Structural and biochemical analyses reveal insights into covalent flavinylation of the Escherichia coli Complex II homolog quinol:fumarate reductase

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Starbird, C.A.; Maklashina, Elena; Sharma, Pankaj; Qualls-Histed, Susan; Cecchini, Gary; Iverson, T.M. (VA); (UCSF); (Vanderbilt)

2017-06-14

The Escherichia coli Complex II homolog quinol:fumarate reductase (QFR, FrdABCD) catalyzes the interconversion of fumarate and succinate at a covalently attached FAD within the FrdA subunit. The SdhE assembly factor enhances covalent flavinylation of Complex II homologs, but the mechanisms underlying the covalent attachment of FAD remain to be fully elucidated. Here, we explored the mechanisms of covalent flavinylation of the E. coli QFR FrdA subunit. Using a ΔsdhE E. coli strain, we show that the requirement for the assembly factor depends on the cellular redox environment. We next identified residues important for the covalent attachment and selected the FrdAE245 residue, which contributes to proton shuttling during fumarate reduction, for detailed biophysical and structural characterization. We found that QFR complexes containing FrdAE245Q have a structure similar to that of the WT flavoprotein, but lack detectable substrate binding and turnover. In the context of the isolated FrdA subunit, the anticipated assembly intermediate during covalent flavinylation, FrdAE245 variants had stability similar to that of WT FrdA, contained noncovalent FAD, and displayed a reduced capacity to interact with SdhE. However, small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) analysis of WT FrdA cross-linked to SdhE suggested that the FrdAE245 residue is unlikely to contribute directly to the FrdA-SdhE protein-protein interface. We also found that no auxiliary factor is absolutely required for flavinylation, indicating that the covalent flavinylation is autocatalytic. We propose that multiple factors, including the SdhE assembly factor and bound dicarboxylates, stimulate covalent flavinylation by preorganizing the active site to stabilize the quinone-methide intermediate.

Rapamycin-induced oligomer formation system of FRB-FKBP fusion proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Inobe, Tomonao; Nukina, Nobuyuki

2016-07-01

Most proteins form larger protein complexes and perform multiple functions in the cell. Thus, artificial regulation of protein complex formation controls the cellular functions that involve protein complexes. Although several artificial dimerization systems have already been used for numerous applications in biomedical research, cellular protein complexes form not only simple dimers but also larger oligomers. In this study, we showed that fusion proteins comprising the induced heterodimer formation proteins FRB and FKBP formed various oligomers upon addition of rapamycin. By adjusting the configuration of fusion proteins, we succeeded in generating an inducible tetramer formation system. Proteins of interest also formed tetramers by fusing to the inducible tetramer formation system, which exhibits its utility in a broad range of biological applications. Copyright © 2015 The Society for Biotechnology, Japan. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Dimeric DNA Aptamer Complexes for High-capacity–targeted Drug Delivery Using pH-sensitive Covalent Linkages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Olcay Boyacioglu

2013-01-01

Full Text Available Treatment with doxorubicin (Dox results in serious systemic toxicities that limit effectiveness for cancer treatment and cause long-term health issues for cancer patients. We identified a new DNA aptamer to prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA using fixed sequences to promote Dox binding and developed dimeric aptamer complexes (DACs for specific delivery of Dox to PSMA+ cancer cells. DACs are stable under physiological conditions and are internalized specifically into PSMA+ C4-2 cells with minimal uptake into PSMA-null PC3 cells. Cellular internalization of DAC was demonstrated by confocal microscopy and flow cytometry. Covalent modification of DAC with Dox (DAC-D resulted in a complex with stoichiometry ~4:1. Dox was covalently bound in DAC-D using a reversible linker that promotes covalent attachment of Dox to genomic DNA following cell internalization. Dox was released from the DAC-D under physiological conditions with a half-life of 8 hours, sufficient for in vivo targeting. DAC-D was used to selectively deliver Dox to C4-2 cells with endosomal release and nuclear localization of Dox. DAC-D was selectively cytotoxic to C4-2 cells with similar cytotoxicity as the molar equivalent of free-Dox. In contrast, DAC-D displayed minimal cytotoxicity to PC3 cells, demonstrating the complex displays a high degree of selectivity for PSMA+ cells. DAC-D displays specificity and stability features that may be useful for improved delivery of Dox selectively to malignant tissue in vivo.

Selective Covalent Conjugation of Phosphorothioate DNA Oligonucleotides with Streptavidin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christof M. Niemeyer

2011-08-01

Full Text Available Protein-DNA conjugates have found numerous applications in the field of diagnostics and nanobiotechnology, however, their intrinsic susceptibility to DNA degradation by nucleases represents a major obstacle for many applications. We here report the selective covalent conjugation of the protein streptavidin (STV with phosphorothioate oligonucleotides (psDNA containing a terminal alkylthiolgroup as the chemically addressable linking unit, using a heterobifunctional NHS-/maleimide crosslinker. The psDNA-STV conjugates were synthesized in about 10% isolated yields. We demonstrate that the terminal alkylthiol group selectively reacts with the maleimide while the backbone sulfur atoms are not engaged in chemical conjugation. The novel psDNA-STV conjugates retain their binding capabilities for both biotinylated macromolecules and the complementary nucleic acid. Moreover, the psDNA-STV conjugate retained its binding capacity for complementary oligomers even after a nuclease digestion step, which effectively degrades deoxyribonucleotide oligomers and thus the binding capability of regular DNA-STV conjugates. The psDNA-STV therefore hold particular promise for applications e.g. in proteome research and novel biosensing devices, where interfering endogenous nucleic acids need to be removed from analytes by nuclease digestion.

PIPERIDINE OLIGOMERS AND COMBINATORIAL LIBRARIES THEREOF

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

1999-01-01

The present invention relates to piperidine oligomers, methods for the preparation of piperidine oligomers and compound libraries thereof, and the use of piperidine oligomers as drug substances. The present invention also relates to the use of combinatorial libraries of piperidine oligomers...... in libraries (arrays) of compounds especially suitable for screening purposes....

An NMR study of the covalent and noncovalent interactions of CC-1065 and DNA

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Scahill, T.A.; Jensen, R.M.; Swenson, D.H.; Hatzenbuhler, N.T.; Petzold, G.; Wierenga, W.; Brahme, N.D.

1990-01-01

The binding of the antitumor drug CC-1065 has been studied with nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. This study involves two parts, the elucidation of the covalent binding site of the drug to DNA and a detailed investigation of the noncovalent interactions of CC-1065 with a DNA fragment through analysis of 2D NOE (NOESY) experiments. A CC-1065-DNA adduct was prepared, and an adenine adduct was released upon heating. NMR ( 1 H and 13 C) analysis of the adduct shows that the drug binds to N3 of adenine by reaction of its cyclopropyl group. The reaction pathway and product formed were determined by analysis of the 13 C DEPT spectra. An octamer duplex, d(CGATTAGC·GCTAATCG), was synthesized and used in the interaction study of CC-1065 and the oligomer. The duplex and the drug-octamer complex were both analyzed by 2D spectroscopy (COSY, NOESY). The relative intensity of the NOEs observed between the drug (CC-1065) and the octamer duplex shows conclusively that the drug is located in the minor groove, covalently attached to N3 of adenine 6 and positioned from the 3' → 5' end in relation to strand A [d(CGATTA 6 GC)]. A mechanism for drug binding and stabilization can be inferred from the NOE data and model-building studies

Tau oligomers impair memory and induce synaptic and mitochondrial dysfunction in wild-type mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jackson George R

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The correlation between neurofibrillary tangles of tau and disease progression in the brains of Alzheimer's disease (AD patients remains an area of contention. Innovative data are emerging from biochemical, cell-based and transgenic mouse studies that suggest that tau oligomers, a pre-filament form of tau, may be the most toxic and pathologically significant tau aggregate. Results Here we report that oligomers of recombinant full-length human tau protein are neurotoxic in vivo after subcortical stereotaxic injection into mice. Tau oligomers impaired memory consolidation, whereas tau fibrils and monomers did not. Additionally, tau oligomers induced synaptic dysfunction by reducing the levels of synaptic vesicle-associated proteins synaptophysin and septin-11. Tau oligomers produced mitochondrial dysfunction by decreasing the levels of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (electron transport chain complex I, and activated caspase-9, which is related to the apoptotic mitochondrial pathway. Conclusions This study identifies tau oligomers as an acutely toxic tau species in vivo, and suggests that tau oligomers induce neurodegeneration by affecting mitochondrial and synaptic function, both of which are early hallmarks in AD and other tauopathies. These results open new avenues for neuroprotective intervention strategies of tauopathies by targeting tau oligomers.

Oxidoreduction reactions involving the electrostatic and the covalent complex of cytochrome c and plastocyanin: Importance of the protein rearrangement for the intracomplex electron-transfer reaction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peerey, L.M.; Kostic, N.M.

1989-01-01

Horse heart cytochrome c and French bean plastocyanin are cross-linked one-to-one by a carbodiimide in the same general orientation in which they associate electrostatically. The reduction potentials of the Fe and Cu atoms in the covalent diprotein complex are respectively 245 and 385 mV vs NHE; the EPR spectra of the two metals are not perturbed by cross-linking. For isomers of the covalent diprotein complex, which probably differ slightly from one another in the manner of cross-linking, are separated efficiently by cation-exchange chromatography. Stopped-flow spectrophotometric experiments with the covalent diprotein complex show that the presence of plastocyanin somewhat inhibits oxidation of ferrocytochrome c by [Fe(CN) 6 ] 3- and somewhat promotes oxidation of this protein by [Fe(C 5 H 5 ) 2 ] + . These changes in reactivity are explained in terms of electrostatic and steric effects. Pulse-radiolysis experiments with the electrostatic diprotein complex yield association constants of ≥5 x 10 6 and 1 x 10 5 M -1 at ionic strengths of 1 and 40 mM, respectively, and the rate constant of 1.05 x 10 3 s -1 , regardless of the ionic strength, for the intracomplex electron-transfer reaction. Analogous pulse-radiolysis experiments with each of the four isomers of the covalent diprotein complex, at ionic strengths of both 2 and 200 mM, show an absence of the intracomplex electron-transfer reaction. A rearrangement of the proteins for this reaction seems to be possible (or unnecessary) in the electrostatic complex but impossible in the covalent complex

Synthesis, characterization, and near-infrared luminescent properties of the ternary thulium complex covalently bonded to mesoporous MCM-41

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng Jing; Song Shuyan; Xing Yan; Zhang Hongjie; Li Zhefeng; Sun Lining; Guo Xianmin; Fan Weiqiang

2009-01-01

The crystal structure of a ternary Tm(DBM) 3 phen complex (DBM=dibenzoylmethane; phen=1, 10-phenanthroline) and the synthesis of hybrid mesoporous material in which the complex covalently bonded to mesoporous MCM-41 are reported. Crystal data: Tm(DBM) 3 phen C 59 H 47 N 2 O 7 Tm, monoclinic, P21/c, a=19.3216(12) A, b=10.6691(7) A, c=23.0165(15) A, α=90 deg., β=91.6330(10) deg., γ=90 deg., V=4742.8(5) A 3 , Z=4. The properties of the Tm(DBM) 3 phen complex and the corresponding hybrid mesoporous material [Tm(DBM) 3 phen-MCM-41] have been studied. The results reveal that the Tm(DBM) 3 phen complex is successfully covalently bonded to MCM-41. Both Tm(DBM) 3 phen complex and Tm(DBM) 3 phen-MCM-41 display typical near-infrared (NIR) luminescence upon excitation at the maximum absorption of the ligands, which contributes to the efficient energy transfer from the ligands to the Tm 3+ ion, an antenna effect. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) centered at 1474 nm in the emission spectrum of Tm(DBM) 3 phen-MCM-41 is 110 nm, which is the potential candidate of broadening amplification band from C band (1530-1560 nm) to S + band (1450-1480 nm) in optical area. - Graphical abstract: The crystal structure of Tm(DBM) 3 phen complex (DBM=dibenzoylmethane; phen=1, 10-phenanthroline). The complex is successfully covalently bonded to MCM-41 (Tm(DBM) 3 phen-MCM-41). After ligand-mediated excitation, the emission spectrum of Tm(DBM) 3 phen-MCM-41 shows the bands 802 and 1474 nm. The FWHM of the 1474-nm band for Tm(DBM) 3 phen-MCM-41 is 110 nm, such a broad spectrum enables a wide gain bandwidth for optical amplification

Dynamic Covalent Self-Assembly of Mono-, Bi- and Trimacro-cycles from Hydrogen Bonded Preorganized Templates

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

LIN Jianbin; WU Jing; JIANG Xikui; LI Zhanting

2009-01-01

This paper describes the dynamic covalent assembly of three mono-, bi- and trimacrocycles by utilizing hydro-gen bonding-driven zigzag anthranilamides as "leading" components. The monomacrocycle, a tetraamino molecule, was prepared from the [24+2] coupling reaction of a "'U"-shaped dialdehyde and a porphyrin diamine, followed by the reduction of the macrocyclic tetraimine by NaBH3CN, while the bi-and trimacrocycles were obtained through two six-component coupling reactions with rigid tri- and tetraamino-appended oligomers as templates.

Molecular electrostatic potential analysis of non-covalent complexes

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Chemical Sciences and Technology Division and Academy of Scientific & Innovative Research (AcSIR), ... workers proposed the electrostatic-covalent model of hydrogen bonding. ..... tain degree of electron donation and acceptance occurs.

Synthesis and Self-Assembly of Chiral Cylindrical Molecular Complexes: Functional Heterogeneous Liquid-Solid Materials Formed by Helicene Oligomers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nozomi Saito

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Chiral cylindrical molecular complexes of homo- and hetero-double-helices derived from helicene oligomers self-assemble in solution, providing functional heterogeneous liquid-solid materials. Gels and liotropic liquid crystals are formed by fibril self-assembly in solution; molecular monolayers and fibril films are formed by self-assembly on solid surfaces; gels containing gold nanoparticles emit light; silica nanoparticles aggregate and adsorb double-helices. Notable dynamics appears during self-assembly, including multistep self-assembly, solid surface catalyzed double-helix formation, sigmoidal and stairwise kinetics, molecular recognition of nanoparticles, discontinuous self-assembly, materials clocking, chiral symmetry breaking and homogeneous-heterogeneous transitions. These phenomena are derived from strong intercomplex interactions of chiral cylindrical molecular complexes.

Formation of a covalent complex between the terminal protein of pneumococcal bacteriophage Cp-1 and 5'-dAMP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, P.; Hermoso, J.M.; Garcia, J.A.; Garcia, E.; Lopez, R.; Salas, M.

1986-01-01

Incubation of extracts of Cp-1-infected Streptococcus pneumoniae with [α- 32 P]dATP produced a labeled protein with the electrophoretic mobility of the Cp-1 terminal protein. The reaction product was resistant to treatment with micrococcal nuclease and sensitive to treatment with proteinase K. Incubation of the 32 P-labeled protein with 5 M piperidine for 4 h at 50 0 C released 5'-dAMP, indicating that a covalent complex between the terminal protein and 5'-dAMP was formed in vitro. When the four deoxynucleoside triphosphates were included in the reaction mixture, a labeled complex of slower electrophoretic mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels than the terminal protein-dAMP complex was also found, indicating that the Cp-1 terminal protein-dAMP complex can be elongated and, therefore, that it is an initiation complex. Treatment of the 32 P-labeled terminal protein-dAMP complex with 5.8 M HCl at 110 0 C for 2 h yielded phosphothreonine. These results, together with the resistance of the terminal protein-DNA linkage to hydroxylamine, suggest that the Cp-1 terminal protein is covalently linked to the DNA through a phosphoester bond between L-threonine and 5'-dAMP, namely, a O-5'-deoxyadenylyl-L-threonine bond

Laser-Induced Population Inversion in Rhodamine 6G for Lysozyme Oligomer Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Hanczyc, Piotr; Sznitko, Lech

2017-06-06

Fluorescence spectroscopy is a common method for detecting amyloid fibrils in which organic fluorophores are used as markers that exhibit an increase in quantum yield upon binding. However, most of the dyes exhibit enhanced emission only when bound to mature fibrils, and significantly weaker signals are obtained in the presence of amyloid oligomers. In the concept of population inversion, a laser is used as an excitation source to keep the major fraction of molecules in the excited state to create the pathways for the occurrence of stimulated emission. In the case of the proteins, the conformational changes lead to the self-ordering and thus different light scattering conditions that can influence the optical signatures of the generated light. Using this methodology, we show it is possible to optically detect amyloid oligomers using commonly available staining dyes in which population inversion can be induced. The results indicate that rhodamine 6G molecules are complexed with oligomers, and using a laser-assisted methodology, weakly emissive states can be detected. Significant spectral red-shifting of rhodamine 6G dispersed with amyloid oligomers and a notable difference determined by comparison of spectra of the fibrils suggest the existence of specific dye aggregates around the oligomer binding sites. This approach can provide new insights into intermediate oligomer states that are believed to be responsible for toxic seeding in neurodegeneration diseases.

Characteristics of tau oligomers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yan eRen

2013-07-01

Full Text Available In Alzheimer disease (AD and other tauopathies, microtubule-associated protein tau becomes hyperphosphorylated, undergoes conformational changes, aggregates, eventually becoming neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs. As accumulating evidence suggests that NFTs themselves may not be toxic, attention is now turning toward the role of intermediate tau oligomers in AD pathophysiology. Sarkosyl extraction is a standard protocol for investigating insoluble tau aggregates in brains. There is a growing consensus that sarkosyl-insoluble tau correlates with the pathological features of tauopathy. While sarkosyl-insoluble tau from tauopathy brains has been well characterized as a pool of filamentous tau, other dimers, multimers, and granules of tau are much less well understood. There are protocols for identifying these tau oligomers. In this mini review, we discuss the characteristics of tau oligomers isolated via different methods and materials.

Accuracy of the DLPNO-CCSD(T) method for non-covalent bond dissociation enthalpies from coinage metal cation complexes

KAUST Repository

Minenkov, Yury; Chermak, Edrisse; Cavallo, Luigi

2015-01-01

The performance of the domain based local pair-natural orbital coupled-cluster (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) method has been tested to reproduce the experimental gas phase ligand dissociation enthalpy in a series of Cu+, Ag+ and Au+ complexes. For 33 Cu+ - non-covalent ligand dissociation enthalpies all-electron calculations with the same method result in MUE below 2.2 kcal/mol, although a MSE of 1.4 kcal/mol indicates systematic underestimation of the experimental values. Inclusion of scalar relativistic effects for Cu either via effective core potential (ECP) or Douglass-Kroll-Hess Hamiltonian, reduces the MUE below 1.7 kcal/mol and the MSE to -1.0 kcal/mol. For 24 Ag+ - non-covalent ligand dissociation enthalpies the DLPNO-CCSD(T) method results in a mean unsigned error (MUE) below 2.1 kcal/mol and vanishing mean signed error (MSE). For 15 Au+ - non-covalent ligand dissociation enthalpies the DLPNO-CCSD(T) methods provides larger MUE and MSE, equal to 3.2 and 1.7 kcal/mol, which might be related to poor precision of the experimental measurements. Overall, for the combined dataset of 72 coinage metal ion complexes DLPNO-CCSD(T) results in a MUE below 2.2 kcal/mol and an almost vanishing MSE. As for a comparison with computationally cheaper density functional theory (DFT) methods, the routinely used M06 functional results in MUE and MSE equal to 3.6 and -1.7 kca/mol. Results converge already at CC-PVTZ quality basis set, making highly accurate DLPNO-CCSD(T) estimates to be affordable for routine calculations (single-point) on large transition metal complexes of > 100 atoms.

Accuracy of the DLPNO-CCSD(T) method for non-covalent bond dissociation enthalpies from coinage metal cation complexes

KAUST Repository

Minenkov, Yury

2015-08-27

The performance of the domain based local pair-natural orbital coupled-cluster (DLPNO-CCSD(T)) method has been tested to reproduce the experimental gas phase ligand dissociation enthalpy in a series of Cu+, Ag+ and Au+ complexes. For 33 Cu+ - non-covalent ligand dissociation enthalpies all-electron calculations with the same method result in MUE below 2.2 kcal/mol, although a MSE of 1.4 kcal/mol indicates systematic underestimation of the experimental values. Inclusion of scalar relativistic effects for Cu either via effective core potential (ECP) or Douglass-Kroll-Hess Hamiltonian, reduces the MUE below 1.7 kcal/mol and the MSE to -1.0 kcal/mol. For 24 Ag+ - non-covalent ligand dissociation enthalpies the DLPNO-CCSD(T) method results in a mean unsigned error (MUE) below 2.1 kcal/mol and vanishing mean signed error (MSE). For 15 Au+ - non-covalent ligand dissociation enthalpies the DLPNO-CCSD(T) methods provides larger MUE and MSE, equal to 3.2 and 1.7 kcal/mol, which might be related to poor precision of the experimental measurements. Overall, for the combined dataset of 72 coinage metal ion complexes DLPNO-CCSD(T) results in a MUE below 2.2 kcal/mol and an almost vanishing MSE. As for a comparison with computationally cheaper density functional theory (DFT) methods, the routinely used M06 functional results in MUE and MSE equal to 3.6 and -1.7 kca/mol. Results converge already at CC-PVTZ quality basis set, making highly accurate DLPNO-CCSD(T) estimates to be affordable for routine calculations (single-point) on large transition metal complexes of > 100 atoms.

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

Science.gov (United States)

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

2018-06-06

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

Formation of a covalent complex between the terminal protein of pneumococcal bacteriophage Cp-1 and 5'-dAMP

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Garcia, P.; Hermoso, J.M.; Garcia, J.A.; Garcia, E.; Lopez, R.; Salas, M.

1986-04-01

Incubation of extracts of Cp-1-infected Streptococcus pneumoniae with (..cap alpha..-/sup 32/P)dATP produced a labeled protein with the electrophoretic mobility of the Cp-1 terminal protein. The reaction product was resistant to treatment with micrococcal nuclease and sensitive to treatment with proteinase K. Incubation of the /sup 32/P-labeled protein with 5 M piperidine for 4 h at 50/sup 0/C released 5'-dAMP, indicating that a covalent complex between the terminal protein and 5'-dAMP was formed in vitro. When the four deoxynucleoside triphosphates were included in the reaction mixture, a labeled complex of slower electrophoretic mobility in sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gels than the terminal protein-dAMP complex was also found, indicating that the Cp-1 terminal protein-dAMP complex can be elongated and, therefore, that it is an initiation complex. Treatment of the /sup 32/P-labeled terminal protein-dAMP complex with 5.8 M HCl at 110/sup 0/C for 2 h yielded phosphothreonine. These results, together with the resistance of the terminal protein-DNA linkage to hydroxylamine, suggest that the Cp-1 terminal protein is covalently linked to the DNA through a phosphoester bond between L-threonine and 5'-dAMP, namely, a O-5'-deoxyadenylyl-L-threonine bond.

Electron beam curing of acrylic oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seto, J.; Arakawa, S.; Ishimoto, C.; Miyashita, M.; Nagai, T.; Noguchi, T.; Shibata, A.

1984-01-01

The electron-beam curing process of acrylic oligomers, with and without γ-Fe 2 O 3 pigment filler and blended linear polymer, was investigated in terms of molecular structure and reaction mechanism. The polymerized fraction of trimethylolpropane-triacrylate (TMPTA) oligomers increases with increasing total dose, and is independent of the dose rate. Since the reaction rate is linearly dependent on the dose rate, the reaction mechanism involves monomolecular termination. The reaction rate does not depend on the number of functional groups of the oligomer at low doses, but above 0.3 Mrad the rate is slower for oligomers of higher functionality. A gel is formed more readily upon curing of a polyfunctional than a monofunctional oligomer, especially at high conversion to polymer; the resulting loss of flexibility of the polymer chains slows the reaction. Decrease of the molecular weight per functional group results in lower conversion; this is also due to the loss of chain flexibility, which is indicated as well by a higher glass-transition temperature. Modification of the acrylate oligomers with urethane results in more effective cross-linking reactions because of the more rigid molecular chains. Addition of γ-Fe 2 O 3 pigment reduces the reaction rate very little, but has the effect of providing added structural integrity, as indicated by the decrease of solvent-extractable material and the improvement of anti-abrasion properties. However, the flexibility of the coating and its adhesion to a PET base film are diminished. To increase the flexibility, linear polyvinylchloride and/or polyurethane were added to the acrylic oligomers. Final conversion to polymer was nearly 100 percent, and a higher elastic modulus and better antiabrasion properties were realized

Fibril specific, conformation dependent antibodies recognize a generic epitope common to amyloid fibrils and fibrillar oligomers that is absent in prefibrillar oligomers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rasool Suhail

2007-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Amyloid-related degenerative diseases are associated with the accumulation of misfolded proteins as amyloid fibrils in tissue. In Alzheimer disease (AD, amyloid accumulates in several distinct types of insoluble plaque deposits, intracellular Aβ and as soluble oligomers and the relationships between these deposits and their pathological significance remains unclear. Conformation dependent antibodies have been reported that specifically recognize distinct assembly states of amyloids, including prefibrillar oligomers and fibrils. Results We immunized rabbits with a morphologically homogeneous population of Aβ42 fibrils. The resulting immune serum (OC specifically recognizes fibrils, but not random coil monomer or prefibrillar oligomers, indicating fibrils display a distinct conformation dependent epitope that is absent in prefibrillar oligomers. The fibril epitope is also displayed by fibrils of other types of amyloids, indicating that the epitope is a generic feature of the polypeptide backbone. The fibril specific antibody also recognizes 100,000 × G soluble fibrillar oligomers ranging in size from dimer to greater than 250 kDa on western blots. The fibrillar oligomers recognized by OC are immunologically distinct from prefibrillar oligomers recognized by A11, even though their sizes overlap broadly, indicating that size is not a reliable indicator of oligomer conformation. The immune response to prefibrillar oligomers and fibrils is not sequence specific and antisera of the same specificity are produced in response to immunization with islet amyloid polypeptide prefibrillar oligomer mimics and fibrils. The fibril specific antibodies stain all types of amyloid deposits in human AD brain. Diffuse amyloid deposits stain intensely with anti-fibril antibody although they are thioflavin S negative, suggesting that they are indeed fibrillar in conformation. OC also stains islet amyloid deposits in transgenic mouse models of type

Determination of oligomers in virgin and recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET) samples by UPLC-MS-QTOF.

Science.gov (United States)

Ubeda, Sara; Aznar, Margarita; Nerín, Cristina

2018-03-01

An oligomer is a molecule that consists of a few monomer units. It can be formed during polymer manufacturing and also due to polymer degradation processes or even during use conditions. Since oligomers are not included in chemical databases, their identification is a complex process. In this work, the oligomers present in 20 different PET pellet samples have been determined. Two different sample treatment procedures, solvent extraction and total dissolution, were applied in order to select the most efficient one. The analyses were carried out by UPLC-MS-QTOF. The use of high resolution mass spectrometry allowed the structural elucidation of these compounds and their correct identification. The main oligomers identified were cyclic as well as lineal from the first, second, and third series. All of them were composed of terephthalic acid (TPA), diethylene glycol (DEG), and ethylene glycol (EG). Quantitative values were very different in both procedures. In total dissolution of PET samples, the concentration of oligomers was always, at least, 10 times higher than in solvent extraction; some of the compounds were only detected when total dissolution was used. Results showed that the oligomers with the highest concentration values were dimers and trimers, cyclic, as well as lineal, from the first and second series. The oligomer with the maximum concentration value was TPA 2 -EG-DEG that was found in all the samples in a concentration range from 2493 to 19,290 ng/g PET. No differences between virgin and recycled PET were found. Migration experiments were performed in two PET bottles, and results showed the transference of most of these oligomers to a fat food simulant (ethanol 95%). Graphical abstract Graphical abstract of the two procedures developd and optimized for identifying oligomers in PET pellets and in migration form PET bottles.

Relationships between Cargo, Cell Penetrating Peptides and Cell Type for Uptake of Non-Covalent Complexes into Live Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Andrea-Anneliese Keller

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Modulating signaling pathways for research and therapy requires either suppression or expression of selected genes or internalization of proteins such as enzymes, antibodies, nucleotide binding proteins or substrates including nucleoside phosphates and enzyme inhibitors. Peptides, proteins and nucleotides are transported by fusing or conjugating them to cell penetrating peptides or by formation of non-covalent complexes. The latter is often preferred because of easy handling, uptake efficiency and auto-release of cargo into the live cell. In our studies complexes are formed with labeled or readily detectable cargoes for qualitative and quantitative estimation of their internalization. Properties and behavior of adhesion and suspension vertebrate cells as well as the protozoa Leishmania tarentolae are investigated with respect to proteolytic activity, uptake efficiency, intracellular localization and cytotoxicity. Our results show that peptide stability to membrane-bound, secreted or intracellular proteases varies between different CPPs and that the suitability of individual CPPs for a particular cargo in complex formation by non-covalent interactions requires detailed studies. Cells vary in their sensitivity to increasing concentrations of CPPs. Thus, most cells can be efficiently transduced with peptides, proteins and nucleotides with intracellular concentrations in the low micromole range. For each cargo, cell type and CPP the optimal conditions must be determined separately.

Inactivation of lipoprotein lipase occurs on the surface of THP-1 macrophages where oligomers of angiopoietin-like protein 4 are formed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Makoveichuk, Elena; Sukonina, Valentina; Kroupa, Olessia; Thulin, Petra; Ehrenborg, Ewa; Olivecrona, Thomas; Olivecrona, Gunilla

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity is controlled by ANGPTL4 in THP-1 macrophages. ► Both LPL and ANGPTL4 bind to THP-1 macrophages in a heparin-releasable fashion. ► Only monomers of ANGPTL4 are present within THP-1 macrophages. ► Covalent oligomers of ANGPTL4 appear on cell surface and in medium. ► Inactivation of LPL coincide with ANGPTL4 oligomer formation on cell surfaces. -- Abstract: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) hydrolyzes triglycerides in plasma lipoproteins causing release of fatty acids for metabolic purposes in muscles and adipose tissue. LPL in macrophages in the artery wall may, however, promote foam cell formation and atherosclerosis. Angiopoietin-like protein (ANGPTL) 4 inactivates LPL and ANGPTL4 expression is controlled by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR). The mechanisms for inactivation of LPL by ANGPTL4 was studied in THP-1 macrophages where active LPL is associated with cell surfaces in a heparin-releasable form, while LPL in the culture medium is mostly inactive. The PPARδ agonist GW501516 had no effect on LPL mRNA, but increased ANGPTL4 mRNA and caused a marked reduction of the heparin-releasable LPL activity concomitantly with accumulation of inactive, monomeric LPL in the medium. Intracellular ANGPTL4 was monomeric, while dimers and tetramers of ANGPTL4 were present in the heparin-releasable fraction and medium. GW501516 caused an increase in the amount of ANGPTL4 oligomers on the cell surface that paralleled the decrease in LPL activity. Actinomycin D blocked the effects of GW501516 on ANGPTL4 oligomer formation and prevented the inactivation of LPL. Antibodies against ANGPTL4 interfered with the inactivation of LPL. We conclude that inactivation of LPL in THP-1 macrophages primarily occurs on the cell surface where oligomers of ANGPTL4 are formed.

Template-directed synthesis of linear porphyrin oligomers: classical, Vernier and mutual Vernier† †Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Synthesis and characterization of new compounds, ladder complexes, UV-vis-NIR titrations and binding data for reference compounds and for the formation of linear oligomer complexes, calculation of effective molarities, analytical GPC calibration and molar absorption coefficients. See DOI: 10.1039/c6sc05355f Click here for additional data file.

Science.gov (United States)

Kamonsutthipaijit, Nuntaporn

2017-01-01

Three different types of template-directed syntheses of linear porphyrin oligomers are presented. In the classical approach the product has the same number of binding sites as the template, whereas in Vernier reactions the product has the lowest common multiple of the numbers of binding sites in the template and the building block. Mutual Vernier templating is like Vernier templating except that both strands of the Vernier complex undergo coupling simultaneously, so that it becomes impossible to say which is the ‘template’ and which is the ‘building block’. The template-directed synthesis of monodisperse linear oligomers is more difficult than that of cyclic oligomers, because the products of linear templating have reactive ends. All three types of templating are demonstrated here, and used to prepare a nickel(ii) porphyrin dodecamer with 4-pyridyl substituents on all twelve porphyrin units. The stabilities and cooperativities of the double-strand complexes involved in these reactions were investigated by UV-vis-NIR titration. The four-rung ladder duplex has a stability constant of about 2 × 1018 M–1 in dichloromethane at 298 K. PMID:28553508

New strategy for stable-isotope-aided, multidimensional NMR spectroscopy of DNA oligomers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ono, Okira; Tate, Shin-Ichi; Kainosho, Masatsune [Tokyo Metropolitan Univ., Tokyo (Japan)

1994-12-01

Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is the most efficient method for determining the solution structures of biomolecules. By applying multidimensional heteronuclear NMR techniques to {sup 13}C/{sup 15}N-labeled proteins, we can determine the solution structures of proteins with molecular mass of 20 to 30kDa at an accuracy similar to that of x-ray crystallography. Improvements in NMR instrumentation and techniques as well as the development of protein engineering methods for labeling proteins have rapidly advanced multidimensional heteronuclear NMR of proteins. In contrast, multidimensional heteronuclear NMR studies of nucleic acids is less advanced because there were no efficient methods for preparing large amounts of labeled DNA/RNA oligomers. In this report, we focused on the chemical synthesis of DNA oligomers labeled at specific residue(s). RNA oligomers with specific labels, which are difficult to synthesize by the enzyme method, can be synthesized by the chemical method. The specific labels are useful for conformational analysis of larger molecules such as protein-nucleic acid complexes.

Reconstitution of Qbeta RNA replicase from a covalently bonded elongation factor Tu-Ts complex

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Brown, S; Blumenthal, T

1976-01-01

of these polypeptides, protein synthesis elongation factors EF-Tu and EF-Ts, can be covalently crosslinked with dimethyl suberimidate to form a complex which lacks the ability to catalyze the known host functions catalyzed by the individual elongation factors. Using a previously developed reconstitution system we have...... examined the effects of crosslinking the EF-Tu-Ts complex on reconstituted replicase activity. Renaturation is significantly more efficient when exogenously added native EF-Tu-Ts is crosslinked than when it is not. Crosslinked EF-Tu-Ts can be purified from a crude crosslinked postribosomal supernatant...... by its ability to replace EF-Tu and EF-Ts in the renaturation of denatured Qbeta replicase. A sample of Qbeta replicase with crosslinked EF-Tu-Ts replacing the individual elongation factors was prepared. Although it lacked EF-Tu and EF-Ts activities, it could initiate transcription of both poly...

Formation of covalent complexes between human O sup 6 -alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase and BCNU-treated defined length synthetic oligodeoxynucleotides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brent, T.P.; Remack, J.S. (St. Jude Children' s Research Hospital, Memphis, TN (USA))

1988-07-25

Repair of chloroethylnitrosourea (CENU)-induced precursors of DNA interstrand cross-links by O{sup 6}-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (GAT or GATase) appears to be a factor in tumor resistance to therapy with this class of antineoplastic drugs. Since human GAT is highly specific for O{sup 6}-guanine, yet the probably cross-link structure is N{prime}-Guanine N{sup 3}cytosine ethane, rearrangement of the initial O{sup 6}-guanine adduct via O{sup 6},N{sup 1}ethanoguanine has been proposed. The authors suggested that GAT reaction with this intermediate would produce DNA covalently linked to protein through an ethane link from N{sup 1}-guanine to the alkylacceptor site on GAT. In preliminary studies they demonstrated a covalent complex between GAT and carmustine (BCNU)-treated DNA by a precipitation assay method. They have now developed a method for isolating the reaction product of BCNU-treated synthetic 14-mer ({sup 32}P)-labeled oligodeoxynucleotide and GAT using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. This approach can be used to characterize the adducts induced by CENUs that lead to complex formation with GAT.

Labile conjugation of a hydrophilic drug to PLA oligomers to modify a drug delivery system: cephradin in a PLAGA matrix.

Science.gov (United States)

Ustariz-Peyret, C; Coudane, J; Vert, M; Kaltsatos, V; Boisramené, B

2000-01-01

The physical entrapment of a hydrophilic drug within degradable microspheres is generally difficult because of poor entrapment yield and/or fast release, depending on the microsphere fabrication method. In order to counter the effects of drug hydrophilicity, it is proposed to covalently attach the drug to lactic acid oligomers, with the aim of achieving temporary hydrophobization and slower release controlled by the separation of the drug from the degradable link within the polymer matrix. This strategy was tested on microspheres of the antibiotic cephradin. As the prodrug form, the entrapment of the drug was almost quantitative. The prodrug did degrade in an aqueous medium, modelling body fluids, but cleavage did not occur at the drug-oligomer junction and drug molecules bearing two lactyl residual units were released. When the prodrug is entrapped within a PLAGA matrix, no release was observed within the experimental time period. However, data suggest that conjugation via a bond more sensitive to hydrolysis than the main chain PLA ester bonds should make the system work as desired.

Biophysical characterization data on Aβ soluble oligomers produced through a method enabling prolonged oligomer stability and biological buffer conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amanda C. Crisostomo

2015-09-01

Aβ1-40 soluble oligomers are produced that are suitable for biophysical studies requiring sufficient transient stability to exist in their “native” conformation in biological phosphate-saline buffers for extended periods of time. The production involves an initial preparation of highly monomeric Aβ in a phosphate saline buffer that transitions to fibrils and oligomers through time incubation alone, without added detergents or non-aqueous chemicals. This criteria ensures that the only difference between initial monomeric Aβ reactant and subsequent Aβ oligomer products is their degree of peptide assembly. A number of chemical and biophysical methods were used to characterize the monomeric reactants and soluble oligomer and amyloid fibril products, including chemical cross-linking, Western blots, fraction solubility, thioflvain T binding, size exclusion chromatography, transmission electron micrscopy, circular dichroism spectroscopy, and fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

Preparation of Stable Amyloid-β Oligomers Without Perturbative Methods.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotler, Samuel A; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy

2018-01-01

Soluble amyloid-β (Aβ) oligomers have become a focal point in the study of Alzheimer's disease due to their ability to elicit cytotoxicity. A number of recent studies have concentrated on the structural characterization of soluble Aβ oligomers to gain insight into their mechanism of toxicity. Consequently, providing reproducible protocols for the preparation of such oligomers is of utmost importance. The method presented in this chapter details a protocol for preparing an Aβ oligomer, with a primarily disordered secondary structure, without the need for chemical modification or amino acid substitution. Due to the stability of these disordered Aβ oligomers and the reproducibility with which they form, they are amenable for biophysical and high-resolution structural characterization.

Structural and functional properties of prefibrillar α-synuclein oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Pieri, Laura; Madiona, Karine; Melki, Ronald

2016-04-14

The deposition of fibrillar alpha-synuclein (α-syn) within inclusions (Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites) in neurons and glial cells is a hallmark of synucleinopathies. α-syn populates a variety of assemblies ranging from prefibrillar oligomeric species to fibrils whose specific contribution to neurodegeneration is still unclear. Here, we compare the specific structural and biological properties of distinct soluble prefibrillar α-syn oligomers formed either spontaneously or in the presence of dopamine and glutaraldehyde. We show that both on-fibrillar assembly pathway and distinct dopamine-mediated and glutaraldehyde-cross-linked α-syn oligomers are only slightly effective in perturbing cell membrane integrity and inducing cytotoxicity, while mature fibrils exhibit the highest toxicity. In contrast to low-molecular weight and unstable oligomers, large stable α-syn oligomers seed the aggregation of soluble α-syn within reporter cells although to a lesser extent than mature α-syn fibrils. These oligomers appear elongated in shape. Our findings suggest that α-syn oligomers represent a continuum of species ranging from unstable low molecular weight particles to mature fibrils via stable elongated oligomers composed of more than 15 α-syn monomers that possess seeding capacity.

Boron-rich oligomers for BNCT

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gula, M.; Perleberg, O.; Gabel, D.

2000-01-01

The synthesis of two BSH derivatives is described, which can be used for oligomerization in DNA-synthesizers. Synthesis pathways lead to final products in five and six steps, respectively. Because of chirality interesting results were expected. NMR-measurements confirm this expectation. Possible oligomers with high concentrations of boron can be attached to biomolecules. These oligomers can be explored with several imaging methods (EELS, PEM) to determine the lower detection limit of boron with these methods. (author)

Enhanced Solubilization of Fluoranthene by Hydroxypropyl β-Cyclodextrin Oligomer for Bioremediation

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyeong Hui Park

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Fluoranthene (FT is a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH, consisting of naphthalene and benzene rings connected by a five-member ring. It is widespread in the environment. The hydrophobicity of FT limits its availability for biological uptake and degradation. In this study, hydroxypropyl β-cyclodextrin oligomers (HP-β-CD-ol were synthesized with epichlorohydrin (EP, while the solubility enhancement of FT by HP-β-CD-ol was investigated in water. The synthesized HP-β-CD-ol was characterized by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry (MS, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. The solubility of FT increased 178-fold due to the complex formation with HP-β-CD oligomers. The inclusion complexes of FT/HP-β-CD-ol were analyzed using Fourier-Transform Infrared (FT-IR, Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC, Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM, and Nuclear Overhauser Effect Spectroscopy Nuclear magnetic resonance (NOESY NMR spectroscopy. On the basis of these results, HP-β-CD-ol is recommended as a potential solubilizer for the development of PAH removal systems.

Electrografting of conductive oligomers and polymers using diazonium electroreduction

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacroix, Jean Christophe; Trippe-Allard, Gaelle; Ghilane, Jalal; Martin, Pascal

2014-01-01

This paper describes the attachment of conjugated oligomers onto electrode surface through the reduction of diazonium compounds. In this connection some properties of conjugated oligomers and of layers grafted through diazonium electroreduction will first be briefly presented. The electrochemical behavior of conjugated oligomers grafted on a surface using diazonium electroreduction will then be discussed. (paper)

Electrografting of conductive oligomers and polymers using diazonium electroreduction

Science.gov (United States)

Lacroix, Jean Christophe; Trippe-Allard, Gaelle; Ghilane, Jalal; Martin, Pascal

2014-03-01

This paper describes the attachment of conjugated oligomers onto electrode surface through the reduction of diazonium compounds. In this connection some properties of conjugated oligomers and of layers grafted through diazonium electroreduction will first be briefly presented. The electrochemical behavior of conjugated oligomers grafted on a surface using diazonium electroreduction will then be discussed.

CovalentDock Cloud: a web server for automated covalent docking.

Science.gov (United States)

Ouyang, Xuchang; Zhou, Shuo; Ge, Zemei; Li, Runtao; Kwoh, Chee Keong

2013-07-01

Covalent binding is an important mechanism for many drugs to gain its function. We developed a computational algorithm to model this chemical event and extended it to a web server, the CovalentDock Cloud, to make it accessible directly online without any local installation and configuration. It provides a simple yet user-friendly web interface to perform covalent docking experiments and analysis online. The web server accepts the structures of both the ligand and the receptor uploaded by the user or retrieved from online databases with valid access id. It identifies the potential covalent binding patterns, carries out the covalent docking experiments and provides visualization of the result for user analysis. This web server is free and open to all users at http://docking.sce.ntu.edu.sg/.

Tau Oligomers as Pathogenic Seeds: Preparation and Propagation In Vitro and In Vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Gerson, Julia E; Sengupta, Urmi; Kayed, Rakez

2017-01-01

Tau oligomers have been shown to be the main toxic tau species in a number of neurodegenerative disorders. In order to study tau oligomers both in vitro and in vivo, we have established methods for the reliable preparation, isolation, and detection of tau oligomers. Methods for the seeding of tau oligomers, isolation of tau oligomers from tissue, and detection of tau oligomers using tau oligomer-specific antibodies by biochemical and immunohistochemical methods are detailed below.

Inactivation of lipoprotein lipase occurs on the surface of THP-1 macrophages where oligomers of angiopoietin-like protein 4 are formed

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Makoveichuk, Elena; Sukonina, Valentina; Kroupa, Olessia [Department of Medical Biosciences, Physiological Chemistry Umea University, SE-901 87 Umea (Sweden); Thulin, Petra; Ehrenborg, Ewa [Atherosclerosis Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Karolinska Institutet, SE-171 76 Stockholm (Sweden); Olivecrona, Thomas [Department of Medical Biosciences, Physiological Chemistry Umea University, SE-901 87 Umea (Sweden); Olivecrona, Gunilla, E-mail: Gunilla.Olivecrona@medbio.umu.se [Department of Medical Biosciences, Physiological Chemistry Umea University, SE-901 87 Umea (Sweden)

2012-08-24

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity is controlled by ANGPTL4 in THP-1 macrophages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Both LPL and ANGPTL4 bind to THP-1 macrophages in a heparin-releasable fashion. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Only monomers of ANGPTL4 are present within THP-1 macrophages. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Covalent oligomers of ANGPTL4 appear on cell surface and in medium. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Inactivation of LPL coincide with ANGPTL4 oligomer formation on cell surfaces. -- Abstract: Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) hydrolyzes triglycerides in plasma lipoproteins causing release of fatty acids for metabolic purposes in muscles and adipose tissue. LPL in macrophages in the artery wall may, however, promote foam cell formation and atherosclerosis. Angiopoietin-like protein (ANGPTL) 4 inactivates LPL and ANGPTL4 expression is controlled by peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPAR). The mechanisms for inactivation of LPL by ANGPTL4 was studied in THP-1 macrophages where active LPL is associated with cell surfaces in a heparin-releasable form, while LPL in the culture medium is mostly inactive. The PPAR{delta} agonist GW501516 had no effect on LPL mRNA, but increased ANGPTL4 mRNA and caused a marked reduction of the heparin-releasable LPL activity concomitantly with accumulation of inactive, monomeric LPL in the medium. Intracellular ANGPTL4 was monomeric, while dimers and tetramers of ANGPTL4 were present in the heparin-releasable fraction and medium. GW501516 caused an increase in the amount of ANGPTL4 oligomers on the cell surface that paralleled the decrease in LPL activity. Actinomycin D blocked the effects of GW501516 on ANGPTL4 oligomer formation and prevented the inactivation of LPL. Antibodies against ANGPTL4 interfered with the inactivation of LPL. We conclude that inactivation of LPL in THP-1 macrophages primarily occurs on the cell surface where oligomers of ANGPTL4 are formed.

Electron beam curing polyurethane acrylate oligomer in air

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhu, Zhenkang; Chen, Xing; Zhou, Jichun; Ma, Zue-Teh

1988-01-01

It has been found according to our synthesis that a novel kind of polyurethane acrylate oligomer can be cured by electron beam in the presence of oxygen, even at normal atomospheric levels, without any additives. Irradiation of the oligomer with substantially complete cure to a solid non-tacky state is quite remarkable. It has the same gel content (90 %) in air as in nitrogen at dose of 33 kGy. Double bond conversion of the oligomer is about 50 % by I.R. (author)

Targeting α-synuclein oligomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Diggelen, Femke

Parkinson’s Disease (PD) is a complex disease, characterised by degeneration of neocortical, limbic and nigrostriatal neurons. It is unknown what initiates neurodegeneration, but soluble oligomers of the protein α-synuclein (αSn) seem to be particularly toxic, compared to insoluble fibrils...... unique characteristics, e.g. they were recognized by different conformational antibodies and DHA–αSOs also formed a second elongated species in addition to the dominant spherical species. Although further functional testing is needed, this suggests that each species has its own distinct toxic mechanism......+/K+ ATPase, V-type ATPase, VDAC, CaMKII and Rab-3A. The identification of these targets is a first step towards unravelling the toxic pathways which are activated upon synaptic binding of extracellularly added αSOs, and hopefully will contribute to the discovery of new disease modifying compounds, which can...

Dynamic covalent gels assembled from small molecules:from discrete gelators to dynamic covalent polymers

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Jian-Yong Zhang; Li-Hua Zeng; Juan Feng

2017-01-01

Dynamic covalent chemistry has emerged recently to be a powerful tool to construct functional materials.This article reviews the progress in the research and development of dynamic covalent chemistry in gels assembled from small molecules.First dynamic covalent reactions used in gels are reviewed to understand the dynamic covalent bonding.Afterwards the catalogues of dynamic covalent gels are reviewed according to the nature of gelators and the interactions between gelators.Dynamic covalent bonding can be involved to form low molecular weight gelators.Low molecular weight molecules with multiple functional groups react to form dynamic covalent cross-linked polymers and act as gelators.Two catalogues of gels show different properties arising from their different structures.This review aims to illustrate the structure-property relationships of these dynamic covalent gels.

Luminescent hybrid films obtained by covalent grafting of terbium complex to silica network

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Fengyi; Fu Lianshe; Wang Jun; Liu Ze; Li Huanrong; Zhang Hongjie

2002-01-01

Luminescent hybrid thin films consisting of terbium complex covalently bonded to a silica-based network have been obtained in situ via a sol-gel approach. A new monomer, N-(4-benzoic acid-yl), N'-(propyltriethoxysilyl)urea (PABI), has been synthesized by grafting isocyanatopropyltriethoxysilane (ICPTES) to p-aminobenzoic acid and characterized by 1 H NMR, IR and MS. The monomer acts as a ligand for Tb 3+ ion and as a sol-gel precursor. Band emission from Tb 3+ ion due to an efficient ligand-to-metal energy transfer was observed by UV excitation. The decay curves of Tb 3+ in the hybrid films were measured. The energy difference between the triplet state energy of PABI and the 5 D 4 level of Tb 3+ ion falls in the exciting range to sensitize Tb 3+ ion fluorescence

Self-generated covalent cross-links in the cell-surface adhesins of Gram-positive bacteria.

Science.gov (United States)

Baker, Edward N; Squire, Christopher J; Young, Paul G

2015-10-01

The ability of bacteria to adhere to other cells or to surfaces depends on long, thin adhesive structures that are anchored to their cell walls. These structures include extended protein oligomers known as pili and single, multi-domain polypeptides, mostly based on multiple tandem Ig-like domains. Recent structural studies have revealed the widespread presence of covalent cross-links, not previously seen within proteins, which stabilize these domains. The cross-links discovered so far are either isopeptide bonds that link lysine side chains to the side chains of asparagine or aspartic acid residues or ester bonds between threonine and glutamine side chains. These bonds appear to be formed by spontaneous intramolecular reactions as the proteins fold and are strategically placed so as to impart considerable mechanical strength. © 2015 Authors; published by Portland Press Limited.

Study of the luminescence of tris(2-thenoyltrifluoroacetonato)lanthanide(III) complexes covalently linked to 1,10-phenanthroline-functionalized hybrid sol-gel glasses

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lenaerts, Philip; Ryckebosch, Eline; Driesen, Kris; Deun, Rik van; Nockemann, Peter; Goerller-Walrand, Christiane; Binnemans, Koen

2005-01-01

The solubility and uniform distribution of lanthanide complexes in sol-gel glasses can be improved by covalently linking the complexes to the sol-gel matrix. In this study, several lanthanide β-diketonate complexes (Ln=Nd, Sm, Eu, Tb, Er, Yb) were immobilized on a 1,10-phenanthroline functionalized sol-gel glass. For the europium(III) complex, a sol-gel material of diethoxydimethylsilane (DEDMS) with polymer-like properties was derived. For the other lanthanide complexes, the sol-gel glass was prepared by using a matrix of tetramethoxysilane (TMOS) and DEDMS. Both systems were prepared under neutral reaction conditions. High-resolution emission and excitation spectra were recorded. The luminescence lifetimes were measured

Crystal structures of Mycobacterium tuberculosis GlgE and complexes with non-covalent inhibitors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lindenberger, Jared J.; Veleti, Sri Kumar; Wilson, Brittney N.; Sucheck, Steven J.; Ronning, Donald R. (Toledo)

2015-08-06

GlgE is a bacterial maltosyltransferase that catalyzes the elongation of a cytosolic, branched α-glucan. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb), inactivation of GlgE (Mtb GlgE) results in the rapid death of the organism due to a toxic accumulation of the maltosyl donor, maltose-1-phosphate (M1P), suggesting that GlgE is an intriguing target for inhibitor design. In this study, the crystal structures of the Mtb GlgE in a binary complex with maltose and a ternary complex with maltose and a maltosyl-acceptor molecule, maltohexaose, were solved to 3.3 Å and 4.0 Å, respectively. The maltohexaose structure reveals a dominant site for α-glucan binding. To obtain more detailed interactions between first generation, non-covalent inhibitors and GlgE, a variant Streptomyces coelicolor GlgEI (Sco GlgEI-V279S) was made to better emulate the Mtb GlgE M1P binding site. The structure of Sco GlgEI-V279S complexed with α-maltose-C-phosphonate (MCP), a non-hydrolyzable substrate analogue, was solved to 1.9 Å resolution, and the structure of Sco GlgEI-V279S complexed with 2,5-dideoxy-3-O-α-D-glucopyranosyl-2,5-imino-D-mannitol (DDGIM), an oxocarbenium mimic, was solved to 2.5 Å resolution. These structures detail important interactions that contribute to the inhibitory activity of these compounds, and provide information on future designs that may be exploited to improve upon these first generation GlgE inhibitors.

