein fouling, allowing the detection of well shaped voltammetric patterns for the redox probe. Experimental results indicate that, in the case of MES treated NEEs, the protein is bound only onto the polycarbonate surface which surrounds the nanoelectrodes, while the tips of the gold nanoelectrodes remain protein free.

Modification of nanoelectrode ensembles by thiols and disulfides to prevent non specific adsorption of proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silvestrini, M.; Schiavuta, P.; Scopece, P.; Pecchielan, G.; Moretto, L.M.; Ugo, P.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → Complex nanostructures are built on the gold surface of ensembles of nanoelectrodes. → Gold surface of nanoelectrodes was functionalized with SAM of organic sulphurs. → The polycarbonate surrounding nanoelectrodes was functionalized with proteins. → SAMs protect the nanoelectrodes from undesired proteins adsorption. - Abstract: The possibility to functionalize selectively with thiols or disulfides the surface of the gold nanoelectrodes of polycarbonate templated nanoelectrode ensembles (NEEs) is studied. It is shown that the Au nanoelectrodes can be coated by a self assembled monolayer (SAM) of thioctic acid (TA) or 2-mercaptoethanesulfonic (MES) acid. The study of the electrochemical behavior of SAM-modified NEEs by cyclic voltammetry (CV) at different solution pH, using ferrocenecarboxylate as an anionic redox probe (FcCOO - ) and (ferrocenylmethyl)trimethylammonium (FA + ) as a cationic redox probe, demonstrate that the SAM-modified nanoelectrodes are permselective, in that only cationic or neutral probes can access the SAM-coated nanoelectrode surface. CV, AFM and FTIR-ATR data indicate that proteins such as casein or bovine serum albumin, which are polyanionic at pH 7, adsorb on the surface of NEEs untreated with thiols, tending to block the electron transfer of the ferrocenyl redox probes. On the contrary, the pre-treatment of the NEE with an anionic SAM protects the nanoelectrodes from protein fouling, allowing the detection of well shaped voltammetric patterns for the redox probe. Experimental results indicate that, in the case of MES treated NEEs, the protein is bound only onto the polycarbonate surface which surrounds the nanoelectrodes, while the tips of the gold nanoelectrodes remain protein free.

Rethinking the NPT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilat, J.F.

1995-01-01

The Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), with over 160 parties, is the most widely adhered to arms control treaty in history, but it has been criticized throughout its existence. In 1995, it is confronting a fateful decision on its extension and its application to today's world. In many ways it it unfortunate that fundamental questions about the treaty and its role in the post-Cold War world are not being addressed. The environment in which the NPT emerged and flourished has changed fundamentally, including the collapse of one of the founding members, the USSR. Iraq, Iran, and North Korea weapon development programs have raised important questions about its effectiveness. Also, the NPT, with its discrimination between nuclear weapon states (NWSs) and nonnuclear weapon states (NNWSs), is now being questioned and alternatives such as a revival of the Baruch Plan are being put forward, moreover, the NPT has not been the chosen international policy path for dealing with chemical and biological weapons. The paper outlines the history of international policy on nuclear weapons and their proliferation from the 1940's to today. If the NPT does survive in 1995, can it be strengthened? The full range of issues on NPTs extension will be debated endlessly, but vigilance is necessary, the treaty will have to be tended over time or it will wither and die

The Non-Proliferation Treaty of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and the insertion of the Brazilian State in its regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Marcos Valle Machado da

2010-01-01

The issue of nuclear weapons continues to appear as a focal point of International Relations. The efforts and concrete actions on disarmament, non-proliferation, and nuclear arms control are still issues that generate recurring tensions between States. However, in Brazil, there is little analysis of an academic nature about these issues and, with respect to current and prospective position of the Brazilian State in the Nuclear Weapons Non- Proliferation Regime, studies and analysis are even more scarce, or incipient. The present dissertation has as its object of study to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the Regime arisen from NPT, and the Brazilian State insertion process in this Regime. Therefore our research work is structured in three areas: the first one is about the role of nuclear weapons in States security perception, the second is about NPT and its Regime, the third runs over the insertion of the Brazilian state in this regime. So, in summary, the research performed included the reasons that make a State to develop nuclear weapons, the NPT genesis and evolution of the perception of the meaning of that Treaty by the States, and the process and the degree of insertion of Brazil in the Nuclear Weapons Non- Proliferation Regime. The inquiry sought to place this object of study in the broader debate on Foreign Relations, based on the approaches of the discipline devoted to the question of managing the security of States, id est, the two approaches that constitute the mainstream of the discipline: the perspective theoretical liberal (and neoliberal variants) and realistic thinking (and neo-realist). Thus, we have used different theoretical lenses, which we think necessary for understanding the specific parts and causal connections between these parts of a complex issue. (author)

Conditions applying to Australian uranium exports - safeguards obligations under NPT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rotsey, W.B.

1975-08-01

The Australian Government's expressed desire to inhibit the spread of nuclear weapons and its wish to prevent Australia's uranium exports being used for manufacture of nuclear explosives are underwritten by Australia's formal international obligations. Australia is not free to export its material without paying due regard to supra-national requirements. This paper defines two safeguards regimes, one applying to countries such as Australia which are party to the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), the other to those which are not parties. The application of safeguards and the role of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) are briefly explained. Australia's obligations under the NPT and those stemming from specific undertakings to the IAEA are stated. The latter require Australia to ensure that Non-Nuclear Weapons States not party to the NPT give assurances that Australian uranium will not be used for the manufacture of nuclear explosives and that they will permit verification by the IAEA. These obligations give rise to a set of minimum conditions applying to exports of Australian uranium which vary according to the NPT status of the importing countries. (author)

Zinc toxicity on antioxidative response in (Zea mays L. at two different pH

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hosseini, Zahra

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Zn is the second most abundant transition metal after iron (Fe. Excess Zn can have negative effects on plants. The effect of Zn at two different pH on lipid peroxidation (MDA, membrane permeability (EC, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2,non-protein thiols (NPT and the activities of major antioxidant enzymes Zea mays were investigated under controlled growth conditions. Zn-excess conditions increased the EC, MDA, H2O2 content and non-protein thiols and also activities of antioxidant enzymes were increased. Also zinc toxicity was higher in 4.5 pH than 7.5 pH.

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...

Peptidoglycan recognition proteins kill bacteria by inducing oxidative, thiol, and metal stress.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Des Raj Kashyap

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Mammalian Peptidoglycan Recognition Proteins (PGRPs are a family of evolutionary conserved bactericidal innate immunity proteins, but the mechanism through which they kill bacteria is unclear. We previously proposed that PGRPs are bactericidal due to induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS, a mechanism of killing that was also postulated, and later refuted, for several bactericidal antibiotics. Here, using whole genome expression arrays, qRT-PCR, and biochemical tests we show that in both Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis PGRPs induce a transcriptomic signature characteristic of oxidative stress, as well as correlated biochemical changes. However, induction of ROS was required, but not sufficient for PGRP killing. PGRPs also induced depletion of intracellular thiols and increased cytosolic concentrations of zinc and copper, as evidenced by transcriptome changes and supported by direct measurements. Depletion of thiols and elevated concentrations of metals were also required, but by themselves not sufficient, for bacterial killing. Chemical treatment studies demonstrated that efficient bacterial killing can be recapitulated only by the simultaneous addition of agents leading to production of ROS, depletion of thiols, and elevation of intracellular metal concentrations. These results identify a novel mechanism of bacterial killing by innate immunity proteins, which depends on synergistic effect of oxidative, thiol, and metal stress and differs from bacterial killing by antibiotics. These results offer potential targets for developing new antibacterial agents that would kill antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

NPT: the issues facing the Geneva PrepCom

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hautecouverture, Benjamin

2013-04-01

The second session of the Preparatory Committee (PrepCom) for the 2015 Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) will meet from 22 April-3 May 2013 in Geneva, and will be chaired by Ambassador Cornel Feruta of Romania. Three years on from the adoption by consensus at the end of the 8. NPT Review Conference in New York of an Action Plan on non-proliferation, disarmament, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy - the three pillars of the NPT - as well as the Middle East, this session provides the opportunity both to take stock of the commitments undertaken in 2010 and to prepare the ground for the 2015 meeting. It is first worth noting that the beginning of the 9. five-year NPT review cycle in Vienna last year was marked by tangible optimism and revealed a constructive mindset on the part of the 110 delegations present. This was largely to be expected as a result of the success of the 2010 Review Conference. The two final PrepComs of 2010 cycle (Geneva in 2008 and New York in 2009) were also deemed a success by the delegations present, characterised by the rich and constructive nature of the discussion. Overall, the tension that marred the 2005 cycle has eased over the last few years. Yet, this positive development is sadly insufficient to ensure that the Treaty remains topical. Regarding the commitments undertaken in 2010 under the Action Plan, it is well known that it was impossible for the States concerned to come together in 2012 at a conference on establishment of a weapon-of-mass-destruction-free zone (WMDFZ) in the Middle East (chapter 4, 'The Middle East, particularly implementation of the 1995 Resolution on the Middle East'). Nevertheless, in accordance with the Action Plan, H.E. Mr Jaakko Laajava was appointed as the facilitator, Finland was named as the host country, and a rigorous consultative process is underway. Moreover, the EU has maintained its commitment to support this process by

Quantification of protein thiols and dithiols in the picomolar range using sodium borohydride and 4,4'-dithiodipyridine

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Rosa E; Østergaard, Henrik; Nørgaard, Per

2007-01-01

Experimental determination of the number of thiols in a protein requires methodology that combines high sensitivity and reproducibility with low intrinsic thiol oxidation disposition. In detection of disulfide bonds, it is also necessary to efficiently reduce disulfides and to quantify...... the liberated thiols. Ellman's reagent (5,5'-dithiobis-[2-nitrobenzoic acid], DTNB) is the most widely used reagent for quantification of protein thiols, whereas dithiothreitol (DTT) is commonly used for disulfide reduction. DTNB suffers from a relatively low sensitivity, whereas DTT reduction is inconvenient...... sodium borohydride and the thiol reagent 4,4'-dithiodipyridine (4-DPS). Because borohydride is efficiently destroyed by the addition of acid, the complete reduction and quantification can be performed conveniently in one tube without desalting steps. Furthermore, the use of reverse-phase high...

Oxidative stress and pathology in muscular dystrophies: focus on protein thiol oxidation and dysferlinopathies.

Science.gov (United States)

Terrill, Jessica R; Radley-Crabb, Hannah G; Iwasaki, Tomohito; Lemckert, Frances A; Arthur, Peter G; Grounds, Miranda D

2013-09-01

The muscular dystrophies comprise more than 30 clinical disorders that are characterized by progressive skeletal muscle wasting and degeneration. Although the genetic basis for many of these disorders has been identified, the exact mechanism for pathogenesis generally remains unknown. It is considered that disturbed levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the pathology of many muscular dystrophies. Reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress may cause cellular damage by directly and irreversibly damaging macromolecules such as proteins, membrane lipids and DNA; another major cellular consequence of reactive oxygen species is the reversible modification of protein thiol side chains that may affect many aspects of molecular function. Irreversible oxidative damage of protein and lipids has been widely studied in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, and we have recently identified increased protein thiol oxidation in dystrophic muscles of the mdx mouse model for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. This review evaluates the role of elevated oxidative stress in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and other forms of muscular dystrophies, and presents new data that show significantly increased protein thiol oxidation and high levels of lipofuscin (a measure of cumulative oxidative damage) in dysferlin-deficient muscles of A/J mice at various ages. The significance of this elevated oxidative stress and high levels of reversible thiol oxidation, but minimal myofibre necrosis, is discussed in the context of the disease mechanism for dysferlinopathies, and compared with the situation for dystrophin-deficient mdx mice. © 2013 The Authors Journal compilation © 2013 FEBS.

Thiols in the alphaIIbbeta3 integrin are necessary for platelet aggregation.

Science.gov (United States)

Manickam, Nagaraj; Sun, Xiuhua; Hakala, Kevin W; Weintraub, Susan T; Essex, David W

2008-07-01

Sulfhydryl groups of platelet surface proteins are important in platelet aggregation. While p-chloromercuribenzene sulphonate (pCMBS) has been used in most studies on platelet surface thiols, the specific thiol-proteins that pCMBS reacts with to inhibit aggregation have not been well defined. Since the thiol-containing P2Y(12) ADP receptor is involved in most types of platelet aggregation, we used the ADP scavenger apyrase and the P2Y(12) receptor antagonist 2-MeSAMP to examine thiol-dependent reactions in the absence of contributions from this receptor. We provide evidence for a non-P2Y(12) thiol-dependent reaction near the final alphaIIbbeta3-dependent events of aggregation. We then used 3-(N-maleimidylpropionyl)biocytin (MPB) and pCMBS to study thiols in alphaIIbbeta3. As previously reported, disruption of the receptor was required to obtain labelling of thiols with MPB. Specificity of labelling for thiols in the alphaIIb and beta3 subunits was confirmed by identification of the purified proteins by mass spectrometry and by inhibition of labelling with 5,5'-dithiobis-(2-nitrobenzoic acid). In contrast to MPB, pCMBS preferentially reacted with thiols in alphaIIbbeta3 and blocked aggregation under physiological conditions. Similarly, pCMBS preferentially inhibited signalling-independent activation of alphaIIbbeta3 by Mn(2+). Our results suggest that the thiols in alphaIIbbeta3 that are blocked by pCMBS are important in the activation of this integrin.

The NPT and the Middle East

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Freier, S.

1987-01-01

Written by an Israeli, this article looks at the nuclear proliferation risks in the Middle Eastern area. It firsts sets the Middle Eastern political scene, then discusses the Non-Proliferation Treaty as perceived in Israel. The nuclear capabilities and intentions of the Middle Eastern Countries are examined and an assessment made of the prospects for non-proliferation. The author is not optimistic as it is felt that Iraq, Iran and possibly Egypt will all want to develop a nuclear weapon capability in spite of their formal commitment to the NPT. (U.K.)

Differential Labeling of Free and Disulfide-Bound Thiol Functions in Proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Seiwert, B.; Hayen, H.; Karst, U.

2008-01-01

A method for the simultaneous determination of the number of free cysteine groups and disulfide-bound cysteine groups in proteins has been developed based on the sequential labeling of free and bound thiol functionalities with two ferrocene-based maleimide reagents. Liquid

IAEA technical co-operation and the NPT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Velez Ocon, C.

1985-01-01

The IAEA technical co-operation programme promotes nuclear techniques and technologies in the developing countries. The Statute, the NPT, and the Revised Guiding Principles all reflect the desire of countries to foster an international climate where it will be unacceptable for a non-nuclear-weapon State to indulge in the development of military nuclear technology and reprehensible for States possessing this technology to offer it to others

Canonical and Noncanonical Sites Determine NPT2A Binding Selectivity to NHERF1 PDZ1.

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Tatyana Mamonova

Full Text Available Na+/H+ Exchanger Regulatory Factor-1 (NHERF1 is a scaffolding protein containing 2 PDZ domains that coordinates the assembly and trafficking of transmembrane receptors and ion channels. Most target proteins harboring a C-terminus recognition motif bind more-or-less equivalently to the either PDZ domain, which contain identical core-binding motifs. However some substrates such as the type II sodium-dependent phosphate co-transporter (NPT2A, uniquely bind only one PDZ domain. We sought to define the structural determinants responsible for the specificity of interaction between NHERF1 PDZ domains and NPT2A. By performing all-atom/explicit-solvent molecular dynamics (MD simulations in combination with biological mutagenesis, fluorescent polarization (FP binding assays, and isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC, we found that in addition to canonical interactions of residues at 0 and -2 positions, Arg at the -1 position of NPT2A plays a critical role in association with Glu43 and His27 of PDZ1 that are absent in PDZ2. Experimentally introduced mutation in PDZ1 (Glu43Asp and His27Asn decreased binding to NPT2A. Conversely, introduction of Asp183Glu and Asn167His mutations in PDZ2 promoted the formation of favorable interactions yielding micromolar KDs. The results describe novel determinants within both the PDZ domain and outside the canonical PDZ-recognition motif that are responsible for discrimination of NPT2A between two PDZ domains. The results challenge general paradigms for PDZ recognition and suggest new targets for drug development.

Thioredoxin Selectivity for Thiol-based Redox Regulation of Target Proteins in Chloroplasts*

Science.gov (United States)

Yoshida, Keisuke; Hara, Satoshi; Hisabori, Toru

2015-01-01

Redox regulation based on the thioredoxin (Trx) system is believed to ensure light-responsive control of various functions in chloroplasts. Five Trx subtypes have been reported to reside in chloroplasts, but their functional diversity in the redox regulation of Trx target proteins remains poorly clarified. To directly address this issue, we studied the Trx-dependent redox shifts of several chloroplast thiol-modulated enzymes in vitro and in vivo. In vitro assays using a series of Arabidopsis recombinant proteins provided new insights into Trx selectivity for the redox regulation as well as the underpinning for previous suggestions. Most notably, by combining the discrimination of thiol status with mass spectrometry and activity measurement, we identified an uncharacterized aspect of the reductive activation of NADP-malate dehydrogenase; two redox-active Cys pairs harbored in this enzyme were reduced via distinct utilization of Trxs even within a single polypeptide. In our in vitro assays, Trx-f was effective in reducing all thiol-modulated enzymes analyzed here. We then investigated the in vivo physiological relevance of these in vitro findings, using Arabidopsis wild-type and Trx-f-deficient plants. Photoreduction of fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase was partially impaired in Trx-f-deficient plants, but the global impact of Trx-f deficiency on the redox behaviors of thiol-modulated enzymes was not as striking as expected from the in vitro data. Our results provide support for the in vivo functionality of the Trx system and also highlight the complexity and plasticity of the chloroplast redox network. PMID:25878252

Total Thiols: Biomedical Importance And Their Alteration In Various Disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mungli Prakash

2009-09-01

Full Text Available Thiols are the organic compounds that contain a sulphydryl group. Among all the antioxidants that are available in the body, thiols constitute the major portion of the total body antioxidants and they play a significant role in defense against reactive oxygen species. Total thiols composed of both intracellular and extracellular thiols either in the free form as oxidized or reduced glutathione, or thiols bound to proteins. Among the thiols that are bound to proteins, albumin makes the major portion of the protein bound thiols, which binds to sufhydryl group at its cysteine-34 portion. Apart from their role in defense against free radicals, thiols share significant role in detoxification, signal transduction, apoptosis and various other functions at molecular level. The thiol status in the body can be assessed easily by determining the serum levels of thiols. Decreased levels of thiols has been noted in various medical disorders including chronic renal failure and other disorders related to kidney, cardiovascular disorders, stroke and other neurological disorders, diabetes mellitus, alcoholic cirrhosis and various other disorders. Therapy using thiols has been under investigation for certain disorders.

What next for the NPT? Facing the moment of truth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Timerbaev, Roland

2005-01-01

For over 30 years, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) has been the center and foundation of an interlocking network of agreements, organizations and international arrangements. They were designed to slow down, if not effectively bring to an end, the further spread of nuclear weapons. The regime was intended to include all the nations of the world - those that had nuclear weapons and those that might wish to acquire them in future. Though this goal has never been fully achieved, the NPT, over the years, has been a reasonable success. If there had been no NPT, the total number of nuclear-weapon States (NWS) might have reached 30 or 40 by now. But today we have only eight, with one or two still trying to reach nuclear-weapon status. Since the conclusion of the NPT many more countries have given up nuclear weapon programs than have started them. There are fewer nuclear weapons in the world and fewer States with nuclear weapons programs than there were twenty or thirty years ago. This unquestionable success could never have been achieved without long-term cooperation among many States, and primarily between the United States and the Russian Federation. Since then, the international treaty regime has been consistently improved, updated and extended. To name only a few additional non-proliferation measures, one should mention the IAEA comprehensive system of safeguards (INFCIRC/153); the Zangger Committee; the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG); the Tlatelolco, Rarotonga, Bangkok and Pelindaba Treaties establishing nuclear-weapon-free zones in their respective regions of the world; the Brazil-Argentine Agency for Accounting and Control of Nuclear Materials (ABACC); and the IAEA additional protocol to comprehensive safeguards agreements of 1997 (INFCIRC/540). Among the most recent additions to the regime are the global partnership against the spread of weapons and materials of mass destruction agreed among the G-8 nations in 2002; the US-led Proliferation Security

The significance of the NPT extension

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amano, Yukiya

1996-01-01

The Non-proliferation Treaty Review and Extension Conference, held in New York in April 1995, decided by consensus to extend the NPT indefinitely. It also adopted by consensus the documents entitled 'principles and Objectives' and ' The Strengthening of the Review process'. Many governments and individuals have already expressed a wide range of views on this subject. The following observations are added to theirs in the belief that the consideration of this important and complex issue can benefit from the different insights and nuances that those concerned can bring to it

The NPT regime: Progress and promises

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dhanapala, Jayantha

2001-01-01

Full text: Thesis. The 'NPT regime' has arrived at a fateful crossroads. Though extended indefinitely in 1995, its future is my no means secure. The future 'progress' of this treaty will depend upon whether the 'promises' of its States parties are fully implemented and, eventually, upon the treaty's success in achieving fully universal membership. Challenges The treaty faces many short-term and longer-term challenges: Short term - The first Preparatory Committee meeting for the 2005 Review Conference will meet next year. NNWS will want to see some evidence of progress on nuclear disarmament (Art. VI), along the lines prescribed in the 13 'practical steps' agreed at the last Review Conference. Yet progress has been set back by: uncertainties over the future of the ABM Treaty; the failure of START II and the CTBT to enter into force; the lack of a FISMAT treaty and a treaty establishing a NWFZ in Central Asia; continued qualitative improvements in nuclear weapons; hints that nuclear testing may one day resume; the persistence of doctrines of first-use, pre-emptive use, and use against states that use CBW. Other compliance-related questions will arise over safeguards (e.g. the inability of the IAEA to conduct inspections in the DPRK; signs of a breakdown of the norm of full-scope IAEA safeguards, e.g. in South Asia). There are also concerns over the implementation of non-proliferation commitments (e.g. persisting allegations about nuclear weapon programmes in existing NNWS). The terrorist attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. on 11 September should also serve as a reminder of the new terrorist dangers relating to the possible use of weapons of mass destruction and unorthodox delivery systems. Longer term - Selectivity in the enforcement of NPT norms; unilateralism; IAEA funding uncertainties and shortfalls; difficulties in reaching universal membership (India, Pakistan, and Israel); continuing compliance problems with respect to both non-proliferation and

The First MS-Cleavable, Photo-Thiol-Reactive Cross-Linker for Protein Structural Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Iacobucci, Claudio; Piotrowski, Christine; Rehkamp, Anne; Ihling, Christian H.; Sinz, Andrea

2018-04-01

Cleavable cross-linkers are gaining increasing importance for chemical cross-linking/mass spectrometry (MS) as they permit a reliable and automated data analysis in structural studies of proteins and protein assemblies. Here, we introduce 1,3-diallylurea (DAU) as the first CID-MS/MS-cleavable, photo-thiol-reactive cross-linker. DAU is a commercially available, inexpensive reagent that efficiently undergoes an anti-Markovnikov hydrothiolation with cysteine residues in the presence of a radical initiator upon UV-A irradiation. Radical cysteine cross-linking proceeds via an orthogonal "click reaction" and yields stable alkyl sulfide products. DAU reacts at physiological pH and cross-linking reactions with peptides, and proteins can be performed at temperatures as low as 4 °C. The central urea bond is efficiently cleaved upon collisional activation during tandem MS experiments generating characteristic product ions. This improves the reliability of automated cross-link identification. Different radical initiators have been screened for the cross-linking reaction of DAU using the thiol-containing compounds cysteine and glutathione. Our concept has also been exemplified for the biologically relevant proteins bMunc13-2 and retinal guanylyl cyclase-activating protein-2. [Figure not available: see fulltext.

NPT, export controls and nuclear trade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pande, Savita

1997-01-01

Nuclear trade has by and large remained unhampered vis-a-vis both the NPT as well as export control regulations. The NPT rules are regarded as insufficient, the guidelines appear to contravene the spirit of cooperation in trade and development between suppliers and recipients and there is no agreement among leading suppliers themselves on what constitutes the proper conduct of trade. Export control regimes are more or less too informal to be able to be implemented. The supplier states have to invariably depend on national legislations which again vary from country to country. The only common formal basis on which action can be taken is, therefore, the NPT, its loopholes notwithstanding. The idea of transparency, and supplier-recipient dialogue continues to be a myth and will continue to be so long as these regimes remain discriminatory, so long as some nations are more powerful than others by virtue of retaining nuclear weapons and superiority in nuclear technology and trade

Hypochlorite-induced oxidation of thiols

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Davies, Michael Jonathan; Hawkins, C L

2000-01-01

-molecular-weight thiols such as reduced glutathione (GSH), and sulfur-containing amino acids in proteins, are major targets for HOCl. Radicals have not generally been implicated as intermediates in thiol oxidation by HOCl, though there is considerable literature evidence for the involvement of radicals in the metal ion......-, thermal- or UV light-catalysed decomposition of sulfenyl or sulfonyl chlorides which are postulated intermediates in thiol oxidation. In this study we show that thiyl radicals are generated on reaction of a number of low-molecular-weight thiols with HOCl. With sub-stoichiometric amounts of HOCl, relative...... to the thiol, thiyl radicals are the major species detected by EPR spin trapping. When the HOCl is present in excess over the thiol, additional radicals are detected with compounds which contain amine functions; these additional radicals are assigned to nitrogen-centered species. Evidence is presented...

Peaceful use agenda at the 2015 NPT review conference. Reaffirming grand bargain and north-south agenda

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akiyama, Nobumasa

2016-01-01

The 2015 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference was judged as having two highlights: one was that the conflict between the United States and Middle East on the 'Middle East zone free of nuclear weapons and all other weapons of mass destruction' brought about a failure in the adoption of the final document, and the other was that the discussions over nuclear disarmament livened up in the climax of debate over the inhumanity of nuclear arms. On the other hand, among the first NPT Review Conference after the Fukushima nuclear accident, the peaceful uses of nuclear energy did not attract a great attention. However, the importance of the structure of Grand Bargain' among the three pillars of NPT such as nuclear disarmament, nuclear non-proliferation, and peaceful uses of nuclear energy was once again recognized. In addition, it was shown that the peaceful uses in the non-power generation field is important from the viewpoint of maintaining the involvement in NPT of the countries that do not necessarily use a large-scale of nuclear energy, such as developing countries. In the future, the importance of the peaceful uses of nuclear energy will increase from the viewpoints of its relationship between the development field and the equality between the developing and developed countries. (A.O.)

N-Acetylcysteine treatment of dystrophic mdx mice results in protein thiol modifications and inhibition of exercise induced myofibre necrosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Terrill, Jessica R; Radley-Crabb, Hannah G; Grounds, Miranda D; Arthur, Peter G

2012-05-01

Oxidative stress is implicated as a factor that increases necrosis of skeletal muscles in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and the dystrophic mdx mouse. Consequently, drugs that minimize oxidative stress are potential treatments for muscular dystrophy. This study examined the in vivo benefits to mdx mice of an antioxidant treatment with the cysteine precursor N-acetylcysteine (NAC), administered in drinking water. NAC was completely effective in preventing treadmill exercise-induced myofibre necrosis (assessed histologically) and the increased blood creatine kinase levels (a measure of sarcolemma leakiness) following exercise were significantly lower in the NAC treated mice. While NAC had no effect on malondialdehyde level or protein carbonylation (two indicators of irreversible oxidative damage), treatment with NAC for one week significantly decreased the oxidation of glutathione and protein thiols, and enhanced muscle protein thiol content. These data provide in vivo evidence for protective benefits of NAC treatment on dystropathology, potentially via protein thiol modifications. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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...

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

Thiol oxidation of hemolymph proteins in oysters Crassostrea brasiliana as markers of oxidative damage induced by urban sewage exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Trevisan, Rafael; Flores-Nunes, Fabrício; Dolores, Euler S; Mattos, Jacó J; Piazza, Clei E; Sasaki, Sílvio T; Taniguchi, Satie; Montone, Rosalinda C; Bícego, Márcia C; Dos Reis, Isis M M; Zacchi, Flávia L; Othero, Bárbara N M; Bastolla, Camila L V; Mello, Danielle F; Fraga, Ana Paula M; Wendt, Nestor; Toledo-Silva, Guilherme; Razzera, Guilherme; Dafre, Alcir L; de Melo, Cláudio M R; Bianchini, Adalto; Marques, Maria R F; Bainy, Afonso C D

2017-07-01

Urban sewage is a concerning issue worldwide, threatening both wildlife and human health. The present study investigated protein oxidation in mangrove oysters (Crassostrea brasiliana) exposed to seawater from Balneário Camboriú, an important tourist destination in Brazil that is affected by urban sewage. Oysters were exposed for 24 h to seawater collected close to the Camboriú River (CAM1) or 1 km away (CAM2). Seawater from an aquaculture laboratory was used as a reference. Local sewage input was marked by higher levels of coliforms, nitrogen, and phosphorus in seawater, as well as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), linear alkylbenzenes (LABs), and fecal steroid in sediments at CAM1. Exposure of oysters to CAM1 caused marked bioaccumulation of LABs and decreased PAH and PCB concentrations after exposure to both CAM1 and CAM2. Protein thiol oxidation in gills, digestive gland, and hemolymph was evaluated. Lower levels of reduced protein thiols were detected in hemolymph from CAM1, and actin, segon, and dominin were identified as targets of protein thiol oxidation. Dominin susceptibility to oxidation was confirmed in vitro by exposure to peroxides and hypochlorous acid, and 2 cysteine residues were identified as potential sites of oxidation. Overall, these data indicate that urban sewage contamination in local waters has a toxic potential and that protein thiol oxidation in hemolymph could be a useful biomarker of oxidative stress in bivalves exposed to contaminants. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1833-1845. © 2016 SETAC. © 2016 SETAC.

Quantification of protein-derived thiols during atmosphere-controlled brewing in laboratory scale

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murmann, Anne Nordmark; Andersen, Preben; Mauch, Alexander

2016-01-01

. Fermentation caused an increase in free thiols, and the balance between free and total thiols was shifted toward a higher degree of free thiols. This was explained by either a reducing effect of fermentation or secretion of thiol-containing compounds from yeast. The efficiency of sulfite to reduce reversibly...... was more pronounced at longer incubation times. However, the reduction of the pool of oxidized thiols by sulfite was inefficient for sulfite concentrations typically found in beer, and the reaction was found to be relatively slow compared with reduction by tris(carboxyethyl)phosphine....

Protein and non-protein sulfhydryls and disulfides in gastric mucosa and liver after gastrotoxic chemicals and sucralfate: possible new targets of pharmacologic agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagy, Lajos; Nagata, Miki; Szabo, Sandor

2007-04-14

To investigate the role of major non-protein and protein sulfhydryls and disulfides in chemically induced gastric hemorrhagic mucosal lesions (HML) and the mechanism of gastroprotective effect of sucralfate. Rats were given 1 mL of 75% ethanol, 25% NaCl, 0.6 mol/L HCl, 0.2 mol/L NaOH or 1% ammonia solutions intragastrically (i.g.) and sacrificed 1, 3, 6 or 12 min later. Total (reduced and oxidized) glutathione (GSH + GSSG), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), protein free sulfhydryls (PSH), protein-glutathione mixed disulfides (PSSG) and protein cystine disulfides (PSSP) were measured in gastric mucosa and liver. Reduced glutathione (GSH) was depleted in the gastric mucosa after ethanol, HCl or NaCl exposure, while oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentrations increased, except by HCl and NaOH exposure. Decreased levels of PSH after exposure to ethanol were observed, NaCl or NaOH while the total protein disulfides were increased. Ratios of reduced to oxidized glutathione or sulfhydrils to disulfides were decreased by all chemicals. No changes in thiol homeostasis were detected in the liver after i.g. abbreviation should be spelled out the first time here administration of ethanol. Sucralfate increased the concentrations of GSH and PSH and prevented the ethanol-induced changes in gastric mucosal thiol concentrations. Our modified methods are now suitable for direct measurements of major protein and non-protein thiols/disulfides in the gastric mucosa or liver. A common element in the pathogenesis of chemically induced HML and in the mechanism of gastroprotective drugs seems to be the decreased ratios of reduced and oxidized glutathione as well as protein sulfhydryls and disulfides.

Weapons of mass destruction free zone in the Middle East: getting out of the NPT framework

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hautecouverture, Benjamin

2013-10-01

The 8. Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference (NPT, 2010) was marked by the resumption of diplomatic thinking on the objective of a 'weapons of mass destruction free zone' (WMDFZ) in the Middle east: a conference gathering the states of the region was planned to be held in 2012, it actually never took place. This setback is easily explained, it does not undermine the goal as such but it questions the NPT as a framework for action and progress. Any real progress on a project of WMDFZ requires a regional framework for dialogue. For now, this framework is lacking. (author)

Legitimacy, capability, effectiveness and the future of the NPT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Keeley, J.F.

1987-01-01

This chapter looks at the relationship between legitimacy and capability in conceptually and politically contestable regions. This issue was highlighted by India's nuclear test of May 1974 and the Osiraq raid of 1981. These illustrated the general problem of the threat to the coherence and legitimacy of the non-proliferation regime. This threat arose from the spread of nuclear technological capabilities. Two developments in the non-proliferation regime that have helped produce the more specific problems of that regime are discussed. These are the spread of nuclear technological capabilities and the development of complex co-operation networks. The prospects for the modification of the NPT in response to these challenges are considered finally. (U.K.)

Lack of Detection of Bt Sugarcane Cry1Ab and NptII DNA and Proteins in Sugarcane Processing Products Including Raw Sugar

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Adriana Cheavegatti-Gianotto

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Brazil is the largest sugarcane producer and the main sugar exporter in the world. The industrial processes applied by Brazilian mills are very efficient in producing highly purified sugar and ethanol. Literature presents evidence of lack of DNA/protein in these products, regardless of the nature of sugarcane used as raw material. Recently CTNBio, the Brazilian biosafety authority, has approved the first biotechnology-derived sugarcane variety for cultivation, event CTC175-A, which expresses the Cry1Ab protein to control the sugarcane borer (Diatraea saccharalis. The event also expresses neomycin-phosphotransferase type II (NptII protein used as selectable marker during the transformation process. Because of the high purity of sugar and ethanol produced from genetically modified sugarcane, these end-products should potentially be classified as “pure substances, chemically defined,” by Brazilian Biosafety Law No. 11.105. If this classification is to be adopted, these substances are not considered as “GMO derivatives” and fall out of the scope of Law No. 11.105. In order to assess sugar composition and quality, we evaluate Cry1Ab and NptII expression in several sugarcane tissues and in several fractions from laboratory-scale processing of event CTC175-A for the presence of these heterologous proteins as well as for the presence of traces of recombinant DNA. The results of these studies show that CTC175-A presents high expression of Cry1Ab in leaves and barely detectable expression of heterologous proteins in stalks. We also evaluated the presence of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase protein and DNA in the fractions of the industrial processing of conventional Brazilian sugarcane cultivars. Results from both laboratory and industrial processing were concordant, demonstrating that DNA and protein are not detected in the clarified juice and downstream processed fractions, including ethanol and raw sugar, indicating that protein

Adaptive aneuploidy protects against thiol peroxidase deficiency by increasing respiration via key mitochondrial proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaya, Alaattin; Gerashchenko, Maxim V; Seim, Inge; Labarre, Jean; Toledano, Michel B; Gladyshev, Vadim N

2015-08-25

Aerobic respiration is a fundamental energy-generating process; however, there is cost associated with living in an oxygen-rich environment, because partially reduced oxygen species can damage cellular components. Organisms evolved enzymes that alleviate this damage and protect the intracellular milieu, most notably thiol peroxidases, which are abundant and conserved enzymes that mediate hydrogen peroxide signaling and act as the first line of defense against oxidants in nearly all living organisms. Deletion of all eight thiol peroxidase genes in yeast (∆8 strain) is not lethal, but results in slow growth and a high mutation rate. Here we characterized mechanisms that allow yeast cells to survive under conditions of thiol peroxidase deficiency. Two independent ∆8 strains increased mitochondrial content, altered mitochondrial distribution, and became dependent on respiration for growth but they were not hypersensitive to H2O2. In addition, both strains independently acquired a second copy of chromosome XI and increased expression of genes encoded by it. Survival of ∆8 cells was dependent on mitochondrial cytochrome-c peroxidase (CCP1) and UTH1, present on chromosome XI. Coexpression of these genes in ∆8 cells led to the elimination of the extra copy of chromosome XI and improved cell growth, whereas deletion of either gene was lethal. Thus, thiol peroxidase deficiency requires dosage compensation of CCP1 and UTH1 via chromosome XI aneuploidy, wherein these proteins support hydroperoxide removal with the reducing equivalents generated by the electron transport chain. To our knowledge, this is the first evidence of adaptive aneuploidy counteracting oxidative stress.

Technical assistance and Article IV of the NPT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bittencourt, H.F.S.

1975-01-01

The main concepts expressed in article IV of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) can also be found in the Statute of the International Atomic Energy Agency. My predecessor, Mr. Upendra Goswami, wrote the following some years ago: ''Even today, after a lapse of 14 years, the IAEA often presents to the outside world the aspect of an organization in which the control activities loom large and the promotional activities appear as a bit of thin icing on a 'safeguards' cake. But a closer look at the organization today would convince the intelligent observer that whatever might have been the object of the founding fathers, the organization promotes peaceful uses no less vigorously than it controls proliferation of nuclear arms.'' Since the IAEA's technical assistance programme started in 1958 and the NPT only came into existence ten years later, it is quite clear that the IAEA already had considerable experience in promoting the peaceful uses of atomic energy. However, in my view, we should always keep in mind that the technical assistance programme derives primarily from the Statute of the IAEA through a liberal interpretation of the intentions of our founding fathers, and in fact emerges as the sum total of requests from developing Member States. Since its inception in 1958, the IAEA's technical assistance programme has undergone some changes in its orientation and it is to this matter that I would like to call attention. (author)

The Reducing Capacity of Thioredoxin on Oxidized Thiols in Boiled Wort

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murmann, Anne N.; Hägglund, Per; Svensson, Birte

2017-01-01

system was also capable of increasing the free thiol concentration, although with lower efficiency to 187 and 170 μM, respectively. The presence of sulfite, an important antioxidant in beer secreted by the yeast during fermentation, was found to inactivate thioredoxin by sulfitolysis. Reduction......Free thiol-containing proteins are suggested to work as antioxidants in beer, but the majority of thiols in wort are present in their oxidized form as disulfides and are therefore not active as antioxidants. Thioredoxin, a disulfide-reducing protein, is released into the wort from some yeast...... and fluorescence detection of thiol-derivatives. When boiled wort was incubated with all components of the thioredoxin system at pH 7.0 and 25 °C for 60 min under anaerobic conditions, the free thiol concentration increased from 25 to 224 μM. At pH values similar to wort (pH 5.7) and beer (pH 4.5), the thioredoxin...

Evaluation and Control of Thiol-ene/Thiol-epoxy Hybrid Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Carioscia, Jacquelyn A; Stansbury, Jeffrey W; Bowman, Christopher N

2007-03-08

The development of thiol-ene/thiol-epoxy hybrid networks offers the advantage of tailorable polymerization kinetics while producing a highly crosslinked, high T(g) polymer that has significantly reduced shrinkage stress. Stoichiometric mixtures of pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP)/triallyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trione (TATATO) (thiol-ene, mixture 1) and PETMP/bisphenol a diglycidyl ether (BADGE) (thiol-epoxy, mixture 2) were prepared and hybrid mixtures of 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, and 10/90 w/w of mixtures 1 and 2 were polymerized using a combination of both radical and anionic initiation. The light exposure timing and the relative initiation conditions of the two types were used to control the order and relative rates of the radical and anionic polymerizations. The 50/50 w/w thiol-ene/thiol-epoxy hybrid material exhibited a final stress of only 0.2 MPa, which is 90 % lower than the stress developed in a control dimethacrylate resin. Kinetic analysis indicates composition affects network development in thiol-ene/thiol-epoxy hybrid networks and produces materials with robust mechanical properties.

The NPT and the CTBT:an inextricable relationship

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Howlett, D.; Simpson, J.

1995-01-01

The international system of 1992 is vastly different to the cross-cutting East-West/North-South one which dominated the globe between 1945 and 1991. These developments represent and opportunity for the leading states in the West to re-assess security policies. Consideration of bold options on nuclear explosive testing prohibitions by the nuclear weapon states could produce important non-proliferation pay-offs. One option would be to negotiate by 1994 a time-limited CTBT of five years' initial duration, and make its extension in 1999 conditional on all relevant states acceding to it. Another would be to negotiate a CTBT, but make its implementation conditional upon all relevant states becoming parties simultaneous. Such options could persuade nuclear weapon states to halt their own nuclear explosive testing in the interest of nuclear non-proliferation, and thus improve the political climate for the NPT's extension in 1995. (author). 15 refs

Monte Carlo Molecular Simulation with Isobaric-Isothermal and Gibbs-NPT Ensembles

KAUST Repository

Du, Shouhong

2012-01-01

This thesis presents Monte Carlo methods for simulations of phase behaviors of Lennard-Jones fluids. The isobaric-isothermal (NPT) ensemble and Gibbs-NPT ensemble are introduced in detail. NPT ensemble is employed to determine the phase diagram of pure component. The reduced simulation results are verified by comparison with the equation of state by by Johnson et al. and results with L-J parameters of methane agree considerably with the experiment measurements. We adopt the blocking method for variance estimation and error analysis of the simulation results. The relationship between variance and number of Monte Carlo cycles, error propagation and Random Number Generator performance are also investigated. We review the Gibbs-NPT ensemble employed for phase equilibrium of binary mixture. The phase equilibrium is achieved by performing three types of trial move: particle displacement, volume rearrangement and particle transfer. The simulation models and the simulation details are introduced. The simulation results of phase coexistence for methane and ethane are reported with comparison of the experimental data. Good agreement is found for a wide range of pressures. The contribution of this thesis work lies in the study of the error analysis with respect to the Monte Carlo cycles and number of particles in some interesting aspects.

Monte Carlo Molecular Simulation with Isobaric-Isothermal and Gibbs-NPT Ensembles

KAUST Repository

Du, Shouhong

2012-05-01

This thesis presents Monte Carlo methods for simulations of phase behaviors of Lennard-Jones fluids. The isobaric-isothermal (NPT) ensemble and Gibbs-NPT ensemble are introduced in detail. NPT ensemble is employed to determine the phase diagram of pure component. The reduced simulation results are verified by comparison with the equation of state by by Johnson et al. and results with L-J parameters of methane agree considerably with the experiment measurements. We adopt the blocking method for variance estimation and error analysis of the simulation results. The relationship between variance and number of Monte Carlo cycles, error propagation and Random Number Generator performance are also investigated. We review the Gibbs-NPT ensemble employed for phase equilibrium of binary mixture. The phase equilibrium is achieved by performing three types of trial move: particle displacement, volume rearrangement and particle transfer. The simulation models and the simulation details are introduced. The simulation results of phase coexistence for methane and ethane are reported with comparison of the experimental data. Good agreement is found for a wide range of pressures. The contribution of this thesis work lies in the study of the error analysis with respect to the Monte Carlo cycles and number of particles in some interesting aspects.

Cloning of the nptII gene of Escherichia coli and construction of a recombinant strain harboring functional recA and nptII antibiotic resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanem, S

2011-01-01

In an attempt to clone the ORF of the nptII gene of Escherichia coli K12 (ATCC 10798), two degenerate primers were designed based on the nptII sequence of its Tn5 transposon. The nptII ORF was placed under the control of the E. coli hybrid trc promoter, in the pKK388-1 vector, transformed into E. coli DH5α ΔrecA (recombinant, deficient strain). Transferred cells were tested for ampicillin, tetracycline, kanamycin, neomycin, geneticin, paromomycin, penicillin, and UV resistance. The neomycin phosphotransferase gene of E. coli was cloned successfully and conferred kanamycin, neomycin, geneticin, and paromomycin resistance to recombinant DH5α; this did not inhibit insertion of additional antibiotic resistance against ampicillin and tetracycline, meaning the trc promoter can express two different genes carried by two different plasmids harbored in the same cell. This resistance conferral process could be considered as an emulation of horizontal gene transfer occurring in nature and would be a useful tool for understanding mechanisms of evolution of multidrug-resistant strains.

Protein and non-protein sulfhydryls and disulfides in gastric mucosa and liver after gastrotoxic chemicals and sucralfate: Possible new targets of pharmacologic agents

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Lajos Nagy; Miki Nagata; Sandor Szabo

2007-01-01

AIM: To investigate the role of major non-protein and protein sulfhydryls and disulfides in chemically induced gastric hemorrhagic mucosal lesions (HML) and the mechanism of gastroprotective effect of sucralfate.METHODS: Rats were given 1 mL of 75% ethanol, 25%NaCl, 0.6 mol/L HCI, 0.2 mol/L NaOH or 1% ammonia solutions intragastrically (i.g.) and sacrificed 1, 3, 6 or 12 min later. Total (reduced and oxidized) glutathione (GSH + GSSG), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), protein free sulfhydryls (PSH), protein-glutathione mixed disulfides (PSSG) and protein cystine disulfides (PSSP) were measured in gastric mucosa and liver.RESULTS: Reduced glutathione (GSH) was depleted in the gastric mucosa after ethanol, HCI or NaCl exposure,while oxidized glutathione (GSSG) concentrations increased, except by HCI and NaOH exposure. Decreased levels of PSH after exposure to ethanol were observed,NaCl or NaOH while the total protein disulfides were increased. Ratios of reduced to oxidized glutathione or sulfhydrils to disulfides were decreased by all chemicals.No changes in thiol homeostasis were detected in the liver after i.g. abbreviation should be spelled out the first time here administration of ethanol. Sucralfate increased the concentrations of GSH and PSH and prevented the ethanol-induced changes in gastric mucosal thiol concentrations.CONCLUSION: Our modified methods are now suitable for direct measurements of major protein and nonprotein thiols/disulfides in the gastric mucosa or liver.A common element in the pathogenesis of chemically induced HML and in the mechanism of gastroprotective drugs seems to be the decreased ratios of reduced and oxidized glutathione as well as protein sulfhydryls and disulfides.

Human Sodium Phosphate Transporter 4 (hNPT4/SLC17A3) as a Common Renal Secretory Pathway for Drugs and Urate*

Science.gov (United States)

Jutabha, Promsuk; Anzai, Naohiko; Kitamura, Kenichiro; Taniguchi, Atsuo; Kaneko, Shuji; Yan, Kunimasa; Yamada, Hideomi; Shimada, Hidetaka; Kimura, Toru; Katada, Tomohisa; Fukutomi, Toshiyuki; Tomita, Kimio; Urano, Wako; Yamanaka, Hisashi; Seki, George; Fujita, Toshiro; Moriyama, Yoshinori; Yamada, Akira; Uchida, Shunya; Wempe, Michael F.; Endou, Hitoshi; Sakurai, Hiroyuki

2010-01-01

The evolutionary loss of hepatic urate oxidase (uricase) has resulted in humans with elevated serum uric acid (urate). Uricase loss may have been beneficial to early primate survival. However, an elevated serum urate has predisposed man to hyperuricemia, a metabolic disturbance leading to gout, hypertension, and various cardiovascular diseases. Human serum urate levels are largely determined by urate reabsorption and secretion in the kidney. Renal urate reabsorption is controlled via two proximal tubular urate transporters: apical URAT1 (SLC22A12) and basolateral URATv1/GLUT9 (SLC2A9). In contrast, the molecular mechanism(s) for renal urate secretion remain unknown. In this report, we demonstrate that an orphan transporter hNPT4 (human sodium phosphate transporter 4; SLC17A3) was a multispecific organic anion efflux transporter expressed in the kidneys and liver. hNPT4 was localized at the apical side of renal tubules and functioned as a voltage-driven urate transporter. Furthermore, loop diuretics, such as furosemide and bumetanide, substantially interacted with hNPT4. Thus, this protein is likely to act as a common secretion route for both drugs and may play an important role in diuretics-induced hyperuricemia. The in vivo role of hNPT4 was suggested by two hyperuricemia patients with missense mutations in SLC17A3. These mutated versions of hNPT4 exhibited reduced urate efflux when they were expressed in Xenopus oocytes. Our findings will complete a model of urate secretion in the renal tubular cell, where intracellular urate taken up via OAT1 and/or OAT3 from the blood exits from the cell into the lumen via hNPT4. PMID:20810651

Selection of protease for increased solubilization of protein-derived thiols during mashing with limited release of free amino acids in beer

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Murmann, Anne Nordmark; Lunde, Christina; Lund, Marianne Nissen

2016-01-01

Extraction of protein-derived thiols by protease treatment during mashing for improvement of flavor stability in beer has previously been shown to cause concomitant increase in free amino acid concentrations and thereby increased levels of unwanted Maillard reaction products during aging. The pre......Extraction of protein-derived thiols by protease treatment during mashing for improvement of flavor stability in beer has previously been shown to cause concomitant increase in free amino acid concentrations and thereby increased levels of unwanted Maillard reaction products during aging...... of a protease with a higher temperature optimum dosed at only 3 mg of enzyme/kg of malt, it is possible to increase thiol concentrations in wort by 30% and with only a maximum 10% increase in amino acid concentration compared with a control. Pilot brewing showed that beer brewed with addition of protease...... stability during storage could not be evaluated. Overall, similar brewing and sensory characteristics were obtained compared with a control beer brewed without addition of protease. Foam stability was decreased by protease treatment, and formation of haze was reduced by protease treatment....

Improving NPT safeguards. Particularly at the natural uranium starting point

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harry, J.; Klerk, P. de

1996-03-01

According to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) all nuclear material is subject to safeguards, but according to INFCIRC/153 the full range of safeguards is only applied beyond the 'starting point of safeguards', that is: The point at which nuclear material has reached a composition and purity suitable for fuel fabrication or enrichment. This paper addresses the two questions: (a) is the starting point adequately defined, and (b) what mesures could be applied to nuclear material before the starting point? Those questions have been asked before, some of the answers in this paper are new. (orig.)

Improving NPT safeguards. Particularly at the natural uranium starting point

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harry, J. [Netherlands Energy Research Foundation (ECN), Petten (Netherlands); Klerk, P. de [Ministry of Foreign Affairs, The Hague (Netherlands)

1996-03-01

According to the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT) all nuclear material is subject to safeguards, but according to INFCIRC/153 the full range of safeguards is only applied beyond the `starting point of safeguards`, that is: The point at which nuclear material has reached a composition and purity suitable for fuel fabrication or enrichment. This paper addresses the two questions: (a) is the starting point adequately defined, and (b) what mesures could be applied to nuclear material before the starting point? Those questions have been asked before, some of the answers in this paper are new. (orig.).

The NPR, NPT and the prospects for disarmament

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pilat, Joseph F.

2010-01-01

In Prague's Hradcany Square on April 5, 2009, President Barack Obama offered a bold vision of the nuclear future that encompasses both reducing nuclear dangers and pursuing the goal of a world without nuclear weapons while maintaining, as long as nuclear weapons remain, a safe secure, and effective arsenal, to deter potential adversaries and to assure U.S. allies and other security partners that they can count on America's security commitments. The agenda put forward in Prague involves the full range of issues from deterrence to nonproliferation and disarmament. The 2010 Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) report, reflecting the twin objectives of the Prague speech, for the first time places the United States effort to lead expanded international efforts to rebuild and strengthen the global nuclear nonproliferation regime at the top the U.S. nuclear agenda. This attention underscores the fact that the top priority of the United States is to discourage additional states from acquiring nuclear weapon capabilities and to stop terrorist groups from acquiring weapon-usable nuclear materials. It also reinforced the view that positively influencing the 2010 Review Conference (RevCon) of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) was a key objective of the Obama Administration. The NPR developed both the vision and the policy, but details of implementation will need to be developed and better understood. This paper will address the Nuclear Posture Review and its implementation, as well as it's relation to, and impact on, the NPT RevCon and the long term prospects for nonproliferation and disarmament.

Evaluation and Control of Thiol-ene/Thiol-epoxy Hybrid Networks

OpenAIRE

Carioscia, Jacquelyn A.; Stansbury, Jeffrey W.; Bowman, Christopher N.

2007-01-01

The development of thiol-ene/thiol-epoxy hybrid networks offers the advantage of tailorable polymerization kinetics while producing a highly crosslinked, high Tg polymer that has significantly reduced shrinkage stress. Stoichiometric mixtures of pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP)/triallyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trione (TATATO) (thiol-ene, mixture 1) and PETMP/bisphenol a diglycidyl ether (BADGE) (thiol-epoxy, mixture 2) were prepared and hybrid mixtures of 75/25, 50/50, 25/75, ...

A new human NHERF1 mutation decreases renal phosphate transporter NPT2a expression by a PTH-independent mechanism.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marie Courbebaisse

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The sodium-hydrogen exchanger regulatory factor 1 (NHERF1 binds to the main renal phosphate transporter NPT2a and to the parathyroid hormone (PTH receptor. We have recently identified mutations in NHERF1 that decrease renal phosphate reabsorption by increasing PTH-induced cAMP production in the renal proximal tubule. METHODS: We compared relevant parameters of phosphate homeostasis in a patient with a previously undescribed mutation in NHERF1 and in control subjects. We expressed the mutant NHERF1 protein in Xenopus Oocytes and in cultured cells to study its effects on phosphate transport and PTH-induced cAMP production. RESULTS: We identified in a patient with inappropriate renal phosphate reabsorption a previously unidentified mutation (E68A located in the PDZ1 domain of NHERF1.We report the consequences of this mutation on NHERF1 function. E68A mutation did not modify cAMP production in the patient. PTH-induced cAMP synthesis and PKC activity were not altered by E68A mutation in renal cells in culture. In contrast to wild-type NHERF1, expression of the E68A mutant in Xenopus oocytes and in human cells failed to increase phosphate transport. Pull down experiments showed that E68A mutant did not interact with NPT2a, which robustly interacted with wild type NHERF1 and previously identified mutants. Biotinylation studies revealed that E68A mutant was unable to increase cell surface expression of NPT2a. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that the PDZ1 domain is critical for NHERF1-NPT2a interaction in humans and for the control of NPT2a expression at the plasma membrane. Thus we have identified a new mechanism of renal phosphate loss and shown that different mutations in NHERF1 can alter renal phosphate reabsorption via distinct mechanisms.

PAMAM templated N,Pt co-doped TiO2 for visible light photodegradation of brilliant black.

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Nzaba, Sarre Kadia Myra; Ntsendwana, Bulelwa; Mamba, Bhekie Brilliance; Kuvarega, Alex Tawanda

2018-05-01

This study examined the photocatalytic degradation of an azo dye brilliant black (BB) using non-metal/metal co-doped TiO 2 . N,Pt co-doped TiO 2 photocatalysts were prepared by a modified sol-gel method using amine-terminated polyamidoamine dendrimer generation 0 (PG0) as a template and source of nitrogen. Structural, morphological, and textural properties were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy coupled to energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDX), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), X-ray diffraction spectroscopy (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), Raman spectroscopy (RS), photoluminescence (PL) and ultra-violet/visible spectroscopy (UV-Vis). The synthesized photocatalysts exhibited lower band gap energies as compared to the Degussa P-25, revealing a red shift in band gap towards the visible light absorption region. Photocatalytic activity of N,Pt co-doped TiO 2 was measured by the reaction of photocatalytic degradation of BB dye. Enhanced photodegradation efficiency of BB was achieved after 180-min reaction time with an initial concentration of 50 ppm. This was attributed to the rod-like shape of the materials, larger surface area, and enhanced absorption of visible light induced by N,Pt co-doping. The N,Pt co-doped TiO 2 also exhibited pseudo-first-order kinetic behavior with half-life and rate constant of 0.37 and 0.01984 min -1 , respectively. The mechanism of the photodegradation of BB under the visible light irradiation was proposed. The obtained results prove that co-doping of TiO 2 with N and Pt contributed to the enhanced photocatalytic performances of TiO 2 for visible light-induced photodegradation of organic contaminants for environmental remediation. Therefore, this work provides a new approach to the synthesis of PAMAM templated N,Pt co-doped TiO 2 for visible light photodegradation of brilliant black.

Effect of thiol reactive reagents and ionizing radiation on the permeability of erythrocyte membrane for non-electrolyte spin labels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gwozdzinski, K.

1986-01-01

The paper presents some results on the effect of PCMB and NEM on the transport of non-electrolyte spin labels: TEMPO and TEMPOL across non-irradiated and irradiated porcine erythrocyte. Irradiated erythrocytes exhibited increased inhibitory effect of thiol reactive compounds in the TEMPO and TEMPOL transport compared to non-irradiated erythrocytes. (orig.)

Rapid photochemical surface patterning of proteins in thiol-ene based microfluidic devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lafleur, Josiane P.; Kwapiszewski, Radoslaw; Jensen, Thomas Glasdam

2012-01-01

” and “ene” monomers present in the microfluidic chip bulk material provides a simple and efficient way of tuning the chip’s surface chemistry. Here, thiol-ene chips displaying an excess of functional thiol groups at their surfaces are functionalized with biotin and streptavidin in a controlled fashion using...

Operation of trans-thylakoid thiol-metabolizing pathways in photosynthesis

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Mohamed eKaramoko

2013-11-01

Full Text Available Thiol oxidation to disulfides and the reverse reaction, i.e. disulfide reduction to free thiols, are under the control of catalysts in vivo. Enzymatically assisted thiol-disulfide chemistry is required for the biogenesis of all energy-transducing membrane systems. However, until recently, this had only been demonstrated for the bacterial plasma membrane. Long considered to be vacant, the thylakoid lumen has now moved to the forefront of photosynthesis research with the realization that its proteome is far more complicated than initially anticipated. Several lumenal proteins are known to be disulfide bonded in Arabidopsis, highlighting the importance of sulfhydryl oxidation in the thylakoid lumen. While disulfide reduction in the plastid stroma is known to activate several enzymatic activities, it appears that it is the reverse reaction, i.e. thiol oxidation that is required for the activity of several lumen-resident proteins. This paradigm for redox regulation in the thylakoid lumen has opened a new frontier for research in the field of photosynthesis. Of particular significance in this context is the discovery of trans-thylakoid redox pathways controlling disulfide bond formation and reduction, which are required for photosynthesis.

Dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis and effects of smoking on homeostasis parameters in patients with psoriasis.

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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.

The synthesis of novel hybrid thiol-functionalized nano-structured SBA-15

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hoang, Van Duc; Dang, Tuyet Phuong; Dinh, Quang Khieu; Vu, Anh Tuan; Nguyen, Huu Phu

2010-01-01

Mesoporous thiol-functionalized SBA-15 has been directly synthesized by co-condensation of tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) and 3-mercaptopropyltrimethoxysilane (MPTMS) with triblock copolymer P123 as-structure-directing agent under hydrothermal conditions. Surfactant removal was performed by Soxhlet ethanol extraction. These materials have been characterized by powder x-ray diffraction (XRD), nitrogen adsorption/desorption (BET model), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermal analysis, infrared spectroscopy (IR) and energy-dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDX). The main parameters, such as the initial molar ratio of MPTMS to TEOS, the time of adding MPTMS to synthesized gel and the Soxhlet ethanol extraction on the thiol functionalized SBA-15 with high thiol content and highly ordered hexagonal mesostructure, were investigated and evaluated. The adsorption capacity of the thiol-functionalized and non-functionalized SBA-15 materials for Pb 2+ ion from aqueous solution was tested. It was found that the Pb 2+ adsorption capacity of the thiol functionalized SBA-15 is three times higher than that of non-functionalized SBA-15

Kinetics and mechanisms of thiol-disulfide exchange covering direct substitution and thiol oxidation-mediated pathways.

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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.

A robust and versatile mass spectrometry platform for comprehensive assessment of the thiol redox metabolome

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T.R. Sutton

2018-06-01

Full Text Available Several diseases are associated with perturbations in redox signaling and aberrant hydrogen sulfide metabolism, and numerous analytical methods exist for the measurement of the sulfur-containing species affected. However, uncertainty remains about their concentrations and speciation in cells/biofluids, perhaps in part due to differences in sample processing and detection principles. Using ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography in combination with electrospray-ionization tandem mass spectrometry we here outline a specific and sensitive platform for the simultaneous measurement of 12 analytes, including total and free thiols, their disulfides and sulfide in complex biological matrices such as blood, saliva and urine. Total assay run time is < 10 min, enabling high-throughput analysis. Enhanced sensitivity and avoidance of artifactual thiol oxidation is achieved by taking advantage of the rapid reaction of sulfhydryl groups with N-ethylmaleimide. We optimized the analytical procedure for detection and separation conditions, linearity and precision including three stable isotope labelled standards. Its versatility for future more comprehensive coverage of the thiol redox metabolome was demonstrated by implementing additional analytes such as methanethiol, N-acetylcysteine, and coenzyme A. Apparent plasma sulfide concentrations were found to vary substantially with sample pretreatment and nature of the alkylating agent. In addition to protein binding in the form of mixed disulfides (S-thiolation a significant fraction of aminothiols and sulfide appears to be also non-covalently associated with proteins. Methodological accuracy was tested by comparing the plasma redox status of 10 healthy human volunteers to a well-established protocol optimized for reduced/oxidized glutathione. In a proof-of-principle study a deeper analysis of the thiol redox metabolome including free reduced/oxidized as well as bound thiols and sulfide was performed

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

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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.

Investigations of thiol-modified phenol derivatives for the use in thiol-ene photopolymerizations.

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Reinelt, Sebastian; Tabatabai, Monir; Fischer, Urs Karl; Moszner, Norbert; Utterodt, Andreas; Ritter, Helmut

2014-01-01

Thiol-ene photopolymerizations gain a growing interest in academic research. Coatings and dental restoratives are interesting applications for thiol-ene photopolymerizations due to their unique features. In most studies the relative flexible and hydrophilic ester derivative, namely pentaerythritoltetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP), is investigated as the thiol component. Thus, in the present study we are encouraged to investigate the performance of more hydrophobic ester-free thiol-modified bis- and trisphenol derivatives in thiol-ene photopolymerizations. For this, six different thiol-modified bis- and trisphenol derivatives exhibiting four to six thiol groups are synthesized via the radical addition of thioacetic acid to suitable allyl-modified precursors and subsequent hydrolysis. Compared to PETMP better flexural strength and modulus of elasticity are achievable in thiol-ene photopolymerizations employing 1,3,5-triallyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trione (TATATO) as the ene derivative. Especially, after storage in water, the flexural strength and modulus of elasticity is twice as high compared to the PETMP reference system.

Detoxification of Atrazine by Low Molecular Weight Thiols in Alfalfa (Medicago sativa).

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Zhang, Jing Jing; Xu, Jiang Yan; Lu, Feng Fan; Jin, She Feng; Yang, Hong

2017-10-16

Low molecular weight (LMW) thiols in higher plants are a group of sulfur-rich nonprotein compounds and play primary and multiple roles in cellular redox homeostasis, enzyme activities, and xenobiotics detoxification. This study focused on identifying thiols-related protein genes from the legume alfalfa exposed to the herbicide atrazine (ATZ) residues in environment. Using high-throughput RNA-sequencing, a set of ATZ-responsive thiols-related protein genes highly up-regulated and differentially expressed in alfalfa was identified. Most of the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were involved in regulation of biotic and abiotic stress responses. By analyzing the genes involved in thiols-mediated redox homeostasis, we found that many of them were thiols-synthetic enzymes such as γ-glutamylcysteine synthase (γECS), homoglutathione synthetase (hGSHS), and glutathione synthetase (GSHS). Using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we further characterized a group of ATZ-thiols conjugates, which are the detoxified forms of ATZ in plants. Cysteine S-conjugate ATZ-HCl+Cys was the most important metabolite detected by MS. Several other ATZ-conjugates were also examined as ATZ-detoxified metabolites. Such results were validated by characterizing their analogs in rice. Our data showed that some conjugates under ATZ stress were detected in both plants, indicating that some detoxified mechanisms and pathways can be shared by the two plant species. Overall, these results indicate that LMW thiols play critical roles in detoxification of ATZ in the plants.

Thiol peroxidases mediate specific genome-wide regulation of gene expression in response to hydrogen peroxide

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Fomenko, Dmitri E.; Koc, Ahmet; Agisheva, Natalia; Jacobsen, Michael; Kaya, Alaattin; Malinouski, Mikalai; Rutherford, Julian C.; Siu, Kam-Leung; Jin, Dong-Yan; Winge, Dennis R.; Gladyshev, Vadim N.

2011-01-01

Hydrogen peroxide is thought to regulate cellular processes by direct oxidation of numerous cellular proteins, whereas antioxidants, most notably thiol peroxidases, are thought to reduce peroxides and inhibit H2O2 response. However, thiol peroxidases have also been implicated in activation of transcription factors and signaling. It remains unclear if these enzymes stimulate or inhibit redox regulation and whether this regulation is widespread or limited to a few cellular components. Herein, we found that Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells lacking all eight thiol peroxidases were viable and withstood redox stresses. They transcriptionally responded to various redox treatments, but were unable to activate and repress gene expression in response to H2O2. Further studies involving redox transcription factors suggested that thiol peroxidases are major regulators of global gene expression in response to H2O2. The data suggest that thiol peroxidases sense and transfer oxidative signals to the signaling proteins and regulate transcription, whereas a direct interaction between H2O2 and other cellular proteins plays a secondary role. PMID:21282621

Role of thiols in cellular response to radiation and drugs. Symposium: thiols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biaglow, J.E.; Varnes, M.E.; Clark, E.P.; Epp, E.R.

1983-01-01

Cellular nonprotein thiols (NPSH) consist of glutathione (GSH) and other low molecular weight species such as cysteine, cysteamine, and coenzyme. A GSH is usually less than the total cellular NPSH, and with thiol reactive agents, such as diethyl maleate (DEM), its rate of depletion is in part dependent upon the cellular capacity for its resynthesis. If resynthesis is blocked by buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine(BSO), the NPSH, including GSH, is depleted more rapidly, Cellular thiol depletion by diamide, N-ethylmaleimide, and BSO may render oxygenated cells more sensitive to radiation. These cells may or may not show a reduction in the oxygen enhancement ratio (OER). Human A549 lung carcinoma cells depleted of their NPSH either by prolonged culture or by BSO treatment do not show a reduced OER but do show increased aerobic responses to radiation. Other nitrocompounds, such as misonidazole, are activated under hypoxic conditions to radical intermediates. When cellular thiols are depleted peroxide is formed. Under hypoxic conditions thiols are depleted because metabolically reduced intermediates react with GSH instead of oxygen. Thiol depletion, under hypoxic conditions, may be the reason that misonidazole and other nitrocompounds show an extra enhancement ratio with hypoxic cells. Thiol depletion by DEM or BSO alters the radiation response of hypoxic cells to misonidazole. In conclusion, we propose an altered thiol model which includes a mechanism for thiol involvement in the aerobic radiation response of cells

Modification of the mitochondrial sulfonylurea receptor by thiol reagents.

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Szewczyk, A; Wójcik, G; Lobanov, N A; Nalecz, M J

1999-08-19

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects exerted by thiol-modifying reagents on themitochondrial sulfonylurea receptor. The thiol-oxidizing agents (timerosal and 5, 5'-dithio-bis(2-nitrobenzoic acid)) were found to produce a large inhibition (70% to 80%) of specific binding of [(3)H]glibenclamide to the beef heart mitochondrial membrane. Similar effects were observed with membrane permeable (N-ethylmaleimide) and non-permeable (mersalyl) thiol modifying agents. Glibenclamide binding was also decreased by oxidizing agents (hydrogen peroxide) but not by reducing agents (reduced gluthatione, dithiothreitol and the 2,3-dihydroxy-1,4-dithiolbutane). The results suggest that intact thiol groups, facing the mitochondrial matrix, are essential for glibenclamide binding to the mitochondrial sulfonylurea receptor. Copyright 1999 Academic Press.

Case Study: Iran, Islam, the NPT, and the Bomb

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Saunders, E .

2011-04-01

The goals of this case study are: (1) To examine the correlation between Iran's nuclear program and clerical statements; (2) To evaluate the importance of these statements; (3) To understand the relationship between policy and fatwas (Islamic decrees); (4) To address the issue of a 'nuclear fatwa'; and (5) To examine how, if at all, Sharia (Islamic law) has influenced Iran's actions or inactions with respect to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and Iran's adherence to its IAEA Safeguards Agreements and the Additional Protocol. The Islamic Republic of Iran (hereinafter Iran) is one of two theocracies in the world, the second being Vatican City. Iran's government derives its constitutional, moral, and political legitimacy from Islam. As a result of this theocratic culture, rules are set and interpreted with a much different calibrator than that of the Western world. Islam affects all aspects of Iranian life. This is further complicated by the fact that Islam is not a nationalistic faith, in that many people all over the world believe in and adhere to Islamic principles. As a result, a political system that derives much of its fervor from being nationalistic is caught between two worlds, one within the land boundaries of Iran and the other within a faith that transcends boundaries. Thus, any understanding of Islamic law must first be understood within this delicate balance of nationalism and transcendence. Iran has found itself on the international stage concerning its nuclear program. Because Iran is a theocratic state, it is imperative to examine its political moves, speeches, rights, and obligations through the lens of Islam. This study will examine how Islam plays a role in Iran's dealing with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), its understanding of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), including parties obligations under Safeguards Agreements and the Additional

Non-enzymatic N-acetylation of Lysine Residues by AcetylCoA Often Occurs via a Proximal S-acetylated Thiol Intermediate Sensitive to Glyoxalase II

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Andrew M. James

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Summary: Acetyl coenzyme A (AcCoA, a key intermediate in mitochondrial metabolism, N-acetylates lysine residues, disrupting and, in some cases, regulating protein function. The mitochondrial lysine deacetylase Sirtuin 3 (Sirt3 reverses this modification with benefits reported in diabetes, obesity, and aging. We show that non-enzymatic lysine N-acetylation by AcCoA is greatly enhanced by initial acetylation of a cysteine residue, followed by SN-transfer of the acetyl moiety to a nearby lysine on mitochondrial proteins and synthetic peptides. The frequent occurrence of an S-acetyl intermediate before lysine N-acetylation suggests that proximity to a thioester is a key determinant of lysine susceptibility to acetylation. The thioesterase glyoxalase II (Glo2 can limit protein S-acetylation, thereby preventing subsequent lysine N-acetylation. This suggests that the hitherto obscure role of Glo2 in mitochondria is to act upstream of Sirt3 in minimizing protein N-acetylation, thus limiting protein dysfunction when AcCoA accumulates. : James et al. show that the non-enzymatic N-acetylation of lysine residues in mitochondrial proteins frequently occurs via a proximal S-acetylated thiol intermediate. Glutathione equilibrates with this intermediate, allowing the thioesterase glyoxalase II to limit protein lysine N-acetylation. These findings expand our understanding of how protein acetylation arises. Keywords: AcetylCoA, lysine acetylation, glyoxalase

Thiol Redox Transitions in Cell Signaling: a Lesson from N-Acetylcysteine

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Tiziana Parasassi

2010-01-01

Full Text Available The functional status of cells is under the control of external stimuli affecting the function of critical proteins and eventually gene expression. Signal sensing and transduction by messengers to specific effectors operate by post-translational modification of proteins, among which thiol redox switches play a fundamental role that is just beginning to be understood. The maintenance of the redox status is, indeed, crucial for cellular homeostasis and its dysregulation towards a more oxidized intracellular environment is associated with aberrant proliferation, ultimately related to diseases such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Redox transitions occur in sensitive cysteine residues of regulatory proteins relevant to signaling, their evolution to metastable disulfides accounting for the functional redox switch. N-acetylcysteine (NAC is a thiol-containing compound that is able to interfere with redox transitions of thiols and, thus, in principle, able to modulate redox signaling. We here review the redox chemistry of NAC, then screen possible mechanisms to explain the effects observed in NAC-treated normal and cancer cells; such effects involve a modification of global gene expression, thus of functions and morphology, with a leitmotif of a switch from proliferation to terminal differentiation. The regulation of thiol redox transitions in cell signaling is, therefore, proposed as a new tool, holding promise not only for a deeper explanation of mechanisms, but indeed for innovative pharmacological interventions.

A novel strategy for global analysis of the dynamic thiol redox proteome.

Science.gov (United States)

Martínez-Acedo, Pablo; Núñez, Estefanía; Gómez, Francisco J Sánchez; Moreno, Margoth; Ramos, Elena; Izquierdo-Álvarez, Alicia; Miró-Casas, Elisabet; Mesa, Raquel; Rodriguez, Patricia; Martínez-Ruiz, Antonio; Dorado, David Garcia; Lamas, Santiago; Vázquez, Jesús

2012-09-01

Nitroxidative stress in cells occurs mainly through the action of reactive nitrogen and oxygen species (RNOS) on protein thiol groups. Reactive nitrogen and oxygen species-mediated protein modifications are associated with pathophysiological states, but can also convey physiological signals. Identification of Cys residues that are modified by oxidative stimuli still poses technical challenges and these changes have never been statistically analyzed from a proteome-wide perspective. Here we show that GELSILOX, a method that combines a robust proteomics protocol with a new computational approach that analyzes variance at the peptide level, allows a simultaneous analysis of dynamic alterations in the redox state of Cys sites and of protein abundance. GELSILOX permits the characterization of the major endothelial redox targets of hydrogen peroxide in endothelial cells and reveals that hypoxia induces a significant increase in the status of oxidized thiols. GELSILOX also detected thiols that are redox-modified by ischemia-reperfusion in heart mitochondria and demonstrated that these alterations are abolished in ischemia-preconditioned animals.

Thiol/disulphide homeostasis in celiac disease

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Kaplan, Mustafa; Ates, Ihsan; Yuksel, Mahmut; Ozderin Ozin, Yasemin; Alisik, Murat; Erel, Ozcan; Kayacetin, Ertugrul

2017-01-01

AIM To determine dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis in celiac disease and to examine the associate with celiac autoantibodies and gluten-free diet. METHODS Seventy three patients with celiac disease and 73 healthy volunteers were enrolled in the study. In both groups, thiol/disulphide homeostasis was examined with a new colorimetric method recently developed by Erel and Neselioglu. RESULTS In patients with celiac disease, native thiol (P = 0.027) and total thiol (P = 0.031) levels were lower, while disulphide (P < 0.001) level, disulphide/native thiol (P < 0.001) and disulphide/total thiol (P < 0.001) ratios were higher compared to the control group. In patients who do not comply with a gluten-free diet, disulphide/native thiol ratio was found higher compared to the patients who comply with the diet (P < 0.001). In patients with any autoantibody-positive, disulphide/native thiol ratio was observed higher compared to the patients with autoantibody-negative (P < 0.05). It is found that there is a negative correlation between celiac autoantibodies, and native thiol, total thiol levels and native thiol/total thiol ratio, while a positive correlation is observed between disulphide, disulphide/native thiol and disulphide/total thiol levels. CONCLUSION This study is first in the literature which found that the patients with celiac disease the dynamic thiol/disulphide balance shifts through disulphide form compared to the control group. PMID:28533921

Kandelia obovata (S., L.) Yong tolerance mechanisms to Cadmium: Subcellular distribution, chemical forms and thiol pools

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weng Bosen; Xie Xiangyu; Weiss, Dominik J.; Liu Jingchun; Lu Haoliang; Yan Chongling

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Cadmium tolerance mechanisms of Kandelia obovata was investigated systematacially. ► Thiol pool can play roles in cadmium detoxification mechanisms. ► Increasing cadmium treatment strength caused proportional increase of cadmium uptake. ► More than half of cadmium was localized in cell walls, and lowest in membranes. ► Sodium chloride and acetic acid extractable fractions were dominant. - Abstract: In order to explore the detoxification mechanisms adopted by mangrove under cadmium (Cd) stress, we investigated the subcellular distribution and chemical forms of Cd, in addition to the change of the thiol pools in Kandelia obovata (S., L.) Yong, which were cultivated in sandy culture medium treated with sequential Cd solution. We found that Cd addition caused a proportional increase of Cd in the organs of K. obovata. The investigation of subcellular distribution verified that most of the Cd was localized in the cell wall, and the lowest was in the membrane. Results showed sodium chloride and acetic acid extractable Cd fractions were dominant. The contents of non-protein thiol compounds, Glutathione and phytochelatins in K. obovata were enhanced by the increasing strength of Cd treatment. Therefore, K. obovata can be defined as Cd tolerant plant, which base on cell wall compartmentalization, as well as protein and organic acids combination.

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

Statement to 2010 Review Conference of Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), 3 May 2010, New York, USA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amano, Y.

2010-01-01

The IAEA works to prevent the proliferation of nuclear weapons and to promote the use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes and technical cooperation. The IAEA also has a role to play in verifying nuclear disarmament. As all of these activities are relevant to the work of the NPT Review Conference, I would like to provide you with a brief overview of recent developments. As you know, reliable supplies of energy are vital to ensure continued prosperity and sustained development. Nuclear power is enjoying growing acceptance as a stable and clean source of energy that can help to mitigate the impact of climate change. More than 60 countries are considering introducing nuclear power to generate electricity. It is expected that between 10 and 25 new countries will bring their first nuclear power plants online by 2030. Certainly, it is for each sovereign State to decide whether or not to use nuclear power, but the IAEA assists interested countries in establishing a reliable nuclear infrastructure. Nuclear power must be accessible not only for developed countries but also for developing countries. Nuclear power needs to be efficient, sustainable and profitable. Any expansion in its use must be done safely and securely, and without increasing the proliferation risk.A successful NPT Review Conference is indispensable because it will enhance confidence in the non-proliferation regime, which in turn will provide the Agency with a stronger basis for our work in all areas

In vitro glutathione peroxidase mimicry of ebselen is linked to its oxidation of critical thiols on key cerebral suphydryl proteins - A novel component of its GPx-mimic antioxidant mechanism emerging from its thiol-modulated toxicology and pharmacology.

Science.gov (United States)

Kade, I J; Balogun, B D; Rocha, J B T

2013-10-25

The antioxidant mechanism of ebselen in rats brain is largely linked with its glutathione peroxidase (GPx) rather than its peroxiredoxin mimicry ability. However, the precise molecular dynamics between the GPx-mimicry of ebselen and thiol utilization is yet to be fully clarified and thus still open. Herein, we investigated the influence of dithiothreitol (DTT) on the antioxidant action of ebselen against oxidant-induced cerebral lipid peroxidation and deoxyribose degradation. Furthermore, the critical inhibitory concentrations of ebselen on the activities of sulphydryl enzymes such as cerebral sodium pump, δ-aminolevulinic acid dehydratase (δ-ALAD) and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) were also investigated. We observe that ebselen (at ≥42 μM) markedly inhibited lipid peroxidation in the presence and absence of DTT, whereas it inhibited deoxyribose degradation only in the presence of DTT. Furthermore, under in vitro conditions, ebselen inhibited the thiol containing enzymes; cerebral sodium pump (at ≥40 μM), δ-ALAD (≥10 μM) and LDH (≥1 μM) which were either prevented or reversed by DTT. However, the inhibition of the activities of these sulphydryl proteins in diabetic animals was prevented by ebselen. Summarily, it is apparent that the effective in vitro inhibitory doses of ebselen on the activity of the sulphydryl proteins are far less than its antioxidant doses. In addition, the presence of DTT is evidently a critical requirement for ebselen to effect its antioxidant action against deoxyribose degeradation and not lipid peroxidation. Consequently, we conclude that ebselen possibly utilizes available thiols on sulphydryl proteins to effect its GPx mimicry antioxidant action against lipid peroxidation in rat brain homogenate. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Chitosan scaffold modified with D-(+) raffinose and enriched with thiol-modified gelatin for improved osteoblast adhesion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galli, C; Parisi, L; Smerieri, A; Lumetti, S; Manfredi, E; Macaluso, G M; Elviri, L; Bianchera, A; Bettini, R; Lagonegro, P

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate whether chitosan-based scaffolds modified with D-(+) raffinose and enriched with thiol-modified gelatin could selectively improve osteoblast adhesion and proliferation. 2, 3 and 4.5% chitosan films were prepared. Chitosan suitability for tissue engineering was confirmed by protein adsorption assay. Scaffolds were incubated with a 2.5 mg ml −1 BSA solution and the decrease of protein content in the supernatants was measured by spectrophotometry. Chitosan films were then enriched with thiol-modified gelatin and their ability to bind BSA was also measured. Then, 2% chitosan discs with or without thiol-modified gelatin were used as culture substrates for MC3T3-E1 cells. After 72 h cells were stained with trypan blue or with calcein AM and propidium iodide for morphology, viability and proliferation assays. Moreover, cell viability was measured at 48, 72, 96 and 168 h to obtain a growth curve. Chitosan films efficiently bound and retained BSA proportionally to the concentration of chitosan discs. The amount of protein retained was higher on chitosan enriched with thiol-modified gelatin. Moreover, chitosan discs allowed the adhesion and the viability of cells, but inhibited their proliferation. The functionalization of chitosan with thiol-modified gelatin enhanced cell spreading and proliferation. Our data confirm that chitosan is a suitable material for tissue engineering. Moreover, our data show that the enrichment of chitosan with thiol-modified gelatin enhances its biological properties. (paper)

Deciphering the interplay between cysteine synthase and thiol cascade proteins in modulating Amphotericin B resistance and survival of Leishmania donovani under oxidative stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kuljit Singh

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Leishmania donovani is the causative organism of the neglected human disease known as visceral leishmaniasis which is often fatal, if left untreated. The cysteine biosynthesis pathway of Leishmania may serve as a potential drug target because it is different from human host and regulates downstream components of redox metabolism of the parasites; essential for their survival, pathogenicity and drug resistance. However, despite the apparent dependency of redox metabolism of cysteine biosynthesis pathway, the role of L. donovani cysteine synthase (LdCS in drug resistance and redox homeostasis has been unexplored. Herein, we report that over-expression of LdCS in Amphotericin B (Amp B sensitive strain (S1-OE modulates resistance towards oxidative stress and drug pressure. We observed that antioxidant enzyme activities were up-regulated in S1-OE parasites and these parasites alleviate intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS efficiently by maintaining the reduced thiol pool. In contrast to S1-OE parasites, Amp B sensitive strain (S1 showed higher levels of ROS which was positively correlated with the protein carbonylation levels and negatively correlated with cell viability. Moreover, further investigations showed that LdCS over-expression also augments the ROS-primed induction of LdCS-GFP as well as endogenous LdCS and thiol pathway proteins (LdTryS, LdTryR and LdcTXN in L. donovani parasites; which probably aids in stress tolerance and drug resistance. In addition, the expression of LdCS was found to be up-regulated in Amp B resistant isolates and during infective stationary stages of growth and consistent with these observations, our ex vivo infectivity studies confirmed that LdCS over-expression enhances the infectivity of L. donovani parasites. Our results reveal a novel crosstalk between LdCS and thiol metabolic pathway proteins and demonstrate the crucial role of LdCS in drug resistance and redox homeostasis of Leishmania. Keywords

Modulating the physicochemical and structural properties of gold-functionalized protein nanotubes through thiol surface modification.

Science.gov (United States)

Carreño-Fuentes, Liliana; Plascencia-Villa, Germán; Palomares, Laura A; Moya, Sergio E; Ramírez, Octavio T

2014-12-16

Biomolecules are advantageous scaffolds for the synthesis and ordering of metallic nanoparticles. Rotavirus VP6 nanotubes possess intrinsic affinity to metal ions, a property that has been exploited to synthesize gold nanoparticles over them. The resulting nanobiomaterials have unique properties useful for novel applications. However, the formed nanobiomaterials lack of colloidal stability and flocculate, limiting their functionality. Here we demonstrate that it is possible to synthesize thiol-protected gold nanoparticles over VP6 nanotubes, which resulted in soluble nanobiomaterials. With this strategy, it was possible to modulate the size, colloidal stability, and surface plasmon resonance of the synthesized nanoparticles by controlling the content of the thiolated ligands. Two types of water-soluble ligands were tested, a small linear ligand, sodium 3-mercapto-1-propanesulfonate (MPS), and a bulky ligand, 5-mercaptopentyl β-D-glucopyranoside (GlcC5SH). The synthesized nanobiomaterials had a higher stability in suspension, as determined by Z-potential measurements. To the extent of our knowledge, this is the first time that a rational strategy is developed to modulate the particular properties of metal nanoparticles in situ synthesized over a protein bioscaffold through thiol coating, achieving a high spatial and structural organization of nanoparticles in a single integrative hybrid structure.

Effects of D,L-buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine on cellular thiol levels and the oxygen effect in Chinese hamster V79 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astor, M.B.; Hall, E.J.; Biaglow, J.E.; Hartog, B.

1984-01-01

The role of glutathione (GSH) and total non-protein thiols (NPSH) in repairing radiation-induced free radical damage incurred under aerated and hypoxic conditions was investigated using Chinese hamster V79 cells cultured in vitro. GSH and NPSH levels were depleted in V79 cells of varying cell densities using the gamma-glutamyl-cysteine-synthetase inhibitor, D,L-Buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BSO). A small change in hypoxic cell radiosensitivity could be attributed to the loss of GSH while depletion of thiols to lower levels affected both aerated and hypoxic cell radiosensitivity, resulting in no change in the OER

Synthesis of soybean oil-based thiol oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jennifer F; Fernando, Shashi; Weerasinghe, Dimuthu; Chen, Zhigang; Webster, Dean C

2011-08-22

Industrial grade soybean oil (SBO) and thiols were reacted to generate thiol-functionalized oligomers via a thermal, free radical initiated thiol-ene reaction between the SBO double bond moieties and the thiol functional groups. The effect of the reaction conditions, including thiol concentration, catalyst loading level, reaction time, and atmosphere, on the molecular weight and the conversion to the resultant soy-thiols were examined in a combinatorial high-throughput fashion using parallel synthesis, combinatorial FTIR, and rapid gel permeation chromatography (GPC). High thiol functionality and concentration, high thermal free radical catalyst concentration, long reaction time, and the use of a nitrogen reaction atmosphere were found to favor fast consumption of the SBO, and produced high molecular weight products. The thiol conversion during the reaction was inversely affected by a high thiol concentration, but was favored by a long reaction time and an air reaction atmosphere. These experimental observations were explained by the initial low affinity of the SBO and thiol, and the improved affinity between the generated soy-thiol oligomers and unreacted SBO during the reaction. The synthesized soy-thiol oligomers can be used for renewable thiol-ene UV curable materials and high molecular solids and thiourethane thermal cure materials. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

High-energy intermediates in protein unfolding characterized by thiol labeling under nativelike conditions.

Science.gov (United States)

Malhotra, Pooja; Udgaonkar, Jayant B

2014-06-10

A protein unfolding reaction usually appears to be so dominated by a large free energy barrier that identifying and characterizing high-energy intermediates and, hence, dissecting the unfolding reaction into multiple structural transitions have proven to be a challenge. In particular, it has been difficult to identify any detected high-energy intermediate with the dry (DMG) and wet (WMG) molten globules that have been implicated in the unfolding reactions of at least some proteins. In this study, a native-state thiol labeling methodology was used to identify high-energy intermediates, as well as to delineate the barriers to the disruption of side chain packing interactions and to site-specific solvent exposure in different regions of the small protein, single-chain monellin (MNEI). Labeling studies of four single-cysteine-containing variants of MNEI have identified three high-energy intermediates, populated to very low extents under nativelike conditions. A significant dispersion in the opening rates of the cysteine side chains has allowed multiple steps, leading to the loss of side chain packing, to be resolved temporally. A detailed structural analysis of the positions of the four cysteine residue positions, which are buried to different depths within the protein, has suggested a direct correlation with the structure of a DMG, detected in previous studies. It is observed that side chain packing within the core of the protein is maintained, while that at the surface is disrupted, in the DMG. The core of the protein becomes solvent-exposed only in a WMG populated after the rate-limiting step of unfolding at high denaturant concentrations.

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...

Impact of thiol and amine functionalization on photoluminescence properties of ZnO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayalakshmi, G.; Saravanan, K.; Balasubramanian, T.

2013-01-01

In the present study, we have investigated surface functionalization of ZnO films with dodecanethiol (Thiol) and trioctylamine (amine) by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), contact angle (CA) and photoluminescence (PL) measurements. The chemical bondings of thiol and amine with ZnO have been confirmed via the formation of Zn–S and Zn–N bonds by XPS measurements. AFM measurements on ZnO films before and after surface functionalization with thiol and amine provide evidence for the successful functionalization of thiol and amine on ZnO surfaces without any island formation. The CA measurements on ZnO films before and after surface functionalization with thiol and amine show the hydrophobic nature. PL measurements of thiol and amine functionalized ZnO show enhancements of UV emission and quenching of visible emission. The enhanced UV emissions in thiol and amine functionalized ZnO films suggest that the surface defects such as oxygen vacancies are passivated by thiol and amine functionalization. -- Highlights: ► Surface functionalization is a new approach to reduce surface dependent non-radiative process. ► Oxygen vacancies are passivated on surface functionalization. ► Thiol and amine functionalized ZnO show enhancements of UV emission

Small RNAs were involved in homozygous state-associated silencing of a marker gene (Neomycin phosphotransferase II: nptII) in transgenic tomato plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Lei; Pan, Yu; Chen, Xuqing; Chen, Guoping; Hu, Zongli

2013-07-01

Homozygous state-associated co-suppression is not a very common phenomenon. In our experiments, two transgenic plants 3A29 and 1195A were constructed by being transformed with the constructs pBIN-353A and pBIN119A containing nptII gene as a marker respectively. The homozygous progeny from these two independent transgenic lines 3A29 and 1195A, displayed kanamycin-sensitivity and produced a short main root without any lateral roots as untransformed control (wild-type) seedlings when germinated on kanamycin media. For the seedlings derived from putative hemizygous plants, the percentage of the seedlings showing normal growth on kanamycin media was about 50% and lower than the expected percentage (75%). Southern analysis of the genomic DNA confirmed that the homozygous and hemizygous plants derived from the same lines contained the same multiple nptII transgenes, which were located on the same site of chromosome. Northern analysis suggested that the marker nptII gene was expressed in the primary and the hemizygous transformants, but it was silenced in the homozygous transgenic plants. Further Northern analysis indicated that antisense and sense small nptII-derived RNAs were present in the transgenic plants and the blotting signal of nptII-derived small RNA was much higher in the homozygous transgenic plants than that of hemizygous transgenic plants. Additionally, read-through transcripts from the TRAMP gene to the nptII gene were detected. These results suggest that the read-through transcripts may be involved in homozygous state-associated silencing of the nptII transgene in transgenic tomato plants and a certain threshold level of the nptII-derived small RNAs is required for the homozygous state-associated co-suppression of the nptII transgene. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Thiol/Disulfide system plays a crucial role in redox protection in the acidophilic iron-oxidizing bacterium Leptospirillum ferriphilum.

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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.

The Role of Follicular Fluid Thiol/Disulphide Homeostasis in Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Tola, Esra Nur; Köroğlu, Nadiye; Ergin, Merve; Oral, Hilmi Baha; Turgut, Abdülkadir; Erel, Özcan

2018-04-04

Oxidative stress is suggested as a potential triggering factor in the etiopathogenesis of Polycystic ovary syndrome related infertility. Thiol/disulphide homeostasis, a recently oxidative stress marker, is one of the antioxidant mechanism in human which have critical roles in folliculogenesis and ovulation. The aim of our study is to investigate follicular fluid thiol/disulphide homeostasis in the etiopathogenesis of Polycystic ovary syndrome and to determine its' association with in vitro fertilization outcome. The study procedures were approved by local ethic committee. Cross sectional design Methods: Follicular fluid of twenty-two Polycystic ovary syndrome women and twenty ovulatory controls undergoing in vitro fertilization treatment were recruited. Thiol/disulphide homeostasis was analyzed via a novel spectrophotometric method. Follicular native thiol levels were found to be lower in Polycystic ovary syndrome group than non- Polycystic ovary syndrome group (p=0.041) as well as native thiol/total thiol ratio (pPolycystic ovary syndrome group (pPolycystic ovary syndrome patients was found. A positive predictive effect of native thiol on fertilization rate among Polycystic ovary syndrome group was also found (p=0.03, β=0.45, 95% CI=0.031-0.643). Deterioration in thiol/disulphide homeostasis, especially elevated disulphide levels could be one of the etiopathogenetic mechanism in Polycystic ovary syndrome. Increased native thiol levels is related to fertilization rate among Polycystic ovary syndrome patients and also positive predictor marker of fertilization rate among Polycystic ovary syndrome patients. Improvement of thiol/disulphide homeostasis could be of importance in the treatment of Polycystic ovary syndrome to increase in vitro fertilization success in Polycystic ovary syndrome.

Green tea extract impairs meat emulsion properties by disturbing protein disulfide cross-linking.

Science.gov (United States)

Jongberg, Sisse; Terkelsen, Linda de S; Miklos, Rikke; Lund, Marianne N

2015-02-01

The dose-dependent effects of green tea extract (100, 500, or 1500ppm) on the textural and oxidative stability of meat emulsions were investigated, and compared to a control meat emulsion without extract. All levels of green tea extract inhibited formation of TBARS as a measure for lipid oxidation. Overall protein thiol oxidation and myosin heavy chain (MHC) cross-linking were inhibited by 100ppm green tea extract without jeopardizing the textural stability, while increasing concentrations of extract resulted in reduced thiol concentration and elevated levels of non-reducible protein modifications. Addition of 1500ppm green tea extract was found to modify MHC as evaluated by SDS-PAGE combining both protein staining and specific thiol staining, indicating that protein modifications generated through reactions of green tea phenolic compounds with protein thiols, disrupted the meat emulsion properties leading to reduced water holding capacity and textural stability. Hence, a low dose of green tea extract preserves both the textural and the oxidative stability of the meat proteins. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Deiseroth, D.; Gustafsson, S.

1993-01-01

The issue of Nuclear Non Proliferation has been moved to a leading place on the contemporary international security agenda. What about the situation of nuclear weapons and nuclear technology in Russia, Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belorussia? Why did the IAEA-inspectors totally failed to discover any sign of Iraq's clandestine nuclear-weapon programme before the Gulf War? Do the NATO and their nuclear power states violate Art. VI of the Non-Proliferation-Treaty (NPT), because they are - despite the end of the cold war - not willing to renounce of the ''option of the first use of nuclear weapons''? Does the NPT establish a form of nuclear apartheid? What will be the situation if the NPT-Extension-Conference in 1995 will be unable to obtain a majority of the parties for any one extension proposal? Do we need a new international nuclear control agency with severe powers, a sort of nuclear Interpol? The Colloquium ''Saving NPT and abolishing Nuclear Weapons'', held in Stockholm in September 1992, organized by the Swedish and the German Sections of IALANA, tried to analyse some of the raised issues. (orig.) [de

Eucalyptus tolerance mechanisms to lanthanum and cerium: subcellular distribution, antioxidant system and thiol pools.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Yichang; Zhang, Shirong; Li, Sen; Xu, Xiaoxun; Jia, Yongxia; Gong, Guoshu

2014-12-01

Guanglin 9 (Eucalyptus grandis × Eucalyptus urophlla) and Eucalyptus grandis 5 are two eucalyptus species which have been found to grow normally in soils contaminated with lanthanum and cerium, but the tolerance mechanisms are not clear yet. In this study, a pot experiment was conducted to investigate the tolerance mechanisms of the eucalyptus to lanthanum and cerium. Cell walls stored 45.40-63.44% of the metals under lanthanum or cerium stress. Peroxidase and catalase activities enhanced with increasing soil La or Ce concentrations up to 200 mg kg(-1), while there were no obvious changes in glutathione and ascorbate concentrations. Non-protein thiols concentrations increased with increasing treatment levels up to 200 mg kg(-1), and then decreased. Phytochelatins concentrations continued to increase under La or Ce stress. Therefore, the two eucalyptus species are La and Ce tolerant plants, and the tolerance mechanisms include cell wall deposition, antioxidant system response, and thiol compound synthesis. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

On the non-proliferation framework of Japan's peaceful nuclear utilization program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kano, Takashi

1996-01-01

The Conference of the States Party to the Treaty on the Non-proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (hereinafter referred to as the NPT) convened in New York, from April 17 to May 12, 1995 and decided that the NPT shall continue in force indefinitely, after reviewing the operation and affirming some aspects of the NPT, while emphasizing the ''Decision on Strengthening the Review Process'' for the NPT and the ''Decision on Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament,'' also adopted by the Conference. In parallel, Japan made its basic non-proliferation policy clear in the ''Long-Term Program for Research, Development and Utilization of Nuclear Energy'' which was decided by the Atomic Energy Commission (chaired by Mikio Oomi, then Minister of the Science and Technology Agency of Japan) in June 1994. The Long-Term Program discusses various problems facing post-Cold-War international society and describes Japan's policy for establishing international confidence concerning non-proliferation. This paper summarizes Japan's non-proliferation policy as articulated in the Long-Term Program, and describes some results of an analysis comparing the Long-Term Program with the resolutions on the international non-proliferation frameworks adopted by the NPT conference

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

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.

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.

“Turn-on” fluorescence probe integrated polymer nanoparticles for sensing biological thiol molecules

Science.gov (United States)

Ang, Chung Yen; Tan, Si Yu; Lu, Yunpeng; Bai, Linyi; Li, Menghuan; Li, Peizhou; Zhang, Quan; Selvan, Subramanian Tamil; Zhao, Yanli

2014-11-01

A ``turn-on'' thiol-responsive fluorescence probe was synthesized and integrated into polymeric nanoparticles for sensing intracellular thiols. There is a photo-induced electron transfer process in the off state of the probe, and this process is terminated upon the reaction with thiol compounds. Configuration interaction singles (CIS) calculation was performed to confirm the mechanism of this process. A series of sensing studies were carried out, showing that the probe-integrated nanoparticles were highly selective towards biological thiol compounds over non-thiolated amino acids. Kinetic studies were also performed to investigate the relative reaction rate between the probe and the thiolated amino acids. Subsequently, the Gibbs free energy of the reactions was explored by means of the electrochemical method. Finally, the detection system was employed for sensing intracellular thiols in cancer cells, and the sensing selectivity could be further enhanced with the use of a cancer cell-targeting ligand in the nanoparticles. This development paves a path for the sensing and detection of biological thiols, serving as a potential diagnostic tool in the future.

Thiol biochemistry of prokaryotes

Science.gov (United States)

Fahey, Robert C.

1986-01-01

The present studies have shown that GSH metabolism arose in the purple bacteria and cyanobacteria where it functions to protect against oxygen toxicity. Evidence was obtained indicating that GSH metabolism was incorporated into eucaryotes via the endosymbiosis giving rise to mitochrondria and chloroplasts. Aerobic bacteria lacking GSH utilize other thiols for apparently similar functions, the thiol being coenzyme A in Gram positive bacteria and chi-glutamylcysteine in the halobacteria. The thiol biochemistry of prokaryotes is thus seen to be much more highly diversified than that of eucaryotes and much remains to be learned about this subject.

Spectroscopic Characterization of Extracellular Polymeric Substances from Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens: Suppression using Sub-Inhibitory Concentrations of Bismuth Thiols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Badireddy, Appala R.; Korpol, Bhoom Reddy; Chellam, Shankararaman; Gassman, Paul L.; Engelhard, Mark H.; Lea, Alan S.; Rosso, Kevin M.

2008-10-21

Free and capsular EPS produced by Escherichia coli and Serratia marcescens were characterized in detail using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). Total EPS production decreased upon treatment with sub-inhibitory concentrations of lipophilic bismuth thiols (bismuth dimercaptopropanol, BisBAL; bismuth ethanedithiol, BisEDT; and bismuth pyrithione, BisPYR), BisBAL being most effective. Bismuth thiols also influenced acetylation and carboxylation of polysaccharides in EPS from S. marcescens. Extensive homology between EPS samples in the presence and absence of bismuth was observed with proteins, polysaccharides, and nucleic acids varying predominantly only in the total amount expressed. Second derivative analysis of the amide I region of FTIR spectra revealed decreases in protein secondary structures in the presence of bismuth thiols. Hence, anti-fouling properties of bismuth thiols appear to originate in their ability to suppress O-acetylation and protein secondary structures in addition to total EPS secretion.

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.

The intracellular redox stress caused by hexavalent chromium is selective for proteins that have key roles in cell survival and thiol redox control

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Myers, Judith M.; Antholine, William E.; Myers, Charles R.

2011-01-01

Hexavalent chromium [Cr(VI)] compounds (e.g. chromates) are strong oxidants that readily enter cells where they are reduced to reactive Cr intermediates that can directly oxidize some cell components and can promote the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Inhalation is a major route of exposure which directly exposes the bronchial epithelium. Previous studies with non-cancerous human bronchial epithelial cells (BEAS-2B) demonstrated that Cr(VI) treatment results in the irreversible inhibition of thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) and the oxidation of thioredoxins (Trx) and peroxiredoxins (Prx). The mitochondrial Trx/Prx system is somewhat more sensitive to Cr(VI) than the cytosolic Trx/Prx system, and other redox-sensitive mitochondrial functions are subsequently affected including electron transport complexes I and II. Studies reported here show that Cr(VI) does not cause indiscriminant thiol oxidation, and that the Trx/Prx system is among the most sensitive of cellular protein thiols. Trx/Prx oxidation is not unique to BEAS-2B cells, as it was also observed in primary human bronchial epithelial cells. Increasing the intracellular levels of ascorbate, an endogenous Cr(VI) reductant, did not alter the effects on TrxR, Trx, or Prx. The peroxynitrite scavenger MnTBAP did not protect TrxR, Trx, Prx, or the electron transport chain from the effects of Cr(VI), implying that peroxynitrite is not required for these effects. Nitration of tyrosine residues of TrxR was not observed following Cr(VI) treatment, further ruling out peroxynitrite as a significant contributor to the irreversible inhibition of TrxR. Cr(VI) treatments that disrupt the TrxR/Trx/Prx system did not cause detectable mitochondrial DNA damage. Overall, the redox stress that results from Cr(VI) exposure shows selectivity for key proteins which are known to be important for redox signaling, antioxidant defense, and cell survival.

Simultaneous determination of albumin and low-molecular-mass thiols in plasma by HPLC with UV detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Borowczyk, Kamila; Wyszczelska-Rokiel, Monika; Kubalczyk, Paweł; Głowacki, Rafał

2015-02-15

In this paper, we describe a simple and robust HPLC based method for determination of total low- and high-molecular-mass thiols, protein S-linked thiols and reduced albumin in plasma. The method is based on derivatization of analytes with 2-chloro-1-methylquinolinium tetrafluoroborate, separation and quantification by reversed-phase liquid chromatography followed by UV detection. Disulfides were converted to their thiol counterparts by reductive cleavage with tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine. Linearity in detector response for total thiols was observed over the range of 1-40 μmol L(-1) for Hcy and glutathione (GSH), 5-100 μmol L(-1) for Cys-Gly, 20-300 μmol L(-1) for Cys and 3.1-37.5 μmol L(-1) (0.2-2.4gL(-1)) for human serum albumin (HSA). For the protein S-bound forms these values were as follows: 0.5-30 μmol L(-1) for Hcy and GSH, 2.5-60 μmol L(-1) for Cys-Gly and 5-200 μmol L(-1) for Cys. The LOQs for total HSA, Cys, Hcy, Cys-Gly and GSH were 0.5, 0.2, 0.4, 0.3 and 0.4 μmol L(-1), respectively. The estimated validation parameters for all analytes are more than sufficient to allow the analytical method to be used for monitoring of the total and protein bound thiols as well as redox status of HSA in plasma. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Nuclear non-proliferation: a guide to the debate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldblat, Jozef.

1985-01-01

The non-proliferation policies of 15 countries have been studied and summarized for use by participants of the third Review Conference of the Parties to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation (NPT) of Nuclear weapons held in September 1985. The main purpose of the guide is to examine what action must be taken to ensure the Treaty's survival. There are four chapters following an introduction, covering the implementation of the essential provisions of the NPT, the motivations of the countries which have not joined the NPT, together with the motivations of those which have formally renounced the possession of nuclear weapons, even though they possess the technical and economic potential necessary to manufacture them. The last chapter summarises measures which might be taken to strengthen the NPT including ideas put forward at a workshop held in 1984. (author)

Iron and thiols as two major players in carcinogenesis: friends or foes?

Science.gov (United States)

Toyokuni, Shinya

2014-01-01

Iron is the most abundant metal in the human body and mainly works as a cofactor for proteins such as hemoglobin and various enzymes. No independent life forms on earth can survive without iron. However, excess iron is intimately associated with carcinogenesis by increasing oxidative stress via its catalytic activity to generate hydroxyl radicals. Biomolecules with redox-active sulfhydryl function(s) (thiol compounds) are necessary for the maintenance of mildly reductive cellular environments to counteract oxidative stress, and for the execution of redox reactions for metabolism and detoxification. Involvement of glutathione S-transferase and thioredoxin has long attracted the attention of cancer researchers. Here, I update recent findings on the involvement of iron and thiol compounds during carcinogenesis and in cancer cells. It is now recognized that the cystine/glutamate transporter (antiporter) is intimately associated with ferroptosis, an iron-dependent, non-apoptotic form of cell death, observed in cancer cells, and also with cancer stem cells; the former with transporter blockage but the latter with its stabilization. Excess iron in the presence of oxygen appears the most common known mutagen. Ironically, the persistent activation of antioxidant systems via genetic alterations in Nrf2 and Keap1 also contributes to carcinogenesis. Therefore, it is difficult to conclude the role of iron and thiol compounds as friends or foes, which depends on the quantity/distribution and induction/flexibility, respectively. Avoiding further mutation would be the most helpful strategy for cancer prevention, and myriad of efforts are being made to sort out the weaknesses of cancer cells.

Novel thermal curing of cycloaliphatic resins by thiol-epoxy click process with several multifunctional thiols

OpenAIRE

Guzman, Dailyn; Mateu, Blai; Fernández Francos, Xavier; Ramis Juan, Xavier; Serra Albet, Àngels

2017-01-01

Novel thermosets were prepared by the base-catalysed reaction between a cycloaliphatic resin (ECC) and various thiol crosslinkers. 4-(N,N-Dimethylaminopyridine) (DMAP) was used as base catalyst for the thiol–epoxy reaction. A commercial tetrathiol (PETMP) and three different thiols synthesized by us, 6SH-SQ, 3SH-EU and 3SH-ISO, were tested. 6SH-SQ and 3SH-EU were prepared from vinyl or allyl compounds from renewable resources such as squalene and eugenol, respectively. Thiol 3SH-ISO was prepa...

Selective chromogenic detection of thiol-containing biomolecules using carbonaceous nanospheres loaded with silver nanoparticles as carrier.

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Bo; Zhao, Yang; Zhu, Hai-Zhou; Yu, Shu-Hong

2011-04-26

Thiol-containing biomolecules show strong affinity with noble metal nanostructures and could not only stably protect them but also control the self-assembly process of these special nanostructures. A highly selective and sensitive chromogenic detection method has been designed for the low and high molecular weight thiol-containing biomolecules, including cysteine, glutathione, dithiothreitol, and bovine serum albumin, using a new type of carbonaceous nanospheres loaded with silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) as carrier. This strategy relies upon the place-exchange process between the reporter dyes on the surface of Ag NPs and the thiol groups of thiol-containing biomolecules. The concentration of biomolecules can be determined by monitoring with the fluorescence intensity of reporter dyes dispersed in solution. This new chromogenic assay method could selectively detect these biomolecules in the presence of various other amino acids and monosaccharides and even sensitively detect the thiol-containing biomolecules with different molecular weight, even including proteins.

Multiplexed Thiol Reactivity Profiling for Target Discovery of Electrophilic Natural Products.

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Caiping; Sun, Rui; Liu, Keke; Fu, Ling; Liu, Xiaoyu; Zhou, Wanqi; Yang, Yong; Yang, Jing

2017-11-16

Electrophilic groups, such as Michael acceptors, expoxides, are common motifs in natural products (NPs). Electrophilic NPs can act through covalent modification of cysteinyl thiols on functional proteins, and exhibit potent cytotoxicity and anti-inflammatory/cancer activities. Here we describe a new chemoproteomic strategy, termed multiplexed thiol reactivity profiling (MTRP), and its use in target discovery of electrophilic NPs. We demonstrate the utility of MTRP by identifying cellular targets of gambogic acid, an electrophilic NP that is currently under evaluation in clinical trials as anticancer agent. Moreover, MTRP enables simultaneous comparison of seven structurally diversified α,β-unsaturated γ-lactones, which provides insights into the relative proteomic reactivity and target preference of diverse structural scaffolds coupled to a common electrophilic motif and reveals various potential druggable targets with liganded cysteines. We anticipate that this new method for thiol reactivity profiling in a multiplexed manner will find broad application in redox biology and drug discovery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The world's non-proliferation regime in time

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bunn, George

2005-01-01

The idea for a treaty to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons to more countries was supported unanimously by the UN General Assembly in 1961. The NPT permits the P-5 to have nuclear weapons. All other NPT signatories are 'non-nuclear-weapon States' who are prohibited from acquiring nuclear weapons. To gain their signatures, the NPT promises assistance to them in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy and negotiations toward nuclear disarmament. Besides the P-5, the treaty now has 184 countries that have promised not to have nuclear weapons and that have agreed to accept inspections by the IAEA to verify that they are carrying out their promises. However, India, Pakistan, and Israel refused to join the treaty, and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (North Korea) withdrew from it. Of these four countries, only India and Pakistan have tested nuclear weapons. Israel and North Korea are assumed to have them. The non-proliferation regime today includes much more than the NPT. The IAEA standards for inspection were the next most important element. The IAEA inspection requirements negotiated in the early 1970s were shown to be inadequate by Iraq's success in hiding its nuclear-weapon efforts before and during the Gulf War of 1991. The Additional Protocol of 1997 is slowly replacing these requirements, but, as of December 2004, was in effect in only 62 NPT member countries. The regime includes the agreements creating nuclear-weapon free zones in Africa, Latin America, Southeast Asia, the South Pacific, and Mongolia. The countries that formed these zones are also members of the NPT. The regime includes suggestions for standards and financial assistance plus requirements for physical protection of nuclear material from theft by terrorists or others. These efforts range from the Convention on Physical Protection of Nuclear Material, to the technical assistance provided by the IAEA and some countries, to the financial assistance offered by the G-8 and some other IAEA

Global Structural Flexibility of Metalloproteins Regulates Reactivity of Transition Metal Ion in the Protein Core: An Experimental Study Using Thiol-subtilisin as a Model Protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Matsuo, Takashi; Kono, Takamasa; Shobu, Isamu; Ishida, Masaya; Gonda, Katsuya; Hirota, Shun

2018-02-21

The functions of metal-containing proteins (metalloproteins) are determined by the reactivities of transition metal ions at their active sites. Because protein macromolecular structures have several molecular degrees of freedom, global structural flexibility may also regulate the properties of metalloproteins. However, the influence of this factor has not been fully delineated in mechanistic studies of metalloproteins. Accordingly, we have investigated the relationship between global protein flexibility and the characteristics of a transition metal ion in the protein core using thiol-subtilisin (tSTL) with a Cys-coordinated Cu 2+ ion as a model system. Although tSTL has two Ca 2+ -binding sites, the Ca 2+ -binding status hardly affects its secondary structure. Nevertheless, guanidinium-induced denaturation and amide H/D exchange indicated the increase in the structural flexibility of tSTL by the removal of bound Ca 2+ ions. Electron paramagnetic resonance and absorption spectral changes have revealed that the protein flexibility determines the characteristics of a Cu 2+ ion in tSTL. Therefore, global protein flexibility should be recognized as an important factor that regulates the properties of metalloproteins. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

The chemical foundations of nitroalkene fatty acid signaling through addition reactions with thiols.

Science.gov (United States)

Turell, Lucía; Steglich, Martina; Alvarez, Beatriz

2018-03-22

Nitroalkene fatty acids can be formed in vivo and administered exogenously. They exert pleiotropic signaling actions with cytoprotective and antiinflammatory effects. The presence of the potent electron withdrawing nitro group confers electrophilicity to the adjacent β-carbon. Thiols (precisely, thiolates) are strong nucleophiles and can react with nitroalkene fatty acids through reversible Michael addition reactions. In addition, nitroalkene fatty acids can undergo several other processes including metabolic oxidation, reduction, esterification, nitric oxide release and partition into hydrophobic compartments. The signaling actions of nitroalkenes are mainly mediated by reactions with critical thiols in regulatory proteins. Thus, the thio-Michael addition reaction provides a framework for understanding the molecular basis of the biological effects of nitroalkene fatty acids at the crossroads of thiol signaling and electrophilic lipid signaling. In this review, we describe the reactions of nitroalkene fatty acids in biological contexts. We focus on the Michael addition-elimination reaction with thiols and its mechanism, and extrapolate kinetic and thermodynamic considerations to in vivo settings. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thiol peroxidases mediate specific genome-wide regulation of gene expression in response to hydrogen peroxide

OpenAIRE

Fomenko, Dmitri E.; Koc, Ahmet; Agisheva, Natalia; Jacobsen, Michael; Kaya, Alaattin; Malinouski, Mikalai; Rutherford, Julian C.; Siu, Kam-Leung; Jin, Dong-Yan; Winge, Dennis R.; Gladyshev, Vadim N.

2011-01-01

Hydrogen peroxide is thought to regulate cellular processes by direct oxidation of numerous cellular proteins, whereas antioxidants, most notably thiol peroxidases, are thought to reduce peroxides and inhibit H2O2 response. However, thiol peroxidases have also been implicated in activation of transcription factors and signaling. It remains unclear if these enzymes stimulate or inhibit redox regulation and whether this regulation is widespread or limited to a few cellular components. Herein, w...

Integration of the thiol redox status with cytokine response to physical training in professional basketball players.

Science.gov (United States)

Zembron-Lacny, A; Slowinska-Lisowska, M; Ziemba, A

2010-01-01

The present study was designed to evaluate the plasma markers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) activity and cytokines, and their relationship with thiol redox status of basketball players during training. Sixteen professional players of the Polish Basketball Extraleague participated in the study. The study was performed during the preparatory period and the play-off round. Markers of ROS activity (lipid peroxidation TBARS, protein carbonylation PC) and reduced glutathione (GSH) demonstrated regularity over time, i.e. TBARS, PC and GSH were elevated at the beginning and decreased at the end of training periods. Oxidized glutathione (GSSG) was not affected by exercise training. Thiol redox status (GSH(total)-2GSSG/GSSG) correlated with TBARS and PC in both training periods. The level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) was increased and positively correlated with thiol redox (r=0.423) in the preparatory period, whereas tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) was increased and inversely correlated with thiol redox (r= 0.509) in the play-off round. The present study showed significant shifts in markers of ROS activity, thiol redox status and inflammatory mediators (IL-6, TNFalpha) following professional sport training as well as correlation between changes in thiol redox and cytokine response.

China's position on nuclear non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qian Jiadong.

1986-01-01

The paper discusses China's position on nuclear non-proliferation, in view of the fact that China does not subscribe to the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). China refuses to accede to the NPT because it considers the treaty to be discriminatory, and reasons are given for this point of view. However its stand for nuclear disarmament and disapproval of nuclear proliferation are declared. Nuclear arms race, prevention of nuclear war, and nuclear disarmament are also considered. (UK)

The Non-Proliferation Treaty increases security

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kahiluoto, K.

1995-01-01

Extension of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty indefinitely was a historic decision. The Treaty is the most extensive international agreement on security policy to date; now its obligations have become a permanent part of international justice. Moreover, the NPT represents a political and moral obligation. Through the NPT, the international community has made a permanent commitment to restrict the proliferation of nuclear weapons. Increasing pressures will be applied to the few countries still outside the NPT, making it more likely that these countries will eventually change their views. The likelihood of regional bans on nuclear weapons in the Middle East and in Asia, too, will increase. The Treaty promotes the establishment of new nuclear-free zones. The nuclear-free zone in Latin America - the countries covered by the Tlatelolco Treaty - is already very close to its full implementation. Finland is firmly committed to the obligations of the Non-Proliferation Treaty. The NPT Conference of 1995 was among the first international meetings in which Finland participated, and took an active role, as a Member State of the European Union. (orig.)

Thiol-yne/thiol-epoxy hybrid crosslinked materials based on propargyl modified hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) and diglycidylether of bisphenol A resins

OpenAIRE

Acebo Gorostiza, Cristina; Fernández Francos, Xavier; Ramis Juan, Xavier; Serra Albet, Àngels

2016-01-01

A novel curing methodology based on the combination of thiol-yne and thiol-epoxy click reactions has been developed. The curing process consists of a first photoinitiated thiol-yne reaction, followed by a thermal thiol-epoxy process. As alkyne substrate a new propargyl terminated hyperbranched poly(ethyleneimine) (PEIyne) has been synthesized from the reaction of commercial poly(ethylenimine) (PEI) and glycidyl propargyl ether. The evolution of the curing of different mixtures of PEIyne and d...

Adsorption characteristics of self-assembled thiol and dithiol layer on gold

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tlili, A.; Abdelghani, A.; Aguir, K.; Gillet, M.; Jaffrezic-Renault, N.

2007-01-01

Monolayers of functional proteins are important in many fields related to pure and applied biochemistry and biophysics. The formation of extended uniform protein monolayers by single- or multiple-step self-chemisorption depends on the quality of the functionalized gold surface. The optical and the electrical properties of the 1-nonanethiol and 1,9-nonanedithiol deposited on gold with the self-assembled technique were investigated. We use cyclic voltammetry and impedance spectroscopy to characterize the insulating properties of the two layers. The analysis of the impedance spectra in terms of equivalent circuit of the gold/electrolyte and gold/SAM/electrolyte interface allows defining the thickness of the two thiols and the percentage of coverage area. Atomic force microscopy, contact angle measurement and Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy have been used for homogeneity, hydrophobic properties and molecular structure of the formed thiols layer, respectively. The measured thickness with impedance spectroscopy fit well the results found with atomic force microscopy

Analysis of volatile thiols in alcoholic beverages by simultaneous derivatization/extraction and liquid chromatography-high resolution mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Vichi, Stefania; Cortés-Francisco, Nuria; Caixach, Josep

2015-05-15

A simultaneous derivatization/extraction method followed by liquid chromatography-electrospray-high resolution mass spectrometry for the determination of volatile thiols in hydroalcoholic matrixes was optimized and used to identify and quantify volatile thiols in wine and beer samples. The method was evaluated in terms of sensitivity, precision, accuracy and selectivity. The experimental LOQs of eleven thiols tested ranged between 0.01 ng/L and 10 ng/L. Intra-day relative standard deviation (RSD) was in general lower than 10% and inter-day RSD ranged between 10% and 30%. Recovery in the model and real matrixes ranged from 45% to 129%. The method was then applied for the analysis of four white wines and six beers. Five out of the eleven reference thiols were identified and quantified in the samples analyzed. The non-target approach, carried out by monitoring the diagnostic ion at m/z 275.9922 [C13H10ONSe](+) in the fragmentation spectrum, allowed detecting, in the same samples, fourteen non-target thiols. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Studies on alterations of the 86-rubidium efflux from rat pancreatic islets caused by thiol and thiol oxidants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wahl, M.A.