α-Synuclein oligomers induced by docosahexaenoic acid affect membrane integrity.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiara Fecchio

Full Text Available A key feature of Parkinson disease is the aggregation of α-synuclein and its intracellular deposition in fibrillar form. Increasing evidence suggests that the pathogenicity of α-synuclein is correlated with the activity of oligomers formed in the early stages of its aggregation process. Oligomers toxicity seems to be associated with both their ability to bind and affect the integrity of lipid membranes. Previously, we demonstrated that α-synuclein forms oligomeric species in the presence of docosahexaenoic acid and that these species are toxic to cells. Here we studied how interaction of these oligomers with membranes results in cell toxicity, using cellular membrane-mimetic and cell model systems. We found that α-synuclein oligomers are able to interact with large and small unilamellar negatively charged vesicles acquiring an increased amount of α-helical structure, which induces small molecules release. We explored the possibility that oligomers effects on membranes could be due to pore formation, to a detergent-like effect or to fibril growth on the membrane. Our biophysical and cellular findings are consistent with a model where α-synuclein oligomers are embedded into the lipid bilayer causing transient alteration of membrane permeability.

Amyloid-β oligomer detection by ELISA in cerebrospinal fluid and brain tissue.

Science.gov (United States)

Bruggink, Kim A; Jongbloed, Wesley; Biemans, Elisanne A L M; Veerhuis, Rob; Claassen, Jurgen A H R; Kuiperij, H Bea; Verbeek, Marcel M

2013-02-15

Amyloid-β (Aβ) deposits are important pathological hallmarks of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ aggregates into fibrils; however, the intermediate oligomers are believed to be the most neurotoxic species and, therefore, are of great interest as potential biomarkers. Here, we have developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) specific for Aβ oligomers by using the same capture and (labeled) detection antibody. The ELISA predominantly recognizes relatively small oligomers (10-25 kDa) and not monomers. In brain tissue of APP/PS1 transgenic mice, we found that Aβ oligomer levels increase with age. However, for measurements in human samples, pretreatment to remove human anti-mouse antibodies (HAMAs) was required. In HAMA-depleted human hippocampal extracts, the Aβ oligomer concentration was significantly increased in AD compared with nondemented controls. Aβ oligomer levels could also be quantified in pretreated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples; however, no difference was detected between AD and control groups. Our data suggest that levels of small oligomers might not be suitable as biomarkers for AD. In addition, we demonstrate the importance of avoiding HAMA interference in assays to quantify Aβ oligomers in human body fluids. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Thermodynamics of complex structures formed between single-stranded DNA oligomers and the KH domains of the far upstream element binding protein

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chakraborty, Kaushik; Sinha, Sudipta Kumar; Bandyopadhyay, Sanjoy, E-mail: sanjoy@chem.iitkgp.ernet.in [Molecular Modeling Laboratory, Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721302 (India)

2016-05-28

The noncovalent interaction between protein and DNA is responsible for regulating the genetic activities in living organisms. The most critical issue in this problem is to understand the underlying driving force for the formation and stability of the complex. To address this issue, we have performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations of two DNA binding K homology (KH) domains (KH3 and KH4) of the far upstream element binding protein (FBP) complexed with two single-stranded DNA (ss-DNA) oligomers in aqueous media. Attempts have been made to calculate the individual components of the net entropy change for the complexation process by adopting suitable statistical mechanical approaches. Our calculations reveal that translational, rotational, and configurational entropy changes of the protein and the DNA components have unfavourable contributions for this protein-DNA association process and such entropy lost is compensated by the entropy gained due to the release of hydration layer water molecules. The free energy change corresponding to the association process has also been calculated using the Free Energy Perturbation (FEP) method. The free energy gain associated with the KH4–DNA complex formation has been found to be noticeably higher than that involving the formation of the KH3–DNA complex.

Water-soluble light-emitting nanoparticles prepared by non-covalent bond self-assembly of a hydroxyl group functionalized oligo(p-phenyleneethynylene) with different water-soluble polymers

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2010-01-01

Water-soluble light-emitting nanoparticles were prepared from hydroxyl group functionalized oligos(p-phenyleneethynylene) (OHOPEL) and water-soluble polymers(PEG,PAA,and PG) by non-covalent bond self-assembly.Their structure and optoelectronic properties were investigated through dynamic light scattering(DLS) ,UV and PL spectroscopy.The optical properties of OHOPEL-based water-soluble nanoparticles exhibited the same properties as that found in OHOPEL films,indicating the existence of interchain-aggregation of OHOPELs in the nanoparticles.OHOPEL-based nanoparticles prepared from conjugated oligomers show smaller size and lower dispersity than nanoparticles from conjugated polymers,which means that the structures of water-soluble nanoparticles are linked to the conjugated length.Furthermore,the OHOPEL/PG and OHOPEL/PAA systems produced smaller particles and lower polydispersity than the OHOPEL/PEG system,indicating that there may exist influence of the strength of non-covalent bonds on the size and degree of dispersity of the nanoparticles.

Organization of the resting TCR in nanoscale oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Schamel, Wolfgang W A; Alarcón, Balbino

2013-01-01

Despite the low affinity of the T-cell antigen receptor (TCR) for its peptide/major histocompatibility complex (pMHC) ligand, T cells are very sensitive to their antigens. This paradox can be resolved if we consider that the TCR may be organized into pre-existing oligomers or nanoclusters. Such structures could improve antigen recognition by increasing the functional affinity (avidity) of the TCR-pMHC interaction and by allowing cooperativity between individual TCRs. Up to approximately 20 TCRs become tightly apposed in these nanoclusters, often in a linear manner, and such structures could reflect a relatively generalized phenomenon: the non-random concentration of membrane receptors in specific areas of the plasma membrane known as protein islands. The association of TCRs into nanoclusters can explain the enhanced kinetics of the pMHC-TCR interaction in two dimensional versus three dimensional systems, but also their existence calls for a revision of the TCR triggering models based on pMHC-induced TCR clustering. Interestingly, the B-cell receptor and the FcεRI have also been shown to form nanoclusters, suggesting that the formation of pre-existing receptor oligomers could be widely used in the immune system. © 2012 John Wiley & Sons A/S. Published by Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Star-shaped tetrathiafulvalene oligomers towards the construction of conducting supramolecular assembly.

Science.gov (United States)

Iyoda, Masahiko; Hasegawa, Masashi

2015-01-01

The construction of redox-active supramolecular assemblies based on star-shaped and radially expanded tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) oligomers with divergent and extended conjugation is summarized. Star-shaped TTF oligomers easily self-aggregate with a nanophase separation to produce supramolecular structures, and their TTF units stack face-to-face to form columnar structures using the fastener effect. Based on redox-active self-organizing supramolecular structures, conducting nanoobjects are constructed by doping of TTF oligomers with oxidants after the formation of such nanostructures. Although radical cations derived from TTF oligomers strongly interact in solution to produce a mixed-valence dimer and π-dimer, it seems to be difficult to produce nanoobjects of radical cations different from those of neutral TTF oligomers. In some cases, however, radical cations form nanostructured fibers and rods by controlling the supramolecular assembly, oxidation states, and counter anions employed.

Oligomers and Polymers Based on Pentacene Building Blocks

Science.gov (United States)

Lehnherr, Dan; Tykwinski, Rik R.

2010-01-01

Functionalized pentacene derivatives continue to provide unique materials for organic semiconductor applications. Although oligomers and polymers based on pentacene building blocks remain quite rare, recent synthetic achievements have provided a number of examples with varied structural motifs. This review highlights recent work in this area and, when possible, contrasts the properties of defined-length pentacene oligomers to those of mono- and polymeric systems.

Radiation curable oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huemmer, T.F.; Edison, B.A.

1977-01-01

A process is described for the high energy radiation curing of oligomers for use as coatings. The method is particularly applicable to the reaction products of certain low molecular weight epoxy compounds and certain low molecular weight mono-hydroxy vinyl compounds having at least one vinylic unsaturation. The curable mixture is applied as a thin film and cured very quickly

Electrorheology of aniline oligomers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mrlík, M.; Sedlačík, M.; Pavlínek, V.; Bober, Patrycja; Trchová, Miroslava; Stejskal, Jaroslav; Sáha, P.

2013-01-01

Roč. 291, č. 9 (2013), s. 2079-2086 ISSN 0303-402X R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/09/1626 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : anilin e oligomers * polyaniline * electrorheology Subject RIV: JI - Composite Materials Impact factor: 2.410, year: 2013

NMR studies of DNA oligomers and their interactions with minor groove binding ligands

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fagan, Patricia A. [Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Chemistry

1996-05-01

The cationic peptide ligands distamycin and netropsin bind noncovalently to the minor groove of DNA. The binding site, orientation, stoichiometry, and qualitative affinity of distamycin binding to several short DNA oligomers were investigated by NMR spectroscopy. The oligomers studied contain A,T-rich or I,C-rich binding sites, where I = 2-desaminodeoxyguanosine. I•C base pairs are functional analogs of A•T base pairs in the minor groove. The different behaviors exhibited by distamycin and netropsin binding to various DNA sequences suggested that these ligands are sensitive probes of DNA structure. For sites of five or more base pairs, distamycin can form 1:1 or 2:1 ligand:DNA complexes. Cooperativity in distamycin binding is low in sites such as AAAAA which has narrow minor grooves, and is higher in sites with wider minor grooves such as ATATAT. The distamycin binding and base pair opening lifetimes of I,C-containing DNA oligomers suggest that the I,C minor groove is structurally different from the A,T minor groove. Molecules which direct chemistry to a specific DNA sequence could be used as antiviral compounds, diagnostic probes, or molecular biology tools. The author studied two ligands in which reactive groups were tethered to a distamycin to increase the sequence specificity of the reactive agent.

Oligomers and Polymers Based on Pentacene Building Blocks

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Dan Lehnherr

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Functionalized pentacene derivatives continue to provide unique materials for organic semiconductor applications. Although oligomers and polymers based on pentacene building blocks remain quite rare, recent synthetic achievements have provided a number of examples with varied structural motifs. This review highlights recent work in this area and, when possible, contrasts the properties of defined-length pentacene oligomers to those of mono- and polymeric systems.

Amyloid oligomers and protofibrils, but not filaments, self-replicate from native lysozyme.

Science.gov (United States)

Mulaj, Mentor; Foley, Joseph; Muschol, Martin

2014-06-25

Self-assembly of amyloid fibrils is the molecular mechanism best known for its connection with debilitating human disorders such as Alzheimer's disease but is also associated with various functional cellular responses. There is increasing evidence that amyloid formation proceeds along two distinct assembly pathways involving either globular oligomers and protofibrils or rigid monomeric filaments. Oligomers, in particular, have been implicated as the dominant molecular species responsible for pathogenesis. Yet the molecular mechanisms regulating their self-assembly have remained elusive. Here we show that oligomers/protofibrils and monomeric filaments, formed along distinct assembly pathways, display critical differences in their ability to template amyloid growth at physiological vs denaturing temperatures. At physiological temperatures, amyloid filaments remained stable but could not seed growth of native monomers. In contrast, oligomers and protofibrils not only remained intact but were capable of self-replication using native monomers as the substrate. Kinetic data further suggested that this prion-like growth mode of oligomers/protofibrils involved two distinct activities operating orthogonal from each other: autocatalytic self-replication of oligomers from native monomers and nucleated polymerization of oligomers into protofibrils. The environmental changes to stability and templating competence of these different amyloid species in different environments are likely to be important for understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying both pathogenic and functional amyloid self-assembly.

Effects of lattice fluctuations on electronic transmission in metal/conjugated-oligomer/metal structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yu, Z.G.; Smith, D.L.; Saxena, A.; Bishop, A.R.

1997-01-01

The electronic transmission across metal/conjugated-oligomer/metal structures in the presence of lattice fluctuations is studied for short oligomer chains. The lattice fluctuations are approximated by static white noise disorder. Resonant transmission occurs when the energy of an incoming electron coincides with a discrete electronic level of the oligomer. The corresponding transmission peak diminishes in intensity with increasing disorder strength. Because of disorder there is an enhancement of the electronic transmission for energies that lie within the electronic gap of the oligomer. If fluctuations are sufficiently strong, a transmission peak within the gap is found at the midgap energy E=0 for degenerate conjugated oligomers (e.g., trans-polyacetylene) and E≠0 for AB-type degenerate oligomers. These results can be interpreted in terms of soliton-antisoliton states created by lattice fluctuations. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Covalent Bonding of Chlorogenic Acid Induces Structural Modifications on Sunflower Proteins

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karefyllakis, D.; Salakou, Stavroula; Bitter, J.H.; Goot, van der A.J.; Nikiforidis, K.

2018-01-01

Proteins and phenols coexist in the confined space of plant cells leading to reactions between them, which result in new covalently bonded complex molecules. This kind of reactions has been widely observed during storage and processing of plant materials. However, the nature of the new complex

Assessing Covalency in Cerium and Uranium Hexachlorides: A Correlated Wavefunction and Density Functional Theory Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reece Beekmeyer

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The electronic structure of a series of uranium and cerium hexachlorides in a variety of oxidation states was evaluated at both the correlated wavefunction and density functional (DFT levels of theory. Following recent experimental observations of covalency in tetravalent cerium hexachlorides, bonding character was studied using topological and integrated analysis based on the quantum theory of atoms in molecules (QTAIM. This analysis revealed that M–Cl covalency was strongly dependent on oxidation state, with greater covalency found in higher oxidation state complexes. Comparison of M–Cl delocalisation indices revealed a discrepancy between correlated wavefunction and DFT-derived values. Decomposition of these delocalisation indices demonstrated that the origin of this discrepancy lay in ungerade contributions associated with the f-manifold which we suggest is due to self-interaction error inherent to DFT-based methods. By all measures used in this study, extremely similar levels of covalency between complexes of U and Ce in the same oxidation state was found.

Nucleation and Growth of Covalent Organic Frameworks from Solution: The Example of COF-5

KAUST Repository

Li, Haoyuan

2017-10-24

The preparation of two-dimensional covalent organic frameworks (2D COFs) with large crystalline domains and controlled morphology is necessary for realizing the full potential of their atomically precise structures and uniform, tailorable porosity. Currently 2D COF syntheses are developed empirically, and most materials are isolated as insoluble and unprocessable powders with typical crystalline domain sizes smaller than 50 nm. Little is known about their nucleation and growth processes, which involve a combination of covalent bond formation, degenerate exchange, and non-covalent stacking processes. A deeper understanding of the chemical processes that lead to COF polymerization and crystallization is key to achieving improved materials quality and control. Here, we report a kinetic Monte Carlo (KMC) model that describes the formation of a prototypical boronate-ester linked 2D COF known as COF-5 from its 2,3,6,7,10,11-hexahydroxytriphenylene and 1,4-phenylene bis(boronic acid) monomers in solution. The key rate parameters for the KMC model were derived from experimental measurements when possible and complemented with reaction pathway analyses, molecular dynamics simulations, and binding free-energy calculations. The essential features of experimentally measured COF-5 growth kinetics are reproduced well by the KMC simulations. In particular, the simulations successfully captured a nucleation process followed by a subsequent growth process. The nucleating species are found to be multi-layer structures that form through multiple pathways. During the growth of COF-5, extensions in the lateral (in-plane) and vertical (stacking) directions are both seen to be linear with respect to time and are dominated by monomer addition and oligomer association, respectively. Finally, we show that the experimental observations of increased average crystallite size with the addition of water are modeled accurately by the simulations. These results will inform the rational development

Atomic Covalent Functionalization of Graphene

Science.gov (United States)

Johns, James E.; Hersam, Mark C.

2012-01-01

Conspectus Although graphene’s physical structure is a single atom thick, two-dimensional, hexagonal crystal of sp2 bonded carbon, this simple description belies the myriad interesting and complex physical properties attributed to this fascinating material. Because of its unusual electronic structure and superlative properties, graphene serves as a leading candidate for many next generation technologies including high frequency electronics, broadband photodetectors, biological and gas sensors, and transparent conductive coatings. Despite this promise, researchers could apply graphene more routinely in real-world technologies if they could chemically adjust graphene’s electronic properties. For example, the covalent modification of graphene to create a band gap comparable to silicon (~1 eV) would enable its use in digital electronics, and larger band gaps would provide new opportunities for graphene-based photonics. Towards this end, researchers have focused considerable effort on the chemical functionalization of graphene. Due to its high thermodynamic stability and chemical inertness, new methods and techniques are required to create covalent bonds without promoting undesirable side reactions or irreversible damage to the underlying carbon lattice. In this Account, we review and discuss recent theoretical and experimental work studying covalent modifications to graphene using gas phase atomic radicals. Atomic radicals have sufficient energy to overcome the kinetic and thermodynamic barriers associated with covalent reactions on the basal plane of graphene but lack the energy required to break the C-C sigma bonds that would destroy the carbon lattice. Furthermore, because they are atomic species, radicals substantially reduce the likelihood of unwanted side reactions that confound other covalent chemistries. Overall, these methods based on atomic radicals show promise for the homogeneous functionalization of graphene and the production of new classes of two

Strategies to balance covalent and non-covalent biomolecule attachment within collagen-GAG biomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Pence, Jacquelyn C; Gonnerman, Emily A; Bailey, Ryan C; Harley, Brendan A C

2014-09-01

Strategies to integrate instructive biomolecular signals into a biomaterial are becoming increasingly complex and bioinspired. While a large majority of reports still use repeated treatments with soluble factors, this approach can be prohibitively costly and difficult to translate in vivo for applications where spatial control over signal presentation is necessary. Recent efforts have explored the use of covalent immobilization of biomolecules to the biomaterial, via both bulk (ubiquitous) as well as spatially-selective light-based crosslinking, as a means to both enhance stability and bioactivity. However, little is known about how processing conditions during immobilization impact the degree of unintended non-covalent interactions, or fouling, that takes place between the biomaterial and the biomolecule of interest. Here we demonstrate the impact of processing conditions for bulk carbodiimide (EDC) and photolithography-based benzophenone (BP) crosslinking on specific attachment vs. fouling of a model protein (Concanavalin A, ConA) within collagen-glycosaminoglycan (CG) scaffolds. Collagen source significantly impacts the selectivity of biomolecule immobilization. EDC crosslinking intensity and ligand concentration significantly impacted selective immobilization. For benzophenone photoimmobilization we observed that increased UV exposure time leads to increased ConA immobilization. Immobilization efficiency for both EDC and BP strategies was maximal at physiological pH. Increasing ligand concentration during immobilization process led to enhanced immobilization for EDC chemistry, no impact on BP immobilization, but significant increases in non-specific fouling. Given recent efforts to covalently immobilize biomolecules to a biomaterial surface to enhance bioactivity, improved understanding of the impact of crosslinking conditions on selective attachment versus non-specific fouling will inform the design of instructive biomaterials for applications across tissue

Antioxidant Activity of Hispidin Oligomers from Medicinal Fungi: A DFT Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

El Hassane Anouar

2014-03-01

Full Text Available Hispidin oligomers are styrylpyrone pigments isolated from the medicinal fungi Inonotus xeranticus and Phellinus linteus. They exhibit diverse biological activities and strong free radical scavenging activity. To rationalize the antioxidant activity of a series of four hispidin oligomers and determine the favored mechanism involved in free radical scavenging, DFT calculations were carried out at the B3P86/6-31+G (d, p level of theory in gas and solvent. The results showed that bond dissociation enthalpies of OH groups of hispidin oligomers (ArOH and spin density delocalization of related radicals (ArO• are the appropriate parameters to clarify the differences between the observed antioxidant activities for the four oligomers. The effect of the number of hydroxyl groups and presence of a catechol moiety conjugated to a double bond on the antioxidant activity were determined. Thermodynamic and kinetic studies showed that the PC-ET mechanism is the main mechanism involved in free radical scavenging. The spin density distribution over phenoxyl radicals allows a better understanding of the hispidin oligomers formation.

Electron population uncertainty and atomic covalency

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chesnut, D.B.

2006-01-01

The atoms-in-molecules (AIM) index of atomic covalency is directly related to the AIM atomic population uncertainty. The covalent bond order, delocalization index, and, therefore, the atomic covalency are maximal when electron pairs are equally shared by the atoms involved. When polarization effects are present, these measures of covalent bond character decrease. We present atomic covalences for the single- and double-heavy atom hydrides of elements of the first and second low rows of the periodic table to illustrate these effects. Some usual behavior is seen in hydrogen-bridged species due in some cases to stronger than expected multicenter bonds and in other cases to many atoms contributing to the covalency index

Photo-electron spectroscopy study of energy levels in conjugated oligomers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Veenstra, SC; Heeres, A; Stalmach, U; Wildeman, J; Hadziioannou, G; Sawatzky, GA; Jonkman, HT; Moss, SC

2002-01-01

We report on the valence orbital structure of poly(para-phenylenevinylene) (PPV)-like oligomers. We studied these molecules as isolated oligomers in the gas phase, as well as in thin films deposited on metal substrates. We use a simple model based on a previously reported Hamiltonian that accurately

Solvent free low-melt viscosity imide oligomers and thermosetting polymide composites

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, Chun-Hua (Inventor)

2012-01-01

.[.This invention relates to the composition and a solvent-free process for preparing novel imide oligomers and polymers specifically formulated with effective amounts of a dianhydride such as 2,3,3',4-biphenyltetra carboxylic dianydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic diamine and an endcapped of 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260-280.degree. C. When the imide oligomer melt is cured at about 371.degree. C. in a press or autoclave under 100-500 psi, the melt resulted in a thermoset polyimide having a glass transition temperature (T.sub.g) equal to and above 310.degree. C. A novel feature of this process is that the monomers; namely the dianhydrides, diamines and the endcaps, are melt processable to form imide oligomers at temperatures ranging between 232-280.degree. C. (450-535.degree. F.) without any solvent. These low-melt imide oligomers can be easily processed by resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) or the resin infusion process with fiber preforms e.g. carbon, glass or quartz preforms to produce polyimide matrix composites with 288-343.degree. C. (550-650.degree. F.) high temperature performance capability..]. .Iadd.This invention relates to compositions and a solvent-free reaction process for preparing imide oligomers and polymers specifically derived from effective amounts of dianhydrides such as 2,3,3',4'-biphenyltetracarboxylic dianhydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic polyamine and an end-cap such as 4-phenylethynyphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260.degree. C.-280.degree. C..Iaddend.

Computer simulations and theoretical aspects of the depletion interaction in protein-oligomer mixtures.

Science.gov (United States)

Boncina, M; Rescic, J; Kalyuzhnyi, Yu V; Vlachy, V

2007-07-21

The depletion interaction between proteins caused by addition of either uncharged or partially charged oligomers was studied using the canonical Monte Carlo simulation technique and the integral equation theory. A protein molecule was modeled in two different ways: either as (i) a hard sphere of diameter 30.0 A with net charge 0, or +5, or (ii) as a hard sphere with discrete charges (depending on the pH of solution) of diameter 45.4 A. The oligomers were pictured as tangentially jointed, uncharged, or partially charged, hard spheres. The ions of a simple electrolyte present in solution were represented by charged hard spheres distributed in the dielectric continuum. In this study we were particularly interested in changes of the protein-protein pair-distribution function, caused by addition of the oligomer component. In agreement with previous studies we found that addition of a nonadsorbing oligomer reduces the phase stability of solution, which is reflected in the shape of the protein-protein pair-distribution function. The value of this function in protein-protein contact increases with increasing oligomer concentration, and is larger for charged oligomers. The range of the depletion interaction and its strength also depend on the length (number of monomer units) of the oligomer chain. The integral equation theory, based on the Wertheim Ornstein-Zernike approach applied in this study, was found to be in fair agreement with Monte Carlo results only for very short oligomers. The computer simulations for a model mimicking the lysozyme molecule (ii) are in qualitative agreement with small-angle neutron experiments for lysozyme-dextran mixtures.

Self-propagative replication of Aβ oligomers suggests potential transmissibility in Alzheimer disease.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Amit Kumar

Full Text Available The aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ peptide and its deposition in parts of the brain form the central processes in the etiology of Alzheimer disease (AD. The low-molecular weight oligomers of Aβ aggregates (2 to 30 mers are known to be the primary neurotoxic agents whose mechanisms of cellular toxicity and synaptic dysfunction have received substantial attention in the recent years. However, how these toxic agents proliferate and induce widespread amyloid deposition throughout the brain, and what mechanism is involved in the amplification and propagation of toxic oligomer species, are far from clear. Emerging evidence based on transgenic mice models indicates a transmissible nature of Aβ aggregates and implicates a prion-like mechanism of oligomer propagation, which manifests as the dissemination and proliferation of Aβ toxicity. Despite accumulating evidence in support of a transmissible nature of Aβ aggregates, a clear, molecular-level understanding of this intriguing mechanism is lacking. Recently, we reported the characterization of unique replicating oligomers of Aβ42 (12-24 mers in vitro called Large Fatty Acid-derived Oligomers (LFAOs (Kumar et al., 2012, J. Biol. Chem. In the current report, we establish that LFAOs possess physiological activity by activating NF-κB in human neuroblastoma cells, and determine the experimental parameters that control the efficiency of LFAO replication by self-propagation. These findings constitute the first detailed report on monomer - oligomer lateral propagation reactions that may constitute potential mechanism governing transmissibility among Aβ oligomers. These data support the previous reports on transmissible mechanisms observed in transgenic animal models.

Synthesis, characterization and catalytic oxidation properties of multi-wall carbon nanotubes with a covalently attached copper(II) salen complex

Science.gov (United States)

Salavati-Niasari, Masoud; Bazarganipour, Mehdi

2009-06-01

Hydroxyl functionalized copper(II) Schiff-base, N,N'-bis(4-hydroxysalicylidene)-ethylene-1,2-diaminecopper(II), [Cu((OH) 2-salen)], has been covalently anchored on modified MWCNTs. The new modified MWCNTs ([Cu((OH) 2-salen)]-MWCNTs) have been characterized by TEM, thermal analysis, XRD, XPS, UV-vis, DRS, FT-IR spectroscopy and elemental analysis. The modified copper(II) MWCNTs solid was used to affect the catalytic oxidation of ethylbenzene with tert-butylhydroperoxide as the oxidant at 333 K. The system is truly heterogeneous (no leaching observed) and reusable (no decrease in activity) in three consecutive runs. Acetophenone was the major product though small amounts of o- and p-hydroxyacetophenones were also formed revealing that C-H bond activation takes place both at benzylic and aromatic ring carbon atoms. Ring hydroxylation was more over the "neat" complexes than over the encapsulated complexes.

Applications of oligomers for nanostructured conducting polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Yue; Tran, Henry D; Kaner, Richard B

2011-01-03

This Feature Article provides an overview of the distinctive nanostructures that aniline oligomers form and the applications of these oligomers for shaping the nanoscale morphologies and chirality of conducting polymers. We focus on the synthetic methods for achieving such goals and highlight the underlying mechanisms. The clear advantages of each method and their possible drawbacks are discussed. Assembly and applications of these novel organic (semi)conducting nanomaterials are also outlined. We conclude this article with our perspective on the main challenges, new opportunities, and future directions for this nascent yet vibrant field of research. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Covalent and non-covalent chemical engineering of actin for biotechnological applications.

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Saroj; Mansson, Alf

2017-11-15

The cytoskeletal filaments are self-assembled protein polymers with 8-25nm diameters and up to several tens of micrometres length. They have a range of pivotal roles in eukaryotic cells, including transportation of intracellular cargoes (primarily microtubules with dynein and kinesin motors) and cell motility (primarily actin and myosin) where muscle contraction is one example. For two decades, the cytoskeletal filaments and their associated motor systems have been explored for nanotechnological applications including miniaturized sensor systems and lab-on-a-chip devices. Several developments have also revolved around possible exploitation of the filaments alone without their motor partners. Efforts to use the cytoskeletal filaments for applications often require chemical or genetic engineering of the filaments such as specific conjugation with fluorophores, antibodies, oligonucleotides or various macromolecular complexes e.g. nanoparticles. Similar conjugation methods are also instrumental for a range of fundamental biophysical studies. Here we review methods for non-covalent and covalent chemical modifications of actin filaments with focus on critical advantages and challenges of different methods as well as critical steps in the conjugation procedures. We also review potential uses of the engineered actin filaments in nanotechnological applications and in some key fundamental studies of actin and myosin function. Finally, we consider possible future lines of investigation that may be addressed by applying chemical conjugation of actin in new ways. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Donor-acceptor-donor thienyl/bithienyl-benzothiadiazole/quinoxaline model oligomers: experimental and theoretical studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Pina, João; de Melo, J Seixas; Breusov, D; Scherf, Ullrich

2013-09-28

A comprehensive spectral and photophysical investigation of four donor-acceptor-donor (DAD) oligomers consisting of electron-deficient 2,1,3-benzothiadiazole or quinoxaline moieties linked to electron-rich thienyl or bithienyl units has been undertaken. Additionally, a bis(dithienyl) substituted naphthalene was also investigated. The D-A-D nature of these oligomers resulted in the presence of an intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) state, which was further substantiated by solvatochromism studies (analysis with the Lippert-Mataga formalism). Hereby, significant differences have been obtained for the fluorescence quantum yields of the oligomers in the non-polar solvent methylcyclohexane vs. the polar ethanol. The study was further complemented with the determination of the optimized ground-state molecular geometries for the oligomers together with the prediction of the lowest vertical one-electron excitation energy and the relevant molecular orbital contours using DFT calculations. The electronic transitions show a clear HOMO to LUMO charge-transfer character. In contrast to the thiophene oligomers (the oligothiophenes with n = 1-7), where the intersystem crossing (ISC) yield decreases with n, the studied DAD oligomers were found to show an increase in the ISC efficiency with the number of (donor) thienyl units.

Evidence of significant covalent bonding in Au(CN)(2)(-).

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Xue-Bin; Wang, Yi-Lei; Yang, Jie; Xing, Xiao-Peng; Li, Jun; Wang, Lai-Sheng

2009-11-18

The Au(CN)(2)(-) ion is the most stable Au compound known for centuries, yet a detailed understanding of its chemical bonding is still lacking. Here we report direct experimental evidence of significant covalent bonding character in the Au-C bonds in Au(CN)(2)(-) using photoelectron spectroscopy and comparisons with its lighter congeners, Ag(CN)(2)(-) and Cu(CN)(2)(-). Vibrational progressions in the Au-C stretching mode were observed for all detachment transitions for Au(CN)(2)(-), in contrast to the atomic-like transitions for Cu(CN)(2)(-), revealing the Au-C covalent bonding character. In addition, rich electronic structural information was obtained for Au(CN)(2)(-) by employing 118 nm detachment photons. Density functional theory and high-level ab initio calculations were carried out to understand the photoelectron spectra and obtain insight into the nature of the chemical bonding in the M(CN)(2)(-) complexes. Significant covalent character in the Au-C bonding due to the strong relativistic effects was revealed in Au(CN)(2)(-), consistent with its high stability.

Solvent Free Low-Melt Viscosity Imide Oligomers And Thermosetting Polyimide Composites

Science.gov (United States)

Chuang, CHun-Hua (Inventor)

2006-01-01

This invention relates to the composition and a solvent-free process for preparing novel imide oligomers and polymers specifically formulated with effective amounts of a dianhydride such as 2,3,3',4-biphenyltetra carboxylic dianydride (a-BPDA), at least one aromatic diamine' and an endcapped of 4-phenylethynylphthalic anhydride (PEPA) or nadic anhydride to produce imide oligomers that possess a low-melt viscosity of 1-60 poise at 260-280" C. When the imide oligomer melt is cured at about 371 C. in a press or autoclave under 100-500 psi, the melt resulted in a thermoset polyimide having a glass transition temperature (T(sub g)) equal to and above 310 C. A novel feature of this process is that the monomers; namely the dianhydrides, diamines and the endcaps, are melt processable to form imide oligomers at temperatures ranging between 232-280 C. (450-535 F) without any solvent. These low-melt imide oligomers can be easily processed by resin transfer molding (RTM), vacuum-assisted resin transfer molding (VARTM) or the resin infusion process with fiber preforms e.g. carbon, glass or quartz preforms to produce polyimide matrix composites with 288-343C (550-650 F) high temperature performance capability.

Aniline oligomers versus polyaniline

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Stejskal, Jaroslav; Trchová, Miroslava

2012-01-01

Roč. 61, č. 2 (2012), s. 240-251 ISSN 0959-8103 R&D Projects: GA AV ČR IAA400500905; GA AV ČR IAA100500902; GA ČR GA203/08/0686; GA ČR GA202/09/1626 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : polyaniline * anilin e oligomers * anilin e Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.125, year: 2012

Charge Separation and Recombination in Small Band Gap Oligomer-Fullerene Triads

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Karsten, Bram P.; Bouwer, Ricardo K. M.; Hummelen, Jan C.; Williams, Rene M.; Janssen, Rene A. J.

2010-01-01

Synthesis and photophysics of a series of thiophene-thienopyrazine small band gap oligomers end-capped at both ends with C(60) are presented In these triads a photoinduced electron transfer reaction occurs between the oligomer as a donor and the fullerene as an acceptor Femtosecond photoinduced

Structural Investigations of on-pathway Oligomers of α-Synuclein

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Martin Nors; Horvath, Istvan; Weise, Christoph F.

Academy of Sciences of the United States of America 108(8): 3246-3251. Horvath, I., et al. (2012). "Mechanisms of protein oligomerization: In-hibitor of functional amyloids templates a-synuclein fibrilla-tion." Journal of the American Chemical Society. Spillantini, M. G., et al. (1997). "[alpha...... by decomposition of SAXS data from the evolving fibrillating solution (Giehm et al. 2011). NMR data have furthermore suggested that the C-terminal is exposed on oligomers obtained by incubation with the ligand FN075 (Horvath et al. 2012). In this study we aim at obtaining SAXS data from isolated stabilized...... oligomer (MAX-lab, May 2012); data analysis is in progress. ITC experiments are furthermore planned to more accurately determine the stoichiometry between α-synuclein and FN075. Horvath and co-workers have already shown that the FN075 stabilized oligomer is on pathway. We have shown that the in...

Characterization of methacrylate-based composites containing thio-urethane oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacchi, Atais; Nelson, Morgan; Pfeifer, Carmem S

2016-02-01

To evaluate the ability of thio-urethane oligomers to improve the properties of restorative composite resins. Oligomers were synthesized by combining 1,6-hexanediol-diissocyante (aliphatic) with pentaerythritol tetra-3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP) or 1,3-bis(1-isocyanato-1-methylethyl)benzene (aromatic) with trimethylol-tris-3-mercaptopropionate (TMP), at 1:2 isocyanate:thiol, leaving pendant thiols. Oligomers were added at 0-20 wt% to BisGMA-TEGDMA (70-30 wt%). Silanated inorganic fillers were added (70 wt%). Materials were photoactivated at 800 mW/cm(2) filtered to 320-500 nm. Near-IR was used to follow degree of methacrylate conversion (DC). Mechanical properties were evaluated in three-point bending with 2 mm × 2 mm × 25 mm bars for flexural strength/modulus and toughness (FS/E, and T) according to ISO 4049, and 2 mm × 5 mm × 25 mm notched specimens for fracture toughness (KIC). Polymerization stress (PS) was measured on the Bioman. Results were analyzed with ANOVA/Tukey's test (α=5%). Significant increase in DC was observed in thio-urethane-containing materials especially for the group with 20 wt% of aliphatic version. Materials composed by oligomers also promoted higher FS, E, and KIC in comparison to controls irrespective of thio-urethane type. A significant increase in toughness was detected by ANOVA, but not distinguished in the groups. The PS was significantly reduced by the presence of thio-urethane for almost all groups. The use of thio-urethane oligomer to compose methacrylate-based restorative composite promote increase in DC, FS, E and KIC while significant reduces PS. A simple additive was shown to reduce stress while increasing convrersion and mechanical properties, mainly fracture toughness. This has he potential of increasing the service life of dental composites, without changing current operatory procedures. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Acrylate oligomers in ultraviolet cured PSA's glass transition, molecular weight versus peel strength

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miller, H.C.

1999-01-01

Typically those not skilled in the art relate Glass Transition Temperature to Pressure Sensitive Adhesives. You need a low Tg material to prepare good pressure sensitive adhesives. This report deals with a wide range acrylate terminated oligomers in a standard formulation. Molecular weight, chemical structure variations are examined versus the Glass Transition of the oligomers and final peel strength. Each formulated adhesive will require unique oligomer properties to reach one hundred newtons per 100 millimeters (5.71 pounds per square inch) peel strength. Excellent peel strengths may be obtained with oligomer molecular weight ranging from six thousand to one thousand molecular weight and glass transition temperatures ranging from minus seventy four degrees centigrade up to thirteen degrees centigrade

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.

Preparation of Chito-Oligomers by Hydrolysis of Chitosan in the Presence of Zeolite as Adsorbent

Science.gov (United States)

Ibrahim, Khalid A.; El-Eswed, Bassam I.; Abu-Sbeih, Khaleel A.; Arafat, Tawfeeq A.; Al Omari, Mahmoud M. H.; Darras, Fouad H.; Badwan, Adnan A.

2016-01-01

An increasing interest has recently been shown to use chitin/chitosan oligomers (chito-oligomers) in medicine and food fields because they are not only water-soluble, nontoxic, and biocompatible materials, but they also exhibit numerous biological properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor activities, as well as immuno-enhancing effects on animals. Conventional depolymerization methods of chitosan to chito-oligomers are either chemical by acid-hydrolysis under harsh conditions or by enzymatic degradation. In this work, hydrolysis of chitosan to chito-oligomers has been achieved by applying adsorption-separation technique using diluted HCl in the presence of different types of zeolite as adsorbents. The chito-oligomers were retrieved from adsorbents and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (LC/MS), and ninhydrin test. PMID:27455287

Thio-urethane oligomers improve the properties of light-cured resin cements.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacchi, Ataís; Consani, Rafael L; Martim, Gedalias C; Pfeifer, Carmem S

2015-05-01

Thio-urethanes were synthesized by combining 1,6-hexanediol-diissocyante (aliphatic) with pentaerythritol tetra-3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP) or 1,3-bis(1-isocyanato-1-methylethyl)benzene (aromatic) with trimethylol-tris-3-mercaptopropionate (TMP), at 1:2 isocyanate:thiol, leaving pendant thiols. Oligomers were added at 10-30 phr to BisGMA-UDMA-TEGDMA (5:3:2, BUT). 25 wt% silanated inorganic fillers were added. Commercial cement (Relyx Veneer, 3M-ESPE) was also evaluated with 10-20 phr of aromatic oligomer. Near-IR was used to follow methacrylate conversion (DC) and rate of polymerization (Rpmax). Mechanical properties were evaluated in three-point bending (ISO 4049) for flexural strength/modulus (FS/FM, and toughness), and notched specimens (ASTM Standard E399-90) for fracture toughness (KIC). Polymerization stress (PS) was measured on the Bioman. Volumetric shrinkage (VS, %) was measured with the bonded disk technique. Results were analyzed with ANOVA/Tukey's test (α=5%). In general terms, for BUT cements, conversion and mechanical properties in flexure increased for selected groups with the addition of thio-urethane oligomers. The aromatic versions resulted in greater FS/FM than aliphatic. Fracture toughness increased by two-fold in the experimental groups (from 1.17 ± 0.36 MPam(1/2) to around 3.23 ± 0.22 MPam(1/2)). Rpmax decreased with the addition of thio-urethanes, though the vitrification point was not statistically different from the control. VS and PS decreased with both oligomers. For the commercial cement, 20 phr of oligomer increased DC, vitrification, reduced Rpmax and also significantly increased KIC, and reduced PS and FM. Thio-urethane oligomers were shown to favorably modify conventional dimethacrylate networks. Significant reductions in polymerization stress were achieved at the same time conversion and fracture toughness increased. Copyright © 2015 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multicolored, Low-Voltage-Driven, Flexible Organic Electrochromic Devices Based on Oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Wan, Zhijun; Zeng, Jinming; Li, Hui; Liu, Ping; Deng, Wenji

2018-04-20

In this study, a series of organic conjugated oligomers containing 3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene (EDOT) and aromatic groups are synthesized, which are as follows: 2,5-di(methyl benzoate)-3,4-ethylenedioxy-thiophene (1EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 ), 5,5'-di(methyl benzoate)-2,2'-bi(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (2EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 ), 5,5″-di(methyl benzoate)-2,2':5',2″-ter(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (3EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 ), and 5,5″'-di(methyl benzoate)-2,2':5',2″: 5″,2″'-quater(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (4EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 ). Using these oligomers as active materials, flexible organic electrochromic devices are fabricated. The device structure is indium tin oxide-PET plastic slide (ITO-PET)/active layer/conducting gel/ITO-PET, and the electrochromic properties of oligomers are investigated. These oligomers exhibit reversible color changes upon electrochemical doping and dedoping. The highest optical contrast is exhibited by 4EDOT-2B-COOCH 3 , which is 75.2% at 700 nm. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Peptide oligomers for holographic data storage

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Berg, Rolf Henrik; Hvilsted, Søren; Ramanujam, P.S.

1996-01-01

SEVERAL classes of organic materials (such as photoanisotropic liquid-crystalline polymers(1-4) and photorefractive polymers(5-7)) are being investigated for the development of media for optical data storage. Here we describe a new family of organic materials-peptide oligomers containing azobenzene...

Self-assembly of aniline oligomers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Zhao, Y.; Tomšík, Elena; Wang, J.; Morávková, Zuzana; Zhigunov, Alexander; Stejskal, Jaroslav; Trchová, Miroslava

2013-01-01

Roč. 8, č. 1 (2013), s. 129-137 ISSN 1861-4728 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA202/09/1626; GA ČR GAP205/12/0911 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : morphology * oligoaniline * oligomers Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 3.935, year: 2013

Direct Correlation Between Ligand-Induced α-Synuclein Oligomers and Amyloid-like Fibril Growth

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Martin Nors; Foderà, Vito; Horvath, Istvan

2015-01-01

link to disease related degenerative activity. Fibrils formed in the presence and absence of FN075 are indistinguishable on microscopic and macroscopic levels. Using small angle X-ray scattering, we reveal that FN075 induced oligomers are similar, but not identical, to oligomers previously observed......Aggregation of proteins into amyloid deposits is the hallmark of several neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's and Parkinson's disease. The suggestion that intermediate oligomeric species may be cytotoxic has led to intensified investigations of pre-fibrillar oligomers, which...

Preparation of Chito-Oligomers by Hydrolysis of Chitosan in the Presence of Zeolite as Adsorbent

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khalid A. Ibrahim

2016-07-01

Full Text Available An increasing interest has recently been shown to use chitin/chitosan oligomers (chito-oligomers in medicine and food fields because they are not only water-soluble, nontoxic, and biocompatible materials, but they also exhibit numerous biological properties, including antibacterial, antifungal, and antitumor activities, as well as immuno-enhancing effects on animals. Conventional depolymerization methods of chitosan to chito-oligomers are either chemical by acid-hydrolysis under harsh conditions or by enzymatic degradation. In this work, hydrolysis of chitosan to chito-oligomers has been achieved by applying adsorption-separation technique using diluted HCl in the presence of different types of zeolite as adsorbents. The chito-oligomers were retrieved from adsorbents and characterized by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC, liquid chromatography/mass spectroscopy (LC/MS, and ninhydrin test.

Separation of xylose oligomers using centrifugal partition chromatography with a butanol-methanol-water system.

Science.gov (United States)

Lau, Ching-Shuan; Clausen, Edgar C; Lay, Jackson O; Gidden, Jennifer; Carrier, Danielle Julie

2013-01-01

Xylose oligomers are the intermediate products of xylan depolymerization into xylose monomers. An understanding of xylan depolymerization kinetics is important to improve the conversion of xylan into monomeric xylose and to minimize the formation of inhibitory products, thereby reducing ethanol production costs. The study of xylan depolymerization requires copious amount of xylose oligomers, which are expensive if acquired commercially. Our approach consisted of producing in-house oligomer material. To this end, birchwood xylan was used as the starting material and hydrolyzed in hot water at 200 °C for 60 min with a 4 % solids loading. The mixture of xylose oligomers was subsequently fractionated by a centrifugal partition chromatography (CPC) with a solvent system of butanol:methanol:water in a 5:1:4 volumetric ratio. Operating in an ascending mode, the butanol-rich upper phase (the mobile phase) eluted xylose oligomers from the water-rich stationary phase at a 4.89 mL/min flow rate for a total fractionation time of 300 min. The elution of xylose oligomers occurred between 110 and 280 min. The yields and purities of xylobiose (DP 2), xylotriose (DP 3), xylotetraose (DP 4), and xylopentaose (DP 5) were 21, 10, 14, and 15 mg/g xylan and 95, 90, 89, and 68 %, respectively. The purities of xylose oligomers from this solvent system were higher than those reported previously using tetrahydrofuran:dimethyl sulfoxide:water in a 6:1:3 volumetric ratio. Moreover, the butanol-based solvent system improved overall procedures by facilitating the evaporation of the solvents from the CPC fractions, rendering the purification process more efficient.

Covalent bonding in heavy metal oxides

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bagus, Paul S.; Nelin, Connie J.; Hrovat, Dave A.; Ilton, Eugene S.

2017-04-07

Novel theoretical methods were used to quantify the magnitude and the energetic contributions of 4f/5f-O2p and 5d/6d-O2p interactions to covalent bonding in lanthanide and actinide oxides. Although many analyses have neglected the involvement of the frontier d orbitals, the present study shows that f and d covalency are of comparable importance. Two trends are identified. As is expected, the covalent mixing is larger when the nominal oxidation state is higher. More subtly, the importance of the nf covalent mixing decreases sharply relative to (n+1)d as the nf occupation increases. Atomic properties of the metal cations that drive these trends are identified.

Aβ42 oligomers selectively disrupt neuronal calcium release.

Science.gov (United States)

Lazzari, Cristian; Kipanyula, Maulilio J; Agostini, Mario; Pozzan, Tullio; Fasolato, Cristina

2015-02-01

Accumulation of amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides correlates with aging and progression of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Aβ peptides, which cause early synaptic dysfunctions, spine loss, and memory deficits, also disturb intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis. By cytosolic and endoplasmic reticulum Ca(2+) measurements, we here define the short-term effects of synthetic Aβ42 on neuronal Ca(2+) dynamics. When applied acutely at submicromolar concentration, as either oligomers or monomers, Aβ42 did not cause Ca(2+) release or Ca(2+) influx. Similarly, 1-hour treatment with Aβ42 modified neither the resting cytosolic Ca(2+) level nor the long-lasting Ca(2+) influx caused by KCl-induced depolarization. In contrast, Aβ42 oligomers, but not monomers, significantly altered Ca(2+) release from stores with opposite effects on inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate (IP3)- and caffeine-induced Ca(2+) mobilization without alteration of the total store Ca(2+) content. Ca(2+) dysregulation by Aβ42 oligomers involves metabotropic glutamate receptor 5 and requires network activity and the intact exo-endocytotic machinery, being prevented by tetrodotoxin and tetanus toxin. These findings support the idea that Ca(2+) store dysfunction is directly involved in Aβ42 neurotoxicity and represents a potential therapeutic target in AD-like dementia. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Fabrication and characterization of all-covalent nanocomposite functionalized screen-printed voltammetric sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jasmin, Jean-Philippe; Cannizzo, Caroline; Dumas, Eddy; Chaussé, Annie

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Screen printed electrodes were covalently functionalized by gold nanoparticles. • The covalent grafting of AuNPs was achieved via diazonium salt chemistry. • Two grafting methods and two types of AuNPs were compared. • Carboxylate ligands were grafted on these nanostructured electrodes. • Good preliminary responses towards lead analysis were obtained by SW-ASV. - Abstract: We report in this paper an all-covalent method to obtain highly nanostructured carbon screen printed electrodes (SPEs) bearing gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) functionalized by complexing groups using diazonium salts chemistry. SPEs were first modified with 4-aminophenyl functions (SPE-Ph-NH 2 ). The amino moieties were then converted into diazonium salts (SPE-Ph-N 2 + Cl − ). These reactive SPEs were then used to immobilize AuNPs by electrochemical or spontaneous method. The spontaneous method proved to be a more efficient grafting approach. Two types of AuNPs suspensions were compared: AuNPs obtained via the well-known Turkevich method, citrate-stabilized and having a diameter of about 20 nm, and AuNPs obtained by the method recently described by Eah et al., stabilizer-free with an average diameter of 4 nm. We show that the size of the Au-NPs, their concentration and their surface properties are key parameters that affect the electrochemical properties of the final nanostructured SPEs. The covalent grafting of 4-carboxyphenyl ligands through diazonium chemistry, able to complex metallic cations, at the surface of SPE-Ph-AuNPs allowed their use for the detection of Pb(II). Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy, Cyclic Voltammetry, Scanning Electron Microscopy, Rutherford Backscattering and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy were used to characterize these nanostructured materials

Accumulation of oligomer-prone α-synuclein exacerbates synaptic and neuronal degeneration in vivo.

Science.gov (United States)

Rockenstein, Edward; Nuber, Silke; Overk, Cassia R; Ubhi, Kiren; Mante, Michael; Patrick, Christina; Adame, Anthony; Trejo-Morales, Margarita; Gerez, Juan; Picotti, Paola; Jensen, Poul H; Campioni, Silvia; Riek, Roland; Winkler, Jürgen; Gage, Fred H; Winner, Beate; Masliah, Eliezer

2014-05-01

In Parkinson's disease and dementia with Lewy bodies, α-synuclein aggregates to form oligomers and fibrils; however, the precise nature of the toxic α-synuclein species remains unclear. A number of synthetic α-synuclein mutations were recently created (E57K and E35K) that produce species of α-synuclein that preferentially form oligomers and increase α-synuclein-mediated toxicity. We have shown that acute lentiviral expression of α-synuclein E57K leads to the degeneration of dopaminergic neurons; however, the effects of chronic expression of oligomer-prone α-synuclein in synapses throughout the brain have not been investigated. Such a study could provide insight into the possible mechanism(s) through which accumulation of α-synuclein oligomers in the synapse leads to neurodegeneration. For this purpose, we compared the patterns of neurodegeneration and synaptic damage between a newly generated mThy-1 α-synuclein E57K transgenic mouse model that is prone to forming oligomers and the mThy-1 α-synuclein wild-type mouse model (Line 61), which accumulates various forms of α-synuclein. Three lines of α-synuclein E57K (Lines 9, 16 and 54) were generated and compared with the wild-type. The α-synuclein E57K Lines 9 and 16 were higher expressings of α-synuclein, similar to α-synuclein wild-type Line 61, and Line 54 was a low expressing of α-synuclein compared to Line 61. By immunoblot analysis, the higher-expressing α-synuclein E57K transgenic mice showed abundant oligomeric, but not fibrillar, α-synuclein whereas lower-expressing mice accumulated monomeric α-synuclein. Monomers, oligomers, and fibrils were present in α-synuclein wild-type Line 61. Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural analyses demonstrated that α-synuclein accumulated in the synapses but not in the neuronal cells bodies, which was different from the α-synuclein wild-type Line 61, which accumulates α-synuclein in the soma. Compared to non-transgenic and lower-expressing mice, the

Dynamic covalent chemistry of bisimines at the solid/liquid interface monitored by scanning tunnelling microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Ciesielski, Artur; El Garah, Mohamed; Haar, Sébastien; Kovaříček, Petr; Lehn, Jean-Marie; Samorì, Paolo

2014-11-01

Dynamic covalent chemistry relies on the formation of reversible covalent bonds under thermodynamic control to generate dynamic combinatorial libraries. It provides access to numerous types of complex functional architectures, and thereby targets several technologically relevant applications, such as in drug discovery, (bio)sensing and dynamic materials. In liquid media it was proved that by taking advantage of the reversible nature of the bond formation it is possible to combine the error-correction capacity of supramolecular chemistry with the robustness of covalent bonding to generate adaptive systems. Here we show that double imine formation between 4-(hexadecyloxy)benzaldehyde and different α,ω-diamines as well as reversible bistransimination reactions can be achieved at the solid/liquid interface, as monitored on the submolecular scale by in situ scanning tunnelling microscopy imaging. Our modular approach enables the structurally controlled reversible incorporation of various molecular components to form sophisticated covalent architectures, which opens up perspectives towards responsive multicomponent two-dimensional materials and devices.

Covalent Organic

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vutti, Surendra

chemistry of silicon, InAs and GaAs materials, covalentsurface functionalization using organosilanes, liquid-phase, and vapor-phasefunctionalizations, diazo-transfer reaction, CuAAC click chemistry, different types ofbiorthogonal chemistries, SPAAC chemistry, and cellular interactions of chemically...... immobilization of D-amino acid adhesion peptideson azide functionalized silicon, GaAs and InAs materials by using CuAAC-click chemistry.The covalent immobilization of penetration peptide (TAT) on gold nanotips of InAs NWs isalso demonstrated.In chapter four, the covalent immobilization of GFP on silicon wafers......, GaAs wafers andGaAs NWs is demonstrated. Series of Fmoc-Pra-OH, NHS-PEG5-NHS and BCN-NHSfunctionalized silicon surfaces has been prepared, whereby GFP-N3 and GFP-bicyclononyneare immobilized by using CuAAC and SPAAC chemistry. The specific and covalentimmobilization of GFP-N3 on bicyclononyne...

Non-covalent interactions of the carcinogen (+)-anti-BPDE with exon 1 of the human K-ras proto-oncogene

Science.gov (United States)

Rodriguez, Jorge H.; Deligkaris, Christos

2013-03-01

Investigating the complementary, but different, effects of physical (non-covalent) and chemical (covalent) mutagen-DNA and carcinogen-DNA interactions is important for understanding possible mechanisms of development and prevention of mutagenesis and carcinogenesis. A highly mutagenic and carcinogenic metabolite of the polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon benzo[ α]pyrene, namely (+)-anti-BPDE, is known to undergo both physical and chemical complexation with DNA. The major covalent adduct, a promutagenic, is known to be an external (+)-trans-anti-BPDE-N2-dGuanosine configuration whose origins are not fully understood. Thus, it is desirable to study the mechanisms of external non-covalent BPDE-DNA binding and their possible relationships to external covalent trans adduct formation. We present a detailed codon-by-codon computational study of the non-covalent interactions of (+)-anti-BPDE with DNA which explains and correctly predicts preferential (+)-anti-BPDE binding at minor groove guanosines. Due to its relevance to carcinogenesis, the interaction of (+)-anti-BPDE with exon 1 of the human K-ras gene has been studied in detail. Present address: Department of Physics, Drury University

Synthesis and Photophysical Properties of Novel Fullerene Derivatives as Model Compounds for Bulk-Heterojunction PV Cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hal, P.A. van; Langeveld-Voss, B.M.W.; Peeters, E.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Knol, J.; Hummelen, J.C.

2000-01-01

Covalent and well-defined oligomer-fullerene donor-acceptor molecular structures can serve as important model systems for plastic PV cells, based on interpenetrating networks of conjugated polymers and fullerene derivatives. Two series of [60]fullerene-oligomer dyads and triads were prepared and

Energy transfer and electron transfer in dimers and polymers of porphyrin and phthalocyanines: from the liquid phase to Langmuir-Blodgett films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lipskier, Jean-Francois

1991-01-01

The understanding of phenomena of photo-induced transfer of energy and of electron between chromophores belonging to a same supra-molecular entity is necessary for the design and fabrication of molecule devices performing the conversion of a light signal into electric signal or chemical potential. As porphyrin oligomers and phthalocyanine oligomers are examples of interest for the systematic study of parameters governing these processes, the first part of this research thesis addresses the study of dimers and trimers bound by covalent bridges. The second part addresses the study of physical-chemical properties of complexes bound by the Van der Waals interaction as well as by the Coulomb attraction. An extension to Langmuir-Blodgett films is proposed, and the properties of complexes organised in thin films according to this methodology are compared with those of their homologues in solution [fr

Laccase-Catalyzed Synthesis of Low-Molecular-Weight Lignin-Like Oligomers and their Application as UV-Blocking Materials.

Science.gov (United States)

Lim, Jieyan; Sana, Barindra; Krishnan, Ranganathan; Seayad, Jayasree; Ghadessy, Farid J; Jana, Satyasankar; Ramalingam, Balamurugan

2018-02-02

The laccase-catalyzed oxidative polymerization of monomeric and dimeric lignin model compounds was carried out with oxygen as the oxidant in aqueous medium. The oligomers were characterized by using gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectroscopy (MALDI-TOF MS) analysis. Oxidative polymerization led to the formation of oligomeric species with a number-average molecular weight (M n ) that ranged from 700 to 2300 Da with a low polydispersity index. Spectroscopic analysis provided insight into the possible modes of linkages present in the oligomers, and the oligomerization is likely to proceed through the formation of C-C linkages between phenolic aromatic rings. The oligomers were found to show good UV light absorption characteristics with high molar extinction coefficient (5000-38 000 m -1  cm -1 ) in the UV spectral region. The oligomers were blended independently with polyvinyl chloride (PVC) by using solution blending to evaluate the compatibility and UV protection ability of the oligomers. The UV/Vis transmittance spectra of the oligomer-embedded PVC films indicated that these lignin-like oligomers possessed a notable ability to block UV light. In particular, oligomers obtained from vanillyl alcohol and the dimeric lignin model were found to show good photostability in accelerated UV weathering experiments. The UV-blocking characteristics and photostability were finally compared with the commercial low-molecular-weight UV stabilizer 2,4-dihydroxybenzophenone. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Optimization of the All-D Peptide D3 for Aβ Oligomer Elimination.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonia Nicole Klein

Full Text Available The aggregation of amyloid-β (Aβ is postulated to be the crucial event in Alzheimer's disease (AD. In particular, small neurotoxic Aβ oligomers are considered to be responsible for the development and progression of AD. Therefore, elimination of thesis oligomers represents a potential causal therapy of AD. Starting from the well-characterized d-enantiomeric peptide D3, we identified D3 derivatives that bind monomeric Aβ. The underlying hypothesis is that ligands bind monomeric Aβ and stabilize these species within the various equilibria with Aβ assemblies, leading ultimately to the elimination of Aβ oligomers. One of the hereby identified d-peptides, DB3, and a head-to-tail tandem of DB3, DB3DB3, were studied in detail. Both peptides were found to: (i inhibit the formation of Thioflavin T-positive fibrils; (ii bind to Aβ monomers with micromolar affinities; (iii eliminate Aβ oligomers; (iv reduce Aβ-induced cytotoxicity; and (v disassemble preformed Aβ aggregates. The beneficial effects of DB3 were improved by DB3DB3, which showed highly enhanced efficacy. Our approach yielded Aβ monomer-stabilizing ligands that can be investigated as a suitable therapeutic strategy against AD.

PrP(Sc-specific antibodies with the ability to immunodetect prion oligomers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mourad Tayebi

Full Text Available The development of antibodies with binding capacity towards soluble oligomeric forms of PrPSc recognised in the aggregation process in early stage of the disease would be of paramount importance in diagnosing prion diseases before extensive neuropathology has ensued. As blood transfusion appears to be efficient in the transmission of the infectious prion agent, there is an urgent need to develop reagents that would specifically recognize oligomeric forms of the abnormally folded prion protein, PrPSc.To that end, we show that anti-PrP monoclonal antibodies (called PRIOC mAbs derived from mice immunised with native PrP-coated microbeads are able to immunodetect oligomers/multimers of PrPSc. Oligomer-specific immunoreactivity displayed by these PRIOC mAbs was demonstrated as large aggregates of immunoreactive deposits in prion-permissive neuroblastoma cell lines but not in equivalent non-infected or prn-p(0/0 cell lines. In contrast, an anti-monomer PrP antibody displayed diffuse immunoreactivity restricted to the cell membrane. Furthermore, our PRIOC mAbs did not display any binding with monomeric recombinant and cellular prion proteins but strongly detected PrPSc oligomers as shown by a newly developed sensitive and specific ELISA. Finally, PrioC antibodies were also able to bind soluble oligomers formed of Aβ and α-synuclein. These findings demonstrate the potential use of anti-prion antibodies that bind PrPSc oligomers, recognised in early stage of the disease, for the diagnosis of prion diseases in blood and other body fluids.

Amyloid β oligomers induce interleukin-1β production in primary microglia in a cathepsin B- and reactive oxygen species-dependent manner

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Taneo, Jun; Adachi, Takumi [Department of Animal Development and Physiology, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Yoshida, Aiko; Takayasu, Kunio [Responses to Environmental Signals and Stresses, Graduate School of Biostudies, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Takahara, Kazuhiko, E-mail: ktakahar@zoo.zool.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Animal Development and Physiology, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Tokyo 102-0081 (Japan); Inaba, Kayo [Department of Animal Development and Physiology, Kyoto University, Yoshida-Konoe, Sakyo, Kyoto 606-8501 (Japan); Japan Science and Technology Agency, Core Research for Evolutional Science and Technology (CREST), Tokyo 102-0081 (Japan)

2015-03-13

Amyloid β (Aβ) peptide, a causative agent of Alzheimer's disease, forms two types of aggregates: oligomers and fibrils. These aggregates induce inflammatory responses, such as interleukin-1β (IL-1β) production by microglia, which are macrophage-like cells located in the brain. In this study, we examined the effect of the two forms of Aβ aggregates on IL-1β production in mouse primary microglia. We prepared Aβ oligomer and fibril from Aβ (1–42) peptide in vitro. We analyzed the characteristics of these oligomers and fibrils by electrophoresis and atomic force microscopy. Interestingly, Aβ oligomers but not Aβ monomers or fibrils induced robust IL-1β production in the presence of lipopolysaccharide. Moreover, Aβ oligomers induced endo/phagolysosome rupture, which released cathepsin B into the cytoplasm. Aβ oligomer-induced IL-1β production was inhibited not only by the cathepsin B inhibitor CA-074-Me but also by the reactive oxygen species (ROS) inhibitor N-acetylcysteine. Random chemical crosslinking abolished the ability of the oligomers to induce IL-1β. Thus, multimerization and fibrillization causes Aβ oligomers to lose the ability to induce IL-1β. These results indicate that Aβ oligomers, but not fibrils, induce IL-1β production in primary microglia in a cathepsin B- and ROS-dependent manner. - Highlights: • We prepared amyloid β (Aβ) fibrils with minimum contamination of Aβ oligomers. • Primary microglia (MG) produced IL-1β in response to Aβ oligomers, but not fibrils. • Only Aβ oligomers induced leakage of cathepsin B from endo/phagolysosomes. • IL-1β production in response to Aβ oligomers depended on both cathepsin B and ROS. • Crosslinking reduced the ability of the Aβ oligomers to induce IL-1β from MG.

Causative factors for formation of toxic islet amyloid polypeptide oligomer in type 2 diabetes mellitus

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jeong HR

2015-11-01

Full Text Available Hye Rin Jeong, Seong Soo A AnDepartment of Bionano Technology, Gachon Medical Research Institute, Gachon University, Gyeonggi-do, Republic of KoreaAbstract: Human islet amyloid polypeptide (h-IAPP is a peptide hormone that is synthesized and cosecreted with insulin from insulin-secreting pancreatic β-cells. Recently, h-IAPP was proposed to be the main component responsible for the cytotoxic pancreatic amyloid deposits in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM. Since the causative factors of IAPP (or amylin oligomer aggregation are not fully understood, this review will discuss the various forms of h-IAPP aggregation. Not all forms of IAPP aggregates trigger the destruction of β-cell function and loss of β-cell mass; however, toxic oligomers do trigger these events. Once these toxic oligomers form under abnormal metabolic conditions in T2DM, they can lead to cell disruption by inducing cell membrane destabilization. In this review, the various factors that have been shown to induce toxic IAPP oligomer formation will be presented, as well as the potential mechanism of oligomer and fibril formation from pro-IAPPs. Initially, pro-IAPPs undergo enzymatic reactions to produce the IAPP monomers, which can then develop into oligomers and fibrils. By this mechanism, toxic oligomers could be generated by diverse pathway components. Thus, the interconnections between factors that influence amyloid aggregation (eg, absence of PC2 enzyme, deamidation, reduction of disulfide bonds, environmental factors in the cell, genetic mutations, copper metal ions, and heparin will be presented. Hence, this review will aid in understanding the fundamental causative factors contributing to IAPP oligomer formation and support studies for investigating novel T2DM therapeutic approaches, such as the development of inhibitory agents for preventing oligomerization at the early stages of diabetic pathology.Keywords: amyloid aggregation, causative factor, IAPP, islet

Dynamics in coarse-grained models for oligomer-grafted silica nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Hong, Bingbing

2012-01-01

Coarse-grained models of poly(ethylene oxide) oligomer-grafted nanoparticles are established by matching their structural distribution functions to atomistic simulation data. Coarse-grained force fields for bulk oligomer chains show excellent transferability with respect to chain lengths and temperature, but structure and dynamics of grafted nanoparticle systems exhibit a strong dependence on the core-core interactions. This leads to poor transferability of the core potential to conditions different from the state point at which the potential was optimized. Remarkably, coarse graining of grafted nanoparticles can either accelerate or slowdown the core motions, depending on the length of the grafted chains. This stands in sharp contrast to linear polymer systems, for which coarse graining always accelerates the dynamics. Diffusivity data suggest that the grafting topology is one cause of slower motions of the cores for short-chain oligomer-grafted nanoparticles; an estimation based on transition-state theory shows the coarse-grained core-core potential also has a slowing-down effect on the nanoparticle organic hybrid materials motions; both effects diminish as grafted chains become longer. © 2012 American Institute of Physics.

Interchain interactions in charged diacetylenic oligomers carrying bulk substituents revisited

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ottonelli, M.; Izzo, G.M.M.; Comoretto, D.; Musso, G.F.; Dellepiane, G.

2006-01-01

We are studying how the electronic properties of an aggregate, built with conjugated oligomers carrying bulk substituents, are affected by intermolecular interactions. In this paper we apply the CEO (Collective Electronic Oscillator) method, on the basis of the semiempirical INDO/S Hamiltonian, to compute the electronic density matrix modifications following the photon absorption in a doubly charged cluster of two units of a fully carbazolyl-substituted oligodiacetylene tetramer, taken as a model system. The picture that had emerged from our previous calculations based on the less sophisticated CIS (Configuration Interaction including Singles) approach is seen to be confirmed. Despite the large separation between the backbones, a through-space charge transfer occurs between the two oligomers due to the fact that the excess charge, contrary to what is generally believed, is not localized on the conjugated backbone, but is spread out over the carbazolyl moieties of the charged molecule. Consideration of this kind of interaction improves the theoretical results obtained for the isolated charged oligomer chain, and aids in better explaining some features of the experimental photoinduced spectra of the corresponding polymer

Sol-gel approach to the novel organic-inorganic hybrid composite films with ternary europium complex covalently bonded with silica matrix

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong Dewen; Yang Yongsheng; Jiang Bingzheng

2006-01-01

Novel organic-inorganic hybrid composite films with ternary lanthanide complex covalently bonded with silica matrix were prepared in situ via co-ordination of N-(3-propyltriethoxysilane)-4-carboxyphthalimide (TAT) and 1,10-phenanthroline (Phen) with europium ion (Eu 3+ ) during a sol-gel approach and characterized by the means of spectrofluorimeter, phosphorimeter and infrared spectrophotometer (FTIR). The resulting transparent films showed improved photophysical properties, i.e. increased luminescence intensity and longer luminescence lifetime, compared with the corresponding binary composite films without Phen. All the results revealed that the intense luminescence of the composite film was attributed to the efficient energy transfer from ligands, especially Phen, to chelated Eu 3+ and the reduced non-radiation through the rigid silica matrix and 'site isolation'

Chemistry of Covalent Organic Frameworks.

Science.gov (United States)

Waller, Peter J; Gándara, Felipe; Yaghi, Omar M

2015-12-15

Linking organic molecules by covalent bonds into extended solids typically generates amorphous, disordered materials. The ability to develop strategies for obtaining crystals of such solids is of interest because it opens the way for precise control of the geometry and functionality of the extended structure, and the stereochemical orientation of its constituents. Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are a new class of porous covalent organic structures whose backbone is composed entirely of light elements (B, C, N, O, Si) that represent a successful demonstration of how crystalline materials of covalent solids can be achieved. COFs are made by combination of organic building units covalently linked into extended structures to make crystalline materials. The attainment of crystals is done by several techniques in which a balance is struck between the thermodynamic reversibility of the linking reactions and their kinetics. This success has led to the expansion of COF materials to include organic units linked by these strong covalent bonds: B-O, C-N, B-N, and B-O-Si. Since the organic constituents of COFs, when linked, do not undergo significant change in their overall geometry, it has been possible to predict the structures of the resulting COFs, and this advantage has facilitated their characterization using powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD) techniques. It has also allowed for the synthesis of COF structures by design and for their formation with the desired composition, pore size, and aperture. In practice, the modeled PXRD pattern for a given expected COF is compared with the experimental one, and depending on the quality of the match, this is used as a starting point for solving and then refining the crystal structure of the target COF. These characteristics make COFs an attractive class of new porous materials. Accordingly, they have been used as gas storage materials for energy applications, solid supports for catalysis, and optoelectronic devices. A large and

Covalent and non-covalent functionalization and solubilization of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Wintec

photographs of the dispersions of amide-functio- nalized DWNTs in dichloromethane and tetrahydro- furan. In figure 3b, we show a TEM image of DWNTs after covalent functionalization. The images are not as sharp after functionalization as in the case of pris- tine nanotubes (figure 3a), and the bundles seem to be intact.

Covalent modification of platelet proteins by palmitate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Muszbek, L.; Laposata, M.

1989-01-01

Covalent attachment of fatty acid to proteins plays an important role in association of certain proteins with hydrophobic membrane structures. In platelets, the structure of many membrane glycoproteins (GPs) has been examined in detail, but the question of fatty acid acylation of platelet proteins has not been addressed. In this study, we wished to determine (a) whether platelet proteins could be fatty acid acylated; and, if so, (b) whether these modified proteins were present in isolated platelet membranes and cytoskeletal fractions; and (c) if the pattern of fatty acid acylated proteins changed on stimulation of the platelets with the agonist thrombin. We observed that in platelets allowed to incorporate 3H-palmitate, a small percentage (1.37%) of radioactivity incorporated into the cells became covalently bound to protein. Selective cleavage of thioester, thioester plus O-ester, and amide-linked 3H-fatty acids from proteins, and their subsequent analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) indicated that the greatest part of 3H-fatty acid covalently bound to protein was thioester-linked 3H-palmitate. By sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and fluorography, at least ten major radiolabeled proteins were detected. Activation of platelets by thrombin greatly increased the quantity of 3H-palmitoylated proteins associated with the cytoskeleton. Nearly all radiolabeled proteins were recovered in the membrane fraction, indicating that these proteins are either integral or peripheral membrane proteins or proteins tightly associated to membrane constituents. Components of the GPIIb-IIIa complex were not palmitoylated. Thus, platelet proteins are significantly modified posttranslationally by 3H-palmitate, and incorporation of palmitoylated proteins into the cytoskeleton is a prominent component of the platelet response to thrombin stimulation

Extended Ladder-Type Benzo[ k ]tetraphene-Derived Oligomers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, Jongbok [Department of Chemistry, Texas A& M University, 3255 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3255 USA; Li, Huanbin [MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Rd Hangzhou 310027 China; Kalin, Alexander J. [Department of Chemistry, Texas A& M University, 3255 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3255 USA; Yuan, Tianyu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, 3003 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3003 USA; Wang, Chenxu [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, 3003 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3003 USA; Olson, Troy [Department of Chemistry, Texas A& M University, 3255 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3255 USA; Li, Hanying [MOE Key Laboratory of Macromolecular Synthesis and Functionalization, State Key Laboratory of Silicon Materials, Department of Polymer Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University, 38 Zheda Rd Hangzhou 310027 China; Fang, Lei [Department of Chemistry, Texas A& M University, 3255 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3255 USA; Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A& M University, 3003 TAMU College Station TX 77843-3003 USA

2017-10-02

Well-defined, fused-ring aromatic oligomers represent promising candidates for the fundamental understanding and application of advanced carbon-rich materials, though bottom-up synthesis and structure–property correlation of these compounds remain challenging. In this work, an efficient synthetic route was employed to construct extended benzo[k]tetraphene-derived oligomers with up to 13 fused rings. The molecular and electronic structures of these compounds were clearly elucidated. Precise correlation of molecular sizes and crystallization dynamics was established, thus demonstrating the pivotal balance between intermolecular interaction and molecular mobility for optimized processing of highly ordered solids of these extended conjugated molecules.

Excitations and optical properties of phenylene-based conjugated polymers and oligomers

Science.gov (United States)

Brazovskii, S.; Kirova, N.; Bishop, A. R.; Klimov, V.; McBranch, D.; Barashkov, N. N.; Ferraris, J. P.

1998-01-01

We present a combined experimental and theoretical study of the ground and photoexcited optical properties of a model oligomer of PPV, MEH-DSB. Our theoretical picture is based upon a band description of electronic states of PPV oligomers, while invoking corrections from Coulomb interactions. The necessary discrete energy levels at low and intermediate energies appear naturally, in addition to the lower energy delocalized states. On this basis we identify the most important features in direct optical absorption for both high (4-6 eV) and low (2-4 eV) photon energies as well as in photoinduced absorption (PA) and stimulated photoemissions (SE) in MEH-DSB solutions, which represent the limit of noninteracting oligomers. While in agreement with previous interpretations for three absorption peaks (2.74, 4.46 and 6.2 eV), we give a new assignment for the most disputed 3.62 eV one as well as for the two PA peaks.

Nitrogen-Containing, Light-Absorbing Oligomers Produced in Aerosol Particles Exposed to Methylglyoxal, Photolysis, and Cloud Cycling.

Science.gov (United States)

De Haan, David O; Tapavicza, Enrico; Riva, Matthieu; Cui, Tianqu; Surratt, Jason D; Smith, Adam C; Jordan, Mary-Caitlin; Nilakantan, Shiva; Almodovar, Marisol; Stewart, Tiffany N; de Loera, Alexia; De Haan, Audrey C; Cazaunau, Mathieu; Gratien, Aline; Pangui, Edouard; Doussin, Jean-François

2018-04-03

Aqueous methylglyoxal chemistry has often been implicated as an important source of oligomers in atmospheric aerosol. Here we report on chemical analysis of brown carbon aerosol particles collected from cloud cycling/photolysis chamber experiments, where gaseous methylglyoxal and methylamine interacted with glycine, ammonium, or methylammonium sulfate seed particles. Eighteen N-containing oligomers were identified in the particulate phase by liquid chromatography/diode array detection/electrospray ionization high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Chemical formulas were determined and, for 6 major oligomer products, MS 2 fragmentation spectra were used to propose tentative structures and mechanisms. Electronic absorption spectra were calculated for six tentative product structures by an ab initio second order algebraic-diagrammatic-construction/density functional theory approach. For five structures, matching calculated and measured absorption spectra suggest that they are dominant light-absorbing species at their chromatographic retention times. Detected oligomers incorporated methylglyoxal and amines, as expected, but also pyruvic acid, hydroxyacetone, and significant quantities of acetaldehyde. The finding that ∼80% (by mass) of detected oligomers contained acetaldehyde, a methylglyoxal photolysis product, suggests that daytime methylglyoxal oligomer formation is dominated by radical addition mechanisms involving CH 3 CO*. These mechanisms are evidently responsible for enhanced browning observed during photolytic cloud events.

Structure–property relationships of synthetic organophosphorus flame retardant oligomers by thermal analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, Zhiman; Wang, Xin; Tang, Gang; Song, Lei; Hu, Yuan; Yuen, Richard K.K.

2013-01-01

Highlights: • Oligomers with different chemical components in molecular chains were synthesized. • FP-3 containing three IFR components possessed high thermal stability. • FP-3 possessed lowest flammability. • FP-3 exhibited a synergistic interaction between gas and condensed phase. - Abstract: A series of flame retardant oligomers with different chemical components in molecular chains, designated as FP-1, FP-2 and FP-3, respectively, were successfully synthesized using solution polycondensation and well characterized. The thermal properties and flammability of these oligomers were investigated by thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and microscale combustion calorimeter (MCC). The results demonstrated that FP-3 had the lowest flammability in terms of the lowest maximum mass loss rate, and FP-1 possessed the highest thermal stability and char yield, due to its higher stable hexatomic ring structure of piperazine compared with the linear alkane chain structure of neopentyl glycol. The gases evolved during decomposition were analyzed using Fourier transform infrared coupled with the thermogravimetric analyzer (TG–IR) technique. The char residues of the flame retardant oligomers were investigated by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and Raman spectroscopy. The results demonstrated that FP-3 exhibited a synergistic interaction between the gas phase and condensation phase, increasing its flame retardancy

Structure-based non-canonical amino acid design to covalently crosslink an antibody–antigen complex

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, Jianqing; Tack, Drew; Hughes, Randall A.; Ellington, Andrew D.; Gray, Jeffrey J.

2014-01-01

Engineering antibodies to utilize non-canonical amino acids (NCAA) should greatly expand the utility of an already important biological reagent. In particular, introducing crosslinking reagents into antibody complementarity determining regions (CDRs) should provide a means to covalently crosslink residues at the antibody–antigen interface. Unfortunately, finding the optimum position for crosslinking two proteins is often a matter of iterative guessing, even when the interface is known in atomic detail. Computer-aided antibody design can potentially greatly restrict the number of variants that must be explored in order to identify successful crosslinking sites. We have therefore used Rosetta to guide the introduction of an oxidizable crosslinking NCAA, l-3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (l-DOPA), into the CDRs of the anti-protective antigen scFv antibody M18, and have measured crosslinking to its cognate antigen, domain 4 of the anthrax protective antigen. Computed crosslinking distance, solvent accessibility, and interface energetics were three factors considered that could impact the efficiency of l-DOPA-mediated crosslinking. In the end, 10 variants were synthesized, and crosslinking efficiencies were generally 10% or higher, with the best variant crosslinking to 52% of the available antigen. The results suggest that computational analysis can be used in a pipeline for engineering crosslinking antibodies. The rules learned from l-DOPA crosslinking of antibodies may also be generalizable to the formation of other crosslinked interfaces and complexes. PMID:23680795

Mitochondrial Ca2+ overload underlies Abeta oligomers neurotoxicity providing an unexpected mechanism of neuroprotection by NSAIDs.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Sanz-Blasco

Full Text Available Dysregulation of intracellular Ca(2+ homeostasis may underlie amyloid beta peptide (Abeta toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease (AD but the mechanism is unknown. In search for this mechanism we found that Abeta(1-42 oligomers, the assembly state correlating best with cognitive decline in AD, but not Abeta fibrils, induce a massive entry of Ca(2+ in neurons and promote mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload as shown by bioluminescence imaging of targeted aequorin in individual neurons. Abeta oligomers induce also mitochondrial permeability transition, cytochrome c release, apoptosis and cell death. Mitochondrial depolarization prevents mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload, cytochrome c release and cell death. In addition, we found that a series of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs including salicylate, sulindac sulfide, indomethacin, ibuprofen and R-flurbiprofen depolarize mitochondria and inhibit mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload, cytochrome c release and cell death induced by Abeta oligomers. Our results indicate that i mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload underlies the neurotoxicity induced by Abeta oligomers and ii inhibition of mitochondrial Ca(2+ overload provides a novel mechanism of neuroprotection by NSAIDs against Abeta oligomers and AD.

Mitochondrial Ca2+ overload underlies Abeta oligomers neurotoxicity providing an unexpected mechanism of neuroprotection by NSAIDs.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanz-Blasco, Sara; Valero, Ruth A; Rodríguez-Crespo, Ignacio; Villalobos, Carlos; Núñez, Lucía

2008-07-23

Dysregulation of intracellular Ca(2+) homeostasis may underlie amyloid beta peptide (Abeta) toxicity in Alzheimer's Disease (AD) but the mechanism is unknown. In search for this mechanism we found that Abeta(1-42) oligomers, the assembly state correlating best with cognitive decline in AD, but not Abeta fibrils, induce a massive entry of Ca(2+) in neurons and promote mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload as shown by bioluminescence imaging of targeted aequorin in individual neurons. Abeta oligomers induce also mitochondrial permeability transition, cytochrome c release, apoptosis and cell death. Mitochondrial depolarization prevents mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload, cytochrome c release and cell death. In addition, we found that a series of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) including salicylate, sulindac sulfide, indomethacin, ibuprofen and R-flurbiprofen depolarize mitochondria and inhibit mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload, cytochrome c release and cell death induced by Abeta oligomers. Our results indicate that i) mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload underlies the neurotoxicity induced by Abeta oligomers and ii) inhibition of mitochondrial Ca(2+) overload provides a novel mechanism of neuroprotection by NSAIDs against Abeta oligomers and AD.

Merging constitutional and motional covalent dynamics in reversible imine formation and exchange processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Kovaříček, Petr; Lehn, Jean-Marie

2012-06-06

The formation and exchange processes of imines of salicylaldehyde, pyridine-2-carboxaldehyde, and benzaldehyde have been studied, showing that the former has features of particular interest for dynamic covalent chemistry, displaying high efficiency and fast rates. The monoimines formed with aliphatic α,ω-diamines display an internal exchange process of self-transimination type, inducing a local motion of either "stepping-in-place" or "single-step" type by bond interchange, whose rate decreases rapidly with the distance of the terminal amino groups. Control of the speed of the process over a wide range may be achieved by substituents, solvent composition, and temperature. These monoimines also undergo intermolecular exchange, thus merging motional and constitutional covalent behavior within the same molecule. With polyamines, the monoimines formed execute internal motions that have been characterized by extensive one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and EXSY proton NMR studies. In particular, with linear polyamines, nondirectional displacement occurs by shifting of the aldehyde residue along the polyamine chain serving as molecular track. Imines thus behave as simple prototypes of systems displaying relative motions of molecular moieties, a subject of high current interest in the investigation of synthetic and biological molecular motors. The motional processes described are of dynamic covalent nature and take place without change in molecular constitution. They thus represent a category of dynamic covalent motions, resulting from reversible covalent bond formation and dissociation. They extend dynamic covalent chemistry into the area of molecular motions. A major further step will be to achieve control of directionality. The results reported here for imines open wide perspectives, together with other chemical groups, for the implementation of such features in multifunctional molecules toward the design of molecular devices presenting a complex combination of

Enthalpies of solvation of ethylene oxide oligomers CH{sub 3}O(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}O){sub n}CH{sub 3} (n = 1 to 4) in different H-bonding solvents: Methanol, chloroform, and water. Group contribution method as applied to the polar oligomers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Barannikov, Vladimir P., E-mail: vpb@isc-ras.ru [Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Academicheskaya Str. 1, Ivanovo 153045 (Russian Federation); Guseynov, Sabir S.; Vyugin, Anatoliy I. [Institute of Solution Chemistry, Russian Academy of Sciences, Academicheskaya Str. 1, Ivanovo 153045 (Russian Federation)

2011-12-15

Highlights: > Solvation enthalpy is found for ethylene oxide oligomers in chloroform and methanol. > Coefficients of solute-solute interaction are determined for oligomers in methanol. > Enthalpies of hydrogen bonding of oligomers with chloroform and water are estimated. > Additivity scheme is developed for describing enthalpies of solvation of oligomers. - Abstract: The enthalpies of solution and solvation of ethylene oxide oligomers CH{sub 3}O(CH{sub 2}CH{sub 2}O){sub n}CH{sub 3} (n = 1 to 4) in methanol and chloroform have been determined from calorimetric measurements at T = 298.15 K. The enthalpic coefficients of pairwise solute-solute interaction for methanol solutions have been calculated. The enthalpic characteristics of the oligomers in methanol, chloroform, water and tetrachloromethane have been compared. The hydrogen bonding of the oligomers with chloroform and water molecules is exhibited in the values of solvation enthalpy and coefficient of solute-solute interaction. This effect is not observed for methanol solvent. The thermochemical data evidence an existence of multi-centred hydrogen bonds in associates of polyethers with the solvent molecules. Enthalpies of hydrogen bonding of the oligomers with chloroform and water have been estimated. The additivity scheme has been developed to describe the enthalpies of solvation of ethylene oxide oligomers, unbranched monoethers and n-alkanes in chloroform, methanol, water, and tetrachloromethane. The correction parameters for contribution of repeated polar groups and correction term for methoxy-compounds have been introduced. The obtained group contributions permit to describe the enthalpies of solvation of unbranched monoethers and ethylene oxide oligomers in the solvents with standard deviation up to 0.6 kJ . mol{sup -1}. The values of group contributions and corrections are strongly influenced by solvent properties.

Formation of soluble amyloid oligomers and amyloid fibrils by the multifunctional protein vitronectin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Langen Ralf

2008-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The multifunctional protein vitronectin is present within the deposits associated with Alzheimer disease (AD, age-related macular degeneration (AMD, atherosclerosis, systemic amyloidoses, and glomerulonephritis. The extent to which vitronectin contributes to amyloid formation within these plaques, which contain misfolded, amyloidogenic proteins, and the role of vitronectin in the pathophysiology of the aforementioned diseases is currently unknown. The investigation of vitronectin aggregation is significant since the formation of oligomeric and fibrillar structures are common features of amyloid proteins. Results We observed vitronectin immunoreactivity in senile plaques of AD brain, which exhibited overlap with the amyloid fibril-specific OC antibody, suggesting that vitronectin is deposited at sites of amyloid formation. Of particular interest is the growing body of evidence indicating that soluble nonfibrillar oligomers may be responsible for the development and progression of amyloid diseases. In this study we demonstrate that both plasma-purified and recombinant human vitronectin readily form spherical oligomers and typical amyloid fibrils. Vitronectin oligomers are toxic to cultured neuroblastoma and retinal pigment epithelium (RPE cells, possibly via a membrane-dependent mechanism, as they cause leakage of synthetic vesicles. Oligomer toxicity was attenuated in RPE cells by the anti-oligomer A11 antibody. Vitronectin fibrils contain a C-terminal protease-resistant fragment, which may approximate the core region of residues essential to amyloid formation. Conclusion These data reveal the propensity of vitronectin to behave as an amyloid protein and put forth the possibilities that accumulation of misfolded vitronectin may contribute to aggregate formation seen in age-related amyloid diseases.

Effect of Conjugation Length on Photoinduced Charge-Transfer in π-Conjugated Oligomer-Acceptor Dyads

KAUST Repository

Jiang, Junlin

2017-05-25

A series of -conjugated oligomer-acceptor dyads were synthesized that feature oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE) conjugated backbones end-capped with a naphthalene diimide (NDI) acceptor. The OPE segments vary in length from 4 to 8 phenylene ethynene units (PEn-NDI, where n = 4, 6 and 8). Fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that intramolecular OPE NDI charge transfer dominates the deactivation of excited states of the PEn-NDI oligomers. Both charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) are strongly exothermic (G0CS ~ -1.1 and G0CR ~ -2.0 eV), and the driving forces do not vary much across the series because the oxidation and reduction potentials and singlet energies of the OPEs do not vary much with their length. Bimolecular photoinduced charge transfer between model OPEs that do not contain the NDI acceptors with methyl viologen was studied, and the results reveal that the absorption of the cation radical state (OPE+•) remains approximately constant ( ~ 575 nm) regardless of oligomer length. This finding suggests that the cation radical (polaron) of the OPE is relatively localized, effectively occupying a confined segment of n 4 repeat units in the longer oligomers. Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer dynamics in the PEn-NDI series was investigated by UV-visible femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with visible and mid-infrared probes. Charge separation occurs on the 1 – 10 ps timescale, with the rates decreasing slightly with increased oligomer length (βCS ~ 0.15 Å-1). The rate for charge-recombination decreases in the sequence PE4-NDI > PE6-NDI ~ PE8-NDI. The discontinuous distance dependence in the rate for charge recombination may be related to the spatial localization of the positive polaron state in the longer oligomers.

Effect of Conjugation Length on Photoinduced Charge-Transfer in π-Conjugated Oligomer-Acceptor Dyads

KAUST Repository

Jiang, Junlin; Alsam, Amani Abdu; Wang, Shanshan; Aly, Shawkat Mohammede; Pan, Zhenxing; Mohammed, Omar F.; Schanze, Kirk S.

2017-01-01

A series of -conjugated oligomer-acceptor dyads were synthesized that feature oligo(phenylene ethynylene) (OPE) conjugated backbones end-capped with a naphthalene diimide (NDI) acceptor. The OPE segments vary in length from 4 to 8 phenylene ethynene units (PEn-NDI, where n = 4, 6 and 8). Fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopy reveals that intramolecular OPE NDI charge transfer dominates the deactivation of excited states of the PEn-NDI oligomers. Both charge separation (CS) and charge recombination (CR) are strongly exothermic (G0CS ~ -1.1 and G0CR ~ -2.0 eV), and the driving forces do not vary much across the series because the oxidation and reduction potentials and singlet energies of the OPEs do not vary much with their length. Bimolecular photoinduced charge transfer between model OPEs that do not contain the NDI acceptors with methyl viologen was studied, and the results reveal that the absorption of the cation radical state (OPE+•) remains approximately constant ( ~ 575 nm) regardless of oligomer length. This finding suggests that the cation radical (polaron) of the OPE is relatively localized, effectively occupying a confined segment of n 4 repeat units in the longer oligomers. Photoinduced intramolecular electron transfer dynamics in the PEn-NDI series was investigated by UV-visible femtosecond transient absorption spectroscopy with visible and mid-infrared probes. Charge separation occurs on the 1 – 10 ps timescale, with the rates decreasing slightly with increased oligomer length (βCS ~ 0.15 Å-1). The rate for charge-recombination decreases in the sequence PE4-NDI > PE6-NDI ~ PE8-NDI. The discontinuous distance dependence in the rate for charge recombination may be related to the spatial localization of the positive polaron state in the longer oligomers.

α-Synuclein oligomers and clinical implications for Parkinson disease

Science.gov (United States)

Kalia, Lorraine V.; Kalia, Suneil K.; McLean, Pamela J.; Lozano, Andres M.; Lang, Anthony E.

2012-01-01

Protein aggregation within the central nervous system has been recognized as a defining feature of neurodegenerative diseases since the early 20th century. Since that time, there has been a growing list of neurodegenerative disorders, including Parkinson disease, which are characterized by inclusions of specific pathogenic proteins. This has led to the long-held dogma that these characteristic protein inclusions, which are composed of large insoluble fibrillar protein aggregates and visible by light microscopy, are responsible for cell death in these diseases. However, the correlation between protein inclusion formation and cytotoxicity is inconsistent suggesting another form of the pathogenic proteins may be contributing to neurodegeneration. There is emerging evidence implicating soluble oligomers, smaller protein aggregates not detectable by conventional microscopy, as potential culprits in the pathogenesis of neurodegenerative diseases. The protein α-synuclein is well recognized to contribute to the pathogenesis of Parkinson disease and is the major component of Lewy bodies and Lewy neurites. However, α-synuclein also forms oligomeric species with certain conformations being toxic to cells. The mechanisms by which these α-synuclein oligomers cause cell death are being actively investigated as they may provide new strategies for diagnosis and treatment of Parkinson disease and related disorders. Here we review the possible role of α-synuclein oligomers in cell death in Parkinson disease and discuss the potential clinical implications. PMID:23225525

The significant role of covalency in determining the ground state of cobalt phthalocyanines molecule

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing Zhou

2016-03-01

Full Text Available To shed some light on the metal 3d ground state configuration of cobalt phthalocyanines system, so far in debate, we present an investigation by X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS at Co L2,3 edge and theoretical calculation. The density functional theory calculations reveal highly anisotropic covalent bond between central cobalt ion and nitrogen ligands, with the dominant σ donor accompanied by weak π-back acceptor interaction. Our combined experimental and theoretical study on the Co-L2,3 XAS spectra demonstrate a robust ground state of 2A1g symmetry that is built from 73% 3d7 character and 27% 3 d 8 L ¯ ( L ¯ denotes a ligand hole components, as the first excited-state with 2Eg symmetry lies about 158 meV higher in energy. The effect of anisotropic and isotropic covalency on the ground state was also calculated and the results indicate that the ground state with 2A1g symmetry is robust in a large range of anisotropic covalent strength while a transition of ground state from 2A1g to 2Eg configuration when isotropic covalent strength increases to a certain extent. Here, we address a significant anisotropic covalent effect of short Co(II-N bond on the ground state and suggest that it should be taken into account in determining the ground state of analogous cobalt complexes.

Potent haloperidol derivatives covalently binding to the dopamine D2 receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Schwalbe, Tobias; Kaindl, Jonas; Hübner, Harald; Gmeiner, Peter

2017-10-01

The dopamine D 2 receptor (D 2 R) is a common drug target for the treatment of a variety of neurological disorders including schizophrenia. Structure based design of subtype selective D 2 R antagonists requires high resolution crystal structures of the receptor and pharmacological tools promoting a better understanding of the protein-ligand interactions. Recently, we reported the development of a chemically activated dopamine derivative (FAUC150) designed to covalently bind the L94C mutant of the dopamine D 2 receptor. Using FAUC150 as a template, we elaborated the design and synthesis of irreversible analogs of the potent antipsychotic drug haloperidol forming covalent D 2 R-ligand complexes. The disulfide- and Michael acceptor-functionalized compounds showed significant receptor affinity and an irreversible binding profile in radioligand depletion experiments. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Inhibition of mitochondrial division through covalent modification of Drp1 protein by 15 deoxy-Δ12,14-prostaglandin J2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Nandita; Kar, Rekha; Singha, Prajjal K.; Venkatachalam, Manjeri A.; McEwen, Donald G.; Saikumar, Pothana

2010-01-01

Arachidonic acid derived endogenous electrophile 15d-PGJ2 has gained much attention in recent years due to its potent anti-proliferative and anti-inflammatory actions mediated through thiol modification of cysteine residues in its target proteins. Here, we show that 15d-PGJ2 at 1 μM concentration converts normal mitochondria into large elongated and interconnected mitochondria through direct binding to mitochondrial fission protein Drp1 and partial inhibition of its GTPase activity. Mitochondrial elongation induced by 15d-PGJ2 is accompanied by increased assembly of Drp1 into large oligomeric complexes through plausible intermolecular interactions. The role of decreased GTPase activity of Drp1 in the formation of large oligomeric complexes is evident when Drp1 is incubated with a non-cleavable GTP analog, GTPγS or by a mutation that inactivated GTPase activity of Drp1 (K38A). The mutation of cysteine residue (Cys644) in the GTPase effector domain, a reported target for modification by reactive electrophiles, to alanine mimicked K38A mutation induced Drp1 oligomerization and mitochondrial elongation, suggesting the importance of cysteine in GED to regulate the GTPase activity and mitochondrial morphology. Interestingly, treatment of K38A and C644A mutants with 15d-PGJ2 resulted in super oligomerization of both mutant Drp1s indicating that 15d-PGJ2 may further stabilize Drp1 oligomers formed by loss of GTPase activity through covalent modification of middle domain cysteine residues. The present study documents for the first time the regulation of a mitochondrial fission activity by a prostaglandin, which will provide clues for understanding the pathological and physiological consequences of accumulation of reactive electrophiles during oxidative stress, inflammation and degeneration.

Organic heterostructures based on arylenevinylene oligomers deposited by MAPLE

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Socol, M.; Preda, N.; Vacareanu, L.; Grigoras, M.; Socol, G.; Mihailescu, I. N.; Stanculescu, F.; Jelínek, Miroslav; Stanculescu, A.; Stoicanescu, M.

2014-01-01

Roč. 302, May (2014), s. 216-222 ISSN 0169-4332 Institutional support: RVO:68378271 Keywords : organic heterostructures * MAPLE * oligomer * optoelectronica Subject RIV: BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism Impact factor: 2.711, year: 2014

Rehealable, fully recyclable, and malleable electronic skin enabled by dynamic covalent thermoset nanocomposite.

Science.gov (United States)

Zou, Zhanan; Zhu, Chengpu; Li, Yan; Lei, Xingfeng; Zhang, Wei; Xiao, Jianliang

2018-02-01

Electronic skin (e-skin) mimicking functionalities and mechanical properties of natural skin can find broad applications. We report the first dynamic covalent thermoset-based e-skin, which is connected through robust covalent bonds, rendering the resulting devices good chemical and thermal stability at service condition. By doping the dynamic covalent thermoset with conductive silver nanoparticles, we demonstrate a robust yet rehealable, fully recyclable, and malleable e-skin. Tactile, temperature, flow, and humidity sensing capabilities are realized. The e-skin can be rehealed when it is damaged and can be fully recycled at room temperature, which has rarely, if at all, been demonstrated for e-skin. After rehealing or recycling, the e-skin regains mechanical and electrical properties comparable to the original e-skin. In addition, malleability enables the e-skin to permanently conform to complex, curved surfaces without introducing excessive interfacial stresses. These properties of the e-skin yield an economical and eco-friendly technology that can find broad applications in robotics, prosthetics, health care, and human-computer interface.

Combined HILIC-ELSD/ESI-MS(n) enables the separation, identification and quantification of sugar beet pectin derived oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Remoroza, C; Cord-Landwehr, S; Leijdekkers, A G M; Moerschbacher, B M; Schols, H A; Gruppen, H

2012-09-01

The combined action of endo-polygalacturonase (endo-PGII), pectin lyase (PL), pectin methyl esterase (fungal PME) and RG-I degrading enzymes enabled the extended degradation of methylesterified and acetylated sugar beet pectins (SBPs). The released oligomers were separated, identified and quantified using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC) with online electrospray ionization ion trap mass spectrometry (ESI-IT-MS(n)) and evaporative light scattering detection (ELSD). By MS(n), the structures of galacturonic acid (GalA) oligomers having an acetyl group in the O-2 and/or O-3 positions eluting from the HILIC column were elucidated. The presence of methylesterified and/or acetylated galacturonic acid units within an oligomer reduced the interaction with the HILIC column significantly compared to the unsubstituted GalA oligomers. The HILIC column enables a good separation of most oligomers present in the digest. The use of ELSD to quantify oligogalacturonides was validated using pure GalA standards and the signal was found to be independent of the chemical structure of the oligomer being detected. The combination of chromatographic and enzymatic strategies enables to distinguish SBPs having different methylesters and acetyl group distribution. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Toxic prefibrillar α-synuclein amyloid oligomers adopt a distinctive antiparallel β-sheet structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Celej, María Soledad; Sarroukh, Rabia; Goormaghtigh, Erik; Fidelio, Gerardo D; Ruysschaert, Jean-Marie; Raussens, Vincent

2012-05-01

Parkinson's disease is an age-related movement disorder characterized by the presence in the mid-brain of amyloid deposits of the 140-amino-acid protein AS (α-synuclein). AS fibrillation follows a nucleation polymerization pathway involving diverse transient prefibrillar species varying in size and morphology. Similar to other neurodegenerative diseases, cytotoxicity is currently attributed to these prefibrillar species rather than to the insoluble aggregates. Nevertheless, the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for cytotoxicity remain elusive and structural studies may contribute to the understanding of both the amyloid aggregation mechanism and oligomer-induced toxicity. It is already recognized that soluble oligomeric AS species adopt β-sheet structures that differ from those characterizing the fibrillar structure. In the present study we used ATR (attenuated total reflection)-FTIR (Fourier-transform infrared) spectroscopy, a technique especially sensitive to β-sheet structure, to get a deeper insight into the β-sheet organization within oligomers and fibrils. Careful spectral analysis revealed that AS oligomers adopt an antiparallel β-sheet structure, whereas fibrils adopt a parallel arrangement. The results are discussed in terms of regions of the protein involved in the early β-sheet interactions and the implications of such conformational arrangement for the pathogenicity associated with AS oligomers.

Interface Bond Improvement of Sisal Fibre Reinforced Polylactide Composites with Added Epoxy Oligomer.

Science.gov (United States)

Hao, Mingyang; Wu, Hongwu; Qiu, Feng; Wang, Xiwen

2018-03-07

To improve the interfacial bonding of sisal fiber-reinforced polylactide biocomposites, polylactide (PLA) and sisal fibers (SF) were melt-blended to fabricate bio-based composites via in situ reactive interfacial compatibilization with addition of a commercial grade epoxy-functionalized oligomer Joncryl ADR @ -4368 (ADR). The FTIR (Fourier Transform infrared spectroscopy) analysis and SEM (scanning electron microscope) characterization demonstrated that the PLA molecular chain was bonded to the fiber surface and the epoxy-functionalized oligomer played a hinge-like role between the sisal fibers and the PLA matrix, which resulted in improved interfacial adhesion between the fibers and the PLA matrix. The interfacial reaction and microstructures of composites were further investigated by thermal and rheological analyses, which indicated that the mobility of the PLA molecular chain in composites was restricted because of the introduction of the ADR oligomer, which in turn reflected the improved interfacial interaction between SF and the PLA matrix. These results were further justified with the calculation of activation energies of glass transition relaxation (∆ E a ) by dynamic mechanical analysis. The mechanical properties of PLA/SF composites were simultaneously reinforced and toughened with the addition of ADR oligomer. The interfacial interaction and structure-properties relationship of the composites are the key points of this study.

Diffusivities and Viscosities of Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomers †

KAUST Repository

Hong, Bingbing; Escobedo, Fernando; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.

2010-01-01

Diffusivities and viscosities of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) oligomer melts with 1 to 12 repeat units have been obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations using the TraPPE-UA force field. The simulations generated diffusion coefficients

Theory and Applications of Covalent Docking in Drug Discovery: Merits and Pitfalls

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hezekiel Mathambo Kumalo

2015-01-01

Full Text Available he present art of drug discovery and design of new drugs is based on suicidal irreversible inhibitors. Covalent inhibition is the strategy that is used to achieve irreversible inhibition. Irreversible inhibitors interact with their targets in a time-dependent fashion, and the reaction proceeds to completion rather than to equilibrium. Covalent inhibitors possessed some significant advantages over non-covalent inhibitors such as covalent warheads can target rare, non-conserved residue of a particular target protein and thus led to development of highly selective inhibitors, covalent inhibitors can be effective in targeting proteins with shallow binding cleavage which will led to development of novel inhibitors with increased potency than non-covalent inhibitors. Several computational approaches have been developed to simulate covalent interactions; however, this is still a challenging area to explore. Covalent molecular docking has been recently implemented in the computer-aided drug design workflows to describe covalent interactions between inhibitors and biological targets. In this review we highlight: (i covalent interactions in biomolecular systems; (ii the mathematical framework of covalent molecular docking; (iii implementation of covalent docking protocol in drug design workflows; (iv applications covalent docking: case studies and (v shortcomings and future perspectives of covalent docking. To the best of our knowledge; this review is the first account that highlights different aspects of covalent docking with its merits and pitfalls. We believe that the method and applications highlighted in this study will help future efforts towards the design of irreversible inhibitors.

Synthesis and Electronic Properties of Length-Defined 9,10-Anthrylene-Butadiynylene Oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Nagaoka, Maiko; Tsurumaki, Eiji; Nishiuchi, Mai; Iwanaga, Tetsuo; Toyota, Shinji

2018-05-18

Linear π-conjugated oligomers consisting of anthracene and diacetylene units were readily synthesized by a one-pot process that involved desilylation and oxidative coupling from appropriate building units. We were able to isolate length-defined oligomers ranging from 2-mer to 6-mer as stable and soluble solids. The bathochromic shifts in the UV-vis spectra suggested that the π-conjugation was extended with elongation of the linear chain. Cyclic voltammetric measurements showed characteristic reversible oxidation waves that were dependent on the number of anthracene units.