1983-01-01

The following findings were revealed by this study: 1) Oxidation-reduction (redox) of the intracellular system of glutathione influences the potassium efflux by way of an increase in the 86-rubidium efflux brought about by the oxidation of intracellular thiols. 2) The 86-rubidium efflux is not subject to change by oxidation of extracellular thiols located in the membrane, nor can it in any way be influenced by reduced glutathione of exogenous origin. 3) The potassium efflux from rat pancreatic islets, being generally known to trigger the electric activities of the beta-cell, is controlled by the oxidation-reduction of intracellular thiols rather than by that of extracellular thiols. (TRV) [de

A study on the establishment of national nuclear foreign policy -with reference to the strategy on the NPT extension and analysis of nuclear liability-

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oh, Keun Bae; Choi, Yeong Myeong; Ham, Chol Hoon; Lee, Kwang Seok; Lee, Byeong Uk; Lee, Jae Seong; Choi, Yeong Rok; Ko, Han Seok

1994-01-01

The overall objectives of this study are to analyze the international nuclear export control system and the international non-proliferation circumstance, to establish national strategies for the NPT extension, to suggest revisions of the IAEA Statute Article VI giving Korea permanent membership on the IAEA board of Governors, and to analyze and establish counter measurements for nuclear liability in verious fields. (Author)

Aroma extraction dilution analysis of Sauternes wines. Key role of polyfunctional thiols.

Science.gov (United States)

Bailly, Sabine; Jerkovic, Vesna; Marchand-Brynaert, Jacqueline; Collin, Sonia

2006-09-20

The aim of the present work was to investigate Sauternes wine aromas. In all wine extracts, polyfunctional thiols were revealed to have a huge impact. A very strong bacon-petroleum odor emerged at RI = 845 from a CP-Sil5-CB column. Two thiols proved to participate in this perception: 3-methyl-3-sulfanylbutanal and 2-methylfuran-3-thiol. A strong synergetic effect was evidenced between the two compounds. The former, never mentioned before in wines, and not found in the musts of this study, is most probably synthesized during fermentation. 3-Methylbut-2-ene-1-thiol, 3-sulfanylpropyl acetate, 3-sulfanylhexan-1-ol, and 3-sulfanylheptanal also contribute to the global aromas of Sauternes wines. Among other key odorants, the presence of a varietal aroma (alpha-terpineol), sotolon, fermentation alcohols (3-methylbutan-1-ol and 2-phenylethanol) and esters (ethyl butyrate, ethyl hexanoate, and ethyl isovalerate), carbonyls (trans-non-2-enal and beta-damascenone), and wood flavors (guaiacol, vanillin, eugenol, beta-methyl-gamma-octalactone, and Furaneol) is worth stressing.

A structurally driven analysis of thiol reactivity in mammalian albumins.

Science.gov (United States)

Spiga, Ottavia; Summa, Domenico; Cirri, Simone; Bernini, Andrea; Venditti, Vincenzo; De Chiara, Matteo; Priora, Raffaella; Frosali, Simona; Margaritis, Antonios; Di Giuseppe, Danila; Di Simplicio, Paolo; Niccolai, Neri

2011-04-01

Understanding the structural basis of protein redox activity is still an open question. Hence, by using a structural genomics approach, different albumins have been chosen to correlate protein structural features with the corresponding reaction rates of thiol exchange between albumin and disulfide DTNB. Predicted structures of rat, porcine, and bovine albumins have been compared with the experimentally derived human albumin. High structural similarity among these four albumins can be observed, in spite of their markedly different reactivity with DTNB. Sequence alignments offered preliminary hints on the contributions of sequence-specific local environments modulating albumin reactivity. Molecular dynamics simulations performed on experimental and predicted albumin structures reveal that thiolation rates are influenced by hydrogen bonding pattern and stability of the acceptor C34 sulphur atom with donor groups of nearby residues. Atom depth evolution of albumin C34 thiol groups has been monitored during Molecular Dynamic trajectories. The most reactive albumins appeared also the ones presenting the C34 sulphur atom on the protein surface with the highest accessibility. High C34 sulphur atom reactivity in rat and porcine albumins seems to be determined by the presence of additional positively charged amino acid residues favoring both the C34 S⁻ form and the approach of DTNB. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Fabrication and bonding of thiol-ene-based microfluidic devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sikanen, Tiina M; Moilanen, Maria-Elisa; Lafleur, Josiane P; Zhuang, Guisheng; Jensen, Thomas G; Kutter, Jörg P

2013-01-01

In this work, the bonding strength of microchips fabricated by thiol-ene free-radical polymerization was characterized in detail by varying the monomeric thiol/allyl composition from the stoichiometric ratio (1:1) up to 100% excess of thiol (2:1) or allyl (1:2) functional groups. Four different thiol-ene to thiol-ene bonding combinations were tested by bonding: (i) two stoichiometric layers, (ii) two layers bearing complementary excess of thiols and allyls, (iii) two layers both bearing excess of thiols, or (iv) two layers both bearing excess of allyls. The results showed that the stiffness of the cross-linked polymer plays the most crucial role regarding the bonding strength. The most rigid polymer layers were obtained by using the stoichiometric composition or an excess of allyls, and thus, the bonding combinations (i) and (iv) withstood the highest pressures (up to the cut-off value of 6 bar). On the other hand, excess of thiol monomers yielded more elastic polymer layers and thus decreased the pressure tolerance for bonding combinations (ii) and (iii). By using monomers with more thiol groups (e.g. tetrathiol versus trithiol), a higher cross-linking ratio, and thus, greater stiffness was obtained. Surface characterization by infrared spectroscopy confirmed that the changes in the monomeric thiol/allyl composition were also reflected in the surface chemistry. The flexibility of being able to bond different types of thiol-enes together allows for tuning of the surface chemistry to yield the desired properties for each application. Here, a capillary electrophoresis separation is performed to demonstrate the attractive properties of stoichiometric thiol-ene microchips. (technical note)

TOWARDS FULFILLMENT OF FUNDAMENTAL RULES OF HUMANITARIAN LAW IN THE CONTEXT OF THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

s. Bagheri

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT is an international treaty that should be implemented during both peace and wartime. However, the obligations included in the treaty are dependent upon states' attitudes regarding other issues. Non-use of nuclear weapons is directly related to negotiations done for the purpose of non-proliferation of nuclear weapons, non-production or accumulation by other means and disarmament. In our day, prevention of the proliferation of nuclear weapons has been one of the issues of international law.The present study is of crucial significance due to its endeavor to clarify the general principles of Humanitarian Law in a relationship to the threat of nuclear weapons' up to now, a special norm; significantly limiting or completely prohibiting the use of nuclear weapons, has not been accepted in international law. However, customary international humanitarian law regarding the use of nuclear weapons holds great value because of its purpose in eliminating nuclear weapons as a means of war through ascertaining their non-use and also appeasing the importance of nuclear ascendancy. In this respect, the NPT regime and its relationship with international humanitarian law will be discussed. Firstly, the NPT background, formation, main objectives and principles will be analyzed. In order to evaluate the relationship between the NPT and humanitarian law, the humanitarian obligations in general, humanitarian obligations in the context of the NPT and fulfillmen t of these obligations under the NPT should be studied. One of the main parts of the study is nuclear disarmament obligation included in the NPT. In this section, nuclear disarmament obligation in the context of the NPT and the legal framework of possible, general and comprehensive disarmament will be examined.

Reversible inactivation of CO dehydrogenase with thiol compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kreß, Oliver [Department of Microbiology, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth (Germany); Gnida, Manuel [Department of Chemistry, University of Paderborn, 33098 Paderborn (Germany); Pelzmann, Astrid M. [Department of Microbiology, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth (Germany); Marx, Christian [Institute of Biochemistry and Biophysics, Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, 07745 Jena (Germany); Meyer-Klaucke, Wolfram [Department of Chemistry, University of Paderborn, 33098 Paderborn (Germany); Meyer, Ortwin, E-mail: Ortwin.Meyer@uni-bayreuth.de [Department of Microbiology, University of Bayreuth, 95440 Bayreuth (Germany)

2014-05-09

Highlights: • Rather large thiols (e.g. coenzyme A) can reach the active site of CO dehydrogenase. • CO- and H{sub 2}-oxidizing activity of CO dehydrogenase is inhibited by thiols. • Inhibition by thiols was reversed by CO or upon lowering the thiol concentration. • Thiols coordinate the Cu ion in the [CuSMo(=O)OH] active site as a third ligand. - Abstract: Carbon monoxide dehydrogenase (CO dehydrogenase) from Oligotropha carboxidovorans is a structurally characterized member of the molybdenum hydroxylase enzyme family. It catalyzes the oxidation of CO (CO + H{sub 2}O → CO{sub 2} + 2e{sup −} + 2H{sup +}) which proceeds at a unique [CuSMo(=O)OH] metal cluster. Because of changing activities of CO dehydrogenase, particularly in subcellular fractions, we speculated whether the enzyme would be subject to regulation by thiols (RSH). Here we establish inhibition of CO dehydrogenase by thiols and report the corresponding K{sub i}-values (mM): L-cysteine (5.2), D-cysteine (9.7), N-acetyl-L-cysteine (8.2), D,L-homocysteine (25.8), L-cysteine–glycine (2.0), dithiothreitol (4.1), coenzyme A (8.3), and 2-mercaptoethanol (9.3). Inhibition of the enzyme was reversed by CO or upon lowering the thiol concentration. Electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy (EPR) and X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) of thiol-inhibited CO dehydrogenase revealed a bimetallic site in which the RSH coordinates to the Cu-ion as a third ligand ([Mo{sup VI}(=O)OH{sub (2)}SCu{sup I}(SR)S-Cys]) leaving the redox state of the Cu(I) and the Mo(VI) unchanged. Collectively, our findings establish a regulation of CO dehydrogenase activity by thiols in vitro. They also corroborate the hypothesis that CO interacts with the Cu-ion first. The result that thiol compounds much larger than CO can freely travel through the substrate channel leading to the bimetallic cluster challenges previous concepts involving chaperone function and is of importance for an understanding how the sulfuration step in

Dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis in patients with basal cell carcinoma.

Science.gov (United States)

Demirseren, Duriye Deniz; Cicek, Cagla; Alisik, Murat; Demirseren, Mustafa Erol; Aktaş, Akın; Erel, Ozcan

2017-09-01

The aim of this study is to measure and compare the dynamic thiol/disulphide homeostasis of patients with basal cell carcinoma and healthy subjects with a newly developed and original method. Thirty four patients attending our outpatient clinic and clinically and histopathologically diagnosed as nodular basal cell carcinoma, and age and gender matched 30 healthy individuals have been involved in the study. Thiol/disulphide homeostasis tests have been measured with a novel automatic spectrophotometric method developed and the results have been compared statistically. Serum native thiol and disulphide levels in the patient and control group show a considerable variance statistically (p = 0.028, 0.039, respectively). Total thiol levels do not reveal a considerable variation (p = 0.094). Disulphide/native thiol ratios and native thiol/total thiol ratios also show a considerable variance statistically (p = 0.012, 0.013, 0.010, respectively). Thiol disulphide homeostasis in patients with basal cell carcinoma alters in the way that disulphide gets lower and thiols get higher. Thiol/disulphide level is likely to have a role in basal cell carcinoma pathogenesis.

Switching Between the NVT and NpT Ensembles Using the Reweighting and Reconstruction Scheme

KAUST Repository

Kadoura, Ahmad Salim; Salama, Amgad; Sun, Shuyu

2015-01-01

thermodynamic conditions from a single MC Markov chain. The latter scheme, was first developed to extrapolate quantities in NV T ensemble for struc- tureless Lennard-Jones particles. However, it is evident that for most real life applications the NpT ensemble

Non-proliferation and advances in nuclear science

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Iyengar, P.K.

1995-01-01

So far, the non-proliferation treaty (NPT) has concentrated on safeguard regimes based on technologies relating to the production of uranium and plutonium in nuclear reactors, and on their potential diversion for use in nuclear weapons. As nuclear science advances, however, nuclear technology both peaceful and for weapons will change, and for the NPT to remain relevant, it must reflect these changes. At this juncture, when the NPT is coming up for review in a year's time, it is important for physicists to take a fresh look at recent advances in nuclear science, and inform the policy-makers and the public at large about their potential for impacting nuclear technology in the future. In this article a few such advances are highlighted and their implications for the NPT are considered. (author). 4 refs

Novel thiols of prokaryotes.

Science.gov (United States)

Fahey, R C

2001-01-01

Glutathione metabolism is associated with oxygenic cyanobacteria and the oxygen-utilizing purple bacteria, but is absent in many other prokaryotes. This review focuses on novel thiols found in those bacteria lacking glutathione. Included are glutathione amide and its perthiol, produced by phototrophic purple sulfur bacteria and apparently involved in their sulfide metabolism. Among archaebacteria, coenzyme M (2-mercaptoethanesulfonic acid) and coenzyme B (7-mercaptoheptanoylthreonine phosphate) play central roles in the anaerobic production of CH4 and associated energy conversion by methanogens, whereas the major thiol in the aerobic phototrophic halobacteria is gamma-glutamylcysteine. The highly aerobic actinomycetes produce mycothiol, a conjugate of N-acetylcysteine with a pseudodisaccharide of glucosamine and myo-inositol, AcCys-GlcNalpha(1 --> 1)Ins, which appears to play an antioxidant role similar to glutathione. Ergothioneine, also produced by actinomycetes, remains a mystery despite many years of study. Available data on the biosynthesis and metabolism of these and other novel thiols is summarized and key areas for additional study are identified.

No impact of transgenic nptII-leafy Pinus radiata (Pinales: Pinaceae) on Pseudocoremia suavis (Lepidoptera: Geometridae) or its endoparasitoid Meteorus pulchricornis (Hymenoptera: Braconidae).

Science.gov (United States)

Burgess, E P J; Barraclough, E I; Kean, A M; Walter, C; Malone, L A

2011-10-01

To investigate the biosafety to insects of transgenic Pinus radiata D. Don containing the antibiotic resistance marker gene nptII and the reproductive control gene leafy, bioassays were conducted with an endemic lepidopteran pest of New Zealand plantation pine forests and a hymenopteran endoparasitoid. Larvae of the common forest looper, Pseudocoremia suavis (Butler), were fed from hatching on P. radiata needles from either one of two nptII-leafy transgenic clones, or an isogenic unmodified control line. For both unparasitized P. suavis and those parasitized by Meteorus pulchricornis (Wesmael), consuming transgenic versus control pine had no impact on larval growth rate or mass at any age, larval duration, survival, pupation or successful emergence as an adult. Total larval duration was 1 d (3%) longer in larvae fed nptII-2 than nptII-1, but this difference was considered trivial and neither differed from the control. In unparasitized P. suavis larvae, pine type consumed did not affect rate of pupation or adult emergence, pupal mass, or pupal duration. Pine type had no effect on the duration or survival of M. pulchricornis larval or pupal stages, mass of cocoons, stage at which they died, adult emergence, or fecundity. Parasitism by M. pulchricornis reduced P. suavis larval growth rate, increased the duration of the third larval stadium, and resulted in the death of all host larvae before pupation. The lack of impact of an exclusive diet of nptII-leafy transgenic pines on the life history of P. suavis and M. pulchricornis suggests that transgenic plantation pines expressing nptII are unlikely to affect insect populations in the field.

THE ROLE AND RATIONALE OF THE NUCLEAR NON-PROLIFERATION TREATY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tom COPPEN

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Much has been written about perceived weaknesses of the NPT and the challenges it has been facing over the last decades. Analysing the most important provisions of the NPT, this article demonstrates how the treaty has managed to maintain its central role in the non-proliferation regime since its conclusion, and how it retains enough flexibility within its review mechanism and its managerial approach to supervision to keep this position for the decades to come. The theoretical framework of the article is formed by theory of arms control law, relevant features of which are: a large influence of politics and national interests of states on the rule of law; its flexible yet treaty-based nature; and the distinctive role of supervision in order to ensure compliance with primary rules. The article analyses key NPT provisions. Based on Article VIII, the NPT Review Conferences have both an important political and legal function. They are the NPT’s mechanism for review, implementation and supervision; in legal terms, they enable the evolution of the NPT based on subsequent agreement and practice. The NPT articles on non-proliferation and disarmament illustrate how the NPT has evolved to close off loopholes (Articles I and II and retains its flexibility whilst providing a global platform for negotiations on nuclear disarmament (Article VI. Article III evolved and must be understood to oblige NPT states to sign an Additional Protocol (AP with the IAEA. Article IV sets the parameters for the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, but leaves room for negotiation and conflict. The supervision of the NPT, illustrated by the case of Iran, is a complicated process involving international organisations such as the IAEA and the UNSC; while these may play important roles, however, the enforcement of the NPT is ultimately left to the NPT states themselves.

Probing the conformational energetics of alkyl thiols on gold surfaces by means of a morphing/steering non-equilibrium tool.

Science.gov (United States)

Piserchia, Andrea; Zerbetto, Mirco; Frezzato, Diego

2015-03-28

In this work we show that a non-equilibrium statistical tool based on Jarzynski's equality (JE) can be applied to achieve a sufficiently accurate mapping of the torsion free energy, bond-by-bond, for an alkyl thiol ligand tethered to a gold surface and sensing the presence of the surrounding cluster of similar chains. The strength of our approach is the employment of a strategy to let grow the internal energetics of the whole system (namely, the "energy morphing" stage recently presented by us in J. Comput. Chem., 2014, 35, 1865-1881) before initiating the rotational steering, which yields accurate results in terms of statistical uncertainties and bias on the free energy profiles. The work is mainly methodological and illustrates the feasibility of this kind of inspection on nanoscale molecular clusters with conformational flexibility. The outcomes for the archetype of self-assembled-monolayers considered here, a regular pattern of 10-carbon alkyl thiols on an ideal gold surface, give information on the conformational mobility of the ligands. Notably, such information is unlikely to be obtained by means of standard equilibrium techniques or by conventional molecular dynamics simulations.

Formation of Underbrushes on thiolated Poly (ethylene glycol) PEG monolayers by Oligoethylene glycol (OEG) terminated Alkane Thiols on Gold

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lokanathan, Arcot R.

2011-01-01

Adding underbrushes of oligoethylene glycol (OEG) to monolayers of long chain PEG molecules on a surface is one of the strategies [1] in designing a suitable platform for antifouling purpose, where it is possible to have high graft density and molecular conformational freedom[4] simultaneously......, there by maximal retention of activity of covalently immobilised antifouling enzyme [2] on PEG surfaces along with resistance to protein adsorption[3]. Here we present some our studies on the addition of OEG thiol molecules over a self assembled monolayer of PEG thiol on gold. The kinetics of addition of OEG thiol...

IAEA Director General welcomes Cuba's intention to join the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Full text: IAEA Director General Mohamed ElBaradei welcomed Cuba's announcement to accede to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) and to ratify the Treaty of Tlatelolco establishing a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Latin America and the Caribbean. He expressed the hope that Cuba will conclude soon a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the Agency, as required under Article III of the NPT. 'With Cuba's intention to become party to the NPT, we have come a step closer to a universal nuclear non-proliferation regime,' Mr. ElBaradei said. Only three countries worldwide with significant nuclear activities now remain outside the NPT. With 188 countries party to the Treaty, the NPT is the most adhered to international agreement after the United Nations Charter and the most widely adhered to multilateral arms control treaty. The NPT makes it mandatory that all non-nuclear-weapon States conclude comprehensive safeguards agreements with the IAEA, and thus put all of their nuclear material under IAEA safeguards. The Director General also welcomed Cuba's ratification of the Tlatelolco Treaty, which completes the process of having all countries in the region of Latin America and the Caribbean as members of the nuclear-weapon-free zone in that region. Mr. ElBaradei said that, 'the Tlatelolco Treaty provides a good model for other regional nuclear-weapon-free zones to follow'. He added that 'universal adherence of all countries in regions having nuclear-weapon-free zone arrangements is important to further strengthen the non-proliferation regime'. (IAEA)

Fabrication and bonding of thiol-ene-based microfluidic devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sikanen, Tiina M; Lafleur, Josiane P.; Moilanen, Maria-Elisa

2013-01-01

In this work, the bonding strength of microchips fabricated by thiol-ene free-radical polymerization was characterized in detail by varying the monomeric thiol/allyl composition from the stoichiometric ratio (1:1) up to 100% excess of thiol (2:1) or allyl (1:2) functional groups. Four different...... properties for each application. Here, a capillary electrophoresis separation is performed to demonstrate the attractive properties of stoichiometric thiol-ene microchips....

Low molecular weight thiols and thioredoxins are important players in Hg(II) resistance in Thermus thermophilus HB27.

Science.gov (United States)

Norambuena, J; Wang, Y; Hanson, T; Boyd, J M; Barkay, T

2017-11-17

Mercury (Hg), one of the most toxic and widely distributed heavy metals, has a high affinity for thiol groups. Thiol groups reduce and sequester Hg. Therefore, low molecular weight and protein thiols may be important cell components used in Hg resistance. To date, the role of low molecular weight thiols in Hg-detoxification remains understudied. The mercury resistance ( mer ) operon of Thermus thermophilus suggests an evolutionary link between Hg(II) resistance and low molecular weight thiol metabolism. This mer operon encodes for an enzyme involved in methionine biosynthesis, Oah. Challenge with Hg(II) resulted in increased expression of genes involved in the biosynthesis of multiple low molecular weight thiols (cysteine, homocysteine, and bacillithiol), as well as the thioredoxin system. Phenotypic analysis of gene replacement mutants indicated that Oah contributes to Hg resistance under sulfur limiting conditions, and strains lacking bacillithiol and/or thioredoxins are more sensitive to Hg(II) than the wild type. Growth in presence of either a thiol oxidizing agent or a thiol alkylating agent increased sensitivity to Hg(II). Furthermore, exposure to 3 μM Hg(II) consumed all intracellular reduced bacillithiol and cysteine. Database searches indicate that oah2 is present in all Thermus spp. mer operons. The presence of a thiol related gene was also detected in some alphaprotobacterial mer operons, in which a glutathione reductase gene was present, supporting the role of thiols in Hg(II) detoxification. These results have led to a working model in which LMW thiols act as Hg(II) buffering agents while Hg is reduced by MerA. Importance The survival of microorganisms in presence of toxic metals is central to life's sustainability. The affinity of thiol groups to toxic heavy metals drives microbe-metal interactions and modulate metal toxicity. Mercury detoxification ( mer ) genes likely originated early in microbial evolution among geothermal environments. Little is

One-step fabrication of PEGylated fluorescent nanodiamonds through the thiol-ene click reaction and their potential for biological imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Hongye; Liu, Meiying; Tuo, Xun; Chen, Junyu; Mao, Liucheng; Wen, Yuanqing; Tian, Jianwen; Zhou, Naigen; Zhang, Xiaoyong; Wei, Yen

2018-05-01

Over the past years, fluorescent carbon nanoparticles have got growing interest for biological imaging. Fluorescent nanodiamonds (FNDs) are novel fluorescent carbon nanoparticles with multitudinous useful properties, including remarkable fluorescence properties, extremely low toxicity and high refractive index. However, facile preparation of FNDs with designable properties and functions from non-fluorescent detonation nanodiamonds (DNDs) has demonstrated to be challengeable. In this work, we reported for the first time that preparation of Polyethylene glycol (PEG) functionalized FNDs through a one-step thiol-ene click reaction using thiol containing PEG (PEG-SH) as the coating agent. Based on the characterization results, we demonstrated that PEG-SH could be efficiently introduced on DNDs to obtain FNDs through the thiol-ene click chemistry. The resultant FND-PEG composites showed high water dispersibility, strong fluorescence and low cytotoxicity. Moreover, FND-PEG composites could be internalized by cells and displayed good cell dyeing performance. All of these features implied that FND-PEG composites are of great potential for biological imaging. Taken together, a facile one-step strategy based on the one-step thiol-ene click reaction has been developed for efficient preparation of FND-PEG composites from non-fluorescent DNDs. The strategy should be also useful for fabrication of many other functional FNDs via using different thiol containing compounds for the universality of thiol-ene click reaction.

Pharmacological aspects of application of 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol furan derivatives

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

O. A. Bihdan

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Introduction. Nowadays 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol furan derivatives have established themselves as a separate class of promising bioactive compounds. Presented substance is practically non-toxic and exhibits various kinds of pharmacological activity. New original drug «Tryfuzol» in two dosage forms (1% injectable solution and 1% solution for oral administration triumphantly entered the practice of the national veterinary. The most attractive in pharmacological aspects are water-soluble compounds 5-(furan-2-yl-4R-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiols. Other classes of 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol furan derivatives are also in considerable scientific interest. However, despite the presence of a sufficiently large number of publications, the issue of pharmacological tests systematization of the 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol furan derivatives is still open. In this way the aim of our work was the systematization of the available sources of domestic authors. Materials and methods. Our work presents the results of systematic analysis of the available domestic literature related to the study of pharmacological properties of 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol furan derivatives. Research results. It is known that 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol furan derivatives have wide range of properties and biological activities. Thioacetate salts of corresponding acids show the highest results. The authors investigated the properties of water-soluble compounds of 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol furan derivatives. Another group of compounds was investigated on hypoglycemic activity. It was established that the most active were piperidine 2-(5-(furan-2-yl-4-(3-methylphenyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylthio acetate and piperidine 2-(5-(furan-2-yl-4-phenyl-1,2,4-triazol-3-ylthio acetate. Conclusion. The scientific potential of the domestic pharmaceutical industry has no doubts for today. The literature analysis of Russian authors proves the obvious prospect of further research of biologically active compounds among 1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol

The treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and the process for its enhanced review on the eve of the 2000 review conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pinel, C.

2000-01-01

This article sets out the principle and essentials of the process for reviewing the operation of the non-proliferation treaty (NPT). The NPT was opened for signature on 1 July 1968 and came into force on 5 March 1970. In 1995 the NPT was extended. The 2000 review conference is of considerable importance for the future of the nuclear non-proliferation regime, particularly in the light of the fact that after the indefinite and unconditional extension of the treaty, the non-nuclear-weapon states urged the nuclear-weapon states to take new steps towards nuclear disarmament. This article presents a review of the 30 year period of the application of NPT

Surface modification of cyclomatrix polyphosphazene microsphere by thiol-ene chemistry and lectin recognition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Chen; Zhu, Xue-yan; Gao, Qiao-ling; Fang, Fei; Huang, Xiao-jun

2016-01-01

glucosyl microspheres. Thus, the thiol-ene modified polyphosphazene microspheres displayed chemical flexibility in post-functionalization. These microspheres can be potentially applicated in enzyme immobilization, protein adsorption and chromatographic separation.

Surface modification of cyclomatrix polyphosphazene microsphere by thiol-ene chemistry and lectin recognition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Chen; Zhu, Xue-yan; Gao, Qiao-ling; Fang, Fei; Huang, Xiao-jun, E-mail: hxjzxh@zju.edu.cn

2016-11-30

glucosyl microspheres. Thus, the thiol-ene modified polyphosphazene microspheres displayed chemical flexibility in post-functionalization. These microspheres can be potentially applicated in enzyme immobilization, protein adsorption and chromatographic separation.

A Search for Interstellar Monohydric Thiols

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gorai, Prasanta; Das, Ankan; Das, Amaresh; Chakrabarti, Sandip K. [Indian Centre for Space Physics, 43 Chalantika, Garia Station Rd., Kolkata, 700084 (India); Sivaraman, Bhalamurugan [Atomic Molecular and Optical Physics Division, Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad, 380009 (India); Etim, Emmanuel E., E-mail: ankan.das@gmail.com [Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, 560012 (India)

2017-02-10

It has been pointed out by various astronomers that a very interesting relationship exists between interstellar alcohols and the corresponding thiols (sulfur analog of alcohols) as far as the spectroscopic properties and chemical abundances are concerned. Monohydric alcohols such as methanol and ethanol are widely observed and 1-propanol was recently claimed to have been seen in Orion KL. Among the monohydric thiols, methanethiol (chemical analog of methanol) has been firmly detected in Orion KL and Sgr B2(N2) and ethanethiol (chemical analog of ethanol) has been observed in Sgr B2(N2), though the confirmation of this detection is yet to come. It is very likely that higher order thiols could be observed in these regions. In this paper, we study the formation of monohydric alcohols and their thiol analogs. Based on our quantum chemical calculation and chemical modeling, we find that the Tg conformer of 1-propanethiol is a good candidate of astronomical interest. We present various spectroscopically relevant parameters of this molecule to assist in its future detection in the interstellar medium.

Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Thiol-ene-Based Photopolymerized Networks

OpenAIRE

Schreck, Kathleen M.; Leung, Diana; Bowman, Christopher N.

2011-01-01

The thiol-ene reaction serves as a more oxygen tolerant alternative to traditional (meth)acrylate chemistry for forming photopolymerized networks with numerous desirable attributes including energy absorption, optical clarity, and reduced shrinkage stress. However, when utilizing commercially available monomers, many thiol-ene networks also exhibit decreases in properties such as glass transition temperature (Tg) and crosslink density. In this study, hybrid organic/inorganic thiol-ene resins ...

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

Biomimetic surface modification of polypropylene by surface chain transfer reaction based on mussel-inspired adhesion technology and thiol chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niu, Zhijun; Zhao, Yang; Sun, Wei; Shi, Suqing, E-mail: shisq@nwu.edu.cn; Gong, Yongkuan

2016-11-15

Highlights: • Biomimetic surface modification of PP was successfully conducted by integrating mussel-inspired technology, thiol chemistry and cell outer membranes-like structures. • The resultant biomimetic surface exhibits good interface and surface stability. • The obvious suppression of protein adsorption and platelet adhesion is also achieved. • The residue thoil groups on the surface could be further functionalized. - Abstract: Biomimetic surface modification of polypropylene (PP) is conducted by surface chain transfer reaction based on the mussel-inspired versatile adhesion technology and thiol chemistry, using 2-methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine (MPC) as a hydrophilic monomer mimicking the cell outer membrane structure and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator in ethanol. A layer of polydopamine (PDA) is firstly deposited onto PP surface, which not only offers good interfacial adhesion with PP, but also supplies secondary reaction sites (-NH{sub 2}) to covalently anchor thiol groups onto PP surface. Then the radical chain transfer to surface-bonded thiol groups and surface re-initiated polymerization of MPC lead to the formation of a thin layer of polymer brush (PMPC) with cell outer membrane mimetic structure on PP surface. X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle measurements are used to characterize the PP surfaces before and after modification. The protein adsorption and platelet adhesion experiments are also employed to evaluate the interactions of PP surface with biomolecules. The results show that PMPC is successfully grafted onto PP surface. In comparison with bare PP, the resultant PP-PMPC surface exhibits greatly improved protein and platelet resistance performance, which is the contribution of both increased surface hydrophilicity and zwitterionic structure. More importantly, the residue thiol groups on PP-PMPC surface create a new pathway to further functionalize such

Biomimetic surface modification of polypropylene by surface chain transfer reaction based on mussel-inspired adhesion technology and thiol chemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niu, Zhijun; Zhao, Yang; Sun, Wei; Shi, Suqing; Gong, Yongkuan

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Biomimetic surface modification of PP was successfully conducted by integrating mussel-inspired technology, thiol chemistry and cell outer membranes-like structures. • The resultant biomimetic surface exhibits good interface and surface stability. • The obvious suppression of protein adsorption and platelet adhesion is also achieved. • The residue thoil groups on the surface could be further functionalized. - Abstract: Biomimetic surface modification of polypropylene (PP) is conducted by surface chain transfer reaction based on the mussel-inspired versatile adhesion technology and thiol chemistry, using 2-methacryloyloxyethylphosphorylcholine (MPC) as a hydrophilic monomer mimicking the cell outer membrane structure and 2,2-azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN) as initiator in ethanol. A layer of polydopamine (PDA) is firstly deposited onto PP surface, which not only offers good interfacial adhesion with PP, but also supplies secondary reaction sites (-NH 2 ) to covalently anchor thiol groups onto PP surface. Then the radical chain transfer to surface-bonded thiol groups and surface re-initiated polymerization of MPC lead to the formation of a thin layer of polymer brush (PMPC) with cell outer membrane mimetic structure on PP surface. X-ray photoelectron spectrophotometer (XPS), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and water contact angle measurements are used to characterize the PP surfaces before and after modification. The protein adsorption and platelet adhesion experiments are also employed to evaluate the interactions of PP surface with biomolecules. The results show that PMPC is successfully grafted onto PP surface. In comparison with bare PP, the resultant PP-PMPC surface exhibits greatly improved protein and platelet resistance performance, which is the contribution of both increased surface hydrophilicity and zwitterionic structure. More importantly, the residue thiol groups on PP-PMPC surface create a new pathway to further functionalize such

Non-proliferation through effective international control. Report of working group I

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, S.E.

1993-01-01

Working Group I focused on two issues: the nuclear non-proliferation regime and the Missile Technology Regime (MTCR). There was wide agreement within the Group on a number of factors that will strongly influence the prospects for the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) extension Conference. Two points stood out as particularly important: first, emphasis on the obligations for nuclear Powers to move in good faith in direction of nuclear disarmament; and second, inadequacy of security guarantees to non-nuclear States associated with the NPT

Synthesis and characterization of thiol-ene functionalized siloxanes and evaluation of their polymerization kinetics, network properties, and dental applications

Science.gov (United States)

Cole, Megan A.

We explored formation-structure-property relationships in thiol-ene functionalized oligosiloxanes to create crosslinked networks. Specifically, nine oligomers were synthesized, three with thiol-functional silane repeats and three with allyl-functional silane repeats. Structural variations in each oligomer were systematically induced through the incorporation of non-reactive repeats bearing either diphenyl or di-n-octyl moieties, and the oligomer molecular weight was limited by the presence of monofunctional silane condensation species. The molecular weights and chain compositions of all oligomers were ascertained and subsequently used in the evaluation of network properties formed upon photopolymerization of thiol- and ene-functional reactants. Polymerization kinetics of the thiol-ene functionalized siloxanes were also investigated using photoinitiation owing to the spatial and temporal control afforded by this technique. In particular, the effects of the viscosity of the ene-functionalized oligomer and the degree of thiol functionalization on the observed polymerization rate were determined. Results showed that the speed of polymerization varied with changes to the rate-limiting step, which was heavily influenced by neighboring non-reactive functionalities. Moreover, the thiol-ene reaction was found to exhibity unimolecular termination exclusively in siloxane-based systems. Proposed use of the thiol-ene functionalized siloxane system as a dental impression material necessitated the development of a redox initiation scheme. Evaluation of the benzoylperoxide/dimethyl-p-toluidine redox pair in traditional systems showed bulk thiol-ene polymerizations comparable to photoinitiation with the added advantage of uninhibited depth control, as also demonstrated in small molecule thiol-ene coupling reactions initiated by this same redox system. Application of the redox pair to the siloxane system allowed for the viscoelastic properties as well as the feature replication

The year 2000 examination conference of the non-proliferation treaty and the future of the nuclear non-proliferation regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grand, C.

2001-01-01

The nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty (NPT), signed on July 1, 1968 and enforced on March 5, 1970, has been progressively considered as the headstone of the international non-proliferation and disarmament regime. The sixth NPT examination conference took place at New York (USA) in the year 2000, 5 years after the previous conference but also after the first nuclear weapon tests of India and Pakistan. This article recalls up the main non-proliferation events that took place between the 1995 and 2000 conferences and presents the progresses and results of the New York conference. Finally, it wonders about the ambiguities in the conclusions of this last conference. (J.S.)

Chemistry and stability of thiol based polyethylene glycol surface coatings on colloidal gold and their relationship to protein adsorption and clearance in vivo

Science.gov (United States)

Carpinone, Paul

Nanomaterials have presented a wide range of novel biomedical applications, with particular emphasis placed on advances in imaging and treatment delivery. Of the many particulate nanomaterials researched for biomedical applications, gold is one of the most widely used. Colloidal gold has been of great interest due to its chemical inertness and its ability to perform multiple functions, such as drug delivery, localized heating of tissues (hyperthermia), and imaging (as a contrast agent). It is also readily functionalized through the use of thiols, which spontaneously form sulfur to gold bonds with the surface. Polyethylene glycol (PEG) is the most widely used coating material for these particles as it provides both steric stability to the suspension and protein resistance. These properties extend the circulation time of the particles in blood, and consequently the efficacy of the treatment. Despite widespread use of PEG coated gold particles, the coating chemistry and stability of these particles are largely unknown. The goal of this work was to identify the mechanisms leading to degradation and stability of thiol based polyethylene glycol coatings on gold particles and to relate this behavior to protein adsorption and clearance in vivo. The results indicate that the protective PEG coating is susceptible to sources of oxidation (including dissolved oxygen) and competing adsorbates, among other factors. The quality of commercially available thiolated PEG reagents was also found to play a key role in the quality and protein resistance of the final PEG coating. Analysis of the stability of these coatings indicated that they rapidly degrade under physiological conditions, leading to the onset of protein adsorption when exposed to plasma or blood. Paralleling the protein adsorption behavior and onset of coating degradation observed in vitro, blood clearance of parenterally administered PEG coated particles in mice began after approximately 2h of circulation time. Taken

Hydrogen sulfide deactivates common nitrobenzofurazan-based fluorescent thiol labeling reagents.

Science.gov (United States)

Montoya, Leticia A; Pluth, Michael D

2014-06-17

Sulfhydryl-containing compounds, including thiols and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), play important but differential roles in biological structure and function. One major challenge in separating the biological roles of thiols and H2S is developing tools to effectively separate the reactivity of these sulfhydryl-containing compounds. To address this challenge, we report the differential responses of common electrophilic fluorescent thiol labeling reagents, including nitrobenzofurazan-based scaffolds, maleimides, alkylating agents, and electrophilic aldehydes, toward cysteine and H2S. Although H2S reacted with all of the investigated scaffolds, the photophysical response to each scaffold was significantly different. Maleimide-based, alkylating, and aldehydic thiol labeling reagents provided a diminished fluorescence response when treated with H2S. By contrast, nitrobenzofurazan-based labeling reagents were deactivated by H2S addition. Furthermore, the addition of H2S to thiol-activated nitrobenzofurazan-based reagents reduced the fluorescence signal, thus establishing the incompatibility of nitrobenzofurazan-based thiol labeling reagents in the presence of H2S. Taken together, these studies highlight the differential reactivity of thiols and H2S toward common thiol-labeling reagents and suggest that sufficient care must be taken when labeling or measuring thiols in cellular environments that produce H2S due to the potential for both false-positive and eroded responses.

Switching Between the NVT and NpT Ensembles Using the Reweighting and Reconstruction Scheme

KAUST Repository

Kadoura, Ahmad Salim

2015-06-01

Recently, we have developed several techniques in order to accelerate Monte Carlo (MC) molecular simulations. For that purpose, two strategies were followed. In the first, new algorithms were proposed as a set of early rejection schemes performing faster than the conventional algorithm while preserving the accuracy of the method. On the other hand, a reweighting and reconstruction scheme was introduced that is capable of retrieving primary quantities and second derivative properties at several thermodynamic conditions from a single MC Markov chain. The latter scheme, was first developed to extrapolate quantities in NV T ensemble for struc- tureless Lennard-Jones particles. However, it is evident that for most real life applications the NpT ensemble is more convenient, as pressure and temperature are usually known. Therefore, in this paper we present an extension to the reweighting and reconstruction method to solve NpT problems utilizing the same Markov chains generated by the NV T ensemble simulations. Eventually, the new approach allows elegant switching between the two ensembles for several quantities at a wide range of neighboring thermodynamic conditions.

Investigation of thiol-disulphide balance in patients with acute urticaria and chronic spontaneous urticaria.

Science.gov (United States)

Akbas, Ayse; Kilinc, Fadime; Sener, Sertac; Aktaş, Akın; Baran, Pervin; Ergin, Merve

2017-09-01

Thiol-disulphide balance plays a major role in health and diseases. This balance may be disrupted by various diseases. We aimed to determine status of the effect of thiol-disulphide balance in urticaria. We aimed to investigate the thiol-disulphide balance in patients with acute urticaria (AUP) and chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU). Study included 53 AUP and 47 healthy controls plus 57 patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSUP) and 57 healthy controls. Levels of native thiols, disulphides and total thiols were evaluated in plasma using a new and automated spectrophotometric method. Ratios of disulphides/total thiols, disulphides/native thiols and native thiols/total thiols were calculated. For AU, there was no statistical difference compared to control group in levels of native thiols, disulphides and total thiols. For CSU, however, there was an increase in levels of native thiols, disulphides and total thiols and the ratio of thiol/disulphide in favour of disulphide. Thiol-disulphide balance was not affected by AU but shifted towards to disulphide in CSU indicating the presence of oxidative stress (OS).

Involvement of thiol-based mechanisms in plant development.

Science.gov (United States)

Rouhier, Nicolas; Cerveau, Delphine; Couturier, Jérémy; Reichheld, Jean-Philippe; Rey, Pascal

2015-08-01

Increasing knowledge has been recently gained regarding the redox regulation of plant developmental stages. The current state of knowledge concerning the involvement of glutathione, glutaredoxins and thioredoxins in plant development is reviewed. The control of the thiol redox status is mainly ensured by glutathione (GSH), a cysteine-containing tripeptide and by reductases sharing redox-active cysteines, glutaredoxins (GRXs) and thioredoxins (TRXs). Indeed, thiol groups present in many regulatory proteins and metabolic enzymes are prone to oxidation, ultimately leading to post-translational modifications such as disulfide bond formation or glutathionylation. This review focuses on the involvement of GSH, GRXs and TRXs in plant development. Recent studies showed that the proper functioning of root and shoot apical meristems depends on glutathione content and redox status, which regulate, among others, cell cycle and hormone-related processes. A critical role of GRXs in the formation of floral organs has been uncovered, likely through the redox regulation of TGA transcription factor activity. TRXs fulfill many functions in plant development via the regulation of embryo formation, the control of cell-to-cell communication, the mobilization of seed reserves, the biogenesis of chloroplastic structures, the metabolism of carbon and the maintenance of cell redox homeostasis. This review also highlights the tight relationships between thiols, hormones and carbon metabolism, allowing a proper development of plants in relation with the varying environment and the energy availability. GSH, GRXs and TRXs play key roles during the whole plant developmental cycle via their antioxidant functions and the redox-regulation of signaling pathways. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Redox regulation of differentiation and de-differentiation. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

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.

Thiol synthesis and arsenic hyperaccumulation in Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang Weihua; Cai Yong; Downum, Kelsey R.; Ma, Lena Q.

2004-01-01

Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern) has potential for phytoremediation of As-contaminated sites. In this study, the synthesis of total thiols and acid-soluble thiols in P. vittata was investigated under arsenic exposure. The strong and positive correlation between As concentration and acid-soluble thiols in plant leaflets suggests that acid-soluble thiols may play a role in As detoxification. A major As-induced thiol was purified and characterized. A molecular ion (M+1) of 540 m/z suggests that the thiol was a phytochelatin (PC) with two base units (PC 2 ). However, the ratios of acid-soluble thiols to As in leaflets exposed to As ranged from 0.012 to 0.026, suggesting that only a very small part of As is complexed by PC 2 . PCs could play a minor detoxification role in this hyperaccumulator. A PC-independent mechanism appears to be mainly involved in As tolerance, while PC-dependent detoxification seems to be a supplement

Thiol synthesis and arsenic hyperaccumulation in Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Weihua; Cai Yong; Downum, Kelsey R.; Ma, Lena Q

2004-10-01

Pteris vittata (Chinese brake fern) has potential for phytoremediation of As-contaminated sites. In this study, the synthesis of total thiols and acid-soluble thiols in P. vittata was investigated under arsenic exposure. The strong and positive correlation between As concentration and acid-soluble thiols in plant leaflets suggests that acid-soluble thiols may play a role in As detoxification. A major As-induced thiol was purified and characterized. A molecular ion (M+1) of 540 m/z suggests that the thiol was a phytochelatin (PC) with two base units (PC{sub 2}). However, the ratios of acid-soluble thiols to As in leaflets exposed to As ranged from 0.012 to 0.026, suggesting that only a very small part of As is complexed by PC{sub 2}. PCs could play a minor detoxification role in this hyperaccumulator. A PC-independent mechanism appears to be mainly involved in As tolerance, while PC-dependent detoxification seems to be a supplement.

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.

Preparation and Preliminary Dielectric Characterization of Structured C60-Thiol-Ene Polymer Nanocomposites Assembled Using the Thiol-Ene Click Reaction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hanaa M. Ahmed

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Fullerene-containing materials have the ability to store and release electrical energy. Therefore, fullerenes may ultimately find use in high-voltage equipment devices or as super capacitors for high electric energy storage due to this ease of manipulating their excellent dielectric properties and their high volume resistivity. A series of structured fullerene (C60 polymer nanocomposites were assembled using the thiol-ene click reaction, between alkyl thiols and allyl functionalized C60 derivatives. The resulting high-density C60-urethane-thiol-ene (C60-Thiol-Ene networks possessed excellent mechanical properties. These novel networks were characterized using standard techniques, including infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA, and thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA. The dielectric spectra for the prepared samples were determined over a broad frequency range at room temperature using a broadband dielectric spectrometer and a semiconductor characterization system. The changes in thermo-mechanical and electrical properties of these novel fullerene-thiol-ene composite films were measured as a function of the C60 content, and samples characterized by high dielectric permittivity and low dielectric loss were produced. In this process, variations in chemical composition of the networks were correlated to performance characteristics.

Approaches to nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Subrahmanyam, K.

1981-01-01

The logic behind the approach of the nuclear weapon states (NWS) to the issue of nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation is based on: (1) The assumption that the less the number of decision makers who could initiate a nuclear war less the probability of war, (2) the claim of the NWS that their nuclear weapons are under strict control, and (3) the claim of the NWS who have signed the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that the Treaty is being scrupulously observed by them. This logic is critically examined in the light of disclosures that indicate that: (1) both vertical and horizontal proliferation is going on without respite among the NWS, and (2) the fissile material is clandestinely being allowed to be diverted to the favoured clients by one or more of the NWS. These NWS are not subject to any safeguards under the NPT. They are using the NPT and the concept of nuclear free zone as a sort of tactic to divert the attention from the correct approach to the disarmament and to impose their hegemony over the Third World Countries. Moreover, the NPT has conferred a sort of legitimacy to the possession of nuclear weapons by the NWS. In these circumstances their preaching to the Third World countries about nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation sounds hypocritical. The correct approach to these issues would be to put the nuclear weapons under the category of weapons of mass destruction and to ban their use under a non-discriminatory international convention as has been done in the case of biological and chemical weapons. (M.G.B.)

Protein covalent immobilization via its scarce thiol versus abundant amine groups: Effect on orientation, cell binding domain exposure and conformational lability.

Science.gov (United States)

Ba, O M; Hindie, M; Marmey, P; Gallet, O; Anselme, K; Ponche, A; Duncan, A C

2015-10-01

Quantity, orientation, conformation and covalent linkage of naturally cell adhesive proteins adsorbed or covalently linked to a surface, are known to influence the preservation of their subsequent long term cell adhesion properties and bioactivity. In the present work, we explore two different strategies for the covalent linking of plasma fibronectin (pFN) - used as a cell adhesive model protein, onto a polystyrene (PS) surface. One is aimed at tethering the protein to the surface in a semi-oriented fashion (via one of the 4 free thiol reactive groups on the protein) with a heterofunctional coupling agent (SSMPB method). The other aims to immobilize the protein in a more random fashion by reaction between the abundant pendant primary amine bearing amino acids of the pFN and activated carboxylic surface functions obtained after glutaric anhydride surface treatment (GA method). The overall goal will be to verify the hypothesis of a correlation between covalent immobilization of a model cell adhesive protein to a PS surface in a semi-oriented configuration (versus randomly oriented) with promotion of enhanced exposure of the protein's cell binding domain. This in turn would lead to enhanced cell adhesion. Ideally the goal is to elaborate substrates exhibiting a long term stable protein monolayer with preserved cell adhesive properties and bioactivity for biomaterial and/or cell adhesion commercial plate applications. However, the initial restrictive objective of this paper is to first quantitatively and qualitatively investigate the reversibly (merely adsorbed) versus covalently irreversibly bound protein to the surface after the immobilization procedure. Although immobilized surface amounts were similar (close to the monolayer range) for all immobilization approaches, covalent grafting showed improved retention and stronger "tethering" of the pFN protein to the surface (roughly 40%) after SDS rinsing compared to that for mere adsorption (0%) suggesting an added value

The year 2000 examination conference of the non-proliferation treaty and the future of the nuclear non-proliferation regime; La conference d'examen 2000 du TNP et l'avenir du regime de non-proliferation nucleaire

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grand, C. [Institut d' Etudes Politiques de Paris, 75 (France); Ecole Speciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr-Coetquidan (France)

2001-07-01

The nuclear weapons non-proliferation treaty (NPT), signed on July 1, 1968 and enforced on March 5, 1970, has been progressively considered as the headstone of the international non-proliferation and disarmament regime. The sixth NPT examination conference took place at New York (USA) in the year 2000, 5 years after the previous conference but also after the first nuclear weapon tests of India and Pakistan. This article recalls up the main non-proliferation events that took place between the 1995 and 2000 conferences and presents the progresses and results of the New York conference. Finally, it wonders about the ambiguities in the conclusions of this last conference. (J.S.)

Thiol-ene immobilisation of carbohydrates onto glass slides as a simple alternative to gold-thiol monolayers, amines or lipid binding.

Science.gov (United States)

Biggs, Caroline I; Edmondson, Steve; Gibson, Matthew I

2015-01-01

Carbohydrate arrays are a vital tool in studying infection, probing the mechanisms of bacterial, viral and toxin adhesion and the development of new treatments, by mimicking the structure of the glycocalyx. Current methods rely on the formation of monolayers of carbohydrates that have been chemically modified with a linker to enable interaction with a functionalised surface. This includes amines, biotin, lipids or thiols. Thiol-addition to gold to form self-assembled monolayers is perhaps the simplest method for immobilisation as thiolated glycans are readily accessible from reducing carbohydrates in a single step, but are limited to gold surfaces. Here we have developed a quick and versatile methodology which enables the use of thiolated carbohydrates to be immobilised as monolayers directly onto acrylate-functional glass slides via a 'thiol-ene'/Michael-type reaction. By combining the ease of thiol chemistry with glass slides, which are compatible with microarray scanners this offers a cost effective, but also useful method to assemble arrays.

Nuclear non-proliferation: Revisiting the basics. Carnegie international non-proliferation conference 2002. Washington, D.C., 14 November 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ElBaradei, M.

2002-01-01

The 1970 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), with 188 States party, represents the cornerstone of the global nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament effort - and despite recent challenges, it has never been more relevant than it is today. But the international community has to move forward, it is essential that a number of the basic assumptions should be revisited, and a number of new approaches reconsidered. A key assumption at the core of the NPT was that the asymmetry between nuclear-weapon States and non-nuclear-weapon States would gradually disappear. The nuclear non-proliferation regime has overall been successful - but with some shortcomings. Efforts to end nuclear weapons development achieved an important milestone with the conclusion of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT) in September 1996, but the pace of progress has been sluggish among the 44 countries whose ratification is required for the treaty to enter into force - and the rejection of the CTBT by the US Senate in 1999 was a distinct setback. Negotiation of a Fissile Material Cut-Off Treaty (FMCT) continues to languish in Geneva, more than seven years after agreement was reached on a mandate. The 2000 NPT Review Conference, building on the package of decisions and resolutions that led to the indefinite extension of the NPT in 1995, resulted in a number of encouraging commitments, not least the 'unequivocal undertaking' by the nuclear-weapon States to accomplish the total elimination of their nuclear arsenals. But a scant two years later, we have moved sharply away from those commitments, with a number of the '13 steps' toward nuclear disarmament - such as 'irreversibility,' 'START II, START III and the ABM Treaty,' further 'unilateral' reductions in nuclear arsenals, 'increased transparency,' 'further reduction of non-strategic nuclear weapons,' and 'regular reports' on the implementation of Article VI of the NPT - left without concrete follow-up actions and in

Arsenic affects the production of glucosinolate, thiol and phytochemical compounds: A comparison of two Brassica cultivars.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Chandana; Augustine, Rehna; Panthri, Medha; Zia, Ismat; Bisht, Naveen C; Gupta, Meetu

2017-02-01

Arsenic (As), a non-essential metalloid, severely affects the normal functioning of plants, animals and humans. Plants play a crucial role in metabolic, physiological and numerous detoxification mechanisms to cope up with As induced stress. This study aimed to examine the differential response in two Brassica juncea cultivars, Varuna and Pusa Jagannath (PJn) exposed to different doses of As (50, 150, 300 μM) for 48 h duration. Change in morphological traits, concentration of individual as well as total GSL, sulfur related thiol proteins, sulfur content, and phytochemicals were analyzed in both cultivars. Accumulation pattern of As showed dose dependent accumulation in both the cultivars, being more in PJn. Our finding revealed that both cultivars were tolerant at low concentrations of As, while at higher concentration Varuna excelled over PJn. The increased tolerance of Varuna cultivar exposed to 150 and 300 μM concentration of As, correlated with its increased thiol related proteins, sulfur content and phytochemicals, which serves as defence strategy in the plant against oxidative stress. Differential pattern of total as well as individual GSLs content was observed in both Varuna and PJn cultivars. Varuna cultivar showed higher level of total and aliphatic GSLs, which serves as defence compound with other detoxification machineries to combat As stress. Our findings provide foundation for developing metalloid tolerant crops by analyzing the role of different genes involved in GSL mechanism and signaling pathways in different organs of plant. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

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

Hybrid Organic/Inorganic Thiol-ene-Based Photopolymerized Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Schreck, Kathleen M; Leung, Diana; Bowman, Christopher N

2011-09-15

The thiol-ene reaction serves as a more oxygen tolerant alternative to traditional (meth)acrylate chemistry for forming photopolymerized networks with numerous desirable attributes including energy absorption, optical clarity, and reduced shrinkage stress. However, when utilizing commercially available monomers, many thiol-ene networks also exhibit decreases in properties such as glass transition temperature (T(g)) and crosslink density. In this study, hybrid organic/inorganic thiol-ene resins incorporating silsesquioxane (SSQ) species into the photopolymerized networks were investigated as a route to improve these properties. Thiol- and ene-functionalized SSQs (SH-SSQ and allyl-SSQ, respectively) were synthesized via alkoxysilane hydrolysis/condensation chemistry, using a photopolymerizable monomer [either pentaerythriol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) or 1,3,5-triallyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione (TATATO)] as the reaction solvent. The resulting SSQ-containing solutions (SSQ-PETMP and SSQ-TATATO) were characterized, and their incorporation into photopolymerized networks was evaluated.

Inhibition of glutathione biosynthesis alters compartmental redox status and the thiol proteome in organogenesis-stage rat conceptuses.

Science.gov (United States)

Harris, Craig; Shuster, Daniel Z; Roman Gomez, Rosaicela; Sant, Karilyn E; Reed, Matthew S; Pohl, Jan; Hansen, Jason M

2013-10-01

Developmental signals that control growth and differentiation are regulated by environmental factors that generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) and alter steady-state redox environments in tissues and fluids. Protein thiols are selectively oxidized and reduced in distinct spatial and temporal patterns in conjunction with changes in glutathione/glutathione disulfide (GSH/GSSG) and cysteine/cystine (Cys/CySS) redox potentials (E(h)) to regulate developmental signaling. The purpose of this study was to measure compartment-specific thiol redox status in cultured organogenesis-stage rat conceptuses and to evaluate the impact of thiol oxidation on the redox proteome. The visceral yolk sac (VYS) has the highest initial (0 h) total intracellular GSH (GSH+2GSSG) concentration (5.5 mM) and the lowest Eh (-223 mV) as determined by HPLC analysis. Total embryo (EMB) GSH concentrations ranged lower (3.2 mM) and were only slightly more oxidized than the VYS. Total GSH concentrations in yolk sac fluid (YSF) and amniotic fluid (AF) are >500-fold lower than in tissues and are highly oxidized (YSF E(h)=-121 mV and AF E(h)=-49 mV). Steady-state total Cys concentrations (Cys+2CySS) were significantly lower than GSH in tissues but were otherwise equal in VYS and EMB near 0.5 mM. On gestational day 11, total GSH and Cys concentrations in EMB and VYS increase significantly over the 6h time course while E(h) remains relatively constant. The Eh (GSH/GSSG) in YSF and AF become more reduced over time while E(h) (Cys/CySS) become more oxidized. Addition of L-buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine (BS0) to selectively inhibit GSH synthesis and mimic the effects of some GSH-depleting environmental chemicals significantly decreased VYS and EMB GSH and Cys concentrations and increased Eh over the 6h exposure period, showing a greater overall oxidation. In the YSF, BSO caused a significant increase in total Cys concentrations to 1.7 mM but did not significantly change the E(h) for Cys/CySS. A significant net

Investigation of thiol derivatized gold nanoparticle sensors for gas analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Stephens, Jared S.

Analysis of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in air and exhaled breath by sensor array is a very useful testing technique. It can provide non-invasive, fast, inexpensive testing for many diseases. Breath analysis has been very successful in identifying cancer and other diseases by using a chemiresistor sensor or array with gold nanoparticles to detect biomarkers. Acetone is a biomarker for diabetes and having a portable testing device could help to monitor diabetic and therapeutic progress. An advantage to this testing method is it is conducted at room temperature instead of 200 degrees Celsius. 3. The objective of this research is to determine the effect of thiol derivatized gold nanoparticles based on sensor(s) detection of VOCs. The VOCs to be tested are acetone, ethanol, and a mixture of acetone and ethanol. Each chip is tested under all three VOCs and three concentration levels (0.1, 1, and 5.0 ppm). VOC samples are used to test the sensors' ability to detect and differentiate VOCs. Sensors (also referred to as a chip) are prepared using several types of thiol derivatized gold nanoparticles. The factors are: thiol compound and molar volume loading of the thiol in synthesis. The average resistance results are used to determine the VOC selectivity of the sensors tested. The results show a trend of increasing resistance as VOC concentration is increased relative to dry air; which is used as baseline for VOCs. Several sensors show a high selectivity to one or more VOCs. Overall the 57 micromoles of 4-methoxy-toluenethiol sensor shows the strongest selectivity for VOCs tested. 3. Gerfen, Kurt. 2012. Detection of Acetone in Air Using Silver Ion Exchanged ZSM-5 and Zinc Oxide Sensing Films. Master of Science thesis, University of Louisville.