Protein misfolding cyclic amplification induces the conversion of recombinant prion protein to PrP oligomers causing neuronal apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Zhen; Yang, Lifeng; Chen, Baian; Zhu, Ting; Hassan, Mohammad Farooque; Yin, Xiaomin; Zhou, Xiangmei; Zhao, Deming

2015-06-01

The formation of neurotoxic prion protein (PrP) oligomers is thought to be a key step in the development of prion diseases. Recently, it was determined that the sonication and shaking of recombinant PrP can convert PrP monomers into β-state oligomers. Herein, we demonstrate that β-state oligomeric PrP can be generated through protein misfolding cyclic amplification from recombinant full-length hamster, human, rabbit, and mutated rabbit PrP, and that these oligomers can be used for subsequent research into the mechanisms of PrP-induced neurotoxicity. We have characterized protein misfolding cyclic amplification-induced monomer-to-oligomer conversion of PrP from three species using western blotting, circular dichroism, size-exclusion chromatography, and resistance to proteinase K (PK) digestion. We have further shown that all of the resulting β-oligomers are toxic to primary mouse cortical neurons independent of the presence of PrP(C) in the neurons, whereas the corresponding monomeric PrP were not toxic. In addition, we found that this toxicity is the result of oligomer-induced apoptosis via regulation of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3 in both wild-type and PrP(-/-) cortical neurons. It is our hope that these results may contribute to our understanding of prion transformation within the brain. We found that β-state oligomeric PrPs can be generated through protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA) from recombinant full-length hamster, human, rabbit, and mutated rabbit PrP. β-oligomers are toxic to primary mouse cortical neurons independent of the presence of PrP(C) in the neurons, while the corresponding monomeric PrPs were not toxic. This toxicity is the result of oligomers-induced apoptosis via regulation of Bcl-2, Bax, and caspase-3. These results may contribute to our understanding of prion transformation within the brain. © 2015 International Society for Neurochemistry.

Charge transfer in conjugated oligomers encapsulated into carbon nanotubes

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Almadori, Y.; Alvarez, L.; Michel, T.; Le Parc, R.; Bantignies, J.L.; Hermet, P.; Sauvajol, J.L. [Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5521, Universite Montpellier 2, 34095 Montpellier (France); Laboratoire Charles Coulomb UMR 5521, CNRS, 34095 Montpellier (France); Arenal, R. [Laboratoire d' Etude des Microstructures, CNRS-ONERA, 92322 Chatillon (France); Laboratorio de Microscopias Avanzadas, Instituto de Nanociencia de Aragon, U. Zaragoza, 50018 Zaragoza (Spain); Babaa, R. [Laboratoire de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces, CEA, IRAMIS, SPCSI, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France); Chemical Engineering Department, University of Technology PETRONAS, UTP, Ipoh-Perak (Malaysia); Jouselme, B.; Palacin, S. [Laboratoire de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces, CEA, IRAMIS, SPCSI, 91191 Gif-sur-Yvette Cedex (France)

2011-11-15

This study deals with a hybrid system consisting in quaterthiophene derivative encapsulated inside single-walled and multi-walled carbon nanotubes. Investigations of the encapsulation step are performed by transmission electron microscopy. Raman spectroscopy data point out different behaviors depending on the laser excitation energy with respect to the optical absorption of quaterthiophene. At low excitation energy (far from the oligomer resonance window) there is no significant modification of the Raman spectra before and after encapsulation. By contrast, at high excitation energy (close to the oligomer resonance window), Raman spectra exhibit a G-band shift together with an important RBM intensity loss, suggesting a significant charge transfer between the inserted molecule and the host nanotubes. Those results suggest a photo induced process leading to a significant charge transfer. (Copyright copyright 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Structure and properties of binary mixtures polystyrene-epoxyacrylic oligomers irradiated by electrons

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lomonosova, N.V.

1995-01-01

Using the methods of birefringence, isometrical heating, IR-dichroism and thermal optical analysis change in structure of oriented polymer-oligomer systems on the base of PS (M>10 6 ) and epoxyacrylic (EA) oligomers of aliphatic and aromatic structure is studied during the process of irradiation by fast electrons. Their mechanical properties are studied and it is established that introduction of aliphatic epoxyacrylate to PS and subsequent irradiation allow to obtain composite materials with higher values of strength, modulus of elasticity and softening temperature in isotropic and oriented states. 6 refs., 2 figs., 3 tabs

Preparation and fluorescent recognition properties for fluoride of a nanostructured covalently bonded europium hybrid material

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

余旭东; 李景印; 李亚娟; 耿丽君; 甄小丽; 于涛

2015-01-01

A novel covalently bonded Eu3+-based silica hybrid material was designed and its spectrophotometric anion sensing prop-erty was studied. The fluorescent receptor (europium complex) was covalently grafted to the silica matrix via a sol-gel approach. FTIR, UV-vis spectra, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and photoluminescent spectra were characterized, and the results revealed that the hybrid material with nanosphere structure displayed excellent photophysical property. In addition, the selective anion sensing property of the hybrid material was studied by UV-vis and fluorescence spectra. The results showed that the hybrid material exhibited a smart response with fluoride anions.

Selective amyloid β oligomer assay based on abasic site-containing molecular beacon and enzyme-free amplification.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Linling; Zhang, Junying; Wang, Fengyang; Wang, Ya; Lu, Linlin; Feng, Chongchong; Xu, Zhiai; Zhang, Wen

2016-04-15

Amyloid-beta (Aβ) oligomers are highly toxic species in the process of Aβ aggregation and are regarded as potent therapeutic targets and diagnostic markers for Alzheimer's disease (AD). Herein, a label-free molecular beacon (MB) system integrated with enzyme-free amplification strategy was developed for simple and highly selective assay of Aβ oligomers. The MB system was constructed with abasic site (AP site)-containing stem-loop DNA and a fluorescent ligand 2-amino-5,6,7-trimethyl-1,8-naphyridine (ATMND), of which the fluorescence was quenched upon binding to the AP site in DNA stem. Enzyme-free amplification was realized by target-triggered continuous opening of two delicately designed MBs (MB1 and MB2). Target DNA hybridization with MB1 and then MB2 resulted in the release of two ATMND molecules in one binding event. Subsequent target recycling could greatly amplify the detection sensitivity due to the greatly enhanced turn-on emission of ATMND fluorescence. Combining with Aβ oligomers aptamers, the strategy was applied to analyze Aβ oligomers and the results showed that it could quantify Aβ oligomers with high selectivity and monitor the Aβ aggregation process. This novel method may be conducive to improve the diagnosis and pathogenic study of Alzheimer's disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Flame retardant cotton fabrics by electron beam-induced polymerization of vinyl phosphonate oligomer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sawai, Takeshi; Ametani, Kazuo; Enomoto, Ichiro

1988-01-01

Vinyl phosphonate oligomer is presently used commercially as a cellulosic flame retardant in conjugation with N-methylol acrylamide, using a persulfate catalyst and a thermal cure. This combination can also be cured at room temperature with electron beams, as can the vinyl phosphonate alone. For the textile application, fixation of flame retardants by electron beams with low energy is one of the most promising applications. For the purpose of preparing flame resistant cotton fabrics such as bed sheets and pajamas, flame retardant curing of vinyl phosphonate oligomer on cotton fabrics was examined using electron beams from a self-sealed electron beam processor and gamma rays from a 60 Co source. A joint investigation was undertaken by the Tokyo Metropolitan Textile Research Institute and Tokyo Metropolitan Isotope Research Center to determine the feasibility of curing vinyl phosphonate oligomer on the cotton fabrics for textile finishing. (author)

Conjugated Polymers and Oligomers: Structural and Soft Matter Aspects

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

This book identifies modern topics and current trends of structural and soft matter aspects of conjugated polymers and oligomers. Each chapter recognizes an active research line where structural perspective dominates research and therefore the book covers fundamental aspects of persistent...

Effect of phenolic oligomer on adhesion of poly (ethylene terephthalate) film laminated steel sheets by Electron Beam Curing method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Masuhara, Kenichi; Mori, Koji; Koshiishi, Kenji; Sasaki, Takashi.

1995-01-01

Adhesion of poly (ethylene terephthalate) film by Electron Beam Curing (EBC) method which can be thought as an energy-saving process was studied for the purpose of bestowing economically design and distinctness of image on thermosetting high molecular weight polyester precoated steel sheets. Adhesion of EB curable resins onto metal is generally poor. In this report, addition of EB curable phenolic resole oligomer with bifunctional acrylates to the top coat used for precoated steel was studied in order to increase the adhesion of an EB curable adhesive, and it was found that the phenolic oligomer is tremendously effective for the improvement of adhesion. The reasons why the phenolic oligomer provides excellent adhesion were 1) elongation at break of the top coat to which the phenolic oligomer is added is little decreased by EB irradiation, and the formability does not reduce. 2) As the phenolic oligomer is unevenly distributed to the surface layer of the top coat, it is suggested that the contact frequency of the phenolic oligomer to the EB curable adhesive is so high that graft polymerization between them is liable to occur. (author)

Unraveling the Role of Π - Conjugation in Thiophene Oligomers for Optoelectronic Properties by DFT/TDDFT Approach

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gajalakshmi

Full Text Available ABSTRACT Thiophene oligomer has been investigated using DFT/TDDFT calculations with an aim to check its suitability for opto electronic applications and also to analyse the influence of π-bridge. Our results revealed that thiophene oligomers have excellent π-conjugation throughout. FMO analysis give an estimate of band gap of thiophene oligomer and further revealed HOMO are localized on π - bridge, donor group and LUMO are localized on π - bridge and acceptor group. A TDDFT calculation has been performed to understand the absorption properties of them in gas phase and solvent phase. PCM calculations convey that absorption maxima show positive solvatochromism. Among the designed candidates, the one with more π - bridge show higher wavelength of absorption maxima and would be a choice for better optoelectronic materials. NBO analysis provides support for complete delocalization in these systems. It is interesting to note that oligomer with more π-bridge display an enhanced optoelectronic properties than with less π - bridge.

A simple procedure for preparing chitin oligomers through acetone precipitation after hydrolysis in concentrated hydrochloric acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Kazami, Nao; Sakaguchi, Masayoshi; Mizutani, Daisuke; Masuda, Tatsuhiko; Wakita, Satoshi; Oyama, Fumitaka; Kawakita, Masao; Sugahara, Yasusato

2015-11-05

Chitin oligomers are of interest because of their numerous biologically relevant properties. To prepare chitin oligomers containing 4-6 GlcNAc units [(GlcNAc)4-6], α- and β-chitin were hydrolyzed with concentrated hydrochloric acid at 40 °C. The reactant was mixed with acetone to recover the acetone-insoluble material, and (GlcNAc)4-6 was efficiently recovered after subsequent water extraction. Composition analysis using gel permeation chromatography and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry indicated that (GlcNAc)4-6 could be isolated from the acetone-insoluble material with recoveries of approximately 17% and 21% from the starting α-chitin and β-chitin, respectively. The acetone precipitation method is highly useful for recovering chitin oligomers from the acid hydrolysate of chitin. The changes in the molecular size and higher-order structure of chitin during the course of hydrolysis were also analyzed, and a model that explains the process of oligomer accumulation is proposed. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

High-resolution NMR characterization of low abundance oligomers of amyloid-β without purification.

Science.gov (United States)

Kotler, Samuel A; Brender, Jeffrey R; Vivekanandan, Subramanian; Suzuki, Yuta; Yamamoto, Kazutoshi; Monette, Martine; Krishnamoorthy, Janarthanan; Walsh, Patrick; Cauble, Meagan; Holl, Mark M Banaszak; Marsh, E Neil G; Ramamoorthy, Ayyalusamy

2015-07-03

Alzheimer's disease is characterized by the misfolding and self-assembly of the amyloidogenic protein amyloid-β (Aβ). The aggregation of Aβ leads to diverse oligomeric states, each of which may be potential targets for intervention. Obtaining insight into Aβ oligomers at the atomic level has been a major challenge to most techniques. Here, we use magic angle spinning recoupling (1)H-(1)H NMR experiments to overcome many of these limitations. Using (1)H-(1)H dipolar couplings as a NMR spectral filter to remove both high and low molecular weight species, we provide atomic-level characterization of a non-fibrillar aggregation product of the Aβ1-40 peptide using non-frozen samples without isotopic labeling. Importantly, this spectral filter allows the detection of the specific oligomer signal without a separate purification procedure. In comparison to other solid-state NMR techniques, the experiment is extraordinarily selective and sensitive. A resolved 2D spectra could be acquired of a small population of oligomers (6 micrograms, 7% of the total) amongst a much larger population of monomers and fibers (93% of the total). By coupling real-time (1)H-(1)H NMR experiments with other biophysical measurements, we show that a stable, primarily disordered Aβ1-40 oligomer 5-15 nm in diameter can form and coexist in parallel with the well-known cross-β-sheet fibrils.

High-capacity conductive nanocellulose paper sheets for electrochemically controlled extraction of DNA oligomers.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Aamir Razaq

Full Text Available Highly porous polypyrrole (PPy-nanocellulose paper sheets have been evaluated as inexpensive and disposable electrochemically controlled three-dimensional solid phase extraction materials. The composites, which had a total anion exchange capacity of about 1.1 mol kg(-1, were used for extraction and subsequent release of negatively charged fluorophore tagged DNA oligomers via galvanostatic oxidation and reduction of a 30-50 nm conformal PPy layer on the cellulose substrate. The ion exchange capacity, which was, at least, two orders of magnitude higher than those previously reached in electrochemically controlled extraction, originated from the high surface area (i.e. 80 m(2 g(-1 of the porous composites and the thin PPy layer which ensured excellent access to the ion exchange material. This enabled the extractions to be carried out faster and with better control of the PPy charge than with previously employed approaches. Experiments in equimolar mixtures of (dT(6, (dT(20, and (dT(40 DNA oligomers showed that all oligomers could be extracted, and that the smallest oligomer was preferentially released with an efficiency of up to 40% during the reduction of the PPy layer. These results indicate that the present material is very promising for the development of inexpensive and efficient electrochemically controlled ion-exchange membranes for batch-wise extraction of biomolecules.

Computational Design of High-χ Block Oligomers for Accessing 1 nm Domains.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Qile P; Barreda, Leonel; Oquendo, Luis E; Hillmyer, Marc A; Lodge, Timothy P; Siepmann, J Ilja

2018-05-22

Molecular dynamics simulations are used to design a series of high-χ block oligomers (HCBOs) that can self-assemble into a variety of mesophases with domain sizes as small as 1 nm. The exploration of these oligomers with various chain lengths, volume fractions, and chain architectures at multiple temperatures reveals the presence of ordered lamellae, perforated lamellae, and hexagonally packed cylinders. The achieved periods are as small as 3.0 and 2.1 nm for lamellae and cylinders, respectively, which correspond to polar domains of approximately 1 nm. Interestingly, the detailed phase behavior of these oligomers is distinct from that of either solvent-free surfactants or block polymers. The simulations reveal that the behavior of these HCBOs is a product of an interplay between both "surfactant factors" (headgroup interactions, chain flexibility, and interfacial curvature) and "block polymer factors" (χ, chain length N, and volume fraction f). This insight promotes the understanding of molecular features pivotal for mesophase formation at the sub-5 nm length scale, which facilitates the design of HCBOs tailored toward particular desired morphologies.

Alzheimer's-associated Aβ oligomers show altered structure, immunoreactivity and synaptotoxicity with low doses of oleocanthal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pitt, Jason; Roth, William; Lacor, Pascale; Smith, Amos B.; Blankenship, Matthew; Velasco, Pauline; De Felice, Fernanda; Breslin, Paul; Klein, William L.

2009-01-01

It now appears likely that soluble oligomers of amyloid-β 1-42 peptide, rather than insoluble fibrils, act as the primary neurotoxin in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Consequently, compounds capable of altering the assembly state of these oligomers (referred to as ADDLs) may have potential for AD therapeutics. Phenolic compounds are of particular interest for their ability to disrupt Aβ oligomerization and reduce pathogenicity. This study has focused on oleocanthal (OC), a naturally-occurring phenolic compound found in extra-virgin olive oil. OC increased the immunoreactivity of soluble Aβ species, when assayed with both sequence- and conformation-specific Aβ antibodies, indicating changes in oligomer structure. Analysis of oligomers in the presence of OC showed an upward shift in MW and a ladder-like distribution of SDS-stable ADDL subspecies. In comparison with control ADDLs, oligomers formed in the presence of OC (Aβ-OC) showed equivalent colocalization at synapses but exhibited greater immunofluorescence as a result of increased antibody recognition. The enhanced signal at synapses was not due to increased synaptic binding, as direct detection of fluorescently-labeled ADDLs showed an overall reduction in ADDL signal in the presence of OC. Decreased binding to synapses was accompanied by significantly less synaptic deterioration assayed by drebrin loss. Additionally, treatment with OC improved antibody clearance of ADDLs. These results indicate oleocanthal is capable of altering the oligomerization state of ADDLs while protecting neurons from the synaptopathological effects of ADDLs and suggest OC as a lead compound for development in AD therapeutics.

Synergistic influence of phosphorylation and metal ions on tau oligomer formation and coaggregation with α-synuclein at the single molecule level

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nübling Georg

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Fibrillar amyloid-like deposits and co-deposits of tau and α-synuclein are found in several common neurodegenerative diseases. Recent evidence indicates that small oligomers are the most relevant toxic aggregate species. While tau fibril formation is well-characterized, factors influencing tau oligomerization and molecular interactions of tau and α-synuclein are not well understood. Results We used a novel approach applying confocal single-particle fluorescence to investigate the influence of tau phosphorylation and metal ions on tau oligomer formation and its coaggregation with α-synuclein at the level of individual oligomers. We show that Al3+ at physiologically relevant concentrations and tau phosphorylation by GSK-3β exert synergistic effects on the formation of a distinct SDS-resistant tau oligomer species even at nanomolar protein concentration. Moreover, tau phosphorylation and Al3+ as well as Fe3+ enhanced both formation of mixed oligomers and recruitment of α-synuclein in pre-formed tau oligomers. Conclusions Our findings provide a new perspective on interactions of tau phosphorylation, metal ions, and the formation of potentially toxic oligomer species, and elucidate molecular crosstalks between different aggregation pathways involved in neurodegeneration.

Indirubin Derivative 7-Bromoindirubin-3-Oxime (7Bio Attenuates Aβ Oligomer-Induced Cognitive Impairments in Mice

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Liping Chen

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Indirubins are natural occurring alkaloids extracted from indigo dye-containing plants. Indirubins could inhibit various kinases, and might be used to treat chronic myelocytic leukemia, cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. 7-bromoindirubin-3-oxime (7Bio, an indirubin derivative derived from indirubin-3-oxime, possesses inhibitory effects against cyclin-dependent kinase-5 (CDK5 and glycogen synthase kinase-3β (GSK3β, two pharmacological targets of Alzheimer's disease (AD. In this study, we have discovered that 2.3–23.3 μg/kg 7Bio effectively prevented β-amyloid (Aβ oligomer-induced impairments of spatial cognition and recognition without affecting bodyweight and motor functions in mice. Moreover, 7Bio potently inhibited Aβ oligomer-induced expression of interleukin-6 (IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α. Furthermore, 7Bio significantly prevented the decreased expression of synapsin-1 and PSD-95, biomarkers of pre-synaptic and post-synaptic proteins in Aβ oligomer-treated mice. The mean optical density (OD with hyper-phosphorylated tau (pTau, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP and CD45 positive staining in the hippocampus of 7Bio-treated mice were significantly decreased compared to those of Aβ oligomer-treated mice. In addition, Western blotting analysis showed that 7Bio attenuated Aβ oligomer-decreased expression of pSer9-GSK3β. Those results suggested that 7Bio could potently inhibit Aβ oligomer-induced neuroinflammation, synaptic impairments, tau hyper-phosphorylation, and activation of astrocytes and microglia, which may contribute to the neuroprotective effects of 7Bio. Based on these findings, we expected that 7Bio might be developed as a novel anti-AD lead compound.

Charge transport and dielectric relaxation processes in anilin-based oligomers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Mrlík, M.; Moučka, R.; Ilčíková, M.; Bober, Patrycja; Kazantseva, N.; Špitálský, Z.; Trchová, Miroslava; Stejskal, Jaroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 192, June (2014), s. 37-42 ISSN 0379-6779 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : aniline-based oligomers * conductivity * dielectric properties Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.252, year: 2014

Hybrid materials of SBA-16 functionalized by rare earth (Eu3+, Tb3+) complexes of modified β-diketone (TTA and DBM): Covalently bonding assembly and photophysical properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Yajuan; Yan Bing; Li Ying

2010-01-01

Novel mesoporous SBA-16 type of hybrids TTA-S16 and DBM-S16 were synthesized by co-condensation of modified β-diketone (TTA-Si and DBM-Si, DBM=1,3-diphenyl-1,3- propanepione, TTA=2-thenoyltrifluoroacetone) and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) in the presence of Pluronic F127 as template, which were confirmed by FTIR, XRD, 29 Si CP-MAS NMR, and N 2 adsorption measurements. Novel organic-inorganic mesoporous luminescent hybrid containing RE 3+ (Eu 3+ , Tb 3+ ) complexes covalently attached to the functionalized ordered mesoporous SBA-16 (TTA-S16 and DBM-S16), which were designated as bpy-RE-TTA-S16 and bpy-RE-DBM-S16, were obtained by sol-gel process. The luminescence properties of these resulting materials were characterized in detail, and the results reveal that mesoporous hybrid material bpy-Eu-TTA-S16 present stronger luminescent intensities, longer lifetimes, and higher luminescent quantum efficiencies than the corresponding DBM-containing materials bpy-Eu-DBM-S16, while bpy-Tb-DBM-S16 exhibit the stronger characteristic emission of Tb 3+ and longer lifetime than the corresponding TTA-containing materials bpy-Tb-TTA-S16. - Graphical abstract: Novel organic-inorganic mesoporous luminescent hybrids containing RE 3+ complex covalently attached to the β-diketone-functionalized ordered mesoporous SBA-16, which were designated as bpy-RE-TTA-S16 and bpy-RE-DBM-S16, were obtained by sol-gel process.

Photopolymerizable silicone monomers, oligomers, and resins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobine, A.F.; Nakos, S.T.

1992-01-01

The purpose of this chapter is to acquaint the general photopolymer researcher with the historical development of the chemistry and technology of photopolymerizable silicone monomers, fluids, and resins. The current status of research in these areas is assessed. The focus of this chapter is not only on the polymer chemistry and application of this technology, but also on important aspects of the synthetic chemistry involved in the preparation of UV-curable silicone monomers, oligomers, and resins. 236 refs., 6 tabs

NEXAFS characterization of DNA components and molecular-orientation of surface-bound DNA oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samuel, Newton T.; Lee, C.-Y.; Gamble, Lara J.; Fischer, Daniel A.; Castner, David G.

2006-01-01

Single stranded DNA oligomers (ssDNA) immobilized onto solid surfaces forms the basis for several biotechnological applications such as DNA microarrays, affinity separations, and biosensors. Surface structure of Surface-bound oligomers is expected to significantly influence their biological activity and interactions with the environment. In this study near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy (NEXAFS) is used to characterize the components of DNA (nucleobases, nucleotides and nucleosides) and the orientation information of surface-bound ssDNA. The K-edges of carbon, nitrogen and oxygen have spectra with features that are characteristic of the different chemical species present in the nucleobases of DNA. The effect of addition of the DNA sugar and phosphate components on the NEXAFS K-edge spectra was also investigated. The polarization-dependent nitrogen K-edge NEXAFS data show significant changes for different orientations of surface bound ssDNA. These results establish NEXAFS as a powerful technique for chemical and structural characterization of surface-bound DNA oligomers

Genotoxicity of styrene oligomers extracted from polystyrene intended for use in contact with food

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Makoto Nakai

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Here, we conducted in vitro genotoxicity tests to evaluate the genotoxicity of styrene oligomers extracted from polystyrene intended for use in contact with food. Styrene oligomers were extracted with acetone and the extract was subjected to the Ames test (OECD test guideline No. 471 and the in vitro chromosomal aberration test (OECD test guideline No. 473 under good laboratory practice conditions. The concentrations of styrene dimers and trimers in the concentrated extract were 540 and 13,431 ppm, respectively. Extraction with acetone provided markedly higher concentrations of styrene oligomers compared with extraction with 50% ethanol aqueous solution, which is the food simulant currently recommended for use in safety assessments of polystyrene by both the United States Food and Drug Administration and the European Food Safety Authority. And these high concentrations of styrene dimers and trimers were utilized for the evaluation of genotoxicity in vitro. Ames tests using five bacterial tester strains were negative both in the presence or absence of metabolic activation. The in vitro chromosomal aberration test using Chinese hamster lung cells (CHL/IU was also negative. Together, these results suggest that the risk of the genotoxicity of styrene oligomers that migrate from polystyrene food packaging into food is very low.

Formation of nitrogen-containing oligomers by methylglyoxal and amines in simulated evaporating cloud droplets.

Science.gov (United States)

De Haan, David O; Hawkins, Lelia N; Kononenko, Julia A; Turley, Jacob J; Corrigan, Ashley L; Tolbert, Margaret A; Jimenez, Jose L

2011-02-01

Reactions of methylglyoxal with amino acids, methylamine, and ammonium sulfate can take place in aqueous aerosol and evaporating cloud droplets. These processes are simulated by drying droplets and bulk solutions of these compounds (at low millimolar and 1 M concentrations, respectively) and analyzing the residuals by scanning mobility particle sizing, nuclear magnetic resonance, aerosol mass spectrometry (AMS), and electrospray ionization MS. The results are consistent with imine (but not diimine) formation on a time scale of seconds, followed by the formation of nitrogen-containing oligomers, methylimidazole, and dimethylimidazole products on a time scale of minutes to hours. Measured elemental ratios are consistent with imidazoles and oligomers being major reaction products, while effective aerosol densities suggest extensive reactions take place within minutes. These reactions may be a source of the light-absorbing, nitrogen-containing oligomers observed in urban and biomass-burning aerosol particles.

Synthesis of alginate oligomers by gamma irradiation and to investigate its antioxidant and prebiotic activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bhoir, S.A.; Chawla, S.P.

2016-01-01

Alginate oligomers formed by alginate lyase have been reported to possess antioxidant activity as well as prebiotic activity. Hence, utility of gamma radiation to depolymerise alginate in its aqueous solution was investigated and its antioxidant and prebiotic activities were screened. 1% aqueous solution of sodium alginate was subjected to gamma irradiation and it's reducing power and ability to scavenge DPPH". and O_2"."."-, chelate iron and prevent heat induced β-carotene bleaching was determined. Prebiotic activity was determined by using alginate oligomers to promote prebiotic activity of Lactobacillus plantarum against E coli. Gamma radiation induced depolymerisation of alginate resulted in formation of oligomers with antioxidant and prebiotic activity. These polymers are potential candidates for utilization as natural preservatives and functional foods

Characterizing the Dynamics of α-Synuclein Oligomers Using Hydrogen/Deuterium Exchange Monitored by Mass Spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mysling, Simon; Betzer, Cristine; Jensen, Poul Henning

2013-01-01

Soluble oligomers formed by α-synuclein (αSN) are suspected to play a central role in neuronal cell death during Parkinson's disease. While studies have probed the surface structure of these oligomers, little is known about the backbone dynamics of αSN when they form soluble oligomers. Using...... analyses performed on αSN fibrils and indicated a possible zipperlike maturation mechanism for αSN aggregates. We find the protected N-terminus (residues 4-17) to be of particular interest, as this region has previously been observed to be highly dynamic for both monomeric and fibrillar αSN. This region...... has mainly been described in relation to membrane binding of αSN, and structuring may be important in relation to disease....

Covalent Surface Modifications of Carbon Nanotubes.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pavia Sanders, Adriana [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States); O' Bryan, Greg [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-CA), Livermore, CA (United States)

2017-07-01

A report meant to document the chemistries investigated by the author for covalent surface modification of CNTs. Oxidation, cycloaddition, and radical reactions were explored to determine their success at covalently altering the CNT surface. Characterization through infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and thermo gravimetric analysis was performed in order to determine the success of the chemistries employed. This report is not exhaustive and was performed for CNT surface modification exploration as it pertains to the "Next Gen" project.

Synthesis of Citric-Acrylate Oligomer and its in-Situ Reaction with Chrome Tanned Collagen (hide powder)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haroun, A.A.; Masoud, R.A.; Bronco, S.; Ciardelli, F.

2005-01-01

The purpose of this study was to formulate the new combined system of acrylic and citric acids, which has been prepared by free radical polymerization and esterification reaction at the same time to form citric acrylate (CAC) oligomer through ester linkage and low molecular weight (Mw 2241), in compared with polyacrylic acid. The chemical structure and the reaction mechanism of this oligomer were confirmed by different spectroscopic tools (1 H , 13 C-NMR, ATR-IR), gel permeation chromatography and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA/DTA). The problem of the effect of the masking agents in the chrome tanning of the collagen and the pickling of the hide has been approached from the study of the hydrothermal and mechanical properties, using this new eco-friendly oligomer, which was carried out in-situ treated/grafted chrome tanned collagen (hide powder), and pickled hide. The microemulsion grafting copolymerization of (CAC) using 2.2-azo-bis isobutyronitrile (ABIN), via direct coupling reaction, onto the chrome tanned collagen showed that the free amino groups of the collagen were considered to be a potential site for the in-situ reaction with (CAC) oligomer. Also, using of citric-acrylate (CAC) oligomer, during chrome tanning of leather, instead of the traditional strong acids (sulfuric, hydrochloric and formic) resulted in significant improvement in chrome exhaustion and physical properties

Complex forms of mitochondrial DNA in human B cells transformed by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christiansen, Gunna; Christiansen, C; Zeuthen, J

1983-01-01

Human lymphocytes and lymphoid cell lines were analyzed for the presence of complex forms of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by electron microscopy. A high frequency (9%-14.5%) of catenated dimers, circular dimers, or oligomers were found in samples from Epstein-Barr-virus-(EBV) transformed lymphoblast......Human lymphocytes and lymphoid cell lines were analyzed for the presence of complex forms of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) by electron microscopy. A high frequency (9%-14.5%) of catenated dimers, circular dimers, or oligomers were found in samples from Epstein-Barr-virus-(EBV) transformed...

“Covalent Hydration” Reactions in Model Monomeric Ru 2,2'-Bipyridine Complexes: Thermodynamic Favorability as a Function of Metal Oxidation and Overall Spin States

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ozkanlar, Abdullah; Cape, Jonathan L.; Hurst, James K.; Clark, Aurora E.

2011-09-05

Density functional theory (DFT) has been used to investigate the plausibility of water addition to the simple mononuclear ruthenium complexes, [(NH{sub 3}){sub 3}(bpy)Ru=O]{sup 2+}/{sup 3+} and [(NH{sub 3}){sub 3}(bpy)RuOH]{sup 3+}, in which the OH fragment adds to the 2,2{prime}-bipyridine (bpy) ligand. Activation of bpy toward water addition has frequently been postulated within the literature, although there exists little definitive experimental evidence for this type of 'covalent hydration'. In this study, we examine the energetic dependence of the reaction upon metal oxidation state, overall spin state of the complex, as well as selectivity for various positions on the bipyridine ring. The thermodynamic favorability is found to be highly dependent upon all three parameters, with free energies of reaction that span favorable and unfavorable regimes. Aqueous addition to [(NH{sub 3}){sub 3}(bpy)Ru=O]{sup 3+} was found to be highly favorable for the S = 1/2 state, while reduction of the formal oxidation state on the metal center makes the reaction highly unfavorable. Examination of both facial and meridional isomers reveals that when bipyridine occupies the position trans to the ruthenyl oxo atom, reactivity toward OH addition decreases and the site preferences are altered. The electronic structure and spectroscopic signatures (EPR parameters and simulated spectra) have been determined to aid in recognition of 'covalent hydration' in experimental systems. EPR parameters are found to uniquely characterize the position of the OH addition to the bpy as well as the overall spin state of the system.

Structures of Metalloporphyrin-Oligomer Multianions: Cofacial versus Coplanar Motifs as Resolved by Ion Mobility Spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Brendle, Katrina; Schwarz, Ulrike; Jäger, Patrick; Weis, Patrick; Kappes, Manfred

2016-11-03

We have combined ion mobility mass spectrometry with quantum chemical calculations to investigate the gas-phase structures of multiply negatively charged oligomers of meso-tetra(4-sulfonatophenyl)metalloporphyrins comprising the divalent metal centers Zn II , Cu II , and Pd II . Sets of candidate structures were obtained by geometry optimizations based on calculations at both the semiempirical PM7 and density functional theory (DFT) levels. The corresponding theoretical cross sections were calculated with the projection approximation and also with the trajectory method. By comparing these collision cross sections with the respective experimental values we were able to assign oligomer structures up to the tetramer. In most cases the cross sections of the lowest energy isomers predicted by theory were found to agree with the measurements to within the experimental uncertainty (2%). Specifically, we find that for a given oligomer size the structures are independent of the metal center but depend strongly on the charge state. Oligomers in low charge states with a correspondingly larger number of sodium counterions tend to form stacked, cofacial structures reminiscent of H-aggregate motifs observed in solution. By contrast, in higher charge states, the stack opens to form coplanar structures.

Inclusion complexation of tetrabutylammonium iodide by cyclodextrins

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Biswajit Datta

Host-guest inclusion complex of an ionic solid (tetrabutyl ammonium iodide) with α- and β- cyclodextrin has been ... tions.2 CDs are cyclic oligomer of α-D-glucose having numerous of ... of locating at the interface of two phases (liquid–liquid.

Natural amyloid-β oligomers acutely impair the formation of a contextual fear memory in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Kittelberger, Kara A; Piazza, Fabrizio; Tesco, Giuseppina; Reijmers, Leon G

2012-01-01

Memory loss is one of the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been proposed that soluble amyloid-beta (Abeta) oligomers acutely impair neuronal function and thereby memory. We here report that natural Abeta oligomers acutely impair contextual fear memory in mice. A natural Abeta oligomer solution containing Abeta monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers was derived from the conditioned medium of 7PA2 cells, a cell line that expresses human amyloid precursor protein containing the Val717Phe familial AD mutation. As a control we used 7PA2 conditioned medium from which Abeta oligomers were removed through immunodepletion. Separate groups of mice were injected with Abeta and control solutions through a cannula into the lateral brain ventricle, and subjected to fear conditioning using two tone-shock pairings. One day after fear conditioning, mice were tested for contextual fear memory and tone fear memory in separate retrieval trials. Three experiments were performed. For experiment 1, mice were injected three times: 1 hour before and 3 hours after fear conditioning, and 1 hour before context retrieval. For experiments 2 and 3, mice were injected a single time at 1 hour and 2 hours before fear conditioning respectively. In all three experiments there was no effect on tone fear memory. Injection of Abeta 1 hour before fear conditioning, but not 2 hours before fear conditioning, impaired the formation of a contextual fear memory. In future studies, the acute effect of natural Abeta oligomers on contextual fear memory can be used to identify potential mechanisms and treatments of AD associated memory loss.

Natural Amyloid-Beta Oligomers Acutely Impair the Formation of a Contextual Fear Memory in Mice

Science.gov (United States)

Kittelberger, Kara A.; Piazza, Fabrizio; Tesco, Giuseppina; Reijmers, Leon G.

2012-01-01

Memory loss is one of the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD). It has been proposed that soluble amyloid-beta (Abeta) oligomers acutely impair neuronal function and thereby memory. We here report that natural Abeta oligomers acutely impair contextual fear memory in mice. A natural Abeta oligomer solution containing Abeta monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers was derived from the conditioned medium of 7PA2 cells, a cell line that expresses human amyloid precursor protein containing the Val717Phe familial AD mutation. As a control we used 7PA2 conditioned medium from which Abeta oligomers were removed through immunodepletion. Separate groups of mice were injected with Abeta and control solutions through a cannula into the lateral brain ventricle, and subjected to fear conditioning using two tone-shock pairings. One day after fear conditioning, mice were tested for contextual fear memory and tone fear memory in separate retrieval trials. Three experiments were performed. For experiment 1, mice were injected three times: 1 hour before and 3 hours after fear conditioning, and 1 hour before context retrieval. For experiments 2 and 3, mice were injected a single time at 1 hour and 2 hours before fear conditioning respectively. In all three experiments there was no effect on tone fear memory. Injection of Abeta 1 hour before fear conditioning, but not 2 hours before fear conditioning, impaired the formation of a contextual fear memory. In future studies, the acute effect of natural Abeta oligomers on contextual fear memory can be used to identify potential mechanisms and treatments of AD associated memory loss. PMID:22238679

Coronavirus nucleocapsid proteins assemble constitutively in high molecular oligomers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cong, Yingying; Kriegenburg, Franziska; de Haan, Cornelis A. M.; Reggiori, Fulvio

2017-01-01

Coronaviruses (CoV) are enveloped viruses and rely on their nucleocapsid N protein to incorporate the positive-stranded genomic RNA into the virions. CoV N proteins form oligomers but the mechanism and relevance underlying their multimerization remain to be fully understood. Using in vitro pull-down

Solid state properties of oligomers containing dithienothiophene or fluorene residues suitable for field effect transistor devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Porzio, William; Destri, Silvia; Giovanella, Umberto; Pasini, Mariacecilia; Marin, Luminita; Iosip, Mariana Dana; Campione, Marcello

2007-01-01

A series of three thiophene based oligomers has been extensively characterized. The chemical design has been addressed to obtain ionization potential (IP) and electronic affinity (EA) values matching the work function of commonly used electrode materials. Such IP and EA values were tested by cyclovoltammetry. In order to tune electron-donation and drawing strength the sequence of the molecule subunits in the oligomer has been varied. The thermal properties with particular reference to their stability during preparation and operation were checked by using differential scanning calorimetry, polarised light microscopy and thermogravimetric analysis techniques. Prototypes of thin film field effect transistor, based on this series of oligomers have been electrically and structurally characterized. The long axes of the molecules are oriented nearly perpendicular to the gate insulator, in agreement with both highly sensitive X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. From powder diffraction data the structure of oligomer I was solved. A general relation is envisaged between charge mobility and packing closeness in the series. For the most promising molecule a study of mobility/temperature behaviour was performed yielding interesting results

Thermodynamically stable amyloid-β monomers have much lower membrane affinity than the small oligomers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bidyut eSarkar

2013-04-01

Full Text Available Amyloid beta (Aβ is an extracellular 39-43 residue long peptide present in the mammalian cerebrospinal fluid, whose aggregation is associated with Alzheimer’s disease. Small oligomers of Aβ are currently thought to be the key to toxicity. However, it is not clear why the monomers of Aβ are non-toxic, and at what stage of aggregation toxicity emerges. Interactions of Aβ with cell membranes is thought to be the initiator of toxicity, but membrane-binding studies with different preparations of monomers and oligomers have not settled this issue. We have earlier found that thermodynamically stable Aβ monomers emerge spontaneously from oligomeric mixtures upon long term incubation in physiological solutions (Nag et al, JBC, 2011. Here we show that the membrane-affinity of these stable Aβ monomers is much lower than that of a mixture of small oligomers (containing dimers to decamers, providing a clue to the emergence of toxicity. Fluorescently labeled Aβ40 monomers show negligible binding to cell membranes of a neuronal cell line (RN46A at physiological concentrations (250 nM, while oligomers at the same concentrations show strong binding within 30 minutes of incubation. The increased affinity most likely does not require any specific neuronal receptor, since this difference in membrane-affinity was also observed in a somatic cell-line (HEK 293T. Similar results are also obtained for Aβ42 monomers and oligomers. Minimal amount of cell death is observed at these concentrations even after 36 hours of incubation. It is likely that membrane binding precedes subsequent slower toxic events induced by Aβ. Our results a provide an explanation for the non-toxic nature of Aβ monomers, b suggest that Aβ toxicity emerges at the initial oligomeric phase, and c provide a quick assay for monitoring the benign-to-toxic transformation of Aβ.

Distinct Internalization Pathways of Human Amylin Monomers and Its Cytotoxic Oligomers in Pancreatic Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Trikha, Saurabh; Jeremic, Aleksandar M.

2013-01-01

Toxic human amylin oligomers and aggregates are implicated in the pathogenesis of type 2 diabetes mellitus (TTDM). Although recent studies have shown that pancreatic cells can recycle amylin monomers and toxic oligomers, the exact uptake mechanism and trafficking routes of these molecular forms and their significance for amylin toxicity are yet to be determined. Using pancreatic rat insulinoma (RIN-m5F) beta (β)-cells and human islets as model systems we show that monomers and oligomers cross the plasma membrane (PM) through both endocytotic and non-endocytotic (translocation) mechanisms, the predominance of which is dependent on amylin concentrations and incubation times. At low (≤100 nM) concentrations, internalization of amylin monomers in pancreatic cells is completely blocked by the selective amylin-receptor (AM-R) antagonist, AC-187, indicating an AM-R dependent mechanism. In contrast at cytotoxic (µM) concentrations monomers initially (1 hour) enter pancreatic cells by two distinct mechanisms: translocation and macropinocytosis. However, during the late stage (24 hours) monomers internalize by a clathrin-dependent but AM-R and macropinocytotic independent pathway. Like monomers a small fraction of the oligomers initially enter cells by a non-endocytotic mechanism. In contrast a majority of the oligomers at both early (1 hour) and late times (24 hours) traffic with a fluid-phase marker, dextran, to the same endocytotic compartments, the uptake of which is blocked by potent macropinocytotic inhibitors. This led to a significant increase in extra-cellular PM accumulation, in turn potentiating amylin toxicity in pancreatic cells. Our studies suggest that macropinocytosis is a major but not the only clearance mechanism for both amylin’s molecular forms, thereby serving a cyto-protective role in these cells. PMID:24019897

Benzothienobenzothiophene-based conjugated oligomers as semiconductors for stable organic thin-film transistors.

Science.gov (United States)

Yu, Han; Li, Weili; Tian, Hongkun; Wang, Haibo; Yan, Donghang; Zhang, Jingping; Geng, Yanhou; Wang, Fosong

2014-04-09

Two benzothienobenzothiophene (BTBT)-based conjugated oligomers, i.e., 2,2'-bi[1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophene (1) and 5,5'-bis([1]benzothieno[3,2-b][1]benzothiophen-2-yl)-2,2'-bithiophene (2), were prepared and characterized. Both oligomers exhibit excellent thermal stability, with 5% weight-loss temperatures (T(L)) above 370 °C; no phase transition was observed before decomposition. The highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) levels of 1 and 2 are -5.3 and -4.9 eV, respectively, as measured by ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy. Thin-film X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy characterizations indicate that both oligomers form highly crystalline films with large domain sizes on octadecyltrimethoxysilane-modified substrates. Organic thin-film transistors with top-contact and bottom-gate geometry based on 1 and 2 exhibited mobilities up to 2.12 cm(2)/V·s for 1 and 1.39 cm(2)/V·s for 2 in an ambient atmosphere. 1-based devices exhibited great air and thermal stabilities, as evidenced by the slight performance degradation after 2 months of storage under ambient conditions and after thermal annealing at temperatures below 250 °C.

Hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions between cell penetrating peptides and plasmid DNA are important for stable non-covalent complexation and intracellular delivery.

Science.gov (United States)

Upadhya, Archana; Sangave, Preeti C

2016-10-01

Cell penetrating peptides are useful tools for intracellular delivery of nucleic acids. Delivery of plasmid DNA, a large nucleic acid, poses a challenge for peptide mediated transport. The paper investigates and compares efficacy of five novel peptide designs for complexation of plasmid DNA and subsequent delivery into cells. The peptides were designed to contain reported DNA condensing agents and basic cell penetrating sequences, octa-arginine (R 8 ) and CHK 6 HC coupled to cell penetration accelerating peptides such as Bax inhibitory mutant peptide (KLPVM) and a peptide derived from the Kaposi fibroblast growth factor (kFGF) membrane translocating sequence. A tryptophan rich peptide, an analogue of Pep-3, flanked with CH 3 on either ends was also a part of the study. The peptides were analysed for plasmid DNA complexation, protection of peptide-plasmid DNA complexes against DNase I, serum components and competitive ligands by simple agarose gel electrophoresis techniques. Hemolysis of rat red blood corpuscles (RBCs) in the presence of the peptides was used as a measure of peptide cytotoxicity. Plasmid DNA delivery through the designed peptides was evaluated in two cell lines, human cervical cancer cell line (HeLa) and (NIH/3 T3) mouse embryonic fibroblasts via expression of the secreted alkaline phosphatase (SEAP) reporter gene. The importance of hydrophobic sequences in addition to cationic sequences in peptides for non-covalent plasmid DNA complexation and delivery has been illustrated. An alternative to the employment of fatty acid moieties for enhanced gene transfer has been proposed. Comparison of peptides for plasmid DNA complexation and delivery of peptide-plasmid DNA complexes to cells estimated by expression of a reporter gene, SEAP. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Synthesis of Cycloveratrylene Macrocycles and Benzyl Oligomers Catalysed by Bentonite under Microwave/Infrared and Solvent-Free Conditions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Manuel Salmón

2013-10-01

Full Text Available Tonsil Actisil FF, which is a commercial bentonitic clay, promotes the formation of cycloveratrylene macrocycles and benzyl oligomers from the corresponding benzyl alcohols in good yields under microwave heating and infrared irradiation in the absence of solvent in both cases. The catalytic reaction is sensitive to the type of substituent on the aromatic ring. Thus, when benzyl alcohol was substituted with a methylenedioxy, two methoxy or three methoxy groups, a cyclooligomerisation process was induced. Unsubstituted, methyl and methoxy benzyl alcohols yielded linear oligomers. In addition, computational chemistry calculations were performed to establish a validated mechanistic pathway to explain the growth of the obtained linear oligomers.

Structure and properties of binary polystyrene-epoxy acrylate oligomer mixtures irradiated by electron beams

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lomonosova, N.V.

1995-01-01

The change in the structure of oriented polymer-oligomer systems based on polystyrene (PS) with M > 10 6 and epoxy acrylate oligomers (aliphatic and aromatic) under irradiation by accelerated electrons was studied using birefringence, isometric heating, IR dichroism, and thermooptical analysis. Mechanical properties of these systems were investigated. It was found that, by adding aliphatic epoxy acrylate to PS and further irradiating this mixture, one can obtain both isotropic and oriented composites with higher strengths, elasticity moduli, and glass transition temperatures

Natural amyloid-β oligomers acutely impair the formation of a contextual fear memory in mice.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kara A Kittelberger

Full Text Available Memory loss is one of the hallmark symptoms of Alzheimer's disease (AD. It has been proposed that soluble amyloid-beta (Abeta oligomers acutely impair neuronal function and thereby memory. We here report that natural Abeta oligomers acutely impair contextual fear memory in mice. A natural Abeta oligomer solution containing Abeta monomers, dimers, trimers, and tetramers was derived from the conditioned medium of 7PA2 cells, a cell line that expresses human amyloid precursor protein containing the Val717Phe familial AD mutation. As a control we used 7PA2 conditioned medium from which Abeta oligomers were removed through immunodepletion. Separate groups of mice were injected with Abeta and control solutions through a cannula into the lateral brain ventricle, and subjected to fear conditioning using two tone-shock pairings. One day after fear conditioning, mice were tested for contextual fear memory and tone fear memory in separate retrieval trials. Three experiments were performed. For experiment 1, mice were injected three times: 1 hour before and 3 hours after fear conditioning, and 1 hour before context retrieval. For experiments 2 and 3, mice were injected a single time at 1 hour and 2 hours before fear conditioning respectively. In all three experiments there was no effect on tone fear memory. Injection of Abeta 1 hour before fear conditioning, but not 2 hours before fear conditioning, impaired the formation of a contextual fear memory. In future studies, the acute effect of natural Abeta oligomers on contextual fear memory can be used to identify potential mechanisms and treatments of AD associated memory loss.

Charge-carrier selective electrodes for organic bulk heterojunction solar cell by contact-printed siloxane oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hwang, Hyun-Sik; Khang, Dahl-Young

2015-01-01

‘Smart’ (or selective) electrode for charge carriers, both electrons and holes, in organic bulk-heterojunction (BHJ) solar cells using insertion layers made of hydrophobically-recovered and contact-printed siloxane oligomers between electrodes and active material has been demonstrated. The siloxane oligomer insertion layer has been formed at a given interface simply by conformally-contacting a cured slab of polydimethylsiloxane stamp for less than 100 s. All the devices, either siloxane oligomer printed at one interface only or printed at both interfaces, showed efficiency enhancement when compared to non-printed ones. The possible mechanism that is responsible for the observed efficiency enhancement has been discussed based on the point of optimum symmetry and photocurrent analysis. Besides its simplicity and large-area applicability, the demonstrated contact-printing technique does not involve any vacuum or wet processing steps and thus can be very useful for the roll-based, continuous production scheme for organic BHJ solar cells. - Highlights: • Carrier-selective insertion layer in organic bulk heterojunction solar cells • Simple contact-printing of siloxane oligomers improves cell efficiency. • Printed siloxane layer reduces carrier recombination at electrode surfaces. • Siloxane insertion layer works equally well at both electrode surfaces. • Patterned PDMS stamp shortens the printing time within 100 s

On the calculation and interpretation of covalency in the intensity parameters of 4f–4f transitions in Eu{sup 3+} complexes based on the chemical bond overlap polarizability

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Moura, Renaldo T., E-mail: renaldotmjr@gmail.com; Carneiro Neto, Albano N.; Longo, Ricardo L.; Malta, Oscar L.

2016-02-15

The concepts of chemical bond overlap polarizability (α{sub OP}) and of specific ionic valence (υ) were used to characterize the Eu{sup 3+}–ligating atom bonds in complexes. The underlying chemical bond properties, namely, bond distance, overlap integral, force constant, and the energy excitation, were successfully calculated for the Eu{sup 3+}–ligating atom diatomic-like species under the influence of the molecular environment. The quantities α{sub OP} and υ were used to reshape and reinterpret the expressions of the forced electric dipole (FED) and the dynamic coupling (DC) mechanisms responsible for the intensity parameters of 4f–4f transitions. These parameters were calculated with this new approach for a series of Eu{sup 3+} complexes: [EuL{sub 3}L′] with L=AIND, BIND, TTA, BTFA, FOD, ABSe, ABSeCl, DPM and L′=(H{sub 2}O){sub 2}, NO{sub 3}, DPbpy, DBSO, TPPO, Phen, for which the experimental intensity parameters and some E{sub 00} (={sup 5}D{sub 0}→{sup 7}F{sub 0}) energies are available. Comparisons between the theoretical and experimental results suggest that this new methodology is reliable and an important step toward an approach to calculate the 4f–4f intensities free of adjustable parameters, which has been accomplished for complexes without aquo ligand. - Highlights: • New methodology to calculate intensity parameters of f–f transitions. • Inclusion of overlap polarizability (covalency) on dynamic coupling mechanism. • Analytical calculation of the charge factors in the ligand field Hamiltonian. • Step towards a parameter-free computational method for f–f intensities. • Interpretation and quantification of the intensity parameters in terms of covalency.

Atomistic simulation of CO 2 solubility in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers

KAUST Repository

Hong, Bingbing; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.

2013-01-01

We have performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations coupled with thermodynamic integration to obtain the excess chemical potential and pressure-composition phase diagrams for CO2 in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers. Poly(ethylene oxide

Investigation of the structure of isobutylene oligomers, used in the capacity of stock for succinimide additives, by the method of proton magnetic resonance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Iarmoliuk, V.M.; Garun, Ia.E.; Ostroverkhov, V.G.; Pustovit, V.E.; Tikhonov, V.P.

1980-01-01

By the method of proton magnetic resonance, investigation was made of the structure of hydrocarbon framework of isobutylene oligomers of the Salavatsk petrochemical plant, produced by the cation polymerization of the isobutane isobutylene fraction at a temperature from -10 to +20/sup 0/ with A1C1/sub 3/ and used in the production of succinide additives. Determination was made of the qualitative and quantitative compositions of the various structures in the oligomers. It is shown, that as a rule, oligobutenes are not pure oligomers of isobutylene, but represent, at least, fragments of four structures, which can be formed on the basis of isobutylene. The content of the given structures does not affect the reaction capacity of the oligomers in respect to the maleic anhydride. It was established, that the low molecular fraction, contained in oligomers up to 5%, are not isobutylene oligomers, but represent a low molecular polymer of butene-2 and its copolymer with isobutylene.