Inhibition of the Vacuolar-like ATPase from Halobacterium saccharovorum by Thiol Reagents: Evidence for Different Functional Thiols

Science.gov (United States)

Hochstein, L. I.; Stanlotter, H.; Emrich, E.; Morrison, David (Technical Monitor)

1994-01-01

N-Ethylmaleimide (NEM) inhibited the vacuolar-like ATPase from Halobacterium saccharovorum (K(sub i) approximately 1 mM) by modifying one or more of the thiols located on the largest of the subunit. ATP protected against inhibition and coincidentally prevented NEM binding which suggested that NEM acts at or near the catalytic site. p-Chloromercuriphenylsulfonate (PCMS) also inhibited this ATPase (K(sub i) approximately 90 microM). ATP did not protect against PCMS inhibition. Dithiothreitol (DTT) partially reversed PCMS inhibition and restored approximately half of the initial activity of 90% inhibited enzyme. DTT did not restore activity of the NEM-inhibited enzyme or the PCMS-inhibited enzyme when it was subsequently incubated with NEM. The failure of ATP to protect against PCMS inhibition and the inability of DTT to restore activity of enzyme incubated in the presence of PCMS and NEM suggests these reagents react with different thiols and that the PCMS-sensitive thiol may have a structural role.

Electrical resistivity of nanoporous gold modified with thiol self-assembled monolayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hakamada, Masataka, E-mail: hakamada.masataka.3x@kyoto-u.ac.jp; Kato, Naoki, E-mail: katou.naoki.75w@st.kyoto-u.ac.jp; Mabuchi, Mamoru, E-mail: mabuchi@energy.kyoto-u.ac.jp

2016-11-30

Highlights: • Nanoporous gold is modified with thiol-containing self-assembled monolayers. • The electrical resistivity of the thiol-modified nanoporous gold increases. • The electrical resistivity increases with increasing thiol concentration. • Monolayer tail groups enhance the atmosphere dependence of electrical resistivity. - Abstract: The electrical resistivity of nanoporous gold (NPG) modified with thiol self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) has been measured at 298 K using a four-probe method. We found that the adsorption of thiol SAMs increases the electrical resistivity of NPG by up to 22.2%. Dependence of the electrical resistivity on the atmosphere (air or water) was also observed in SAMs-modified NPG, suggesting that the electronic states of the tail groups affect the electrons of the binding sulfur and adjacent surface gold atoms. The present results suggest that adsorption of thiol molecules can influence the behavior of the conducting electrons in NPG and that modification of NPG with SAMs may be useful for environmental sensing.

Agrobacterium tumefaciens-MEDIATED IN-PLANTA TRANSFORMATION OF INDONESIAN MAIZE USING pIG121Hm-Cs PLASMID CONTAINING nptII AND hpt GENES

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Edy Listanto

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Maize (Zea mays L. productivity in Indonesia is challenged to be increased using genetic engineering. Recent advances in Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated in-planta transforma-tion makes it possible to transform maize with low cost, and simple method. This study aimed to confirm pIG121Hm-Cs plasmid in A. tumefaciens, and to estimate the efficiency level of  A. tumefaciens-mediated in-planta transformation of Indonesian maize by using pIG121Hm-Cs plasmid containing nptII and hpt genes. A series of studies were conducted including confirmation of gene construct of pIG121Hm-Cs plasmid in A. tumefaciens, transformation of four maize lines through A. tumefaciens-mediated in-planta technique, acclimatization of transformant plants and molecular analysis of selected plants using polymerase chain reaction (PCR. The pIG121Hm-Cs plasmid was confirmed via PCR analysis using specific primers of nptII and hpt genes and resulted 700 bp and 500 bp for fragments of nptII and hpt, respectively. After selection, acclimatization and molecular analysis steps, the efficiency levels of transformation of four maize lines were low, ranging from 3.8% to 12.8%. The level of transformation efficiency of ST-27 line was the highest accounting for 12.8% of 45 planted embryos on selection medium based on PCR analysis using specific primer for nptII gene. Overall, A. tumefaciens-mediated in planta transformation on maize floral pistil in this study proved to be successful and rapid. Therefore, this enhanced transformation method will be beneficial for Indonesian maize genetic engineering.

The role of thiols in cellular response to radiation and drugs

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biaglow, J.E.; Varnes, M.E.; Clark, E.P.; Epp, E.R.

1983-01-01

Cellular nonprotein thiols (NPSH) consist of glutathione (GSH) and other low molecular weight species such as cysteine, cysteamine, and coenzyme A. GSH is usually less than the total cellular NPSH, and with thiol reactive agents, such as diethyl maleate (DEM), its rate of depletion is in part dependent upon the cellular capacity for its resynthesis. If resynthesis is blocked by buthionine-S,R-sulfoximine(BSO), the NPSH, including GSH, is depleted more rapidly, Cellular thiol depletion by diamide, N-ethylmaleimide, and BSO may render oxygenated cells more sensitive to radiation. These cells may or may not show a reduction in the oxygen enhancement ratio (OER). Human A549 lung carcinoma cells depleted of their NPSH either by prolonged culture or by BSO treatment do not show a reduced OER but do show increased aerobic responses to radiation. Some nitroheterocyclic radiosensitizing drugs also deplete cellular thiols under aerobic conditions. Such reactivity may be the reason that they show anomalous radiation sensitization (i.e., better than predicted on the basis of electron affinity). Other nitrocompounds, such as misonidazole, are activated under hypoxic conditions to radical intermediates. When cellular thiols are depleted peroxide is formed. Under hypoxic conditions thiols are depleted because metabolically reduced intermediates react with GSH instead of oxygen. Thiol depletion, under hypoxic conditions, may be the reason that misonidazole and other nitrocompounds show an extra enhancement ratio with hypoxic cells. Thiol depletion by DEM or BSO alters the radiation response of hypoxic cells to misonidazole

Protection by thiols against poisoning by radiomimetic agents. Chapter 8

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacq, Z.M.

1975-01-01

A review is presented of reports of studies aimed at detecting a protective effect of thiols against radiomimetic alkylating agents such as those used in cancer therapy (nitrogen mustards (HN2), sarcolysine, busulfan, etc.). Protection by thiols against alkylating agents has been observed in mammals, plant cells, bacteria, isolated mammalian cells and in model systems. The lack of correlation between the protective power of various thiols against radiomimetic agents and ionizing radiations indicates that different mechanisms are involved. Studies have been made of the toxicity of the protector and the competition factor, increased excretion of detoxication products of alkylating agents, decreased alkylation of DNA and RNA both in vivo and in vitro, the protection of hematopoietic tissues, tumours and the adrenal cortex, and the modification of the effects of nitrosoalkylamines, carbon tetrachloride and fungistatics by thiols. The restriction of DNA alkylation by the competitive removal of radiomimetic agents is thought to account for the protective effect of thiols against radiomimetic agents. (U.K.)

Surface functionalized thiol-ene waveguides for fluorescence biosensing in microfluidic devices

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Feidenhans'l, Nikolaj Agentoft; Lafleur, Josiane P.; Jensen, Thomas Glasdam

2013-01-01

-ene waveguides were fabricated from 40% excess thiol thiol-ene to ensure the presence of thiol functional groups at the surface of the waveguide. Biotin alkyne was photografted at specific locations using a photomask, directly at the interface between the microfluidic channel and the thiol-ene waveguide prior...

Identification and quantification of protein S-nitrosation by nitrite in the mouse heart during ischemia.

Science.gov (United States)

Chouchani, Edward T; James, Andrew M; Methner, Carmen; Pell, Victoria R; Prime, Tracy A; Erickson, Brian K; Forkink, Marleen; Lau, Gigi Y; Bright, Thomas P; Menger, Katja E; Fearnley, Ian M; Krieg, Thomas; Murphy, Michael P

2017-09-01

Nitrate (NO 3 - ) and nitrite (NO 2 - ) are known to be cardioprotective and to alter energy metabolism in vivo NO 3 - action results from its conversion to NO 2 - by salivary bacteria, but the mechanism(s) by which NO 2 - affects metabolism remains obscure. NO 2 - may act by S -nitrosating protein thiols, thereby altering protein activity. But how this occurs, and the functional importance of S -nitrosation sites across the mammalian proteome, remain largely uncharacterized. Here we analyzed protein thiols within mouse hearts in vivo using quantitative proteomics to determine S -nitrosation site occupancy. We extended the thiol-redox proteomic technique, isotope-coded affinity tag labeling, to quantify the extent of NO 2 - -dependent S -nitrosation of proteins thiols in vivo Using this approach, called SNOxICAT ( S -nitrosothiol redox isotope-coded affinity tag), we found that exposure to NO 2 - under normoxic conditions or exposure to ischemia alone results in minimal S -nitrosation of protein thiols. However, exposure to NO 2 - in conjunction with ischemia led to extensive S -nitrosation of protein thiols across all cellular compartments. Several mitochondrial protein thiols exposed to the mitochondrial matrix were selectively S -nitrosated under these conditions, potentially contributing to the beneficial effects of NO 2 - on mitochondrial metabolism. The permeability of the mitochondrial inner membrane to HNO 2 , but not to NO 2 - , combined with the lack of S -nitrosation during anoxia alone or by NO 2 - during normoxia places constraints on how S -nitrosation occurs in vivo and on its mechanisms of cardioprotection and modulation of energy metabolism. Quantifying S -nitrosated protein thiols now allows determination of modified cysteines across the proteome and identification of those most likely responsible for the functional consequences of NO 2 - exposure. © 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Synthesis of Single-walled Carbon Nanotubes Coated with Thiol-reactive Gel via Emulsion Polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagai, Yukiko; Tsutsumi, Yusuke; Nakashima, Naotoshi; Fujigaya, Tsuyohiko

2018-06-15

Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) have unique near-infrared absorption and photoemission properties that are attractive for in vivo biological applications such as photothermal cancer treatment and bioimaging. Therefore, a smart functionalization strategy for SWNTs to create biocompatible surfaces and introduce various ligands to target active cancer cells without losing the unique optical properties of the SWNTs is strongly desired. This paper reports the de-sign and synthesis of a SWNT/gel hybrid containing maleimide groups, which react with various thiol compounds through Michael addition reactions. In this hybrid, the method called carbon nanotube micelle polymerization was used to non-covalently modify the surface of SWNTs with a cross-linked polymer gel layer. This method can form an extremely stable gel layer on SWNTs; such stability is essential for in vivo biological applications. The monomer used to form the gel layer contained a maleimide group, which was protected with furan in endo-form. The resulting hybrid was treated in water to induce deprotection via retro Diels-Alder reaction and then functionalized with thiol com-pounds through Michael addition. The functionalization of the hybrid was explored using a thiol-containing fluores-cent dye as a model thiol and the formation of the SWNT-dye conjugate was confirmed by energy transfer from the dye to SWNTs. Our strategy offers a promising SWNT-based platform for biological functionalization for cancer targeting, imaging, and treatment.

Non-Protein Coding RNAs

CERN Document Server

Walter, Nils G; Batey, Robert T

2009-01-01

This book assembles chapters from experts in the Biophysics of RNA to provide a broadly accessible snapshot of the current status of this rapidly expanding field. The 2006 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was awarded to the discoverers of RNA interference, highlighting just one example of a large number of non-protein coding RNAs. Because non-protein coding RNAs outnumber protein coding genes in mammals and other higher eukaryotes, it is now thought that the complexity of organisms is correlated with the fraction of their genome that encodes non-protein coding RNAs. Essential biological processes as diverse as cell differentiation, suppression of infecting viruses and parasitic transposons, higher-level organization of eukaryotic chromosomes, and gene expression itself are found to largely be directed by non-protein coding RNAs. The biophysical study of these RNAs employs X-ray crystallography, NMR, ensemble and single molecule fluorescence spectroscopy, optical tweezers, cryo-electron microscopy, and ot...

Resistivity of thiol-modified gold thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Correa-Puerta, Jonathan; Del Campo, Valeria; Henríquez, Ricardo; Häberle, Patricio

2014-01-01

In this work, we study the effect of thiol self assembled monolayers on the electrical resistivity of metallic thin films. The analysis is based on the Fuchs–Sondheimer–Lucas theory and on electrical transport measurements. We determined resistivity change due to dodecanethiol adsorption on gold thin films. For this purpose, we controlled the deposition and annealing temperatures of the films to change the surface topography and to diminish the effect of electron grain boundary scattering. Results show that the electrical response to the absorption of thiols strongly depends on the initial topography of the surface. - Highlights: • We study the effect of self assembled monolayers on the resistivity of thin films. • Fuchs–Sondheimer theory reproduces the resistivity increase due to thiol deposition. • We determined resistivity change due to dodecanethiol deposition on gold thin films. • The electrical response strongly depends on the substrate surface topography

Resistivity of thiol-modified gold thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Correa-Puerta, Jonathan [Instituto de Física, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso, Av. Universidad 330, Curauma, Valparaíso (Chile); Del Campo, Valeria [Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. España 1680, Valparaiso 2390123 (Chile); Henríquez, Ricardo, E-mail: ricardo.henriquez@usm.cl [Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. España 1680, Valparaiso 2390123 (Chile); Häberle, Patricio [Departamento de Física, Universidad Técnica Federico Santa María, Av. España 1680, Valparaiso 2390123 (Chile)

2014-11-03

In this work, we study the effect of thiol self assembled monolayers on the electrical resistivity of metallic thin films. The analysis is based on the Fuchs–Sondheimer–Lucas theory and on electrical transport measurements. We determined resistivity change due to dodecanethiol adsorption on gold thin films. For this purpose, we controlled the deposition and annealing temperatures of the films to change the surface topography and to diminish the effect of electron grain boundary scattering. Results show that the electrical response to the absorption of thiols strongly depends on the initial topography of the surface. - Highlights: • We study the effect of self assembled monolayers on the resistivity of thin films. • Fuchs–Sondheimer theory reproduces the resistivity increase due to thiol deposition. • We determined resistivity change due to dodecanethiol deposition on gold thin films. • The electrical response strongly depends on the substrate surface topography.

Multi-chamber and multi-layer thiol-ene microchip for cell culture

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Tan, H. Y.; Hemmingsen, Mette; Lafleur, Josiane P.

2014-01-01

We present a multi-layer and multi-chamber microfluidic chip fabricated using two different thiol-ene mixtures. Sandwiched between the thiol-ene chip layers is a commercially available membrane whose morphology has been altered with coatings of thiol-ene mixtures. Experiments have been conducted ...... with the microchip and shown that the fabricated microchip is suitable for long term cell culture....

Fissile material ban: global and non-discriminatory?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Datt, Savita

1995-01-01

With the indefinite and unconditional extension of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) now out of the way, the next issue on the non-proliferation agenda is that of the existing stocks and further production of plutonium and weapons grade uranium. More than the existing stocks and the surplus fissile materials made available through arms control and disarmament measures, it is the further production of such materials which is sought to be tackled urgently. Of prime concern are the nuclear programmes of threshold countries like India, Pakistan and Israel (countries out of the NPT fold) which need to be capped at all costs. The best method of achieving this, it is believed can be through a global ban on the production of fissile materials. 15 refs

Enhancing Electrophoretic Display Lifetime: Thiol-Polybutadiene Evaporation Barrier Property Response to Network Microstructure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cook, Caitlyn Christian [California State Polytechnic State Univ., San Luis Obispo, CA (United States)

2017-02-27

An evaporation barrier is required to enhance the lifetime of electrophoretic deposition (EPD) displays. As EPD functions on the basis of reversible deposition and resuspension of colloids suspended in a solvent, evaporation of the solvent ultimately leads to device failure. Incorporation of a thiol-polybutadiene elastomer into EPD displays enabled display lifetime surpassing six months in counting and catalyzed rigid display transition into a flexible package. Final flexible display transition to mass production compels an electronic-ink approach to encapsulate display suspension within an elastomer shell. Final thiol-polybutadiene photosensitive resin network microstructure was idealized to be dense, homogeneous, and expose an elastic response to deformation. Research at hand details an approach to understanding microstructural change within display elastomers. Polybutadiene-based resin properties are modified via polymer chain structure, with and without added aromatic urethane methacrylate difunctionality, and in measuring network response to variation in thiol and initiator concentration. Dynamic mechanical analysis results signify that cross-linked segments within a difunctionalized polybutadiene network were on average eight times more elastically active than that of linked segments within a non-functionalized polybutadiene network. Difunctionalized polybutadiene samples also showed a 2.5 times greater maximum elastic modulus than non-functionalized samples. Hybrid polymer composed of both polybutadiene chains encompassed TE-2000 stiffness and B-1000 elasticity for use in encapsulating display suspension. Later experiments measured kinetic and rheological response due to alteration in dithiol cross-linker chain length via real time Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and real-time dynamic rheology. Distinct differences were discovered between dithiol resin systems, as maximum thiol conversion achieved in short and long chain length dithiols was 86% and

Transsulfuration pathway thiols and methylated arginines: the Hunter Community Study.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arduino A Mangoni

Full Text Available Serum homocysteine, when studied singly, has been reported to be positively associated both with the endogenous nitric oxide synthase inhibitor asymmetric dimethylarginine [ADMA, via inhibition of dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH activity] and with symmetric dimethylarginine (SDMA. We investigated combined associations between transsulfuration pathway thiols, including homocysteine, and serum ADMA and SDMA concentrations at population level.Data on clinical and demographic characteristics, medication exposure, C-reactive protein, serum ADMA and SDMA (LC-MS/MS, and thiols (homocysteine, cysteine, taurine, glutamylcysteine, total glutathione, and cysteinylglycine; capillary electrophoresis were collected from a sample of the Hunter Community Study on human ageing [n = 498, median age (IQR = 64 (60-70 years].REGRESSION ANALYSIS SHOWED THAT: a age (P = 0.001, gender (P = 0.03, lower estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR, P = 0.08, body mass index (P = 0.008, treatment with beta-blockers (P = 0.03, homocysteine (P = 0.02, and glutamylcysteine (P = 0.003 were independently associated with higher ADMA concentrations; and b age (P = 0.001, absence of diabetes (P = 0.001, lower body mass index (P = 0.01, lower eGFR (P<0.001, cysteine (P = 0.007, and glutamylcysteine (P < 0.001 were independently associated with higher SDMA concentrations. No significant associations were observed between methylated arginines and either glutathione or taurine concentrations.After adjusting for clinical, demographic, biochemical, and pharmacological confounders the combined assessment of transsulfuration pathway thiols shows that glutamylcysteine has the strongest and positive independent associations with ADMA and SDMA. Whether this reflects a direct effect of glutamylcysteine on DDAH activity (for ADMA and/or cationic amino acid transport requires further investigations.

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...

Thiol-based redox signaling in the nitrogen-fixing symbiosis

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Pierre eFrendo

2013-09-01

Full Text Available In nitrogen poor soils legumes establish a symbiotic interaction with rhizobia that results in the formation of root nodules. These are unique plant organs where bacteria differentiate into bacteroids, which express the nitrogenase enzyme complex that reduces atmospheric N2 to ammonia. Nodule metabolism requires a tight control of the concentrations of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS so that they can perform useful signaling roles while avoiding nitro-oxidative damage. In nodules a thiol-dependent regulatory network that senses, transmits and responds to redox changes is starting to be elucidated. A combination of enzymatic, immunological, pharmacological and molecular analyses has allowed to conclude that glutathione and its legume-specific homolog, homoglutathione, are abundant in meristematic and infected cells, their spatio-temporally distribution is correlated with the corresponding (homoglutathione synthetase activities, and are crucial for nodule development and function. Glutathione is at high concentrations in the bacteroids and at moderate amounts in the mitochondria, cytosol and nuclei. Less information is available on other components of the network. The expression of multiple isoforms of glutathione peroxidases, peroxiredoxins, thioredoxins, glutaredoxins and NADPH-thioredoxin reductases has been detected in nodule cells using antibodies and proteomics. Peroxiredoxins and thioredoxins are essential to regulate and in some cases to detoxify RONS in nodules. Further research is necessary to clarify the regulation of the expression and activity of thiol redox-active proteins in response to abiotic, biotic and developmental cues, their interactions with downstream targets by disulfide-exchange reactions, and their participation in signaling cascades. The availability of mutants and transgenic lines will be crucial to facilitate systematic investigations into the function of the various proteins in the legume

Highly tailorable thiol-ene based emulsion-templated monoliths

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lafleur, J. P.; Kutter, J. P.

2014-01-01

The attractive surface properties of thiol-ene polymers combined with their ease of processing make them ideal substrates in many bioanalytical applications. We report the synthesis of highly tailorable emulsion-templated porous polymers and beads in microfluidic devices based on off-stoichiometr......The attractive surface properties of thiol-ene polymers combined with their ease of processing make them ideal substrates in many bioanalytical applications. We report the synthesis of highly tailorable emulsion-templated porous polymers and beads in microfluidic devices based on off......-stoichiometry thiolene chemistry. The method allows monolith synthesis and anchoring inside thiol-ene microchannels in a single step. Variations in the monomer stoichiometric ratios and/or amount of porogen used allow for the creation of extremely varied polymer morphologies, from foam-like materials to dense networks...

A periodic mixed gaussians-plane waves DFT study on simple thiols on Au(111): adsorbate species, surface reconstruction, and thiols functionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Rajaraman, Gopalan; Caneschi, Andrea; Gatteschi, Dante; Totti, Federico

2011-03-07

Here we present DFT calculations based on a periodic mixed gaussians/plane waves approach to study the energetics, structure, bonding of SAMs of simple thiols on Au(111). Several open issues such as structure, bonding and the nature of adsorbate are taken into account. We started with methyl thiols (MeSH) on Au(111) to establish the nature of the adsorbate. We have considered several structural models embracing the reconstructed surface scenario along with the MeS˙-Au(ad)-MeS˙ type motif put forward in recent years. Our calculations suggest a clear preference for the homolytic cleavage of the S-H bond leading to a stable MeS˙ on a gold surface. In agreement with the recent literature studies, the reconstructed models of the MeS˙ species are found to be energetically preferred over unreconstructed models. Besides, our calculations reveal that the model with 1:2 Au(ad)/thiols ratio, i.e. MeS˙-Au(ad)-MeS˙, is energetically preferred compared to the clean and 1:1 ratio models, in agreement with the experimental and theoretical evidences. We have also performed Molecular Orbital/Natural Bond Orbital, MO/NBO, analysis to understand the electronic structure and bonding in different structural motifs and many useful insights have been gained. Finally, the studies have then been extended to alkyl thiols of the RSR' (R, R' = Me, Et and Ph) type and here our calculations again reveal a preference for the RS˙ type species adsorption for clean as well as for reconstructed 1:2 Au(ad)/thiols ratio models.

Canada and international safeguards. Verifying nuclear non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) came into force in 1970 and now has about 140 signatory nations. By creating legal barriers against proliferation and by promoting an international non-proliferation ethic, the NPT has promoted international peace and security. A key ingredient has been the confidence generated through verification by IAEA safeguards. By the end of 1988 IAEA safeguards agreements had been concluded with about 100 countries, including Canada. Over 500 nuclear facilities worldwide are under safeguards or contain safeguarded nuclear material. The existence of this credible and effective safeguards system makes international trade in nuclear equipment and materials possible, monitoring the transfer of nuclear technology to developing countries as well as between industrial countries. Canada is committed to non-proliferation and IAEA safeguards. Canadian non-proliferation policy is among the strictest in the world, even though opportunities have been lost to sell Canadian technology abroad as a result

Role of salicylic acid in alleviating oxidative damage in rice roots (Oryza sativa) subjected to cadmium stress

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guo, B.; Liang, Y.C.; Zhu, Y.G.; Zhao, F.J.

2007-01-01

Time-dependent changes in enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, and lipid peroxidation were investigated in roots of rice (Oryza sativa) grown hydroponically with Cd, with or without pretreatment of salicylic acid (SA). Exposure to 50 μM Cd significantly decreased root growth, and activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and peroxidase (POD), but increased the concentrations of H 2 O 2 , malondialdehyde (MDA), ascorbic acid (AsA), glutathione (GSH) and non-protein thiols (NPT). However, pretreatment with 10 μM SA enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes and the concentrations of non-enzymatic antioxidants, but lowered the concentrations of H 2 O 2 and MDA in the Cd-stressed rice compared with the Cd treatment alone. Pretreatment with SA alleviated the Cd-induced inhibition of root growth. The results showed that pretreatment with SA enhanced the antioxidant defense activities in Cd-stressed rice, thus alleviating Cd-induced oxidative damage and enhancing Cd tolerance. The possible mechanism of SA-induced H 2 O 2 signaling in mediating Cd tolerance was discussed. - Pretreatment with SA enhanced the antioxidant defense activities in Cd-stressed rice, thus alleviating Cd-induced oxidative damage and enhancing Cd tolerance

Identification of novel aroma-active thiols in pan-roasted white sesame seeds.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamura, Hitoshi; Fujita, Akira; Steinhaus, Martin; Takahisa, Eisuke; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Schieberle, Peter

2010-06-23

Screening for aroma-active compounds in an aroma distillate obtained from freshly pan-roasted sesame seeds by aroma extract dilution analysis revealed 32 odorants in the FD factor range of 2-2048, 29 of which could be identified. The highest FD factors were found for the coffee-like smelling 2-furfurylthiol, the caramel-like smelling 4-hydroxy-2,5-dimethyl-3(2H)-furanone, the coffee-like smelling 2-thenylthiol (thiophen-2-yl-methylthiol), and the clove-like smelling 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol. In addition, 9 odor-active thiols with sulfurous, meaty, and/or catty, black-currant-like odors were identified for the first time in roasted sesame seeds. Among them, 2-methyl-1-propene-1-thiol, (Z)-3-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, (E)-3-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, (Z)-2-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, (E)-2-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, and 4-mercapto-3-hexanone were previously unknown as food constituents. Their structures were confirmed by comparing their mass spectra and retention indices as well as their sensory properties with those of synthesized reference compounds. The relatively unstable 1-alkene-1-thiols represent a new class of food odorants and are suggested as the key contributors to the characteristic, but quickly vanishing, aroma of freshly ground roasted sesame seeds.

Management of Necrotizing Fasciitis and Fecal Peritonitis following Ostomy Necrosis and Detachment by Using NPT and Flexi-Seal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fahri Yetışır

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Management of necrotizing fasciitis and severe faecal peritonitis following ostomy in elderly patient with comorbid disease is challenging. We would like to report management of frozen Open Abdomen (OA with colonic fistula following ostomy necrosis and detachment in an elderly patient with comorbid disease and malignancy. 78-year-old woman with high stage rectum carcinoma was admitted to emergency department and underwent operation for severe peritonitis and sigmoid colonic perforation. Loop sigmoidostomy was performed. At postoperative 15th day, she was transferred to our clinic with necrotizing fasciitis and severe faecal peritonitis due to ostomy necrosis and detachment. Enteric effluent was removed from the OA wound by using the Flexi-Seal Fecal Management System (FMS (ConvaTec and pesser tube in deeply located colonic fistula in conjunction with Negative Pressure Therapy (NPT. Maturation of ostomy was facilitated by using second NPT on ostomy side. After source control, delayed abdominal closure was achieved by skin flap approximation.

The non-proliferation regime, vertical proliferation and the interests of the Federal Republic of Germany

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, W.

1988-12-01

The disarmament orientation of the NPT, which stands beside the central aim of avoiding horizontal proliferation, raises a question: Does a compatibility exist between the non-proliferation policy of the Federal Republic and its security policy, which has its basic pillar in the nuclear deterrence strategy? Critics of this deterrence policy therefore, hinting to the disarmament determination of the NPT, demand that the Federal Republic should exercise its influence for the conclusion of a 'Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty' (CTBT), the establishment of a 'Nuclear-Weapons-Free-Zones' (NWFZ) in Europe, a 'No First Use'-Treaty (NFU) and finally the abolishment of all atomic weapons ('Zero Solution'). According to them such disarmament 'remedies' can reestablish or assure the waning or damaged international consensus for horizontal non-proliferation. This is a contribution for the establishment of a stable world order and will smooth the way for a prolongation of the NPT in the year 1995. An analysis of the history and the structure of interests shows that the policy of the Federal Republic of Germany is deeply rooted in the NPT and that a prolongation of the treaty and its own membership is a substantial object of the foreign and security policy. Consequently the Federal Republic has to face the demands for an intensification of 'anti-nuclear measures' and has to examine their acceptability and their usefulness with respect to non-proliferation. The structure of the problem encloses the following aspects: The security conception of the Federal Republic with its military-strategic essence; the provisions in article VI NPT for negotiations with the object of a world free of atomic weapons; the derived disarmament 'remedies' for strengthening the consensus for horizontal non-proliferation and, finally, the real interface between horizontal and vertical proliferation. (orig./DG) [de

Alignment of non-covalent interactions at protein-protein interfaces.

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Hongbo Zhu

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The study and comparison of protein-protein interfaces is essential for the understanding of the mechanisms of interaction between proteins. While there are many methods for comparing protein structures and protein binding sites, so far no methods have been reported for comparing the geometry of non-covalent interactions occurring at protein-protein interfaces. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we present a method for aligning non-covalent interactions between different protein-protein interfaces. The method aligns the vector representations of van der Waals interactions and hydrogen bonds based on their geometry. The method has been applied to a dataset which comprises a variety of protein-protein interfaces. The alignments are consistent to a large extent with the results obtained using two other complementary approaches. In addition, we apply the method to three examples of protein mimicry. The method successfully aligns respective interfaces and allows for recognizing conserved interface regions. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: The Galinter method has been validated in the comparison of interfaces in which homologous subunits are involved, including cases of mimicry. The method is also applicable to comparing interfaces involving non-peptidic compounds. Galinter assists users in identifying local interface regions with similar patterns of non-covalent interactions. This is particularly relevant to the investigation of the molecular basis of interaction mimicry.

Thiol dioxygenase turnover yields benzothiazole products from 2-mercaptoaniline and O2-dependent oxidation of primary alcohols.

Science.gov (United States)

Morrow, William P; Sardar, Sinjinee; Thapa, Pawan; Hossain, Mohammad S; Foss, Frank W; Pierce, Brad S

2017-10-01

Thiol dioxygenases are non-heme mononuclear iron enzymes that catalyze the O 2 -dependent oxidation of free thiols (-SH) to produce the corresponding sulfinic acid (-SO 2 - ). Previous chemical rescue studies identified a putative Fe III -O 2 - intermediate that precedes substrate oxidation in Mus musculus cysteine dioxygenase (Mm CDO). Given that a similar reactive intermediate has been identified in the extradiol dioxygenase 2, 3-HCPD, it is conceivable that these enzymes share other mechanistic features with regard to substrate oxidation. To explore this possibility, enzymatic reactions with Mm CDO (as well as the bacterial 3-mercaptopropionic acid dioxygenase, Av MDO) were performed using a substrate analogue (2-mercaptoaniline, 2ma). This aromatic thiol closely approximates the catecholic substrate of homoprotocatechuate of 2, 3-HPCD while maintaining the 2-carbon thiol-amine separation preferred by Mm CDO. Remarkably, both enzymes exhibit 2ma-gated O 2 -consumption; however, none of the expected products for thiol dioxygenase or intra/extradiol dioxygenase reactions were observed. Instead, benzothiazoles are produced by the condensation of 2ma with aldehydes formed by an off-pathway oxidation of primary alcohols added to aqueous reactions to solubilize the substrate. The observed oxidation of 1º-alcohols in 2ma-reactions is consistent with the formation of a high-valent intermediate similar to what has been reported for cytochrome P450 and mononuclear iron model complexes. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A fluorescent-based HPLC assay for quantification of cysteine and cysteamine adducts in Escherichia coli-derived proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Soriano, Brian D; Tam, Lei-Ting T; Lu, Hsieng S; Valladares, Violeta G

2012-01-01

Recombinant proteins expressed in Escherichia coli are often produced as unfolded, inactive forms accumulated in inclusion bodies. Redox-coupled thiols are typically employed in the refolding process in order to catalyze the formation of correct disulfide bonds at maximal folding efficiency. These thiols and the recombinant proteins can form mixed disulfide bonds to generate thiol-protein adducts. In this work, we apply a fluorescent-based assay for the quantification of cysteine and cysteamine adducts as observed in E. coli-derived proteins. The thiols are released by reduction of the adducted protein, collected and labeled with a fluorescent reagent, 6-aminoquinolyl-N-hydroxysuccinimidyl carbamate. The derivatized thiols are separated by reversed-phase HPLC and can be accurately quantified after method optimization. The estimated thiol content represents total amount of adducted forms present in the analyzed samples. The limit of quantification (LOQ) was established; specifically, the lowest amount of quantifiable cysteine adduction is 30 picograms and the lowest amount of quantifiable cysteamine adduction is 60 picograms. The assay is useful for quantification of adducts in final purified products as well as in-process samples from various purification steps. The assay indicates that the purification process accomplishes a decrease in cysteine adduction from 0.19 nmol adduct/nmol protein to 0.03 nmol adduct/nmol protein as well as a decrease in cysteamine adduction from 0.24 nmol adduct/nmol protein to 0.14 nmol adduct/nmol protein. Copyright © 2011. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Cysteine regulation of protein function--as exemplified by NMDA-receptor modulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Lipton, Stuart A; Choi, Yun-Beom; Takahashi, Hiroto; Zhang, Dongxian; Li, Weizhong; Godzik, Adam; Bankston, Laurie A

2002-09-01

Until recently cysteine residues, especially those located extracellularly, were thought to be important for metal coordination, catalysis and protein structure by forming disulfide bonds - but they were not thought to regulate protein function. However, this is not the case. Crucial cysteine residues can be involved in modulation of protein activity and signaling events via other reactions of their thiol (sulfhydryl; -SH) groups. These reactions can take several forms, such as redox events (chemical reduction or oxidation), chelation of transition metals (chiefly Zn(2+), Mn(2+) and Cu(2+)) or S-nitrosylation [the catalyzed transfer of a nitric oxide (NO) group to a thiol group]. In several cases, these disparate reactions can compete with one another for the same thiol group on a single cysteine residue, forming a molecular switch composed of a latticework of possible redox, NO or Zn(2+) modifications to control protein function. Thiol-mediated regulation of protein function can also involve reactions of cysteine residues that affect ligand binding allosterically. This article reviews the basis for these molecular cysteine switches, drawing on the NMDA receptor as an exemplary protein, and proposes a molecular model for the action of S-nitrosylation based on recently derived crystal structures.

Consideration on non-proliferation regime meeting in a changing world

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kurihara, Hiroyoshi; Kikuchi, Masahiro

1995-01-01

This paper presents some proposals for improvement of non-proliferation regime including safeguards structures with historical changes of international regime. Current non-proliferation regime was established under the circumstances of Cold War, and it's structure and measures were influenced by the situation of these time. Although, a couple of years have passed from end of Cold War, new world order has not established yet. Therefore, it is expected that the current regime could be improved in accordance with new world order. Generally speaking, it could be welcomed that the current regime has got some successes from two points of views, namely no new nuclear weapon states have emerged and after the establishment of NPT and all nuclear weapon state is joined NPT finally. However, it is the authors' concern that some gray countries, such as India, Pakistan and Israel, have not joined the NPT yet and cases of Iraqi and DPRK have occurred. After reviewing of such new situation, some proposals will be presented in order to strengthen the nonproliferation regime to meet current world conditions

Simulation studies on structural and thermal properties of alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles.

Science.gov (United States)

Devi, J Meena

2017-06-01

The structural and thermal properties of the passivated gold nanoparticles were explored employing molecular dynamics simulation for the different surface coverage densities of the self-assembled monolayer (SAM) of alkane thiol. The structural properties of the monolayer protected gold nanoparticles such us overall shape, organization and conformation of the capping alkane thiol chains were found to be influenced by the capping density. The structural order of the thiol capped gold nanoparticles enhances with the increase in the surface coverage density. The specific heat capacity of the alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles was found to increase linearly with the thiol coverage density. This may be attributed to the enhancement in the lattice vibrational energy. The present simulation results suggest, that the structural and thermal properties of the alkane thiol capped gold nanoparticles may be modified by the suitable selection of the SAM coverage density. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Twenty years of the Non-proliferation Treaty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goldblat, Jozef.

1990-01-01

The report assesses the achievements of the Non-proliferation Treaty (NPT) and discusses ways in which the non-proliferation regime could be strenghtened. It recommends a series of measures to be taken by the parties of the Treaty, both nuclear and non-nuclear weapons states, with a view to reinforcing the Treaty and achieving its universality. 198 refs

Inhibition of Urease by Disulfiram, an FDA-Approved Thiol Reagent Used in Humans.

Science.gov (United States)

Díaz-Sánchez, Ángel Gabriel; Alvarez-Parrilla, Emilio; Martínez-Martínez, Alejandro; Aguirre-Reyes, Luis; Orozpe-Olvera, Jesica Aline; Ramos-Soto, Miguel Armando; Núñez-Gastélum, José Alberto; Alvarado-Tenorio, Bonifacio; de la Rosa, Laura Alejandra

2016-11-26

Urease is a nickel-dependent amidohydrolase that catalyses the decomposition of urea into carbamate and ammonia, a reaction that constitutes an important source of nitrogen for bacteria, fungi and plants. It is recognized as a potential antimicrobial target with an impact on medicine, agriculture, and the environment. The list of possible urease inhibitors is continuously increasing, with a special interest in those that interact with and block the flexible active site flap. We show that disulfiram inhibits urease in Citrullus vulgaris (CVU), following a non-competitive mechanism, and may be one of this kind of inhibitors. Disulfiram is a well-known thiol reagent that has been approved by the FDA for treatment of chronic alcoholism. We also found that other thiol reactive compounds (l-captopril and Bithionol) and quercetin inhibits CVU. These inhibitors protect the enzyme against its full inactivation by the thiol-specific reagent Aldrithiol (2,2'-dipyridyl disulphide, DPS), suggesting that the three drugs bind to the same subsite. Enzyme kinetics, competing inhibition experiments, auto-fluorescence binding experiments, and docking suggest that the disulfiram reactive site is Cys592, which has been proposed as a "hinge" located in the flexible active site flap. This study presents the basis for the use of disulfiram as one potential inhibitor to control urease activity.

Assuring the success of the non-proliferation treaty extension conference. Excerpts from the panel discussions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This publication presents excerpts from a conference organized by the NGO Committee on Disarmament Inc., in cooperation with the United Nations Centre for Disarmament Affairs, and covers the following issues: status of the comprehensive test ban treaty negotiations, fissile cut-off and ending production of nuclear weapons, how should nuclear weapons states pursue disarmament under Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), NPT extension: problems and prospects

Overexpression of Catalase Diminishes Oxidative Cysteine Modifications of Cardiac Proteins.

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Chunxiang Yao

Full Text Available Reactive protein cysteine thiolates are instrumental in redox regulation. Oxidants, such as hydrogen peroxide (H2O2, react with thiolates to form oxidative post-translational modifications, enabling physiological redox signaling. Cardiac disease and aging are associated with oxidative stress which can impair redox signaling by altering essential cysteine thiolates. We previously found that cardiac-specific overexpression of catalase (Cat, an enzyme that detoxifies excess H2O2, protected from oxidative stress and delayed cardiac aging in mice. Using redox proteomics and systems biology, we sought to identify the cysteines that could play a key role in cardiac disease and aging. With a 'Tandem Mass Tag' (TMT labeling strategy and mass spectrometry, we investigated differential reversible cysteine oxidation in the cardiac proteome of wild type and Cat transgenic (Tg mice. Reversible cysteine oxidation was measured as thiol occupancy, the ratio of total available versus reversibly oxidized cysteine thiols. Catalase overexpression globally decreased thiol occupancy by ≥1.3 fold in 82 proteins, including numerous mitochondrial and contractile proteins. Systems biology analysis assigned the majority of proteins with differentially modified thiols in Cat Tg mice to pathways of aging and cardiac disease, including cellular stress response, proteostasis, and apoptosis. In addition, Cat Tg mice exhibited diminished protein glutathione adducts and decreased H2O2 production from mitochondrial complex I and II, suggesting improved function of cardiac mitochondria. In conclusion, our data suggest that catalase may alleviate cardiac disease and aging by moderating global protein cysteine thiol oxidation.

Strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carlson, J.

2003-01-01

Although the nuclear non-proliferation regime has enjoyed considerable success, today the regime has never been under greater threat. Three states have challenged the objectives of the NPT, and there is a technology challenge - the spread of centrifuge enrichment technology and know-how. A major issue confronting the international community is, how to deal with a determined proliferator? Despite this gloomy scenario, however, the non-proliferation regime has considerable strengths - many of which can be developed further. The regime comprises complex interacting and mutually reinforcing elements. At its centre is the NPT - with IAEA safeguards as the Treaty's verification mechanism. Important complementary elements include: restraint in the supply and the acquisition of sensitive technologies; multilateral regimes such as the CTBT and proposed FMCT; various regional and bilateral regimes; the range of security and arms control arrangements outside the nuclear area (including other WMD regimes); and the development of proliferation-resistant technologies. Especially important are political incentives and sanctions in support of non-proliferation objectives. This paper outlines some of the key issues facing the non-proliferation regime

Attachment Site Cysteine Thiol pKa Is a Key Driver for Site-Dependent Stability of THIOMAB Antibody-Drug Conjugates.

Science.gov (United States)

Vollmar, Breanna S; Wei, Binqing; Ohri, Rachana; Zhou, Jianhui; He, Jintang; Yu, Shang-Fan; Leipold, Douglas; Cosino, Ely; Yee, Sharon; Fourie-O'Donohue, Aimee; Li, Guangmin; Phillips, Gail L; Kozak, Katherine R; Kamath, Amrita; Xu, Keyang; Lee, Genee; Lazar, Greg A; Erickson, Hans K

2017-10-18

The incorporation of cysteines into antibodies by mutagenesis allows for the direct conjugation of small molecules to specific sites on the antibody via disulfide bonds. The stability of the disulfide bond linkage between the small molecule and the antibody is highly dependent on the location of the engineered cysteine in either the heavy chain (HC) or the light chain (LC) of the antibody. Here, we explore the basis for this site-dependent stability. We evaluated the in vivo efficacy and pharmacokinetics of five different cysteine mutants of trastuzumab conjugated to a pyrrolobenzodiazepine (PBD) via disulfide bonds. A significant correlation was observed between disulfide stability and efficacy for the conjugates. We hypothesized that the observed site-dependent stability of the disulfide-linked conjugates could be due to differences in the attachment site cysteine thiol pK a . We measured the cysteine thiol pK a using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and found that the variants with the highest thiol pK a (LC K149C and HC A140C) were found to yield the conjugates with the greatest in vivo stability. Guided by homology modeling, we identified several mutations adjacent to LC K149C that reduced the cysteine thiol pK a and, thus, decreased the in vivo stability of the disulfide-linked PBD conjugated to LC K149C. We also present results suggesting that the high thiol pK a of LC K149C is responsible for the sustained circulation stability of LC K149C TDCs utilizing a maleimide-based linker. Taken together, our results provide evidence that the site-dependent stability of cys-engineered antibody-drug conjugates may be explained by interactions between the engineered cysteine and the local protein environment that serves to modulate the side-chain thiol pK a . The influence of cysteine thiol pK a on stability and efficacy offers a new parameter for the optimization of ADCs that utilize cysteine engineering.

Intercalation of gaseous thiols and sulfides into Ag+ ion-exchanged aluminum dihydrogen triphosphate.

Science.gov (United States)

Hayashi, Aki; Saimen, Hiroki; Watanabe, Nobuaki; Kimura, Hitomi; Kobayashi, Ayumi; Nakayama, Hirokazu; Tsuhako, Mitsutomo

2005-08-02

Ag(+) ion-exchanged layered aluminum dihydrogen triphosphate (AlP) with the interlayer distance of 0.85 nm was synthesized by the ion-exchange of proton in triphosphate with Ag(+) ion. The amount of exchanged Ag(+) ion depended on the concentration of AgNO(3) aqueous solution. Ag(+) ion-exchanged AlP adsorbed gaseous thiols and sulfides into the interlayer region. The adsorption amounts of thiols were more than those of sulfides, thiols with one mercapto group > thiol with two mercapto groups > sulfides, and depended on the amount of exchanged Ag(+) ion in the interlayer region. The thiols with one mercapto group were intercalated to expand the interlayer distance of Ag(+) ion-exchanged AlP, whereas there was no expansion in the adsorption of sulfide. In the case of thiol with two mercapto groups, there was observed contraction of the interlayer distance through the bridging with Ag(+) ions of the upper and lower sides of the interlayer region.

Simple preparation of thiol-ene particles in glycerol and surface functionalization by thiol-ene chemistry (TEC) and surface chain transfer free radical polymerization (SCT-FRP)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hoffmann, Christian; Chiaula, Valeria; Yu, Liyun

2018-01-01

functionalization of excess thiol groups via photochemical thiol-ene chemistry (TEC) resulting in a functional monolayer. In addition, surface chain transfer free radical polymerization (SCT-FRP) was used for the first time to introduce a thicker polymer layer on the particle surface. The application potential...

A Study of Functional Polymer Colloids Prepared Using Thiol-Ene/Yne Click Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Durham, Olivia Z.

This project demonstrates the first instance of thiol-ene chemistry as the polymerization method for the production of polymer colloids in two-phase heterogeneous suspensions, miniemulsions, and emulsions. This work was also expanded to thiol-yne chemistry for the production of polymer particles containing increased crosslinking density. The utility of thiol-ene and thiol-yne chemistries for polymerization and polymer modification is well established in bulk systems. These reactions are considered 'click' reactions, which can be defined as processes that are both facile and simple, offering high yields with nearly 100% conversion, no side products, easy product separation, compatibility with a diverse variety of commercially available starting materials, and orthogonality with other chemistries. In addition, thiol-ene and thiol-yne chemistry follow a step-growth mechanism for the development of highly uniform polymer networks, where polymer growth is dependent on the coupling of functional groups. These step-growth polymerization systems are in stark contrast to the chain-growth mechanisms of acrylic and styrenic monomers that have dominated the field of conventional heterogeneous polymerizations. Preliminary studies evaluated the mechanism of particle production in suspension and miniemulsion systems. Monomer droplets were compared to the final polymer particles to confirm that particle growth occurred through the polymerization of monomer droplets. Additional parameters examined include homogenization energy (mechanical mixing), diluent species and concentration, and monomer content. These reactions were conducted using photoinitiation to yield particles in a matter of minutes with diameters in the size range of several microns to hundreds of microns in suspensions or submicron particles in miniemulsions. Improved control over the particle size and size distribution was examined through variation of reaction parameters. In addition, a method of seeded suspension

Lignin-Based Materials Through Thiol-Maleimide "Click" Polymerization.

Science.gov (United States)

Buono, Pietro; Duval, Antoine; Averous, Luc; Habibi, Youssef

2017-03-09

In the present report an environmentally friendly approach to transforming renewable feedstocks into value-added materials is proposed. This transformation pathway was conducted under green conditions, without the use of solvents or catalyst. First, controlled modification of lignin, a major biopolymer present in wood and plants, was achieved by esterification with 11-maleimidoundecylenic acid (11-MUA), a derivative from castor oil that contains maleimide groups, following its transformation into 11-maleimidoundecanoyl chloride (11-MUC). Different degrees of substitution were achieved by using various amounts of the 11-MUC, leading to an efficient conversion of lignin hydroxy groups, as demonstrated by 1 H and 31 P NMR analyses. These fully biobased maleimide-lignin derivatives were subjected to an extremely fast (ca. 1 min) thiol-ene "click" polymerization with thiol-containing linkers. Aliphatic and aromatic thiol linkers bearing two to four thiol groups were used to tune the reactivity and crosslink density. The properties of the resulting materials were evaluated by swelling tests and thermal and mechanical analyses, which showed that varying the degree of functionality of the linker and the linker structure allowed accurate tailoring of the thermal and mechanical properties of the final materials, thus providing interesting perspectives for lignin in functional aromatic polymers. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Autodegradation of 125I-labeled human epidermal cell surface proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hashimoto, K.; Singer, K.H.; Lazarus, G.S.

1982-01-01

Triton X-100 extracts of cultured human epidermal cells exhibited proteolytic activity as measured by the hydrolysis of [ 3 H]-casein at neutral pH. The majority of endogenous proteolytic activity was inhibited by parahydroxy mercuribenzoate and by mersalyl acid, indicating the enzyme(s) was a thiol class proteinase(s). Crude Triton X-100 extracts were prepared from epidermal cells following labeling of proteins with 125 I. Autodegradation of labeled proteins at 37 degrees C was detected as early as 1 hr and reached a plateau level by 4 hr. Degradation was inhibited by thiol class proteinase inhibitors. Among the detergent-solubilized radiolabeled proteins a polypeptide chain of Mr 155,000 was particularly sensitive to degradation by endogenous thiol proteinase(s)

Real-time Kinetics of High-mobility Group Box 1 (HMGB1) Oxidation in Extracellular Fluids Studied by in Situ Protein NMR Spectroscopy*

Science.gov (United States)

Zandarashvili, Levani; Sahu, Debashish; Lee, Kwanbok; Lee, Yong Sun; Singh, Pomila; Rajarathnam, Krishna; Iwahara, Junji

2013-01-01

Some extracellular proteins are initially secreted in reduced forms via a non-canonical pathway bypassing the endoplasmic reticulum and become oxidized in the extracellular space. One such protein is HMGB1 (high-mobility group box 1). Extracellular HMGB1 has different redox states that play distinct roles in inflammation. Using a unique NMR-based approach, we have investigated the kinetics of HMGB1 oxidation and the half-lives of all-thiol and disulfide HMGB1 species in serum, saliva, and cell culture medium. In this approach, salt-free lyophilized 15N-labeled all-thiol HMGB1 was dissolved in actual extracellular fluids, and the oxidation and clearance kinetics were monitored in situ by recording a series of heteronuclear 1H-15N correlation spectra. We found that the half-life depends significantly on the extracellular environment. For example, the half-life of all-thiol HMGB1 ranged from ∼17 min (in human serum and saliva) to 3 h (in prostate cancer cell culture medium). Furthermore, the binding of ligands (glycyrrhizin and heparin) to HMGB1 significantly modulated the oxidation kinetics. Thus, the balance between the roles of all-thiol and disulfide HMGB1 proteins depends significantly on the extracellular environment and can also be artificially modulated by ligands. This is important because extracellular HMGB1 has been suggested as a therapeutic target for inflammatory diseases and cancer. Our work demonstrates that the in situ protein NMR approach is powerful for investigating the behavior of proteins in actual extracellular fluids containing an enormous number of different molecules. PMID:23447529

Electrochemistry behavior of endogenous thiols on fluorine doped tin oxide electrodes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rojas, Luciana; Molero, Leonard; Tapia, Ricardo A.; Rio, Rodrigo del; Valle, M. Angelica del; Antilen, Monica [Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Facultad de Quimica, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Av Vicuna Mackenna 4860, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Macul, Santiago (Chile); Armijo, Francisco, E-mail: jarmijom@uc.cl [Departamento de Quimica Inorganica, Facultad de Quimica, Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile, Av Vicuna Mackenna 4860, Casilla 306, Correo 22, Macul, Santiago (Chile)

2011-10-01

Highlights: > The first time that fluorine doped tin oxide electrodes are used for the electrooxidation of endogenous thiols. > Low potentials of electrooxidation were obtained for the different thiols. > The electrochemical behavior of thiols depends on the pH and the ionic electroactive species, the electrooxidation proceeds for a process of adsorption of electroactive species on FTO and high values the heterogeneous electron tranfer rate constant of the reaction were obtained. - Abstract: In this work the electrochemical behavior of different thiols on fluorine doped tin oxide (FTO) electrodes is reported. To this end, the mechanism of electrochemical oxidation of glutathione (GSH), cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (HCys) and acetyl-cysteine (ACys) at different pH was investigated. FTO showed electroactivity for the oxidation of the first three thiols at pH between 2.0 and 4.0, but under these conditions no acetyl-cysteine oxidation was observed on FTO. Voltammetric studies of the electro-oxidation of GSH, Cys and HCys showed peaks at about 0.35, 0.29, and 0.28 V at optimum pH 2.4, 2.8 and 3.4, respectively. In addition, this study demonstrated that GSH, Cys and HCys oxidation occurs when the zwitterion is the electro-active species that interact by adsorption on FTO electrodes. The overall reaction involves 4e{sup -}/4H{sup +} and 2e{sup -}/2H{sup +}, respectively, for HCys and for GSH and Cys and high heterogeneous electron transfer rate constants. Besides, the use of FTO for the determination of different thiols was evaluated. Experimental square wave voltammetry shows a linear current vs. concentrations response between 0.1 and 1.0 mM was found for HCys and GSH, indicating that these FTO electrodes are promising candidates for the efficient electrochemical determination of these endogenous thiols.

Quantifying changes in the cellular thiol-disulfide status during differentiation of B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Rosa Rebecca Erritzøe; Otsu, Mieko; Braakman, Ineke

2013-01-01

by the differentiation, steady-state levels of glutathionylated protein thiols are less than 0.3% of the total protein cysteines, even in fully differentiated cells, and the overall protein redox state is not affected until late in differentiation, when large-scale IgM production is ongoing. A general expansion......Plasma cells produce and secrete massive amounts of disulfide-containing antibodies. To accommodate this load on the secretory machinery, the differentiation of resting B cells into antibody-secreting plasma cells is accompanied by a preferential expansion of the secretory compartments of the cells...... of the ER does not affect global protein redox status until an extensive production of cargo proteins has started....

Challenges in first-principles NPT molecular dynamics of soft porous crystals: A case study on MIL-53(Ga)

Science.gov (United States)

Haigis, Volker; Belkhodja, Yacine; Coudert, François-Xavier; Vuilleumier, Rodolphe; Boutin, Anne

2014-08-01

Soft porous crystals present a challenge to molecular dynamics simulations with flexible size and shape of the simulation cell (i.e., in the NPT ensemble), since their framework responds very sensitively to small external stimuli. Hence, all interactions have to be described very accurately in order to obtain correct equilibrium structures. Here, we report a methodological study on the nanoporous metal-organic framework MIL-53(Ga), which undergoes a large-amplitude transition between a narrow- and a large-pore phase upon a change in temperature. Since this system has not been investigated by density functional theory (DFT)-based NPT simulations so far, we carefully check the convergence of the stress tensor with respect to computational parameters. Furthermore, we demonstrate the importance of dispersion interactions and test two different ways of incorporating them into the DFT framework. As a result, we propose two computational schemes which describe accurately the narrow- and the large-pore phase of the material, respectively. These schemes can be used in future work on the delicate interplay between adsorption in the nanopores and structural flexibility of the host material.

Analysis of Structural Flexibility of Damaged DNA Using Thiol-Tethered Oligonucleotide Duplexes.

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Masashi Fujita

Full Text Available Bent structures are formed in DNA by the binding of small molecules or proteins. We developed a chemical method to detect bent DNA structures. Oligonucleotide duplexes in which two mercaptoalkyl groups were attached to the positions facing each other across the major groove were prepared. When the duplex contained the cisplatin adduct, which was proved to induce static helix bending, interstrand disulfide bond formation under an oxygen atmosphere was detected by HPLC analyses, but not in the non-adducted duplex, when the two thiol-tethered nucleosides were separated by six base pairs. When the insert was five and seven base pairs, the disulfide bond was formed and was not formed, respectively, regardless of the cisplatin adduct formation. The same reaction was observed in the duplexes containing an abasic site analog and the (6–4 photoproduct. Compared with the cisplatin case, the disulfide bond formation was slower in these duplexes, but the reaction rate was nearly independent of the linker length. These results indicate that dynamic structural changes of the abasic site- and (6–4 photoproduct-containing duplexes could be detected by our method. It is strongly suggested that the UV-damaged DNA-binding protein, which specifically binds these duplexes and functions at the first step of global-genome nucleotide excision repair, recognizes the easily bendable nature of damaged DNA.

Protection against ionising radiation and synergism with thiols by zinc aspartate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Floersheim, G.L.; Floersheim, P.

1986-01-01

Pre-treatment with zinc aspartate protected mice against the lethal effects of radiation and raised the LD 50 from 8 gy to 12.2 Gy. Zinc chloride and zinc sulphate were clearly less active. The radioprotective effect of zinc aspartate was equivalent to cysteamine and slightly inferior to S,2-aminoethylisothiourea (AET). Zinc aspartate displayed a similar therapeutic index to the thiols but could be applied at an earlier time before irradiation. Synergistic effects occurred with the combined administration of zinc aspartate and thiols. By giving zinc aspartate with cysteamine, the LD 50 was increased to 13.25 Gy and, by combining it in the optimal protocol with AET, to 17.3 Gy. The radioprotection by zinc and its synergism with thiols is explained by the stabilisation of thiols through the formation of zinc complexes. (author)

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

An NPT Monte Carlo Molecular Simulation-Based Approach to Investigate Solid-Vapor Equilibrium: Application to Elemental Sulfur-H2S System

KAUST Repository

Kadoura, Ahmad Salim; Salama, Amgad; Sun, Shuyu; Sherik, Abdelmounam

2013-01-01

In this work, a method to estimate solid elemental sulfur solubility in pure and gas mixtures using Monte Carlo (MC) molecular simulation is proposed. This method is based on Isobaric-Isothermal (NPT) ensemble and the Widom insertion technique

Stretching of BDT-gold molecular junctions: Thiol or thiolate termination?

KAUST Repository

Souza, Amaury De Melo; Rungger, Ivan; Pontes, Renato Borges; Rocha, Alexandre Reily; Da Silva, Antô nio José Roque; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo; Sanvito, S.

2014-01-01

It is often assumed that the hydrogen atoms in the thiol groups of a benzene-1,4-dithiol dissociate when Au-benzene-1,4-dithiol-Au junctions are formed. We demonstrate, by stability and transport property calculations, that this assumption cannot be made. We show that the dissociative adsorption of methanethiol and benzene-1,4-dithiol molecules on a flat Au(111) surface is energetically unfavorable and that the activation barrier for this reaction is as high as 1 eV. For the molecule in the junction, our results show, for all electrode geometries studied, that the thiol junctions are energetically more stable than their thiolate counterparts. Due to the fact that density functional theory (DFT) within the local density approximation (LDA) underestimates the energy difference between the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital and the highest occupied molecular orbital by several electron-volts, and that it does not capture the renormalization of the energy levels due to the image charge effect, the conductance of the Au-benzene-1,4-dithiol-Au junctions is overestimated. After taking into account corrections due to image charge effects by means of constrained-DFT calculations and electrostatic classical models, we apply a scissor operator to correct the DFT energy level positions, and calculate the transport properties of the thiol and thiolate molecular junctions as a function of the electrode separation. For the thiol junctions, we show that the conductance decreases as the electrode separation increases, whereas the opposite trend is found for the thiolate junctions. Both behaviors have been observed in experiments, therefore pointing to the possible coexistence of both thiol and thiolate junctions. Moreover, the corrected conductance values, for both thiol and thiolate, are up to two orders of magnitude smaller than those calculated with DFT-LDA. This brings the theoretical results in quantitatively good agreement with experimental data.

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.

Oxidative stress and decreased thiol level in patients with migraine: cross-sectional study.