Covalent modification and exfoliation of graphene oxide using ferrocene

Science.gov (United States)

Avinash, M. B.; Subrahmanyam, K. S.; Sundarayya, Y.; Govindaraju, T.

2010-09-01

Large scale preparation of single-layer graphene and graphene oxide is of great importance due to their potential applications. We report a simple room temperature method for the exfoliation of graphene oxide using covalent modification of graphene oxide with ferrocene to obtain single-layer graphene oxide sheets. The samples were characterized by FESEM, HRTEM, AFM, EDAX, FT-IR, Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. HRTEM micrograph of the covalently modified graphene oxide showed increased interlayer spacing of ~2.4 nm due to ferrocene intercalation. The presence of single-layer graphene oxide sheets were confirmed by AFM studies. The covalently modified ferrocene-graphene oxide composite showed interesting magnetic behavior.Large scale preparation of single-layer graphene and graphene oxide is of great importance due to their potential applications. We report a simple room temperature method for the exfoliation of graphene oxide using covalent modification of graphene oxide with ferrocene to obtain single-layer graphene oxide sheets. The samples were characterized by FESEM, HRTEM, AFM, EDAX, FT-IR, Raman and Mössbauer spectroscopic studies. HRTEM micrograph of the covalently modified graphene oxide showed increased interlayer spacing of ~2.4 nm due to ferrocene intercalation. The presence of single-layer graphene oxide sheets were confirmed by AFM studies. The covalently modified ferrocene-graphene oxide composite showed interesting magnetic behavior. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Magnetic data; AFM images; TEM micrographs; and Mössbauer spectroscopic data. See DOI: 10.1039/c0nr00024h

Intracellular formation of α-synuclein oligomers and the effect of heat shock protein 70 characterized by confocal single particle spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Levin, Johannes [Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich (Germany); German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases – DZNE, Site Munich, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 17, 81377 Munich (Germany); Hillmer, Andreas S. [Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich (Germany); Högen, Tobias [Department of Neurology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Marchioninistr. 15, 81377 Munich (Germany); McLean, Pamela J. [Department of Neuroscience, Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, FL 32224 (United States); Giese, Armin, E-mail: armin.giese@med.uni-muenchen.de [Center for Neuropathology and Prion Research, Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Feodor-Lynen-Str. 23, 81377 Munich (Germany)

2016-08-12

Synucleinopathies such as dementia with Lewy bodies or Parkinson’s disease are characterized by intracellular deposition of pathologically aggregated α-synuclein. The details of the molecular pathogenesis of PD and especially the conditions that lead to intracellular aggregation of α-synuclein and the role of these aggregates in cell death remain unknown. In cell free in vitro systems considerable knowledge about the aggregation processes has been gathered. In comparison, the knowledge about these aggregation processes in cells is far behind. In cells α-synuclein aggregates can be toxic. However, the crucial particle species responsible for decisive steps in pathogenesis such as seeding a continuing aggregation process and triggering cell death remain to be identified. In order to understand the complex nature of intracellular α-synuclein aggregate formation, we analyzed fluorescent particles formed by venus and α-synuclein-venus fusion proteins and α-synuclein-hemi-venus fusion proteins derived from gently lyzed cells. With these techniques we were able to identify and characterize α-synuclein oligomers formed in cells. Especially the use of α-synuclein-hemi-venus fusion proteins enabled us to identify very small α-synuclein oligomers with high sensitivity. Furthermore, we were able to study the molecular effect of heat shock protein 70, which is known to inhibit α-synuclein aggregation in cells. Heat shock protein 70 does not only influence the size of α-synuclein oligomers, but also their quantity. In summary, this approach based on fluorescence single particle spectroscopy, that is suited for high throughput measurements, can be used to detect and characterize intracellularly formed α-synuclein aggregates and characterize the effect of molecules that interfere with α-synuclein aggregate formation. - Highlights: • Single particle spectroscopy detects intracellular formed α-synuclein aggregates. • Fusion proteins allow detection of protein

Macrocyclic 2,7-Anthrylene Oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Yamamoto, Yuta; Wakamatsu, Kan; Iwanaga, Tetsuo; Sato, Hiroyasu; Toyota, Shinji

2016-05-06

A macrocyclic compound consisting of six 2,7-anthrylene units was successfully synthesized by Ni-mediated coupling of the corresponding dibromo precursor as a novel π-conjugated compound. This compound was sufficiently stable and soluble in organic solvents due to the presence of mesityl groups. X-ray analysis showed that the molecule had a nonplanar and hexagonal wheel-shaped framework of approximately S6 symmetry. The dynamic process between two S6 structures was observed by using the dynamic NMR technique, the barrier being 58 kJ mol(-1) . The spectroscopic properties of the hexamer were compared with those of analogous linear oligomers. © 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Intrahippocampal Administration of Amyloid-β1–42 Oligomers Acutely Impairs Spatial Working Memory, Insulin Signaling, and Hippocampal Metabolism

Science.gov (United States)

Pearson-Leary, Jiah; McNay, Ewan C.

2017-01-01

Increasing evidence suggests that abnormal brain accumulation of amyloid-β1–42 (Aβ1–42) oligomers plays a causal role in Alzheimer’s disease (AD), and in particular may cause the cognitive deficits that are the hallmark of AD. In vitro, Aβ1–42 oligomers impair insulin signaling and suppress neural functioning. We previously showed that endogenous insulin signaling is an obligatory component of normal hippocampal function, and that disrupting this signaling led to a rapid impairment of spatial working memory, while delivery of exogenous insulin to the hippocampus enhanced both memory and metabolism; diet-induced insulin resistance both impaired spatial memory and prevented insulin from increasing metabolism or cognitive function. Hence, we tested the hypothesis that Aβ1–42 oligomers could acutely impair hippocampal metabolic and cognitive processes in vivo in the rat. Our findings support this hypothesis: Aβ1–42 oligomers impaired spontaneous alternation behavior while preventing the task-associated dip in hippocampal ECF glucose observed in control animals. In addition, Aβ1–42 oligomers decreased plasma membrane translocation of the insulin-sensitive glucose transporter 4 (GluT4), and impaired insulin signaling as measured by phosphorylation of Akt. These data show in vivo that Aβ1–42 oligomers can rapidly impair hippocampal cognitive and metabolic processes, and provide support for the hypothesis that elevated Aβ1–42 leads to cognitive impairment via interference with hippocampal insulin signaling. PMID:22430529

Extracellular Tau Oligomers Induce Invasion of Endogenous Tau into the Somatodendritic Compartment and Axonal Transport Dysfunction

Science.gov (United States)

Swanson, Eric; Breckenridge, Leigham; McMahon, Lloyd; Som, Sreemoyee; McConnell, Ian; Bloom, George S.

2017-01-01

Aggregates composed of the microtubule associated protein, tau, are a hallmark of Alzheimer’s disease and non-Alzheimer’s tauopathies. Extracellular tau can induce the accumulation and aggregation of intracellular tau, and tau pathology can be transmitted along neural networks over time. There are six splice variants of central nervous system tau, and various oligomeric and fibrillar forms are associated with neurodegeneration in vivo. The particular extracellular forms of tau capable of transferring tau pathology from neuron to neuron remain ill defined, however, as do the consequences of intracellular tau aggregation on neuronal physiology. The present study was undertaken to compare the effects of extracellular tau monomers, oligomers, and filaments comprising various tau isoforms on the behavior of cultured neurons. We found that 2N4R or 2N3R tau oligomers provoked aggregation of endogenous intracellular tau much more effectively than monomers or fibrils, or of oligomers made from other tau isoforms, and that a mixture of all six isoforms most potently provoked intracellular tau accumulation. These effects were associated with invasion of tau into the somatodendritic compartment. Finally, we observed that 2N4R oligomers perturbed fast axonal transport of membranous organelles along microtubules. Intracellular tau accumulation was often accompanied by increases in the run length, run time and instantaneous velocity of membranous cargo. This work indicates that extracellular tau oligomers can disrupt normal neuronal homeostasis by triggering axonal tau accumulation and loss of the polarized distribution of tau, and by impairing fast axonal transport. PMID:28482642

A covalent attraction between two molecular cation TTF·~+

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG FangFang; WANG Yi; WANG BingQiang; WANG YinFeng; MA Fang; Li ZhiRu

2009-01-01

The optimized structure of the tetrathiafulvalence radical-cation dimer (TTF·~+-TTF·~+) with all-real frequencies is obtained at MP2/6-311G level,which exhibits the attraction between two molecular cation TTF·~+.The new attraction interaction is a 20-center-2-electron intermolecular covalent π/π bonding with a telescope shape.The covalent π/π bonding has the bonding energy of about-21 kcal·mol~(-1) and is concealed by the Coulombic repulsion between two TTF·~+ cations.This intermolecular covalent attraction also influences the structure of the TTF·~+ subunit,I.e.,its molecular plane is bent by an angle θ=5.6°.This work provides new knowledge on intermolecular interaction.

A covalent attraction between two molecular cation TTF·~+

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

无

2009-01-01

The optimized structure of the tetrathiafulvalence radical-cation dimer(TTF·+-TTF·+) with all-real frequencies is obtained at MP2/6-311G level,which exhibits the attraction between two molecular cation TTF·+.The new attraction interaction is a 20-center-2-electron intermolecular covalent π /π bonding with a telescope shape.The covalent π /π bonding has the bonding energy of about -21 kcal·mol-1 and is concealed by the Coulombic repulsion between two TTF·+ cations.This intermolecular covalent attraction also influences the structure of the TTF·+ subunit,i.e.,its molecular plane is bent by an angle θ=5.6°.This work provides new knowledge on intermolecular interaction.

Characterization of the regions from E. coli 16 S RNA covalently linked to ribosomal proteins S4 and S20 after ultraviolet irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ehresmann, B.; Backendorf, C.; Ehresmann, C.; Ebel, J.P.

1977-01-01

The use of ultraviolet irradiation to form photochemical covalent bonds between the 16 S RNA and a ribosomal protein is a reliable method to check RNA regions which are interacting with the protein. This technique was successfully used to covalently link RNA or DNA and specific proteins in several cases. In the case of ribosome, it has been shown that the irradiation of 30 S and 50 S subunits using high doses of ultraviolet light allowed the covalent binding of almost all of the ribosomal proteins to the 16 S or 23 S RNAs. Using mild conditions, only proteins S7 and L4 could be covalently linked to the 16 S and 23 S RNAs, respectively, and the 16 S RNA region linked to protein S7 has now been characterized. The specificity of the photoreaction was demonstrated earlier and the tryptic peptides from proteins S4 and S7, photochemically linked to the 16 S RNA complexes, were identified. A report is presented on the sequences of the RNA regions which can be photochemically linked to proteins S4 and S7 after ultraviolet irradiation of the specific S4-16 S RNA and 20 S-16 S RNA complexes

Alpha-synuclein oligomers - neurotoxic molecules in Parkinson’s disease and other Lewy body disorders

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Martin Ingelsson

2016-09-01

Full Text Available Adverse intra- and extracellular effects of toxic α-synuclein are believed to be central to the pathogenesis in Parkinson’s disease and other disorders with Lewy body pathology in the nervous system. One of the physiological roles of α-synuclein relates to the regulation of neurotransmitter release at the presynapse, although it is still unclear whether this mechanism depends on the action of monomers or smaller oligomers. As for the pathogenicity, accumulating evidence suggest that prefibrillar species, rather than the deposits per se, are responsible for the toxicity in affected cells. In particular, larger oligomers or protofibrils of α-synuclein have been shown to impair protein degradation as well as the function of several organelles, such as the mitochondria and the endoplasmic reticulum. Accumulating evidence further suggest that oligomers/protofibrils may have a toxic effect on the synapse, which may lead to disrupted electrophysiological properties. In addition, recent data indicate that oligomeric α-synuclein species can spread between cells, either as free-floating proteins or via extracellular vesicles, and thereby act as seeds to propagate disease between interconnected brain regions. Taken together, several lines of evidence suggest that α-synuclein have neurotoxic properties and therefore should be an appropriate molecular target for therapeutic intervention in Parkinson’s disease and other disorders with Lewy pathology. In this context, immunotherapy with monoclonal antibodies against α-synuclein oligomers/protofibrils should be a particularly attractive treatment option.

The covalence effect of energy levels of ZnS:Mn2+

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dong-Yang, Li; Mao-Lu, Du; Yi, Huang

2013-01-01

The contribution of the different covalence for t 2 and e orbitals must be considered in the investigation of the optical and magnetic properties of the transition metal ion in II–VI and III–V semiconductors. In present paper, two covalent parameters N t and N e associated with t 2 and e orbitals have been adopted to describe the covalence. The energy matrices considering the different covalence for t 2 and e orbitals have been provided for d 5 ions in crystal. These matrices show that the contribution from the Racah parameter A cannot be neglected in calculation of energy-level of d 5 ions in covalent crystal. The calculated results using the matrix show that the energy levels of 4 E and 4 A 1 states split, and the energy-level difference between 4 E and 4 A 1 states increases with increase of the different covalence between t 2 and e orbitals. These energy levels are always degenerate, when the different covalence for t 2 and e orbitals is neglected. By using the energy matrices, the energy-level of ZnS:Mn 2+ has been calculated. The calculated energy levels of ZnS:Mn 2+ are in good agreement with the experiments

Molecular size evolution of oligomers in organic aerosols collected in urban atmospheres and generated in a smog chamber.

Science.gov (United States)

Kalberer, Markus; Sax, Mirjam; Samburova, Vera

2006-10-01

Only a minor fraction of the total organic aerosol mass can be resolved on a molecular level. High molecular weight compounds in organic aerosols have recently gained much attention because this class of compound potentially explains a major fraction of the unexplained organic aerosol mass. These compounds have been identified with different mass spectrometric methods, and compounds with molecular masses up to 1000 Da are found in secondary organic aerosols (SOA) generated from aromatic and terpene precursors in smog chamber experiments. Here, we apply matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) to SOA particles from two biogenic precursors, alpha-pinene and isoprene. Similar oligomer patterns are found in these two SOA systems, but also in SOA from trimethylbenzene, an anthropogenic SOA precursor. However, different maxima molecular sizes were measured for these three SOA systems. While oligomers in alpha-pinene and isoprene have sizes mostly below 600-700 Da, they grow up to about 1000 Da in trimethylbenzene-SOA. The final molecular size of the oligomers is reached early during the particle aging process, whereas other particle properties related to aging, such as the overall acid concentration or the oligomer concentration, increase continuously over a much longer time scale. This kinetic behavior of the oligomer molecular size growth can be explained by a chain growth kinetic regime. Similar oligomer mass patterns were measured in aqueous extracts of ambient aerosol samples (measured with the same technique). Distinct differences between summer and winter were observed. In summer a few single mass peaks were measured with much higher intensity than in winter, pointing to a possible difference in the formation processes of these compounds in winter and summer.

Isolation and Quantification of Polyamide Cyclic Oligomers in Kitchen Utensils and Their Migration into Various Food Simulants.

Science.gov (United States)

Abe, Yutaka; Mutsuga, Motoh; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Kawamura, Yoko; Akiyama, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Small amounts of cyclic monomers and oligomers are present in polyamide (PA)-based kitchen utensils. In this study, we isolated eight PA-based cyclic monomers and oligomers from kitchen utensils made from PA6 (a polymer of ε-caprolactam) and PA66 (a polymer of 1,6-diaminohexane and adipic acid). Their structures were identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry and 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and their residual levels in PA-based kitchen utensils and degree of migration into food simulants were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using purchased PA6 monomer and isolated PA66 monomers, and isolated PA6 and PA66 oligomers as calibration standards. Their total residual levels among 23 PA-based kitchen utensils made from PA6, PA66, and copolymers of PA6 and PA66 (PA6/66) ranged from 7.8 to 20 mg/g. Using water, 20% ethanol, and olive oil as food simulants, the total migration levels of the PA monomers and oligomers ranged from 0.66 to 100 μg/cm2 under most examined conditions. However, the total migration levels of the PA66 monomer and oligomers from PA66 and PA6/66 kitchen utensils into 20% ethanol at 95°C were very high (1,700 and 2,200 μg/cm2, respectively) due to swelling by high-temperature ethanol.

Isolation and Quantification of Polyamide Cyclic Oligomers in Kitchen Utensils and Their Migration into Various Food Simulants.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yutaka Abe

Full Text Available Small amounts of cyclic monomers and oligomers are present in polyamide (PA-based kitchen utensils. In this study, we isolated eight PA-based cyclic monomers and oligomers from kitchen utensils made from PA6 (a polymer of ε-caprolactam and PA66 (a polymer of 1,6-diaminohexane and adipic acid. Their structures were identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry and 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and their residual levels in PA-based kitchen utensils and degree of migration into food simulants were quantified by high-performance liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry using purchased PA6 monomer and isolated PA66 monomers, and isolated PA6 and PA66 oligomers as calibration standards. Their total residual levels among 23 PA-based kitchen utensils made from PA6, PA66, and copolymers of PA6 and PA66 (PA6/66 ranged from 7.8 to 20 mg/g. Using water, 20% ethanol, and olive oil as food simulants, the total migration levels of the PA monomers and oligomers ranged from 0.66 to 100 μg/cm2 under most examined conditions. However, the total migration levels of the PA66 monomer and oligomers from PA66 and PA6/66 kitchen utensils into 20% ethanol at 95°C were very high (1,700 and 2,200 μg/cm2, respectively due to swelling by high-temperature ethanol.

A combined semiempirical-DFT study of oligomers within the finite-chain approximation, evolution from oligomers to polymers.

Science.gov (United States)

Derosa, Pedro A

2009-06-01

A computationally cheap approach combining time-independent density functional theory (TIDFT) and semiempirical methods with an appropriate extrapolation procedure is proposed to accurately estimate geometrical and electronic properties of conjugated polymers using just a small set of oligomers. The highest occupied molecular orbital-lowest unoccupied molecular orbital gap (HLG) obtained at a TIDFT level (B3PW91) for two polymers, trans-polyacetylene--the simplest conjugated polymer, and a much larger poly(2-methoxy-5-(2,9-ethyl-hexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene (MEH-PPV) polymer converge to virtually the same asymptotic value than the excitation energy obtained with time-dependent DFT (TDDFT) calculations using the same functional. For TIDFT geometries, the HLG is found to converge to a value within the experimentally accepted range for the band gap of these polymers, when an exponential extrapolation is used; however if semiempirical geometries are used, a linear fit of the HLG versus 1/n is found to produce the best results. Geometrical parameters are observed to reach a saturation value in good agreement with experimental information, within the length of oligomers calculated here and no extrapolation was considered necessary. Finally, the performance of three different semiempirical methods (AM1, PM3, and MNDO) and for the TIDFT calculations, the performance of 7 different full electron basis sets (6-311+G**, 6-31+ +G**, 6-311+ +G**, 6-31+G**, 6-31G**, 6-31+G*, and 6-31G) is compared and it is determined that the choice of semiempirical method or the basis set does not significantly affect the results. 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Covalent functionalization of graphene with reactive intermediates.

Science.gov (United States)

Park, Jaehyeung; Yan, Mingdi

2013-01-15

Graphene, a material made exclusively of sp(2) carbon atoms with its π electrons delocalized over the entire 2D network, is somewhat chemically inert. Covalent functionalization can enhance graphene's properties including opening its band gap, tuning conductivity, and improving solubility and stability. Covalent functionalization of pristine graphene typically requires reactive species that can form covalent adducts with the sp(2) carbon structures in graphene. In this Account, we describe graphene functionalization reactions using reactive intermediates of radicals, nitrenes, carbenes, and arynes. These reactive species covalently modify graphene through free radical addition, CH insertion, or cycloaddition reactions. Free radical additions are among the most common reaction, and these radicals can be generated from diazonium salts and benzoyl peroxide. Electron transfer from graphene to aryl diazonium ion or photoactivation of benzoyl peroxide yields aryl radicals that subsequently add to graphene to form covalent adducts. Nitrenes, electron-deficient species generated by thermal or photochemical activation of organic azides, can functionalize graphene very efficiently. Because perfluorophenyl nitrenes show enhanced bimolecular reactions compared with alkyl or phenyl nitrenes, perfluorophenyl azides are especially effective. Carbenes are used less frequently than nitrenes, but they undergo CH insertion and C═C cycloaddition reactions with graphene. In addition, arynes can serve as a dienophile in a Diels-Alder type reaction with graphene. Further study is needed to understand and exploit the chemistry of graphene. The generation of highly reactive intermediates in these reactions leads to side products that complicate the product composition and analysis. Fundamental questions remain about the reactivity and regioselectivity of graphene. The differences in the basal plane and the undercoordinated edges of graphene and the zigzag versus arm-chair configurations

Detection of the electronic structure of iron-(iii)-oxo oligomers forming in aqueous solutions.

Science.gov (United States)

Seidel, Robert; Kraffert, Katrin; Kabelitz, Anke; Pohl, Marvin N; Kraehnert, Ralph; Emmerling, Franziska; Winter, Bernd

2017-12-13

The nature of the small iron-oxo oligomers in iron-(iii) aqueous solutions has a determining effect on the chemical processes that govern the formation of nanoparticles in aqueous phase. Here we report on a liquid-jet photoelectron-spectroscopy experiment for the investigation of the electronic structure of the occurring iron-oxo oligomers in FeCl 3 aqueous solutions. The only iron species in the as-prepared 0.75 M solution are Fe 3+ monomers. Addition of NaOH initiates Fe 3+ hydrolysis which is followed by the formation of iron-oxo oligomers. At small enough NaOH concentrations, corresponding to approximately [OH]/[Fe] = 0.2-0.25 ratio, the iron oligomers can be stabilized for several hours without engaging in further aggregation. Here, we apply a combination of non-resonant as well as iron 2p and oxygen 1s resonant photoelectron spectroscopy from a liquid microjet to detect the electronic structure of the occurring species. Specifically, the oxygen 1s partial electron yield X-ray absorption (PEY-XA) spectra are found to exhibit a peak well below the onset of liquid water and OH - (aq) absorption. The iron 2p absorption gives rise to signal centered between the main absorption bands typical for aqueous Fe 3+ . Absorption bands in both PEY-XA spectra are found to correlate with an enhanced photoelectron peak near 20 eV binding energy, which demonstrates the sensitivity of resonant photoelectron (RPE) spectroscopy to mixing between iron and ligand orbitals. These various signals from the iron-oxo oligomers exhibit maximum intensity at [OH]/[Fe] = 0.25 ratio. For the same ratio, we observe changes in the pH as well as in complementary Raman spectra, which can be assigned to the transition from monomeric to oligomeric species. At approximately [OH]/[Fe] = 0.3 we begin to observe particles larger than 1 nm in radius, detected by small-angle X-ray scattering.

SAXS and stability studies of iron-induced oligomers of bacterial frataxin CyaY.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Fekry

Full Text Available Frataxin is a highly conserved protein found in both prokaryotes and eukaryotes. It is involved in several central functions in cells, which include iron delivery to biochemical processes, such as heme synthesis, assembly of iron-sulfur clusters (ISC, storage of surplus iron in conditions of iron overload, and repair of ISC in aconitase. Frataxin from different organisms has been shown to undergo iron-dependent oligomerization. At least two different classes of oligomers, with different modes of oligomer packing and stabilization, have been identified. Here, we continue our efforts to explore the factors that control the oligomerization of frataxin from different organisms, and focus on E. coli frataxin CyaY. Using small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS, we show that higher iron-to-protein ratios lead to larger oligomeric species, and that oligomerization proceeds in a linear fashion as a results of iron oxidation. Native mass spectrometry and online size-exclusion chromatography combined with SAXS show that a dimer is the most common form of CyaY in the presence of iron at atmospheric conditions. Modeling of the dimer using the SAXS data confirms the earlier proposed head-to-tail packing arrangement of monomers. This packing mode brings several conserved acidic residues into close proximity to each other, creating an environment for metal ion binding and possibly even mineralization. Together with negative-stain electron microscopy, the experiments also show that trimers, tetramers, pentamers, and presumably higher-order oligomers may exist in solution. Nano-differential scanning fluorimetry shows that the oligomers have limited stability and may easily dissociate at elevated temperatures. The factors affecting the possible oligomerization mode are discussed.

Non-covalently functionalized carbon nanostructures for synthesizing carbon-based hybrid nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Haiqing; Song, Sing I; Song, Ga Young; Kim, Il

2014-02-01

Carbon nanostructures (CNSs) such as carbon nanotubes, graphene sheets, and nanodiamonds provide an important type of substrate for constructing a variety of hybrid nanomaterials. However, their intrinsic chemistry-inert surfaces make it indispensable to pre-functionalize them prior to immobilizing additional components onto their surfaces. Currently developed strategies for functionalizing CNSs include covalent and non-covalent approaches. Conventional covalent treatments often damage the structure integrity of carbon surfaces and adversely affect their physical properties. In contrast, the non-covalent approach offers a non-destructive way to modify CNSs with desired functional surfaces, while reserving their intrinsic properties. Thus far, a number of surface modifiers including aromatic compounds, small-molecular surfactants, amphiphilic polymers, and biomacromolecules have been developed to non-covalently functionalize CNS surfaces. Mediated by these surface modifiers, various functional components such as organic species and inorganic nanoparticles were further decorated onto their surfaces, resulting in versatile carbon-based hybrid nanomaterials with broad applications in chemical engineering and biomedical areas. In this review, the recent advances in the generation of such hybrid nanostructures based on non-covalently functionalized CNSs will be reviewed.

Length dependence of rectification in organic co-oligomer spin rectifiers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu Gui-Chao; Zhang Zhao; Li Ying; Ren Jun-Feng; Wang Chuan-Kui

2016-01-01

The rectification ratio of organic magnetic co-oligomer diodes is investigated theoretically by changing the molecular length. The results reveal two distinct length dependences of the rectification ratio: for a short molecular diode, the charge-current rectification changes little with the increase of molecular length, while the spin-current rectification is weakened sharply by the length; for a long molecular diode, both the charge-current and spin-current rectification ratios increase quickly with the length. The two kinds of dependence switch at a specific length accompanied with an inversion of the rectifying direction. The molecular ortibals and spin-resolved transmission analysis indicate that the dominant mechanism of rectification suffers a change at this specific length, that is, from asymmetric shift of molecular eigenlevels to asymmetric spatial localization of wave functions upon the reversal of bias. This work demonstrates a feasible way to control the rectification in organic co-oligomer spin diodes by adjusting the molecular length. (paper)

Functionalization of multiwalled carbon nanotubes by microwave irradiation for lysozyme attachment: comparison of covalent and adsorption methods by kinetics of thermal inactivation

Science.gov (United States)

Puentes-Camacho, Daniel; Velázquez, Enrique F.; Rodríguez-Félix, Dora E.; Castillo-Ortega, Mónica; Sotelo-Mundo, Rogerio R.; del Castillo-Castro, Teresa

2017-12-01

Proteins suffer changes in their tertiary structure when they are immobilized, and enzymatic activity is affected due to the low biocompatibility of some supporting materials. In this work immobilization of lysozyme on carbon nanotubes previously functionalized by microwave irradiation was studied. The effectiveness of the microwave-assisted acid treatment of carbon nanotubes was evaluated by XPS, TEM, Raman and FTIR spectroscopy. The carboxylic modification of nanotube surfaces by this fast, simple and feasible method allowed the physical adsorption and covalent linking of active lysozyme onto the carbonaceous material. Thermal inactivation kinetics, thermodynamic parameters and storage stability were studied for adsorbed and covalent enzyme complexes. A major stability was found for lysozyme immobilized by the covalent method, the activation energy for inactivation of the enzyme was higher for the covalent method and it was stable after 50 d of storage at 4 °C. The current study highlights the effect of protein immobilization method on the biotechnological potential of nanostructured biocatalysts.

Hydrogels Based on Dynamic Covalent and Non Covalent Bonds: A Chemistry Perspective

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Francesco Picchioni

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Hydrogels based on reversible covalent bonds represent an attractive topic for research at both academic and industrial level. While the concept of reversible covalent bonds dates back a few decades, novel developments continue to appear in the general research area of gels and especially hydrogels. The reversible character of the bonds, when translated at the general level of the polymeric network, allows reversible interaction with substrates as well as responsiveness to variety of external stimuli (e.g., self-healing. These represent crucial characteristics in applications such as drug delivery and, more generally, in the biomedical world. Furthermore, the several possible choices that can be made in terms of reversible interactions generate an almost endless number of possibilities in terms of final product structure and properties. In the present work, we aim at reviewing the latest developments in this field (i.e., the last five years by focusing on the chemistry of the systems at hand. As such, this should allow molecular designers to develop a toolbox for the synthesis of new systems with tailored properties for a given application.

Synthesis and Anticancer Activity of Gold(I)-Chloroquine Complexes

OpenAIRE

Navarro, Maribel; Castro, William; González, Sorenlis; Abad, María Jesús; Taylor, Peter

2013-01-01

Two new gold(I) -chloroquine complexes, Au(CQ)(Cl) (1) and Au(CQ)(tgta) (2), were prepared and their most probable structure were established through a combination of different spectroscopic and analytical techniques. Their interaction with two important targets of action, DNA and thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), were investigated. These studies showed that complexes 1 and 2 displayed two types of interaction with DNA, covalent binding through the metal center, and additionally a non-covalent in...

Tumor delivery of antisense oligomer using trastuzumab within a streptavidin nanoparticle

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wang, Yi [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States); Yale University, Yale PET Center, Department of Diagnostic Radiology, New Haven, CT (United States); Liu, Xinrong; Chen, Ling; Cheng, Dengfeng; Rusckowski, Mary [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States); Hnatowich, Donald J. [University of Massachusetts Medical School, Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States); Umass Medical School, Department of Radiology, Worcester, MA (United States)

2009-12-15

Trastuzumab (Herceptin trademark) is often internalized following binding to Her2+ tumor cells. The objective of this study was to investigate whether trastuzumab can be used as a specific carrier to deliver antisense oligomers into Her2+ tumor cells both in vitro and in vivo. A biotinylated MORF oligomer antisense to RhoC mRNA and its biotinylated sense control were labeled with either lissamine for fluorescence detection or {sup 99m}Tc for radioactivity detection and were linked to biotinylated trastuzumab via streptavidin. The nanoparticles were studied in SUM190 (RhoC+, Her2+) study and SUM149 (RhoC+, Her2-) control cells in culture and as xenografts in mice. As evidence of unimpaired Her2+ binding of trastuzumab within the nanoparticle, accumulations were clearly higher in SUM190 compared to SUM149 cells and, by whole-body imaging, targeting of SUM190 tumor was similar to that expected for a radiolabeled trastuzumab. As evidence of internalization, fluorescence microscopy images of cells grown in culture and obtained from xenografts showed uniform cytoplasm distribution of the lissamine-MORF. An invasion assay showed decreased RhoC expression in SUM190 cells when incubated with the antisense MORF nanoparticles at only 100 nM. Both in cell culture and in animals, the nanoparticle with trastuzumab as specific carrier greatly improved tumor delivery of the antisense oligomer against RhoC mRNA into tumor cells overexpressing Her2 and may be of general utility. (orig.)

Chemical and Biological Significance of Oenothein B and Related Ellagitannin Oligomers with Macrocyclic Structure

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Takashi Yoshida

2018-03-01

Full Text Available In 1990, Okuda et al. reported the first isolation and characterization of oenothein B, a unique ellagitannin dimer with a macrocyclic structure, from the Oenothera erythrosepala leaves. Since then, a variety of macrocyclic analogs, including trimeric–heptameric oligomers have been isolated from various medicinal plants belonging to Onagraceae, Lythraceae, and Myrtaceae. Among notable in vitro and in vivo biological activities reported for oenothein B are antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, enzyme inhibitory, antitumor, antimicrobial, and immunomodulatory activities. Oenothein B and related oligomers, and/or plant extracts containing them have thus attracted increasing interest as promising targets for the development of chemopreventive agents of life-related diseases associated with oxygen stress in human health. In order to better understand the significance of this type of ellagitannin in medicinal plants, this review summarizes (1 the structural characteristics of oenothein B and related dimers; (2 the oxidative metabolites of oenothein B up to heptameric oligomers; (3 the distribution of oenotheins and other macrocyclic analogs in the plant kingdom; and (4 the pharmacological activities hitherto documented for oenothein B, including those recently found by our laboratory.

Co-existence of two different α-synuclein oligomers with different core structures determined by hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Paslawski, Wojciech; Mysling, Simon; Thomsen, Karen

2014-01-01

Neurodegenerative disorders are characterized by the formation of protein oligomers and amyloid fibrils, which in the case of Parkinson's disease involves the protein α-synuclein (αSN). Cytotoxicity is mainly associated with the oligomeric species, but we still know little about their assembly...... are protected from exchange with D2 O until they dissociate into monomeric αSN by EX1 exchange kinetics. Fewer residues are protected against exchange in oligomer type II, but this type does not revert to αSN monomers. Both oligomers are protected in the core sequence Y39-A89. Based on incubation studies...

Enhancement of the solubility, thermal stability, and electronic properties of carbon nanotubes functionalized with MEH-PPV: A combined experimental and computational study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prajongtat, P.; Suramitr, S.; Hannongbua, S.; Gleeson, M.P.; Mitsuke, K.

2013-01-01

Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) functionalized with poly[2-methoxy-5-(2′-ethylhexyloxy)-1,4-phenylenevinylene] (MWCNT-f-MEH-PPV) nanocomposites were successfully prepared by employing a “grafting from” approach. The content of the functionalizing MEH-PPV in the composites was observed as 76 wt.%. Compared with pristine MWCNTs (p-MWCNT), the aqueous solubility and thermal stability of the former are significantly enhanced. The effect of covalently and non-covalently functionalized nanotubes on dye-sensitized solar cell performance was also studied. Solar cells were successfully fabricated from isolated MEH-PPV, p-MWCNT/MEH-PPV, and MWCNT-f-MEH-PPV/MEH-PPV counter electrodes. The devices based on a MWCNT-f-MEH-PPV/MEH-PPV counter electrode demonstrated the best photovoltaic performance as observed by higher J SC, V OC, and fill factor (FF) values. The experimental phenomena can be explained by quantum-chemical calculations: Charge transfer from MEH-PPV oligomers to nanotubes is greater when covalently functionalized compared with non-covalently functionalized. This suggests that the improvement in the photovoltaic parameters of the cells containing covalently functionalized nanotubes results not only from the higher concentration present in the nanotube films of the counter electrode, but also from the greater electron delocalization between the oligomers and nanotubes. (author)

Regeneration of cello-oligomers via selective depolymerization of cellulose fibers derived from printed paper wastes.

Science.gov (United States)

Voon, Lee Ken; Pang, Suh Cem; Chin, Suk Fun

2016-05-20

Cellulose extracted from printed paper wastes were selectively depolymerized under controlled conditions into cello-oligomers of controllable chain lengths via dissolution in an ionic liquid, 1-allyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (AMIMCl), and in the presence of an acid catalyst, Amberlyst 15DRY. The depolymerization process was optimized against reaction temperature, concentration of acid catalyst, and reaction time. Despite rapid initial depolymerization process, the rate of cellulose depolymerization slowed down gradually upon prolonged reaction time, with 75.0 wt% yield of regenerated cello-oligomers (mean Viscosimetric Degree of Polymerization value of 81) obtained after 40 min. The depolymerization of cellulose fibers at 80 °C appeared to proceed via a second-order kinetic reaction with respect to the catalyst concentration of 0.23 mmol H3O(+). As such, the cellulose depolymerization process could afford some degree of control on the degree of polymerization or chain lengths of cello-oligomers formed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Single-molecule studies of oligomer extraction and uptake of dyes in poly(dimethylsiloxane) films.

Science.gov (United States)

Lange, Jeffrey J; Collinson, Maryanne M; Culbertson, Christopher T; Higgins, Daniel A

2009-12-15

Single-molecule microscopic methods were used to probe the uptake, mobility, and entrapment of dye molecules in cured poly(dimethylsiloxane) (PDMS) films as a function of oligomer extraction. The results are relevant to the use of PDMS in microfluidic separations, pervaporation, solid-phase microextraction, and nanofiltration. PDMS films were prepared by spin-casting dilute solutions of Sylgard 184 onto glass coverslips, yielding approximately 1.4 microm thick films after curing. Residual oligomers were subsequently extracted from the films by "spin extraction". In this procedure, 200 microL aliquots of isopropyl alcohol were repeatedly dropped onto the film surface and spun off at 2000 rpm. Samples extracted 5, 10, 20, and 40 times were investigated. Dye molecules were loaded into these films by spin-casting nanomolar dye solutions onto the films. Both neutral perylene diimide (N,N'-bis(butoxypropyl)perylene-3,4,9,10-tetracarboxylic diimide) and cationic rhodamine 6G (R6G) dyes were employed. The films were imaged by confocal fluorescence microscopy. The images obtained depict nonzero populations of fixed and mobile molecules in all films. Cross-correlation methods were used to quantitatively determine the population of fixed molecules in a given region, while a Bayesian burst analysis was used to obtain the total population of molecules. The results show that the total amount of dye loaded increases with increased oligomer extraction, while the relative populations of fixed and mobile molecules decrease and increase, respectively. Bulk R6G data also show greater dye loading with increased oligomer extraction.

Carbon dioxide capture using covalent organic frameworks (COFs) type material-a theoretical investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Dash, Bibek

2018-04-26

The present work deals with a density functional theory (DFT) study of porous organic framework materials containing - groups for CO 2 capture. In this study, first principle calculations were performed for CO 2 adsorption using N-containing covalent organic framework (COFs) models. Ab initio and DFT-based methods were used to characterize the N-containing porous model system based on their interaction energies upon complexing with CO 2 and nitrogen gas. Binding energies (BEs) of CO 2 and N 2 molecules with the polymer framework were calculated with DFT methods. Hybrid B3LYP and second order MP2 methods combined with of Pople 6-31G(d,p) and correlation consistent basis sets cc-pVDZ, cc-pVTZ and aug-ccVDZ were used to calculate BEs. The effect of linker groups in the designed covalent organic framework model system on the CO 2 and N 2 interactions was studied using quantum calculations.

Programmable Oligomers Targeting 5′-GGGG-3′ in the Minor Groove of DNA and NF-κB Binding Inhibition

Science.gov (United States)

Chenoweth, David M.; Poposki, Julie A.; Marques, Michael A.; Dervan, Peter B.

2009-01-01

A series of hairpin oligomers containing benzimidazole (Bi) and imidazopyridine (Ip) rings were synthesized and screened to target 5′-WGGGGW-3′, a core sequence in the DNA binding site of NF-κB, a prolific transcription factor important in biology and disease. Five Bi and Ip containing oligomers bound to the 5′-WGGGGW-3′ site with high affinity. One of the oligomers (Im-Im-Im-Im-γ-PyBi-PyBi-β-Dp) was able to inhibit DNA binding by the transcription factor NF-κB. PMID:17095230

Molecular Simulation Studies of Covalently and Ionically Grafted Nanoparticles

Science.gov (United States)

Hong, Bingbing

Solvent-free covalently- or ionically-grafted nanoparticles (CGNs and IGNs) are a new class of organic-inorganic hybrid composite materials exhibiting fluid-like behaviors around room temperature. With similar structures to prior systems, e.g. nanocomposites, neutral or charged colloids, ionic liquids, etc, CGNs and IGNs inherit the functionality of inorganic nanopariticles, the facile processibility of polymers, as well as conductivity and nonvolatility from their constituent materials. In spite of the extensive prior experimental research having covered synthesis and measurements of thermal and dynamic properties, little progress in understanding of these new materials at the molecular level has been achieved, because of the lack of simulation work in this new area. Atomistic and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations have been performed in this thesis to investigate the thermodynamics, structure, and dynamics of these systems and to seek predictive methods predictable for their properties. Starting from poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers (PEO) melts, we established atomistic models based on united-atom representations of methylene. The Green-Kubo and Einstein-Helfand formulas were used to calculate the transport properties. The simulations generate densities, viscosities, diffusivities, in good agreement with experimental data. The chain-length dependence of the transport properties suggests that neither Rouse nor reptation models are applicable in the short-chain regime investigated. Coupled with thermodynamic integration methods, the models give good predictions of pressure-composition-density relations for CO 2 + PEO oligomers. Water effects on the Henry's constant of CO 2 in PEO have also been investigated. The dependence of the calculated Henry's constants on the weight percentage of water falls on a temperature-dependent master curve, irrespective of PEO chain length. CGNs are modeled by the inclusion of solid-sphere nanoparticles into the atomistic

Multifunctional Pt(II) Reagents: Covalent Modifications of Pt Complexes Enable Diverse Structural Variation and In-Cell Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

White, Jonathan D; Haley, Michael M; DeRose, Victoria J

2016-01-19

To enhance the functionality of Pt-based reagents, several strategies have been developed that utilize Pt compounds modified with small, reactive handles. This Account encapsulates work done by us and other groups regarding the use of Pt(II) compounds with reactive handles for subsequent elaboration with fluorophores or other functional moieties. Described strategies include the incorporation of substituents for well-known condensation or nucleophilic displacement-type reactions and their use, for example, to tether spectroscopic handles to Pt reagents for in vivo investigation. Other chief uses of displacement-type reactions have included tethering various small molecules exhibiting pharmacological activity directly to Pt, thus adding synergistic effects. Click chemistry-based ligation techniques have also been applied, primarily with azide- and alkyne-appended Pt complexes. Orthogonally reactive click chemistry reactions have proven invaluable when more traditional nucleophilic displacement reactions induce side-reactivity with the Pt center or when systematic functionalization of a larger number of Pt complexes is desired. Additionally, a diverse assortment of Pt-fluorophore conjugates have been tethered via click chemistry conjugation. In addition to providing a convenient synthetic path for diversifying Pt compounds, the use of click-capable Pt complexes has proved a powerful strategy for postbinding covalent modification and detection with fluorescent probes. This strategy bypasses undesirable influences of the fluorophore camouflaged as reactivity due to Pt that may be present when detecting preattached Pt-fluorophore conjugates. Using postbinding strategies, Pt reagent distributions in HeLa and lung carcinoma (NCI-H460) cell cultures were observed with two different azide-modified Pt compounds, a monofunctional Pt(II)-acridine type and a difunctional Pt(II)-neutral complex. In addition, cellular distribution was observed with an alkyne-appended difunctional

Structural fingerprints and their evolution during oligomeric vs. oligomer-free amyloid fibril growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Joseph; Hill, Shannon E; Miti, Tatiana; Mulaj, Mentor; Ciesla, Marissa; Robeel, Rhonda; Persichilli, Christopher; Raynes, Rachel; Westerheide, Sandy; Muschol, Martin

2013-09-28

Deposits of fibrils formed by disease-specific proteins are the molecular hallmark of such diverse human disorders as Alzheimer's disease, type II diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. Amyloid fibril formation by structurally and functionally unrelated proteins exhibits many generic characteristics, most prominently the cross β-sheet structure of their mature fibrils. At the same time, amyloid formation tends to proceed along one of two separate assembly pathways yielding either stiff monomeric filaments or globular oligomers and curvilinear protofibrils. Given the focus on oligomers as major toxic species, the very existence of an oligomer-free assembly pathway is significant. Little is known, though, about the structure of the various intermediates emerging along different pathways and whether the pathways converge towards a common or distinct fibril structures. Using infrared spectroscopy we probed the structural evolution of intermediates and late-stage fibrils formed during in vitro lysozyme amyloid assembly along an oligomeric and oligomer-free pathway. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed that both pathways produced amyloid-specific β-sheet peaks, but at pathway-specific wavenumbers. We further found that the amyloid-specific dye thioflavin T responded to all intermediates along either pathway. The relative amplitudes of thioflavin T fluorescence responses displayed pathway-specific differences and could be utilized for monitoring the structural evolution of intermediates. Pathway-specific structural features obtained from infrared spectroscopy and Thioflavin T responses were identical for fibrils grown at highly acidic or at physiological pH values and showed no discernible effects of protein hydrolysis. Our results suggest that late-stage fibrils formed along either pathway are amyloidogenic in nature, but have distinguishable structural fingerprints. These pathway-specific fingerprints emerge during the earliest aggregation events and persist throughout the

Structural fingerprints and their evolution during oligomeric vs. oligomer-free amyloid fibril growth

Science.gov (United States)

Foley, Joseph; Hill, Shannon E.; Miti, Tatiana; Mulaj, Mentor; Ciesla, Marissa; Robeel, Rhonda; Persichilli, Christopher; Raynes, Rachel; Westerheide, Sandy; Muschol, Martin

2013-09-01

Deposits of fibrils formed by disease-specific proteins are the molecular hallmark of such diverse human disorders as Alzheimer's disease, type II diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis. Amyloid fibril formation by structurally and functionally unrelated proteins exhibits many generic characteristics, most prominently the cross β-sheet structure of their mature fibrils. At the same time, amyloid formation tends to proceed along one of two separate assembly pathways yielding either stiff monomeric filaments or globular oligomers and curvilinear protofibrils. Given the focus on oligomers as major toxic species, the very existence of an oligomer-free assembly pathway is significant. Little is known, though, about the structure of the various intermediates emerging along different pathways and whether the pathways converge towards a common or distinct fibril structures. Using infrared spectroscopy we probed the structural evolution of intermediates and late-stage fibrils formed during in vitro lysozyme amyloid assembly along an oligomeric and oligomer-free pathway. Infrared spectroscopy confirmed that both pathways produced amyloid-specific β-sheet peaks, but at pathway-specific wavenumbers. We further found that the amyloid-specific dye thioflavin T responded to all intermediates along either pathway. The relative amplitudes of thioflavin T fluorescence responses displayed pathway-specific differences and could be utilized for monitoring the structural evolution of intermediates. Pathway-specific structural features obtained from infrared spectroscopy and Thioflavin T responses were identical for fibrils grown at highly acidic or at physiological pH values and showed no discernible effects of protein hydrolysis. Our results suggest that late-stage fibrils formed along either pathway are amyloidogenic in nature, but have distinguishable structural fingerprints. These pathway-specific fingerprints emerge during the earliest aggregation events and persist throughout the

"Nail" and "comb" effects of cholesterol modified NIPAm oligomers on cancer targeting liposomes

KAUST Repository

Li, Wengang; Deng, Lin; Moosa, Basem; Wang, Guangchao; Mashat, Afnan; Khashab, Niveen M.

2014-01-01

Thermosensitive liposomes are a promising approach to controlled release and reduced drug cytotoxicity. Low molecular weight N-isopropylacrylamide (NIPAm) oligomers (NOs) with different architectures (main chain NOs (MCNOs) and side chain NOs (SCNOs)) were synthesized by reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization and radical polymerization and then separately used to prepare thermosensitive liposomes. A more controlled and enhanced release was observed for both NO liposomes compared to pristine ones. Two release mechanisms depending on the oligomer architecture, namely "nail" for MCNOs and "comb" for SCNOs, are proposed. In addition to thermosensitivity, the cancer targeting property of NO liposomes was achieved by further biotinylation of the delivery system. © The Royal Society of Chemistry.

Liquid Crystalline Thermosets from Ester, Ester-imide, and Ester-amide Oligomers

Science.gov (United States)

Dingemans, Theodorus J. (Inventor); Weiser, Erik S. (Inventor); St. Clair, Terry L. (Inventor)

2009-01-01

Main chain thermotropic liquid crystal esters, ester-imides, and ester-amides were prepared from AA, BB, and AB type monomeric materials and end-capped with phenylacetylene, phenylmaleimide, or nadimide reactive end-groups. The end-capped liquid crystal oligomers are thermotropic and have, preferably, molecular weights in the range of approximately 1000-15,000 grams per mole. The end-capped liquid crystaloligomers have broad liquid crystalline melting ranges and exhibit high melt stability and very low melt viscosities at accessible temperatures. The end-capped liquid crystal oli-gomers are stable forup to an hour in the melt phase. They are highly processable by a variety of melt process shape forming and blending techniques. Once processed and shaped, the end-capped liquid crystal oigomers were heated to further polymerize and form liquid crystalline thermosets (LCT). The fully cured products are rubbers above their glass transition temperatures.

Amyloid oligomer structure characterization from simulations: A general method

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nguyen, Phuong H., E-mail: phuong.nguyen@ibpc.fr [Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, UPR 9080, CNRS Université Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité IBPC, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Li, Mai Suan [Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences, Al. Lotnikow 32/46, 02-668 Warsaw (Poland); Derreumaux, Philippe, E-mail: philippe.derreumaux@ibpc.fr [Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique, UPR 9080, CNRS Université Denis Diderot, Sorbonne Paris Cité IBPC, 13 rue Pierre et Marie Curie, 75005 Paris (France); Institut Universitaire de France, 103 Bvd Saint-Germain, 75005 Paris (France)

2014-03-07

Amyloid oligomers and plaques are composed of multiple chemically identical proteins. Therefore, one of the first fundamental problems in the characterization of structures from simulations is the treatment of the degeneracy, i.e., the permutation of the molecules. Second, the intramolecular and intermolecular degrees of freedom of the various molecules must be taken into account. Currently, the well-known dihedral principal component analysis method only considers the intramolecular degrees of freedom, and other methods employing collective variables can only describe intermolecular degrees of freedom at the global level. With this in mind, we propose a general method that identifies all the structures accurately. The basis idea is that the intramolecular and intermolecular states are described in terms of combinations of single-molecule and double-molecule states, respectively, and the overall structures of oligomers are the product basis of the intramolecular and intermolecular states. This way, the degeneracy is automatically avoided. The method is illustrated on the conformational ensemble of the tetramer of the Alzheimer's peptide Aβ{sub 9−40}, resulting from two atomistic molecular dynamics simulations in explicit solvent, each of 200 ns, starting from two distinct structures.

Theoretical study of stability geometrical and electronic structure of (BeHsub(2))sub(n) oligomers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sukhanov, L P; Boldyrev, A I; Charkin, O P [AN SSSR, Moscow. Inst. Novykh Khimicheskikh Problem

1983-01-01

The Hartree-Fock-Ruthane method with the Roos-Siegbahn two-exponent basis is used to calculate stability, geometrical and electronic structures of (BeHsub(2))sub(n) oligomers, where n=1, 2, 3, 4 and 6. It is shown that with the growth of oligomerization degree n stability of linear band structure is increased as compared with other configurations including high-coordination volumetric ones. Tendencies in formation with n growth of geometrical, energetic characteristics, electronic structure of (BeHsub(2))sub(n) oligomers of band type are analysed.

Viscosity of nanoconfined polyamide-6,6 oligomers: atomistic reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Eslami, Hossein; Müller-Plathe, Florian

2010-01-14

Our new simulation scheme in isosurface-isothermal-isobaric ensemble [Eslami, H.; Mozaffari, F.; Moghadasi, J.; Müller-Plathe, F. J. Chem. Phys. 2008, 129, 194702], developed to simulate confined fluids in equilibrium with bulk, is applied to simulate polyamide-6,6 oligomers confined between graphite surfaces. The reverse nonequilibrium molecular dynamics simulation technique is employed to shear the graphite surfaces. In this work, six confined systems, with different surface separations, as well as the bulk fluid are simulated. Our results show a viscosity increase with respect to the bulk fluid, with decreasing distance between surfaces. Also, the calculated viscosities of the confined systems show an oscillatory behavior with maxima corresponding to well-formed layers between the surfaces. We observe a substantial slip at the surfaces, with the slip length depending on the shear rate and on the slit width. The slip length and the slip velocity show oscillatory behavior with out-of-phase oscillations with respect to the solvation force oscillations. Moreover, the temperature difference between coldest and hottest parts of the simulation box depends on the shear rate and on the layering effect (solvation force oscillations). An analysis of oligomer deformation under flow shows preferential alignment of oligomers parallel to the surfaces with increasing shear rate.

Formation of a stable oligomer of beta-2 microglobulin requires only transient encounter with Cu(II).

Science.gov (United States)

Calabrese, Matthew F; Miranker, Andrew D

2007-03-16

Beta-2 Microglobulin (beta2m) is a small, globular protein, with high solubility under conditions comparable to human serum. A complication of hemodialysis in renal failure patients is the deposition of unmodified beta2m as amyloid fibers. In vitro, exposure of beta2m to equimolar Cu(2+) under near-physiological conditions can result in self-association leading to amyloid fiber formation. Previously, we have shown that the early steps in this process involve a catalyzed structural rearrangement followed by formation of discrete oligomers. These oligomers, however, have a continued requirement for Cu(2+) while mature fibers are resistant to addition of metal chelate. Here, we report that the transition from Cu(2+) dependent to chelate resistant states occurs in the context of small oligomers, dimeric to hexameric in size. These species require Cu(2+) to form, but once generated, do not need metal cation for stability. Importantly, this transition occurs gradually over several days and the resulting oligomers are isolatable and kinetically stable on timescales exceeding weeks. In addition, formation is enhanced by levels of urea similar to those found in hemodialysis patients. Our results are consistent with our hypothesis that transient encounter of full-length wild-type beta2m with transition metal cation at the dialysis membrane interface is causal to dialysis related amyloidosis.

Some biological actions of PEG-conjugated RNase A oligomers

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Poučková, P.; Škvor, J.; Gotte, G.; Vottariello, F.; Slavík, Tomáš; Matoušek, Josef; Laurents, D. V.; Libonati, M.; Souček, J.

2006-01-01

Roč. 53, č. 1 (2006), s. 79-85 ISSN 0028-2685 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA523/04/0755; GA MZd NR8233 Grant - others:Spanish Ministerio de Ciencia y Technologia BQU2003-05227 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z50450515 Keywords : RNase A oligomers * polyethylene glycol conjugates * anti-tumour activity Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 1.247, year: 2006

Mass Spectrometric Characterization of Oligomers in Pseudomonas aeruginosa Azurin Solutions

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Sokolová, L.; Williamson, H.; Sýkora, Jan; Hof, Martin; Gray, H. B.; Brutschy, B.; Vlček, Antonín

2011-01-01

Roč. 115, č. 16 (2011), s. 4790-4800 ISSN 1520-6106 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) ME10124; GA MŠk(CZ) LC06063 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40400503 Keywords : mass spectrometry * oligomers * pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin solutions Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry Impact factor: 3.696, year: 2011

Humans Can Taste Glucose Oligomers Independent of the hT1R2/hT1R3 Sweet Taste Receptor.

Science.gov (United States)

Lapis, Trina J; Penner, Michael H; Lim, Juyun

2016-08-23

It is widely accepted that humans can taste mono- and disaccharides as sweet substances, but they cannot taste longer chain oligo- and polysaccharides. From the evolutionary standpoint, the ability to taste starch or its oligomeric hydrolysis products would be highly adaptive, given their nutritional value. Here, we report that humans can taste glucose oligomer preparations (average degree of polymerization 7 and 14) without any other sensorial cues. The same human subjects could not taste the corresponding glucose polymer preparation (average degree of polymerization 44). When the sweet taste receptor was blocked by lactisole, a known sweet inhibitor, subjects could not detect sweet substances (glucose, maltose, and sucralose), but they could still detect the glucose oligomers. This suggests that glucose oligomer detection is independent of the hT1R2/hT1R3 sweet taste receptor. Human subjects described the taste of glucose oligomers as "starchy," while they describe sugars as "sweet." The dose-response function of glucose oligomer was also found to be indistinguishable from that of glucose on a molar basis. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

GalaxyHomomer: a web server for protein homo-oligomer structure prediction from a monomer sequence or structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Baek, Minkyung; Park, Taeyong; Heo, Lim; Park, Chiwook; Seok, Chaok

2017-07-03

Homo-oligomerization of proteins is abundant in nature, and is often intimately related with the physiological functions of proteins, such as in metabolism, signal transduction or immunity. Information on the homo-oligomer structure is therefore important to obtain a molecular-level understanding of protein functions and their regulation. Currently available web servers predict protein homo-oligomer structures either by template-based modeling using homo-oligomer templates selected from the protein structure database or by ab initio docking of monomer structures resolved by experiment or predicted by computation. The GalaxyHomomer server, freely accessible at http://galaxy.seoklab.org/homomer, carries out template-based modeling, ab initio docking or both depending on the availability of proper oligomer templates. It also incorporates recently developed model refinement methods that can consistently improve model quality. Moreover, the server provides additional options that can be chosen by the user depending on the availability of information on the monomer structure, oligomeric state and locations of unreliable/flexible loops or termini. The performance of the server was better than or comparable to that of other available methods when tested on benchmark sets and in a recent CASP performed in a blind fashion. © The Author(s) 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of Nucleic Acids Research.

Nanoparticle for delivery of antisense γPNA oligomers targeting CCR5.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahal, Raman; McNeer, Nicole Ali; Ly, Danith H; Saltzman, W Mark; Glazer, Peter M

2013-01-01

The development of a new class of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), i.e., gamma PNAs (γPNAs), creates the need for a general and effective method for its delivery into cells for regulating gene expression in mammalian cells. Here we report the antisense activity of a recently developed hydrophilic and biocompatible diethylene glycol (miniPEG)-based gamma peptide nucleic acid called MPγPNAs via its delivery by poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)-based nanoparticle system. We show that MPγPNA oligomers designed to bind to the selective region of chemokine receptor 5 (CC R5) transcript, induce potent and sequence-specific antisense effects as compared with regular PNA oligomers. In addition, PLGA nanoparticle delivery of MPγPNAs is not toxic to the cells. The findings reported in this study provide a combination of γPNA technology and PLGA-based nanoparticle delivery method for regulating gene expression in live cells via the antisense mechanism.

Study on immobilization enzyme using radiation grafting and condensation covalent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cao Jin; Su Zongxian; Gao Jianfeng

1989-01-01

The immobilization of gluecose oxidase (GOD) on polyethylene and F 46 is described by radiation grafting and condensation covalent. The GOD on polyethylene film is characterized with IR-spectrum. The results show that the enzyme activity on F 46 film is high when dose rate and covalent yield are low. When covalent yield is 4.3% the enzyme relative activity achieves the greatest value for F 46 film. The experiment also demonstrates that acrylic acid affects the relative activity of enzyme and the method of IR-pectrum character is convenient and efficient for GOD on polyethylene film

Organization in sol-gel polymerization of methacrylate co-oligomers containing trimethoxysilylpropyl methacrylate

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Vraštil, J.; Matějka, Libor; Špaček, V.; Večeřa, M.; Prokůpek, L.

2005-01-01

Roč. 46, č. 25 (2005), s. 11232-11240 ISSN 0032-3861 Institutional research plan: CEZ:AV0Z40500505 Keywords : organic-inorganic hybrid * sol-gel process * oligomers Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 2.849, year: 2005

Mechanisms leading to oligomers and SOA through aqueous photooxidation: insights from OH radical oxidation of acetic acid and methylglyoxal

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Tan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Previous experiments have demonstrated that the aqueous OH radical oxidation of methylglyoxal produces low volatility products including pyruvate, oxalate and oligomers. These products are found predominantly in the particle phase in the atmosphere, suggesting that methylglyoxal is a precursor of secondary organic aerosol (SOA. Acetic acid plays a central role in the aqueous oxidation of methylglyoxal and it is a ubiquitous product of gas phase photochemistry, making it a potential "aqueous" SOA precursor in its own right. However, the fate of acetic acid upon aqueous-phase oxidation is not well understood. In this research, acetic acid (20 μM–10 mM was oxidized by OH radicals, and pyruvic acid and methylglyoxal experimental samples were analyzed using new analytical methods, in order to better understand the formation of SOA from acetic acid and methylglyoxal. Glyoxylic, glycolic, and oxalic acids formed from acetic acid and OH radicals. In contrast to the aqueous OH radical oxidation of methylglyoxal, the aqueous OH radical oxidation of acetic acid did not produce succinic acid and oligomers. This suggests that the methylgloxal-derived oligomers do not form through the acid catalyzed esterification pathway proposed previously. Using results from these experiments, radical mechanisms responsible for oligomer formation from methylglyoxal oxidation in clouds and wet aerosols are proposed. The importance of acetic acid/acetate as an SOA precursor is also discussed. We hypothesize that this and similar chemistry is central to the daytime formation of oligomers in wet aerosols.

A Fluorescent Oligothiophene-Bis-Triazine ligand interacts with PrP fibrils and detects SDS-resistant oligomers in human prion diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Imberdis, Thibaut; Ayrolles-Torro, Adeline; Duarte Rodrigues, Alysson; Torrent, Joan; Alvarez-Martinez, Maria Teresa; Kovacs, Gabor G; Verdier, Jean-Michel; Robitzer, Mike; Perrier, Véronique

2016-01-26

Prion diseases are characterized by the accumulation in the central nervous system of an abnormally folded isoform of the prion protein, named PrP(Sc). Aggregation of PrP(Sc) into oligomers and fibrils is critically involved in the pathogenesis of prion diseases. Oligomers are supposed to be the key neurotoxic agents in prion disease, so modulation of prion aggregation pathways with small molecules can be a valuable strategy for studying prion pathogenicity and for developing new diagnostic and therapeutic approaches. We previously identified thienyl pyrimidine compounds that induce SDS-resistant PrP(Sc) (rSDS-PrP(Sc)) oligomers in prion-infected samples. Due to the low effective doses of the thienyl pyrimidine hits, we synthesized a quaterthiophene-bis-triazine compound, called MR100 to better evaluate their diagnostic and therapeutic potentials. This molecule exhibits a powerful activity inducing rSDS-PrP(Sc) oligomers at nanomolar concentrations in prion-infected cells. Fluorescence interaction studies of MR100 with mouse PrP fibrils showed substantial modification of the spectrum, and the interaction was confirmed in vitro by production of rSDS-oligomer species upon incubation of MR100 with fibrils in SDS-PAGE gel. We further explored whether MR100 compound has a potential to be used in the diagnosis of prion diseases. Our results showed that: (i) MR100 can detect rSDS-oligomers in prion-infected brain homogenates of various species, including human samples from CJD patients; (ii) A protocol, called "Rapid Centrifugation Assay" (RCA), was developed based on MR100 property of inducing rSDS-PrP(Sc) oligomers only in prion-infected samples, and avoiding the protease digestion step. RCA allows the detection of both PK-sensitive and PK-resistant PrP(Sc) species in rodents samples but also from patients with different CJD forms (sporadic and new variant); (iii) A correlation could be established between the amount of rSDS-PrP(Sc) oligomers revealed by MR100 and the

Analysis of linear and cyclic oligomers in polyamide-6 without sample preparation by liquid chromatography using the sandwich injection method. II. Methods of detection and quantification and overall long-term performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Mengerink, Y; Peters, R; Kerkhoff, M; Hellenbrand, J; Omloo, H; Andrien, J; Vestjens, M; van der Wal, S

2000-05-05

By separating the first six linear and cyclic oligomers of polyamide-6 on a reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic system after sandwich injection, quantitative determination of these oligomers becomes feasible. Low-wavelength UV detection of the different oligomers and selective post-column reaction detection of the linear oligomers with o-phthalic dicarboxaldehyde (OPA) and 3-mercaptopropionic acid (3-MPA) are discussed. A general methodology for quantification of oligomers in polymers was developed. It is demonstrated that the empirically determined group-equivalent absorption coefficients and quench factors are a convenient way of quantifying linear and cyclic oligomers of nylon-6. The overall long-term performance of the method was studied by monitoring a reference sample and the calibration factors of the linear and cyclic oligomers.

Cholesterol facilitates interactions between α-synuclein oligomers and charge-neutral membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

van Maarschalkerweerd, Andreas; Vetri, Valeria; Vestergaard, Bente

2015-01-01

composed of anionic lipids, while the more physiologically relevant zwitterionic lipids remain intact. We present experimental evidence for significant morphological changes in zwitterionic membranes containing cholesterol, induced by α-synuclein oligomers. Depending on the lipid composition, model...... of cholesterol for mediating interactions between physiologically relevant membranes and α-synuclein....

Caspase-cleaved tau exhibits rapid memory impairment associated with tau oligomers in a transgenic mouse model.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, YoungDoo; Choi, Hyunwoo; Lee, WonJae; Park, Hyejin; Kam, Tae-In; Hong, Se-Hoon; Nah, Jihoon; Jung, Sunmin; Shin, Bora; Lee, Huikyong; Choi, Tae-Yong; Choo, Hyosun; Kim, Kyung-Keun; Choi, Se-Young; Kayed, Rakez; Jung, Yong-Keun

2016-03-01

In neurodegenerative diseases like AD, tau forms neurofibrillary tangles, composed of tau protein. In the AD brain, activated caspases cleave tau at the 421th Asp, generating a caspase-cleaved form of tau, TauC3. Although TauC3 is known to assemble rapidly into filaments in vitro, a role of TauC3 in vivo remains unclear. Here, we generated a transgenic mouse expressing human TauC3 using a neuron-specific promoter. In this mouse, we found that human TauC3 was expressed in the hippocampus and cortex. Interestingly, TauC3 mice showed drastic learning and spatial memory deficits and reduced synaptic density at a young age (2-3months). Notably, tau oligomers as well as tau aggregates were found in TauC3 mice showing memory deficits. Further, i.p. or i.c.v. injection with methylene blue or Congo red, inhibitors of tau aggregation in vitro, and i.p. injection with rapamycin significantly reduced the amounts of tau oligomers in the hippocampus, rescued spine density, and attenuated memory impairment in TauC3 mice. Together, these results suggest that TauC3 facilitates early memory impairment in transgenic mice accompanied with tau oligomer formation, providing insight into the role of TauC3 in the AD pathogenesis associated with tau oligomers and a useful AD model to test drug candidates. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Effect of Side Chains on Molecular Conformation of Anthracene-Ethynylene-Phenylene-Vinylene Oligomers: A Comparative Density Functional Study With and Without Dispersion Interaction.

Science.gov (United States)

Dong, Chuanding; Hoppe, Harald; Beenken, Wichard J D

2016-06-02

Using density functional calculations with and without dispersion interaction, we studied the effects of linear octyl and branched 2-ethylhexyl side chains on the oligomer conformation of the conjugated copolymer poly(p-anthracene-ethynylene)-alt-poly(p-phenylene-vinylene). With dispersion included, the branched side chains can cause significant bending of the oligomer backbone, while without dispersion they induce mainly torsional disorder. The oligomers with mainly linear side chains keep good planarity when optimized with and without dispersion. Despite their dramatically different conformations, the calculated absorption spectra of the oligomers with various side chain combinations are very similar, indicating that the conformation of the copolymer is not the main reason for the experimentally observed different spectra of ordered and disordered phases.

Amino siloxane oligomer-linked graphene oxide as an efficient adsorbent for removal of Pb(II) from wastewater

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luo, Shenglian; Xu, Xiangli; Zhou, Guiyin; Liu, Chengbin; Tang, Yanhong; Liu, Yutang

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: A high performance sorbent, oligomer-linked graphene oxide, was prepared by using oligomeric poly3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane as crosslinking agents. The sorbent could selectively remove Pb(II) with high adsorption capacity. - Highlights: • Oligomer-linked graphene oxide sharply fattened function groups. • The sorbent exhibited high adsorption capacity toward Pb(II). • Pb, Cu and Fe were selectively removed from smelter industrial effluent. • The sorption could be conducted at a wide pH range of about 4.0–7.0. - Abstract: A high performance sorbent, oligomer-linked graphene oxide (GO) composite, was prepared through simple cross-linking reactions between GO sheets and poly3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (PAS) oligomers as crosslinking agents. The three-dimensional PAS oligomers prevented GO sheets from aggregation, provided foreign molecules with easier access, and introduced a large amount of amino functional groups. The morphology, structure and property of the PAS-GO composite were determined by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscope (TEM), Fourie transform infrared (FTIR), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The adsorption performance of PAS-GO was investigated in removing Pb(II) ions from water. Compared to 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane functionalized GO (AS-GO) which was prepared by the direct reaction between 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and GO, PAS-GO exhibited much higher adsorptivity toward Pb(II) with the maximum adsorption capacity of 312.5 mg/g at 303 K and furthermore the maximum adsorption capacity increased with increasing temperature. The adsorption could be conducted in a wide pH range of 4.0–7.0. Importantly, PAS-GO had a priority tendency to adsorb Pb, Cu and Fe from a mixed solution of metal ions, especially from a practical industrial effluent

Construction of a novel chimera consisting of a chelator-containing Tat peptide conjugated to a morpholino antisense oligomer for technetium-99m labeling and accelerating cellular kinetics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang Yumin [Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655 (United States)]. E-mail: yumin.zhang@mpi.com; Tung, C.-H. [Center for Molecular Imaging Research, Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, MA 02129 (United States); He Jiang [Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655 (United States); Liu Ning [Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655 (United States); Yanachkov, Ivan [GlSynthesis, Worcester, MA 01605 (United States); Liu Guozheng [Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655 (United States); Rusckowski, Mary [Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655 (United States); Vanderheyden, Jean-Luc [Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, University of Massachusetts Medical School, Worcester, MA 01655 (United States)

2006-02-15

The attempt to target the limited copies of messenger RNA (mRNA) in vivo with radiolabeled nucleobase oligomers as antisense probes is challenging. Selecting an antisense molecule with superior properties, enhancing the cellular kinetics, and improving the radiolabeling chemistry would be the reasonable approach to accomplish this goal. The present study reports a method to construct a chimera of phosphorodiamidate morpholino nucleobase oligomer (MORF) covalently conjugated to a peptide containing a cell membrane transduction Tat peptide and an N{sub 2}S{sub 2} chelator for technetium-99m ({sup 99m}Tc) radiolabeling (N{sub 2}S{sub 2}-Tat-MORF). The radiolabeling properties and cellular kinetics of {sup 99m}Tc-N{sub 2}S{sub 2}-Tat-MORF were measured. As hypothesized, the preparation of {sup 99m}Tc-N{sub 2}S{sub 2}-Tat-MORF could be achieved by an instant one-step method with labeling efficiency greater than 95%, and the {sup 99m}Tc-N{sub 2}S{sub 2}-Tat-MORF showed distinct properties in cell culture from those of a control, the same MORF sequence without Tat but with mercaptoacetyltriglycine (MAG{sub 3}) as chelator for {sup 99m}Tc ({sup 99m}Tc-MAG{sub 3}-MORF). {sup 99m}Tc-N{sub 2}S{sub 2}-Tat-MORF achieved maximum accumulation of about 35% within 2 h, while {sup 99m}Tc-MAG{sub 3}-MORF showed lower and steadily increasing accumulations but of less than 1% in 24 h. These preliminary results demonstrated that the proposed chimera has properties for easy labeling, and {sup 99m}Tc-N{sub 2}S{sub 2}-Tat-MORF prepared by this method possesses enhanced cellular kinetics and merits further investigation for in vivo mRNA targeting.

Supersymmetry theory of microphase separation in homopolymer-oligomer mixtures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Olemskoi, Alexander; Krakovsky, Ivan; Savelyev, Alexey

2004-01-01

The mesoscopic structure of periodically alternating layers of stretched homopolymer chains surrounded by perpendicularly oriented oligomeric tails is studied for systems with both strong (ionic) and weak (hydrogen) interactions. We focus on the consideration of the distribution of oligomers along the homopolymer chains that is described by the effective equation of motion with the segment number playing the role of imaginary time. The supersymmetry technique is developed to consider associative hydrogen bonding, self-action effects, inhomogeneity, and temperature fluctuations in the oligomer distribution. Making use of the self-consistent approach allows one to explain experimentally observed temperature dependence of the structure period and the order-disorder transition temperature and period as functions of the oligomeric fraction for systems with different bonding strengths. A whole set of parameters of the model used is found for strong, intermediate, and weak coupled systems being Poly (4-vinyl pyridine)-dodecyl benzene sulfonic acid [P4VP-(DBSA) x ], P4VP-[Zn(DBS) 2 ] x , and P4VP- 3-pentadecyl Phenol x , respectively. A passage from the former two to the latter is shown to cause a crucial decrease in the magnitude of both parameters of hydrogen bonding and self-action, as well as the order-disorder transition temperature

Rheological and mechanical properties and interfacial stress development of composite cements modified with thio-urethane oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

Bacchi, Ataís; Pfeifer, Carmem S

2016-08-01

Thio-urethane oligomers have been shown to reduce stress and increase toughness in highly filled composite materials. This study evaluated the influence of thio-urethane backbone structure on rheological and mechanical properties of resin cements modified with a fixed concentration of the oligomers. Thio-urethane oligomers (TU) were synthesized by combining thiols - pentaerythritol tetra-3-mercaptopropionate (PETMP) or trimethylol-tris-3-mercaptopropionate (TMP) - with isocyanates - 1,6-hexanediol-diissocyante (HDDI) (aliphatic) or 1,3-bis(1-isocyanato-1-methylethyl)benzene (BDI) (aromatic) or dicyclohexylmethane 4,4'-diisocyanate (HMDI) (cyclic), at 1:2 isocyanate:thiol, leaving pendant thiols. 20wt% TU were added to BisGMA-UDMA-TEGDMA (5:3:2). 60wt% silanated inorganic fillers were added. Near-IR was used to follow methacrylate conversion and rate of polymerization ( [Formula: see text] ). Mechanical properties were evaluated in three-point bending (ISO 4049) for flexural strength/modulus (FS/FM, and toughness), and notched specimens (ASTM Standard E399-90) for fracture toughness (KIC). PS was measured on the Bioman. Viscosity (V) and gel-points (defined as the crossover between storage and loss shear moduli (G'/G″)) were obtained with rheometry. Glass transition temperature (Tg), cross-link density and homogeneity of the network were obtained with dynamic mechanical analysis. Film-thickness was evaluated according to ISO 4049. DC and mechanical properties increased and [Formula: see text] and PS decreased with the addition of TUs. Gelation (G'/G″) was delayed and DC at G'/G″ increased in TU groups. Tg and cross-link density dropped in TU groups, while oligomers let to more homogenous networks. An increase in V was observed, with no effect on film-thickness. Significant reductions in PS were achieved at the same time conversion and mechanical properties increased. The addition of thio-urethane oligomers proved successful in improving several key properties

Scaled MP3 non-covalent interaction energies agree closely with accurate CCSD(T) benchmark data.

Science.gov (United States)

Pitonák, Michal; Neogrády, Pavel; Cerný, Jirí; Grimme, Stefan; Hobza, Pavel

2009-01-12

Scaled MP3 interaction energies calculated as a sum of MP2/CBS (complete basis set limit) interaction energies and scaled third-order energy contributions obtained in small or medium size basis sets agree very closely with the estimated CCSD(T)/CBS interaction energies for the 22 H-bonded, dispersion-controlled and mixed non-covalent complexes from the S22 data set. Performance of this so-called MP2.5 (third-order scaling factor of 0.5) method has also been tested for 33 nucleic acid base pairs and two stacked conformers of porphine dimer. In all the test cases, performance of the MP2.5 method was shown to be superior to the scaled spin-component MP2 based methods, e.g. SCS-MP2, SCSN-MP2 and SCS(MI)-MP2. In particular, a very balanced treatment of hydrogen-bonded compared to stacked complexes is achieved with MP2.5. The main advantage of the approach is that it employs only a single empirical parameter and is thus biased by two rigorously defined, asymptotically correct ab-initio methods, MP2 and MP3. The method is proposed as an accurate but computationally feasible alternative to CCSD(T) for the computation of the properties of various kinds of non-covalently bound systems.

Towards directional assembly of hierarchical structures: aniline oligomers as the model precursors

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Zhao, Y.; Stejskal, Jaroslav; Wang, J.

2013-01-01

Roč. 5, č. 7 (2013), s. 2620-2626 ISSN 2040-3364 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/12/0911 Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : aniline oligomers * hierarchical nanostructures * microflowers Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 6.739, year: 2013

Side-chain degradation of ultrapure π-conjugated oligomers: implications for organic electronics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Abbel, R.J.; Wolffs, M.; Bovee, R.A.A.; Dongen, van J.L.J.; Lou, X.W.; Henze, O.; Feast, W.J.; Meijer, E.W.; Schenning, A.P.H.J.

2009-01-01

The degrdn. of two defect-free pi-conjugated oligomers and the participation of their solubilizing side chains in the process are studied in unprecedented detail. The detected intermediate products reveal a mechanism of successive shortening of alkyl and oligo(ethylene glycol) substituents.

Isolation and Quantification of Polyamide Cyclic Oligomers in Kitchen Utensils and Their Migration into Various Food Simulants

OpenAIRE

Abe, Yutaka; Mutsuga, Motoh; Ohno, Hiroyuki; Kawamura, Yoko; Akiyama, Hiroshi

2016-01-01

Small amounts of cyclic monomers and oligomers are present in polyamide (PA)-based kitchen utensils. In this study, we isolated eight PA-based cyclic monomers and oligomers from kitchen utensils made from PA6 (a polymer of ε-caprolactam) and PA66 (a polymer of 1,6-diaminohexane and adipic acid). Their structures were identified using high-resolution mass spectrometry and 1H- and 13C-nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy, and their residual levels in PA-based kitchen utensils and degree of m...

Human RAD50 makes a functional DNA-binding complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Kinoshita, Eri; van Rossum-Fikkert, Sari; Sanchez, Humberto; Kertokalio, Aryandi; Wyman, Claire

2015-06-01

The MRE11-RAD50-NBS1 (MRN) complex has several distinct functions in DNA repair including important roles in both non-homologous end-joining (NHEJ) and homologous recombination (HR). The biochemical activities of MR(N) have been well characterized implying specific functional roles for the components. The arrangement of proteins in the complex implies interdependence of their biochemical activities making it difficult to separate specific functions. We obtained purified human RAD50 and observed that it binds ATP, undergoes ATP-dependent conformational changes as well as having ATPase activity. Scanning force microscopy analysis clearly showed that RAD50 binds DNA although not as oligomers. RAD50 alone was not functional in tethering DNA molecules. ATP increased formation of RAD50 multimers which were however globular lacking extended coiled coils, in contrast to the MR complex where ATP induced oligomers have obvious coiled coils protruding from a central domain. These results suggest that MRE11 is important in maintaining the structural arrangement of RAD50 in the protein complex and perhaps has a role in reinforcing proper alignment of the coiled coils in the ATP-bound state. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. and Société Française de Biochimie et Biologie Moléculaire (SFBBM). All rights reserved.

Coval: improving alignment quality and variant calling accuracy for next-generation sequencing data.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shunichi Kosugi

Full Text Available Accurate identification of DNA polymorphisms using next-generation sequencing technology is challenging because of a high rate of sequencing error and incorrect mapping of reads to reference genomes. Currently available short read aligners and DNA variant callers suffer from these problems. We developed the Coval software to improve the quality of short read alignments. Coval is designed to minimize the incidence of spurious alignment of short reads, by filtering mismatched reads that remained in alignments after local realignment and error correction of mismatched reads. The error correction is executed based on the base quality and allele frequency at the non-reference positions for an individual or pooled sample. We demonstrated the utility of Coval by applying it to simulated genomes and experimentally obtained short-read data of rice, nematode, and mouse. Moreover, we found an unexpectedly large number of incorrectly mapped reads in 'targeted' alignments, where the whole genome sequencing reads had been aligned to a local genomic segment, and showed that Coval effectively eliminated such spurious alignments. We conclude that Coval significantly improves the quality of short-read sequence alignments, thereby increasing the calling accuracy of currently available tools for SNP and indel identification. Coval is available at http://sourceforge.net/projects/coval105/.

Combining Orthogonal Chain-End Deprotections and Thiol-Maleimide Michael Coupling: Engineering Discrete Oligomers by an Iterative Growth Strategy.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Zhihao; Zhao, Junfei; Wang, Zimu; Meng, Fanying; Ding, Kunshan; Pan, Xiangqiang; Zhou, Nianchen; Li, Xiaopeng; Zhang, Zhengbiao; Zhu, Xiulin

2017-10-23

Orthogonal maleimide and thiol deprotections were combined with thiol-maleimide coupling to synthesize discrete oligomers/macromolecules on a gram scale with molecular weights up to 27.4 kDa (128mer, 7.9 g) using an iterative exponential growth strategy with a degree of polymerization (DP) of 2 n -1. Using the same chemistry, a "readable" sequence-defined oligomer and a discrete cyclic topology were also created. Furthermore, uniform dendrons were fabricated using sequential growth (DP=2 n -1) or double exponential dendrimer growth approaches (DP=22n -1) with significantly accelerated growth rates. A versatile, efficient, and metal-free method for construction of discrete oligomers with tailored structures and a high growth rate would greatly facilitate research into the structure-property relationships of sophisticated polymeric materials. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

EXAFS Studies of Some Copper(II) Mixed-Ligand Complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joshi, S. K.; Katare, R. K.; Shrivastava, B. D.

2007-01-01

X-ray K-absorption spectroscopic studies have been carried out on copper (II) mixed-ligand complexes with glutamic acid and aspartic acid as the primary ligands, where as water, pyridine, imidazole and benz-imidazole have been used as secondary ligands. Chemical shifts obtained from the X-ray absorption data have indicated that the glutamic acid complexes are more ionic as compared to their corresponding aspartic acid complexes having similar secondary ligands. Further, we have estimated the average metal-ligand bond distances from the from structure data. For the different complexes studied under the present investigation, the studies reveal that the bonding parameter α1 decreases with the increase in the percentage covalency of the metal-ligand bond. Thus, the bonding parameter α1 may be used for the estimation of percentage covalency of the metal-ligand bond in other similar complexes

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Silica Nanoparticles Grafted with Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomer Chains

KAUST Repository

Hong, Bingbing; Panagiotopoulos, Athanassios Z.

2012-01-01

A molecular model of silica nanoparticles grafted with poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers has been developed for predicting the transport properties of nanoparticle organic-hybrid materials (NOHMs). Ungrafted silica nanoparticles in a medium of poly(ethylene

The Effect of H2SO4 Concentration on the Ionic Conductivity of Liquid PMMA Oligomer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norashima Kamaluddin; Famiza Abdul Latif; Han, C.C.; Ruhani Ibrahim; Sharil Fadli Mohamad Zamri; Norashima Kamaluddin; Famiza Abdul Latif; Han, C.C.; Ruhani Ibrahim; Sharil Fadli Mohamad Zamri

2015-01-01

To date gel and film type polymer electrolytes have been widely synthesized due to their wide range of electrical properties. However these types of polymer electrolytes exhibit poor mechanical stability and poor electrode-electrolyte contact hence deprive the overall performance of a battery system. Therefore, in order to indulge the advantages of polymer as electrolyte, a new class of polymer electrolyte was synthesized and investigated. In this study, liquid poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) electrolyte was synthesized using the simplest free radical polymerization technique using benzoyl peroxide as the initiator. At this stage, it was found that this liquid PMMA oligomer (MW=3000 g/ mole) has a potential as electrolyte in electrochemical devices. It was found that an ionic conductivity of ∼10 -7 S/ cm at room temperature can be achieved when only small volume of high molarity of sulfuric acid (H 2 SO 4 ) was doped in the liquid PMMA oligomer. The properties of this liquid PMMA oligomer were further investigated using Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR). (author)

Hydrogen bonding as the origin of the switching behavior in dithiolated phenylene-vinylene oligomers

KAUST Repository

Obodo, Tobechukwu Joshua; Gkionis, Konstantinos; Rungger, Ivan; Sanvito, Stefano; Schwingenschlö gl, Udo

2013-01-01

We investigate theoretically the switching behavior of a dithiolated phenylene-vinylene oligomer sandwiched between Au(111) electrodes using self-interaction corrected density-functional theory combined with the nonequilibrium Green

Capillary electrophoresis of covalently functionalized single-chirality carbon nanotubes.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Pingli; Meany, Brendan; Wang, Chunyan; Piao, Yanmei; Kwon, Hyejin; Deng, Shunliu; Wang, YuHuang

2017-07-01

We demonstrate the separation of chirality-enriched single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) by degree of surface functionalization using high-performance CE. Controlled amounts of negatively charged and positively charged functional groups were attached to the sidewall of chirality-enriched SWCNTs through covalent functionalization using 4-carboxybenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate or 4-diazo-N,N-diethylaniline tetrafluoroborate, respectively. Surfactant- and pH-dependent studies confirmed that under conditions that minimized ionic screening effects, separation of these functionalized SWCNTs was strongly dependent on the surface charge density introduced through covalent surface chemistry. For both heterogeneous mixtures and single-chirality-enriched samples, covalently functionalized SWCNTs showed substantially increased peak width in electropherogram spectra compared to nonfunctionalized SWCNTs, which can be attributed to a distribution of surface charges along the functionalized nanotubes. Successful separation of functionalized single-chirality SWCNTs by functional density was confirmed with UV-Vis-NIR absorption and Raman scattering spectroscopies of fraction collected samples. These results suggest a high degree of structural heterogeneity in covalently functionalized SWCNTs, even for chirality-enriched samples, and show the feasibility of applying CE for high-performance separation of nanomaterials based on differences in surface functional density. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Isoelectric focusing of small non-covalent metal species from plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Köster, Jessica; Hayen, Heiko; von Wirén, Nicolaus; Weber, Günther

2011-03-01

IEF is known as a powerful electrophoretic separation technique for amphoteric molecules, in particular for proteins. The objective of the present work is to prove the suitability of IEF also for the separation of small, non-covalent metal species. Investigations are performed with copper-glutathione complexes, with the synthetic ligand ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis(o-hydroxyphenyl)acetic acid (EDDHA) and respective metal complexes (Fe, Ga, Al, Ni, Zn), and with the phytosiderophore 2'-deoxymugineic acid (DMA) and its ferric complex. It is shown that ethylenediamine-N,N'-bis(o-hydroxyphenyl)acetic acid and DMA species are stable during preparative scale IEF, whereas copper-glutathione dissociates considerably. It is also shown that preparative scale IEF can be applied successfully to isolate ferric DMA from real plant samples, and that multidimensional separations are possible by combining preparative scale IEF with subsequent HPLC-MS analysis. Focusing of free ligands and respective metal complexes with di- and trivalent metals results in different pIs, but CIEF is usually needed for a reliable estimation of pI values. Limitations of the proposed methods (preparative IEF and CIEF) and consequences of the results with respect to metal speciation in plants are discussed. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Conditional repair by locally switching the thermal healing capability of dynamic covalent polymers with light

Science.gov (United States)

Fuhrmann, Anne; Göstl, Robert; Wendt, Robert; Kötteritzsch, Julia; Hager, Martin D.; Schubert, Ulrich S.; Brademann-Jock, Kerstin; Thünemann, Andreas F.; Nöchel, Ulrich; Behl, Marc; Hecht, Stefan

2016-12-01

Healable materials could play an important role in reducing the environmental footprint of our modern technological society through extending the life cycles of consumer products and constructions. However, as most healing processes are carried out by heat alone, the ability to heal damage generally kills the parent material's thermal and mechanical properties. Here we present a dynamic covalent polymer network whose thermal healing ability can be switched `on' and `off' on demand by light, thereby providing local control over repair while retaining the advantageous macroscopic properties of static polymer networks. We employ a photoswitchable furan-based crosslinker, which reacts with short and mobile maleimide-substituted poly(lauryl methacrylate) chains forming strong covalent bonds while simultaneously allowing the reversible, spatiotemporally resolved control over thermally induced de- and re-crosslinking. We reason that our system can be adapted to more complex materials and has the potential to impact applications in responsive coatings, photolithography and microfabrication.

Covalently linked bisporphyrins bearing tetraphenylporphyrin and ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Covalently linked bisporphyrins bearing tetraphenylporphyrin and perbromoporphyrin units: Synthesis and their properties. Puttaiah Bhyrappa V Krishnan ... yields of the TPP moiety. Electrochemical redox and fluorescence data seem to suggest the possible existence of intramolecular interactions in these bisporphyrins.

Atomistic simulation of CO 2 solubility in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers

KAUST Repository

Hong, Bingbing

2013-10-02

We have performed atomistic molecular dynamics simulations coupled with thermodynamic integration to obtain the excess chemical potential and pressure-composition phase diagrams for CO2 in poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers. Poly(ethylene oxide) dimethyl ether, CH3O(CH 2CH2O)nCH3 (PEO for short) is a widely applied physical solvent that forms the major organic constituent of a class of novel nanoparticle-based absorbents. Good predictions were obtained for pressure-composition-density relations for CO2 + PEO oligomers (2 ≤ n ≤ 12), using the Potoff force field for PEO [J. Chem. Phys. 136, 044514 (2012)] together with the TraPPE model for CO2 [AIChE J. 47, 1676 (2001)]. Water effects on Henrys constant of CO2 in PEO have also been investigated. Addition of modest amounts of water in PEO produces a relatively small increase in Henrys constant. Dependence of the calculated Henrys constant on the weight percentage of water falls on a temperature-dependent master curve, irrespective of PEO chain length. © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

QIAD assay for quantitating a compound’s efficacy in elimination of toxic Aβ oligomers

Science.gov (United States)

Brener, Oleksandr; Dunkelmann, Tina; Gremer, Lothar; van Groen, Thomas; Mirecka, Ewa A.; Kadish, Inga; Willuweit, Antje; Kutzsche, Janine; Jürgens, Dagmar; Rudolph, Stephan; Tusche, Markus; Bongen, Patrick; Pietruszka, Jörg; Oesterhelt, Filipp; Langen, Karl-Josef; Demuth, Hans-Ulrich; Janssen, Arnold; Hoyer, Wolfgang; Funke, Susanne A.; Nagel-Steger, Luitgard; Willbold, Dieter

2015-01-01

Strong evidence exists for a central role of amyloid β-protein (Aβ) oligomers in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease. We have developed a fast, reliable and robust in vitro assay, termed QIAD, to quantify the effect of any compound on the Aβ aggregate size distribution. Applying QIAD, we studied the effect of homotaurine, scyllo-inositol, EGCG, the benzofuran derivative KMS88009, ZAβ3W, the D-enantiomeric peptide D3 and its tandem version D3D3 on Aβ aggregation. The predictive power of the assay for in vivo efficacy is demonstrated by comparing the oligomer elimination efficiency of D3 and D3D3 with their treatment effects in animal models of Alzheimer´s disease. PMID:26394756

Inter- and intramolecular non-covalent interactions in 1-methylimidazole-2-carbaldehyde complexes of copper, silver, and gold

Science.gov (United States)

Koskinen, Laura; Jääskeläinen, Sirpa; Hirva, Pipsa; Haukka, Matti

2014-09-01

Three new imidazole compounds, [CuBr2(mimc)2] (1), [Ag(mimc)2][CF3SO3] (2), and [AuCl3(mimc)] (3) (mimc = 1-methylimidazole-2-carbaldehyde), have been synthesized, structurally characterized, and further analyzed using the QTAIM analysis. The compounds exhibit self-assembled 3D networks arising from intermolecular non-covalent interactions such as metallophilic interactions, metal-π contacts, halogens-halogen interactions, and hydrogen bonds. These weak interactions have a strong impact on the coordination sphere of the metal atoms and on the packing of compounds 1, 2, and 3.

Modulation of α-synuclein fibrillization by ring-fused 2-pyridones: templation and inhibition involve oligomers with different structure.

Science.gov (United States)

Horvath, Istvan; Sellstedt, Magnus; Weise, Christoph; Nordvall, Lina-Maria; Krishna Prasad, G; Olofsson, Anders; Larsson, Göran; Almqvist, Fredrik; Wittung-Stafshede, Pernilla

2013-04-15

In a recent study we discovered that a ring-fused 2-pyridone compound triggered fibrillization of a key protein in Parkinson's disease, α-synuclein. To reveal how variations in compound structure affect protein aggregation, we now prepared a number of strategic analogs and tested their effects on α-synuclein amyloid fiber formation in vitro. We find that, in contrast to the earlier templating effect, some analogs inhibit α-synuclein fibrillization. For both templating and inhibiting compounds, the key species formed in the reactions are α-synuclein oligomers that contain compound. Despite similar macroscopic appearance, the templating and inhibiting oligomers are distinctly different in secondary structure content. When the inhibitory oligomers are added in seed amounts, they inhibit fresh α-synuclein aggregation reactions. Our study demonstrates that small chemical changes to the same central fragment can result in opposite effects on protein aggregation. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Covalently bound conjugates of albumin and heparin: Synthesis, fractionation and characterization

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hennink, Wim E.; Feijen, Jan; Ebert, Charles D.; Kim, Sung Wan

1983-01-01

Covalently bound conjugates of human serum albumin and heparin were prepared as compounds which could improve the blood-compatibility of polymer surfaces either by preadsorption or by covalent coupling of the conjugates onto blood contacting surfaces. The conjugates (10–16 weight % of heparin) were

Steady State and Time-Resolved Fluorescence Dynamics of Triphenylamine Based Oligomers with Phenylene/Thiophene/Furan in Solvents

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qi, Zeng; Ying-Liang, Liu; Kang, Meng; Xiang-Jie, Zhao; Shu-Feng, Wang; Qi-Huang, Gong

2009-01-01

We investigate the photo-physical properties of a series of triphenylamine-based oligomers by steady-state and picosecond transient fluorescence measurements in solvents. The oligomers are composed alternatively with triphenylamine and phenylene/thiophene/furan group, bridged by vinyl group (PNB/PNT/PNF). Their fluorescence spectra show bathochromic phenomenon with solvent polarity and viscosity increasing. The fluorescence decays are bi-exponential for PNB and PNT, and tri-exponential for PNF in THF and aniline. The strong viscosity dependence suggests conformational relaxation along the PNF chain after photo excitation. (condensed matter: electronicstructure, electrical, magnetic, and opticalproperties)

Rationally designed turn promoting mutation in the amyloid-β peptide sequence stabilizes oligomers in solution.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jayakumar Rajadas

Full Text Available Enhanced production of a 42-residue beta amyloid peptide (Aβ(42 in affected parts of the brain has been suggested to be the main causative factor for the development of Alzheimer's Disease (AD. The severity of the disease depends not only on the amount of the peptide but also its conformational transition leading to the formation of oligomeric amyloid-derived diffusible ligands (ADDLs in the brain of AD patients. Despite being significant to the understanding of AD mechanism, no atomic-resolution structures are available for these species due to the evanescent nature of ADDLs that hinders most structural biophysical investigations. Based on our molecular modeling and computational studies, we have designed Met35Nle and G37p mutations in the Aβ(42 peptide (Aβ(42Nle35p37 that appear to organize Aβ(42 into stable oligomers. 2D NMR on the Aβ(42Nle35p37 peptide revealed the occurrence of two β-turns in the V24-N27 and V36-V39 stretches that could be the possible cause for the oligomer stability. We did not observe corresponding NOEs for the V24-N27 turn in the Aβ(21-43Nle35p37 fragment suggesting the need for the longer length amyloid peptide to form the stable oligomer promoting conformation. Because of the presence of two turns in the mutant peptide which were absent in solid state NMR structures for the fibrils, we propose, fibril formation might be hindered. The biophysical information obtained in this work could aid in the development of structural models for toxic oligomer formation that could facilitate the development of therapeutic approaches to AD.

Covalent attachment of pyridine-type molecules to glassy carbon surfaces by electrochemical reduction of in situ generated diazonium salts. Formation of ruthenium complexes on ligand-modified surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yesildag, Ali; Ekinci, Duygu

2010-01-01

In this study, pyridine, quinoline and phenanthroline molecules were covalently bonded to glassy carbon (GC) electrode surfaces for the first time using the diazonium modification method. Then, the complexation ability of the modified films with ruthenium metal cations was investigated. The derivatization of GC surfaces with heteroaromatic molecules was achieved by electrochemical reduction of the corresponding in situ generated diazonium salts. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to confirm the attachment of heteroaromatic molecules to the GC surfaces and to determine the surface concentration of the films. The barrier properties of the modified GC electrodes were studied in the presence of redox probes such as Fe(CN) 6 3- and Ru(NH 3 ) 6 3+ by cyclic voltammetry. Additionally, the presence of the resulting organometallic films on the surfaces was verified by XPS after the chemical transformation of the characterized ligand films to the ruthenium complex films. The electrochemical behavior of these films in acetonitrile solution was investigated using voltammetric methods, and the surface coverage of the organometallic films was determined from the reversible metal-based Ru(II)/Ru(III) oxidation waves.

Covalently Immobilised Cytochrome C Imaged by In Situ Scanning Tunnelling Microscopy

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Andersen, Jens Enevold Thaulov; Olesen, Klaus G.; Danilov, Alexey I.

1997-01-01

In situ scanning tunnelling microscopy (STM) imaging of cytochrome c (cyt c) on polycrystalline Pt surfaces and on Au(lll) was achieved first by covalent immobilisation of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (3-APTS) brought to react with oxide present on the Pt surfaces. Covalently bound 3-APTS forms...

On-surface synthesis of covalent coordination polymers on micrometer scale

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Mathieu Koudia; Elena Nardi; Olivier Siri; Mathieu Abel

2017-01-01

On-surface synthesis under ultrahigh vacuum provides a promising strategy to control matter at the atomic level,with important implications for the design of new two-dimensional materials having remarkable electronic,magnetic,or catalytic properties.This strategy must address the problem of limited extension of the domains due to the irreversible nature of covalent bonds,which prevents the ripening of defects.We show here that extended materials can be produced by a controlled co-deposition process.In particular,co-deposition of quinoid zwitterion molecules with iron atoms on a Ag(111) surface held at 570 K allows the formation of micrometer-sized domains based on covalent coordination bonds.This work opens up the construction of micrometer-scale single-layer covalent coordination materials under vacuum conditions.

Use of Functionalized Carbon Nanotubes for Covalent Attachment of Nanotubes to Silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Tour, James M.; Dyke, Christopher A.; Maya, Francisco; Stewart, Michael P.; Chen, Bo; Flatt, Austen K.

2012-01-01

The purpose of the invention is to covalently attach functionalized carbon nanotubes to silicon. This step allows for the introduction of carbon nanotubes onto all manner of silicon surfaces, and thereby introduction of carbon nano - tubes covalently into silicon-based devices, onto silicon particles, and onto silicon surfaces. Single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) dispersed as individuals in surfactant were functionalized. The nano - tube was first treated with 4-t-butylbenzenediazonium tetrafluoroborate to give increased solubility to the carbon nanotube; the second group attached to the sidewall of the nanotube has a silyl-protected terminal alkyne that is de-protected in situ. This gives a soluble carbon nanotube that has functional groups appended to the sidewall that can be attached covalently to silicon. This reaction was monitored by UV/vis/NJR to assure direct covalent functionalization.

Synthesis, optical properties and supramolecular order of π-conjugated 2,5-di(alcoxy)phenyleneethynylene oligomers

Science.gov (United States)

Castruita, Griselda; Arias, Eduardo; Moggio, Ivana; Pérez, Fátima; Medellín, Diana; Torres, Román; Ziolo, Ronald; Olivas, Amelia; Giorgetti, Emilia; Muniz-Miranda, Maurizio

2009-11-01

Two series of 2,5-di(alkoxy)phenyleneethynylene oligomers were synthesized by Sonogashira-Heck coupling reaction. The chemical structure was corroborated by 1H, 13C, APT, DEPT-135 NMR, Raman, FTIR and MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. The chemical structure of the molecules has been varied in order to study the effect on the physicochemical and optoelectronic properties of the different chain lengths of the lateral substituents (dodecanoxy and butoxy), of different terminal groups (H, Br and I), of different chain length (3, 5 and 7 repeat units in the main conjugated backbone). The thermal properties were analyzed by DSC, TGA and by temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction. The diffraction studies of the oligomers revealed a crystalline behavior for the butoxy series, while for the dodecanoxy series the X-ray patterns are consistent with a supramolecular organization formed of randomly distributed crystalline domains that exhibit a periodic structure at small angles, indicating the presence of a lamellar order. The optical properties can be modulated within a series by increasing the length of the conjugated oligomer chain. On the contrary, neither the length of the alkoxy substituents nor the terminal groups have effect on the shape of the absorption and emission spectra.

Detection of aniline oligomers on polyaniline-gold interface using resonance Raman scattering

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Trchová, Miroslava; Morávková, Zuzana; Dybal, Jiří; Stejskal, Jaroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 6, č. 2 (2014), s. 942-950 ISSN 1944-8244 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/12/0911; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-00270S Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : polyaniline * aniline oligomers * Raman spectroscopy Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 6.723, year: 2014

2-Azido-( sup 32 P)NAD+, a photoactivatable probe for G-protein structure: Evidence for holotransducin oligomers in which the ADP-ribosylated carboxyl terminus of alpha interacts with both alpha and gamma subunits

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vaillancourt, R.R.; Dhanasekaran, N.; Johnson, G.L.; Ruoho, A.E. (Univ. of Wisconsin Medical School, Madison (USA))

1990-05-01

A radioactive and photoactivatable derivative of NAD+, 2-azido-(adenylate-32P)NAD+, has been synthesized and used with pertussis toxin to ADP-ribosylate Cys347 of the alpha subunit (alpha T) of GT, the retinal guanine nucleotide-binding protein. ADP-ribosylation of alpha T followed by light activation of the azide moiety of 2-azido-(adenylate-32P)ADP-ribose produced four crosslinked species involving the alpha and gamma subunits of the GT heterotrimer: an alpha trimer (alpha-alpha-alpha), and alpha-alpha-gamma crosslink, an alpha dimer (alpha-alpha), and an alpha-gamma crosslink. The alpha trimer, alpha-alpha-gamma complex, alpha dimer, and alpha-gamma complexes were immunoreactive with alpha T antibodies. The alpha-alpha-gamma and the alpha-gamma complexes were immunoreactive with antisera recognizing gamma subunits. No evidence was found for crosslinking of alpha T to beta T subunits. Hydrolysis of the thioglycosidic bond between Cys347 and 2-azido-(adenylate-32P)ADP-ribose using mercuric acetate resulted in the transfer of radiolabel from Cys347 of alpha T in the crosslinked oligomers to alpha monomers, indicative of intermolecular photocrosslinking, and to gamma monomers, indicative of either intermolecular crosslinked complexes (between heterotrimers) or intramolecular crosslinked complexes (within the heterotrimer). These results demonstrate that GT exists as an oligomer and that ADP-ribosylated Cys347, which is four residues from the alpha T-carboxyl terminus, is oriented toward and in close proximity to the gamma subunit.

Radiation-chemical hardening of phenol-formaldehyde oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shlapatskaya, V.V.; Omel'chenko, S.I.

1978-01-01

Radiation-chemical hardening of phenol formaldehyde oligomers of the resol type has been studied in the presence of furfural and diallylphthalate diluents. The samples have been hardened on an electron accelerator at an electron energy of 1.0-1.1 MeV and a dose rate of 2-3 Mrad/s. The kinetics of hardening has been studied on the yield of gel fraction within the range of absorbed doses from 7 to 400 Mrad. Radiation-chemical hardening of the studied compositions is activated with sensitizers, namely, amines, metal chlorides, and heterocyclic derivatives of metals. Furfural and diallylphthalate compositions are suitable for forming glass-fibre plastic items by the wet method and coatings under the action of ionizing radiations

Structural Transitions of Solvent-Free Oligomer-Grafted Nanoparticles

KAUST Repository

Chremos, Alexandros

2011-09-01

Novel structural transitions of solvent-free oligomer-grafted nanoparticles are investigated by using molecular dynamics simulations of a coarse-grained bead-spring model. Variations in core size and grafting density lead to self-assembly of the nanoparticles into a variety of distinct structures. At the boundaries between different structures, the nanoparticle systems undergo thermoreversible transitions. This structural behavior, which has not been previously reported, deviates significantly from that of simple liquids. The reversible nature of these transitions in solvent-free conditions offers new ways to control self-assembly of nanoparticles at experimentally accessible conditions. © 2011 American Physical Society.

Sequential transformation of the structural and thermodynamic parameters of the complex particles, combining covalent conjugate (sodium caseinate + maltodextrin) with polyunsaturated lipids stabilized by a plant antioxidant, in the simulated gastro-intestinal conditions in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Antipova, Anna S; Zelikina, Darya V; Shumilina, Elena A; Semenova, Maria G

2016-10-01

The present work is focused on the structural transformation of the complexes, formed between covalent conjugate (sodium caseinate + maltodextrin) and an equimass mixture of the polyunsaturated lipids (PULs): (soy phosphatidylcholine + triglycerides of flaxseed oil) stabilized by a plant antioxidant (an essential oil of clove buds), in the simulated conditions of the gastrointestinal tract. The conjugate was used here as a food-grade delivery vehicle for the PULs. The release of these PULs at each stage of the simulated digestion was estimated. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Non-bonding interactions and non-covalent delocalization effects play a critical role in the relative stability of group 12 complexes arising from interaction of diethanoldithiocarbamate with the cations of transition metals Zn(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II): a theoretical study.