Science.gov (United States)

Eren, Yasemin; Dirik, Ebru; Neşelioğlu, Salim; Erel, Özcan

2015-12-01

Although migraine is a neurological disorder known since long, its physiopathology remains unclear. Recent studies suggest that migraine is associated with oxidative stress; however, they report divergent results. The aim of the present study was to evaluate total antioxidant status (TAS), total oxidant status (TOS), oxidative stress index (OSI), and serum thiol level in migraine patients with or without aura. The study group consisted of 141 migraine patients. The control group included 70 healthy subjects. TAS, TOS, OSI were evaluated using a method developed by Erel. Serum thiol level was measured using the Hu method. No difference was found in TAS, TOS, OSI between the patients and controls. The level of thiol was significantly lower in patients than in controls. Negative correlations were detected between thiol level and Migraine Disability Assessment score in patients. Although TAS, TOS, and OSI were similar to those of the control group, serum thiol level, an important marker of antioxidant capacity, was significantly lower in migraines compared with controls, and caused more serious disability. Novel treatment approaches may be developed based on these data, and compounds containing thiol, such as alpha lipoic acid and N-acetyl cysteine, may be used in prophylaxis.

A study on the establishment of national nuclear foreign policy with reference to nuclear export control system, strategy toward IAEA, and NPT review conferences

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, Young Myung; Nam, Jang Soo; Lee, Han Myung

1990-02-01

The objectives of this study are follows: suggestion for i) our future nuclear development directions, ii) establishment of national export control system, iii) establishment of strategy toward IAEA, and suggestion of our standpoints toward the 4th NPT review conference. This study proposes the following; 1) It is desirable that nuclear power generation strategy is propelled under the premise of economics and proven technology. And international cooperation in connection with the nuclear fuel cycle should be reinforced. 2) It is recommened that nuclear export control system should be government-led. 3) Our country needs to make efforts in increasing the number of Korean staff in the IAEA, and to establish permanent mission which is wholly responsible for the IAEA affairs, and to construct a system which deals with nuclear foregin activities. 4) It is desirable that the basic position of our country toward the 4th NPT review conference should be : i) to urge parties to the NPT to conclude safeguards agreement with IAEA as early as possible, ii) to request nuclear suppliers to mitigate their nuclear technology for peaceful uses to nuclear developing countries, and iii) to urge nuclear weapon states to make further efforts for nuclear disarmament. (author)

A chromenoquinoline-based fluorescent off-on thiol probe for bioimaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Kand, Dnyaneshwar; Kalle, Arunasree Marasanapalli; Varma, Sreejith Jayasree; Talukdar, Pinaki

2012-03-11

A new chromenoquinoline-based fluorescent off-on thiol probe 2 is reported. In aqueous buffer solutions at physiological pH, the probe exhibited 223-fold enhancement in fluorescence intensity by a Michael addition of cysteine to the maleimide appended to a chromenoquinoline. Cell permeability and live cell imaging of thiols are also demonstrated. This journal is © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2012

IAEA safeguards: Stemming the spread of nuclear weapons. As the world's nuclear inspectorate, the IAEA performs an indispensable role in furthering nuclear non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2002-01-01

Following the completion of the Treaty on the Non- Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in 1968, the IAEA has become the instrument with which to verify that the peaceful use commitments made under the NPT or similar agreements are kept through performing what is known as its safeguards role. Under the NPT, governments around the world have committed to three common objectives: preventing the proliferation of nuclear weapons; pursuing nuclear disarmament; and promoting the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. The NPT has made it obligatory for all its non-nuclear weapon State parties to submit all nuclear material in nuclear activities to IAEA safeguards, and to conclude a comprehensive safeguards agreement with the Agency. With all but a handful of the world community as State parties, the NPT is by far the most widely adhered to legal agreement in the field of disarmament and non-proliferation. The IAEA takes account of all source and special fissionable material in countries under safeguards. Monitoring and verification activities focus on those types of nuclear material that are the most crucial and relevant to nuclear weapons manufacturing. This includes plutonium-239, uranium-233 and -235 and any material containing one or more of these. Safeguards activities are applied routinely at over 900 facilities in 71 countries. In 2001 alone, more than 21,000 calendar days in the field were devoted to verifying hundreds of tons of special fissionable material by more than IAEA 250 inspectors

Plutonium: key issue in nuclear disarmament and non-proliferation of nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yoshisaki, M.B.

1993-01-01

The technical report is a 1993 update on weapons-grade plutonium, a key issue in nuclear disarmament. Its vital significance would again be discussed during the fifth and the last Review Conference on the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) for Nuclear Weapons which would end in 1995. Member States shall decide whether an indefinite or conditional extension of NPT is necessary for world peace and international security. Two Non-NPT States, Russia and U.S.A. are in the forefront working for the reduction of nuclear weapons through nuclear disarmament. Their major effort is focused on the implementation of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty I and II or START I and II for world peace. The eventual implementation of START I and II would lead to the dismantling of plutonium from nuclear warheads proposed to be eliminated by both countries. This report gives three technical options to be derived from nuclear disarmament issues for the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons: (a) indefinite storage - there is no guarantee that these will not be used in the future (b) disposal as wastes - possible only in principle, because of lack of experience in mixing plutonium with high level wastes, and (c) source of energy - best option in managing stored weapons materials, because it satisfies non-proliferation objectives. It means fuel for energy in Light Water Reactors (LWR) or Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR). (author). 8 refs

Dinitrosyl iron complexes with thiol-containing ligands as a "working form" of endogenous nitric oxide.

Science.gov (United States)

Vanin, Anatoly F

2016-04-01

The material presented herein is an overview of the results obtained by our research team during the many years' study of biological activities and occurrence of dinitrosyl iron complexes (DNIC) with thiol-containing ligands in human and animal organisms. With regard to their dose dependence and vast diversity of biological activities, DNIC are similar to the system of endogenous NO, one of the most universal regulators of biological processes. The role of biologically active components in DNIC is played by their iron-dinitrosyl fragments, [Fe(NO)2], endowed with the ability to generate neutral NO molecules and nitrosonium ions (NO(+)). Their release is effected by heme-and thiol-containing proteins, which fulfill the function of biological targets and acceptors of NO and NO(+). Beneficial regulatory effects of DNIC on physiological and metabolic processes are numerous and diverse and include, among other things, lowering of arterial pressure and accelerated healing of skin wounds. In the course of fast decomposition of their Fe(NO)2 fragments (e.g., in the presence of iron chelators), DNIC produce adverse (cytotoxic) effects, which can best be exemplified by their ability to suppress the development of experimental endometriosis in animals. In animal tissues, DNIC with thiol-containing ligands are predominantly represented by the binuclear form, which, contrary to mononuclear DNIC detectable by the 2.03 signal, is EPR-silent. The ample body of evidence on biological activities and occurrence of DNIC gained so far clearly demonstrates that in human and animal organisms DNIC with thiol-containing ligands represent a "working form" of the system of endogenous NO responsible for its accumulation and stabilization in animal tissues as well as its further transfer to its biological targets. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Ester-free Thiol-X Resins: New Materials with Enhanced Mechanical Behavior and Solvent Resistance.

Science.gov (United States)

Podgórski, Maciej; Becka, Eftalda; Chatani, Shunsuke; Claudino, Mauro; Bowman, Christopher N

A series of thiol-Michael and radical thiol-ene network polymers were successfully prepared from ester-free as well as ester-containing monomer formulations. Polymerization reaction rates, dynamic mechanical analysis, and solvent resistance experiments were performed and compared between compositions with varied ester loading. The incorporation of ester-free alkyl thiol, vinyl sulfone and allylic monomers significantly improved the mechanical properties when compared with commercial, mercaptopropionate-based thiol-ene or thiol-Michael networks. For polymers with no hydrolytically degradable esters, glass transition temperatures (T g 's) as high as 100 °C were achieved. Importantly, solvent resistance tests demonstrated enhanced stability of ester-free formulations over PETMP-based polymers, especially in concentrated basic solutions. Kinetic analysis showed that glassy step-growth polymers are readily formed at ambient conditions with conversions reaching 80% and higher.

Kinetic Resolution of sec-Thiols via Enantioselective Oxidation with Rationally Engineered 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural Oxidase

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Pickl, Mathias; Swoboda, Alexander; Romero, Elvira; Winkler, Christoph; Binda, Claudia; Mattevi, Andrea; Faber, Kurt; Fraaije, Marco

2018-01-01

Various flavoprotein oxidases were recently shown to oxidize prim-thiols. Here we extend this reactivity towards sec-thiols via structure-guided engineering of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural oxidase (HMFO). The variants obtained were employed for the oxidative kinetic resolution of rac-sec-thiols

'For good and for bad': the relations between universal obligations and particular efforts in the field of nuclear non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dassen Van, L.

2005-01-01

Full text: The world has 'nuclear non-proliferation' on its lips. Presidents, politicians, journalists and others refer to it as the number one peril in our times. This may be right or wrong but irrespective of the real salience of 'nuclear dangers' it has a grip on our minds and wallets. A long range of states now make active investments in the improvement of nuclear security; not only at home as they used to do, but even abroad in other places and countries where there is concern with regard to how safe nuclear and materials are kept and stored. This development is surely an expression of a shared broadening of our sense of responsibility beyond the narrow confines of statehood and borders, and therefore this development should please us. On the other hand, the truly universal measures and instruments of the NPT and the regime round it are in trouble. It is being stated in some quarters that the NPT is inadequate in a new era with new threats from sub-state actors. Nevertheless, the NPT is the only legal instrument that is a framework that either by itself or as a starting-point can serve as a tool box for long-term storage of the proliferation risks. The reason for this is that the NPT is an expression of fairness in terms of rights and balances for all states committed to non-proliferation. And its foundations are those of international law. To the extent the NPT is being questioned will there also be a risk that non-proliferation efforts in the framework of cooperative threat reduction and for instance global partnership will lose legitimacy; simply for the reason that only a small number of the non-proliferation concerns are given attention. This relationship between cooperative threat reduction efforts on the one hand and universal legal instruments for non-proliferation on the other is a double-edged sword. While the two can reinvigorate and strengthen each other, there is also a risk that the one - cooperative threat reduction - when given preference over

Functional interaction between CFTR and the sodium-phosphate co-transport type 2a in Xenopus laevis oocytes.

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Naziha Bakouh

Full Text Available A growing number of proteins, including ion transporters, have been shown to interact with Cystic Fibrosis Transmembrane conductance Regulator (CFTR. CFTR is an epithelial chloride channel that is involved in Cystic Fibrosis (CF when mutated; thus a better knowledge of its functional interactome may help to understand the pathophysiology of this complex disease. In the present study, we investigated if CFTR and the sodium-phosphate co-transporter type 2a (NPT2a functionally interact after heterologous expression of both proteins in Xenopus laevis oocytes.NPT2a was expressed alone or in combination with CFTR in X. laevis oocytes. Using the two-electrode voltage-clamp technique, the inorganic phosphate-induced current (IPi was measured and taken as an index of NPT2a activity. The maximal IPi for NPT2a substrates was reduced when CFTR was co-expressed with NPT2a, suggesting a decrease in its expression at the oolemna. This was consistent with Western blot analysis showing reduced NPT2a plasma membrane expression in oocytes co-expressing both proteins, whereas NPT2a protein level in total cell lysate was the same in NPT2a- and NPT2a+CFTR-oocytes. In NPT2a+CFTR- but not in NPT2a-oocytes, IPi and NPT2a surface expression were increased upon PKA stimulation, whereas stimulation of Exchange Protein directly Activated by cAMP (EPAC had no effect. When NPT2a-oocytes were injected with NEG2, a short amino-acid sequence from the CFTR regulatory domain that regulates PKA-dependent CFTR trafficking to the plasma membrane, IPi values and NPT2a membrane expression were diminished, and could be enhanced by PKA stimulation, thereby mimicking the effects of CFTR co-expression.We conclude that when both CFTR and NPT2a are expressed in X. laevis oocytes, CFTR confers to NPT2a a cAMPi-dependent trafficking to the membrane. This functional interaction raises the hypothesis that CFTR may play a role in phosphate homeostasis.

The nuclear non-proliferation: The validity of the rule in Latin America

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cubillos Meza, Adela

2005-01-01

The position of Latin American countries within the framework of the Non Nuclear Proliferation Treaty NPT is analyzed in this article. This treaty which entered into force in 1968, has been ratified by a significant number of countries. The nuclear- weapon states, the United States and the former USSR gave origin to the NPT in order to control nuclear proliferation. This treaty has been subject to criticism since it discriminates between the countries which have nuclear weapons and the ones that do not. Thus, the former are allowed to manufacture atomic devices, but it has been forbidden for the latter. Even nuclear- weapon states such as France and China did not support the treaty immediately because they consider it as highly discriminatory. Countries that do not have nuclear weapons have criticized the NPT and did not joined immediately. Among these parties, we can mention three Latin American countries, Argentina, Brazil and Chile. The first two only signed the NPT when they were fully capable and autonomous in nuclear power. The Chilean position of not joining immediately depended upon the Argentinian and Brazilian decision [es

Canada and international safeguards. Verifying nuclear non-proliferation. Verification brochure no. 5

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1990-01-01

The Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) came into force in 1970 and now has about 140 signatory nations. By creating legal barriers against proliferation and by promoting an international non-proliferation ethic, the NPT has promoted international peace and security. A key ingredient has been the confidence generated through verification by IAEA safeguards. By the end of 1988 IAEA safeguards agreements had been concluded with about 100 countries, including Canada. Over 500 nuclear facilities worldwide are under safeguards or contain safeguarded nuclear material. The existence of this credible and effective safeguards system makes international trade in nuclear equipment and materials possible, monitoring the transfer of nuclear technology to developing countries as well as between industrial countries. Canada is committed to non-proliferation and IAEA safeguards. Canadian non-proliferation policy is among the strictest in the world, even though opportunities have been lost to sell Canadian technology abroad as a result.

Act of 20 July 1978 establishing provisions enabling the International Atomic Energy Agency to undertake inspections and verifications on Belgian territory, in implementation of the International Agreement of 5 April 1973 made in application of 1 and 4 paragraphs of Article III of the Treaty of 1 July 1968 on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-01-01

Under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), Belgium concluded a safeguards agreement with the IAEA which enables the latter to verify the fulfilment of the obligations assumed by Belgium in accordance with the NPT, with a view to preventing diversion of nuclear energy from peaceful uses to nuclear weapons or other nuclear explosive devices. All non-nuclear weapon States party to the NPT enter into such agreements. (NEA) [fr

Effect of the cooking method (grilling, roasting, frying and sous-vide) on the oxidation of thiols, tryptophan, alkaline amino acids and protein cross-linking in jerky chicken.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Fábio A P; Ferreira, Valquíria C S; Madruga, Marta S; Estévez, Mario

2016-08-01

Broiler breast ( pectoralis major ) meat was submitted to salting with NaCl + NaNO 3 followed by a drying process to produce jerky-type chicken. The final product (raw broiler charqui) was desalted and then cooked using grilled, roasted, fried and sous-vide techniques. Sous-vide cooked samples showed lowest results of moisture loss compared to roasted and fried ones. Fatty acid profile suffered minor changes after cooking of broiler charqui. Regarding to protein oxidation, tryptophan fluorescence, protein carbonylation and disulphide bonds formation of chicken charqui were affected by cooking temperature while free thiol groups, Schiff base formation and hardness were mostly impacted by the length of cooking. Instrumental color of broiler charqui was affected by the type of cooking, being closely related with Maillard products formation. In conclusion, sous-vide technique seems to be the most advantageous cooking method to obtain high-quality ready-to-eat chicken charqui.

Inactivation of thiol-dependent enzymes by hypothiocyanous acid: role of sulfenyl thiocyanate and sulfenic acid intermediates

Science.gov (United States)

Barrett, Tessa J.; Pattison, David I.; Leonard, Stephen E.; Carroll, Kate S.; Davies, Michael J.; Hawkins, Clare L.

2012-01-01

Myeloperoxidase (MPO) forms reactive oxidants including hypochlorous and hypothiocyanous acids (HOCl and HOSCN) under inflammatory conditions. HOCl causes extensive tissue damage and plays a role in the progression of many inflammatory-based diseases. Although HOSCN is a major MPO oxidant, particularly in smokers, who have elevated plasma thiocyanate, the role of this oxidant in disease is poorly characterized. HOSCN induces cellular damage by targeting thiols. However, the specific targets and mechanisms involved in this process are not well defined. We show that exposure of macrophages to HOSCN results in the inactivation of intracellular enzymes, including creatine kinase (CK) and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). In each case, the active-site thiol residue is particularly sensitive to oxidation, with evidence for reversible inactivation and the formation of sulfenyl thiocyanate and sulfenic acid intermediates, on treatment with HOSCN (less than fivefold molar excess). Experiments with DAz-2, a cell-permeable chemical trap for sulfenic acids, demonstrate that these intermediates are formed on many cellular proteins, including GAPDH and CK, in macrophages exposed to HOSCN. This is the first direct evidence for the formation of protein sulfenic acids in HOSCN-treated cells and highlights the potential of this oxidant to perturb redox signaling processes. PMID:22248862

Thiol/disulfide homeostasis in pregnant women with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome.

Science.gov (United States)

Üstündağ, Yasemin; Demirci, Hakan; Balık, Rifat; Erel, Ozcan; Özaydın, Fahri; Kücük, Bilgen; Ertaş, Dilber; Ustunyurt, Emin

2017-11-27

Repetitive episodes of hypoxia and reoxygenation during sleep in patients with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) resemble an ischemia-reperfusion injury. We aimed to test the hypothesis that oxidative stress occurs in pregnant women with OSAS. We also aimed to compare thiol/disulfide homeostasis with ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) as markers of ischemia-reperfusion injury in pregnant women with and without OSAS and healthy control. This study included 29 pregnant women with OSAS, 30 women without OSAS in the third trimester applying for periodic examinations, and 30 healthy women. Serum IMA and TAC (using the ferric reducing power of plasma method) were measured. Serum thiol/disulfide homeostasis was determined by a novel automated method. The mean age of the pregnant women with OSAS was 31.0 ± 4.7 years with a mean gestational age of 36.5 ± 3.0 weeks. The mean age of pregnant women without OSAS was 29.8 ± 4.9 years with a mean gestational age of 36.9 ± 2.7 weeks. The mean age of the nonpregnant control group was 29.7 ± 6.4 years. Both native thiol (291 ± 29 μmol/L versus 314 ± 30 μmol/L; p = .018) and total thiol (325 ± 32 versus 350 ± 32, p = .025) levels were lower in pregnant women with OSAS compared to pregnant women without OSAS, respectively (p total thiol levels were lower in pregnant women with OSAS compared to those without OSAS. However, dynamic thiol/disulfide homeostasis parameters cannot provide valuable information to discriminate OSAS in pregnant women.

Karakteristik Protein dan Nitrogen Non Protein Daging Ikan Cucut Lanyam (Charcharhinus limbatus (Characteristics of Protein and Non Protein Nitrogen in Lanyam Shark Muscle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuspihana Fitrial

2017-02-01

Based on protein solubility of Lanyam muscle at pH 1.5 to 12 obtained two points which is minimum solubility at pH 4.5 and pH 9. Based on the classification Osborn, Lanyam muscle contained albumin (28.64%, globulin (13:44%, prolamin (03.29%, glutelin (33.70%. Observation of non-protein nitrogen levels indicated that the washing process was very effective to reduce non-protein nitrogen levels up to 62.34% and urea levels up to 58% . Differential Scanning Calorimetry Study of Lanyam mince showed two types of protein that has a different stability to heat and after added 2.5% NaCl formed a peak which is a fusion of both these proteins

Hypoglycemic, hepatoprotective and molecular docking studies of 5-[(4-chlorophenoxy methyl]-1, 3, 4-oxadiazole-2-thiol

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naureen Shehzadi

2018-05-01

Full Text Available The present study aimed at the evaluation of anti-hyperglycemic and hepatoprotective potential of a new drug candidate, 5-[(4-chlorophenoxy methyl]-1,3,4-oxadiazole-2-thiol (OXCPM through in vitro and in vivo assays, respectively. The compound displayed excellent dose-dependent ɑ-amylase (28.0-92.0%, ɑ-glucosidase (40.3-93.1% and hemoglobin glycosylation (9.0%-54.9% inhibitory effects and promoted the uptake of glucose by the yeast cells (0.2 to 26.3%. The treatment of the isoniazid- and rifampicin- (p.o., 50 mg/kg of each intoxicated rats with OXCPM (100 mg/kg, p.o. resulted in restoring the normal serum levels of the non-enzymatic (total bilirubin, total protein and albumin and bringing about a remarkable decrease in the levels of enzymatic (alanine transaminases, aspartate transaminases and alkaline phosphatase biomarkers. The molecular docking studies indicated high binding affinity of the compound for hyperglycemia-related protein targets; fructose-1,6-bisphosphatase, beta2-adrenergic receptors and glucokinase. The results indicate that OXCPM may not only reduce hyperglycemia by enzyme inhibition but also the disease complications through protection of hemoglobin glycosylation and hepatic injury.

Sovereignty and non-proliferation policy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimminich, O.

1990-01-01

The Non-Proliferation Treaty seems to violate the fundamental principle of the quality of the states. However, if interpreted in the light of the latest developments of the international law, it is possible to justify the discriminations which it imposes on the non-nuclear states. A crucial point is the implementation of article VI by the nuclear states. If the latter procrastinate in nuclear disarmament the whole NPT-regime will collapse. (orig.) [de

Toposelective electrochemical desorption of thiol SAMs from neighboring polycrystalline gold surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Tencer, Michal; Berini, Pierre

2008-11-04

We describe a method for the selective desorption of thiol self-assembled monolayers from gold surfaces having micrometer-scale separations on a substrate. In an electrolyte solution, the electrical resistance between the adjacent areas can be much lower than the resistance between a surface and the counter electrode. Also, both reductive and oxidative thiol desorption may occur. Therefore, the potentials of the surfaces must be independently controlled with a multichannel potentiostat and operating windows for a given thiol/electrolyte system must be established. In this study operating windows were established for 1-dodecanethiol-based SAMs in phosphate buffer, phosphate-buffered saline, and sodium hydroxide solution, and selective SAM removal was successfully performed in a four-electrode configuration.

Effect of thiol group on the curing process of alkaline developable photo-resists

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hidetaka Oka; Masaki Ohwa; Hisatoshi Kura

1999-01-01

Photosensitivity of a conventional radical photo-initiator in an alkaline developable photoresist is boosted by substitution with a thiol group. Evidence is presented that the thiol group acts via chain transfer mechanism

Ester-free Thiol-X Resins: New Materials with Enhanced Mechanical Behavior and Solvent Resistance

OpenAIRE

Podgórski, Maciej; Becka, Eftalda; Chatani, Shunsuke; Claudino, Mauro; Bowman, Christopher N.

2015-01-01

A series of thiol-Michael and radical thiol-ene network polymers were successfully prepared from ester-free as well as ester-containing monomer formulations. Polymerization reaction rates, dynamic mechanical analysis, and solvent resistance experiments were performed and compared between compositions with varied ester loading. The incorporation of ester-free alkyl thiol, vinyl sulfone and allylic monomers significantly improved the mechanical properties when compared with commercial, mercapto...

Click and chemically triggered declick reactions through reversible amine and thiol coupling via a conjugate acceptor

Science.gov (United States)

Diehl, Katharine L.; Kolesnichenko, Igor V.; Robotham, Scott A.; Bachman, J. Logan; Zhong, Ye; Brodbelt, Jennifer S.; Anslyn, Eric V.

2016-10-01

The coupling and decoupling of molecular units is a fundamental undertaking of organic chemistry. Herein we report the use of a very simple conjugate acceptor, derived from Meldrum's acid, for the sequential ‘clicking’ together of an amine and a thiol in aqueous conditions at neutral pH. Subsequently, this linkage can be ‘declicked’ by a chemical trigger to release the original amine and thiol undisturbed. The reactivity differs from that of other crosslinking agents because the selectivity for sequential functionalization derives from an altering of the electrophilicity of the conjugate acceptor on the addition of the amine. We describe the use of the procedure to modify proteins, create multicomponent libraries and synthesize oligomers, all of which can be declicked to their starting components in a controlled fashion when desired. Owing to the mild reaction conditions and ease of use in a variety of applications, the method is predicted to have wide utility.

Preparation and Characterization of Fluorinated Hydrophobic UV-Crosslinkable Thiol-Ene Polyurethane Coatings

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Wenjing Xia

2017-08-01

Full Text Available The polyurethane prepolymer terminated with a double bond was synthesized using isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI, hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB, 1,4-butanediol (BDO, and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA. Then, a series of innovative UV-curable polyurethane coatings were prepared by blending ene-terminated polyurethane, fluoroacrylate monomer, and multifunctional thiol crosslinker upon UV exposure. The incorporation of fluoroacrylate monomer and multifunctional thiols into polyurethane coatings significantly enhanced the hydrophobic property, mechanical property, pencil hardness, and glossiness of the polyurethane coatings. This method of preparing UV crosslinkable, hydrophobic polyurethane coatings based on thiol-ene chemistry exhibited numerous advantages over other UV photocuring systems.

Cisplatin impairs rat liver mitochondrial functions by inducing changes on membrane ion permeability: Prevention by thiol group protecting agents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Custodio, Jose B.A.; Cardoso, Carla M.P.; Santos, Maria S.; Almeida, Leonor M.; Vicente, Joaquim A.F.; Fernandes, Maria A.S.

2009-01-01

Cisplatin (CisPt) is the most important platinum anticancer drug widely used in the treatment of head, neck, ovarian and testicular cancers. However, the mechanisms by which CisPt induces cytotoxicity, namely hepatotoxicity, are not completely understood. The goal of this study was to investigate the influence of CisPt on rat liver mitochondrial functions (Ca 2+ -induced mitochondrial permeability transition (MPT), mitochondrial bioenergetics, and mitochondrial oxidative stress) to better understand the mechanism underlying its hepatotoxicity. The effect of thiol group protecting agents and some antioxidants against CisPt-induced mitochondrial damage was also investigated. Treatment of rat liver mitochondria with CisPt (20 nmol/mg protein) induced Ca 2+ -dependent mitochondrial swelling, depolarization of membrane potential (ΔΨ), Ca 2+ release, and NAD(P)H fluorescence intensity decay. These effects were prevented by cyclosporine A (CyA), a potent and specific inhibitor of the MPT. In the concentration range of up to 40 nmol/mg protein, CisPt slightly inhibited state 3 and stimulated state 2 and state 4 respiration rates using succinate as respiratory substrate. The respiratory indexes, respiratory control ratio (RCR) and ADP/O ratios, the ΔΨ, and the ADP phosphorylation rate were also depressed. CisPt induced mitochondrial inner membrane permeabilization to protons (proton leak) but did not induce significant changes on mitochondrial H 2 O 2 generation. All the effects induced by CisPt on rat liver mitochondria were prevented by thiol group protecting agents namely, glutathione (GSH), dithiothreitol (DTT), N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) and cysteine (CYS), whereas superoxide-dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT) and ascorbate (ASC) were without effect. In conclusion, the anticancer drug CisPt: (1) increases the sensitivity of mitochondria to Ca 2+ -induced MPT; (2) interferes with mitochondrial bioenergetics by increasing mitochondrial inner membrane permeabilization to

IAEA Director General calls for rededication to nuclear non-proliferation regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2000-01-01

Speaking at the opening session of the Review Conference of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) in New York on April 24, 2000, the Director General of the IAEA urged all nations to commit themselves unequivocally to the basic tenets of the non-proliferation regime

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty, the relationship

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Graham, Thomas Jr. [7609 Glenbrook Rd., Bethesda, MD 20814 (United States)

2014-05-09

The Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) is the most important international security arrangement that we have that is protecting the world community and this has been true for many years. But it did not happen by accident, it is a strategic bargain in which 184 states gave up the right forever to acquire the most powerful weapon ever created in exchange for a commitment from the five states allowed to keep nuclear weapons under the NPT (U.S., U.K., Russia, France and China), to share peaceful nuclear technology and to engage in disarmament negotiations aimed at the ultimate elimination of their nuclear stockpiles. The most important part of this is the comprehensive nuclear test ban (CTBT); the thinking by the 184 NPT non-nuclear weapon states was and is that they understand that the elimination of nuclear weapon stockpiles is a long way off, but at least the NPT nuclear weapon states could stop testing the weapons. The CTBT has been ratified by 161 states but by its terms it can only come into force if 44 nuclear potential states ratify; 36 have of the 44 have ratified it, the remaining eight include the United States and seven others, most of whom are in effect waiting for the United States. No state has tested a nuclear weapon-except for complete outlier North Korea-in 15 years. There appears to be no chance that the U.S. Senate will approve the CTBT for ratification in the foreseeable future, but the NPT may not survive without it. Perhaps it is time to consider an interim measure, for the UN Security Council to declare that any future nuclear weapon test any time, anywhere is a 'threat to peace and security', in effect a violation of international law, which in today's world it clearly would be.

Kinetic Resolution of sec-Thiols by Enantioselective Oxidation with Rationally Engineered 5-(Hydroxymethyl)furfural Oxidase.

Science.gov (United States)

Pickl, Mathias; Swoboda, Alexander; Romero, Elvira; Winkler, Christoph K; Binda, Claudia; Mattevi, Andrea; Faber, Kurt; Fraaije, Marco W

2018-03-05

Various flavoprotein oxidases were recently shown to oxidize primary thiols. Herein, this reactivity is extended to sec-thiols by using structure-guided engineering of 5-(hydroxymethyl)furfural oxidase (HMFO). The variants obtained were employed for the oxidative kinetic resolution of racemic sec-thiols, thus yielding the corresponding thioketones and nonreacted R-configured thiols with excellent enantioselectivities (E≥200). The engineering strategy applied went beyond the classic approach of replacing bulky amino acid residues with smaller ones, as the active site was additionally enlarged by a newly introduced Thr residue. This residue established a hydrogen-bonding interaction with the substrates, as verified in the crystal structure of the variant. These strategies unlocked HMFO variants for the enantioselective oxidation of a range of sec-thiols. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Direct determination of the redox status of cysteine residues in proteins in vivo

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hara, Satoshi [Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta 4259-R1-8, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Tatenaka, Yuki; Ohuchi, Yuya [Dojindo Laboratories, 2025-5 Tabaru, Mashiki-machi, Kumamoto 861-2202 (Japan); Hisabori, Toru, E-mail: thisabor@res.titech.ac.jp [Chemical Resources Laboratory, Tokyo Institute of Technology, Nagatsuta 4259-R1-8, Midori-ku, Yokohama 226-8503 (Japan); Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 102-0075 (Japan)

2015-01-02

Highlights: • A new DNA-maleimide which is cleaved by UV irradiation, DNA-PCMal, was developed. • DNA-PCMal can be used like DNA-Mal to analyze the redox state of cysteine residues. • It is useful for detecting the thiol redox status of a protein in vivo by Western blotting method. • Thus, DNA-PCMal can be a powerful tool for redox proteomics analysis. - Abstract: The redox states of proteins in cells are key factors in many cellular processes. To determine the redox status of cysteinyl thiol groups in proteins in vivo, we developed a new maleimide reagent, a photocleavable maleimide-conjugated single stranded DNA (DNA-PCMal). The DNA moiety of DNA-PCMal is easily removed by UV-irradiation, allowing DNA-PCMal to be used in Western blotting applications. Thereby the state of thiol groups in intracellular proteins can be directly evaluated. This new maleimide compound can provide information concerning redox proteins in vivo, which is important for our understanding of redox networks in the cell.

Facile synthesis of thiol-polyethylene glycol functionalized magnetic titania nanomaterials for highly efficient enrichment of N-linked glycopeptides.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jiawen; Yao, Jizong; Sun, Nianrong; Deng, Chunhui

2017-08-25

As protein N-glycosylation involved in generation and development of various cancers and diseases, it is vital to capture glycopeptides from complex biological samples for biomarker discovery. In this work, by taking advantages of the interaction between titania and thiol groups, thiol-polyethylene glycol functionalized magnetic titania nanomaterials (denoted as Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @PEG) were firstly fabricated as an excellent hydrophilic adsorbent of N-linked glycopeptides. On one hand, the special interaction of titanium-thiol makes the synthetic manipulation simple and provides a new idea for design and synthesis of novel nanomaterials; on the other hand, strong magnetic response could realize rapid separation and the outstanding hydrophilicity of polyethylene glycol makes Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @PEG nanomaterials show superior performance for glycopeptides enrichment with ultralow limit of detection (0.1mol/μL) and high selectivity (1:100). As a result, 24 and 33 glycopeptides enriched from HRP and IgG digests were identified respectively by MALDI-TOF MS, and 300 glycopeptides corresponding to 106 glycoproteins were recognized from merely 2μL human serum, indicating a great potential of Fe 3 O 4 @TiO 2 @PEG nanomaterials for glycoproteomic research. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Thiol functionalized polymethacrylic acid-based hydrogel microparticles for oral insulin delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Sajeesh, S; Vauthier, C; Gueutin, C; Ponchel, G; Sharma, Chandra P

2010-08-01

In the present study thiol functionalized polymethacrylic acid-polyethylene glycol-chitosan (PCP)-based hydrogel microparticles were utilized to develop an oral insulin delivery system. Thiol modification was achieved by grafting cysteine to the activated surface carboxyl groups of PCP hydrogels (Cys-PCP). Swelling and insulin loading/release experiments were conducted on these particles. The ability of these particles to inhibit protease enzymes was evaluated under in vitro experimental conditions. Insulin transport experiments were performed on Caco-2 cell monolayers and excised intestinal tissue with an Ussing chamber set-up. Finally, the efficacy of insulin-loaded particles in reducing the blood glucose level in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats was investigated. Thiolated hydrogel microparticles showed less swelling and had a lower insulin encapsulation efficiency as compared with unmodified PCP particles. PCP and Cys-PCP microparticles were able to inhibit protease enzymes under in vitro conditions. Thiolation was an effective strategy to improve insulin absorption across Caco-2 cell monolayers, however, the effect was reduced in the experiments using excised rat intestinal tissue. Nevertheless, functionalized microparticles were more effective in eliciting a pharmacological response in diabetic animal, as compared with unmodified PCP microparticles. From these studies thiolation of hydrogel microparticles seems to be a promising approach to improve oral delivery of proteins/peptides. Copyright 2010 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Thiol-ene/methacrylate systems for mechanical damping

Science.gov (United States)

McNair, Olivia; Senyurt, Askim; Wei, Huanyu; Gould, Trent; Piland, Scott; Hoyle, Charles; Savin, Daniel

2010-03-01

Ternary thiol-ene-methacrylate (TEMA) networks as materials for mechanical energy damping are unique to the sports world. Using a photoinitiation process, TEMA systems are formed via an initial thiol-ene step-growth mechanism along with traditional radical polymerization of acrylate and ene monomers. Final networks have two-part morphologies: acrylate homopolymer sectors imbedded in a multi-component mesh. Several (TEMA) systems have been synthesized and analyzed via thermal and mechanical probing. Initial studies on these ternary systems have shown excellent properties compared to traditional ethylene vinyl alcohol (EVA) copolymers. For example, PEMA networks exhibit glass transition temperatures 33 K higher than EVA, resulting in improved damping at room temperature. This research will help develop relationships between tan delta, glass transition and their effects on mechanical energy damping for ternary (TEMA) systems.

Effect of homogenisation in formation of thermally induced aggregates in a non- and low- fat milk model system with microparticulated whey proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Torres, Isabel Celigueta; Nieto, Gema; Nylander, Tommy; Simonsen, Adam Cohen; Tolkach, Alexander; Ipsen, Richard

2017-05-01

The objective of the research presented in this paper was to investigate how different characteristics of whey protein microparticles (MWP) added to milk as fat replacers influence intermolecular interactions occurring with other milk proteins during homogenisation and heating. These interactions are responsible for the formation of heat-induced aggregates that influence the texture and sensory characteristics of the final product. The formation of heat-induced complexes was studied in non- and low-fat milk model systems, where microparticulated whey protein (MWP) was used as fat replacer. Five MWP types with different particle characteristics were utilised and three heat treatments used: 85 °C for 15 min, 90 °C for 5 min and 95 °C for 2 min. Surface characteristics of the protein aggregates were expressed as the number of available thiol groups and the surface net charge. Intermolecular interactions involved in the formation of protein aggregates were studied by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and the final complexes visualised by darkfield microscopy. Homogenisation of non-fat milk systems led to partial adsorption of caseins onto microparticles, independently of the type of microparticle. On the contrary, homogenisation of low-fat milk resulted in preferential adsorption of caseins onto fat globules, rather than onto microparticles. Further heating of the milk, led to the formation of heat induced complexes with different sizes and characteristics depending on the type of MWP and the presence or not of fat. The results highlight the importance of controlling homogenisation and heat processing in yoghurt manufacture in order to induce desired changes in the surface reactivity of the microparticles and thereby promote effective protein interactions.

Novel one-pot synthesis and characterization of bioactive thiol-silicate nanoparticles for biocatalytic and biosensor applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neville, Frances; Pchelintsev, Nikolay A; Broderick, Michael J F; Gibson, Tim; Millner, Paul A

2009-01-01

A novel one-pot neutral synthesis using bioinspired polymers to fabricate thiol-nanoparticles is presented. The thiol-particles may be directly tethered to metal surfaces such as gold, allowing the production of self-assembled nanostructured biocatalytic or biosensor surfaces. This one-pot method has also been used to entrap enzymes within the thiol-nanoparticles; it is apparent that once enzyme entrapment is carried out a bimodal distribution of particles is formed, with particles of one mode being very similar in size to thiol-nanoparticles without enzyme entrapped, and particles of the other mode being much larger in size. To this end, efforts have been made to separate the two modes of particles for the sample containing enzyme and it has been observed that the larger mode thiol-nanoparticles do indeed contain significant amounts of enzyme in comparison to the smaller mode ones. As the enzyme-containing thiol-nanoparticles can now be isolated, this means that there are many future possibilities for the use of thiol-particles containing enzyme, as they may be used in a wide range of processes and devices which require catalytic functionalized surfaces, such as biosensors and biocatalytic reactors.

Strengthening the nuclear non-proliferation regime: An international priority. Tokyo, 10 December 2002

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

ElBaradei, M.

2002-01-01

The efforts to curb the spread of nuclear weapons has witnessed steady progress and a number of important milestones. Progress, however, is still required on this and many other fronts, including: the need to work energetically to ensure the universal adherence to safeguards agreements and additional protocols by all the non-nuclear-weapon States party to the NPT and other non-proliferation agreements; the need for reducing existing nuclear weapon arsenals and adopting concrete steps that move us further towards nuclear disarmament; the need to draw in those States that remain outside the NPT regime; and the need to develop alternative approaches to regional and international security that are functional and inclusive, and that do not incorporate nuclear deterrence as a feature

Study of the effect of thiols on the vasodilatory potency of S-nitrosothiols by using a modified aortic ring assay

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giustarini, Daniela; Tsikas, Dimitrios; Rossi, Ranieri

2011-01-01

Both low-molecular-mass thiols (LMM-SH) and protein thiols (P-SH) can modulate the biological activity of S-nitrosothiols (RSNO) via S-transnitrosation reactions. It has been difficult to evaluate the entity of this effect in blood circulation by in vitro assays with isolated aorta rings so far, because media rich in proteins cannot be used due to the foaming as a consequence of the needed gas bubbling. We have modified the original apparatus for organ bioassay in order to minimize foaming and to increase analytical performance. By using this modified bioassay we investigated the vasodilatory potency of various endogenous RSNOs in the presence of physiologically relevant concentrations of albumin and LMM-SH. Our results show that the sulfhydryl group of the cysteine moiety of albumin and LMM-SH has a dramatic effect on the vasodilatory potency of RSNO. Considering the equilibrium constants for S-transnitrosation reactions and the concentration of P-SH and LMM-SH we measured in healthy humans (aged 18-85 years), we infer that the age-dependency of hematic levels of LMM-SH may have a considerable impact in RSNO-mediated vasodilation. S-Nitrosoproteins such as S-nitrosoalbumin may constitute a relatively silent and constant amount of circulating RSNO. On the other hand, LMM-SH may mediate and control the biological actions of S-nitrosoproteins via S-transnitrosation reactions, by forming more potent nitric oxide-releasing LMM-S-nitrosothiols. Lifestyle habits, status of health and individual age are proven factors that, in turn, may influence the concentration of these compounds. These aspects should be taken into consideration when testing the vasodilatory effects of RSNO in pre-clinical studies. - Highlights: → A modification of the organ chamber apparatus for aortic ring bioassays is proposed. → The new apparatus can work in the presence of albumin at physiological concentrations. → Potency of RSNOs was studied in the presence of albumin and low molecular

Quantification of Polyfunctional Thiols in Wine by HS-SPME-GC-MS Following Extractive Alkylation.

Science.gov (United States)

Musumeci, Lauren E; Ryona, Imelda; Pan, Bruce S; Loscos, Natalia; Feng, Hui; Cleary, Michael T; Sacks, Gavin L

2015-07-06

Analyses of key odorous polyfunctional volatile thiols in wines (3-mercaptohexanol (3-MH), 3-mercaptohexylacetate (3-MHA), and 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone (4-MMP)) are challenging due to their high reactivity and ultra-trace concentrations, especially when using conventional gas-chromatography electron impact mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS). We describe a method in which thiols are converted to pentafluorobenzyl (PFB) derivatives by extractive alkylation and the organic layer is evaporated prior to headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME) and GC-EI-MS analysis. Optimal parameters were determined by response surface area modeling. The addition of NaCl solution to the dried SPME vials prior to extraction resulted in up to less than fivefold improvement in detection limits. Using 40 mL wine samples, limits of detection for 4-MMP, 3-MH, and 3-MHA were 0.9 ng/L, 1 ng/L, and 17 ng/L, respectively. Good recovery (90%-109%) and precision (5%-11% RSD) were achieved in wine matrices. The new method was used to survey polyfunctional thiol concentrations in 61 commercial California and New York State wines produced from V. vinifera (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc and non-varietal rosé wines), V. labruscana (Niagara), and Vitis spp. (Cayuga White). Mean 4-MMP concentrations in New York Niagara (17 ng/L) were not significantly different from concentrations in Sauvignon blanc, but were significantly higher than 4-MMP in other varietal wines.

Quantification of Polyfunctional Thiols in Wine by HS-SPME-GC-MS Following Extractive Alkylation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lauren E. Musumeci

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Analyses of key odorous polyfunctional volatile thiols in wines (3-mercaptohexanol (3-MH, 3-mercaptohexylacetate (3-MHA, and 4-mercapto-4-methyl-2-pentanone (4-MMP are challenging due to their high reactivity and ultra-trace concentrations, especially when using conventional gas-chromatography electron impact mass spectrometry (GC-EI-MS. We describe a method in which thiols are converted to pentafluorobenzyl (PFB derivatives by extractive alkylation and the organic layer is evaporated prior to headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME and GC-EI-MS analysis. Optimal parameters were determined by response surface area modeling. The addition of NaCl solution to the dried SPME vials prior to extraction resulted in up to less than fivefold improvement in detection limits. Using 40 mL wine samples, limits of detection for 4-MMP, 3-MH, and 3-MHA were 0.9 ng/L, 1 ng/L, and 17 ng/L, respectively. Good recovery (90%–109% and precision (5%–11% RSD were achieved in wine matrices. The new method was used to survey polyfunctional thiol concentrations in 61 commercial California and New York State wines produced from V. vinifera (Riesling, Gewürztraminer, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sauvignon blanc and non-varietal rosé wines, V. labruscana (Niagara, and Vitis spp. (Cayuga White. Mean 4-MMP concentrations in New York Niagara (17 ng/L were not significantly different from concentrations in Sauvignon blanc, but were significantly higher than 4-MMP in other varietal wines.

Rapid and simple preparation of thiol-ene emulsion-templated monoliths and their application as enzymatic microreactors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lafleur, Josiane P; Senkbeil, Silja; Novotny, Jakub

2015-01-01

A novel, rapid and simple method for the preparation of emulsion-templated monoliths in microfluidic channels based on thiol-ene chemistry is presented. The method allows monolith synthesis and anchoring inside thiol-ene microchannels in a single photoinitiated step. Characterization by scanning...... electron microscopy showed that the methanol-based emulsion templating process resulted in a network of highly interconnected and regular thiol-ene beads anchored solidly inside thiol-ene microchannels. Surface area measurements indicate that the monoliths are macroporous, with no or little micro...

Antioxidant activities of the synthesized thiol-contained peptides derived from computer-aided pepsin hydrolysis of yam tuber storage protein, dioscorin.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Chuan-Hsiao; Liu, Ju-Chi; Fang, Sheng-Uei; Hou, Wen-Chi

2013-06-01

Our previous report showed that yam dioscorin and its peptic hydrolysates exhibit radical scavenging activities; however, the functions of these peptic hydrolases are still under investigation. In this study, the thiol-containing peptides derived from computer-aided simulation of pepsin hydrolysis of dioscorin, namely, KTCGNGME (diotide1), PPCSE (diotide2), CDDRVIRTPLT (diotide3), KTCGY (diotide4), and PPCTE (diotide5) were synthesized to compare their antioxidant activities with GSH and/or carnosine by examining hydroxyl radical scavenging activity by electron spin resonance spectrometry, anti-low-density lipoprotein peroxidation, anti-AAPH-induced hemolysis, and oxygen radical absorbance capacity activity. We found that while all the synthesized diotides showed antioxidant activity, diotide4 exhibited the highest levels. Moreover, all diotides (100 μM) showed protective effects against methylglyoxal-induced human umbilical vein endothelial cell death. These results suggest that thiol-containing diotides derived from dioscorin hydrolysis exhibit antioxidant activities and reveal the benefits of yam tuber as an antioxidant-rich food. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

How we think about peace and security. The ABCs of initiatives for disarmament and non-proliferation education

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Toki, Masako; Potter, William C.

2005-01-01

Education and training are among the most important but underutilized tools for promoting disarmament and non-proliferation. Although few national governments or international organizations have invested significantly in such training programs, there is a growing recognition among States of the need to rectify this situation. This positive development is reflected in the broad support for recommendations of a UN study on Disarmament and Non-Proliferation Education and in related initiatives within the review process of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). In view of the forthcoming 2005 NPT Review Conference, it is useful to take stock of the implementation of the UN study's recommendations. In particular, it is important to observe the progress that has been made within the context of the NPT review process, as well as the obstacles that must be overcome if the full potential for disarmament and non-proliferation education is to be realized. Resources on disarmament and non-proliferation education are increasingly available on the Internet. The UN Department for Disarmament Affairs has launched new features on its web site that include links to academic institutes, governmental centers, NGOs and other bodies engaged in educational efforts. As part of its mission to combat the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by training the next generation of nonproliferation specialists and raising global public awareness on WMD issues, the Center for Nonproliferation Studies (CNS) has developed a series of tutorials for non-proliferation and disarmament education. Among these tutorials, the NPT Tutorial has been designed to educate and provide useful material about the treaty through interactive text and enriched multimedia segments, including timelines, maps, and numerous links to relevant resources. Among other resources are teaching guides developed by the Monterey Institute's Center for Nonproliferation Studies through its Critical Issues Forum (CIF). More

Transdermal thiol-acrylate polyethylene glycol hydrogel synthesis using near infrared light

Science.gov (United States)

Chung, Solchan; Lee, Hwangjae; Kim, Hyung-Seok; Kim, Min-Gon; Lee, Luke P.; Lee, Jae Young

2016-07-01

Light-induced polymerization has been widely applied for hydrogel synthesis, which conventionally involves the use of ultraviolet or visible light to activate a photoinitiator for polymerization. However, with these light sources, transdermal gelation is not efficient and feasible due to their substantial interactions with biological systems, and thus a high power is required. In this study, we used biocompatible and tissue-penetrating near infrared (NIR) light to remotely trigger a thiol-acrylate reaction for efficient in vivo gelation with good controllability. Our gelation system includes gold nanorods as a photothermal agent, a thermal initiator, diacrylate polyethylene glycol (PEG), and thiolated PEG. Irradiation with a low-power NIR laser (0.3 W cm-2) could induce gelation via a mixed-mode reaction with a small increase in temperature (~5 °C) under the optimized conditions. We also achieved successful transdermal gelation via the NIR-assisted photothermal thiol-acryl reactions. This new type of NIR-assisted thiol-acrylate polymerization provides new opportunities for in situ hydrogel formation for injectable hydrogels and delivery of drugs/cells for various biomedical applications.Light-induced polymerization has been widely applied for hydrogel synthesis, which conventionally involves the use of ultraviolet or visible light to activate a photoinitiator for polymerization. However, with these light sources, transdermal gelation is not efficient and feasible due to their substantial interactions with biological systems, and thus a high power is required. In this study, we used biocompatible and tissue-penetrating near infrared (NIR) light to remotely trigger a thiol-acrylate reaction for efficient in vivo gelation with good controllability. Our gelation system includes gold nanorods as a photothermal agent, a thermal initiator, diacrylate polyethylene glycol (PEG), and thiolated PEG. Irradiation with a low-power NIR laser (0.3 W cm-2) could induce gelation

Identification of a Protein with Antioxidant Activity that is Important for the Protection against Beer Ageing

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Ming J.; Clarke, Frank M.; Rogers, Peter J.; Young, Paul; Sales, Narelle; O’Doherty, Patrick J.; Higgins, Vincent J.

2011-01-01

This study was carried out with fresh Australian lager beer which was sampled directly off the production line, the same samples aged for 12 weeks at 30 °C, and the vintage beer which was kept at 20 °C for 5 years. Characteristic Australian lager flavour was maintained in the fresh and vintage beers but was lost in the aged beer. Sodium dodecyl sulphate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and free thiol group labelling analyses of beer proteins found that this flavour stability correlated with the presence of an unknown 10 kilodaltons (kDa) protein with a higher level of free thiols. The protein was purified by size-exclusion chromatography, then peptide sequencing and database matching identified it as the barley lipid transfer protein (LTP1). Further characterisation using diphenylpicrylhydrazyl (DPPH) free radical scavenging and a Saccharomyces cerevisiae-based antioxidant screening assay demonstrated that the LTP1 protein was active in DPPH reduction and antioxidant activity. The absence of free thiol in the aged beer indicates that the thiol functional groups within the LTP1 protein were saturated and suggests that it is important in the flavour stability of beer by maintaining reduction capacity during the ageing process. PMID:22016646

Purification, Characterization, and Effect of Thiol Compounds on Activity of the Erwinia carotovora L-Asparaginase

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Suchita C. Warangkar

2010-01-01

Full Text Available L-asparaginase was extracted from Erwinia carotovora and purified by ammonium sulfate fractionation (60–70%, Sephadex G-100, CM cellulose, and DEAE sephadex chromatography. The apparent Mr of enzyme under nondenaturing and denaturing conditions was 150 kDa and 37±0.5 kDa, respectively. L-asparaginase activity was studied in presence of thiols, namely, L-cystine (Cys, L-methionine (Met, N-acetyl cysteine (NAC, and reduced glutathione (GSH. Kinetic parameters in presence of thiols (10–400 M showed an increase in Vmax values (2000, 2223, 2380, 2500, and control 1666.7 moles mg−1min−1 and a decrease in K values (0.086, 0.076, 0.062, 0.055 and control 0.098 mM indicating nonessential mode of activation. KA values displayed propensity to bind thiols. A decrease in Vmax/K ratio in concentration plots showed inverse relationship between free thiol groups (NAC and GSH and bound thiol group (Cys and Met. Enzyme activity was enhanced in presence of thiol protecting reagents like dithiothreitol (DTT, 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME, and GSH, but inhibited by p-chloromercurybenzoate (PCMB and iodoacetamide (IA.

Click-PEGylation - A mobility shift approach to assess the redox state of cysteines in candidate proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

van Leeuwen, Lucie A G; Hinchy, Elizabeth C; Murphy, Michael P; Robb, Ellen L; Cochemé, Helena M

2017-07-01

The redox state of cysteine thiols is critical for protein function. Whereas cysteines play an important role in the maintenance of protein structure through the formation of internal disulfides, their nucleophilic thiol groups can become oxidatively modified in response to diverse redox challenges and thereby function in signalling and antioxidant defences. These oxidative modifications occur in response to a range of agents and stimuli, and can lead to the existence of multiple redox states for a given protein. To assess the role(s) of a protein in redox signalling and antioxidant defence, it is thus vital to be able to assess which of the multiple thiol redox states are present and to investigate how these alter under different conditions. While this can be done by a range of mass spectrometric-based methods, these are time-consuming, costly, and best suited to study abundant proteins or to perform an unbiased proteomic screen. One approach that can facilitate a targeted assessment of candidate proteins, as well as proteins that are low in abundance or proteomically challenging, is by electrophoretic mobility shift assays. Redox-modified cysteine residues are selectively tagged with a large group, such as a polyethylene glycol (PEG) polymer, and then the proteins are separated by electrophoresis followed by immunoblotting, which allows the inference of redox changes based on band shifts. However, the applicability of this method has been impaired by the difficulty of cleanly modifying protein thiols by large PEG reagents. To establish a more robust method for redox-selective PEGylation, we have utilised a Click chemistry approach, where free thiol groups are first labelled with a reagent modified to contain an alkyne moiety, which is subsequently Click-reacted with a PEG molecule containing a complementary azide function. This strategy can be adapted to study reversibly reduced or oxidised cysteines. Separation of the thiol labelling step from the PEG

Equilibrium mercury isotope fractionation between dissolved Hg(II) species and thiol-bound Hg

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wiederhold, Jan G.; Cramer, Christopher J.; Daniel, Kelly; Infante, Ivan; Bourdon, Bernard; Kretzschmar, Ruben

2010-01-01

Stable Hg isotope ratios provide a new tool to trace environmental Hg cycling. Thiols (-SH) are the dominant Hg-binding groups in natural organic matter. Here, we report experimental and computational results on equilibrium Hg isotope fractionation between dissolved Hg(II) species and thiol-bound

Investigations of thiol-modified phenol derivatives for the use in thiol–ene photopolymerizations

Science.gov (United States)

Reinelt, Sebastian; Tabatabai, Monir; Fischer, Urs Karl; Moszner, Norbert; Utterodt, Andreas

2014-01-01

Summary Thiol–ene photopolymerizations gain a growing interest in academic research. Coatings and dental restoratives are interesting applications for thiol–ene photopolymerizations due to their unique features. In most studies the relative flexible and hydrophilic ester derivative, namely pentaerythritoltetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP), is investigated as the thiol component. Thus, in the present study we are encouraged to investigate the performance of more hydrophobic ester-free thiol-modified bis- and trisphenol derivatives in thiol–ene photopolymerizations. For this, six different thiol-modified bis- and trisphenol derivatives exhibiting four to six thiol groups are synthesized via the radical addition of thioacetic acid to suitable allyl-modified precursors and subsequent hydrolysis. Compared to PETMP better flexural strength and modulus of elasticity are achievable in thiol–ene photopolymerizations employing 1,3,5-triallyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trione (TATATO) as the ene derivative. Especially, after storage in water, the flexural strength and modulus of elasticity is twice as high compared to the PETMP reference system. PMID:25161731

Investigations of thiol-modified phenol derivatives for the use in thiol–ene photopolymerizations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sebastian Reinelt

2014-07-01

Full Text Available Thiol–ene photopolymerizations gain a growing interest in academic research. Coatings and dental restoratives are interesting applications for thiol–ene photopolymerizations due to their unique features. In most studies the relative flexible and hydrophilic ester derivative, namely pentaerythritoltetra(3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP, is investigated as the thiol component. Thus, in the present study we are encouraged to investigate the performance of more hydrophobic ester-free thiol-modified bis- and trisphenol derivatives in thiol–ene photopolymerizations. For this, six different thiol-modified bis- and trisphenol derivatives exhibiting four to six thiol groups are synthesized via the radical addition of thioacetic acid to suitable allyl-modified precursors and subsequent hydrolysis. Compared to PETMP better flexural strength and modulus of elasticity are achievable in thiol–ene photopolymerizations employing 1,3,5-triallyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trione (TATATO as the ene derivative. Especially, after storage in water, the flexural strength and modulus of elasticity is twice as high compared to the PETMP reference system.

Hydrangea-like magneto-fluorescent nanoparticles through thiol-inducing assembly

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Shun; Zhang, Junjun; Song, Shaokun; Xiong, Chuanxi; Dong, Lijie

2017-01-01

Magneto-fluorescent nanoparticles (NPs), recognized as an emerging class of materials, have drawn much attention because of their potential applications. Due to surface functionalization and thiol-metal bonds, a simple method has been put forward for fabricating hydrangea-like magneto-fluorescent Fe3O4-SH@QD NPs, through assembling thiol-modified Fe3O4 NPs with sub-size multi-layer core/shell CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs. After a refined but controllable silane hydrolysis process, thiol-modified Fe3O4 was fabricated, resulting in Fe3O4-SH@QD NPs with QDs, while preventing the quenching of the QDs. As a result, the core Fe3O4 NPs were 18 nm in diameter, while the scattered CdSe/CdS/ZnS QDs were 7 nm in diameter. The resultant magneto-fluorescent Fe3O4-SH@QD NPs exhibit efficient fluorescence, superparamagnetism at room temperature, and rapid response to the external field, which make them ideal candidates for difunctional probes in MRI and bio-labels, targeting and photodynamic therapy, and cell tracking and separation.

Alkylating Agent-Induced NRF2 Blocks Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress-Mediated Apoptosis via Control of Glutathione Pools and Protein Thiol Homeostasis.

Science.gov (United States)

Zanotto-Filho, Alfeu; Masamsetti, V Pragathi; Loranc, Eva; Tonapi, Sonal S; Gorthi, Aparna; Bernard, Xavier; Gonçalves, Rosângela Mayer; Moreira, José C F; Chen, Yidong; Bishop, Alexander J R

2016-12-01

Alkylating agents are a commonly used cytotoxic class of anticancer drugs. Understanding the mechanisms whereby cells respond to these drugs is key to identify means to improve therapy while reducing toxicity. By integrating genome-wide gene expression profiling, protein analysis, and functional cell validation, we herein demonstrated a direct relationship between NRF2 and Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress pathways in response to alkylating agents, which is coordinated by the availability of glutathione (GSH) pools. GSH is essential for both drug detoxification and protein thiol homeostasis within the ER, thus inhibiting ER stress induction and promoting survival, an effect independent of its antioxidant role. NRF2 accumulation induced by alkylating agents resulted in increased GSH synthesis via GCLC/GCLM enzyme, and interfering with this NRF2 response by either NRF2 knockdown or GCLC/GCLM inhibition with buthionine sulfoximine caused accumulation of damaged proteins within the ER, leading to PERK-dependent apoptosis. Conversely, upregulation of NRF2, through KEAP1 depletion or NRF2-myc overexpression, or increasing GSH levels with N-acetylcysteine or glutathione-ethyl-ester, decreased ER stress and abrogated alkylating agents-induced cell death. Based on these results, we identified a subset of lung and head-and-neck carcinomas with mutations in either KEAP1 or NRF2/NFE2L2 genes that correlate with NRF2 target overexpression and poor survival. In KEAP1-mutant cancer cells, NRF2 knockdown and GSH depletion increased cell sensitivity via ER stress induction in a mechanism specific to alkylating drugs. Overall, we show that the NRF2-GSH influence on ER homeostasis implicates defects in NRF2-GSH or ER stress machineries as affecting alkylating therapy toxicity. Mol Cancer Ther; 15(12); 3000-14. ©2016 AACR. ©2016 American Association for Cancer Research.

Alkylating agent induced NRF2 blocks endoplasmic reticulum stress-mediated apoptosis via control of glutathione pools and protein thiol homeostasis

Science.gov (United States)

Zanotto-Filho, Alfeu; Masamsetti, V. Pragathi; Loranc, Eva; Tonapi, Sonal S.; Gorthi, Aparna; Bernard, Xavier; Gonçalves, Rosângela Mayer; Moreira, José C. F.; Chen, Yidong; Bishop, Alexander J. R.