Science.gov (United States)

Bahrami, Homayoon; Farhadi, Saeed; Siadatnasab, Firouzeh

2016-07-01

The chelating properties of diethanoldithiocarbamate (DEDC) and π-electron flow from the nitrogen atom to the sulfur atom via a plane-delocalized π-orbital system (quasi ring) was studied using a density functional theory method. The molecular structure of DEDC and its complexes with Zn(II), Cd(II), and Hg(II) were also considered. First, the geometries of this ligand and DEDC-Zn(II), DEDC-Cd(II), and DEDC-Hg(II) were optimized, and the formation energies of these complexes were then calculated based on the electronic energy, or sum of electronic energies, with the zero point energy of each species. Formation energies indicated the DEDC-Zn(II) complex as the most stable complex, and DEDC-Cd(II) as the least stable. Structural data showed that the N1-C2 π-bond was localized in the complexes rather than the ligand, and a delocalized π-bond over S7-C2-S8 was also present. The stability of DEDC-Zn(II), DEDC-Cd(II), and DEDC-Hg(II) complexes increased in the presence of the non-specific effects of the solvent (PCM model), and their relative stability did not change. There was π-electron flow or resonance along N1-C2-S7 and along S7-C2-S8 in the ligand. The π-electron flow or resonance along N1-C2-S7 was abolished when the metal interacted with sulfur atoms. Energy belonging to van der Waals interactions and non-covalent delocalization effects between the metal and sulfur atoms of the ligand was calculated for each complex. The results of nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) indicated a decreasing trend as Zn(II) Hg(II) for the aromaticity of the quasi-rings. Finally, by ignoring van der Waals interactions and non-covalent delocalization effects between the metal and sulfur atoms of the ligand, the relative stability of the complexes was changed as follows:[Formula: see text] Graphical Abstract Huge electronic cloud localized on Hg(II) in the Hg(II)-DEDC complex.

Study of association of Eu(III) β-diketonato-1,10-phenanthroline complexes in silica-based hybrid materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fadieiev, Yevhen M.; Smola, Sergii S. [A.V. Bogatsky Physico-chemical Institute, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 86, Lustdorfskaya doroga, 65080 Odessa (Ukraine); Malinka, Elena V. [Odessa National Academy of Food Technology, 112, Kanatna Street, 65039 Odessa (Ukraine); Rusakova, Nataliia V., E-mail: lanthachem@ukr.net [A.V. Bogatsky Physico-chemical Institute, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, 86, Lustdorfskaya doroga, 65080 Odessa (Ukraine)

2017-03-15

Hybrid organic-inorganic materials based on silica and mixed-ligand complexes of Eu(III) with β-diketones and 1,10-phenanthroline with covalent and non-covalent attachment to matrix were obtained by a sol-gel route. Luminescent study of obtained systems allowed to propose spectral criteria for estimation of the uniformity of complex distribution in amorphous silica matrix. Thus, such criteria are the broadening of Eu(III) 4f-luminescence bands, emission decay and the shape of plot of the emission intensity vs. concentration of complex in the materials. Full width of {sup 5}D{sub 0}→{sup 7}F{sub 2} band at its half maximum and the ratio of the {sup 5}D{sub 0}→{sup 7}F{sub 2} and {sup 5}D{sub 0}→{sup 7}F{sub 1} bands intensities were used as quantitative measures of spectral changes and the bands broadening in Eu(III) emission spectra. - Highlights: • Modification of Eu(III) β-diketonates by an anchor fragments was carried out. • The degree of association of molecules was estimated based on emission spectra. • Covalent anchoring of complexes promotes their uniform distribution in matrix. • Non-covalently grafted complexes are prone to association in amorphous silica.

Mixed-matrix membranes containing an azine-linked covalent organic framework: Influence of the polymeric matrix on post-combustion CO 2 -capture

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Shan, Meixia; Seoane de la Cuesta, Beatriz; Andres-Garcia, Eduardo; Kapteijn, Freek; Gascon, Jorge

2018-01-01

The use of an azine-linked covalent organic framework (ACOF-1) as filler in mixed-matrix membranes (MMMs) has been studied for the separation of CO2 from N2. To better understand the mechanisms that govern separation in complex composites, MMMs were prepared with different loadings of ACOF-1 and

PT-symmetry management in oligomer systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horne, R L; Cuevas, J; Kevrekidis, P G; Whitaker, N; Abdullaev, F Kh; Frantzeskakis, D J

2013-01-01

We study the effects of management of the PT-symmetric part of the potential within the setting of Schrödinger dimer and trimer oligomer systems. This is done by rapidly modulating in time the gain/loss profile. This gives rise to a number of interesting properties of the system, which are explored at the level of an averaged equation approach. Remarkably, this rapid modulation provides for a controllable expansion of the region of exact PT-symmetry, depending on the strength and frequency of the imposed modulation. The resulting averaged models are analysed theoretically and their exact stationary solutions are translated into time-periodic solutions through the averaging reduction. These are, in turn, compared with the exact periodic solutions of the full non-autonomous PT-symmetry managed problem and very good agreement is found between the two. (paper)

Redox regulation of the MED28 and MED32 mediator subunits is important for development and senescence.

Science.gov (United States)

Shaikhali, Jehad; Davoine, Céline; Björklund, Stefan; Wingsle, Gunnar

2016-05-01

Mediator is a conserved multi-protein complex that acts as a bridge between promoter-bound transcriptional regulators and RNA polymerase II. While redox signaling is important in adjusting plant metabolism and development, the involvement of Mediator in redox homeostasis and regulation only recently started to emerge. Our previous results show that the MED10a, MED28, and MED32 Mediator subunits form various types of covalent oligomers linked by intermolecular disulfide bonds in vitro. To link that with biological significance we have characterized Arabidopsis med32 and med28 mutants and found that they are affected in root development and senescence, phenotypes possibly associated to redox changes.

Detection of aniline oligomers on polyaniline-gold interface using resonance Raman scattering.

Science.gov (United States)

Trchová, Miroslava; Morávková, Zuzana; Dybal, Jiří; Stejskal, Jaroslav

2014-01-22

In situ deposited conducting polyaniline films prepared by the oxidation of aniline with ammonium peroxydisulfate in aqueous media of various acidities on gold and silicon supports were characterized by Raman spectroscopy. Enhanced Raman bands were found in the spectra of polyaniline films produced in the solutions of weak acids or in water on gold surface. These bands were weak for the films prepared in solutions of a strong acid on a gold support. The same bands are present in the Raman spectra of the reaction intermediates deposited during aniline oxidation in water or aqueous solutions of weak or strong acids on silicon removed from the reaction mixture at the beginning of the reaction. Such films are formed by aniline oligomers adsorbed on the surface. They were detected on the polyaniline-gold interface using resonance Raman scattering on the final films deposited on gold. The surface resonance Raman spectroscopy of the monolayer of oligomers found in the bulk polyaniline film makes this method advantageous in surface science, with many applications in electrochemistry, catalysis, and biophysical, polymer, or analytical chemistry.

A sensitive and selective electrochemical biosensor for the determination of beta-amyloid oligomer by inhibiting the peptide-triggered in situ assembly of silver nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Xing Y

2017-04-01

Full Text Available Yun Xing,1,2 Xiao-Zhen Feng,2 Lipeng Zhang,1 Jiating Hou,2 Guo-Cheng Han,2 Zhencheng Chen2 1Henan Province of Key Laboratory of New Optoelectronic Functional Materials, College of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Anyang Normal University, Anyang, 2School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Guilin University of Electronic Technology, Guilin, Guangxi, People’s Republic of China Abstract: Soluble beta-amyloid (Aβ oligomer is believed to be the most important toxic species in the brain of Alzheimer’s disease (AD patients. Thus, it is critical to develop a simple method for the selective detection of Aβ oligomer with low cost and high sensitivity. In this paper, we report an electrochemical method for the detection of Aβ oligomer with a peptide as the bioreceptor and silver nanoparticle (AgNP aggregates as the redox reporters. This strategy is based on the conversion of AgNP-based colorimetric assay into electrochemical analysis. Specifically, the peptide immobilized on the electrode surface and presented in solution triggered together the in situ formation of AgNP aggregates, which produced a well-defined electrochemical signal. However, the specific binding of Aβ oligomer to the immobilized peptide prevented the in situ assembly of AgNPs. As a result, a poor electrochemical signal was observed. The detection limit of the method was found to be 6 pM. Furthermore, the amenability of this method for the analysis of Aβ oligomer in serum and artificial cerebrospinal fluid (aCSF samples was demonstrated. Keywords: electrochemical biosensors, Alzheimer’s disease, beta-amyloid oligomer, peptide, silver nanoparticles

The covalent effect on the energy levels of d3 ions in tetragonal compounds

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li, Dong-Yang; Du, Mao-Lu

2015-01-01

For d 3 ions in covalent compounds with tetragonal symmetry, this paper presents a complete energy matrix, in which the different covalence of t 2 and e orbitals is considered not only in the electrostatic repulsions part of energy matrix elements but also in the crystal-field potential part of energy matrix elements. With taking and no taking the crystal field parameter B 00 0 into account, the effect of covalence on the energy levels of d 3 ions system were investigated, respectively. The investigation shows that it is very necessary for considering the different covalence of t 2 and e orbitals in both electrostatic repulsions part and crystal-field potential part when the optical properties of d 3 ions in strong covalent compounds with tetragonal symmetry is investigated. On the other hand, the crystal field parameter B 00 0 has a significant effect on the energy levels, and should be considered in investigations of d 3 ions in strong covalent compounds with tetragonal symmetry. Application to calculating the energy levels for Co 2+ in CdGa 2 Se 4 , the calculated results are in agreement with the experiment data

Interdependence of the kinetics of NTP hydrolysis and the stability of the RecA-ssDNA complex.

Science.gov (United States)

Katz, F S; Bryant, F R

2001-09-18

The ssDNA-dependent NTP hydrolysis activity of the RecA protein was examined using a series of dTn oligomers ranging in size from dT10 to dT2000 as the ssDNA effector. There were three distinct manifestations of the dTn-dependent NTP hydrolysis reaction, depending on the length of the dTn effector that was used. With longer dTn oligomers, NTP hydrolysis occurred with a turnover number of 20-25 min(-1) and the observed S0.5 value for the NTP was independent of the concentration of the dTn oligomer (DNA concentration-independent hydrolysis). With dTn oligomers of intermediate length, NTP hydrolysis still occurred with a turnover number of 20-25 min(-1), but the observed S0.5 for the NTP decreased with increasing dTn concentration until reaching a value similar to that obtained with the longer dTn oligomers (DNA concentration-dependent hydrolysis). With shorter dTn oligomers, the NTP hydrolysis activity was effectively eliminated. Although this general progression of kinetic behavior was observed for the three structurally related NTPs (dATP, ATP, and GTP), the dTn oligomer length at which DNA concentration-independent, DNA concentration-dependent, and no NTP hydrolysis was observed depended on the NTP being considered. For example, dATP (S0.5 = 35 microM) was hydrolyzed in the presence of dT20, whereas ATP (S0.5 = 70 microM) and GTP (S0.5 = 1200 microM) required at least dT50 and dT200 for hydrolysis, respectively. These results are discussed in terms of a kinetic model in which the stability of the RecA-ssDNA-NTP complex is dependent on the intrinsic S0.5 value of the NTP being hydrolyzed.

KARAKTERISASI ENZIM KITOSANASE DAR] ISOLAT BAKTERI KPU 2123 DAN APLIKASINYA UNTUK PRODUKS1 OLIGOMER KITOSAN

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yusro Nuri Fawzya

2009-06-01

Full Text Available Penelitian ini merupakan sebagian dari rangkaian penelitian mengenai eksplorasi enzim kitinolitik dari mikroba lingkungan laut, khususnya dari limbah udang. Tujuan penelitian ini adalah untuk mengidentifikasi isolat bakteri KPU 2123 dari limbah udang, mengkarakterisasi dan mengaplikasikan enzim kitosanase yang dihasilkan oleh bakteri tersebut untuk produksi oligomer kitosan dan menguji bioaktivitas oligomer kitosan tersebut sebagai antitumor dan antibakteri. Karakterisasi enzim dilakukan dengan menguji aktivitas enzim pada berbagai suhu dan pH. Selain itu juga ditentukan besarnya aktivitas yang tersisa setelah enzim diinkubasi pada suhu dan lama waktu tertentu. Pengaruh ion logam terhadap aktivitas enzim juga dilihat dengan mereaksikan enzim dengan 1 mM ion logam dalam bentuk larutan khlorida. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa berdasarkan analisis gen 16S-rRNA, isolat bakteri KPU 2123 memiliki kemiripan 95% dengan Stanotrophomonas maltophilia. Enzim kitosanase dari isolat ini bekerja optimal pada suhu 50 ºC dan pH 6. Enzim ini cukup stabil pada suhu 37 ºC selama 120 menit. Penambahan ion logam berpengaruh terhadap aktivitas enzim. Ion logam Zn²+ (sebagai garam klorida 1 mM menghambat 100% aktivitas enzim tersebut. Penggunaan enzim kitosanase dalam menghidrolisis substrat kitosan, menghasilkan oligomer kitosan yang mengandung tetramer, pentamer dan heksamer Oligor kitosan tersebut mampu menghambat pertumbuhan bakteri Staphylococcus aureus sebesar 10,06% dan dapat menyebabkan kematian sel HeLa dengan LC50 pada dosis 120 ppm.

Electrospun complexes - functionalised nanofibres

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, T.; Wolf, M.; Dreyer, B.; Unruh, D.; Krüger, C.; Menze, M. [Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (Germany); Sindelar, R. [University of Applied Science Hannover, Faculty II (Germany); Klingelhöfer, G. [Gutenberg-University, Institute of Inorganic and Analytic Chemistry (Germany); Renz, F., E-mail: renz@acd.uni-hannover.de [Leibniz University Hannover, Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (Germany)

2016-12-15

Here we present a new approach of using iron-complexes in electro-spun fibres. We modify poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) by replacing the methoxy group with Diaminopropane or Ethylenediamine. The complex is bound covalently via an imine-bridge or an amide. The resulting polymer can be used in the electrospinning process without any further modifications in method either as pure reagent or mixed with small amounts of not functionalised polymer resulting in fibres of different qualities (Fig. 1).

Extension of Light-Harvesting Ability of Photosynthetic Light-Harvesting Complex 2 (LH2) through Ultrafast Energy Transfer from Covalently Attached Artificial Chromophores.

Science.gov (United States)

Yoneda, Yusuke; Noji, Tomoyasu; Katayama, Tetsuro; Mizutani, Naoto; Komori, Daisuke; Nango, Mamoru; Miyasaka, Hiroshi; Itoh, Shigeru; Nagasawa, Yutaka; Dewa, Takehisa

2015-10-14

Introducing appropriate artificial components into natural biological systems could enrich the original functionality. To expand the available wavelength range of photosynthetic bacterial light-harvesting complex 2 (LH2 from Rhodopseudomonas acidophila 10050), artificial fluorescent dye (Alexa Fluor 647: A647) was covalently attached to N- and C-terminal Lys residues in LH2 α-polypeptides with a molar ratio of A647/LH2 ≃ 9/1. Fluorescence and transient absorption spectroscopies revealed that intracomplex energy transfer from A647 to intrinsic chromophores of LH2 (B850) occurs in a multiexponential manner, with time constants varying from 440 fs to 23 ps through direct and B800-mediated indirect pathways. Kinetic analyses suggested that B800 chromophores mediate faster energy transfer, and the mechanism was interpretable in terms of Förster theory. This study demonstrates that a simple attachment of external chromophores with a flexible linkage can enhance the light harvesting activity of LH2 without affecting inherent functions of energy transfer, and can achieve energy transfer in the subpicosecond range. Addition of external chromophores, thus, represents a useful methodology for construction of advanced hybrid light-harvesting systems that afford solar energy in the broad spectrum.

Covalent biofunctionalization of silicon nitride surfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Arafat, A.; Giesbers, M.; Rosso, M.; Sudhölter, E.J.R.; Schroën, C.G.P.H.; White, R.G.; Li Yang,; Linford, M.R.; Zuilhof, H.

2007-01-01

Covalently attached organic monolayers on etched silicon nitride (SixN4; x 3) surfaces were prepared by reaction of SixN4-coated wafers with neat or solutions of 1-alkenes and 1-alkynes in refluxing mesitylene. The surface modification was monitored by measurement of the static water contact angle,

Simulations of absorption spectra of conjugated oligomers: role of planar conformation and aggregation in condensed phase

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Xiang-Ai; Wen, Jin; Zheng, Dong; Ma, Jing

2018-04-01

This Review highlights the structure/property relationship underlying the morphology modulation through various factors towards the exploration of light-absorbing materials for efficient utilisation of solar power. Theoretical study using a combination of molecular dynamics imulations and the time-dependent density functional theory demonstrated that the planarity plays an important role in tuning spectral properties of oligomer aggregates. The aggregation-induced blue-shift in absorption spectra of oligothiophenes and the red-shift for oligofluorenols were rationalised in a unified way from the reduced (and increased) content of planar conformations in molecular aggregates. The planarity versus non-planarity of oligomers can be modulated by introduction of alkyl side chain or steric bulky substituents. The substitution with various groups in the ortho-position of azobenzene leads to the distorted backbone, breaking symmetry, and hence the red-shift in spectra, expanding the application in biological systems with visible light absorption. The donor-acceptor substituent groups in conjugated oligomers can increase the degree of planarity, electron delocalisation and polarisation, and charge separation, giving rise to the red-shift in spectra and enhancement in polarisability and charge mobility for device applications. The solvent dependent and pH-sensitive properties and intramolecular hydrogen bonds also caused the shift of absorption spectra with the appearance of planar conformers.

Polymerization of methyl methacrylate by diphenylamido bis (methylcyclopentadienyl) ytterbium complex

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

WANG, Yao-Rong(王耀荣); SHEN, Qi(沈琪); MA, Jia-Le(马家乐); ZHAO, Qun(赵群)

2000-01-01

Methyl methacrylate (MMA) was effectively polymerized by diphenylamido bis(methyicyclopentadienyl) ytterbium complex (MeCp)2YbNPh2(THF). Tne reaction can be carried out over a range of polymerization temperature from - 40℃ to 40℃ and gives the polyMMA with high molecular weights.The initiation mechanism was demonstrated by diphenylamidoterminated methyl methacrylate oligomer.

Covalent-ionically cross-linked polyetheretherketone proton exchange membrane for direct methanol fuel cell

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Luo, H

2010-08-01

Full Text Available cross-linked PEEK-WC membrane, this covalent-ionically cross-linked PEEK-WC membrane exhibits extremely reduced water uptake and methanol permeability, but just slightly sacrificed proton conductivity. The proton conductivity of the covalent...

Covalent attachment of pyridine-type molecules to glassy carbon surfaces by electrochemical reduction of in situ generated diazonium salts. Formation of ruthenium complexes on ligand-modified surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yesildag, Ali [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Atatuerk University, 25240 Erzurum (Turkey); Ekinci, Duygu, E-mail: dekin@atauni.edu.t [Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Sciences, Atatuerk University, 25240 Erzurum (Turkey)

2010-09-30

In this study, pyridine, quinoline and phenanthroline molecules were covalently bonded to glassy carbon (GC) electrode surfaces for the first time using the diazonium modification method. Then, the complexation ability of the modified films with ruthenium metal cations was investigated. The derivatization of GC surfaces with heteroaromatic molecules was achieved by electrochemical reduction of the corresponding in situ generated diazonium salts. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to confirm the attachment of heteroaromatic molecules to the GC surfaces and to determine the surface concentration of the films. The barrier properties of the modified GC electrodes were studied in the presence of redox probes such as Fe(CN){sub 6}{sup 3-} and Ru(NH{sub 3}){sub 6}{sup 3+} by cyclic voltammetry. Additionally, the presence of the resulting organometallic films on the surfaces was verified by XPS after the chemical transformation of the characterized ligand films to the ruthenium complex films. The electrochemical behavior of these films in acetonitrile solution was investigated using voltammetric methods, and the surface coverage of the organometallic films was determined from the reversible metal-based Ru(II)/Ru(III) oxidation waves.

共价键的离子化%Ionization of Covalent Bond

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

王稼国; 荆西平

2017-01-01

本文用化学键理论分析和推导了共价键离子化的几种方式,包括金属和非金属单质中共价键的诱导离子化、化合物中共价键的降温和自诱导离子化以及含氢化合物和金属化合物的诱导离子化.从能量角度分析了离子化趋势的规律性,并且讨论了共价键的离子化的一些重要应用.%Several ionization patterns of covalent bond,including induced-ionization of covalent bond in metals and nonmetals,induced-ionization of covalent bond in hydrogen compounds and metal compounds,lowering temperature and self-induced ionization of compound,and so on,were dedueed and analyzed by using chemical bond theory.The trend of ionization was also analyzed on energy changing and several important applications of the ionization of covalent bond were discussed.

Increased Protein Structural Resolution from Diethylpyrocarbonate-based Covalent Labeling and Mass Spectrometric Detection

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Yuping; Vachet, Richard W.

2012-04-01

Covalent labeling and mass spectrometry are seeing increased use together as a way to obtain insight into the 3-dimensional structure of proteins and protein complexes. Several amino acid specific (e.g., diethylpyrocarbonate) and non-specific (e.g., hydroxyl radicals) labeling reagents are available for this purpose. Diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) is a promising labeling reagent because it can potentially probe up to 30% of the residues in the average protein and gives only one reaction product, thereby facilitating mass spectrometric analysis. It was recently reported, though, that DEPC modifications are labile for some amino acids. Here, we show that label loss is more significant and widespread than previously thought, especially for Ser, Thr, Tyr, and His residues, when relatively long protein digestion times are used. Such label loss ultimately decreases the amount of protein structural information that is obtainable with this reagent. We find, however, that the number of DEPC modified residues and, thus, protein structural information, can be significantly increased by decreasing the time between the covalent labeling reaction and the mass spectrometric analysis. This is most effectively accomplished using short (e.g., 2 h) proteolytic digestions with enzymes such as immobilized chymotrypsin or Glu-C rather than using methods (e.g., microwave or ultrasonic irradiation) that accelerate proteolysis in other ways. Using short digestion times, we show that the percentage of solvent accessible residues that can be modified by DEPC increases from 44% to 67% for cytochrome c, 35% to 81% for myoglobin, and 76% to 95% for β-2-microglobulin. In effect, these increased numbers of modified residues improve the protein structural resolution available from this covalent labeling method. Compared with typical overnight digestion conditions, the short digestion times decrease the average distance between modified residues from 11 to 7 Å for myoglobin, 13 to 10 Å for

Synthetic oligomer analysis using atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry at different photon energies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Desmazières, Bernard; Legros, Véronique; Giuliani, Alexandre; Buchmann, William

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: Atmospheric pressure photoIonization mass spectra of synthetic oligomers were recorded in the negative mode by varying the photon energy using synchrotron radiation. Photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to ionization potential of the solvent (for example 9.4 eV for tetrahydrofuran). -- Highlights: •Atmospheric pressure photoionization was performed using synchrotron radiation. •Photoionization of oligomers in THF with 10% CH 2 Cl 2 produces intact [M + Cl] − ions. •The photon energy required corresponds to ionization potential of the solvent. •Polymer distributions depend on source parameters such T °C and applied voltages. •Liquid chromatography was coupled to MS using an APPI interface for polymer analysis. -- Abstract: Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) followed by mass spectrometric detection was used to ionize a variety of polymers: polyethylene glycol, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, and polysiloxane. In most cases, whatever the polymer or the solvent used (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, acetone or toluene), only negative ion mode produced intact ions such as chlorinated adducts, with no or few fragmentations, in contrast to the positive ion mode that frequently led to important in-source fragmentations. In addition, it was shown that optimal detection of polymer distributions require a fine tuning of other source parameters such as temperature and ion transfer voltage. Series of mass spectra were recorded in the negative mode, in various solvents (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, toluene, and acetone), by varying the photon energy from 8 eV up to 10.6 eV using synchrotron radiation. To these solvents, addition of a classical APPI dopant (toluene or acetone) was not necessary. Courtesy of the synchrotron radiation, it was demonstrated that the photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to the ionization energy

Synthetic oligomer analysis using atmospheric pressure photoionization mass spectrometry at different photon energies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Desmazières, Bernard [Global Bioenergies, 5 rue Henri Desbruyeres, 91030 Evry (France); Legros, Véronique [CNRS, UMR8587, Université d’Evry-Val-d’Essonne, Laboratoire Analyse et Modélisation pour la Biologie et l’Environnement, F-91025 Evry (France); Giuliani, Alexandre [Synchrotron SOLEIL, L’Orme des Merisiers, Saint-Aubin, 91192 Gif-sur-Yvette (France); UAR1008, CEPIA, INRA, Rue de la Geraudiere, F-44316 Nantes (France); Buchmann, William, E-mail: william.buchmann@univ-evry.fr [CNRS, UMR8587, Université d’Evry-Val-d’Essonne, Laboratoire Analyse et Modélisation pour la Biologie et l’Environnement, F-91025 Evry (France)

2014-01-15

Graphical abstract: Atmospheric pressure photoIonization mass spectra of synthetic oligomers were recorded in the negative mode by varying the photon energy using synchrotron radiation. Photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to ionization potential of the solvent (for example 9.4 eV for tetrahydrofuran). -- Highlights: •Atmospheric pressure photoionization was performed using synchrotron radiation. •Photoionization of oligomers in THF with 10% CH{sub 2}Cl{sub 2} produces intact [M + Cl]{sup −} ions. •The photon energy required corresponds to ionization potential of the solvent. •Polymer distributions depend on source parameters such T °C and applied voltages. •Liquid chromatography was coupled to MS using an APPI interface for polymer analysis. -- Abstract: Atmospheric pressure photoionization (APPI) followed by mass spectrometric detection was used to ionize a variety of polymers: polyethylene glycol, polymethyl methacrylate, polystyrene, and polysiloxane. In most cases, whatever the polymer or the solvent used (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, acetone or toluene), only negative ion mode produced intact ions such as chlorinated adducts, with no or few fragmentations, in contrast to the positive ion mode that frequently led to important in-source fragmentations. In addition, it was shown that optimal detection of polymer distributions require a fine tuning of other source parameters such as temperature and ion transfer voltage. Series of mass spectra were recorded in the negative mode, in various solvents (dichloromethane, tetrahydrofuran, hexane, toluene, and acetone), by varying the photon energy from 8 eV up to 10.6 eV using synchrotron radiation. To these solvents, addition of a classical APPI dopant (toluene or acetone) was not necessary. Courtesy of the synchrotron radiation, it was demonstrated that the photon energy required for an efficient ionization of the polymer was correlated to the

Structure-based characterization of multiprotein complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wiederstein, Markus; Gruber, Markus; Frank, Karl; Melo, Francisco; Sippl, Manfred J

2014-07-08

Multiprotein complexes govern virtually all cellular processes. Their 3D structures provide important clues to their biological roles, especially through structural correlations among protein molecules and complexes. The detection of such correlations generally requires comprehensive searches in databases of known protein structures by means of appropriate structure-matching techniques. Here, we present a high-speed structure search engine capable of instantly matching large protein oligomers against the complete and up-to-date database of biologically functional assemblies of protein molecules. We use this tool to reveal unseen structural correlations on the level of protein quaternary structure and demonstrate its general usefulness for efficiently exploring complex structural relationships among known protein assemblies. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Macrophage triggering by aggregated immunoglobulins. II. Comparison of IgE and IgG aggregates or immune complexes.

Science.gov (United States)

Pestel, J; Dessaint, J P; Joseph, M; Bazin, H; Capron, A

1984-01-01

Macrophages incubated with complexed or aggregated IgE released beta-glucuronidase (beta-G) within 30 min. In contrast in the presence of aggregated or complexed IgG, macrophages liberated equivalent amount of beta-G only after 6 h incubation. In addition the rapid macrophage stimulation induced by aggregated IgE was also followed by a faster 3H-glucosamine incorporation when compared to the delayed activation caused by aggregated IgG. However, macrophages stimulated either by IgG or by IgE oligomers produced the same percentage of plasminogen activator at 24 h. In contrast, while the interaction between macrophages and aggregated IgE was only followed by a peak of cyclic GMP and a beta-G release during the first 30 min of incubation, the interaction between macrophages and IgG oligomers was accompanied by a simultaneous increase of cyclic GMP and AMP nucleotides and by an absence of beta-G exocytosis. Moreover, the beta-G release induced by aggregated IgE was increased when macrophages were preincubated with aggregated IgG. This additive effect was not observed in the reverse situation. Finally macrophages activated by IgG oligomers were demonstrated to exert a cytotoxic effect on tumour cells and to kill schistosomula in the presence of a low level of complement. Taken together these results underline the peculiar ability of aggregated or complexed IgE to trigger rapidly the macrophage activation compared to aggregated IgG and can explain the important role of complexed IgE in some macrophage dependent cytotoxicity mechanisms (i.e. in parasitic diseases). PMID:6088135

Carbonization of aniline oligomers to electrically polarizable particles and their use in electrorheology

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Plachý, T.; Sedlačík, M.; Pavlínek, V.; Trchová, Miroslava; Morávková, Zuzana; Stejskal, Jaroslav

2014-01-01

Roč. 256, 15 November (2014), s. 398-406 ISSN 1385-8947 R&D Projects: GA ČR GAP205/12/0911; GA ČR(CZ) GA13-08944S Institutional support: RVO:61389013 Keywords : aniline * aniline oligomers * carbonization Subject RIV: CD - Macromolecular Chemistry Impact factor: 4.321, year: 2014

Tetrafullerene conjugates for all-organic photovoltaics

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fernández, G.; Sánchez, L.; Veldman, D.; Wienk, M.M.; Atienza, C.M.; Guldi, D.M.; Janssen, R.A.J.; Martin, N.

2008-01-01

The synthesis of two new tetrafullerene nanoconjugates in which four C60 units are covalently connected through different -conjugated oligomers (oligo(p-phenylene ethynylene) and oligo(p-phenylene vinylene)) is described. The photovoltaic (PV) response of these C60-based conjugates was evaluated by

Predominantly ligand guided non-covalently linked assemblies of ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

JUBARAJ B BARUAH

2018-05-12

May 12, 2018 ... Abstract. Various non-covalently linked inorganic self-assemblies formed by the supramolecular interacting .... metal-organic frameworks.59 Inorganic chemists rou- ...... two-dimensional organic–inorganic layered perovskite.

Intracerebroventricular Administration of Amyloid β-protein Oligomers Selectively Increases Dorsal Hippocampal Dialysate Glutamate Levels in the Awake Rat

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sean D. O’Shea

2008-11-01

Full Text Available Extensive evidence supports an important role for soluble oligomers of the amyloid β-protein (Aβ in Alzheimer’s Disease pathogenesis. In the present study we combined intracerebroventricular (icv injections with brain microdialysis technology in the fully conscious rat to assess the effects of icv administered SDS-stable low-n Aβ oligomers (principally dimers and trimers on excitatory and inhibitory amino acid transmission in the ipsilateral dorsal hippocampus. Microdialysis was employed to assess the effect of icv administration of Aβ monomers and Aβ oligomers on dialysate glutamate, aspartate and GABA levels in the dorsal hippocampus. Administration of Aβ oligomers was associated with a +183% increase (p<0.0001 vs. Aβ monomer-injected control in dorsal hippocampal glutamate levels which was still increasing at the end of the experiment (260 min, whereas aspartate and GABA levels were unaffected throughout. These findings demonstrate that icv administration and microdialysis technology can be successfully combined in the awake rat and suggests that altered dorsal hippocampal glutamate transmission may be a useful target for pharmacological intervention in Alzheimer’s Disease.

Binding matter with antimatter: the covalent positron bond.

Science.gov (United States)

Charry, Jorge Alfonso; Varella, Marcio T Do N; Reyes, Andrés

2018-05-16

We report sufficient theoretical evidence of the energy stability of the e⁺H₂²⁻ molecule, formed by two H⁻ anions and one positron. Analysis of the electronic and positronic densities of the latter compound undoubtedly points out the formation of a positronic covalent bond between the otherwise repelling hydride anions. The lower limit for the bonding energy of the e⁺H₂²⁻ molecule is 74 kJ/mol (0.77 eV), accounting for the zero-point vibrational correction. The formation of a non electronic covalent bond is fundamentally distinct from positron attachment to stable molecules, as the latter process is characterized by a positron affinity, analogous to the electron affinity. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Design, synthesis, and characterization of biomimetic oligomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Laursen, Jonas Striegler

a helical arrangement found by DFT calculations. The designed oligomer indeed proved the existence of a ß-peptoid helical conformation by X-ray. Further studies of these compounds indicated a structured display in solution. These helices thus definitively show that the ß-peptoids should be considered......Peptides and proteins made from the 20 canonical amino acids are responsible for many processes necessary for organisms to function. Beside their composition, proteins obtain their activity and unique selectivity through an ability to display functionalities accurately in the three......, for their ability to mimic the structural elements seen in proteins. Two prominent peptidomimetics are ß-peptides and a-peptoids (N-alkylglycines), which have been shown to fold into helical and sheet-like arrangements. To expand the chemical space available for mimicking protein structure their features have been...

Shaking alone induces de novo conversion of recombinant prion proteins to β-sheet rich oligomers and fibrils.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carol L Ladner-Keay

Full Text Available The formation of β-sheet rich prion oligomers and fibrils from native prion protein (PrP is thought to be a key step in the development of prion diseases. Many methods are available to convert recombinant prion protein into β-sheet rich fibrils using various chemical denaturants (urea, SDS, GdnHCl, high temperature, phospholipids, or mildly acidic conditions (pH 4. Many of these methods also require shaking or another form of agitation to complete the conversion process. We have identified that shaking alone causes the conversion of recombinant PrP to β-sheet rich oligomers and fibrils at near physiological pH (pH 5.5 to pH 6.2 and temperature. This conversion does not require any denaturant, detergent, or any other chemical cofactor. Interestingly, this conversion does not occur when the water-air interface is eliminated in the shaken sample. We have analyzed shaking-induced conversion using circular dichroism, resolution enhanced native acidic gel electrophoresis (RENAGE, electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thioflavin T fluorescence and proteinase K resistance. Our results show that shaking causes the formation of β-sheet rich oligomers with a population distribution ranging from octamers to dodecamers and that further shaking causes a transition to β-sheet fibrils. In addition, we show that shaking-induced conversion occurs for a wide range of full-length and truncated constructs of mouse, hamster and cervid prion proteins. We propose that this method of conversion provides a robust, reproducible and easily accessible model for scrapie-like amyloid formation, allowing the generation of milligram quantities of physiologically stable β-sheet rich oligomers and fibrils. These results may also have interesting implications regarding our understanding of prion conversion and propagation both within the brain and via techniques such as protein misfolding cyclic amplification (PMCA and quaking induced conversion (QuIC.

Covalent modification of graphene and graphite using diazonium chemistry: tunable grafting and nanomanipulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Greenwood, John; Phan, Thanh Hai; Fujita, Yasuhiko; Li, Zhi; Ivasenko, Oleksandr; Vanderlinden, Willem; Van Gorp, Hans; Frederickx, Wout; Lu, Gang; Tahara, Kazukuni; Tobe, Yoshito; Uji-I, Hiroshi; Mertens, Stijn F L; De Feyter, Steven

2015-05-26

We shine light on the covalent modification of graphite and graphene substrates using diazonium chemistry under ambient conditions. We report on the nature of the chemical modification of these graphitic substrates, the relation between molecular structure and film morphology, and the impact of the covalent modification on the properties of the substrates, as revealed by local microscopy and spectroscopy techniques and electrochemistry. By careful selection of the reagents and optimizing reaction conditions, a high density of covalently grafted molecules is obtained, a result that is demonstrated in an unprecedented way by scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) under ambient conditions. With nanomanipulation, i.e., nanoshaving using STM, surface structuring and functionalization at the nanoscale is achieved. This manipulation leads to the removal of the covalently anchored molecules, regenerating pristine sp(2) hybridized graphene or graphite patches, as proven by space-resolved Raman microscopy and molecular self-assembly studies.

An Open-Circuit Voltage and Power Conversion Efficiency Study of Fullerene Ternary Organic Solar Cells Based on Oligomer/Oligomer and Oligomer/Polymer.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Guichuan; Zhou, Cheng; Sun, Chen; Jia, Xiaoe; Xu, Baomin; Ying, Lei; Huang, Fei; Cao, Yong

2017-07-01

Variations in the open-circuit voltage (V oc ) of ternary organic solar cells are systematically investigated. The initial study of these devices consists of two electron-donating oligomers, S2 (two units) and S7 (seven units), and the electron-accepting [6,6]-phenyl C71 butyric acid methyl ester (PC 71 BM) and reveals that the V oc is continuously tunable due to the changing energy of the charge transfer state (E ct ) of the active layers. Further investigation suggests that V oc is also continuously tunable upon change in E ct in a ternary blend system that consists of S2 and its corresponding polymer (P11):PC 71 BM. It is interesting to note that higher power conversion efficiencies can be obtained for both S2:S7:PC 71 BM and S2:P11:PC 71 BM ternary systems compared with their binary systems, which can be ascribed to an improved V oc due to the higher E ct and an improved fill factor due to the improved film morphology upon the incorporation of S2. These findings provide a new guideline for the future design of conjugated polymers for achieving higher performance of ternary organic solar cells. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Building high-coverage monolayers of covalently bound magnetic nanoparticles

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Williams, Mackenzie G.; Teplyakov, Andrew V., E-mail: andrewt@udel.edu

2016-12-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • A method for forming a layer of covalently bound nanoparticles is offered. • A nearly perfect monolayer of covalently bound magnetic nanoparticles was formed on gold. • Spectroscopic techniques confirmed covalent binding by the “click” reaction. • The influence of the functionalization scheme on surface coverage was investigated. - Abstract: This work presents an approach for producing a high-coverage single monolayer of magnetic nanoparticles using “click chemistry” between complementarily functionalized nanoparticles and a flat substrate. This method highlights essential aspects of the functionalization scheme for substrate surface and nanoparticles to produce exceptionally high surface coverage without sacrificing selectivity or control over the layer produced. The deposition of one single layer of magnetic particles without agglomeration, over a large area, with a nearly 100% coverage is confirmed by electron microscopy. Spectroscopic techniques, supplemented by computational predictions, are used to interrogate the chemistry of the attachment and to confirm covalent binding, rather than attachment through self-assembly or weak van der Waals bonding. Density functional theory calculations for the surface intermediate of this copper-catalyzed process provide mechanistic insight into the effects of the functionalization scheme on surface coverage. Based on this analysis, it appears that steric limitations of the intermediate structure affect nanoparticle coverage on a flat solid substrate; however, this can be overcome by designing a functionalization scheme in such a way that the copper-based intermediate is formed on the spherical nanoparticles instead. This observation can be carried over to other approaches for creating highly controlled single- or multilayered nanostructures of a wide range of materials to result in high coverage and possibly, conformal filling.

Covalently bound molecular states in beryllium and carbon isotopes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wolfram von, Oertzen; Hans-Gerhard, Bohlen; Wolfram von, Oertzen

2003-01-01

Nuclear clustering in N=Z nuclei has been studied since many decades. States close to the decay thresholds, as described by the Ikeda diagram, are of particular interest. Recent studies in loosely bound systems, as observed with neutron-rich nuclei has revived the interest in cluster structures in nuclei, with additional valence neutrons, which give rise to pronounced covalent molecular structures. The Beryllium isotopes represent the first example of such unique states in nuclear physics with extreme deformations. In the deformed shell model these are referred to as super- and hyper-deformation. These states can be described explicitly by molecular concepts, with neutrons in covalent binding orbits. Examples of recent experiments performed at the HMI-Berlin demonstrating the molecular structure of the rotational bands in Beryllium isotopes are presented. Further work on chain states (nuclear polymers) in the carbon isotopes is in progress, these are the first examples of deformed structures in nuclei with an axis ratio of 3:1. A threshold diagram with clusters bound via neutrons in covalent molecular configurations can be established, which can serve as a guideline for future work. (authors)

ENVIRONMENTAL ENRICHMENT STRENGTHENS CORTICOCORTICAL INTERACTIONS AND REDUCES AMYLOID-β OLIGOMERS IN AGED MICE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco eMainardi

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Brain aging is characterized by global changes which are thought to underlie age-related cognitive decline. These include variations in brain activity and the progressive increase in the concentration of soluble amyloid-β (Aβ oligomers, directly impairing synaptic function and plasticity even in the absence of any neurodegenerative disorder. Considering the high social impact of the decline in brain performance associated to aging, there is an urgent need to better understand how it can be prevented or contrasted. Lifestyle components, such as social interaction, motor exercise and cognitive activity, are thought to modulate brain physiology and its susceptibility to age-related pathologies. However, the precise functional and molecular factors that respond to environmental stimuli and might mediate their protective action again pathological aging still need to be clearly identified. To address this issue, we exploited environmental enrichment (EE, a reliable model for studying the effect of experience on the brain based on the enhancement of cognitive, social and motor experience, in aged wild-type mice. We analyzed the functional consequences of EE on aged brain physiology by performing in vivo local field potential (LFP recordings with chronic implants. In addition, we also investigated changes induced by EE on molecular markers of neural plasticity and on the levels of soluble Aβ oligomers. We report that EE induced profound changes in the activity of the primary visual and auditory cortices and in their functional interaction. At the molecular level, EE enhanced plasticity by an upward shift of the cortical excitation/inhibition balance. In addition, EE reduced brain Aβ oligomers and increased synthesis of the Aβ-degrading enzyme neprilysin. Our findings strengthen the potential of EE procedures as a non-invasive paradigm for counteracting brain aging processes.

Tough Self-Healing Elastomers by Molecular Enforced Integration of Covalent and Reversible Networks.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Jinrong; Cai, Li-Heng; Weitz, David A

2017-10-01

Self-healing polymers crosslinked by solely reversible bonds are intrinsically weaker than common covalently crosslinked networks. Introducing covalent crosslinks into a reversible network would improve mechanical strength. It is challenging, however, to apply this concept to "dry" elastomers, largely because reversible crosslinks such as hydrogen bonds are often polar motifs, whereas covalent crosslinks are nonpolar motifs. These two types of bonds are intrinsically immiscible without cosolvents. Here, we design and fabricate a hybrid polymer network by crosslinking randomly branched polymers carrying motifs that can form both reversible hydrogen bonds and permanent covalent crosslinks. The randomly branched polymer links such two types of bonds and forces them to mix on the molecular level without cosolvents. This enables a hybrid "dry" elastomer that is very tough with fracture energy 13500 Jm -2 comparable to that of natural rubber. Moreover, the elastomer can self-heal at room temperature with a recovered tensile strength 4 MPa, which is 30% of its original value, yet comparable to the pristine strength of existing self-healing polymers. The concept of forcing covalent and reversible bonds to mix at molecular scale to create a homogenous network is quite general and should enable development of tough, self-healing polymers of practical usage. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Interpenetrating polymer networks based on cyanate ester and fluorinated ethynyl-terminated imide oligomers

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Y. Wen

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Highly soluble fluorinated ethynyl-terminated imide (FETI oligomers were prepared via a conventional one-step method in m-cresol, using 4, 4′-(hexafluoroisopropylidene diphthalic anhydride and 2, 2′-bis(trifluoromethyl benzidine as the monomers, and ethynylphthalic anhydride as the end-capper; then interpenetrating polymer networks (IPN were formulated from FETI oligomers and bisphenol A dicyanate ester (BADCy through a solvent-free procedure, and their thermal, mechanical, and dielectric properties were fully characterized. The curing mechanism was studied by model reactions using nitrogen nuclear magnetic resonance. As evidenced by differential scanning calorimetry analysis and rheological measurements, the FETI/BADCy blends exhibited lower curing temperature and shorter gelation time in comparison with pure BADCy due to the catalytic effects of ethynyl and residue amic acid groups. The properties of IPNs were fully compared with those of polycyanurate, and the results revealed that the incorporation of FETI into cyanate ester resins could significantly improve the toughness, glass transition temperatures, mechanical and dielectric properties of the resultant IPNs.

Amyloid β oligomers in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis, treatment, and diagnosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Viola, Kirsten L; Klein, William L

2015-02-01

Protein aggregation is common to dozens of diseases including prionoses, diabetes, Parkinson's and Alzheimer's. Over the past 15 years, there has been a paradigm shift in understanding the structural basis for these proteinopathies. Precedent for this shift has come from investigation of soluble Aβ oligomers (AβOs), toxins now widely regarded as instigating neuron damage leading to Alzheimer's dementia. Toxic AβOs accumulate in AD brain and constitute long-lived alternatives to the disease-defining Aβ fibrils deposited in amyloid plaques. Key experiments using fibril-free AβO solutions demonstrated that while Aβ is essential for memory loss, the fibrillar Aβ in amyloid deposits is not the agent. The AD-like cellular pathologies induced by AβOs suggest their impact provides a unifying mechanism for AD pathogenesis, explaining why early stage disease is specific for memory and accounting for major facets of AD neuropathology. Alternative ideas for triggering mechanisms are being actively investigated. Some research favors insertion of AβOs into membrane, while other evidence supports ligand-like accumulation at particular synapses. Over a dozen candidate toxin receptors have been proposed. AβO binding triggers a redistribution of critical synaptic proteins and induces hyperactivity in metabotropic and ionotropic glutamate receptors. This leads to Ca(2+) overload and instigates major facets of AD neuropathology, including tau hyperphosphorylation, insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and synapse loss. Because different species of AβOs have been identified, a remaining question is which oligomer is the major pathogenic culprit. The possibility has been raised that more than one species plays a role. Despite some key unknowns, the clinical relevance of AβOs has been established, and new studies are beginning to point to co-morbidities such as diabetes and hypercholesterolemia as etiological factors. Because pathogenic AβOs appear early in the disease, they

A nontoxic polypeptide oligomer with a fungicide potency under agricultural conditions which is equal or greater than that of their chemical counterparts.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sara Monteiro

Full Text Available There are literally hundreds of polypeptides described in the literature which exhibit fungicide activity. Tens of them have had attempted protection by patent applications but none, as far as we are aware, have found application under real agricultural conditions. The reasons behind may be multiple where the sensitivity to the Sun UV radiation can come in first place. Here we describe a multifunctional glyco-oligomer with 210 kDa which is mainly composed by a 20 kDa polypeptide termed Blad that has been previously shown to be a stable intermediary product of β-conglutin catabolism. This oligomer accumulates exclusively in the cotyledons of Lupinus species, between days 4 and 12 after the onset of germination. Blad-oligomer reveals a plethora of biochemical properties, like lectin and catalytic activities, which are not unusual per si, but are remarkable when found to coexist in the same protein molecule. With this vast range of chemical characteristics, antifungal activity arises almost as a natural consequence. The biological significance and potential technological applications of Blad-oligomer as a plant fungicide to agriculture, its uniqueness stems from being of polypeptidic in nature, and with efficacies which are either equal or greater than the top fungicides currently in the market are addressed.

Concentration-dependent oligomerization of cross-linked complexes between ferredoxin and ferredoxin–NADP+ reductase

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kimata-Ariga, Yoko; Kubota-Kawai, Hisako; Lee, Young-Ho; Muraki, Norifumi; Ikegami, Takahisa; Kurisu, Genji; Hase, Toshiharu

2013-01-01

Highlights: •Cross-linked complexes of ferredoxin (Fd) and Fd–NADP + reductase form oligomers. •In the crystal structures, Fd- and FNR moieties swap across the molecules. •The complexes exhibit concentration-dependent oligomerization at sub-milimolar order. -- Abstract: Ferredoxin–NADP + reductase (FNR) forms a 1:1 complex with ferredoxin (Fd), and catalyzes the electron transfer between Fd and NADP + . In our previous study, we prepared a series of site-specifically cross-linked complexes of Fd and FNR, which showed diverse electron transfer properties. Here, we show that X-ray crystal structures of the two different Fd–FNR cross-linked complexes form oligomers by swapping Fd and FNR moieties across the molecules; one complex is a dimer from, and the other is a successive multimeric form. In order to verify whether these oligomeric structures are formed only in crystal, we investigated the possibility of the oligomerization of these complexes in solution. The mean values of the particle size of these cross-linked complexes were shown to increase with the rise of protein concentration at sub-milimolar order, whereas the size of dissociable wild-type Fd:FNR complex was unchanged as analyzed by dynamic light scattering measurement. The oligomerization products were detected by SDS–PAGE after chemical cross-linking of these complexes at the sub-milimolar concentrations. The extent and concentration-dependent profile of the oligomerizaion were differentiated between the two cross-linked complexes. These results show that these Fd–FNR cross-linked complexes exhibit concentration-dependent oligomerization, possibly through swapping of Fd and FNR moieties also in solution. These findings lead to the possibility that some native multi-domain proteins may present similar phenomenon in vivo

Room-temperature synthesis of core-shell structured magnetic covalent organic frameworks for efficient enrichment of peptides and simultaneous exclusion of proteins.

Science.gov (United States)

Lin, Guo; Gao, Chaohong; Zheng, Qiong; Lei, Zhixian; Geng, Huijuan; Lin, Zian; Yang, Huanghao; Cai, Zongwei

2017-03-28

Core-shell structured magnetic covalent organic frameworks (Fe 3 O 4 @COFs) were synthesized via a facile approach at room temperature. Combining the advantages of high porosity, magnetic responsiveness, chemical stability and selectivity, Fe 3 O 4 @COFs can serve as an ideal absorbent for the highly efficient enrichment of peptides and the simultaneous exclusion of proteins from complex biological samples.

Preparation and Characterization of a Complex of Paeonol and ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

thermogravimetric/differential scanning calorimetry (TG/DSC). Results: The phase-solubility results showed that paeonol formed a 1:1 stoichiometric complex with. HP-β-CD while UV and IR spectra suggested that HP-β-CD and paeonol in the complex interacted by a non-covalent bond. SEM and XRD indicate that the heat ...

Modulation of hematopoietic progenitor cell fate in vitro by varying collagen oligomer matrix stiffness in the presence or absence of osteoblasts.

Science.gov (United States)

Chitteti, Brahmananda Reddy; Kacena, Melissa A; Voytik-Harbin, Sherry L; Srour, Edward F

2015-10-01

To recreate the in vivo hematopoietic cell microenvironment or niche and to study the impact of extracellular matrix (ECM) biophysical properties on hematopoietic progenitor cell (HPC) proliferation and function, mouse bone-marrow derived HPC (Lin-Sca1+cKit+/(LSK) were cultured within three-dimensional (3D) type I collagen oligomer matrices. To generate a more physiologic milieu, 3D cultures were established in both the presence and absence of calvariae-derived osteoblasts (OB). Collagen oligomers were polymerized at varying concentration to give rise to matrices of different fibril densities and therefore matrix stiffness (shear storage modulus, 50-800 Pa). Decreased proliferation and increased clonogenicity of LSK cells was associated with increase of matrix stiffness regardless of whether OB were present or absent from the 3D culture system. Also, regardless of whether OB were or were not added to the 3D co-culture system, LSK within 800 Pa collagen oligomer matrices maintained the highest percentage of Lin-Sca1+ cells as well as higher percentage of cells in quiescent state (G0/G1) compared to 50 Pa or 200Pa matrices. Collectively, these data illustrate that biophysical features of collagen oligomer matrices, specifically fibril density-induced modulation of matrix stiffness, provide important guidance cues in terms of LSK expansion and differentiation and therefore maintenance of progenitor cell function. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier B.V.

In vivo assessment of a novel dacron surface with covalently bound recombinant hirudin.