2016-01-01

Alkylating agents are a commonly used cytotoxic class of anticancer drugs. Understanding the mechanisms whereby cells respond to these drugs is key to identify means to improve therapy while reducing toxicity. By integrating genome-wide gene expression profiling, protein analysis and functional cell validation, we herein demonstrated a direct relationship between NRF2 and Endoplasmic Reticulum (ER) stress pathways in response to alkylating agents, which is coordinated by the availability of glutathione (GSH) pools. GSH is essential for both drug detoxification and protein thiol homeostasis within the ER, thus inhibiting ER stress induction and promoting survival; an effect independent of its antioxidant role. NRF2 accumulation induced by alkylating agents resulted in increased GSH synthesis via GCLC/GCLM enzyme, and interfering with this NRF2 response by either NRF2 knockdown or GCLC/GCLM inhibition with buthionine sulfoximine (BSO) caused accumulation of damaged proteins within the ER, leading to PERK-dependent apoptosis. Conversely, upregulation of NRF2, through KEAP1 depletion or NRF2-myc overexpression, or increasing GSH levels with N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or glutathione-ethyl-ester (GSH-E), decreased ER stress and abrogated alkylating agents-induced cell death. Based on these results, we identified a subset of lung and head-and-neck carcinomas with mutations in either KEAP1 or NRF2/NFE2L2 genes that correlate with NRF2 targets overexpression and poor survival. In KEAP1 mutant cancer cells, NRF2 knockdown and GSH depletion increased cell sensitivity via ER stress induction in a mechanism specific to alkylating drugs. Overall, we show that the NRF2-GSH influence on ER homeostasis implicates defects in NRF2-GSH or ER stress machineries as affecting alkylating therapy toxicity. PMID:27638861

A fluorescent probe which allows highly specific thiol labeling at low pH

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nielsen, Jonas W.; Jensen, Kristine Steen; Hansen, Rosa E.

2012-01-01

and properties of a thiol-specific reagent, fluorescent cyclic activated disulfide (FCAD), which includes the fluorescein moiety as fluorophore and utilizes a variation of thiol-disulfide exchange chemistry. The leaving-group character of FCAD makes it reactive at pH 3, allowing modification at low pH, limiting...

Fabrication of antibody-loaded microgels using microfluidics and thiol-ene photoclick chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Gregoritza, Manuel; Abstiens, Kathrin; Graf, Moritz; Goepferich, Achim M

2018-06-01

Reducing burst effects, providing controlled release, and safeguarding biologics against degradation are a few of several highly attractive applications for microgels in the field of controlled release. However, the incorporation of proteins into microgels without impairing stability is highly challenging. In this proof of concept study, the combination of microfluidics and thiol-ene photoclick chemistry was evaluated for the fabrication of antibody-loaded microgels with narrow size distribution. Norbornene-modified eight-armed poly(ethylene glycol) with an average molecular mass of 10,000 Da, 20,000 Da, or 40,000 Da were prepared as macromonomers for microgel formation. For functionalization, either hydrolytically cleavable ester or stable amide bonds were used. A microfluidic system was employed to generate precursor solution droplets containing macromonomers, the cross-linker dithiothreitol and the initiator Eosin-Y. Irradiation with visible light was used to trigger thiol-ene reactions which covalently cross-linked the droplets. For all bond-types, molecular masses, and concentrations gelation was very rapid (<20 s) and a plateau for the complex shear modulus was reached after only 5 min. The generated microgels had a rod-like shape and did not show considerable cellular toxicity. Stress conditions during the fabrication process were simulated and it could be shown that fabrication did not impair the activity of the model proteins lysozyme and bevacizumab. It was confirmed that the average hydrogel network mesh size was similar or smaller than the hydrodynamic diameter of bevacizumab which is a crucial factor for restricting diffusion and delaying release. Finally, microgels were loaded with bevacizumab and a sustained release over a period of 30 ± 4 and 47 ± 7 days could be achieved in vitro. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Preparation and Characterization of Fluorinated Hydrophobic UV-Crosslinkable Thiol-Ene Polyurethane Coatings

OpenAIRE

Wenjing Xia; Nianqing Zhu; Rongjie Hou; Wengui Zhong; Mingqing Chen

2017-01-01

The polyurethane prepolymer terminated with a double bond was synthesized using isophorone diisocyanate (IPDI), hydroxyl terminated polybutadiene (HTPB), 1,4-butanediol (BDO), and 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate (HEA). Then, a series of innovative UV-curable polyurethane coatings were prepared by blending ene-terminated polyurethane, fluoroacrylate monomer, and multifunctional thiol crosslinker upon UV exposure. The incorporation of fluoroacrylate monomer and multifunctional thiols into polyurethane ...

A neutral polyacrylate copolymer coating for surface modification of thiol-ene microchannels for improved performance of protein separation by microchip electrophoresis

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mesbah, Kiarach; Mai, T.D.; Jensen, Thomas Glasdam

2016-01-01

We have investigated the behavior of thiol-ene substrates that is a class of promising materials for lab-on-a-chip electrophoresis applications. Two polymeric materials were prepared by copolymerization of N, N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), (3-(methacryloyl-oxy)propyl)trimethoxysilane (PMA) and 3-tri...

Quinoline-2-thiol Derivatives as Fluorescent Sensors for Metals, pH and HNO

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Naphtali A. O’Connor

2014-06-01

Full Text Available A tautomeric equilibrium exists for quinoline-2-thiol and quinoline-2(1H-thione. Quantum mechanical calculations predict the thione is the major tautomer and this is confirmed by the absorption spectra. The utility of quinolone-2-thiol/quinoline-2(1H-thione as a chromophore for developing fluorescent sensors is explored. No fluorescence is observed when excited at absorption maxima, however a fluorescence increase is observed when exposed to HNO, a molecule of import as a cardiovascular therapeutic. Alkylated quinoline-2-thiol derivatives are found to be fluorescent and show a reduction in fluorescence when exposed to metals and changes in pH.

Enzymatic Continuous Flow Synthesis of Thiol-Terminated Poly(δ-Valerolactone) and Block Copolymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Ning; Huang, Weijun; Hu, Xin; Liu, Yihuan; Fang, Zheng; Guo, Kai

2018-04-01

Thiol-terminated poly(δ-valerolactone) is directly synthesized via enzymatic 6-mercapto-1-hexanol initiated ring-opening polymerization in both batch and microreactor. By using Candida antartica Lipase B immobilized tubular reactor, narrowly dispersed poly(δ-valerolactone) with higher thiol fidelity is more efficiently prepared in contrast to the batch reactor. Moreover, the integrated enzyme packed tubular reactor system is established to perform the chain extension experiments. Thiol-terminated poly(δ-valerolactone)-block-poly(ε-caprolactone) and poly(ε-caprolactone)-block-poly(δ-valerolactone) are easily prepared by modulating the monomer introduction sequence. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Acrolein and thiol-reactive electrophiles suppress allergen-induced innate airway epithelial responses by inhibition of DUOX1 and EGFR.

Science.gov (United States)

Danyal, Karamatullah; de Jong, Willem; O'Brien, Edmund; Bauer, Robert A; Heppner, David E; Little, Andrew C; Hristova, Milena; Habibovic, Aida; van der Vliet, Albert

2016-11-01

Acrolein is a major thiol-reactive component of cigarette smoke (CS) that is thought to contribute to increased asthma incidence associated with smoking. Here, we explored the effects of acute acrolein exposure on innate airway responses to two common airborne allergens, house dust mite and Alternaria alternata, and observed that acrolein exposure of C57BL/6 mice (5 ppm, 4 h) dramatically inhibited innate airway responses to subsequent allergen challenge, demonstrated by attenuated release of the epithelial-derived cytokines IL-33, IL-25, and IL-1α. Acrolein and other anti-inflammatory thiol-reactive electrophiles, cinnamaldehyde, curcumin, and sulforaphane, similarly inhibited allergen-induced production of these cytokines from human or murine airway epithelial cells in vitro. Based on our previous observations indicating the importance of Ca 2+ -dependent signaling, activation of the NADPH oxidase DUOX1, and Src/EGFR-dependent signaling in allergen-induced epithelial secretion of these cytokines, we explored the impact of acrolein on these pathways. Acrolein and other thiol-reactive electrophiles were found to dramatically prevent allergen-induced activation of DUOX1 as well as EGFR, and acrolein was capable of inhibiting EGFR tyrosine kinase activity via modification of C797. Biotin-labeling strategies indicated increased cysteine modification and carbonylation of Src, EGFR, as well as DUOX1, in response to acrolein exposure in vitro and in vivo, suggesting that direct alkylation of these proteins on accessible cysteine residues may be responsible for their inhibition. Collectively, our findings indicate a novel anti-inflammatory mechanism of CS-derived acrolein and other thiol-reactive electrophiles, by directly inhibiting DUOX1- and EGFR-mediated airway epithelial responses to airborne allergens. Copyright © 2016 the American Physiological Society.

Hmb(off/on) as a switchable thiol protecting group for native chemical ligation.

Science.gov (United States)

Qi, Yun-Kun; Tang, Shan; Huang, Yi-Chao; Pan, Man; Zheng, Ji-Shen; Liu, Lei

2016-05-04

A new thiol protecting group Hmb(off/on) is described, which has a switchable activity that may be useful in the chemical synthesis of proteins. When placed on the side chain of Cys, Cys(Hmb(off)) is stable to trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in the process of solid-phase peptide synthesis. When Cys(Hmb(off)) is treated with neutral aqueous buffers, it is cleanly converted to acid-labile Cys(Hmb(on)), which can later be fully deprotected by TFA to generate free Cys. The utility of Cys(Hmb(off/on)) is demonstrated by the chemical synthesis of an erythropoietin segment, EPO[Cys(98)-Arg(166)]-OH through native chemical ligation.

Non-existence of bipartite bound entanglement with negative partial transposition

OpenAIRE

Sperling, J.; Vogel, W.

2009-01-01

Bound entanglement with a nonpositive partial transposition (NPT) does not exist. For any NPT entangled state a distillation procedure can be based on a certain number of copies. This number is the minimal Schmidt rank of a pure state needed to witness the NPT entanglement under study.

Non-uniform tube representation of proteins

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hansen, Mikael Sonne

Treating the full protein structure is often neither computationally nor physically possible. Instead one is forced to consider various reduced models capturing the properties of interest. Previous work have used tubular neighborhoods of the C-alpha backbone. However, assigning a unique radius...... might not correctly capture volume exclusion - of crucial importance when trying to understand a proteins $3$d-structure. We propose a new reduced model treating the protein as a non-uniform tube with a radius reflecting the positions of atoms. The tube representation is well suited considering X......-ray crystallographic resolution ~ 3Å while a varying radius accounts for the different sizes of side chains. Such a non-uniform tube better capture the protein geometry and has numerous applications in structural/computational biology from the classification of protein structures to sequence-structure prediction....

Chromenoquinoline-based thiol probes: a study on the quencher position for controlling fluorescent Off-On characteristics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kand, Dnyaneshwar; Kalle, Arunasree Marasanapalli; Talukdar, Pinaki

2013-02-13

The design, synthesis and thiol sensing ability of chromenoquinoline-based fluorescent probes 4, 5 and 6 and are reported here. The relative position of the maleimide moiety was varied along the chromenoquinoline fluorophore to decrease the background fluorescence. Lower background fluorescence in probes 4 and 6 was rationalized by the smaller k(r)/k(nr) values compared to that of probe 5. An intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) mechanism was proposed for quenching and the extent was dependent on the position of the maleimide quencher. Fluorescent Off-On characteristics were evaluated by theoretical calculations. All probes were selective only towards thiol containing amino acids. Thiol sensing by probes 4 and 6 were much better compared to 5. Probe 4 displayed a better fluorescence response for less hindered thiol (185-, 223- and 156-fold for Hcy, Cys and GSH, respectively), while for probe 6, a higher enhancement in fluorescence was observed with more hindered thiols (180-, 205- and 245-fold for Hcy, Cys and GSH, respectively). The better response to bulkier thiol, GSH by probe 6 was attributed to the steric crowding at the C-4 position and bulkiness of the GSH group which force the succinimide unit to be in a nearly orthogonal conformation. This spatial arrangement was important in reducing the fluorescence quenching ability of the succinimide moiety. The application of probes 4, 5 and 6 was demonstrated by naked eye detection thiols using a 96-well plate system as well as by live-cell imaging.

Selective chloroform sensor using thiol functionalized reduced graphene oxide at room temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Midya, Anupam; Mukherjee, Subhrajit; Roy, Shreyasee; Santra, Sumita; Manna, Nilotpal; Ray, Samit K.

2018-02-01

This paper presents a highly selective chloroform sensor using functionalised reduced graphene oxide (RGO) as a sensing layer. Thiol group is covalently attached on the basal plan of RGO film by a simple one-step aryl diazonium chemistry to improve its selectivity. Several spectroscopic techniques like X-ray photoelectron, Raman and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy confirm successful thiol functionalization of RGO. Finally, the fabricated chemiresistor type sensor is exposed to chloroform in the concentration range 200-800 ppm (parts per million). The sensor shows a 4.3% of response towards 800 ppm chloroform. The selectivity of the sensor is analyzed using various volatile organic compounds as well. The devices show enhanced response and faster recovery attributed to the physiosorption of chloroform onto thiol functionalized graphene making them attractive for 2D materials based sensing applications.

Rationalization of the pKa values of alcohols and thiols using atomic charge descriptors and its application to the prediction of amino acid pKa's.

Science.gov (United States)

Ugur, Ilke; Marion, Antoine; Parant, Stéphane; Jensen, Jan H; Monard, Gerald

2014-08-25

In a first step toward the development of an efficient and accurate protocol to estimate amino acids' pKa's in proteins, we present in this work how to reproduce the pKa's of alcohol and thiol based residues (namely tyrosine, serine, and cysteine) in aqueous solution from the knowledge of the experimental pKa's of phenols, alcohols, and thiols. Our protocol is based on the linear relationship between computed atomic charges of the anionic form of the molecules (being either phenolates, alkoxides, or thiolates) and their respective experimental pKa values. It is tested with different environment approaches (gas phase or continuum solvent-based approaches), with five distinct atomic charge models (Mulliken, Löwdin, NPA, Merz-Kollman, and CHelpG), and with nine different DFT functionals combined with 16 different basis sets. Moreover, the capability of semiempirical methods (AM1, RM1, PM3, and PM6) to also predict pKa's of thiols, phenols, and alcohols is analyzed. From our benchmarks, the best combination to reproduce experimental pKa's is to compute NPA atomic charge using the CPCM model at the B3LYP/3-21G and M062X/6-311G levels for alcohols (R(2) = 0.995) and thiols (R(2) = 0.986), respectively. The applicability of the suggested protocol is tested with tyrosine and cysteine amino acids, and precise pKa predictions are obtained. The stability of the amino acid pKa's with respect to geometrical changes is also tested by MM-MD and DFT-MD calculations. Considering its strong accuracy and its high computational efficiency, these pKa prediction calculations using atomic charges indicate a promising method for predicting amino acids' pKa in a protein environment.

Thiol-ene reaction as tool for crosslinking of polynorbornene micelles in the nanoscale

Science.gov (United States)

Rupp, Barbara; Bauer, Thomas; Slugovc, Christian

2009-08-01

The thiol-ene reaction is a established photoreaction of multifunctional thiols and enes. Virtually any type of ene will participate in a free radical polymerisation process with a thiol. An advantage over many other photochemical reactions is that the reaction proceeds almost as rapidly in ambient conditions as in inert atmosphere. In this work we introduce the UV-crosslinking of polynorbornenes made by ring opening metathesis polymerization making use of the residual double bond in the polymer backbone. The crosslinking experiments were done in thin films and were followed by FTIR measurements, to proof the accessibility of double-bonds in the polymers for the addition of the thiols. As a result of these pre-experiments we created flexible and light transmitting films. To further increase the scope of this reaction, amphiphilic block copolymers were prepared and used to form block copolymer micelles in a selective solvent, which were subsequently crosslinked with pentaerythritol tetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP). FT-IR, DLS and SEM-measurements were used to prove the successful crosslinking and thus nanoparticle formation.

Facially amphiphilic thiol capped gold and silver nanoparticles

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Abstract. A series of bile acid-derived facially amphiphilic thiols have been used to cap sliver and gold nanoparticles. The self-assembling properties of these steroid-capped nanoparticles have been investigated and reported in this article.

Economic and Non-proliferation Policy Considerations of Uranium Enrichment in Brazil and Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Short, Steven M.; Phillips, Jon R.; Weimar, Mark R.; Mahy, Heidi A.

2008-01-01

The nuclear development programs of both Argentina and Brazil have, since the 1970s, been premised on the desire for self-sufficiency and assurance of nuclear fuel supply. While military rivalry and mutual distrust led to nuclear weapons related development programs in the 1970s and 1980s, both countries have since terminated these programs. Furthermore, the governments of both countries have pledged their commitment to exclusively non-explosive use of nuclear energy and have signed the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Utilizing rights provided for under the NPT, both Argentina and Brazil have nuclear fuel production facilities, with the notable exception of enrichment plants, that provide much of the current indigenous fuel requirements for their nuclear power plants. However, both countries are actively developing enrichment capability to fill this gap. The purpose of this report is to assess the economic basis and non-proliferation policy considerations for indigenous enrichment capability within the context of their desired self-sufficiency and to evaluate possible United States Government policy options.

Economic and Non-proliferation Policy Considerations of Uranium Enrichment in Brazil and Argentina

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Short, Steven M.; Phillips, Jon R.; Weimar, Mark R.; Mahy, Heidi A.

2008-09-01

The nuclear development programs of both Argentina and Brazil have, since the 1970s, been premised on the desire for self-sufficiency and assurance of nuclear fuel supply. While military rivalry and mutual distrust led to nuclear weapons related development programs in the 1970s and 1980s, both countries have since terminated these programs. Furthermore, the governments of both countries have pledged their commitment to exclusively non-explosive use of nuclear energy and have signed the Non Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Utilizing rights provided for under the NPT, both Argentina and Brazil have nuclear fuel production facilities, with the notable exception of enrichment plants, that provide much of the current indigenous fuel requirements for their nuclear power plants. However, both countries are actively developing enrichment capability to fill this gap. The purpose of this report is to assess the economic basis and non-proliferation policy considerations for indigenous enrichment capability within the context of their desired self-sufficiency and to evaluate possible United States Government policy options.

Studies of Aqueous U(IV) Complexation under Thiol-rich Conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cha, Wansik; Cho, Hyeryun; Jung, Euo Chang

2013-01-01

Organic thiol compounds and hydrogen sulfide (H 2 S) are electron donors and metabolic products of sulfate reducing bacteria. In addition, they are among redox potential (Eh) determinants of groundwater systems due to their redox characteristics. The low values of acid dissociation constants for .SH (pK a , 7-9) compared to those of aliphatic or phenolic .OH, impart greater anionic and metal-binding properties to the molecules. Recently, we demonstrated that a thiol compound (i. e., thiosalicylate) enhances the solubility of U(VI) at higher pH levels ( 2 nanoparticles may explain the observed solubility increase

Thiol and Disulfide Derivatives of Ephedra Alkaloids 2 : A Mechanistic Study of Their Effect on the Addition of Diethyl Zinc to Benzaldehyde

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fitzpatrick, Kevin; Hulst, Ron; Kellogg, Richard M.

Thiol and disulfide derivatives of ephedrine have been shown previously to catalyse in high enantiomeric excess (ee) the reaction of diethyl zinc with benzaldehyde. We find that this reaction involves non-linear correlations between the ee of product and catalyst. Osmotic measurements indicate a

Design of water-soluble, thiol-reactive polymers of controlled molecular weight: a novel multivalent scaffold

Science.gov (United States)

Carrillo, Alvaro; Gujraty, Kunal V.; Rai, Prakash R.; Kane, Ravi S.

2005-07-01

Multivalent molecules, i.e. scaffolds presenting multiple copies of a suitable ligand, constitute an emerging class of nanoscale therapeutics. We present a novel approach for the design of multivalent ligands, which allows the biofunctionalization of polymers with proteins or peptides in a controlled orientation. It consists of the synthesis of water-soluble, activated polymer scaffolds of controlled molecular weight, which can be biofunctionalized with various thiolated ligands in aqueous media under mild conditions. These polymers were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP) and further modified to make them water-soluble. The incorporation of chloride groups activated the polymers to react with thiol-containing peptides or proteins, and the formation of multivalent ligands in aqueous media was demonstrated. This strategy represents a convenient route for synthesizing multivalent ligands of controlled dimensions and valency.

The application of polythiol molecules for protein immobilisation on sensor surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Kyprianou, Dimitris; Guerreiro, Antonio R; Nirschl, Martin; Chianella, Iva; Subrahmanyam, Sreenath; Turner, Anthony P F; Piletsky, Sergey

2010-01-15

The immobilisation of bio-receptors on transducer surfaces is a key step in the development of biosensors. The immobilisation needs to be fast, cheap and most importantly should not affect the biorecognition activity of the immobilised receptor. The development of a protocol for biomolecule immobilisation onto a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor surface using inexpensive polythiol compounds is presented here. The method used here is based on the reaction between primary amines and thioacetal groups, formed upon reaction of o-phthaldialdehyde (OPA) and thiol compounds. The self-assembled thiol monolayers were characterised using contact angle and XPS. The possibility to immobilise proteins on monolayers was assessed by employing BSA as a model protein. For the polythiol layers exhibiting the best performance, a general protocol was optimised suitable for the immobilisation of enzymes and antibodies such as anti-prostate specific antigen (anti-PSA) and anti Salmonella typhimurium. The kinetic data was obtained for PSA binding to anti-PSA and for S. typhimurium cells with a detection limit of 5x10(6) cells mL(-1) with minimal non-specific binding of other biomolecules. These findings make this technique a very promising alternative for amine coupling compared to peptide bond formation. Additionally, it offers opportunity for immobilising proteins (even those with low isoelectric point) on neutral polythiol layers without any activation step. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nitroolefin-based BODIPY as a novel water-soluble ratiometric fluorescent probe for detection of endogenous thiols

Science.gov (United States)

Kang, Jin; Huo, Fangjun; Chao, Jianbin; Yin, Caixia

2018-04-01

Small molecule biothiols, including cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH), play many crucial roles in physiological processes. In this work, we have prepared a nitroolefin-based BODIPY fluorescent probe with excellent water solubility for detection thiols, which displayed ratiometric fluorescent signal for thiols. Incorporation of a nitroolefin unit to the BODIPY dye would transform it into a strong Michael acceptor, which would be highly susceptible to sulfhydryl nucleophiles. This probe shows an obvious ratio change upon response with thiols, an increase of the emission at 517 nm along with a concomitant decrease of fluorescence peak at 573 nm. Moreover, these successes of intracellular imaging experiments in A549 cells indicated that this probe is suitable for imaging of ex-/endogenous thiols in living cells.

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Saed, Mohand O; Torbati, Amir H; Nair, Devatha P; Yakacki, Christopher M

2016-01-19

This study presents a novel two-stage thiol-acrylate Michael addition-photopolymerization (TAMAP) reaction to prepare main-chain liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) with facile control over network structure and programming of an aligned monodomain. Tailored LCE networks were synthesized using routine mixing of commercially available starting materials and pouring monomer solutions into molds to cure. An initial polydomain LCE network is formed via a self-limiting thiol-acrylate Michael-addition reaction. Strain-to-failure and glass transition behavior were investigated as a function of crosslinking monomer, pentaerythritol tetrakis(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP). An example non-stoichiometric system of 15 mol% PETMP thiol groups and an excess of 15 mol% acrylate groups was used to demonstrate the robust nature of the material. The LCE formed an aligned and transparent monodomain when stretched, with a maximum failure strain over 600%. Stretched LCE samples were able to demonstrate both stress-driven thermal actuation when held under a constant bias stress or the shape-memory effect when stretched and unloaded. A permanently programmed monodomain was achieved via a second-stage photopolymerization reaction of the excess acrylate groups when the sample was in the stretched state. LCE samples were photo-cured and programmed at 100%, 200%, 300%, and 400% strain, with all samples demonstrating over 90% shape fixity when unloaded. The magnitude of total stress-free actuation increased from 35% to 115% with increased programming strain. Overall, the two-stage TAMAP methodology is presented as a powerful tool to prepare main-chain LCE systems and explore structure-property-performance relationships in these fascinating stimuli-sensitive materials.

DIRProt: a computational approach for discriminating insecticide resistant proteins from non-resistant proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Meher, Prabina Kumar; Sahu, Tanmaya Kumar; Banchariya, Anjali; Rao, Atmakuri Ramakrishna

2017-03-24

Insecticide resistance is a major challenge for the control program of insect pests in the fields of crop protection, human and animal health etc. Resistance to different insecticides is conferred by the proteins encoded from certain class of genes of the insects. To distinguish the insecticide resistant proteins from non-resistant proteins, no computational tool is available till date. Thus, development of such a computational tool will be helpful in predicting the insecticide resistant proteins, which can be targeted for developing appropriate insecticides. Five different sets of feature viz., amino acid composition (AAC), di-peptide composition (DPC), pseudo amino acid composition (PAAC), composition-transition-distribution (CTD) and auto-correlation function (ACF) were used to map the protein sequences into numeric feature vectors. The encoded numeric vectors were then used as input in support vector machine (SVM) for classification of insecticide resistant and non-resistant proteins. Higher accuracies were obtained under RBF kernel than that of other kernels. Further, accuracies were observed to be higher for DPC feature set as compared to others. The proposed approach achieved an overall accuracy of >90% in discriminating resistant from non-resistant proteins. Further, the two classes of resistant proteins i.e., detoxification-based and target-based were discriminated from non-resistant proteins with >95% accuracy. Besides, >95% accuracy was also observed for discrimination of proteins involved in detoxification- and target-based resistance mechanisms. The proposed approach not only outperformed Blastp, PSI-Blast and Delta-Blast algorithms, but also achieved >92% accuracy while assessed using an independent dataset of 75 insecticide resistant proteins. This paper presents the first computational approach for discriminating the insecticide resistant proteins from non-resistant proteins. Based on the proposed approach, an online prediction server DIRProt has

Novel Anti-Biofouling Soft Contact Lens: l-Cysteine Conjugated Amphiphilic Conetworks via RAFT and Thiol-Ene Click Chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Chengfeng; Liu, Ziyuan; Wang, Haiye; Feng, Xiaofeng; He, Chunju

2017-07-01

A unique l-cysteine conjugated antifouling amphiphilic conetwork (APCN) is synthesized through end-crosslinking of well-defined triblock copolymers poly(allyl methacrylate)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-poly(allyl methacrylate) via a combination of reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and thiol-ene "click" chemistry. The synthesized poly(ethylene glycol) macro-RAFT agent initiates the polymerization of allyl methacrylate in a controlled manner. The vinyl pendant groups of the precursor partially conjugate with l-cysteine and the rest fully crosslink with mercaptopropyl-containing siloxane via thiol-ene click chemistry under UV irradiation into APCNs, which show distinguished properties, that is, excellent biocompatibility, more than 39.6% water content, 101 barrers oxygen permeability, optimized mechanical properties, and more than 93% visible light transmittance. What's more, the resultant APCNs exhibit eminent resistance to protein adsorption, where the bovine serum albumin and lysozyme adsorption are decreased to 12 and 21 µg cm -2 , respectively. The outstanding properties of APCNs depend on the RAFT controlled method, which precisely designs the hydrophilic/hydrophobic segments and eventually greatly improves the crosslinking efficiency and homogeneity. Meantime, the l-cysteine monolayer can effectively reduce the surface hydrophobicity and prevent protein adsorption, which exhibits the viability for antifouling surface over and under ophthalmic devices, suggesting a promising soft contact lens. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Near-Edge X-ray Absorption Fine Structure Spectroscopy of Diamondoid Thiol Monolayers on Gold

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Willey, T M; Fabbri, J; Lee, J I; Schreiner, P; Fokin, A A; Tkachenko, B A; Fokina, N A; Dahl, J; Carlson, B; Vance, A L; Yang, W; Terminello, L J; van Buuren, T; Melosh, N

2007-11-27

Diamondoids, hydrocarbon molecules with cubic-diamond-cage structures, have unique properties with potential value for nanotechnology. The availability and ability to selectively functionalize this special class of nanodiamond materials opens new possibilities for surface-modification, for high-efficiency field emitters in molecular electronics, as seed crystals for diamond growth, or as robust mechanical coatings. The properties of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of diamondoids are thus of fundamental interest for a variety of emerging applications. This paper presents the effects of thiol substitution position and polymantane order on diamondoid SAMs on gold using near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). A framework to determine both molecular tilt and twist through NEXAFS is presented and reveals highly ordered diamondoid SAMs, with the molecular orientation controlled by the thiol location. C 1s and S 2p binding energies are lower in adamantane thiol than alkane thiols on gold by 0.67 {+-} 0.05 eV and 0.16 {+-} 0.04 eV respectively. These binding energies vary with diamondoid monolayer structure and thiol substitution position, consistent with different amounts of steric strain and electronic interaction with the substrate. This work demonstrates control over the assembly, in particular the orientational and electronic structure, providing a flexible design of surface properties with this exciting new class of diamond clusters.

Crosslinking Protein Glutathionylation Mediated by O2-Arylated Bis-Diazeniumdiolate “Double JS-K”

Science.gov (United States)

Holland, Ryan J.; Maciag, Anna E.; Kumar, Varun; Shi, Lei; Saavedra, Joseph E.; Prud’homme, Robert K.; Chakrapani, Harinath; Keefer, Larry K.

2012-01-01

Attachment of glutathione (GSH) to cysteine residues in proteins (S-glutathionylation) is a reversible post-translational modification that can profoundly alter protein structure and function. Often serving in a protective role, e.g., by temporarily saving protein thiols from irreversible oxidation and inactivation, glutathionylation can be identified and semi-quantitatively assessed using anti-GSH antibodies, thought to be specific for recognition of the S-glutathionylation modification. Here we describe an alternate mechanism of protein glutathionylation in which the sulfur atoms of the GSH and the protein’s thiol group are covalently bound via a crosslinking agent, rather than through a disulfide bond. This form of thiol crosslinking has been shown to occur and confirmed by mass spectrometry at the solution chemistry level, as well as in experiments documenting the potent antiproliferative activity of the bis-diazeniumdiolate Double JS-K in H1703 cells in vitro and in vivo. The modification is recognized by the anti-GSH antibody as if it were authentic S-glutathionylation, requiring mass spectrometry to distinguish between them. PMID:23106594

Molecular Characterization of Thiols in Fossil Fuels by Michael Addition Reaction Derivatization and Electrospray Ionization Fourier Transform Ion Cyclotron Resonance Mass Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Meng; Zhao, Suoqi; Liu, Xuxia; Shi, Quan

2016-10-04

Thiols widely occur in sediments and fossil fuels. However, the molecular composition of these compounds is unclear due to the lack of appropriate analytical methods. In this work, a characterization method for thiols in fossil fuels was developed on the basis of Michael addition reaction derivatization followed by electrospray ionization Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (ESI FT-ICR MS). Model thiol compound studies showed that thiols were selectively reacted with phenylvinylsulfone and transformed to sulfones with greater than 98% conversions. This method was applied to a coker naphtha, light and heavy gas oils, and crude oils from various geological sources. The results showed that long alkyl chain thiols are readily present in petroleum, which have up to 30 carbon atoms. Large DBE dispersity of thiols indicates that naphthenic and aromatic thiols are also present in the petroleum. This method is capable of detecting thiol compounds in the part per million range by weight. This method allows characterization of thiols in a complex hydrocarbon matrix, which is complementary to the comprehensive analysis of sulfur compounds in fossil fuels.

Catalytic effects by thioltransferase on the transfer of methylmercury and p-mercuribenzoate from macromolecules to low molecular weight thiol compounds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Eriksson, S.; Svenson, A.

1978-01-01

Thiol agarose and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase were blocked with methylmercury or p-mercuribenzoate. The exchange of mercurials between the thiol-containing polymers and glutathione or dithioerythritol was investigated. The activity of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase was inhibited by blocking thiol-groups with the mercury compounds. Inhibition was reversible when a short period of inactivation was used. Inactivation for longer periods resulted in reduced regain of enzyme activity. The activity was in part regained when either of the 2 thiol compounds was added. Thioltransferase, known to catalyze thiol-disulfide exchange reactions, increased the regain of glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase activity to nearly the original value. Here, thioltransferase is proposed to catalyze the transfer of organomercurial from one thiol complex to another. Some consequences of the observations in vivo are discussed.

Facially amphiphilic thiol capped gold and silver nanoparticles

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Wintec

*For correspondence. Also at the Chemical Biology Unit,. Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research,. Bangalore 560 064. Facially amphiphilic thiol capped gold and silver nanoparticles. †. SHREEDHAR BHAT a and UDAY MAITRA*. Department of Organic Chemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore ...

Investigations of thiol-modified phenol derivatives for the use in thiol–ene photopolymerizations

OpenAIRE

Sebastian Reinelt; Monir Tabatabai; Urs Karl Fischer; Norbert Moszner; Andreas Utterodt; Helmut Ritter

2014-01-01

Summary Thiol–ene photopolymerizations gain a growing interest in academic research. Coatings and dental restoratives are interesting applications for thiol–ene photopolymerizations due to their unique features. In most studies the relative flexible and hydrophilic ester derivative, namely pentaerythritoltetra(3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP), is investigated as the thiol component. Thus, in the present study we are encouraged to investigate the performance of more hydrophobic ester-free thiol-m...

The handbook of nuclear non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, M. H.; Lee, B. W.; Oh, K. B.; Lee, H. M.; Ko, H. S.; Ryu, J. S.; Lee, K. S.

2003-07-01

This report analyzed international non-proliferation regime preventing from spread of nuclear weapon. This report took review from the historical background of non-proliferation regime to the recent changes and current status. It is here divided into multilateral and bilateral regime. First of all, this report dealt four multilateral treaties concluded for international non-proliferation such as NPT, NWFZ, CTBT and others. And international organization and regimes concerned with non-proliferation are also analyzed focused on UN, IAEA, ZC and NSG, regional safeguards system and international conferences. In addition, this report reviewed the nuclear cooperation agreement related with Korea which is a important tool for bilateral regime

Modifying surface resistivity and liquid moisture management property of keratin fibers through thiol-ene click reactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Dan; Cai, Jackie Y; Church, Jeffrey S; Wang, Lijing

2014-01-22

This paper reports on a new method for improving the antistatic and liquid moisture management properties of keratinous materials. The method involves the generation of thiols by controlled reduction of cystine disulfide bonds in keratin with tris(2-carboxyethyl) phosphine hydrochloride and subsequent grafting of hydrophilic groups onto the reduced keratin by reaction with an acrylate sulfonate or acrylamide sulfonate through thiol-ene click chemistry. The modified substrates were characterized with Raman spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy and evaluated for their performance changes in liquid moisture management, surface resistivity, and wet burst strength. The results have revealed that the thiol-acrylate reaction is more efficient than the thiol-acrylamide reaction, and the keratinous substrate modified with an acrylate sulfonate salt exhibits significantly improved antistatic and liquid moisture management properties.

Electrodeposition of gold templated by patterned thiol monolayers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

She, Zhe [EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, KY16 9ST (United Kingdom); Di Falco, Andrea [SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St. Andrews, KY16 9SS (United Kingdom); Hähner, Georg [EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, KY16 9ST (United Kingdom); Buck, Manfred, E-mail: mb45@st-andrews.ac.uk [EaStCHEM School of Chemistry, University of St. Andrews, KY16 9ST (United Kingdom)

2016-06-15

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • First demonstration of electrodeposition/lift-off of gold using thiol monolayers. • Microelectrode structures with large length to width ratio were generated. • Performance of two different patterning techniques was investigated. • Conditions for achieving good contrast in the electrodeposition were established. - Abstract: The electrochemical deposition of Au onto Au substrates modified by self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) was studied by linear sweep voltammetry (LSV), atomic force microscopy (AFM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). Patterned SAMs exhibiting electrochemical contrast were prepared by two different methods. One used microcontact printing (μCP) to generate a binary SAM of ω-(4′-methyl-biphenyl-4-yl)-propane thiol (CH{sub 3}-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-C{sub 6}H{sub 4}-(CH{sub 2}){sub 3}-SH, MBP3) and octadecane thiol (CH{sub 3}(CH{sub 2}){sub 17}SH, ODT). Templated by the SAM, a gold microelectrode structure was electrodeposited featuring a line 15 μm wide and 3 mm long. After transfer to an epoxy substrate the structure proved to be electrically conductive across the full length. The other patterning method applied electron beam lithography (EBL) where electrochemical contrast was achieved by crosslinking molecules in a single component SAM of MBP3. An electron dose above 250 mC/cm{sup 2} results in a high deposition contrast. The choice of parameters for the deposition/lift-off process is found to be more critical for Au compared to Cu studied previously. The origin of the differences and implications for nanoscale patterning are discussed.

Quantitative interpretation of the transition voltages in gold-poly(phenylene) thiol-gold molecular junctions

KAUST Repository

Wu, Kunlin

2013-01-01

The transition voltage of three different asymmetric Au/poly(phenylene) thiol/Au molecular junctions in which the central molecule is either benzene thiol, biphenyl thiol, or terphenyl thiol is investigated by first-principles quantum transport simulations. For all the junctions, the calculated transition voltage at positive polarity is in quantitative agreement with the experimental values and shows weak dependence on alterations of the Au-phenyl contact. When compared to the strong coupling at the Au-S contact, which dominates the alignment of various molecular orbitals with respect to the electrode Fermi level, the coupling at the Au-phenyl contact produces only a weak perturbation. Therefore, variations of the Au-phenyl contact can only have a minor influence on the transition voltage. These findings not only provide an explanation to the uniformity in the transition voltages found for π-conjugated molecules measured with different experimental methods, but also demonstrate the advantage of transition voltage spectroscopy as a tool for determining the positions of molecular levels in molecular devices. © 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Handbook for nuclear non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Byung Wook; Oh, Keun Bae; Lee, Kwang Seok; Lee, Dong Jin; Ko, Han Seok.

1997-05-01

This book analyzed international non-proliferation regime preventing from spread of nuclear weapon. This book took review from the historical background of non-proliferation regime to the recent changes and status. The regime, here, is divided into multilateral and bilateral regime. First of all, this book reports four multilateral treaties concluded for non-proliferation such as NPT, NWFZ, CTBT and others. Secondly, international organization and regimes concerned with non-proliferation are analyzed with emphasis of UN, IAEA, ZC and NSG, Regional Safeguards System and international conference. Finally, this book report the current circumstances of nuclear cooperation agreement related with Korea which is an important means for bilateral regime. (author). 13 tabs., 2 figs

Handbook for nuclear non-proliferation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Byung Wook; Oh, Keun Bae; Lee, Kwang Seok; Lee, Dong Jin; Ko, Han Seok

1997-05-01

This book analyzed international non-proliferation regime preventing from spread of nuclear weapon. This book took review from the historical background of non-proliferation regime to the recent changes and status. The regime, here, is divided into multilateral and bilateral regime. First of all, this book reports four multilateral treaties concluded for non-proliferation such as NPT, NWFZ, CTBT and others. Secondly, international organization and regimes concerned with non-proliferation are analyzed with emphasis of UN, IAEA, ZC and NSG, Regional Safeguards System and international conference. Finally, this book report the current circumstances of nuclear cooperation agreement related with Korea which is an important means for bilateral regime. (author). 13 tabs., 2 figs.

Surface analysis of gold nanoparticles functionalized with thiol-modified glucose SAMs for biosensor applications.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Valentina eSpampinato

2016-02-01

Full Text Available In this work, Time of Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry (ToF-SIMS, Principal Component Analysis (PCA and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS have been used to characterize the surface chemistry of gold substrates before and after functionalization with thiol-modified glucose self-assembled monolayers and subsequent biochemical specific recognition of maltose binding protein (MBP.The results indicate that the surface functionalization is achieved both on flat and nanoparticles gold substrates thus showing the potential of the developed system as biodetection platform. Moreover, the method presented here has been found to be a sound and valid approach to characterize the surface chemistry of nanoparticles functionalized with large molecules.Both techniques were proved to be very useful tools for monitoring all the functionalization steps, including the investigation of the biological behaviour of the glucose-modified particles in presence of the maltose binding protein.

Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid-Protein Adducts: Potential Non-invasive Biomarkers of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloid-Induced Liver Toxicity and Exposure.

Science.gov (United States)

Xia, Qingsu; Zhao, Yuewei; Lin, Ge; Beland, Frederick A; Cai, Lining; Fu, Peter P

2016-08-15

Pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) are phytochemicals present in hundreds of plant species from different families widely distributed in many geographical regions around the world. PA-containing plants are probably the most common type of poisonous plants affecting livestock, wildlife, and humans. There have been many large-scale human poisonings caused by the consumption of food contaminated with toxic PAs. PAs require metabolic activation to generate pyrrolic metabolites to exert their toxicity. In this study, we developed a novel method to quantify pyrrole-protein adducts present in the blood. This method involves the use of AgNO3 in acidic ethanol to cleave the thiol linkage of pyrrole-protein (DHP-protein) adducts, and the resulting 7,9-di-C2H5O-DHP is quantified by HPLC-ES-MS/MS multiple reaction monitoring analysis in the presence of a known quantity of isotopically labeled 7,9-di-C2D5O-DHP internal standard. Using this method, we determined that diester-type PAs administered to rats produced higher levels of DHP-protein adducts than other types of PAs. The results suggest that DHP-protein adducts can potentially serve as minimally invasive biomarkers of PA exposure.

Non-food applications of Jatropha protein

OpenAIRE

Lestari, D.

2012-01-01

The aim of this thesis is to explore how to gain more value per hectare Jatropha curcas by utilizing Jatropha protein for various applications. Specifically, this research investigated the extractability and functional properties of Jatropha protein for non-food/technical applications. Jatropha press cake and leaves are the potential sources of protein. Jatropha proteins can be extracted from Jatropha seed press cake or leaves, with or without detoxification to remove the toxic phorbol esters...

Role of endogenous thiols in protection

Science.gov (United States)

Vos, O.

Aminothiols represent the most important group of radioprotective compounds. The most effective compounds administered at an optimal dose and time before irradiation are able to provide a protection in mice with a dose reduction factor (DRF) of about 2-2.5. The working mechanism can partly be explained as a scavenging process of radicals induced in water and partly as a chemical repair process of injured DNA. The endogenous aminothiol which has far-out the highest intracellular concentration is glutathione (GSH). The importance of intracellular GSH in determining cellular radiosensitivity has been shown by irradiating cells that had very low GSH levels. Such cells appear to have a high radiosensitivity, especially in hypoxic conditions. On the other hand, it has been demonstrated that induction of a high GSH level (100-200% above the normal level) provides only a small protection. In vitro experiments with DNA indicate that thiols with a high positive charge condense in the vicinity of DNA and are effective protectors, whereas thiols with a negative charge are kep away from it and are poor protectors. In comparison with the most effective exogenous aminothiols like cysteamine and WR1065, GSH is not an effective radioprotector. Putative explanations for this relatively poor protective ability of GSH are presented.

Contrasting bonding behavior of thiol molecules on carbon fullerene structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mixteco-Sanchez, J.C.; Guirado-Lopez, R.A.

2003-01-01

We have performed semiempirical as well as ab initio density-functional theory (DFT) calculations at T=0 to analyze the equilibrium configurations and electronic properties of spheroidal C 60 as well as of cylindrical armchair (5,5) and (8,8) fullerenes passivated with SCH 3 and S(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 thiols. Our structural results reveal that the lowest-energy configurations of the adsorbates strongly depend on their chain length and on the structure of the underlying substrate. In the low-coverage regime, both SCH 3 and S(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 molecules prefer to organize into a molecular cluster on one side of the C 60 surface, providing thus a less protective organic coating for the carbon structure. However, with increasing the number of adsorbed thiols, a transition to a more uniform distribution is obtained, which actually takes place for six and eight adsorbed molecules when using S(CH 2 ) 2 CH 3 and SCH 3 chains, respectively. In contrast, for the tubelike arrangements at the low-coverage regime, a quasi-one-dimensional zigzag organization of the adsorbates along the tubes is always preferred. The sulfur-fullerene bond is considerably strong and is at the origin of outward and lateral displacements of the carbon atoms, leading to the stabilization of three-membered rings on the surface (spheroidal structures) as well as to sizable nonuniform radial deformations (cylindrical configurations). The electronic spectrum of our thiol-passivated fullerenes shows strong variations in the energy difference between the highest occupied and lowest unoccupied molecular orbitals as a function of the number and distribution of adsorbed thiols, opening thus the possibility to manipulate the transport properties of these compounds by means of selective adsorption mechanisms

Spray-deposition and photopolymerization of organic-inorganic thiol-ene resins for fabrication of superamphiphobic surfaces.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Li; Kendrick, Laken L; Heusser, Hannele; Webb, Jamie C; Sparks, Bradley J; Goetz, James T; Guo, Wei; Stafford, Christopher M; Blanton, Michael D; Nazarenko, Sergei; Patton, Derek L

2014-07-09

Superamphiphobic surfaces, exhibiting high contact angles and low contact angle hysteresis to both water and low surface tension liquids, have attracted a great deal attention in recent years because of the potential of these materials in practical applications such as liquid-resistant textiles, self-cleaning surfaces, and antifouling/anticorrosion coatings. In this work, we present a simple strategy for fabricating of superamphiphobic coatings based on photopolymerization of hybrid thiol-ene resins. Spray-deposition and UV photopolymerization of thiol-ene resins containing hydrophobic silica nanoparticles and perfluorinated thiols provide a multiscale topography and low-energy surface that endows the surface with superamphiphobicity. The wettability and chemical composition of the surfaces were characterized by contact-angle goniometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, respectively. The hierarchical roughness features of the thiol-ene surfaces were investigated with field-emission scanning electron microscopy. Droplet impact and sandpaper abrasion tests indicate the coatings respectively possess a robust antiwetting behavior and good mechanical durability.

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.

Modification of porous silicon rugate filters through thiol-yne photochemistry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soeriyadi, Alexander H.; Zhu, Ying; Gooding, J. Justin; Reece, Peter

2014-01-01

Porous silicon (PSi) has a considerable potential as biosensor platform. In particular, the ability to modify the surface chemistry of porous silicon is of interest. Here we present a generic method to modify the surface of porous silicon through thiol-yne photochemistry initiated by a radical initiator. Firstly, a freshly etched porous silicon substrate is modified through thermal hydrosilylation with 1,8-nonadiyne to passivate the surface and introduce alkyne functionalities. The alkyne functional surface could then be further reacted with thiol species in the presence of a radical initiator and UV light. Functionalization of the PSi rugate filter is followed with optical reflectivity measurements as well as high resolution X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS)

Density functional study of a typical thiol tethered on a gold surface: ruptures under normal or parallel stretch

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Guan M; Sandberg, William C; Kenny, Steven D

2006-01-01

The mechanical and dynamical properties of a model Au(111)/thiol surface system were investigated by using localized atomic-type orbital density functional theory in the local density approximation. Relaxing the system gives a configuration where the sulfur atom forms covalent bonds to two adjacent gold atoms as the lowest energy structure. Investigations based on ab initio molecular dynamics simulations at 300, 350 and 370 K show that this tethering system is stable. The rupture behaviour between the thiol and the surface was studied by displacing the free end of the thiol. Calculated energy profiles show a process of multiple successive ruptures that account for experimental observations. The process features successive ruptures of the two Au-S bonds followed by the extraction of one S-bonded Au atom from the surface. The force required to rupture the thiol from the surface was found to be dependent on the direction in which the thiol was displaced, with values comparable with AFM measurements. These results aid the understanding of failure dynamics of Au(111)-thiol-tethered biosurfaces in microfluidic devices where fluidic shear and normal forces are of concern

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...

Heavy metal ions are potent inhibitors of protein folding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Sandeep K.; Goloubinoff, Pierre; Christen, Philipp

2008-01-01

Environmental and occupational exposure to heavy metals such as cadmium, mercury and lead results in severe health hazards including prenatal and developmental defects. The deleterious effects of heavy metal ions have hitherto been attributed to their interactions with specific, particularly susceptible native proteins. Here, we report an as yet undescribed mode of heavy metal toxicity. Cd 2+ , Hg 2+ and Pb 2+ proved to inhibit very efficiently the spontaneous refolding of chemically denatured proteins by forming high-affinity multidentate complexes with thiol and other functional groups (IC 50 in the nanomolar range). With similar efficacy, the heavy metal ions inhibited the chaperone-assisted refolding of chemically denatured and heat-denatured proteins. Thus, the toxic effects of heavy metal ions may result as well from their interaction with the more readily accessible functional groups of proteins in nascent and other non-native form. The toxic scope of heavy metals seems to be substantially larger than assumed so far

Non-food applications of Jatropha protein

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lestari, D.

2012-01-01

The aim of this thesis is to explore how to gain more value per hectare Jatropha curcas by utilizing Jatropha protein for various applications. Specifically, this research investigated the extractability and functional properties of Jatropha protein for non-food/technical applications. Jatropha

Cellular thiol levels and aerobic radiosensitization by BSO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varnes, M.E.; Biaglow, J.E.; Roizin-Towle, L.; Hall, E.J.

1984-01-01

It has been previously shown that pretreatment of A549 human lung carcinoma cells and V79 cells with BSO results in enhancement of the aerobic radiation response. The authors and others have found that addition of either N-acetylcysteine (NAC) or the radioprotector WR-2721 to BSO-treated cells, just prior to irradiation, results in a return to control levels of aerobic sensitivity. NAC and WR-2721 have no effect on the aerobic response of control cells. Reversal of the BSO effect appears unrelated to intracellular thiol levels, since neither NAC nor WR-2721 replenish NPSH within the time that the reversal of the radiation effect is observed. In addition, NAC and WR-2721 must be present during irradiation in order to reverse the BSO sensitization. The authors are continuing to investigate the phenomenon of BSO-induced aerobic sensitization and its reversal, with particular emphasis on the role of membrane thiols and pyridine nucleotide reducing species in radiation response

Thimerosal Exposure and the Role of Sulfation Chemistry and Thiol Availability in Autism

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mark R. Geier

2013-08-01

Full Text Available Autism spectrum disorder (ASD is a neurological disorder in which a significant number of the children experience a developmental regression characterized by a loss of previously acquired skills and abilities. Typically reported are losses of verbal, nonverbal, and social abilities. Several recent studies suggest that children diagnosed with an ASD have abnormal sulfation chemistry, limited thiol availability, and decreased glutathione (GSH reserve capacity, resulting in a compromised oxidation/reduction (redox and detoxification capacity. Research indicates that the availability of thiols, particularly GSH, can influence the effects of thimerosal (TM and other mercury (Hg compounds. TM is an organomercurial compound (49.55% Hg by weight that has been, and continues to be, used as a preservative in many childhood vaccines, particularly in developing countries. Thiol-modulating mechanisms affecting the cytotoxicity of TM have been identified. Importantly, the emergence of ASD symptoms post-6 months of age temporally follows the administration of many childhood vaccines. The purpose of the present critical review is provide mechanistic insight regarding how limited thiol availability, abnormal sulfation chemistry, and decreased GSH reserve capacity in children with an ASD could make them more susceptible to the toxic effects of TM routinely administered as part of mandated childhood immunization schedules.

Micrometer sized immobilization of protein molecules onto quartz, silicium and gold.

Science.gov (United States)

Petersen, Steffen B.; Neves-Petersen, Maria Teresa; Klitgaard, Søren; Duroux, Meg Crookshanks

2006-02-01

We demonstrate that ultraviolet light can be used to make sterically oriented covalent immobilization of a large variety of protein molecules onto either gold or thiolated quartz or silicium. The reaction mechanism behind the reported new technology involves light induced breakage of disulphide bridges in proteins upon UV illumination of nearby aromatic amino acids, resulting in the formation of free, reactive thiol groups that will form covalent bonds with thiol reactive surfaces. The protein molecules in general retain their function. The size of the immobilization spot is determined by the dimension of the UV beam. In principle, the spot size may be as small as 1 micrometer or less. We have developed the necessary technology for preparing large protein arrays of enzymes and fragments of monoclonal antibodies. Dedicated Image Processing Software has been developed for making quality assessment of the protein arrays. A multitude of important application areas such as drug carriers and drug delivery, bioelectronics, carbon nanotubes, nanoparticles as well as protein glue are discussed.

Inter-relations between regional and global approaches to nuclear non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simpson, J.

1995-01-01

It is now becoming evident that the end of the East-West conflict has had a significant effect upon both global and regional security structures. From a situation where regional arrangements were, in the main, determined and driven by pressures arising from the bipolar division which permeated all aspects of the global political system, they increasingly have an independent existence. This has enabled such arrangements to be tailored to local circumstances in a manner which is not possible with global agreements. In particular, it has become apparent that enhanced constraints on peaceful nuclear activities and much more intrusive inspection and monitoring procedures, can more easily be negotiated on a regional basis than a global one. It also appears that nuclear weapon states are prepared to make unconditional commitments about nuclear weapon use on a regional basis, whereas they may not be prepared to do so on a global one. In short, regional approaches enable fine-tuning of the international non-proliferation regime to occur, and for measures to be taken on a regional level that would be politically unacceptable on the global level, due to their discriminatory nature. In the years ahead additional Nuclear-Weapon-Free Zone (NWFZ) agreements may be negotiated, covering more of the land area of the globe. In parallel, regional nuclear cooperation and safeguarding agreements might also be expected to develop along the lines of EURATOM and ABACC. This in turn may move the states which remain outside of the NPT to a similar position to Argentina and Brazil at the moment: to an acceptance that whatever their opposition in principle to the NPT and the system of supplier export guidelines, the commitments they have already accepted on a regional level are more intrusive and constraining than those they would incur if they were to have acceded to the Treaty. In these circumstances, accession to the NPT becomes a distinct possibility, and thus the regional approach to non

Non-proliferation and international safeguards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blix, H.

1992-01-01

Full text: In my view, drastic nuclear disarmament by nuclear weapon States could be coupled with universal commitment to non-proliferation by non-nuclear weapon States by 1995 when the extension of the NPT Will be discussed. The incentives and disincentives for making and stockpiling nuclear weapons are first of all in the political and security fields, (Global and regional detente reduce the incentive, With the cold war gone, the US and Russia are now agreeing on far-reaching cuts in their nuclear arsenals and at some point the other declared nuclear weapon States Will follow.In the regional fields, we have seen how Argentina and Brazil are about to commit themselves to exclusively peaceful uses of the atom through the Latin American Tlatelolco Treaty. And we have seen how South Africa has joined the NPT. A new wave of States adhering to the NPT may be expected from countries in the former Soviet Union. Some have already come, others are on the way. Detente in the Middle East and on the Indian subcontinent would improve the outlook for non-proliferation in these areas. A second barrier to nuclear proliferation lies in export restrictions on sensitive nuclear material and equipment, Following the discoveries in Iraq, these restrictions are being strengthened in a large number of States. A third barrier to nuclear proliferation lies in the economic and political consequences that would follow for a State if IAEA safeguards inspection revealed activities aimed at the production of nuclear weapons. These must have a high degree of reliability. The case of Iraq showed that it was possible for a closed, highly militarized State to hide nuclear activities from the IAEA and the world We are now drawing the lessons from this case. It is not physically possible for inspectors to look into every building and basement in vast countries, They must have information about where to look, and the IAEA is significantly strengthening its information basis. The IAEA has also re

Interactions between milk protein ingredients and other milk components during processing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Liu, Guanchen

research in our group shown that, both MWP and NWP can give a higher viscosity and denser microstructure compared to WPC when used as fat replacer in low-fat yoghurt. In the thesis, we investigated how these two types of commercial whey protein particles interact with other milk components and how...... these interactions affect final acidified milk products. By detecting the properties of the whey protein aggregates, MWP and NWP showed low native whey protein content, low free thiol content and high surface hydrophobicity and were relatively stable at high temperature in the 5 % pure dispersions. When MWP and NWP...... were added to non-fat milk model systems (5% protein in total) and processed into chemically (glucono-delta-lactone) acidified milk gels, the formation of disulfide-linked structures was closely related to the increased particle size of heated milk model systems and the rheological behavior...

Globular and disordered-the non-identical twins in protein-protein interactions

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Teilum, Kaare; Olsen, Johan Gotthardt; Kragelund, Birthe Brandt

2015-01-01

as a strong determinant for their function. This has fostered the notion that IDP's bind with low affinity but high specificity. Here we have analyzed available detailed thermodynamic data for protein-protein interactions to put to the test if the thermodynamic profiles of IDP interactions differ from those...... of other protein-protein interactions. We find that ordered proteins and the disordered ones act as non-identical twins operating by similar principles but where the disordered proteins complexes are on average less stable by 2.5 kcal mol(-1)....

LiGRO: a graphical user interface for protein-ligand molecular dynamics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kagami, Luciano Porto; das Neves, Gustavo Machado; da Silva, Alan Wilter Sousa; Caceres, Rafael Andrade; Kawano, Daniel Fábio; Eifler-Lima, Vera Lucia

2017-10-04

To speed up the drug-discovery process, molecular dynamics (MD) calculations performed in GROMACS can be coupled to docking simulations for the post-screening analyses of large compound libraries. This requires generating the topology of the ligands in different software, some basic knowledge of Linux command lines, and a certain familiarity in handling the output files. LiGRO-the python-based graphical interface introduced here-was designed to overcome these protein-ligand parameterization challenges by allowing the graphical (non command line-based) control of GROMACS (MD and analysis), ACPYPE (ligand topology builder) and PLIP (protein-binder interactions monitor)-programs that can be used together to fully perform and analyze the outputs of complex MD simulations (including energy minimization and NVT/NPT equilibration). By allowing the calculation of linear interaction energies in a simple and quick fashion, LiGRO can be used in the drug-discovery pipeline to select compounds with a better protein-binding interaction profile. The design of LiGRO allows researchers to freely download and modify the software, with the source code being available under the terms of a GPLv3 license from http://www.ufrgs.br/lasomfarmacia/ligro/ .

Capillary electrophoresis in the analysis of biologically important thiols

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Lačná, J.; Kubáň, Petr; Foret, František

2017-01-01

Roč. 38, č. 1 (2017), s. 203-222 ISSN 0173-0835 Institutional support: RVO:68081715 Keywords : biological thiols * capillary electrophoresis * clinical applications Subject RIV: CB - Analytical Chemistry, Separation OBOR OECD: Analytical chemistry Impact factor: 2.744, year: 2016

Redox proteomics changes in the fungal pathogen Trichosporon asahii on arsenic exposure: identification of protein responses to metal-induced oxidative stress in an environmentally-sampled isolate.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sidra Ilyas

Full Text Available Trichosporon asahii is a yeast pathogen implicated in opportunistic infections. Cultures of an isolate collected from industrial wastewater were exposed for 2 days to 100 mg/L sodium arsenite (NaAsO2 and cadmium (CdCl2. Both metals reduced glutathione transferase (GST activity but had no effect on superoxide dismutase or catalase. NaAsO2 exposure increased glutathione reductase activity while CdCl2 had no effect. Protein thiols were labeled with 5-iodoacetamido fluorescein followed by one dimensional electrophoresis which revealed extensive protein thiol oxidation in response to CdCl2 treatment but thiol reduction in response to NaAsO2. Two dimensional electrophoresis analyses showed that the intensity of some protein spots was enhanced on treatment as judged by SameSpots image analysis software. In addition, some spots showed decreased IAF fluorescence suggesting thiol oxidation. Selected spots were excised and tryptic digested for identification by MALDI-TOF/TOF MS. Twenty unique T. asahii proteins were identified of which the following proteins were up-regulated in response to NaAsO2: 3-isopropylmalate dehydrogenase, phospholipase B, alanine-glyoxylate aminotransferase, ATP synthase alpha chain, 20S proteasome beta-type subunit Pre3p and the hypothetical proteins A1Q1_08001, A1Q2_03020, A1Q1_06950, A1Q1_06913. In addition, the following showed decreased thiol-associated fluorescence consistent with thiol oxidation; aconitase; aldehyde reductase I; phosphoglycerate kinase; translation elongation factor 2; heat shock protein 70 and hypothetical protein A1Q2_04745. Some proteins showed both increase in abundance coupled with decrease in IAF fluorescence; 3-hydroxyisobutyryl-CoA hydrolase; homoserine dehydrogenase Hom6 and hypothetical proteins A1Q2_03020 and A1Q1_00754. Targets implicated in redox response included 10 unique metabolic enzymes, heat shock proteins, a component of the 20S proteasome and translation elongation factor 2. These data

Cooperative functions of manganese and thiol redox system against oxidative stress in human spermatozoa

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amrit Kaur Bansal

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Aims: In this study, the effects of 0.1 mM Mn 2+ on thiol components (total thiols [TSH], glutathione reduced [GSH], glutathione oxidized [GSSG] and redox ratio [GSH/ GSSG] have been determined in human spermatozoa. Settings and Design: The subjects of the study were healthy males having more than 75% motility and 80 x 10 6 sperms/mL. Materials and Methods: Fresh semen was suspended in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS (pH 7.2 and this suspension was divided into eight equal fractions. All fractions, control (containing PBS and experimental (treated/untreated with [ferrous ascorbate, FeAA - 200 FeSO 4 μM, 1000 μM ascorbic acid, nicotine (0.5 mM and FeAA + nicotine], supplemented/unsupplemented with Mn 2+ [0.1 mM], were incubated for 2 h at 378C. These fractions were assessed for determining the thiol components. Statistical Analysis: The data were statistically analyzed by Students " t" test. Results and Conclusions: Ferrous ascorbate, nicotine and ferrous ascorbate + nicotine induced oxidative stress and decreased GSH and redox ratio (GSH/GSSG ratio but increased the TSH and GSSG levels. Mn 2+ supplementation improved TSH, GSH and redox ratio (GSH/GSSG but decreased the GSSG level under normal and oxidative stress conditions. Thiol groups serve as defense mechanisms of sperm cells to fight against oxidative stress induced by stress inducers such as ferrous ascorbate, nicotine and their combination (ferrous ascorbate + nicotine. In addition, Mn 2+ supplementation maintains the thiol level by reducing oxidative stress.

Effect of thiol pendant conjugates on plasmid DNA binding, release, and stability of polymeric delivery vectors.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacalocostantis, Irene; Mane, Viraj P; Kang, Michael S; Goodley, Addison S; Muro, Silvia; Kofinas, Peter

2012-05-14

Polymers have attracted much attention as potential gene delivery vectors due to their chemical and structural versatility. However, several challenges associated with polymeric carriers, including low transfection efficiencies, insufficient cargo release, and high cytotoxicity levels have prevented clinical implementation. Strong electrostatic interactions between polymeric carriers and DNA cargo can prohibit complete cargo release within the cell. As a result, cargo DNA never reaches the cell's nucleus where gene expression takes place. In addition, highly charged cationic polymers have been correlated with high cytotoxicity levels, making them unsuitable carriers in vivo. Using poly(allylamine) (PAA) as a model, we investigated how pH-sensitive disulfide cross-linked polymer networks can improve the delivery potential of cationic polymer carriers. To accomplish this, we conjugated thiol-terminated pendant chains onto the primary amines of PAA using 2-iminothiolane, developing three new polymer vectors with 5, 13, or 20% thiol modification. Unmodified PAA and thiol-conjugated polymers were tested for their ability to bind and release plasmid DNA, their capacity to protect genetic cargo from enzymatic degradation, and their potential for endolysosomal escape. Our results demonstrate that polymer-plasmid complexes (polyplexes) formed by the 13% thiolated polymer demonstrate the greatest delivery potential. At high N/P ratios, all thiolated polymers (but not unmodified counterparts) were able to resist decomplexation in the presence of heparin, a negatively charged polysaccharide used to mimic in vivo polyplex-protein interactions. Further, all thiolated polymers exhibited higher buffering capacities than unmodified PAA and, therefore, have a greater potential for endolysosomal escape. However, 5 and 20% thiolated polymers exhibited poor DNA binding-release kinetics, making them unsuitable carriers for gene delivery. The 13% thiolated polymers, on the other hand

Non-Canonical Roles of Dengue Virus Non-Structural Proteins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julianna D. Zeidler

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The Flaviviridae family comprises a number of human pathogens, which, although sharing structural and functional features, cause diseases with very different outcomes. This can be explained by the plurality of functions exerted by the few proteins coded by viral genomes, with some of these functions shared among members of a same family, but others being unique for each virus species. These non-canonical functions probably have evolved independently and may serve as the base to the development of specific therapies for each of those diseases. Here it is discussed what is currently known about the non-canonical roles of dengue virus (DENV non-structural proteins (NSPs, which may account for some of the effects specifically observed in DENV infection, but not in other members of the Flaviviridae family. This review explores how DENV NSPs contributes to the physiopathology of dengue, evasion from host immunity, metabolic changes, and redistribution of cellular components during infection.

Israel's position on non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marom, R.

1986-01-01

Israel maintained that the complex international system and worldwide political tension created a situation in which comprehensive plans of disarmament could not produce any positive result. The deadlock in the field of general and complete disarmament has brought Israel to the realization that one possible way to alleviate the stalemate could be progress by stages through partial measures of disarmament. Israel's position on non-proliferation indicates that the establishment of a nuclear-weapon-free-zone (NWFZ), as it relates to the Middle-East, could serve as a credible alternative to the unilateral adherence to the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapon (NPT) and an effective measure of non-proliferation in the region. (Author)

Assessment of the aroma impact of major odor-active thiols in pan-roasted white sesame seeds by calculation of odor activity values.

Science.gov (United States)

Tamura, Hitoshi; Fujita, Akira; Steinhaus, Martin; Takahisa, Eisuke; Watanabe, Hiroyuki; Schieberle, Peter

2011-09-28

Eleven odor-active thiols, namely, 2-methyl-1-propene-1-thiol, (Z)-3-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, (E)-3-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, (Z)-2-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, (E)-2-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, 2-methyl-3-furanthiol, 3-mercapto-2-pentanone, 2-mercapto-3-pentanone, 4-mercapto-3-hexanone, 3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate, and 2-methyl-3-thiophenethiol, recently identified in an extract prepared from white sesame seeds, were quantitated in sesame using stable isotope dilution analyses. For that purpose, the following deuterium-labeled compounds were synthesized and used as internal standards in the quantitation assays: [2H6]-2-methyl-1-propene-1-thiol, [2H3]-(E)- and [2H3]-(Z)-2-methyl-1-butene-1-thiol, [2H3]-2-methyl-3-furanthiol, [2H2]-3-mercapto-2-pentanone, [2H3]-4-mercapto-3-hexanone, [2H6]-3-mercapto-3-methylbutyl formate, and [2H3]-2-methyl-3-thiophenethiol. On the basis of the results obtained, odor activity values (OAVs) were calculated as ratio of the concentration and odor threshold of the individual compounds in cooking oil. According to their high OAVs, particularly the 3-methyl-1-butene-1-thiols (OAV: 2400) and the 2-methyl-1-butene-1-thiols (OAV: 960) were identified as the most odor-active compounds in pan-roasted white sesame seeds. These compounds were therefore suggested to be mainly responsible for the characteristic but rather unstable sulfury aroma of freshly pan-roasted white sesame seeds.

Validity and limitations of the Nidek NT-4000 non-contact tonometer: a clinical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Regine, Federico; Scuderi, Gian Luca; Cesareo, Massimo; Ricci, Federico; Cedrone, Claudio; Nucci, Carlo

2006-01-01

Using Goldmann applanation tonometry (GAT) as a gold standard, we evaluated the accuracy of Nidek NT-4000 pneumotonometry (NPT) in adults without corneal disease. Bland and Altman analysis of serial intra-ocular pressures (IOPs) measured with NPT and GAT in 10 healthy subjects revealed that the repeatability coefficients for the two methods were similar. NPT, GAT and ultrasonic pachymetry were then performed in 100 patients. Bland and Altman analysis showed that NPT yielded significantly higher readings than GAT [mean biases for right and left eye measurements were 1.37 mmHg (95% limits of agreement: -3.02-5.76) and 1.17 mmHg (95% limits of agreement: -2.76-5.11) respectively] and was more affected by corneal thickness variations. For detection of IOPs > or =21 mmHg, NPT displayed very high sensitivity (0.90) and good specificity (0.95). NPT may be useful in screening and clinical settings but borderline-high IOP readings should be confirmed with GAT.

Thiol derivatization of Xanthan gum and its evaluation as a mucoadhesive polymer.

Science.gov (United States)

Bhatia, Meenakshi; Ahuja, Munish; Mehta, Heena

2015-10-20

Thiol-derivatization of xanthan gum polysaccharide was carried out by esterification with mercaptopropionic acid and thioglycolic acid. Thiol-derivatization was confirmed by Fourier-transformed infra-red spectroscopy. Xanthan-mercaptopropionic acid conjugate and xanthan-thioglycolic acid conjugate were found to possess 432.68mM and 465.02mM of thiol groups as determined by Ellman's method respectively. Comparative evaluation of mucoadhesive property of metronidazole loaded buccal pellets of xanthan and thiolated xanthan gum using chicken buccal pouch membrane revealed higher ex vivo bioadhesion time of thiolated xanthan gum as compared to xanthan gum. Improved mucoadhesive property of thiolated xanthan gum over the xanthan gum can be attributed to the formation of disulfide bond between mucus and thiolated xanthan gum. In vitro release study conducted using phosphate buffer (pH 6.8) revealed a sustained release profile of metronidazole from thiolated xanthan pellets as compared to xanthan pellets. In conclusion, thiolation of xanthan improves its mucoadhesive property and sustained the release of metronidazole over a prolonged period. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

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.

The Non-Proliferation Treaty on the threshold to the 21st century

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, W.

1991-06-01

The basic outlines of non-proliferation policy, its instruments, the position of the protagonists' interests and the fundamental fields of conflict are to the fore. The history and structure of international non-poliferation policy and, in particular, of the NPT, are described, the instruments for verifying the purely peaceful use of nuclear power (safeguards) are analysed, and important future technological and political challenges of the Treaty are listed. (orig./HP) [de

Communication dated 1 February 2005 from the Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt concerning implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement of Egypt

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The Director General has received a Note Verbale dated 1 February 2005 from the Permanent Mission of the Arab Republic of Egypt, concerning implementation of the NPT Safeguards Agreement of Egypt, attaching the text of a Press Statement dated 25 January 2005. The Note Verbale and, as requested therein, the Press Statement, are reproduced herewith for the information of Member States

Design, Synthesis, and Characterization of Novel Thiol-Derivatized Ibuprofen Monolayer Protected Gold Clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, K.H.; Lee, K.H.; Lin, Y.Sh.; Huang, P.J.

2013-01-01

A series of new thiol-derivatized ibuprofen monolayer protected gold clusters have been prepared by amidation of ibuprofen with alkyl alcohol or aminophenol affording the carboxamide, N-hydroxyalkyl amide 2, and N-hydroxyphenyl amide 6, which were then tosylate with p-toluenesulfonyl chloride at hydroxyl group to give 3 and 7. Reactions of 3 and 7 with NaSH afforded the mercapto derivatives 4 and 8. Conducting Brust’s reaction with a 3:1 mole ratio of thiolate ibuprofen/ AuCl 4 - yielded polydisperse thiol-derivatized ibuprofen-MPCs 5 and 9. All compounds have been identified by NMR, MS, UV, and IR spectroscopies. Compounds 4 and 8 and the MPCs 5 and 9 have been investigated by using the method of 1 H NMR spectroscopy. The broadening of the signals from 0.8 to 2.0 ppm in 1 H NMR spectrum of MPCs 5 and 9 confirmed the success of the conjugation of thiol-containing derivatives with nano gold cluster.

Enzymatic Mercury Detoxification: The Regulatory Protein MerR

CERN Multimedia

Ctortecka, B; Walsh, C T; Comess, K M

2002-01-01

Mercury ions and organomercurial reagents are extremely toxic due to their affinity for thiol groups. Many bacteria contain an elaborate detoxification system for a metabolic conversion of toxic Hg$^{2+}$ or organomercurials to less toxic elemental Hg$^0$. The main components of the enzymatic mercury detoxification (see Fig. 1) are the regulatory protein MerR (mercury responsive genetic switch), the organomercurial lyase MerB (cleavage of carbon mercury bonds), and the mercuric ion reductase MerA (reduction of mercuric ions). In these proteins Hg$^{2+}$ is usually coordinated by the thiol groups of cysteines. We utilize the nuclear quadrupole interaction (NQI) of ${\\rm^{199m}}$Hg detected by time differential perturbed angular correlation (TDPAC) to identify the Hg metal site geometries in these proteins in order to elucidate the molecular origin of the ultrasensitivity, selectivity and reaction mechanism of this detoxification system. The short lived TDPAC probe ${\\rm^{199m}}$Hg ($\\tau_{1/2} =$ 43 min) is su...

Novel Thiol-Ene Hybrid Coating for Metal Protection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mona Taghavikish

2016-04-01

Full Text Available A novel hybrid anticorrosion coating with dual network of inorganic (Si–O–Si and organic bonds (C–S–C was prepared on metal through an in situ sol-gel and thiol-ene click reaction. This novel interfacial thin film coating incorporates (3-mercaptopropyl trimethoxysilane (MPTS and 1,4-di(vinylimidazolium butane bisbromide based polymerizable ionic liquid (PIL to form a thiol-ene based photo-polymerized film, which on subsequent sol-gel reaction forms a thin hybrid interfacial layer on metal surface. On top of this PIL hybrid film, a self-assembled nanophase particle (SNAP coating was employed to prepare a multilayer thin film coating for better corrosion protection and barrier performance. The novel PIL hybrid film was characterised for structure and properties using Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA. The corrosion protection performance of the multilayer coating was examined using potentiodynamic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS. The results reveal that this novel double layer coating on metal offers excellent protection against corrosion and has remarkably improved the barrier effect of the coating.

Building thiol and metal-thiolate functions into coordination nets: Clues from a simple molecule

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He Jun; Yang Chen; Xu Zhengtao; Zeller, Matthias; Hunter, Allen D.; Lin Jianhua

2009-01-01

The simple and easy-to-prepare bifunctional molecule 2,5-dimercapto-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid (H 4 DMBD) interacts with the increasingly harder metal ions of Cu + , Pb 2+ and Eu 3+ to form the coordination networks of Cu 6 (DMBD) 3 (en) 4 (Hen) 6 (1), Pb 2 (DMBD)(en) 2 (2) and Eu 2 (H 2 DMBD) 3 (DEF) 4 (3), where the carboxyl and thiol groups bind with distinct preference to the hard and soft metal ions, respectively. Notably, 1 features uncoordinated carboxylate groups and Cu 3 cluster units integrated via the thiolate groups into an extended network with significant interaction between the metal centers and the organic molecules; 2 features a 2D coordination net based on the mercapto and carboxylic groups all bonded to the Pb 2+ ions; 3 features free-standing thiol groups inside the channels of a metal-carboxylate-based network. This study illustrates the rich solid state structural features and potential functions offered by the carboxyl-thiol combination. - Graphical Abstract: Molecule 2,5-dimercapto-1,4-benzenedicarboxylic acid was reacted with Cu + , Pb 2+ and Eu 3+ ions to explore solid state networks with the rich structural features arising from the carboxyl-thiol combination.

Flaws in the Non-Proliferation Treaty

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leventhal, P.

1986-01-01

The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nucler Weapons has the twin objectives of stopping the further spread of nuclear weapons and ending the nuclear arms race on the one hand, and promoting peaceful uses of atomic energy on the other. In quantitative and symbolic terms the NPT is a huge success. More than two-thirds of the world's nations have signed on, making this the most popular arms control agreement on earth. Not a single nation has declared itself to be a nuclear-weapons state beyond the original five members of the ''nuclear club'' who qualified for weapons status under the terms of the Treaty itself: the United States, the Soviet Union, the United Kingdom, France, and China. No party to the Treaty has exercised the permitted option to drop out, and none has been found by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to have diverted nuclear material from civil to weapons purposes. Nor has any party been known to have violated NPT prohibitions on developing or assisting other nations to develop nuclear weapons

Thiol X Click Foldamers for Polymer Affinity

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-24

polymers   e. Invention  of  a  novel,  robust,  and  ambient   polymerization ...efficiently   polymerized   to   moderate  sized   polymers  capable  of  forming  >>1012  sequence  distinct   polymers ... polymerization  of  nucleobase  appended   thiol-­‐ene  monomers.    Naturally,   the  average   composition  of  the  

Mn2+-ZnSe/ZnS@SiO2 Nanoparticles for Turn-on Luminescence Thiol Detection

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohammad S. Yazdanparast

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Biological thiols are antioxidants essential for the prevention of disease. For example, low levels of the tripeptide glutathione are associated with heart disease, cancer, and dementia. Mn2+-doped wide bandgap semiconductor nanocrystals exhibit luminescence and magnetic properties that make them attractive for bimodal imaging. We found that these nanocrystals and silica-encapsulated nanoparticle derivatives exhibit enhanced luminescence in the presence of thiols in both organic solvent and aqueous solution. The key to using these nanocrystals as sensors is control over their surfaces. The addition of a ZnS barrier layer or shell produces more stable nanocrystals that are isolated from their surroundings, and luminescence enhancement is only observed with thinner, intermediate shells. Tunability is demonstrated with dodecanethiol and sensitivities decrease with thin, medium, and thick shells. Turn-on nanoprobe luminescence is also generated by several biological thiols, including glutathione, N-acetylcysteine, cysteine, and dithiothreitol. Nanoparticles prepared with different ZnS shell thicknesses demonstrated varying sensitivity to glutathione, which allows for the tuning of particle sensitivity without optimization. The small photoluminescence response to control amino acids and salts indicates selectivity for thiols. Preliminary magnetic measurements highlight the challenge of optimizing sensors for different imaging modalities. In this work, we assess the prospects of using these nanoparticles as luminescent turn-on thiol sensors and for MRI.

Activation of room temperature ferromagnetism in ZnO films by surface functionalization with thiol and amine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jayalakshmi, G.; Gopalakrishnan, N.; Balasubramanian, T.

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Room temperature ferromagnetism (RTFM) is observed in surface functionalized ZnO films. ► Surface functionalization is a new approach to make ZnO as ferromagnetic. ► The RTFM is attributed to the interaction between the adsorbates and the surface of ZnO. ► The oxygen vacancies are passivated upon surface functionalization. - Abstract: In this paper, we report the activation of room temperature ferromagnetism in ZnO films by surface functionalization with thiol and amine. The pure and surface functionalized ZnO films have been examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), photoluminescence (PL) and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements. XRD measurements show that all the films have single phase and (0 0 2) preferred orientation. The chemical bonding of ZnO with thiol and amine molecules has been confirmed by XPS measurements. The quenching of visible emission in PL spectra indicates that the surface defects are passivated by functionalization with thiol and amine. Surface functionalization of ZnO films with thiol and amine induces robust room temperature ferromagnetism in ZnO films as evidenced from VSM measurements. It is concluded that the observed ferromagnetic behavior in functionalized ZnO films is attributed to the different electronegativity of the atom in the thiol (or amine) and the surface of ZnO.

Poly(ethylene glycol)-based thiol-ene hydrogel coatings: curing chemistry, aqueous stability, and potential marine antifouling applications

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Lundberg, P.; Bruin, A.; Klijnstra, J.W.; Nyström, A.M.; Johansson, M.; Malkoch, M.; Hult, A.

2010-01-01

Photocured thiol-ene hydrogel coatings based on poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) were investigated for marine antifouling purposes. By varying the PEG length, vinylic end-group, and thiol cross-linker, a library of hydrogel coatings with different structural composition was efficiently accomplished, with

Effects of cellular non-protein sulfhydryl depletion in radiation induced oncogenic transformation and genotoxicity in mouse C3H 10T1/2 cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hei, T.K.; Geard, C.R.; Hall, E.J.

1984-01-01

A study was made of the effects of cellular non-protein sulfhydryl (NPSH) depletion on cytotoxicity, cell cycle kinetics, oncogenic transformation and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) in C 3 H 10T1/2 cells. Using DL-Buthionine S-R-Sulfoximine (BSO) to deplete thiols, it was found spectrophotometrically that less than 5% of control NPSH level remained in the cells after 24-hour treatment under aerated conditions. Such NPSH depleted cells, when subject to a 3 Gy γ-ray treatment, were found to have no radiosensitizing response either in terms of cell survival or oncogenic transformation. In addition, decreased levels of NPSH had no effect on spontaneous or radiation-induced SCE nor were cell cycle kinetics additionally altered. Therefore, the inability of NPSH depletion to alter γ-ray induced cellular transformation was unrelated to any possible effect of BSO on the cell cycle. These results suggest that such depletion may result in little or no additional oncogenic or genotoxic effects on aerated normal tissues

Thiol-Functionalized Mesoporous Silica for Effective Trap of Mercury in Rats

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Wei Zhao

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The chance of exposure to heavy metal for human being rises severely today due to the increasing water contamination and air pollution. Here, we prepared a series of thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica as oral formulation for the prevention and treatment of heavy metal poisoning. The successful incorporation of thiol was verified by the FTIR spectra. SBA15-SH-10 was used for the study as it is of uniform mesopores and fine water dispersibility. In simulated gastrointestinal fluid, the thiol-functionalized mesoporous silica can selectively capture heavy metal, showing a very high affinity for inorganic mercury (II. The blood and urine mercury levels of rats fed with a diet containing Hg (II and material were significantly lower than those of rats fed with the metal-rich diet only. On the contrary, the mercury content in fecal excretion of the treatment group increased more than twice as much as that of the control group. This result indicated that SBA15-SH-10 could effectively remove mercury (II in vivo and the mercury loaded on SBA15-SH-10 would be excreted out. Hence, SBA15-SH-10 has potential application in preventing and treating heavy metal poisoning via digestive system.

Nuclear disarmament and evolution of the nuclear non-proliferation regime

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bragin, V.; Carlson, J.; Bardsley, J.; Hill, J.

1999-01-01

The 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference reaffirmed 'the ultimate goals of the complete elimination of nuclear weapons and a treaty on general and complete disarmament under strict and effective international control' and endorsed 'universal application of safeguards once the complete elimination of nuclear weapons has been achieved'. Hence strengthening the international non-proliferation regime and incremental broadening of its coverage towards the universal application of international safeguards in all States is a high priority albeit for the medium to long term. A tentative attempt is made in this paper to anticipate how the elements of verification under the NPT, FMCT and other conventions and arrangements related to nuclear non-proliferation will evolve against the background of the disarmament process, with the goal of achieving at some future stage an ultimate convergence of verification regimes under a complete nuclear disarmament. We think, however, that most of the new initiatives in the area of disarmament/non-proliferation should be realised during the current disarmament phase. We do not wish our model to be perceived as a rigid time-bound scheme. New initiatives should be implemented in parallel and as soon as practicable. This paper reflects the personal views of the authors and should not be taken to represent Australian Government policy. (author)

Selective Incorporation of Nitrile-Based Infrared Probes into Proteins via Cysteine Alkylation

OpenAIRE

Jo, Hyunil; Culik, Robert M.; Korendovych, Ivan V.; DeGrado, William F.; Gai, Feng

2010-01-01

The nitrile stretching vibration is increasingly used as a sensitive infrared probe of local protein environments. However, site-specific incorporation of a nitrile moiety into proteins is difficult. Here we show that various aromatic nitriles can be easily incorporated into peptides and proteins via either thiol alkylation or arylation reaction.

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

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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.

Aductive laser iridoplasty and laser goniopuncture after non-perforating trabeculectomy.

Science.gov (United States)

D, Lawrence F Jindra M

2013-03-01

Successful non-perforating trabeculectomy (NPT) results in filtration of aqueous humor out of the anterior chamber and into a filtration bleb, without surgical excision of tissue from the anterior chamber angle, and without penetration into the anterior chamber. The complications of perforating trabeculectomy, due to early postoperative hypotony (shallow anterior chamber, hyphema, macular folds, suprachoroidal effusion, and ciliochoroidal hemorrhage) (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) are regarded by many surgeons as significant risks. Nonperforating surgery has been reported to reduce the incidence of early hypotony-related complications (10), because it has the advantage of creating gradual filtration of aqueous humor, through a thin trabeculodescemetic membrane (TDM), which markedly reduces postoperative complications seen after a conventional trabeculectomy (11), and also has been reported to provide better long-term intraocular pressure (IOP) control (12, 13). NPT is reported to be a procedure with a significant learning curve, sometimes necessitating conversion to perforating trabeculectomy, and requiring careful postoperative monitoring (14, 15, 16, 17). Zimmerman et al. reported filtration of aqueous humor under a filtering bleb, by resecting the roof of Schlemms canal and removing corneal stroma overlying the trabecular meshwork (18) Mermoud et al. reported filtration of aqueous humor under a filtering, bleb by unroofing Schlemms canal and removing corneal stroma overlying the trabecular meshwork as well Descemets membrane (19); he found that resistance across the TDM sometimes increased with time. When this resistance to aqueous humor outflow occurred, Mermoud found TDM resistance could be eliminated by performance of goniopuncture (ab interno Nd:YAG laser membranotomy via gonioprism), to enhance aqueous humor outflow into the filtration bleb. Failure to filter adequately through the TDM is a potential complication following NPT which can result in a rise in

Photoreduction of Hg(II) and photodemethylation of methylmercury: the key role of thiol sites on dissolved organic matter

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Jeremiason, Jeffrey D.; Portner, Joshua C.; Aiken, George R.; Hiranaka, Amber J.; Dvorak, Michelle T.; Tran, Khuyen T.; Latch, Douglas E.

2015-01-01

This study examined the kinetics of photoreduction of Hg(II) and photodemethylation of methylmercury (MeHg+) attached to, or in the presence of, dissolved organic matter (DOM). Both Hg(II) and MeHg+ are principally bound to reduced sulfur groups associated with DOM in many freshwater systems. We propose that a direct photolysis mechanism is plausible for reduction of Hg(II) bound to reduced sulfur groups on DOM while an indirect mechanism is supported for photodemethylation of MeHg+ bound to DOM. UV spectra of Hg(II) and MeHg+ bound to thiol containing molecules demonstrate that the Hg(II)–S bond is capable of absorbing UV-light in the solar spectrum to a much greater extent than MeHg+–S bonds. Experiments with chemically distinct DOM isolates suggest that concentration of DOM matters little in the photochemistry if there are enough reduced S sites present to strongly bind MeHg+ and Hg(II); DOM concentration does not play a prominent role in photodemethylation other than to screen light, which was demonstrated in a field experiment in the highly colored St. Louis River where photodemethylation was not observed at depths ≥10 cm. Experiments with thiol ligands yielded slower photodegradation rates for MeHg+ than in experiments with DOM and thiols; rates in the presence of DOM alone were the fastest supporting an intra-DOM mechanism. Hg(II) photoreduction rates, however, were similar in experiments with only DOM, thiols plus DOM, or only thiols suggesting a direct photolysis mechanism. Quenching experiments also support the existence of an intra-DOM photodemethylation mechanism for MeHg+. Utilizing the difference in photodemethylation rates measured for MeHg+ attached to DOM or thiol ligands, the binding constant for MeHg+ attached to thiol groups on DOM was estimated to be 1016.7.

Selective Incorporation of Nitrile-Based Infrared Probes into Proteins via Cysteine Alkylation

Science.gov (United States)

Jo, Hyunil; Culik, Robert M.; Korendovych, Ivan V.; DeGrado, William F.; Gai, Feng

2010-01-01

The nitrile stretching vibration is increasingly used as a sensitive infrared probe of local protein environments. However, site-specific incorporation of a nitrile moiety into proteins is difficult. Here we show that various aromatic nitriles can be easily incorporated into peptides and proteins via either thiol alkylation or arylation reaction. PMID:21077670

Nanoparticle-Based Receptors Mimic Protein-Ligand Recognition.

Science.gov (United States)

Riccardi, Laura; Gabrielli, Luca; Sun, Xiaohuan; De Biasi, Federico; Rastrelli, Federico; Mancin, Fabrizio; De Vivo, Marco

2017-07-13

The self-assembly of a monolayer of ligands on the surface of noble-metal nanoparticles dictates the fundamental nanoparticle's behavior and its functionality. In this combined computational-experimental study, we analyze the structure, organization, and dynamics of functionalized coating thiols in monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles (AuNPs). We explain how functionalized coating thiols self-organize through a delicate and somehow counterintuitive balance of interactions within the monolayer itself and with the solvent. We further describe how the nature and plasticity of these interactions modulate nanoparticle-based chemosensing. Importantly, we found that self-organization of coating thiols can induce the formation of binding pockets in AuNPs. These transient cavities can accommodate small molecules, mimicking protein-ligand recognition, which could explain the selectivity and sensitivity observed for different organic analytes in NMR chemosensing experiments. Thus, our findings advocate for the rational design of tailored coating groups to form specific recognition binding sites on monolayer-protected AuNPs.

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

Synthesis of Programmable Main-chain Liquid-crystalline Elastomers Using a Two-stage Thiol-acrylate Reaction

OpenAIRE

Saed, Mohand O.; Torbati, Amir H.; Nair, Devatha P.; Yakacki, Christopher M.

2016-01-01

This study presents a novel two-stage thiol-acrylate Michael addition-photopolymerization (TAMAP) reaction to prepare main-chain liquid-crystalline elastomers (LCEs) with facile control over network structure and programming of an aligned monodomain. Tailored LCE networks were synthesized using routine mixing of commercially available starting materials and pouring monomer solutions into molds to cure. An initial polydomain LCE network is formed via a self-limiting thiol-acrylate Michael-addi...

Mass spectrometric detection of proteins in non-aqueous media : the case of prion proteins in biodiesel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Douma, M.D.; Kerr, G.M.; Brown, R.S.; Keller, B.O.; Oleschuk, R.D. [Queen' s Univ., Kingston, ON (Canada). Dept. of Chemistry

2008-08-15

This paper presented a filtration method for detecting protein traces in non-aqueous media. The extraction technique used a mixture of acetonitrile, non-ionic detergent and water along with filter disks with embedded C{sub 8}-modified silica particles to capture the proteins from non-aqueous samples. The extraction process was then followed by an elution of the protein from the filter disk and direct mass spectrometric detection and tryptic digestion with peptide mapping and MS/MS fragmentation of protein-specific peptides. The method was used to detect prion proteins in spiked biodiesel samples. A tryptic peptide with the sequence YGQGSPGGNR was used for unambiguous identification. Results of the study showed that the method is suitable for the large-scale testing of protein impurities in tallow-based biodiesel production processes. 33 refs., 6 figs.

Influence of extra-cellular and intra-cellular acting thiol oxidants on the 45calcium uptake by the islets of Langerhans of the rat

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haegele, R.G.

1981-01-01

The glucose-stimulated calcium uptake by the islets of Langerhans is dependent on the intra-cellular GSH/GSSG ratios. The inhibition of calcium uptake is not the consequence of a direct oxidation of membrane-fixed thiol groups. In contrast, direct oxidation of extra cellular thiols leads to an increase in calcium uptake when intra-cellular oxidation is simultaneously prevented. Since this effect only occurs at high intra-cellular GSH/GSSG ratios it can be assumed that the redox state of extra-cellular thiols is dependent on the redox state of the intra-cellular GSH/GSSG ratios. These findings support the theory that the oxidation of extra-cellular thiols by thiol oxidants leads to an increase in calcium uptake and that the extent of uptake is higher, the more the redox state of the extra-cellular thiols tends towards the reduced state prior to oxidation. (orig./MG) [de

Oral-Fluid Thiol-Detection Test Identifies Underlying Active Periodontal Disease Not Detected by the Visual Awake Examination.

Science.gov (United States)

Queck, Katherine E; Chapman, Angela; Herzog, Leslie J; Shell-Martin, Tamara; Burgess-Cassler, Anthony; McClure, George David

Periodontal disease in dogs is highly prevalent but can only be accurately diagnosed by performing an anesthetized oral examination with periodontal probing and dental radiography. In this study, 114 dogs had a visual awake examination of the oral cavity and were administered an oral-fluid thiol-detection test prior to undergoing a a full-mouth anesthetized oral examination and digital dental radiographs. The results show the visual awake examination underestimated the presence and severity of active periodontal disease. The thiol-detection test was superior to the visual awake examination at detecting the presence and severity of active periodontal disease and was an indicator of progression toward alveolar bone loss. The thiol-detection test detected active periodontal disease at early stages of development, before any visual cues were present, indicating the need for intervention to prevent periodontal bone loss. Early detection is important because without intervention, dogs with gingivitis (active periodontal disease) progress to irreversible periodontal bone loss (stage 2+). As suggested in the current AAHA guidelines, a thiol-detection test administered in conjunction with the visual awake examination during routine wellness examinations facilitates veterinarian-client communication and mitigates under-diagnosis of periodontal disease and underutilization of dental services. The thiol-detection test can be used to monitor the periodontal health status of the conscious patient during follow-up examinations based on disease severity.

“Oxygen sensing” by Na,K-ATPase: these miraculous thiols

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Anna Bogdanova

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Control over the Na,K-ATPase function plays a central role in adaptation of the organisms to hypoxic and anoxic conditions. As the enzyme itself does not possess O2 binding sites its oxygen-sensitivity is mediated by a variety of redox-sensitive modifications including S-glutathionylation, S-nitrosylation and redox-sensitive phosphorylation. This is an overview of the current knowledge on the plethora of molecular mechanisms tuning the activity of the ATP-consuming Na,K-ATPase to the cellular metabolic activity. Recent findings suggest that oxygen-derived free radicals and H2O2, NO, and oxidised glutathione are the signalling messengers that make the Na,K-ATPase oxygen-sensitive. This very ancient signalling pathway targeting thiols of all three subunits of the Na,K-ATPase as well as redox-sensitive kinases sustains the enzyme activity at the optimal level avoiding terminal ATP depletion and maintaining the transmembrane ion gradients in cells of anoxia-tolerant species. We acknowledge the complexity of the underlying processes as we characterise the sources of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species production in hypoxic cells, and identify their targets, the reactive thiol groups which, upon modification, impact the enzyme activity. Structured accordingly, this review presents a summery on (i the sources of free radical production in hypoxic cells, (ii localisation of regulatory thiols within the Na,K-ATPase and the role reversible thiol modifications play in responses of the enzymes to a variety of stimuli (hypoxia, receptors’ activation control of the enzyme activity (iii redox-sensitive regulatory phosphorylation, and (iv the role of fine modulation of the Na,K-ATPase function in survival success under hypoxic conditions. The co-authors attempted to cover all the contradictions and standing hypotheses in the field and propose the possible future developments in this dynamic area of research, the importance of which is hard to overestimate

Calorimetric and spectroscopic properties of small globular proteins (bovine serum albumin, hemoglobin) after free radical generation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farkas, N.; Belagyi, J.; Lorinczy, D.

2003-01-01

Mild oxidation of -SH-containing proteins (serum albumin, hemoglobin) by Ce(IV)-ions in the presence of the spin trap phenyl-tert-butylnitrone (PBN) resulted in the appearance of strongly immobilized nitroxide free radicals which evidences the formation of thiyl radicals on the thiol site of the proteins. In hydroxyl free radical generating system a fraction of strongly immobilized nitroxide radicals was also detected in these proteins, which implies that the oxidation of a fraction of the thiol groups was also involved in the free radical reaction. According to the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) experiments the melting processes of the proteins were calorimetrically irreversible, therefore the two-state kinetic model was used to evaluate the experiments. The results support the view that site-specific interaction of SH-containing proteins with hydroxyl and thiyl free radicals is able to modify the internal dynamics of proteins and affect the conformation of large molecules

Monohalogenated acetamide-induced cellular stress and genotoxicity are related to electrophilic softness and thiol/thiolate reactivity.

Science.gov (United States)

Pals, Justin A; Wagner, Elizabeth D; Plewa, Michael J; Xia, Menghang; Attene-Ramos, Matias S

2017-08-01

Haloacetamides (HAMs) are cytotoxic, genotoxic, and mutagenic byproducts of drinking water disinfection. They are soft electrophilic compounds that form covalent bonds with the free thiol/thiolate in cysteine residues through an S N 2 reaction mechanism. Toxicity of the monohalogenated HAMs (iodoacetamide, IAM; bromoacetamide, BAM; or chloroacetamide, CAM) varied depending on the halogen substituent. The aim of this research was to investigate how the halogen atom affects the reactivity and toxicological properties of HAMs, measured as induction of oxidative/electrophilic stress response and genotoxicity. Additionally, we wanted to determine how well in silico estimates of electrophilic softness matched thiol/thiolate reactivity and in vitro toxicological endpoints. Each of the HAMs significantly induced nuclear Rad51 accumulation and ARE signaling activity compared to a negative control. The rank order of effect was IAM>BAM>CAM for Rad51, and BAM≈IAM>CAM for ARE. In general, electrophilic softness and in chemico thiol/thiolate reactivity provided a qualitative indicator of toxicity, as the softer electrophiles IAM and BAM were more thiol/thiolate reactive and were more toxic than CAM. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Synthesis and Optical Properties of Thiol Functionalized CdSe/ZnS (Core/Shell Quantum Dots by Ligand Exchange

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Huaping Zhu

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The colloidal photoluminescent quantum dots (QDs of CdSe (core and CdSe/ZnS (core/shell were synthesized at different temperatures with different growth periods. Optical properties (i.e., UV/Vis spectra and photoluminescent emission spectra of the resulting QDs were investigated. The shell-protected CdSe/ZnS QDs exhibited higher photoluminescent (PL efficiency and stability than their corresponding CdSe core QDs. Ligand exchange with various thiol molecules was performed to replace the initial surface passivation ligands, that is, trioctylphosphine oxide (TOPO and trioctylphosphine (TOP, and the optical properties of the surface-modified QDs were studied. The thiol ligand molecules in this study included 1,4-benzenedimethanethiol, 1,16-hexadecanedithiol, 1,11-undecanedithiol, biphenyl-4,4′-dithiol, 11-mercapto-1-undecanol, and 1,8-octanedithiol. After the thiol functionalization, the CdSe/ZnS QDs exhibited significantly enhanced PL efficiency and storage stability. Besides surface passivation effect, such enhanced performance of thiol-functionalized QDs could be due to cross-linked assembly formation of dimer/trimer clusters, in which QDs are linked by dithiol molecules. Furthermore, effects of ligand concentration, type of ligand, and heating on the thiol stabilization of QDs were also discussed.

Removal of lead(II ions from aqueous solutions using cashew nut shell liquid-templated thiol-silica materials

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J. E. G. Mdoe

2014-09-01

Full Text Available A range of thiol-silica composites were prepared using cashew nut shell liquid (CNSL or one of its phenolic constituents, cardanol, as templates. The procedure involved formation of a CNSL or cardanol emulsion in a water-ethanol system into which (3-mercaptopropyl-trimethoxysilane and tetraethyl orthosilicate were simultaneously added at various ratios. The reaction mixture was aged at room temperature for 18 h followed by a Soxhlet extraction of the template and drying. The materials were characterized by diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared, nitrogen physisorption, scanning electron microscopy and acid titration. Results indicated that indeed the thiol-silica composites were successfully prepared, with thiol group loadings ranging from 1.6-2.5 mmol/g. The materials were tested for lead(II adsorption, and results showed that they had maximum adsorption capacities up to 66.7 mg/g, depending on the thiol group loading and type of template used in preparing the adsorbent. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.4314/bcse.v28i3.5

Globular and disordered – the non-identical twins in protein-protein interactions

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Kaare eTeilum

2015-07-01

Full Text Available In biology proteins from different structural classes interact across and within classes in ways that are optimized to achieve balanced functional outputs. The interactions between intrinsically disordered proteins (IDPs and other proteins rely on changes in flexibility and this is seen as a strong determinant for their function. This has fostered the notion that IDP’s bind with low affinity but high specificity. Here we have analyzed available detailed thermodynamic data for protein-protein interactions to put to the test if the thermodynamic profiles of IDP interactions differ from those of other protein-protein interactions. We find that ordered proteins and the disordered ones act as non identical twins operating by similar principles but where the disordered proteins complexes are on average less stable by 2.5 kcal mol-1.

On the effect of oxygen or copper(II) in radiation-induced degradation of DNA in the presence of thiols

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pruetz, W.A.; Moenig, Hans

1987-01-01

Degradiation of DNA when γ-irradiated in aqueous solutions containing cysteine can be efficiently enhanced not only with oxygen, but to the same extent also with Cu 2+ ions under hypoxic conditions. The result can be explained by 'self-repair' in this sytem due to recombination of DNA radical with RSS radical - R intermediates, and repair inhibition by oxygen or copper involving RSS radical - R scavenging. It is emphasized that oxygen enhancement in DNA-thiol systems may occur not only by peroxidation, via defect fixation (DNA-O radical 2 ) or thiol activation (RS-O radical 2 ), but also by the well-established inactivation of RSS radical - R by oxygen. There is evidence also from literature data for a correlation between oxygen enhancement and RSS radical - R stability, which varies with thiol concentration, pH and thiol structure. (author)

Photo-oxidation of 6-thioguanine by UVA: the formation of addition products with low molecular weight thiol compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Ren, Xiaolin; Xu, Yao-Zhong; Karran, Peter

2010-01-01

The thiopurine, 6-thioguanine (6-TG) is present in the DNA of patients treated with the immunosuppressant and anticancer drugs azathioprine or mercaptopurine. The skin of these patients is selectively sensitive to UVA radiation-which comprises >90% of the UV light in incident sunlight-and they suffer high rates of skin cancer. UVA irradiation of DNA 6-TG produces DNA lesions that may contribute to the development of cancer. Antioxidants can protect 6-TG against UVA but 6-TG oxidation products may undergo further reactions. We characterize some of these reactions and show that addition products are formed between UVA-irradiated 6-TG and N-acetylcysteine and other low molecular weight thiol compounds including β-mercaptoethanol, cysteine and the cysteine-containing tripeptide glutathione (GSH). GSH is also adducted to 6-TG-containing oligodeoxynucleotides in an oxygen- and UVA-dependent nucleophilic displacement reaction that involves an intermediate oxidized 6-TG, guanine sulfonate (G(SO3) ). These photochemical reactions of 6-TG, particularly the formation of a covalent oligodeoxynucleotide-GSH complex, suggest that crosslinking of proteins or low molecular weight thiol compounds to DNA may be a previously unrecognized hazard in sunlight-exposed cells of thiopurine-treated patients. © 2010 The Authors. Journal Compilation. The American Society of Photobiology.

Preparation of new biobased coatings from a triglycidyl eugenol derivative through thiol-epoxy click reaction

OpenAIRE

Guzman, Dailyn; Ramis Juan, Xavier; Fernández Francos, Xavier; de la Flor1 López, Sílvia; Serra Albet, Àngels

2018-01-01

© 2017 Elsevier B.V. A new triglycidyl eugenol derivative (3EPO-EU) was synthesized and characterized by spectroscopic techniques, and used as starting monomer in the preparation of novel bio-based thiol-epoxy thermosets. As thiols, commercially available tetrathiol derived from pentaerythritol (PETMP), a trithiol derived from eugenol (3SH-EU) and the hexathiol derived from squalene (6SH-SQ) were used in the presence of 4-(N,N-dimethylamino)pyridine as the basic catalyst. A flexible diglycidy...

[Non-enzymatic glycosylation of dietary protein in vitro].

Science.gov (United States)

Bednykh, B S; Evdokimov, I A; Sokolov, A I

2015-01-01

Non-enzymatic glycosylation of proteins, based on discovered by Mayarn reaction of carbohydrate aldehyde group with a free amino group of a protein molecule, is well known to experts in biochemistry of food industry. Generated brown solid in some cases give the product marketable qualities--crackling bread--in others conversely, worsen the product. The biological effects of far-advanced products of non-enzymatic protein glycosylation reaction have not been studied enough, although it was reported previously that they are not split by digestive enzymes and couldn't be absorbed by animals. The objective of this work was to compare the depth of glycosylation of different food proteins of animal and vegetable origin. The objects of the study were proteins of animal (casein, lactoglobulin, albumin) and vegetable (soy isolate, proteins of rice flour, buckwheat, oatmeal) origin, glucose and fructose were selected as glycosylation agents, exposure 15 days at 37 degrees C. Lactoglobulin was glycosylated to a lesser extent among the proteins of animal origin while protein of oatmeal was glycosylated in the least degree among vegetable proteins. Conversely, such proteins as casein and soya isolate protein bound rather large amounts of carbohydrates. Fructose binding with protein was generally higher than the binding of glucose. The only exception was a protein of oatmeal. When of glucose and fructose simultaneously presented in the incubation medium, glucose binding usually increased while binding of fructose, in contrast, reduced. According to the total amount of carbohydrate (mcg), which is able to attach a protein (mg) the studied food proteins located in the following order: albumin (38) > soy protein isolate (23) > casein (15,) > whey protein rice flour protein (6) > protein from buckwheat flour (3) > globulin (2) > protein of oatmeal (0.3). The results obtained are to be used to select the optimal combination of proteins and carbohydrates, in which the glycosylation

Content of endogenous thiols and radioresistance of gemmating cells of Saccharomyces ellipsoideus and Saccharomyces cerevisiale yeasts

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Simonyan, N.V.; Avakyan, Ts.M.; Dzhanpoladyan, N.L.; Stepanyan, L.G.

1983-01-01

It has been shown that gemmating cells of ''wild type'' yeasts are more radioresistant and contain more endogenous thiols, than resting cells. Gemmating cells of Saccharomyces cerevisial yeasts, carrying the mutation rad 51, as to radioresistance and content of SH groups do not differ from resting cells. The results obtained testify to a connec-- tion between increased radioresistance of the yeast gemmating cells and increased content of endogenous thiols in them

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

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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.

Synthesis of a novel poly-thiolated magnetic nano-platform for heavy metal adsorption. Role of thiol and carboxyl functions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odio, Oscar F.; Lartundo-Rojas, Luis; Palacios, Elia Guadalupe; Martínez, Ricardo; Reguera, Edilso

2016-01-01

Graphical abstract: Poly-thiols capping of magnetite nanoparticles for Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) adsorption. Display Omitted - Highlights: • A novel magnetic nano-platform containing free thiol and carboxyl groups is reported. • Thiols are protected by disulfide bridges during magnetite functionalization. • Adsorption of Pb"2"+ and Cd"2"+ onto the nano-platform was studied by XPS measurements. • Metal-sulfur interactions dominate if free thiol groups are present. • Metal-carboxyl interactions dominate if thiol groups are depleted by oxidation. - Abstract: We report a novel strategy for the synthesis of magnetic nano-platforms containing free thiol groups. It first involves the synthesis of a poly(acrylic acid) copolymer containing disulfide bridges between the linear chains through di-ester linkages, followed by the anchoring of this new ligand to magnetite nanoparticles using a ligand exchange reaction. Finally, free −SH groups are obtained by treating the resulting disulfide-functionalized magnetic nano-system with tributyl phosphine as reducing agent. The characterization of the resulting 17 nm nanoparticles (Fe_3O_4@PAA-HEDred) by FTIR and TGA confirms the attachment of the copolymer through iron carboxylates. XRD, TEM and magnetic measurements indicate an increase in the inorganic core diameter and the occurrence of strong magnetic inter-particle interactions during the exchange reaction, although coercitivity and remanence drop to near zero at room temperature. Afterwards, Fe_3O_4@PAA-HEDred nanoparticles were tested as sorbent for Pb"2"+ and Cd"2"+ cations in aqueous media. XPS measurements were performed in order to unravel the role of both carboxyl and thiol functions in the adsorption process. For the sake of comparison, the same study was performed using bare Fe_3O_4 nanoparticles and a nanosystem with disulfide groups (Fe_3O_4@DMSA). The joint analysis of the Pb 4f, Cd 3d, Fe 2p and S 2p high resolution spectra for the nanostructured materials

Synthesis of a novel poly-thiolated magnetic nano-platform for heavy metal adsorption. Role of thiol and carboxyl functions

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Odio, Oscar F. [Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales, Universidad de La Habana, La Habana 10400 (Cuba); Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada-Unidad Legaria, IPN, 11500 México City (Mexico); Lartundo-Rojas, Luis [Centro de Nanociencias y Micro-Nanotecnologías, IPN, 07738 México City (Mexico); Palacios, Elia Guadalupe [Instituto Politécnico Nacional, ESIQIE, UPALM Zacatenco, 07738 México City (Mexico); Martínez, Ricardo [Instituto de Ciencia y Tecnología de Materiales, Universidad de La Habana, La Habana 10400 (Cuba); Reguera, Edilso, E-mail: edilso.reguera@gmail.com [Centro de Investigación en Ciencia Aplicada y Tecnología Avanzada-Unidad Legaria, IPN, 11500 México City (Mexico)

2016-11-15

Graphical abstract: Poly-thiols capping of magnetite nanoparticles for Pb(2+) and Cd(2+) adsorption. Display Omitted - Highlights: • A novel magnetic nano-platform containing free thiol and carboxyl groups is reported. • Thiols are protected by disulfide bridges during magnetite functionalization. • Adsorption of Pb{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} onto the nano-platform was studied by XPS measurements. • Metal-sulfur interactions dominate if free thiol groups are present. • Metal-carboxyl interactions dominate if thiol groups are depleted by oxidation. - Abstract: We report a novel strategy for the synthesis of magnetic nano-platforms containing free thiol groups. It first involves the synthesis of a poly(acrylic acid) copolymer containing disulfide bridges between the linear chains through di-ester linkages, followed by the anchoring of this new ligand to magnetite nanoparticles using a ligand exchange reaction. Finally, free −SH groups are obtained by treating the resulting disulfide-functionalized magnetic nano-system with tributyl phosphine as reducing agent. The characterization of the resulting 17 nm nanoparticles (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@PAA-HEDred) by FTIR and TGA confirms the attachment of the copolymer through iron carboxylates. XRD, TEM and magnetic measurements indicate an increase in the inorganic core diameter and the occurrence of strong magnetic inter-particle interactions during the exchange reaction, although coercitivity and remanence drop to near zero at room temperature. Afterwards, Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@PAA-HEDred nanoparticles were tested as sorbent for Pb{sup 2+} and Cd{sup 2+} cations in aqueous media. XPS measurements were performed in order to unravel the role of both carboxyl and thiol functions in the adsorption process. For the sake of comparison, the same study was performed using bare Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles and a nanosystem with disulfide groups (Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@DMSA). The joint analysis of the Pb 4f, Cd 3d, Fe 2p and S 2p high

Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear security. Overview of safeguards requirements for States with limited nuclear material and activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lodding, J.; Ribeiro, B.

2006-06-01

This booklet provides an overview of safeguards obligations that apply to States which are parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that have no nuclear facilities and only limited quantities of nuclear material. Most State parties to the NPT have no nuclear facilities and only limited quantities of nuclear material. For such States, safeguards implementation is expected to be simple and straightforward. This booklet provides an overview of the safeguards obligations that apply to such States. It is hoped that a better understanding of these requirements will facilitate the conclusion and implementation of safeguards agreements and additional protocols, and thereby contribute to the strengthening of the IAEA?s safeguards system and of collective security

Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons and nuclear security. Overview of Safeguards requirements for States with limited nuclear material and activities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lodding, J.; Ribeiro, B.

2006-06-01

This booklet provides an overview of safeguards obligations that apply to States which are parties to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) that have no nuclear facilities and only limited quantities of nuclear material. Most State parties to the NPT have no nuclear facilities and only limited quantities of nuclear material. For such States, safeguards implementation is expected to be simple and straightforward. This booklet provides an overview of the safeguards obligations that apply to such States. It is hoped that a better understanding of these requirements will facilitate the conclusion and implementation of safeguards agreements and additional protocols, and thereby contribute to the strengthening of the IAEA?s safeguards system and of collective security

Towards the fourth review conference of the Non-Proliferation Treaty in 1990

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1989-01-01

This publication focuses on the background of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), its main provisions and some of the major issues discussed at the three conferences that have thus far been held to review the operation of the Treaty. A fourth conference to review the operation of the Treaty will be held at Geneva from 20 August to 14 September 1990. It will be the last regular review conference before the convening, in 1995, of a conference which will ''decide whether the Treaty shall continue in force indefinitely or shall be extended for an additional fixed period or periods'' (article X, para.2). A Preparatory Committee (open to all parties) for the Fourth Review Conference has been established by the parties to the NPT, and 95 parties attended the first session, held in New York from 1 to 5 May 1989

Odorant Screening and Quantitation of Thiols in Carmenere Red Wine by Gas Chromatography-Olfactometry and Stable Isotope Dilution Assays.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavez, Carolina; Agosin, Eduardo; Steinhaus, Martin

2016-05-04

The sensory impact of thiols in Vitis vinifera 'Carmenere' red wines was evaluated. For this purpose, aroma extract dilution analysis was applied to the thiols isolated from a Carmenere red wine by affinity chromatography with a mercurated agarose gel. Results revealed the presence of four odorants, identified as 2-furanylmethanethiol, 3-sulfanylhexyl acetate, 3-sulfanyl-1-hexanol, and 2-methyl-3-sulfanyl-1-butanol, with the latter being described here for the first time in Carmenere red wines. Quantitation of the four thiols in the Carmenere wine screened by aroma extract dilution analysis and in three additional Carmenere wines by stable isotope dilution assays resulted in concentrations above the respective orthonasal odor detection threshold values. Triangle tests applied to wine model solutions with and without the addition of the four thiols showed significant differences, thus suggesting that the compounds do have the potential to influence the overall aroma of red wine.

Previewing the 2010 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Review Conference

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pomper, Miles A.

2010-01-01

Despite groundbreaking disarmament pledges and substantial effort, the Obama administration's hopes for a successful Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) Review Conference may not be fully realised. Many developing countries are in no mood to grant new non-proliferation concessions, such as tightened rules on access to sensitive nuclear technologies, tougher inspection rules, or limits on withdrawing from the treaty. The non-nuclear weapon states (NNWS) remain angered by the failure to move forward on many disarmament commitments pledged at the 1995 and 2000 Conferences. Moreover, progress on disarmament measures under Obama has been slower than hoped, as he faces considerable scepticism in Washington about his strategy. (author)

Mercuric ions inhibit mitogen-activated protein kinase dephosphorylation by inducing reactive oxygen species

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haase, Hajo; Engelhardt, Gabriela; Hebel, Silke; Rink, Lothar

2011-01-01

Mercury intoxication profoundly affects the immune system, in particular, signal transduction of immune cells. However, the mechanism of the interaction of mercury with cellular signaling pathways, such as mitogen activated protein kinases (MAPK), remains elusive. Therefore, the objective of this study is to investigate three potential ways in which Hg 2+ ions could inhibit MAPK dephosphorylation in the human T-cell line Jurkat: (1) by direct binding to phosphatases; (2) by releasing cellular zinc (Zn 2+ ); and (3) by inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS). Hg 2+ causes production of ROS, measured by dihydrorhodamine 123, and triggers ROS-mediated Zn 2+ release, detected with FluoZin-3. Yet, phosphatase-inhibition is not mediated by binding of Zn 2+ or Hg 2+ . Rather, phosphatases are inactivated by at least two forms of thiol oxidation; initial inhibition is reversible with reducing agents such as Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine. Prolonged inhibition leads to non-reversible phosphatase oxidation, presumably oxidizing the cysteine thiol to sulfinic- or sulfonic acid. Notably, phosphatases are a particularly sensitive target for Hg 2+ -induced oxidation, because phosphatase activity is inhibited at concentrations of Hg 2+ that have only minor impact on over all thiol oxidation. This phosphatase inhibition results in augmented, ROS-dependent MAPK phosphorylation. MAPK are important regulators of T-cell function, and MAPK-activation by inhibition of phosphatases seems to be one of the molecular mechanisms by which mercury affects the immune system.

Implementing the NPT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1971-01-01

In his annual address to the General Assembly of the United Nations, in New York in early November, Dr. Eklund stressed his view that it is essential that the initial momentum in the implementation of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons be regained; and he noted that there had been encouraging developments at the IAEA General Conference. (author)

Regulation of plant cytosolic glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase isoforms by thiol modifications.

Science.gov (United States)

Holtgrefe, Simone; Gohlke, Jochen; Starmann, Julia; Druce, Samantha; Klocke, Susanne; Altmann, Bianca; Wojtera, Joanna; Lindermayr, Christian; Scheibe, Renate

2008-06-01

Cytosolic NAD-dependent glyceraldehyde 3-P dehydrogenase (GAPDH; GapC; EC 1.2.1.12) catalyzes the oxidation of triose phosphates during glycolysis in all organisms, but additional functions of the protein has been put forward. Because of its reactive cysteine residue in the active site, it is susceptible to protein modification and oxidation. The addition of GSSG, and much more efficiently of S-nitrosoglutathione, was shown to inactivate the enzymes from Arabidopsis thaliana (isoforms GapC1 and 2), spinach, yeast and rabbit muscle. Inactivation was fully or at least partially reversible upon addition of DTT. The incorporation of glutathione upon formation of a mixed disulfide could be shown using biotinylated glutathione ethyl ester. Furthermore, using the biotin-switch assay, nitrosylated thiol groups could be shown to occur after treatment with nitric oxide donors. Using mass spectrometry and mutant proteins with one cysteine lacking, both cysteines (Cys-155 and Cys-159) were found to occur as glutathionylated and as nitrosylated forms. In preliminary experiments, it was shown that both GapC1 and GapC2 can bind to a partial gene sequence of the NADP-dependent malate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.37; At5g58330). Transiently expressed GapC-green fluorescent protein fusion proteins were localized to the nucleus in A. thaliana protoplasts. As nuclear localization and DNA binding of GAPDH had been shown in numerous systems to occur upon stress, we assume that such mechanism might be part of the signaling pathway to induce increased malate-valve capacity and possibly other protective systems upon overreduction and initial formation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species as well as to decrease and protect metabolism at the same time by modification of essential cysteine residues.

Diamond surface functionalization with biomimicry – Amine surface tether and thiol moiety for electrochemical sensors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sund, James B., E-mail: jim@jamessund.com [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Causey, Corey P. [Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Wolter, Scott D. [Department of Physics, Elon University, Elon, NC 27244 (United States); Parker, Charles B., E-mail: charles.parker@duke.edu [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Stoner, Brian R. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Research Triangle Institute (RTI) International, Research Triangle Park, NC (United States); Toone, Eric J. [Departments of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States); Glass, Jeffrey T. [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Duke University, Durham, NC (United States)

2014-05-01

Highlights: • Diamond surfaces were functionalized with organic molecules using a novel approach. • Used biomimicry to select a molecule to bind NO, similar to the human body. • Molecular orbital theory predicted the molecule-analyte oxidation behavior. • A thiol moiety was attached to an amine surface tether on the diamond surface. • XPS analysis verified each surface functionalization step. - Abstract: The surface of conducting diamond was functionalized with a terminal thiol group that is capable of binding and detecting nitrogen–oxygen species. The functionalization process employed multiple steps starting with doped diamond films grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition followed by hydrogen termination and photochemical attachment of a chemically protected amine alkene. The surface tether was deprotected to reveal the amine functionality, which enabled the tether to be extended with surface chemistry to add a terminal thiol moiety for electrochemical sensing applications. Each step of the process was validated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis.

Diamond surface functionalization with biomimicry – Amine surface tether and thiol moiety for electrochemical sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sund, James B.; Causey, Corey P.; Wolter, Scott D.; Parker, Charles B.; Stoner, Brian R.; Toone, Eric J.; Glass, Jeffrey T.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Diamond surfaces were functionalized with organic molecules using a novel approach. • Used biomimicry to select a molecule to bind NO, similar to the human body. • Molecular orbital theory predicted the molecule-analyte oxidation behavior. • A thiol moiety was attached to an amine surface tether on the diamond surface. • XPS analysis verified each surface functionalization step. - Abstract: The surface of conducting diamond was functionalized with a terminal thiol group that is capable of binding and detecting nitrogen–oxygen species. The functionalization process employed multiple steps starting with doped diamond films grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition followed by hydrogen termination and photochemical attachment of a chemically protected amine alkene. The surface tether was deprotected to reveal the amine functionality, which enabled the tether to be extended with surface chemistry to add a terminal thiol moiety for electrochemical sensing applications. Each step of the process was validated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis

Thiol peptides induction in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum (Banks ex Koenig) in response to cadmium exposure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alvarez-Legorreta, Teresa [Departamento de Recursos del Mar, CINVESTAV-IPN, Unidad Merida, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Merida, Yucatan 97310 (Mexico); Mendoza-Cozatl, David; Moreno-Sanchez, Rafael [Departamento de Bioquimica, Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia, Mexico D.F. 14080 (Mexico); Gold-Bouchot, Gerardo [Departamento de Recursos del Mar, CINVESTAV-IPN, Unidad Merida, Apdo. Postal 73-Cordemex, Merida, Yucatan 97310 (Mexico)], E-mail: gold@mda.cinvestav.mx

2008-01-20

Trace metal accumulation and thiol compounds synthesis as induced by cadmium exposure was studied in the seagrass Thalassia testudinum. Shoots were exposed for 24, 48, 96 and 144 h to several CdCl{sub 2} concentrations (0, 30, 50 and 70 {mu}M). Levels of cadmium, cysteine, glutathione (GSH), {gamma}-glutamylcysteine ({gamma}-EC), and phytochelatin-like peptides were determined in green blades, live sheaths and root/rhizomes tissues. Metal accumulation was dependent on Cd concentration and type of tissue, with green blades showing the highest content followed by live sheaths and root/rhizomes. All tissues experienced an increase in thiol-containing compounds as a response to cadmium exposure. Live sheaths showed the highest levels of cysteine, GSH and {gamma}-EC. This is the first report of induction of thiol peptides, presumably phytochelatins, by a trace metal in a sea grass species.

A new ensemble approach based chemosensor for the reversible detection of bio-thiols and its application in live cell imaging

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Yue; Zhang, Zhiqiang; Meng, Qingtao; He, Cheng; Zhang, Run; Duan, Chunying

2016-01-01

Based on an aldazine-copper chemosensing ensemble (NP-Cu 2+ ), a new fluorescence chemosensor for the detection of biothiols (Cys, Hcy and GSH) was designed and synthesized. In aqueous solution, the ligand NP exhibited high selectivity toward Cu 2+ ions by forming a 2:1 complex, accompanied with a dramatic fluorescence quenching and a notable bathochromic-shift of the absorbance band. Due to the high affinity of thiols and copper, the specific interaction of thiols (Cys, Hcy and GSH) with NP-Cu 2+ ensemble led to the liberation of the NP. As the result, recovery of fluorescence and UV–vis absorbance was observed. The detection limits of NP-Cu 2+ to Cys, Hcy and GSH were estimated to be 1.5 μM, 1.8 μM and 2.2 μM, respectively. The fluorescence “OFF–ON” circle can be repeated to a minimum of 5 times by the alternative addition of thiols and Cu 2+ , implying that NP-Cu 2+ is a recyclable chemosensor for thiols. Results of fluorescence microscopy imaging suggested that NP-Cu 2+ has potential to be used as a powerful tool for the detection of intracellular thiols.

The thiol of human serum albumin: Acidity, microenvironment and mechanistic insights on its oxidation to sulfenic acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Bonanata, Jenner; Turell, Lucía; Antmann, Laura; Ferrer-Sueta, Gerardo; Botasini, Santiago; Méndez, Eduardo; Alvarez, Beatriz; Coitiño, E Laura

2017-07-01

Human serum albumin (HSA) has a single reduced cysteine residue, Cys34, whose acidity has been controversial. Three experimental approaches (pH-dependence of reactivity towards hydrogen peroxide, ultraviolet titration and infrared spectroscopy) are used to determine that the pK a value in delipidated HSA is 8.1±0.2 at 37°C and 0.1M ionic strength. Molecular dynamics simulations of HSA in the sub-microsecond timescale show that while sulfur exposure to solvent is limited and fluctuating in the thiol form, it increases in the thiolate, stabilized by a persistent hydrogen-bond (HB) network involving Tyr84 and bridging waters to Asp38 and Gln33 backbone. Insight into the mechanism of Cys34 oxidation by H 2 O 2 is provided by ONIOM(QM:MM) modeling including quantum water molecules. The reaction proceeds through a slightly asynchronous S N 2 transition state (TS) with calculated Δ ‡ G and Δ ‡ H barriers at 298K of respectively 59 and 54kJmol -1 (the latter within chemical accuracy from the experimental value). A post-TS proton transfer leads to HSA-SO - and water as products. The structured reaction site cages H 2 O 2 , which donates a strong HB to the thiolate. Loss of this HB before reaching the TS modulates Cys34 nucleophilicity and contributes to destabilize H 2 O 2 . The lack of reaction-site features required for differential stabilization of the TS (positive charges, H 2 O 2 HB strengthening) explains the striking difference in kinetic efficiency for the same reaction in other proteins (e.g. peroxiredoxins). The structured HB network surrounding HSA-SH with sequestered waters carries an entropic penalty on the barrier height. These studies contribute to deepen the understanding of the reactivity of HSA-SH, the most abundant thiol in human plasma, and in a wider perspective, provide clues on the key aspects that modulate thiol reactivity against H 2 O 2 . Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Non-proliferation of nuclear weapons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fischer, D.; Haeckel, E.; Haefele, W.; Lauppe, W.D.; Mueller, H.; Ungerer, W.

1991-01-01

During the turbulant transitional events in world politics in the nineties, the control of nuclear weapons plays a major role. While the superpowers are reducing their nuclear arsenal, the danger of nuclear anarchy in the world remains virulent. The NPT of 1968 is up for review soon. The falling apart of the former communist sphere of power, and the regions of conflict in the Third World present new risks for the proliferation of nuclear arms. For unified Germany, which explicitly renounced nuclear weapons, this situation presents difficult questions concerning national safety policies and international responsibility. This volume presents contributions which take a new look at topical and long-term problems of nuclear NP politics. The authors evaluate the conditions under which the NP regime came into being, and assess short- and long-term possibilities and risks. The following papers are included: 1.) Basic controversies during the negotiations concerning the Treaty on non-proliferation of nuclear weapons (Ungerer); 2.) Prologation of the NPT 1995 and appropriate problems concerning safety and control (Haefele/Lauppe); 3.) Consequences of the Iraq case for NP policy (Ficher); 4.) Problems of nuclear technology control (Mueller); 5.) Framework conditions of a nuclear world system (Haeckel). (orig./HP) [de

Diamond surface functionalization with biomimicry - Amine surface tether and thiol moiety for electrochemical sensors

Science.gov (United States)

Sund, James B.; Causey, Corey P.; Wolter, Scott D.; Parker, Charles B.; Stoner, Brian R.; Toone, Eric J.; Glass, Jeffrey T.

2014-05-01

The surface of conducting diamond was functionalized with a terminal thiol group that is capable of binding and detecting nitrogen-oxygen species. The functionalization process employed multiple steps starting with doped diamond films grown by plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition followed by hydrogen termination and photochemical attachment of a chemically protected amine alkene. The surface tether was deprotected to reveal the amine functionality, which enabled the tether to be extended with surface chemistry to add a terminal thiol moiety for electrochemical sensing applications. Each step of the process was validated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis.

Gold Nanoparticles Protected with Thiol-Derivatized Amphiphilic Poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-b-poly(acrylic acid)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Javakhishvili, Irakli; Hvilsted, Søren

2009-01-01

) of tent-butyl acrylate (tBA) in a controlled fashion by use of NiBr2(PPh3)(2) catalyst to produce Prot-PCL-b-PtBA with narrow polydispersities (1.17-1.39). Subsequent mild deprotection protocols provided HS-PCL-b-PAA. Reduction of a gold salt in the presence of this macroligand under thiol......Amphiphilic poly(epsilon-caprolactone)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (HS-PCL-b-PAA) with a thiol functionality in the PCL terminal has been prepared in a novel synthetic cascade. Initially, living anionic ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of epsilon-caprolactone (epsilon-CL) employing the difunctional...

Rapid labeling of amino acid neurotransmitters with a fluorescent thiol in the presence of o-phthalaldehyde.

Science.gov (United States)

Maddukuri, Naveen; Zhang, Qiyang; Zhang, Ning; Gong, Maojun

2017-02-01

LIF detection often requires labeling of analytes with fluorophores; and fast fluorescent derivatization is valuable for high-throughput analysis with flow-gated CE. Here, we report a fast fluorescein-labeling scheme for amino acid neurotransmitters, which were then rapidly separated and detected in flow-gated CE. This scheme was based on the reaction between primary amines and o-phthalaldehyde in the presence of a fluorescent thiol, 2-((5-fluoresceinyl)aminocarbonyl)ethyl mercaptan (FACE-SH). The short reaction time (neurotransmitters by coupling in vitro microdialysis with online derivatization and flow-gated CE. It is also anticipated that this fluorophore tagging scheme would be valuable for on-chip labeling of proteins retained on support in SPE. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Hydrogen-transfer and charge transfer in photochemical and high energy radiation induced reactions: effects of thiols. Final report, February 1, 1960-january 31, 1979

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cohen, S.G.

1980-03-01

Absorption of ultraviolet or visible light, or high energy radiation, may lead to highly reactive free radicals. Thiols affect the reactions of these radicals in the following ways: (1) transfer of hydrogen from sulfur of the thiol to a substrate radical, converting the radical to a stable molecule, and the thiol to a reactive thiyl radical; and (2) transfer of hydrogen from a substrate radical or molecule to thiyl, regenerating thiol. The thiol is thus used repeatedly and a single molecule may affect the consequences of many quanta. Three effects may ensue, depending upon the system irradiated: (1) the substrate radicals may be converted by thiol-thiyl to the original molecules, and protection against radiation damage is afforded. (2) The radicals may be converted to molecules not identical with the starting materials, and in both cases damage caused by radical combination processes is prevented. (3) Product yields may be increased where the initial radicals might otherwise regenerate starting materials. It was shown that rates of reaction of excited species can be correlated with triplet energies and reduction potentials, and with ionization potentials, that amines are very reactive toward excited carbonyl compounds of all types, and that yields of products from these reactions can be increased by thiols, leading to increased efficiency in utilization of light

Reactivities of some thiol collectors and their interactions with Ag (+1) ion by molecular modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yekeler, Hulya; Yekeler, Meftuni

2004-01-01

The most commonly used collectors for sulfide minerals in the mining industry are the thiol collectors for the recovery of these minerals from their associated gangues by froth flotation. For this reason, a great deal of attention has been paid to understand the attachment mechanism of thiol collectors to metal sulfide surfaces. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/3-21G* and B3LYP/6-31++G** levels were employed to propose the flotation responses of these thiol collectors, namely, diethyl dithiocarbamate, ethyl dithiocarbamate, ethyl dithiocarbonate, ethyl trithiocarbonate and ethyl dithiophosphate ions, and to study the interaction energies of these collectors with Ag (+1) ion in connection to acanthite (Ag 2 S) mineral. The calculated interaction energies, ΔE, were interpreted in terms of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies of the isolated collector ions. The results show that the HOMOs are strongly localized to the sulfur atoms and the HOMO energies can be used as a reactivity descriptor for the flotation ability of the thiol collectors. Using the HOMO and ΔE energies, the reactivity order of the collectors is found to be (C 2 H 5 ) 2 NCS 2 - > C 2 H 5 NHCS 2 - > C 2 H 5 OCS 2 - > C 2 H 5 SCS 2 - > (C 2 H 5 O)(OH)PS 2 - . The theoretically obtained results are in good agreement with the experimental data reported

The SSAC in international safeguards and non-proliferation aspects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bett, F.L.; Humphreys, J.J.

1989-01-01

The history of international efforts against horizontal proliferation, including the Baruch Plan, bilateral safeguards agreement, IAEA safeguards, the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, the Zangger Committee, the Nuclear Supplier Group guidelines and the Physical Protection Convention, is reviewed. The role of IAEA NPT safeguards in verifying nondiversion and ensuring no misuse of supplied nuclear items is discussed. The vital importance of successful performance of this role to peaceful nuclear commerce is stressed. The application of NPT safeguards by the IAEA is described, particularly the IAEA's requirement that a State System of Accounting for and Control of Nuclear Material be established. Such a State System has two different but complementary areas of responsibility - ensuring that the use of nuclear material is controlled effectively and can be readily accounted for (this includes the area of physical protection), and providing accounts of nuclear material to responsible bodies such as the State's government and equally importantly to the IAEA for safeguards purpose, as the IAEA bases its conclusions about diversion on its verification of the data provided by the State System

Gold Nanoparticles Protected with Thiol-Derivatized Amphiphilic Poly( -caprolactone)-b-poly(acrylic acid)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Javakhishvili, Irakli; Hvilsted, Søren

2008-01-01

Amphiphilic poly(c-caprolactone)-b-poly(acrylic acid) (HS-PCL-b-PAA) bearing thiol functionality at the PCL terminal has been synthesized by a combination of ring-opening polymerization (ROP) of c-caprolactone (c-CL), esterification of hydroxy chain end with protected mercaptoacetic acid, subsequ....... As a result stable, aggregation-free nanopaticles with moderate dispersity as estimated from UV-visible spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) data were obtained....... chromatography (SEC), nuclear magnetic resonance eR NMR) and infrared (FT IR) spectroscopy. The capacity of the resulting block copolymer in preparation of monolayer-protected gold nanoparticles has been examined by reduction of a gold salt in the presence of this macroligand under thiol-deficient conditions...

Cloning, expression, purification and characterization of Leishmania tropica PDI-2 protein

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ali Dina

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In Leishmania species, protein disulfide isomerase (PDI is an essential enzyme that catalyzes thiol-disulfide interchange. The present work describes the isolation, cloning, sequencing and expression of the pdI-2 gene. Initially, the gene was amplified from L. tropica genomic DNA by PCR using specific primers before cloning into the expression vector pET-15b. The construct pET/pdI-2 was transformed into BL21(DE3 cells and induced for the protein expression. SDS-PAGE and western blot analysis showed that the expressed protein is about 51 kDa. Cloned gene sequence analysis revealed that the deduced amino acid sequence showed significant homology with those of several parasites PDIs. Finally, recombinant protein was purified with a metal-chelating affinity column. The putative protein was confirmed as a thiol - disulfide oxidoreductase by detecting its activity in an oxidoreductase assay. Assay result of assay suggested that the PDI-2 protein is required for both oxidation and reduction of disulfide bonds in vitro. Antibodies reactive with this 51 kDa protein were detected by Western blot analysis in sera from human infected with L. tropica. This work describes for the first time the enzymatic activity of recombinant L. tropica PDI-2 protein and suggests a role for this protein as an antigen for the detection of leishmaniasis infection.

Fabrication of Biomolecule Microarrays Using Rapid Photochemical Surface Patterning in Thiol-Ene-Based Microfluidic Devices.

Science.gov (United States)

Jönsson, Alexander; Lafleur, Josiane P

2018-01-01

In many biochip applications, it is advantageous to be able to immobilize biomolecules at specific locations on the surface of solid supports. In this protocol, we describe a photochemical surface patterning procedure based on thiol-ene/yne photochemistry which allows for the simple and rapid selective patterning of biomolecules on thiol-ene solid supports. We describe the preparation of solid supports which are required for the immobilization, including porous monoliths, as well as two different immobilization schemes based on biotin-streptavidin interactions and covalent linkage via free amino groups respectively.

Retrotransposons and non-protein coding RNAs

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mourier, Tobias; Willerslev, Eske

2009-01-01

does not merely represent spurious transcription. We review examples of functional RNAs transcribed from retrotransposons, and address the collection of non-protein coding RNAs derived from transposable element sequences, including numerous human microRNAs and the neuronal BC RNAs. Finally, we review...

Characterization of plasma thiol redox potential in a common marmoset model of aging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

James R. Roede

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Due to its short lifespan, ease of use and age-related pathologies that mirror those observed in humans, the common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus is poised to become a standard nonhuman primate model of aging. Blood and extracellular fluid possess two major thiol-dependent redox nodes involving cysteine (Cys, cystine (CySS, glutathione (GSH and glutathione disulfide (GSSG. Alteration in these plasma redox nodes significantly affects cellular physiology, and oxidation of the plasma Cys/CySS redox potential (EhCySS is associated with aging and disease risk in humans. The purpose of this study was to determine age-related changes in plasma redox metabolites and corresponding redox potentials (Eh to further validate the marmoset as a nonhuman primate model of aging. We measured plasma thiol redox states in marmosets and used existing human data with multivariate adaptive regression splines (MARS to model the relationships between age and redox metabolites. A classification accuracy of 70.2% and an AUC of 0.703 were achieved using the MARS model built from the marmoset redox data to classify the human samples as young or old. These results show that common marmosets provide a useful model for thiol redox biology of aging.

IAEA safeguards and non-proliferation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harry, R.J.S.

1995-02-01

An overview is given of the efforts to contain the nuclear weapons proliferation during half a century of man-controlled nuclear fission. An initial policy of denial did not work, a following period of cooperation needed a gradual strengthening of international assurances on the exclusively peaceful character of the flourishing use of nuclear techniques for power generation and of other applications. The focus of the nuclear weapon proliferation concern changed from the highly developed states to developing states. The Non-Proliferation Treaty laid the basis for a unique system of voluntarily accepted international inspections to verify the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The IAEA got the task to implement this 'Full Scope Safeguards' on all nuclear material and all nuclear activities in the non-nuclear weapon states. Thanks to the structure of the IAEA, in which both proponent and states with a critical attitude take part in the decision making process on the IAEA execution of its tasks, a balanced, and widely acceptable system emerged. International developments necessitated additional improvements of the non-proliferation system. The increase of strength of sub-national groups triggered international cooperation on physical protection, about a quarter of a century ago. More recently, it appeared that NPT states with assumed nuclear weapon ambitions operated in the margins between the interpretation of IAEA safeguards and the spirit and purpose of NPT. Improvements of the IAEA safeguards and a stronger cooperation between states, including the constraints which exporting states have imposed on nuclear supplies, strengthen the safeguards system. The important reductions in the two largest nuclear weapon arsenals lead, together with the delay in the fast breeder implementation, to large stockpiles of nuclear weapon usable materials. Also in this areas new internationally credible assurances have to be obtained, that these materials will never return to nuclear

IAEA safeguards and non-proliferation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Harry, R J.S.

1995-02-01

An overview is given of efforts to contain the nuclear weapons proliferation during half a century of man-controlled nuclear fission. An initial policy of denial did not work, a following period of cooperation needed a gradual strengthening of international assurances on the peaceful character of the flourishing use of nuclear techniques for power generation and of other applications. The focus of the nuclear weapon proliferation concern changed from the highly developed states to developing states. The Non-Proliferation Treaty laid the basis for a unique system of voluntarily accepted international inspections to verify the peaceful use of nuclear energy. The IAEA got the task to implement this `Full Scope Safeguards` on all nuclear material and all nuclear activities in the non-nuclear weapon states. Thanks to the structure of the IAEA, in which both proponent and states with a critical attitude take part in the decision making process on the IAEA execution of its tasks, a balanced, and widely acceptable system emerged. International developments necessitated additional improvements of the non-proliferation system. The increase of strength of sub-national groups triggered international cooperation on physical protection, about a quarter of a century ago. More recently, it appeared that NPT states with assumed nuclear weapon ambitions operated in the margins between the interpretation of IAEA safeguards and the spirit and purpose of NPT. Improvements of the IAEA safeguards and a stronger cooperation between states, including the constraints which exporting states have imposed on nuclear supplies, strengthen the safeguards system. The important reductions in the two largest nuclear weapon arsenals lead, together with the delay in the fast breeder implementation, to large stockpiles of nuclear weapon usable materials. Also in this areas new internationally credible assurances have to be obtained, that these materials will never return to nuclear weapon applications.

Chemical Synthesis of Circular Proteins*

Science.gov (United States)

Tam, James P.; Wong, Clarence T. T.

2012-01-01

Circular proteins, once thought to be rare, are now commonly found in plants. Their chemical synthesis, once thought to be difficult, is now readily achievable. The enabling methodology is largely due to the advances in entropic chemical ligation to overcome the entropy barrier in coupling the N- and C-terminal ends of large peptide segments for either intermolecular ligation or intramolecular ligation in end-to-end cyclization. Key elements of an entropic chemical ligation consist of a chemoselective capture step merging the N and C termini as a covalently linked O/S-ester intermediate to permit the subsequent step of an intramolecular O/S-N acyl shift to form an amide. Many ligation methods exploit the supernucleophilicity of a thiol side chain at the N terminus for the capture reaction, which makes cysteine-rich peptides ideal candidates for the entropy-driven macrocyclization. Advances in desulfurization and modification of the thiol-containing amino acids at the ligation sites to other amino acids add extra dimensions to the entropy-driven ligation methods. This minireview describes recent advances of entropy-driven ligation to prepare circular proteins with or without a cysteinyl side chain. PMID:22700959

Thiol-thione tautomeric analysis, spectroscopic (FT-IR, Laser-Raman, NMR and UV-vis) properties and DFT computations of 5-(3-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol molecule.

Science.gov (United States)

Gökce, Halil; Öztürk, Nuri; Ceylan, Ümit; Alpaslan, Yelda Bingöl; Alpaslan, Gökhan

2016-06-15

In this study, the 5-(3-pyridyl)-4H-1,2,4-triazole-3-thiol molecule (C7H6N4S) molecule has been characterized by using FT-IR, Laser-Raman, NMR and UV-vis spectroscopies. Quantum chemical calculations have been performed to investigate the molecular structure (thione-thiol tautomerism), vibrational wavenumbers, electronic transition absorption wavelengths in DMSO solvent and vacuum, proton and carbon-13 NMR chemical shifts and HOMOs-LUMOs energies at DFT/B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level for all five tautomers of the title molecule. The obtained results show that the calculated vibrational wavenumbers, NMR chemical shifts and UV-vis wavelengths are in a good agreement with experimental data. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Increased thiol levels in antimony-resistant Leishmania infantum isolated from treatment-refractory visceral leishmaniasis in Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Magalhães, Lucas S; Bomfim, Lays Gs; Mota, Sthefanne G; Cruz, Geydson S; Corrêa, Cristiane B; Tanajura, Diego M; Lipscomb, Michael W; Borges, Valéria M; Jesus, Amélia R de; Almeida, Roque P de; Moura, Tatiana R de

2018-02-01

BACKGROUND Treatment-refractory visceral leishmaniasis (VL) has become an important problem in many countries. OBJECTIVES We evaluated the antimony-resistance mechanisms of Leishmania infantum isolated from VL patients refractory or responsive to treatment with pentavalent antimony. METHODS Strains isolated from antimony-refractory patients (in vitro antimony-resistant isolates) and antimony-responsive patients (in vitro antimony-sensitive isolates) were examined. Morphological changes were evaluated by transmission electron microscopy after trivalent antimony exposure. P-glycoprotein (P-gp) efflux pump activity was evaluated using the pump-specific inhibitor verapamil hydrochloride, and the role of thiol in trivalent antimony resistance was investigated using the enzymatic inhibitor L-buthionine sulfoximine. FINDINGS Antimony treatment induced fewer alterations in the cellular structure of L. infantum resistant isolates than in that of sensitive isolates. P-gp efflux activity was not involved in antimony resistance in these isolates. Importantly, the resistant isolates contained higher levels of thiol compared to the sensitive isolates, and inhibition of thiol synthesis in the resistant isolates recovered their sensitivity to trivalent antimony treatment, and enhanced the production of reactive oxygen species in promastigotes exposed to the drug. MAIN CONCLUSIONS Our results demonstrate that isolates from patients with antimony-refractory VL exhibited higher thiol levels than antimony-sensitive isolates. This indicates that redox metabolism plays an important role in the antimony-resistance of New World VL isolates.

Factors influencing the oxidation of cysteamine and other thiols: implications for hyperthermic sensitization and radiation protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biaglow, J.E.; Issels, R.W.; Gerweck, L.E.; Varnes, M.E.; Jacobson, B.; Mittchell, J.B.; Russo, A.

1984-01-01

Some of the factors influencing the oxygen uptake and peroxide formation for cysteamine (MEA) and other thiols in serum-supplemented modified McCoy's 5A, a well-known medium used to cultivate a variety of cells in vitro, have been studied. The oxidation of MEA and cysteine in modified McCoy's 5A has been compared with that in Ham's F-12, MEM, and phosphate-buffered saline. The ability to produce peroxide is dependent upon the temperature, the concentration of thiol, the presence of copper ions, and pH of the medium. Catalase also reduces the oxygen uptake for all thiols. Superoxide dismutase (SOD) was found to stimulate the oxygen uptake in the case of MEA and cysteine, but had little or no effect with DTT and glutathione. The combined presence of SOD and catalase resulted in less inhibition of oxygen uptake than that obtained by catalase alone. Alkaline pH was found to enhance the oxidation of cysteine and MEA. The results indicate that many problems may arise when thiols are added to various media. A major consideration is concerned with the production of peroxide, superoxide, and reduced trace metal intermediates. The presence of these intermediates may result in the production of hydroxyl radical intermediates as well as the eventual oxygen depletion from the medium

A new ensemble approach based chemosensor for the reversible detection of bio-thiols and its application in live cell imaging

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yue; Zhang, Zhiqiang [Key Laboratory for Functional Material, Educational Department of Liaoning Province, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan 114051 (China); Meng, Qingtao, E-mail: qtmeng@ustl.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Functional Material, Educational Department of Liaoning Province, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan 114051 (China); State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian High-Tech Industrial Zone, 116024 (China); He, Cheng [State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian High-Tech Industrial Zone, 116024 (China); Zhang, Run [Key Laboratory for Functional Material, Educational Department of Liaoning Province, University of Science and Technology Liaoning, Anshan 114051 (China); Department of Chemistry and Biomolecular Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, 2109 (Australia); Duan, Chunying, E-mail: cyduan@dlut.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory of Fine Chemicals, Dalian University of Technology, 2 Linggong Road, Dalian High-Tech Industrial Zone, 116024 (China)

2016-07-15

Based on an aldazine-copper chemosensing ensemble (NP-Cu{sup 2+}), a new fluorescence chemosensor for the detection of biothiols (Cys, Hcy and GSH) was designed and synthesized. In aqueous solution, the ligand NP exhibited high selectivity toward Cu{sup 2+} ions by forming a 2:1 complex, accompanied with a dramatic fluorescence quenching and a notable bathochromic-shift of the absorbance band. Due to the high affinity of thiols and copper, the specific interaction of thiols (Cys, Hcy and GSH) with NP-Cu{sup 2+} ensemble led to the liberation of the NP. As the result, recovery of fluorescence and UV–vis absorbance was observed. The detection limits of NP-Cu{sup 2+} to Cys, Hcy and GSH were estimated to be 1.5 μM, 1.8 μM and 2.2 μM, respectively. The fluorescence “OFF–ON” circle can be repeated to a minimum of 5 times by the alternative addition of thiols and Cu{sup 2+}, implying that NP-Cu{sup 2+} is a recyclable chemosensor for thiols. Results of fluorescence microscopy imaging suggested that NP-Cu{sup 2+} has potential to be used as a powerful tool for the detection of intracellular thiols.

Ribosomal proteins S12 and S13 function as control elements for translocation of the mRNA:tRNA complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Cukras, Anthony R; Southworth, Daniel R; Brunelle, Julie L; Culver, Gloria M; Green, Rachel

2003-08-01

Translocation of the mRNA:tRNA complex through the ribosome is promoted by elongation factor G (EF-G) during the translation cycle. Previous studies established that modification of ribosomal proteins with thiol-specific reagents promotes this event in the absence of EF-G. Here we identify two small subunit interface proteins S12 and S13 that are essential for maintenance of a pretranslocation state. Omission of these proteins using in vitro reconstitution procedures yields ribosomal particles that translate in the absence of enzymatic factors. Conversely, replacement of cysteine residues in these two proteins yields ribosomal particles that are refractive to stimulation with thiol-modifying reagents. These data support a model where S12 and S13 function as control elements for the more ancient rRNA- and tRNA-driven movements of translocation.

Multiple antioxidant proteins protect Chlorobaculum tepidum against oxygen and reactive oxygen species

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Li, Hui; Jubelirer, Sara; Garcia Costas, Amaya M

2009-01-01

include cytochrome bd quinol oxidase, NADH oxidase, rubredoxin oxygen oxidoreductase, several thiol peroxidases, alkyl hydroperoxide reductase, superoxide dismutase, methionine sulfoxide reductase, and rubrerythrin. To test the physiological functions of some of these proteins, ten genes were...

Elevated oxidative stress monitored via the albumin-thiol redox state is correlated with matrix metalloproteinase-3 elevation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis.

Science.gov (United States)

Kizaki, Kazuha; Yoshizumi, Yusuke; Takahashi, Teppei; Era, Seiichi

2015-01-01

In rheumatoid arthritis (RA), matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and oxidative stress contribute to joint destruction. However, little is known about the relationship between MMP-3 and oxidative stress in RA. We measured the albumin-thiol redox state as a marker of oxidative stress, MMP-3, and the DAS-28 score calculated using CRP values among forty-seven patients (9 males and 38 females) with RA. According to the serum MMP-3 levels, they were divided into two groups (group A: within normal ranges of 36.9-121.0 ng/mL for men and 17.3-59.7 ng/mL for women; group B: above normal ranges). The albumin-thiol redox state in group B was significantly oxidized compared with that in group A (p < 0.01). The percentage of oxidized albumin-thiol showed a positive correlation with serum MMP-3 (r = 0.52). DAS-28 and CRP were also correlated with the percentage of oxidized albumin-thiol (r = 0.46, r = 0.44). The albumin-thiol redox state was significantly oxidized in correlation with serum MMP-3 elevation in RA.

Nutritional geometry: gorillas prioritize non-protein energy while consuming surplus protein.

Science.gov (United States)

Rothman, Jessica M; Raubenheimer, David; Chapman, Colin A

2011-12-23

It is widely assumed that terrestrial food webs are built on a nitrogen-limited base and consequently herbivores must compensate through selection of high-protein foods and efficient nitrogen retention. Like many folivorous primates, gorillas' diet selection supports this assumption, as they apparently prefer protein-rich foods. Our study of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) in Uganda revealed that, in some periods, carbohydrate-rich fruits displace a large portion of protein-rich leaves in their diet. We show that non-protein energy (NPE) intake was invariant throughout the year, whereas protein intake was substantially higher when leaves were the major portion of the diet. This pattern of macronutrient intake suggests that gorillas prioritize NPE and, to achieve this when leaves are the major dietary item, they over-eat protein. The concentrations of protein consumed in relation to energy when leaves were the major portion of the diet were close to the maximum recommended for humans and similar to high-protein human weight-loss diets. By contrast, the concentrations of protein in relation to energy when gorillas ate fruit-dominated diets were similar to those recommended for humans. Our results question the generality of nitrogen limitation in terrestrial herbivores and provide a fascinating contrast with human macronutrient intake.

Nutritional geometry: gorillas prioritize non-protein energy while consuming surplus protein

Science.gov (United States)

Rothman, Jessica M.; Raubenheimer, David; Chapman, Colin A.

2011-01-01

It is widely assumed that terrestrial food webs are built on a nitrogen-limited base and consequently herbivores must compensate through selection of high-protein foods and efficient nitrogen retention. Like many folivorous primates, gorillas' diet selection supports this assumption, as they apparently prefer protein-rich foods. Our study of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei) in Uganda revealed that, in some periods, carbohydrate-rich fruits displace a large portion of protein-rich leaves in their diet. We show that non-protein energy (NPE) intake was invariant throughout the year, whereas protein intake was substantially higher when leaves were the major portion of the diet. This pattern of macronutrient intake suggests that gorillas prioritize NPE and, to achieve this when leaves are the major dietary item, they over-eat protein. The concentrations of protein consumed in relation to energy when leaves were the major portion of the diet were close to the maximum recommended for humans and similar to high-protein human weight-loss diets. By contrast, the concentrations of protein in relation to energy when gorillas ate fruit-dominated diets were similar to those recommended for humans. Our results question the generality of nitrogen limitation in terrestrial herbivores and provide a fascinating contrast with human macronutrient intake. PMID:21632622

Interaction of cultured mammalian cells with WR-2721 and its thiol, WR-1065: implications for mechanisms of radioprotection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purdie, J.W.; Inhaber, E.R.; Schneider, H.; Labelle, J.L.

1983-01-01

An isothermal microcalorimeter was used to measure changes in heat flow when radioprotective drugs were added to cultured mammalian cells. The heat produced when WR-2721 was added continued for at least 90 min. WR-2721 was dephosphorylated by the cells to thiol (WR-1065) which oxidizes to disulphide. In the microcalorimeter, thiols give an immediate burst of heat due to this oxidation. A biological oxygen monitor revealed that WR-1065 and cysteamine rapidly consumed all the oxygen in culture medium. (10mM WR-1065 deoxygenated medium in 2 min.). Rapid consumption of oxygen by radioprotective thiols indicates that they will not co-exist with oxygen for long in cells. This has two important implications with respect to mechanisms of radioprotection: (1) oxygen in tissues will be consumed rapidly and could results in local hypoxia; and, (2) at modest doses of protective agents the thiol will be consumed in oxic cells and hence very little will be available for reactions such as hydrogen donation. The results indicate that anoxia is probably the principle mechanism of protection by aminothiols in mammals and aerated cells. (author)

Replacement of Poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) by Thiols: A Systematic Study of Ag Nanocube Functionalization by Surface-Enhanced Raman Scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Moran, Christine H; Rycenga, Matthew; Zhang, Qiang; Xia, Younan

2011-11-10

In this work, we used surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) to monitor the replacement of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) on Ag nanocubes by cysteamine, thiol-terminated PEG, and benzenedithiol. PVP is widely used as a colloidal stabilizer and capping agent to control the shape of Ag (as well as many other noble metals) nanocrystals during synthesis, and to stabilize the final colloidal suspension. However, the surface chemistry of Ag nanocrystals often needs to be tailored for specific applications, so the PVP coating must be removed and/or replaced by other ligands. By monitoring the signature peak from the carbonyl groups of PVP, we show, for the first time, that the PVP adsorbed on the surface of Ag nanocubes was completely replaced by the thiol molecules at room temperature over the course of a few hours. We observed the same trend no matter if the Ag nanocubes were suspended in an aqueous solution of the thiol or supported on a silicon substrate and then immersed in the thiol solution.

Reactivities of some thiol collectors and their interactions with Ag (+1) ion by molecular modeling

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yekeler, Hulya; Yekeler, Meftuni

2004-09-15

The most commonly used collectors for sulfide minerals in the mining industry are the thiol collectors for the recovery of these minerals from their associated gangues by froth flotation. For this reason, a great deal of attention has been paid to understand the attachment mechanism of thiol collectors to metal sulfide surfaces. The density functional theory (DFT) calculations at the B3LYP/3-21G* and B3LYP/6-31++G** levels were employed to propose the flotation responses of these thiol collectors, namely, diethyl dithiocarbamate, ethyl dithiocarbamate, ethyl dithiocarbonate, ethyl trithiocarbonate and ethyl dithiophosphate ions, and to study the interaction energies of these collectors with Ag (+1) ion in connection to acanthite (Ag{sub 2}S) mineral. The calculated interaction energies, {delta}E, were interpreted in terms of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) energies of the isolated collector ions. The results show that the HOMOs are strongly localized to the sulfur atoms and the HOMO energies can be used as a reactivity descriptor for the flotation ability of the thiol collectors. Using the HOMO and {delta}E energies, the reactivity order of the collectors is found to be (C{sub 2}H{sub 5}){sub 2}NCS{sub 2}{sup -} > C{sub 2}H{sub 5}NHCS{sub 2}{sup -} > C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OCS{sub 2}{sup -} > C{sub 2}H{sub 5}SCS{sub 2}{sup -} > (C{sub 2}H{sub 5}O)(OH)PS{sub 2}{sup -}. The theoretically obtained results are in good agreement with the experimental data reported.

[Comparative investigation of the non-histone proteins of chromatin from pigeon erythroblasts and erythrocytes].

Science.gov (United States)

Fedina, A B; Gazarian, G G

1976-01-01

Chromosomal non-histone proteins are obtained from nuclei of two types of pigeon erythroid cells: erythroblasts (cells active in RNA synthesis) and erythrocytes (cells with repressed RNA synthesis). They are well soluble in solutions of low ionic strength. Electrophoretic separation of the obtained non-histone proteins in polyacrylamide gels with urea and SDS shows the presence of qualitative differences in the pattern of non-histone proteins of chromatine from erythroblasts and erythrocytes. By electrophoresis in urea some protein bands of non-histone proteins of chromatine from erythroblasts were found which disappear with the aging of cells. At the same time two protein fractions were observed in chromatine from erythrocytes which were absent in that of erythroblasts. Disappearance of some high molecular weight protein fractions from erythrocyte chromatine as compared to erythroblasts was observed by separation of the non-histone proteins in the presence of SDS. These fractions of the non-histone proteins disappearing during aging of cells are well extractable from erythroblast chromatine by 0.35 M NaCl solution. In the in vitro system with E. coli RNA polymerase addition of non-histone proteins of chromatine from erythroblasts to chromatine from erythrocytes increases RNA synthesis 2--3 times. At the same time addition of non-histone proteins from erythrocytes is either without any influence on this process or somewhat inhibiting.

The global non-proliferation and disarmament regime. Challenges and prospects for the future. Interview with Mr. Ambassador Jayantha Dhanapala, President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs, November 26, 2009

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hautecouverture, Benjamin

2009-01-01

President of the Pugwash Conferences on Science and World Affairs since November 2007, Mr. Jayantha Dhanapala has had a long career as a Sri Lankan diplomat and leader in the field of international security. Among his numerous appointments, Mr. Dhanapala headed the Geneva-based UNIDIR. He chaired the widely acclaimed 1995 NPT Review and Extension Conference. He was Under-Secretary-General for Disarmament Affairs in the United Nations from 1998 to 2003. In this interview, Mr. Dhanapala gives us his thoughts about the nuclear non-proliferation regime, a few months before the 8. NPT Review Conference. (author)

Investigations of step-growth thiol-ene polymerizations for novel dental restoratives.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Hui; Carioscia, Jacquelyn A; Stansbury, Jeffery W; Bowman, Christopher N

2005-12-01

The goal of this work was to investigate the feasibility of formulating novel dental restorative materials that utilize a step-growth thiol-ene photopolymerization. Particularly, we are aiming to significantly reduce the polymerization shrinkage and shrinkage stress while retaining adequate physical properties as compared to current dimethacrylatre-based systems. The thiol-ene system is composed of a 4:3 molar mixture of triallyl-1,3,5-triazine-2,4,6-trione (TATATO) and pentaerythritol tetramercaptopropionate (PETMP). The simultaneous measurement of shrinkage stress and functional group conversion was performed. Solvent extraction of unreacted monomers and dynamic mechanical analysis on the polymer networks that were formed were also studied. Flexural strength was measured for both filled and unfilled PETMP/TATATO and Bis-GMA/TEGDMA systems. Photopolymerization of PETMP/TATATO occurs at a much higher rate, with the maximum polymerization rate six times faster, than Bis-GMA/TEGDMA cured under the identical conditions. The results from the simultaneous measurement of shrinkage stress and conversion showed that the onset of shrinkage stress coincides with the delayed gel point conversion, which is predicted to be 41% for the 3:4 stoichiometric PETMP/TATATO resin composition. The maximum shrinkage stress developed for PETMP/TATATO was about 0.4 MPa, which was only approximately 14% of the maximum shrinkage stress of the Bis-GMA/TEGDMA system. Adequate flexural strength and flexural modulus values were obtained for both filled and unfilled PETMP/TATATO systems. The dramatically reduced shrinkage stress, increased polymerization rate, significance increased functional group conversion, and decreased leachable species are all benefits for the use-of thiol-ene systems as potential dental restorative materials.

Thiol-functionalization of metal-organic framework by a facile coordination-based postsynthetic strategy and enhanced removal of Hg2+ from water

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ke, Fei; Qiu, Ling-Guang; Yuan, Yu-Peng; Peng, Fu-Min; Jiang, Xia; Xie, An-Jian; Shen, Yu-Hua; Zhu, Jun-Fa

2011-01-01

Highlights: ► A novel type of functionalized MOF for heavy metal removal. ► Functionalization of MOF by a facile coordination-based postsynthetic strategy. ► Thiol-functionalization of MOF has been realized for the first time. ► Enhanced removal of Hg 2+ by thiol-functionalized MOFs. - Abstract: The presence of coordinatively unsaturated metal centers in metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) provides an accessible way to selectively functionalize MOFs through coordination bonds. In this work, we describe thiol-functionalization of MOFs by choosing a well known three-dimensional (3D) Cu-based MOF, i.e. [Cu 3 (BTC) 2 (H 2 O) 3 ] n (HKUST-1, BTC = benzene-1,3,5-tricarboxylate), by a facile coordination-based postsynthetic strategy, and demonstrate their application for removal of heavy metal ion from water. A series of [Cu 3 (BTC) 2 ] n samples stoichiometrically decorated with thiol groups has been prepared through coordination bonding of coordinatively unsaturated metal centers in HKUST-1 with –SH group in dithioglycol. The obtained thiol-functionalized samples were characterized by powder X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscope, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and N 2 sorption–desorption isothermal. Significantly, the thiol-functionalized [Cu 3 (BTC) 2 ] n exhibited remarkably high adsorption affinity (K d = 4.73 × 10 5 mL g −1 ) and high adsorption capacity (714.29 mg g −1 ) for Hg 2+ adsorption from water, while the unfunctionalized HKUST-1 showed no adsorption of Hg 2+ under the same condition.

Amphiphilic silicone architectures via anaerobic thiol-ene chemistry.

Science.gov (United States)

Keddie, Daniel J; Grande, John B; Gonzaga, Ferdinand; Brook, Michael A; Dargaville, Tim R

2011-11-18

Despite broad application, few silicone-based surfactants of known structure or, therefore, surfactancy have been prepared because of an absence of selective routes and instability of silicones to acid and base. Herein the synthesis of a library of explicit silicone-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) materials is reported. Pure silicone fragments were generated by the B(C(6)F(5))(3)-catalyzed condensation of alkoxysilanes and vinyl-functionalized hydrosilanes. The resulting pure products were coupled to thiol-terminated PEG materials using photogenerated radicals under anaerobic conditions.

Heat- and light-induced thiol-ene oligomerization of soybean oil-based polymercaptan

Science.gov (United States)

Polymercaptanized soybean oil (PMSO), the product of a thiol-ene reaction between soybean oil and hydrogen sulfide, is a material of interest as a lubricant additive and polymer precursor. We investigated with gel permeation chromatography, nuclear magnetic resonance (one-dimensional and two-dimensi...

Superhydrophobic and Slippery Lubricant-Infused Flexible Transparent Nanocellulose Films by Photoinduced Thiol-Ene Functionalization.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Jiaqi; Fang, Wenwen; Welle, Alexander; Feng, Wenqian; Filpponen, Ilari; Rojas, Orlando J; Levkin, Pavel A

2016-12-14

Films comprising nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) are suitable substrates for flexible devices in analytical, sensor, diagnostic, and display technologies. However, some major challenges in such developments include their high moisture sensitivity and the complexity of current methods available for functionalization and patterning. In this work, we present a facile process for tailoring the surface wettability and functionality of NFC films by a fast and versatile approach. First, the NFC films were coated with a layer of reactive nanoporous silicone nanofilament by polycondensation of trichlorovinylsilane (TCVS). The TCVS afforded reactive vinyl groups, thereby enabling simple UV-induced functionalization of NFC films with various thiol-containing molecules via the photo "click" thiol-ene reaction. Modification with perfluoroalkyl thiols resulted in robust superhydrophobic surfaces, which could then be further transformed into transparent slippery lubricant-infused NFC films that displayed repellency against both aqueous and organic liquids with surface tensions as low as 18 mN·m -1 . Finally, transparent and flexible NFC films incorporated hydrophilic micropatterns by modification with OH, NH 2 , or COOH surface groups, enabling space-resolved superhydrophobic-hydrophilic domains. Flexibility, transparency, patternability, and perfect superhydrophobicity of the produced nanocellulose substrates warrants their application in biosensing, display protection, and biomedical and diagnostics devices.

Role of an external cell membrane and its thiols in realization of the radioprotective effect of anoxia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Konstantinova, M.M.; Dontsova, G.V.; Panaeva, S.V.

1988-01-01

In experiments with Ehrlich ascites tumor cells using a specific thiol blocker 6.6-dithiodinicitinic acid that does not penetrate the cell and therefore only binds SH-groups of peripheral areas of an external cell membrane it was demonstrated that (1) the external cell membrane is the site where the radioprotective effect of anoxia (the oxygen effect) is realized (2) thiols of the esternal cell membrane contribute markedly to the oxygen effect and (3) they are needed at both stages of its realization

Chemical groups and structural characterization of lignin via thiol-mediated demethylation

Science.gov (United States)

Lihong Hu; Hui Pan; Yonghong Zhou; Chung-Yun Hse; Chengguo Liu; Baofang Zhang; Bin Xu

2014-01-01

A new approach to increase the reactivity of lignin by thiol-mediated demethylation was investigated in this study. Demethylated lignin was characterized by the changes in its hydroxyl and methoxyl groups, molecular weight, and other properties using titration and spectroscopy methods including FT-IR, 1H NMR, UV,and GPC. The total...

Investigation of curing rates of bio-based thiol-ene films from diallyl 2,5-furandicaboxylate

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Larsen, Daniel Bo; Sønderbæk-Jørgensen, Rene; Duus, Jens Ø.

2018-01-01

The bio-based monomer, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, has been adapted to classic thiol-ene chemistry by derivatization of the acid with allyl alcohol. This new monomer has allowed for the synthesis of new thermoset systems, capable of forming green, sustainable materials through UV-crosslinking. In......The bio-based monomer, 2,5-furandicarboxylic acid, has been adapted to classic thiol-ene chemistry by derivatization of the acid with allyl alcohol. This new monomer has allowed for the synthesis of new thermoset systems, capable of forming green, sustainable materials through UV......-crosslinking. In this study, the synthesis of the new monomer along with thorough kinetic studies of the new thermoset systems are presented. In order to determine kinetic values for the systems, all reactions have been followed by real-time FT-IR. Initially, a study of three different photoinitiators is performed...... on a classic TEMPIC-TATATO system, in order to determine the superior initiator for the new systems. The new monomer is crosslinked with five different thiol compounds in both stoichiometric and off-stoichiometric ratios, yielding an array of bio-based thermosets. The properties of these systems are determined...

Cysteine 893 is a target of regulatory thiol modifications of GluA1 AMPA receptors.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lotta von Ossowski

Full Text Available Recent studies indicate that glutamatergic signaling involves, and is regulated by, thiol modifying and redox-active compounds. In this study, we examined the role of a reactive cysteine residue, Cys-893, in the cytosolic C-terminal tail of GluA1 AMPA receptor as a potential regulatory target. Elimination of the thiol function by substitution of serine for Cys-893 led to increased steady-state expression level and strongly reduced interaction with SAP97, a major cytosolic interaction partner of GluA1 C-terminus. Moreover, we found that of the three cysteine residues in GluA1 C-terminal tail, Cys-893 is the predominant target for S-nitrosylation induced by exogenous nitric oxide donors in cultured cells and lysates. Co-precipitation experiments provided evidence for native association of SAP97 with neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS and for the potential coupling of Ca2+-permeable GluA1 receptors with nNOS via SAP97. Our results show that Cys-893 can serve as a molecular target for regulatory thiol modifications of GluA1 receptors, including the effects of nitric oxide.

Mapping of sulfur metabolic pathway by LC Orbitrap mass spectrometry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rao Yulan; McCooeye, Margaret; Mester, Zoltán

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► LCMS method for the determination of free, oxidized and protein bound thiols in yeast was developed. ► In freshly harvested yeast, most of the thiols were in the reduced forms. ► The stress response of yeast to H 2 O 2 , Cd and As was studied via changes in the thiol profiles. - Abstract: For the first time a liquid chromatography method with high resolution mass spectrometric detection has been developed for the simultaneous determination all key metabolites of the sulfur pathway in yeast, including all thiolic (cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (HCys), glutathione (GSH), cysteinyl-glycine (Cys-Gly), γ-glutamyl-cysteine (Glu-Cys)) and non-thiolic compounds (methionine (Met), s-adenosyl-methionine (AdoMet), s-adenosyl-homocysteine (AdoHcy), and cystathionine (Cysta)). The developed assay also permits the speciation and selective determination of reduced, oxidized and protein bound fractions of all of the five thiols. Iodoacetic acid (IAA) was chosen as the derivatizing reagent. Thiols were extracted from sub-mg quantities of yeast using hot 75% ethanol. The detection limits were in the range of 1–12 nmol L −1 for standard solution (high femotomole, absolute), except AdoMet (116 nmol L −1 ), which was unstable. In freshly harvested yeast, most of the thiols were in the reduced forms and low levels of protein-bound GSH and Glu-Cys were found. In a selenium enriched yeast, the thiols were mainly in the oxidized forms, and a significant amount of protein-bound Cys, HCys, GSH, Cys-Gly and Glu-Cys were found. The method was also applied to the metabolic study of the adaptive response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to hydrogen peroxide, cadmium, and arsenite, and the change in concentration of thiols in the sulfur pathway was monitored over a period of 4 h.

Mapping of sulfur metabolic pathway by LC Orbitrap mass spectrometry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Rao Yulan [Institute for National Measurement Standard, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada); Department of Forensic Medicine, Shanghai Medical College, Fudan University, Shanghai 200032 (China); McCooeye, Margaret [Institute for National Measurement Standard, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada); Mester, Zoltan, E-mail: zoltan.mester@nrc.ca [Institute for National Measurement Standard, National Research Council Canada, Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0R6 (Canada)

2012-04-06

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer LCMS method for the determination of free, oxidized and protein bound thiols in yeast was developed. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer In freshly harvested yeast, most of the thiols were in the reduced forms. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer The stress response of yeast to H{sub 2}O{sub 2}, Cd and As was studied via changes in the thiol profiles. - Abstract: For the first time a liquid chromatography method with high resolution mass spectrometric detection has been developed for the simultaneous determination all key metabolites of the sulfur pathway in yeast, including all thiolic (cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (HCys), glutathione (GSH), cysteinyl-glycine (Cys-Gly), {gamma}-glutamyl-cysteine (Glu-Cys)) and non-thiolic compounds (methionine (Met), s-adenosyl-methionine (AdoMet), s-adenosyl-homocysteine (AdoHcy), and cystathionine (Cysta)). The developed assay also permits the speciation and selective determination of reduced, oxidized and protein bound fractions of all of the five thiols. Iodoacetic acid (IAA) was chosen as the derivatizing reagent. Thiols were extracted from sub-mg quantities of yeast using hot 75% ethanol. The detection limits were in the range of 1-12 nmol L{sup -1} for standard solution (high femotomole, absolute), except AdoMet (116 nmol L{sup -1}), which was unstable. In freshly harvested yeast, most of the thiols were in the reduced forms and low levels of protein-bound GSH and Glu-Cys were found. In a selenium enriched yeast, the thiols were mainly in the oxidized forms, and a significant amount of protein-bound Cys, HCys, GSH, Cys-Gly and Glu-Cys were found. The method was also applied to the metabolic study of the adaptive response of Saccharomyces cerevisiae to hydrogen peroxide, cadmium, and arsenite, and the change in concentration of thiols in the sulfur pathway was monitored over a period of 4 h.

The use of radiolabelled milk proteins to study thermally-induced interactions in milk systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Noh, B.

1988-01-01

Heat induced complexes between milk proteins are of considerable importance in determining the heat stability and rennin clottability of milk products. Thiol-disulfide interchange reactions have been suggested as the principal reaction mechanism for complex formation. Studies to data have not adequately established the mechanism and stoichiometry of complex formation in situ in total milk system. Tracer amounts of 14 C-β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin were heated under various conditions. After clotting with rennet, radioactivity retained in the curd was counted to estimate extent of interaction of β-lactoglobulin with casein. 14 C- and 3 H-Methyl labelled proteins were used for the preparation of radiolabelled artificial casein micelles. These micelles with radiolabelled whey proteins were heated and heat-induced complexes were separated on Sephacryl S-300 eluting with 6 M guanidine hydrochloride to break all non-covalent bonds. Further separation of the protein complexes was obtained using CPG-10 or Sephacryl S-1000. The ratios of 3 H to 14 C labelled proteins in the protein complexes suggested that the stoichiometries of k-, α s2 -casein, β-lactoglobulin and α-lactalbumin in the heat-induced complexes varied as a function of the heat treatment

Thiol-Ene Photo-Click Collagen-PEG Hydrogels: Impact of Water-Soluble Photoinitiators on Cell Viability, Gelation Kinetics and Rheological Properties

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Róisín Holmes

2017-06-01

Full Text Available Thiol-ene photo-click hydrogels were prepared via step-growth polymerisation using thiol-functionalised type-I collagen and 8-arm poly(ethylene glycol norbornene-terminated (PEG-NB, as a potential injectable regenerative device. Type-I collagen was thiol-functionalised by a ring opening reaction with 2-iminothiolane (2IT, whereby up to 80 Abs.% functionalisation and 90 RPN% triple helical preservation were recorded via 2,4,6-Trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS colorimetric assay and circular dichroism (CD. Type, i.e., either 2-Hydroxy-1-[4-(2-hydroxyethoxy phenyl]-2-methyl-1-propanone (I2959 or lithium phenyl-2,4,6-trimethylbenzoylphosphinate (LAP, and concentration of photoinitiator were varied to ensure minimal photoinitiator-induced cytotoxicity and to enable thiol-ene network formation of collagen-PEG mixtures. The viability of G292 cells following 24 h culture in photoinitiator-supplemented media was largely affected by the photoinitiator concentration, with I2959-supplemented media observed to induce higher toxic response (0.1 → 0.5% (w/v I2959, cell survival: 62 → 2 Abs.% compared to LAP-supplemented media (cell survival: 86 → 8 Abs.%. In line with the in vitro study, selected photoinitiator concentrations were used to prepare thiol-ene photo-click hydrogels. Gelation kinetics proved to be largely affected by the specific photoinitiator, with LAP-containing thiol-ene mixtures leading to significantly reduced complete gelation time (τ: 187 s with respect to I2959-containing mixtures (τ: 1683 s. Other than the specific photoinitiator, the photoinitiator concentration was key to adjusting the hydrogel storage modulus (G’, whereby 15-fold G’ increase (232 → 3360 Pa was observed in samples prepared with 0.5% (w/v compared to 0.1% (w/v LAP. Further thiol-ene formulations with 0.5% (w/v LAP and varied content of PEG-NB were tested to prepare photo-click hydrogels with porous architecture, as well as tunable storage modulus (G�

Thiol-modified gold nanoparticles deposited on silica support using dip coating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Magura, Jozef; Zeleňáková, Adriana; Zeleňák, Vladimír; Kaňuchová, Maria

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Thin layers of gold were deposited on glass substrate. • Layers were modified by two different ligands, 1,4-dithiothreitol and L-glutathione. • Red shift of SPR band was observed in spectra after modification of Au by thiols. • Charge transfer between Au and S atoms leads to ferromagnetic behaviour of samples. - Abstract: In our work, we have prepared thin layers of gold nanoparticles deposited via dip coating technique on silica glass substrate. The prepared thin layers were modified by two different ligands, namely 1,4-dithiothreitol (sample Au-DTT NPs) and L-glutathione (sample Au-GSH NPs). The spectral, structural and magnetic properties of the prepared samples were investigated. The modification of Au nanoparticles with thiol ligands leads to change of their plasmon resonance fields, as indicated by UV–vis spectra. The magnetic measurements showed that the magnetization of the samples is composed from two magnetic contributions: diamagnetic contribution and low field ferromagnetic contribution. Our experimental results show that the charge transfer between Au and S atoms gives rise to the ferromagnetic behaviour of prepared thin layers

Preliminary study on plasma proteins in pregnant and non-pregnant female dogs.

Science.gov (United States)

Szczubiał, Marek; Wawrzykowski, Jacek; Dąbrowski, Roman; Krawczyk, Magdalena; Kankofer, Marta

2017-07-15

In this study, we used a combined approach based on 2-dimensional electrophoresis (2-DE), difference in gel electrophoresis (DIGE), and mass spectrometry (MS) to identify the plasma protein composition in pregnant female dogs and compared it with non-pregnant female dogs. We used the plasma samples obtained from four female dogs during I, II, and III thirds of pregnancy, three days after parturition, as well as from four non-pregnant female dogs in diestrus phase. Analysis of 2-DE gel image exhibited of 249 protein spots. The intensity of staining of 35 spots differed significantly (P dogs. We used matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-time of flight-mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF MS) to identify 47 spots corresponding to 52 different proteins. Five identified protein spots, including zinc finger BED domain-containing protein 5, hemoglobin subunit beta-2, integrator complex subunit 7, apolipoprotein A-I, and glutamyl aminopeptidase were differentially presented in the plasma of pregnant and non-pregnant female dogs. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the plasma protein profile of pregnant and non-pregnant female dogs. In this study, we identified proteins that have not been previously identified in dogs. Our findings showed that numerous protein spots were differentially presented in the plasma of female dogs during normal pregnancy. Although we identified only a limited number of differentially presented proteins, our study demonstrated that the plasma protein profile changed during pregnancy in female dogs, which suggests its importance in maintaining pregnancy. Further studies are necessary to define complete plasma protein profile of pregnant female dogs and to identify all proteins that are differentially presented in the pregnant animals compared with the non-pregnant ones. In addition, studies are warranted to explain the role of those proteins in maintaining the pregnancy and their usefulness in detection of early pregnancy