Science.gov (United States)

Wyers, M C; Phaneuf, M D; Rzucidlo, E M; Contreras, M A; LoGerfo, F W; Quist, W C

1999-01-01

Prosthetic arterial graft surfaces are relatively thrombogenic and fail to heal with a cellular neointima. The goal of this study was to characterize the in vivo antithrombin properties of a novel Dacron surface with covalently linked recombinant hirudin (rHir) implanted in a canine thoracic aorta with high flow and shear rates. rHir was bound to a knitted Dacron patch using crosslinker-modified bovine serum albumin (BSA) as a basecoat protein. BSA was first reacted with the heterobifunctional crosslinker, sulfo-SMCC. This BSA-SMCC complex was then bound to the carboxylic acid groups of hydrolyzed Dacron patches using the carbodiimide crosslinker, 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride. Iodinated, Traut's-modified rHir (125I-rHir-SH) was then reacted with the Dacron-BSA-SMCC surface, thereby covalently binding 125I-rHir. Graft segments were washed and sonicated to remove any nonspecifically bound 125I-rHir. Dacron-BSA-SMCC-S-125I-rHir patches (n = 5) and control Dacron-BSA patches (n = 5) were implanted in series in the thoracic aortas of canines. These patches were exposed to nonheparinized, arterial blood flow for 2 hours. Patches were explanted and assessed for 125I-rHir loss. Antithrombin activity of explanted 1-cm2 patch segments was evaluated using a chromogenic assay with 1, 5, 10, 15 units of added thrombin. Light microscopy was performed to qualitatively examine the pseudointima. Two animals were excluded from the study owing to excessive bleeding through the knitted 125I-rHir patch. Comparison of preoperative and postoperative 125I-rHir gamma counts revealed an overall decrease of 20+/-5.4% over the period studied. Explanted 125I-rHir patch segments were able to inhibit 1, 5, and 7 NIHU of thrombin, demonstrating retained antithrombin activity. Gross and microscopic examination of the control and test Dacron surfaces showed marked differences. Dacron surfaces with covalently bound 125I-rHir had no gross thrombus and a thin

Expression of enzymes in yeast for lignocellulose derived oligomer CBP

Science.gov (United States)

McBride, John E.; Wiswall, Erin; Shikhare, Indraneel; Xu, Haowen; Thorngren, Naomi; Hau, Heidi H.; Stonehouse, Emily

2017-08-29

The present invention provides a multi-component enzyme system that hydrolyzes hemicellulose oligomers from hardwood which can be expressed, for example, in yeast such as Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In some embodiments, this invention provides for the engineering of a series of biocatalysts combining the expression and secretion of components of this enzymatic system with robust, rapid xylose utilization, and ethanol fermentation under industrially relevant process conditions for consolidated bioprocessing. In some embodiments, the invention utilizes co-cultures of strains that can achieve significantly improved performance due to the incorporation of additional enzymes in the fermentation system.

Covalent Crosslinking of Porous Poly(Ionic Liquid) Membrane via a Triazine Network

OpenAIRE

Täuber, Karoline; Dani, Alessandro; Yuan, Jiayin

2017-01-01

Porous poly(ionic liquid) membranes that were prepared via electrostatic cross-linking were subsequently covalently cross-linked via formation of a 1,3,5-triazine network. The additional covalent cross-links do not affect the pore size and pore size distribution of the membranes and stabilize them towards salt solutions of high ionic strength, enabling the membranes to work in a broader environmental window.

Inorganic Materials as Supports for Covalent Enzyme Immobilization: Methods and Mechanisms

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Paolo Zucca

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Several inorganic materials are potentially suitable for enzymatic covalent immobilization, by means of several different techniques. Such materials must meet stringent criteria to be suitable as solid matrices: complete insolubility in water, reasonable mechanical strength and chemical resistance under the operational conditions, the capability to form manageable particles with high surface area, reactivity towards derivatizing/functionalizing agents. Non-specific protein adsorption should be always considered when planning covalent immobilization on inorganic solids. A huge mass of experimental work has shown that silica, silicates, borosilicates and aluminosilicates, alumina, titania, and other oxides, are the materials of choice when attempting enzyme immobilizations on inorganic supports. More recently, some forms of elemental carbon, silicon, and certain metals have been also proposed for certain applications. With regard to the derivatization/functionalization techniques, the use of organosilanes through silanization is undoubtedly the most studied and the most applied, although inorganic bridge formation and acylation with selected acyl halides have been deeply studied. In the present article, the most common inorganic supports for covalent immobilization of the enzymes are reviewed, with particular focus on their advantages and disadvantages in terms of enzyme loadings, operational stability, undesired adsorption, and costs. Mechanisms and methods for covalent immobilization are also discussed, focusing on the most widespread activating approaches (such as glutaraldehyde, cyanogen bromide, divinylsulfone, carbodiimides, carbonyldiimidazole, sulfonyl chlorides, chlorocarbonates, N-hydroxysuccinimides.

Investigation of Non-Covalent Interactions of Aflatoxins (B1, B2, G1, G2, and M1 with Serum Albumin

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Miklós Poór

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Aflatoxins are widely spread mycotoxins produced mainly by Aspergillus species. Consumption of aflatoxin-contaminated foods and drinks causes serious health risks for people worldwide. It is well-known that the reactive epoxide metabolite of aflatoxin B1 (AFB1 forms covalent adducts with serum albumin. However, non-covalent interactions of aflatoxins with human serum albumin (HSA are poorly characterized. Thus, in this study the complex formation of aflatoxins was examined with HSA applying spectroscopic and molecular modelling studies. Our results demonstrate that aflatoxins form stable complexes with HSA as reflected by binding constants between 2.1 × 104 and 4.5 × 104 dm3/mol. A binding free energy value of −26.90 kJ mol−1 suggests a spontaneous binding process between AFB1 and HSA at room-temperature, while the positive entropy change of 55.1 JK−1 mol−1 indicates a partial decomposition of the solvation shells of the interacting molecules. Modeling studies and investigations with site markers suggest that Sudlow’s Site I of subdomain IIA is the high affinity binding site of aflatoxins on HSA. Interaction of AFB1 with bovine, porcine, and rat serum albumins was also investigated. Similar stabilities of the examined AFB1-albumin complexes were observed suggesting the low species differences of the albumin-binding of aflatoxins.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

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.

Covalent and non-covalent curcumin loading in acid-responsive polymeric micellar nanocarriers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gao, Min; Chen, Chao; Fan, Aiping; Wang, Zheng; Zhao, Yanjun; Zhang, Ju; Kong, Deling

2015-01-01

Poor aqueous solubility, potential degradation, rapid metabolism and elimination lead to low bioavailability of pleiotropic impotent curcumin. Herein, we report two types of acid-responsive polymeric micelles where curcumin was encapsulated via both covalent and non-covalent modes for enhanced loading capacity and on-demand release. Biodegradable methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid) copolymer (mPEG-PLA) was conjugated with curcumin via a hydrazone linker, generating two conjugates differing in architecture (single-tail versus double-tail) and free curcumin was encapsulated therein. The two micelles exhibited similar hydrodynamic size at 95 ± 3 nm (single-tail) and 96 ± 3 nm (double-tail), but their loading capacities differed significantly at 15.0 ± 0.5% (w/w) (single-tail) and 4.8 ± 0.5% (w/w) (double-tail). Under acidic sink conditions (pH 5.0 and 6.0), curcumin displayed a faster release from the single-tail nanocarrier, which was correlated to a low IC_5_0 of 14.7 ± 1.6 (μg mL"−"1) compared to the value of double-tail micelle (24.9 ± 1.3 μg mL"−"1) in HeLa cells. The confocal imaging and flow cytometry analysis demonstrated a superior capability of single-tail micelle for intracellular curcumin delivery, which was a consequence of the higher loading capacity and lower degree of mPEG surface coverage. In conclusion, the dual loading mode is an effective means to increase the drug content in the micellar nanocarriers whose delivery efficiency is highly dependent on its polymer–drug conjugate architecture. This strategy offers an alternative nanoplatform for intracellularly delivering impotent hydrophobic agents (i.e. curcumin) in an efficient stimuli-triggered way, which is valuable for the enhancement of curcumin’s efficacy in managing a diverse range of disorders. (paper)

Covalent and non-covalent curcumin loading in acid-responsive polymeric micellar nanocarriers

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Min; Chen, Chao; Fan, Aiping; Zhang, Ju; Kong, Deling; Wang, Zheng; Zhao, Yanjun

2015-07-01

Poor aqueous solubility, potential degradation, rapid metabolism and elimination lead to low bioavailability of pleiotropic impotent curcumin. Herein, we report two types of acid-responsive polymeric micelles where curcumin was encapsulated via both covalent and non-covalent modes for enhanced loading capacity and on-demand release. Biodegradable methoxy poly(ethylene glycol)-poly(lactic acid) copolymer (mPEG-PLA) was conjugated with curcumin via a hydrazone linker, generating two conjugates differing in architecture (single-tail versus double-tail) and free curcumin was encapsulated therein. The two micelles exhibited similar hydrodynamic size at 95 ± 3 nm (single-tail) and 96 ± 3 nm (double-tail), but their loading capacities differed significantly at 15.0 ± 0.5% (w/w) (single-tail) and 4.8 ± 0.5% (w/w) (double-tail). Under acidic sink conditions (pH 5.0 and 6.0), curcumin displayed a faster release from the single-tail nanocarrier, which was correlated to a low IC50 of 14.7 ± 1.6 (μg mL-1) compared to the value of double-tail micelle (24.9 ± 1.3 μg mL-1) in HeLa cells. The confocal imaging and flow cytometry analysis demonstrated a superior capability of single-tail micelle for intracellular curcumin delivery, which was a consequence of the higher loading capacity and lower degree of mPEG surface coverage. In conclusion, the dual loading mode is an effective means to increase the drug content in the micellar nanocarriers whose delivery efficiency is highly dependent on its polymer-drug conjugate architecture. This strategy offers an alternative nanoplatform for intracellularly delivering impotent hydrophobic agents (i.e. curcumin) in an efficient stimuli-triggered way, which is valuable for the enhancement of curcumin’s efficacy in managing a diverse range of disorders.

Construction of covalently coupled, concatameric dimers of 7TM receptors

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Terpager, Marie; Scholl, D Jason; Kubale, Valentina

2009-01-01

-Ala repeats flanked by flexible spacers and positively charged residues to ensure correct inside-out orientation plus an extracellular HA-tag to construct covalently coupled dimers of 7TM receptors. Such 15 TM concatameric homo- and heterodimers of the beta(2)-adrenergic and the NK(1) receptors, which...... for either of the protomers, which was not observed upon simple coexpression of the two receptors. It is concluded that covalently joined 7TM receptor dimers with surprisingly normal receptor properties can be constructed with use of an artificial transmembrane connector, which perhaps can be used to fuse...

Unanticipated C=C bonds in covalent monolayers on silicon revealed by NEXAFS.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Michael V; Lee, Jonathan R I; Brehmer, Daniel E; Linford, Matthew R; Willey, Trevor M

2010-02-02

Interfaces are crucial to material properties. In the case of covalent organic monolayers on silicon, molecular structure at the interface controls the self-assembly of the monolayers, which in turn influences the optical properties and electrical transport. These properties intrinsically affect their application in biology, tribology, optics, and electronics. We use near-edge X-ray absorption fine structure spectroscopy to show that the most basic covalent monolayers formed from 1-alkenes on silicon retain a double bond in one-fifth to two-fifths of the resultant molecules. Unsaturation in the predominantly saturated monolayers will perturb the regular order and affect the dependent properties. The presence of unsaturation in monolayers produced by two different methods also prompts the re-evaluation of other radical-based mechanisms for forming covalent monolayers on silicon.

Combination of computational methods, adsorption isotherms and selectivity tests for the conception of a mixed non-covalent-semi-covalent molecularly imprinted polymer of vanillin.

Science.gov (United States)

Puzio, Kinga; Delépée, Raphaël; Vidal, Richard; Agrofoglio, Luigi A

2013-08-06

A novel molecularly imprinted polymer (MIP) for vanillin was prepared by photo initiated polymerization in dichloromethane using a mixed semi-covalent and non-covalent imprinting strategy. Taking polymerisable syringaldehyde as "dummy" template, acrylamide was chosen as functional monomer on B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) density functional theory computational method basis with counterpoise. The binding parameters for the recognition of vanillin on imprinted polymers were studied with three different isotherm models (Langmuir, bi-Langmuir and Langmuir-Freundlich) and compared. The results indicate an heterogeneity of binding sites. It was found and proved by DFT calculations that the specific binding of vanillin in the cavities is due to non-covalent interactions of the template with the hydroxyphenyl- and the amide-moieties. The binding geometry of vanillin in the MIP cavity was also modelled. The obtained MIP is highly specific for vanillin (with an imprinting factor of 7.4) and was successfully applied to the extraction of vanillin from vanilla pods, red wine spike with vanillin, natural and artificial vanilla sugar with a recovery of 80%. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanoparticle for delivery of antisense γPNA oligomers targeting CCR5

OpenAIRE

Bahal, Raman; McNeer, Nicole Ali; Ly, Danith H.; Saltzman, W. Mark; Glazer, Peter M.

2013-01-01

The development of a new class of peptide nucleic acids (PNAs), i.e., gamma PNAs (γPNAs), creates the need for a general and effective method for its delivery into cells for regulating gene expression in mammalian cells. Here we report the antisense activity of a recently developed hydrophilic and biocompatible diethylene glycol (miniPEG)-based gamma peptide nucleic acid called MPγPNAs via its delivery by poly(lactide-co-glycolide) (PLGA)-based nanoparticle system. We show that MPγPNA oligome...

Detergent-Resistant Membrane Microdomains Facilitate Ib Oligomer Formation and Biological Activity of Clostridium perfringens Iota-Toxin

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

Hale, Martha

2004-01-01

...) were extracted with cold Triton X-100. Western blotting revealed that Ib oligomers localized in DRMs extracted from Vero, but not MRC-5, cells while monomeric Ib was detected in the detergent-soluble fractions of both cell types...

Application of the Covalent Bond Classification Method for the Teaching of Inorganic Chemistry

Science.gov (United States)

Green, Malcolm L. H.; Parkin, Gerard

2014-01-01

The Covalent Bond Classification (CBC) method provides a means to classify covalent molecules according to the number and types of bonds that surround an atom of interest. This approach is based on an elementary molecular orbital analysis of the bonding involving the central atom (M), with the various interactions being classified according to the…

Disrupting self-assembly and toxicity of amyloidogenic protein oligomers by "molecular tweezers" - from the test tube to animal models.

Science.gov (United States)

Attar, Aida; Bitan, Gal

2014-01-01

Despite decades of research, therapy for diseases caused by abnormal protein folding and aggregation (amyloidoses) is limited to treatment of symptoms and provides only temporary and moderate relief to sufferers. The failure in developing successful disease-modifying drugs for amyloidoses stems from the nature of the targets for such drugs - primarily oligomers of amyloidogenic proteins, which are distinct from traditional targets, such as enzymes or receptors. The oligomers are metastable, do not have well-defined structures, and exist in dynamically changing mixtures. Therefore, inhibiting the formation and toxicity of these oligomers likely will require out-of-the-box thinking and novel strategies. We review here the development of a strategy based on targeting the combination of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions that are key to the assembly and toxicity of amyloidogenic proteins using lysine (K)-specific "molecular tweezers" (MTs). Our discussion includes a survey of the literature demonstrating the important role of K residues in the assembly and toxicity of amyloidogenic proteins and the development of a lead MT derivative called CLR01, from an inhibitor of protein aggregation in vitro to a drug candidate showing effective amelioration of disease symptoms in animal models of Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

Covalent microcontact printing of proteins fro cell patterning

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rozkiewicz, D.I.; Kraan, Yvonne M.; Werten, Marc W.T.; de Wolf, Frits A.; Subramaniam, Vinod; Ravoo, B.J.; Reinhoudt, David

2006-01-01

We describe a straightforward approach to the covalent immobilization of cytophilic proteins by microcontact printing, which can be used to pattern cells on substrates. Cytophilic proteins are printed in micropatterns on reactive self-assembled monolayers by using imine chemistry. An

Multi-step non-covalent pathways to supramolecular systems

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hermans, T.M.

2010-01-01

The spontaneous organization of building blocks into ordered structures governed by non-covalent interactions, or self-assembly, is a commonly encountered pathway in nature to obtain functional materials. These materials often consist of many different components ordered into intricate structures.

The role of double covalent flavin binding in chito-oligosaccharide oxidase from Fusarium graminearum

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Heuts, Dominic P. H. M.; Winter, Remko T.; Damsma, Gerke E.; Janssen, Dick B.; Fraaije, Marco W.

2008-01-01

ChitO (chito-oligosaccharide oxidase) from Fusarium graminearum catalyses the regioselective oxidation of N-acetylated oligosaccharides. The enzyme harbours an FAD cofactor that is covalently attached to His(94) and Cys(154). The functional role of this unusual bi-covalent flavin-protein linkage was

Parkinson's disease in the spotlight: unraveling nanoscale α-Synuclein oligomers using ultrasensitive single-molecule spectroscopy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zijlstra, Niels

2014-01-01

During the last 15 years, we have witnessed a major shift in the research focus to understand the cause of amyloid diseases. The attention has shifted from the fully matured amyloid fibrils to the nanometer sized aggregation intermediates called oligomers as the potentially cytotoxic species that

Covalently {beta}-cyclodextrin modified single-walled carbon nanotubes: a novel artificial receptor synthesized by 'click' chemistry

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guo Zhen; Liang Li [Nankai University, State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry (China); Liang Jiajie; Ma Yanfeng; Yang Xiaoying [Nankai University, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry (China); Ren Dongmei [Nankai University, State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry (China); Chen Yongsheng [Nankai University, Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology and Institute of Polymer Chemistry, College of Chemistry (China); Zheng Jianyu, E-mail: jyzheng@nankai.edu.c [Nankai University, State Key Laboratory and Institute of Elemento-Organic Chemistry (China)

2008-08-15

Novel {beta}-cyclodextrin covalently modified single-walled carbon nanotubes have been synthesized via a 'click' coupling reaction. The product was fully characterized with Raman, FTIR, XRD, UV-Vis-NIR spectra as well as TEM and TGA measurements. The effective functionalization via 'click' coupling has set up a facile and versatile route for modular preparation of SWNTs based functional materials. The inclusion complexation behavior of this artificial receptor with quinine has been investigated in aqueous solution by fluorescence spectroscopy.

Chemical evolution. XXI - The amino acids released on hydrolysis of HCN oligomers

Science.gov (United States)

Ferris, J. P.; Wos, J. D.; Nooner, D. W.; Oro, J.

1974-01-01

Major amino acids released by hydrolysis of acidic and basic HCN oligomers are identified by chromatography as Gly, Asp, and diaminosuccinic acid. Smaller amounts of Ala, Ile and alpha-aminoisobutyric acid are also detected. The amino acids released did not change appreciably when the hydrolysis medium was changed from neutral to acidic or basic. The presence of both meso and d, l-diaminosuccinic acids was established by paper chromatography and on an amino acid analyzer.

Production of recombinant cholesterol oxidase containing covalently bound FAD in Escherichia coli

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Molla Gianluca

2010-04-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Cholesterol oxidase is an alcohol dehydrogenase/oxidase flavoprotein that catalyzes the dehydrogenation of C(3-OH of cholesterol. It has two major biotechnological applications, i.e. in the determination of serum (and food cholesterol levels and as biocatalyst providing valuable intermediates for industrial steroid drug production. Cholesterol oxidases of type I are those containing the FAD cofactor tightly but not covalently bound to the protein moiety, whereas type II members contain covalently bound FAD. This is the first report on the over-expression in Escherichia coli of type II cholesterol oxidase from Brevibacterium sterolicum (BCO. Results Design of the plasmid construct encoding the mature BCO, optimization of medium composition and identification of the best cultivation/induction conditions for growing and expressing the active protein in recombinant E. coli cells, concurred to achieve a valuable improvement: BCO volumetric productivity was increased from ~500 up to ~25000 U/L and its crude extract specific activity from 0.5 up to 7.0 U/mg protein. Interestingly, under optimal expression conditions, nearly 55% of the soluble recombinant BCO is produced as covalently FAD bound form, whereas the protein containing non-covalently bound FAD is preferentially accumulated in insoluble inclusion bodies. Conclusions Comparison of our results with those published on non-covalent (type I COs expressed in recombinant form (either in E. coli or Streptomyces spp., shows that the fully active type II BCO can be produced in E. coli at valuable expression levels. The improved over-production of the FAD-bound cholesterol oxidase will support its development as a novel biotool to be exploited in biotechnological applications.

Self-Healable and Reprocessable Polysulfide Sealants Prepared from Liquid Polysulfide Oligomer and Epoxy Resin.

Science.gov (United States)

Gao, Wentong; Bie, Mengyao; Liu, Fu; Chang, Pengshan; Quan, Yiwu

2017-05-10

Polysulfide sealants have been commercially applied in many industrial fields. In this article, we study the self-healing property of the epoxy resin-cured polysulfide sealants for the first time. The obtained sealants showed a flexible range of ultimate elongation of 157-478% and a tensile strength of 1.02-0.75 MPa corresponding to different polysulfide oligomers. By taking advantage of the dynamic reversible exchange of disulfide bonds, polysulfide sealants exhibited good self-healing ability under a moderate thermal stimulus. A higher molecular weight and a lower degree of cross-linking of polysulfide oligomer were helpful in improving the ultimate elongation and healing efficiency of the polysulfide sealants. After subjecting to a temperature of 75 °C for 60 min, both the tensile strength and ultimate elongation of a fully cut sample, LP55-F, were restored to 91% of the original values, without affecting the sealing property. Furthermore, the sample exhibited excellent reshaping and reprocessing abilities. These outcomes offer a paradigm toward sustainable industrial applications of the polysulfide-based sealants.

Mechanisms for Covalent Immobilization of Horseradish Peroxidase on Ion-Beam-Treated Polyethylene

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexey V. Kondyurin

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The surface of polyethylene was modified by plasma immersion ion implantation. Structure changes including carbonization and oxidation were observed. High surface energy of the modified polyethylene was attributed to the presence of free radicals on the surface. The surface energy decay with storage time after treatment was explained by a decay of the free radical concentration while the concentration of oxygen-containing groups increased with storage time. Horseradish peroxidase was covalently attached onto the modified surface by the reaction with free radicals. Appropriate blocking agents can block this reaction. All aminoacid residues can take part in the covalent attachment process, providing a universal mechanism of attachment for all proteins. The native conformation of attached protein is retained due to hydrophilic interactions in the interface region. The enzymatic activity of covalently attached protein remained high. The long-term activity of the modified layer to attach protein is explained by stabilisation of unpaired electrons in sp2 carbon structures. A high concentration of free radicals can give multiple covalent bonds to the protein molecule and destroy the native conformation and with it the catalytic activity. The universal mechanism of protein attachment to free radicals could be extended to various methods of radiation damage of polymers.

Aging Enables Ca2+ Overload and Apoptosis Induced by Amyloid-β Oligomers in Rat Hippocampal Neurons: Neuroprotection by Non-Steroidal Anti-Inflammatory Drugs and R-Flurbiprofen in Aging Neurons.

Science.gov (United States)

Calvo-Rodríguez, María; García-Durillo, Mónica; Villalobos, Carlos; Núñez, Lucía

2016-07-22

The most important risk factor for Alzheimer's disease (AD) is aging. Neurotoxicity in AD has been linked to dyshomeostasis of intracellular Ca2+ induced by small aggregates of the amyloid-β peptide 1-42 (Aβ42 oligomers). However, how aging influences susceptibility to neurotoxicity induced by Aβ42 oligomers is unknown. In this study, we used long-term cultures of rat hippocampal neurons, a model of neuronal in vitro aging, to investigate the contribution of aging to Ca2+ dishomeostasis and neuron cell death induced by Aβ42 oligomers. In addition, we tested whether non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) and R-flurbiprofen prevent apoptosis acting on subcellular Ca2+ in aged neurons. We found that Aβ42 oligomers have no effect on young hippocampal neurons cultured for 2 days in vitro (2 DIV). However, they promoted apoptosis modestly in mature neurons (8 DIV) and these effects increased dramatically after 13 DIV, when neurons display many hallmarks of in vivo aging. Consistently, cytosolic and mitochondrial Ca2+ responses induced by Aβ42 oligomers increased dramatically with culture age. At low concentrations, NSAIDs and the enantiomer R-flurbiprofen lacking anti-inflammatory activity prevent Ca2+ overload and neuron cell death induced by Aβ42 oligomers in aged neurons. However, at high concentrations R-flurbiprofen induces apoptosis. Thus, Aβ42 oligomers promote Ca2+ overload and neuron cell death only in aged rat hippocampal neurons. These effects are prevented by low concentrations of NSAIDs and R-flurbiprofen acting on mitochondrial Ca2+ overload.

Synthesis and spectral properties of europium phthalocyanine complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maksimova, K.N.; Bazyakina, N.L.; Kutyreva, V.V.; Suvorova, O.N.; Domrachev, G.A.

2008-01-01

Synthesis of europium monophthalocyanic complexes with thenoyltrifluroacetonate (tta) and ferrocenoyltrifluoroacetate (fta) ligands has been considered. Spectral characteristics of complexes PcEu(tta)(ttaH) and PcEu(fta)(ftaH) (Pc - phthalocyanine ligand) have been investigated. One of β-diketonate ligand is proposed to bind with europium ion covalently, and the second ligand saturates coordination sphere of europium due to donor-acceptor binding [ru

Covalent modification of serum transferrin with phospholipid and incorporation into liposomal membranes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Afzelius, P; Demant, E J; Hansen, Gert Helge

1989-01-01

A method is described for incorporation of water-soluble proteins into liposomal membranes using covalent protein-phospholipid conjugates in detergent solution. A disulfide derivative of phosphatidylethanolamine containing a reactive N-hydroxysuccinimide ester group is synthesized, and the deriva......A method is described for incorporation of water-soluble proteins into liposomal membranes using covalent protein-phospholipid conjugates in detergent solution. A disulfide derivative of phosphatidylethanolamine containing a reactive N-hydroxysuccinimide ester group is synthesized...

Macromolecular weight specificity in covalent binding of bromobenzene

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sun, J.D.; Dent, J.G.

1984-01-01

Bromobenzene is a hepatotoxicant that causes centrilobular necrosis. Pretreatment of animals with 3-methylcholanthrene decreases and phenobarbital pretreatment enhances the hepatotoxic action of this compound. We have investigated the macromolecular weight specificity of the covalent interactions of bromobenzene with liver macromolecules following incubation of [ 14 C]bromobenzene in isolated hepatocytes. Hepatocytes were prepared from Fischer-344 rats treated for 3 days with 3-methylcholanthrene, phenobarbital, or normal saline. After a 1-hr incubation, total covalent binding, as measured by sodium dodecyl sulfate-equilibrium dialysis, was twofold less in hepatocytes from 3-methylcholanthrene-treated rats and sixfold greater in hepatocytes from phenobarbital-treated rats, as compared to hepatocytes from control animals. Analysis of the arylated macromolecules by electrophoresis on 15% sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide disc gels indicated that in the first 1 to 3 min of incubation substantial amounts of covalently bound radiolabel were associated with macromolecules of between 20,000 and 40,000. The amount of radioactivity associated with these macromolecules rapidly diminished in hepatocytes from control and 3-methylcholanthrene-treated animals. In hepatocytes from phenobarbital-treated animals, the amount of radioactivity associated with macromolecules, 20,000, increased throughout the incubation. The amount of radiolabel associated with macromolecules, 20,000, increased in all incubations. When nontoxic doses of phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, a specific inhibitor of serine proteases, were added to control hepatocytes incubated with [ 14 C]-bromobenzene, the decrease in radioactivity associated with larger (greater than 20,000) macromolecules was inhibited and a corresponding lack of increase in radioactivity associated with smaller macromolecules was observed

Double Dynamic Supramolecular Polymers of Covalent Oligo-Dynamers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Schaeffer, Gaël; Buhler, Eric; Candau, Sauveur Jean; Lehn, Jean-Marie

2013-01-01

Double-dynamic polymers, incorporating both molecular and supramolecular dynamic features (“double dynamers”) have been generated, where these functions are present in a nonstoichiometric ratio in the main chain of the polymer. It has been achieved by (1) the formation of covalent oligo-dynamers in

Characterization of radiation modified κ-carrageenan oligomers for bio-based materials development

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Abad, Lucille V.; Relleve, Lorna S.; Aranilla, Charito T.; Racadio, Darwin T.; Dela Rosa, Alumanda M.

2011-01-01

κ-carrageenan oligomers are known to have several biological activities such as anti-HIV, anti-herpes, antitumor and antioxidant properties. Recent progress in the development of radiation modified κ-carrageenan has resulted in new applications such as plant growth promoter, radiation dose indicator and hydrogels for wound dressing. This presentation would touch on the changes in chemical structure, gelation and conformational transition behavior and molecular size of κ-carrageenan at doses from 0 to 200 kGy and would be correlated to these functions for the development of bio-based materials. Chemical and spectral analyses were carried out using UV-Vis spectroscopy, FT-IR spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy, reducing sugar analysis, free sulfate and carboxylic acid analysis. The chemical and spectral analyses of the radiolytic products indicated increasing reducing sugars, carbonyl, carboxylic acids, and sulfates with increasing doses which reached a maximum level at a certain dose depending on the irradiation condition. Values were very much lower in solid irradiation (in vacuum and in air) as compared to aqueous irradiation. NMR data also revealed an intact structure of the oligomer irradiated at 100 kGy in the specific fraction that contains an Mw = (3-10) kDa. κ-carrageenan oligomers exhibited antioxidant properties as determined by hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, reducing power and DPPH radical scavenging capacity assay. The degree of oxidative inhibition increased with increasing dose which can be attributed to higher reducing sugar. Dynamic light scattering (DLS) experiments showed that a dose of up to 50 kGy, sol-gelation transition was still observed. Beyond 50 kGy, no gelation took place, instead appearance of fast relax-carrageenan mode in characteristic decay time function was observed at doses of (75-150) kGy. Optimum peak intensity was found at 100 kGy (mol wt. 5-10 kDa) which coincides with the optimum plant growth promoter effect in κ

Solvent-free covalent functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and nanodiamond with diamines: Looking for cross-linking effects

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basiuk, Elena V.; Basiuk, Vladimir A.; Meza-Laguna, Víctor; Contreras-Torres, Flavio F.; Martínez, Melchor; Rojas-Aguilar, Aarón; Salerno, Marco

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Diamines were used for one-step functionalization of nanotubes and nanodiamond. ► We found experimental evidences of cross-linking effects in these nanomaterials. ► We found a strong orientation effect in the functionalized carbon nanotubes. - Abstract: The covalent functionalization of carbon nanomaterials with diamines is a way to enhance the mechanical strength of nanocomposites due to cross-linking effects, to form complex networks for nanotube-based electronic circuits, as well as is important for a number of biomedical applications. The main goal of the present work was to covalently functionalize pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes and nanodiamond with three aliphatic diamines (1,8-diaminooctane, 1,10-diaminodecane and 1,12-diaminododecane) and one aromatic diamine (1,5-diaminonaphthalene), by employing a simple one-step solvent-free methodology, which is based on thermal instead of chemical activation. We looked for experimental evidences of cross-linking effects in the carbon nanomaterials synthesized by using solubility/dispersibility tests, atomic force microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, as well as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis for additional characterization.

Effect of photocurrent enhancement in porphyrin–graphene covalent hybrids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tang, Jianguo; Niu, Lin; Liu, Jixian; Wang, Yao; Huang, Zhen; Xie, Shiqiang; Huang, Linjun; Xu, Qingsong; Wang, Yuan; Belfiore, Laurence A.

2014-01-01

Graphene oxide (GO) sheets were covalently functionalized with 5-p-aminophenyl-10,15,20-triphenylporphyrin (NH 2 TPP) by an amidation reaction between the amino group in NH 2 TPP and carboxyl groups in GO. The Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance, scanning and transmission electron microscopies reveal that NH 2 TPP covalent bonds form on the double surface of graphene oxide sheets, generating a unique nano-framework, i.e., NH 2 TPP-graphene-NH 2 TPP. Its UV–visible spectroscopy reveals that the absorption spectrum is not a linear superposition of the spectra of NH 2 TPP and graphene oxide, because a 59 nm red shift of the strong graphene oxide absorption is observed from 238 to 297 nm, with significant spectral broadening between 300 and 700 nm. Fluorescence emission spectroscopy indicates efficient quenching of NH 2 TPP photoluminescence in this hybrid material, suggesting that photo-induced electron transfer occurs at the interface between NH 2 TPP and GO. A reversible on/off photo-current density of 47 mA/cm 2 is observed when NH 2 TPP-graphene-NH 2 TPP hybrid sandwiches are subjected to pulsed white-light illumination. Covalently-bound porphyrins decrease the optical HOMO/LUMO band gap of graphene oxide by ≈ 1 eV, according to UV–visible spectroscopy. Cyclic voltammetry predicts a small HOMO/LUMO band gap of 0.84 eV for NH 2 TPP-graphene-NH 2 TPP hybrid sandwiches, which is consistent with efficient electron transfer and fluorescence quenching. - Highlights: • Porphyrins are covalently bound to sheets of graphene oxide via an amidation reaction. • The formed hetero-junction interface decreases the optical band gap of graphene oxide. • Cyclic voltammetry predicts a graphene oxide band gap of 0.84 eV, which is easily photo-excited. • Its on/off photo-current density of 46 μA/cm 2 is 5-fold larger than that for physically stacked hybrid

Novel covalently linked insulin dimer engineered to investigate the function of insulin dimerization.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tine N Vinther

Full Text Available An ingenious system evolved to facilitate insulin binding to the insulin receptor as a monomer and at the same time ensure sufficient stability of insulin during storage. Insulin dimer is the cornerstone of this system. Insulin dimer is relatively weak, which ensures dissociation into monomers in the circulation, and it is stabilized by hexamer formation in the presence of zinc ions during storage in the pancreatic β-cell. Due to the transient nature of insulin dimer, direct investigation of this important form is inherently difficult. To address the relationship between insulin oligomerization and insulin stability and function, we engineered a covalently linked insulin dimer in which two monomers were linked by a disulfide bond. The structure of this covalent dimer was identical to the self-association dimer of human insulin. Importantly, this covalent dimer was capable of further oligomerization to form the structural equivalent of the classical hexamer. The covalently linked dimer neither bound to the insulin receptor, nor induced a metabolic response in vitro. However, it was extremely thermodynamically stable and did not form amyloid fibrils when subjected to mechanical stress, underlining the importance of oligomerization for insulin stability.

Polyphenol-Protein Complexes and Their Consequences for the Redox Activity, Structure and Function of Honey. A Current View and New Hypothesis – a Review

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Brudzynski Katrina

2015-06-01

Full Text Available There is increasing evidence that protein complexation by honey polyphenols is changing honey structure and function. This relatively less investigated filed of honey research is presented in a context of known mechanism of formation of the stable polyphenol-protein complexes in other foods. At a core of these interactions lies the ability of polyphenols to form non-covalent and covalent bonds with proteins leading to transient and/or irreversible complexes, respectively. Honey storage and thermal processing induces non-enzymatic oxidation of polyphenols to reactive quinones and enables them to form covalent bonds with proteins. In this short review, we present data from our laboratory on previously unrecognized types of protein-polyphenol complexes that differed in size, stoichiometry, and antioxidant capacities, and the implications they have to honey antioxidant and antibacterial activities. Our intent is to provide a current understanding of protein-polyphenol complexation in honey and also some new thoughts /hypotheses that can be useful in directing future research.

Dynamic conformations of nucleophosmin (NPM1 at a key monomer-monomer interface affect oligomer stability and interactions with granzyme B.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei D Duan-Porter

Full Text Available Nucleophosmin (NPM1 is an abundant, nucleolar tumor antigen with important roles in cell proliferation and putative contributions to oncogenesis. Wild-type NPM1 forms pentameric oligomers through interactions at the amino-terminal core domain. A truncated form of NPM1 found in some hepatocellular carcinoma tissue formed an unusually stable oligomer and showed increased susceptibility to cleavage by granzyme B. Initiation of translation at the seventh methionine generated a protein (M7-NPM that shared all these properties. We used deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (DXMS to perform a detailed structural analysis of wild-type NPM1 and M7-NPM, and found dynamic conformational shifts or local "unfolding" at a specific monomer-monomer interface which included the β-hairpin "latch." We tested the importance of interactions at the β-hairpin "latch" by replacing a conserved tyrosine in the middle of the β-hairpin loop with glutamic acid, generating Y67E-NPM. Y67E-NPM did not form stable oligomers and further, prevented wild-type NPM1 oligomerization in a dominant-negative fashion, supporting the critical role of the β-hairpin "latch" in monomer-monomer interactions. Also, we show preferential cleavage by granzyme B at one of two available aspartates (either D161 or D122 in M7-NPM and Y67E-NPM, whereas wild-type NPM1 was cleaved at both sites. Thus, we observed a correlation between the propensity to form oligomers and granzyme B cleavage site selection in nucleophosmin proteins, suggesting that a small change at an important monomer-monomer interface can affect conformational shifts and impact protein-protein interactions.

Dynamic Covalent Chemistry of Carbon Dioxide: Opportunities to Address Environmental Issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Septavaux, Jean; Germain, Geoffroy; Leclaire, Julien

2017-07-18

Extraction and purification of basic chemicals from complex mixtures has been a persistent issue throughout the development of the chemical sciences. The chemical industry and academic research have grown over the centuries by following a deconstruction-reconstruction approach, reminiscent of the metabolism process. Chemists have designed and optimized extraction, purification, and transformation processes of molecules from natural deposits (fossil fuels, biomass, ores), in order to reassemble them into complex adducts. These highly selective and cost-effective techniques arose from developments in physical chemistry but also in supramolecular chemistry, long before the term was even coined. Thanks to the extremely diverse toolbox currently available to the scientific community, artificial molecular systems of increasing complexity can be built and integrated into high-technology products. If humanity has proven through the ages how gifted it can be at this deconstruction-reconstruction game, which has transformed the natural world to a human-shaped one, it has been confronted for more than a century by a new challenge: the deconstruction and reconstruction from a new type of deposit, the waste resulting from the mass production of disposable manufactured goods. In this Account, we will explore the potential contribution of controlled molecular and supramolecular self-assembly phenomena to the challenge of selective and efficient capture of valuable target molecules from mixtures found in postconsumer waste. While it may appear paradoxical to add more molecular ingredients to an already compositionally complex system in order to address a purification issue, we will compare the selectivity, yield, and cost of such an atypical procedure with traditional physical techniques. In the context of carbon dioxide capture or release, we will specifically focus on the coupling between this reversible covalent fixation of the gas by amines and an additional chemical

Cyclodextrin--piroxicam inclusion complexes: analyses by mass spectrometry and molecular modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Gallagher, Richard T.; Ball, Christopher P.; Gatehouse, Deborah R.; Gates, Paul J.; Lobell, Mario; Derrick, Peter J.

1997-11-01

Mass spectrometry has been used to investigate the natures of non-covalent complexes formed between the anti-inflammatory drug piroxicam and [alpha]-, [beta]- and [gamma]-cyclodextrins. Energies of these complexes have been calculated by means of molecular modelling. There is a correlation between peak intensities in the mass spectra and the calculated energies.

Non-covalent and reversible functionalization of carbon nanotubes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Antonello Di Crescenzo

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Carbon nanotubes (CNTs have been proposed and actively explored as multipurpose innovative nanoscaffolds for applications in fields such as material science, drug delivery and diagnostic applications. Their versatile physicochemical features are nonetheless limited by their scarce solubilization in both aqueous and organic solvents. In order to overcome this drawback CNTs can be easily non-covalently functionalized with different dispersants. In the present review we focus on the peculiar hydrophobic character of pristine CNTs that prevent them to easily disperse in organic solvents. We report some interesting examples of CNTs dispersants with the aim to highlight the essential features a molecule should possess in order to act as a good carbon nanotube dispersant both in water and in organic solvents. The review pinpoints also a few examples of dispersant design. The last section is devoted to the exploitation of the major quality of non-covalent functionalization that is its reversibility and the possibility to obtain stimuli-responsive precipitation or dispersion of CNTs.

Bifunctional avidin with covalently modifiable ligand binding site.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jenni Leppiniemi

Full Text Available The extensive use of avidin and streptavidin in life sciences originates from the extraordinary tight biotin-binding affinity of these tetrameric proteins. Numerous studies have been performed to modify the biotin-binding affinity of (streptavidin to improve the existing applications. Even so, (streptavidin greatly favours its natural ligand, biotin. Here we engineered the biotin-binding pocket of avidin with a single point mutation S16C and thus introduced a chemically active thiol group, which could be covalently coupled with thiol-reactive molecules. This approach was applied to the previously reported bivalent dual chain avidin by modifying one binding site while preserving the other one intact. Maleimide was then coupled to the modified binding site resulting in a decrease in biotin affinity. Furthermore, we showed that this thiol could be covalently coupled to other maleimide derivatives, for instance fluorescent labels, allowing intratetrameric FRET. The bifunctional avidins described here provide improved and novel tools for applications such as the biofunctionalization of surfaces.

Overall and specific migration from multilayer high barrier food contact materials - kinetic study of cyclic polyester oligomers migration.

Science.gov (United States)

Úbeda, Sara; Aznar, Margarita; Vera, Paula; Nerín, Cristina; Henríquez, Luis; Taborda, Laura; Restrepo, Claudia

2017-10-01

Most multilayer high barrier materials used in food packaging have a polyurethane adhesive layer in their structures. In order to assess the safety of these materials, it is important to determine the compounds intentionally added to the adhesives (IAS) as well as those non-intentionally added substances (NIAS). During the manufacture of polyurethane adhesives, some by-products can be formed, such as cyclic polyester oligomers coming from the reaction between dicarboxylic acids and glycols. Since these compounds are not listed in the Regulation 10/2011/EU, they should not be found in migration above 0.01 mg/kg of simulant. In this study two flexible multilayer packaging materials were used and migration was evaluated in simulant A (ethanol 10% v/v), simulant B (acetic acid 3% w/v) and simulant ethanol 95% v/v during 10 days at 60ºC. Identification and quantification of non-volatile compounds was carried out by UPLC-MS-QTOF. Most of migrants were oligomers such as cyclic polyesters and caprolactam oligomers. Overall migration and specific migration of adipic acid-diethylene glycol and phthalic acid-diethylene glycol were monitored over time and analysed by UPLC-MS-TQ. In most cases, ethanol 95% v/v was the simulant with the highest concentration values. Overall migration kinetics followed a similar pattern than specific migration kinetics.

Peptide nucleic acid (PNA) cell penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugates as carriers for cellular delivery of antisense oligomers

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Shiraishi, Takehiko; Nielsen, Peter E

2012-01-01

We have explored the merits of a novel delivery strategy for the antisense oligomers based on cell penetrating peptide (CPP) conjugated to a carrier PNA with sequence complementary to part of the antisense oligomer. The effect of these carrier CPP-PNAs was evaluated by using antisense PNA targeting......-PNA (cPNA1(7)-(D-Arg)8) and hexamer carrier decanoyl-CPP-PNA (Deca-cPNA1(6)-(D-Arg)8), respectively, without showing significant additional cellular toxicity. Most interestingly, the activity reached the same level obtained by enhancement with endosomolytic chloroquine (CQ) treatment, suggesting...... that the carrier might facilitate endosomal escape. Furthermore, 50% downregulation of luciferase expression at 60 nM siRNA was obtained using this carrier CPP-PNA delivery strategy (with CQ co-treatment) for a single stranded antisense RNA targeting normal luciferase mRNA. These results indicated that CPP...

The Chemistry and Biochemistry of Heme c: Functional Bases for Covalent Attachment

OpenAIRE

Bowman, Sarah E. J.; Bren, Kara L.

2008-01-01

A discussion of the literature concerning the synthesis, function, and activity of heme c-containing proteins is presented. Comparison of the properties of heme c, which is covalently bound to protein, is made to heme b, which is bound noncovalently. A question of interest is why nature uses biochemically expensive heme c in many proteins when its properties are expected to be similar to heme b. Considering the effects of covalent heme attachment on heme conformation and on the proximal histi...

Applications of covalent organic frameworks (COFs): From gas storage and separation to drug delivery

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Ming-Xue Wu; Ying-Wei Yang

2017-01-01

Covalent organic frameworks (COFs) are an emerging class of porous covalent organic structures whose backbones were composed of light elements (B,C,N,O,Si) and linked by robust covalent bonds to endow such material with desirable properties,i.e.,inherent porosity,well-defined pore aperture,ordered channel structure,large surface area,high stability,and multi-dimension.As expected,the abovementioned properties of COFs broaden the applications of this class of materials in various fields such as gas storage and separation,catalysis,optoelectronics,sensing,small molecules adsorption,and drug delivery.In this review,we outlined the synthesis of COFs and highlighted their applications ranging from the initial gas storage and separation to drug delivery.

Tissue Plasminogen Activator Binding to Superparamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticle—Covalent Versus Adsorptive Approach

Science.gov (United States)

Friedrich, Ralf P.; Zaloga, Jan; Schreiber, Eveline; Tóth, Ildikó Y.; Tombácz, Etelka; Lyer, Stefan; Alexiou, Christoph

2016-06-01

Functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles are frequently used to develop vehicles for drug delivery, hyperthermia, and photodynamic therapy and as tools used for magnetic separation and purification of proteins or for biomolecular imaging. Depending on the application, there are various possible covalent and non-covalent approaches for the functionalization of particles, each of them shows different advantages and disadvantages for drug release and activity at the desired location.

Combined HILIC-ELSD/ESI-MSn enables the separation, identification and quantification of sugar beet pectin derived oligomers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Remoroza, C.A.; Cord-Landwehr, S.; Leijdekkers, A.G.M.; Moerschbacher, B.M.; Schols, H.A.; Gruppen, H.

2012-01-01

The combined action of endo-polygalacturonase (endo-PGII), pectin lyase (PL), pectin methyl esterase (fungal PME) and RG-I degrading enzymes enabled the extended degradation of methylesterified and acetylated sugar beet pectins (SBPs). The released oligomers were separated, identified and quantified

Reversible and formaldehyde-mediated covalent binding of a bis-amino mitoxantrone analogue to DNA.

Science.gov (United States)

Konda, Shyam K; Kelso, Celine; Pumuye, Paul P; Medan, Jelena; Sleebs, Brad E; Cutts, Suzanne M; Phillips, Don R; Collins, J Grant

2016-05-18

The ability of a bis-amino mitoxantrone anticancer drug (named WEHI-150) to form covalent adducts with DNA, after activation by formaldehyde, has been studied by electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry and HPLC. Mass spectrometry results showed that WEHI-150 could form covalent adducts with d(ACGCGCGT)2 that contained one, two or three covalent links to the octanucleotide, whereas the control drugs (daunorubicin and the anthracenediones mitoxantrone and pixantrone) only formed adducts with one covalent link to the octanucleotide. HPLC was used to examine the extent of covalent bond formation of WEHI-150 with d(CGCGCG)2 and d(CG(5Me)CGCG)2. Incubation of WEHI-150 with d(CG(5Me)CGCG)2 in the presence of formaldehyde resulted in the formation of significantly greater amounts of covalent adducts than was observed with d(CGCGCG)2. In order to understand the observed increase of covalent adducts with d(CG(5Me)CGCG)2, an NMR study of the reversible interaction of WEHI-150 at both CpG and (5Me)CpG sites was undertaken. Intermolecular NOEs were observed in the NOESY spectra of d(ACGGCCGT)2 with added WEHI-150 that indicated that the drug selectively intercalated at the CpG sites and from the major groove. In particular, NOEs were observed from the WEHI-150 H2,3 protons to the H1' protons of G3 and G7 and from the H6,7 protons to the H5 protons of C2 and C6. By contrast, intermolecular NOEs were observed between the WEHI-150 H2,3 protons to the H2'' proton of the (5Me)C3 in d(CG(5Me)CGCG)2, and between the drug aliphatic protons and the H1' proton of G4. This demonstrated that WEHI-150 preferentially intercalates at (5Me)CpG sites, compared to CpG sequences, and predominantly via the minor groove at the (5Me)CpG site. The results of this study demonstrate that WEHI-150 is likely to form interstrand DNA cross-links, upon activation by formaldehyde, and consequently exhibit greater cytotoxicity than other current anthracenedione drugs.

4fn-15d centroid shift in lanthanides and relation with anion polarizability, covalency, and cation electronegativity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dorenbos, P.; Andriessen, J.; Eijk, C.W.E. van

2003-01-01

Data collected on the centroid shift of the 5d-configuration of Ce 3+ in oxide and fluoride compounds were recently analyzed with a model involving the correlated motion between 5d-electron and ligand electrons. The correlation effects are proportional to the polarizability of the anion ligands and it leads, like covalency, to lowering of the 5d-orbital energies. By means of ab initio Hartree-Fock-LCAO calculations including configuration interaction the contribution from covalency and correlated motion to the centroid shift are determined separately for Ce 3+ in various compounds. It will be shown that in fluoride compounds, covalency provides an insignificant contribution. In oxides, polarizability appears to be of comparable importance as covalency

Investigation of Membrane Receptors' Oligomers Using Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer and Multiphoton Microscopy in Living Cells

Science.gov (United States)

Mishra, Ashish K.

Investigating quaternary structure (oligomerization) of macromolecules (such as proteins and nucleic acids) in living systems (in vivo) has been a great challenge in biophysics, due to molecular diffusion, fluctuations in several biochemical parameters such as pH, quenching of fluorescence by oxygen (when fluorescence methods are used), etc. We studied oligomerization of membrane receptors in living cells by means of Fluorescence (Forster) Resonance Energy Transfer (FRET) using fluorescent markers and two photon excitation fluorescence micro-spectroscopy. Using suitable FRET models, we determined the stoichiometry and quaternary structure of various macromolecular complexes. The proteins of interest for this work are : (1) sigma-1 receptor and (2) rhodopsin, are described as below. (1) Sigma-1 receptors are molecular chaperone proteins, which also regulate ion channels. S1R seems to be involved in substance abuse, as well as several diseases such as Alzheimer's. We studied S1R in the presence and absence of its ligands haloperidol (an antagonist) and pentazocine +/- (an agonist), and found that at low concentration they reside as a mixture of monomers and dimers and that they may form higher order oligomers at higher concentrations. (2) Rhodopsin is a prototypical G protein coupled receptor (GPCR) and is directly involved in vision. GPCRs form a large family of receptors that participate in cell signaling by responding to external stimuli such as drugs, thus being a major drug target (more than 40% drugs target GPCRs). Their oligomerization has been largely controversial. Understanding this may help to understand the functional role of GPCRs oligomerization, and may lead to the discovery of more drugs targeting GPCR oligomers. It may also contribute toward finding a cure for Retinitis Pigmentosa, which is caused by a mutation (G188R) in rhodopsin, a disease which causes blindness and has no cure so far. Comparing healthy rhodopsin's oligomeric structure with that

Novel covalently linked insulin dimer engineered to investigate the function of insulin dimerization

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vinther, Tine N.; Norrman, Mathias; Strauss, Holger M.

2012-01-01

An ingenious system evolved to facilitate insulin binding to the insulin receptor as a monomer and at the same time ensure sufficient stability of insulin during storage. Insulin dimer is the cornerstone of this system. Insulin dimer is relatively weak, which ensures dissociation into monomers...... in the circulation, and it is stabilized by hexamer formation in the presence of zinc ions during storage in the pancreatic ß-cell. Due to the transient nature of insulin dimer, direct investigation of this important form is inherently difficult. To address the relationship between insulin oligomerization...... and insulin stability and function, we engineered a covalently linked insulin dimer in which two monomers were linked by a disulfide bond. The structure of this covalent dimer was identical to the self-association dimer of human insulin. Importantly, this covalent dimer was capable of further oligomerization...

The PsB glycoprotein complex is secreted as a preassembled precursor of the spore coat in Dictyostelium discoideum.

Science.gov (United States)

Watson, N; McGuire, V; Alexander, S

1994-09-01

The PsB glycoprotein in Dictyostelium discoideum is one of a diverse group of developmentally regulated, prespore-cell-specific proteins, that contain a common O-linked oligosaccharide. This post-translational modification is dependent on the wild-type modB allele. The PsB protein exists as part of a multiprotein complex of six different proteins, which have different post-translational modifications and are held together by both covalent and non-covalent interactions (Watson et al. (1993). J. Biol. Chem. 268, 22634-22641). In this study we have used microscopic and biochemical analyses to examine the cellular localization and function of the PsB complex during development. We found that the PsB complex first accumulates in prespore vesicles in slug cells and is secreted later during culmination and becomes localized to both the extracellular matrix of the apical spore mass of mature fruiting bodies and to the inner layer of the spore coat. The PsB associated with the spore coat is covalently bound by disulfide bridges. The PsB protein always exists in a multiprotein complex, but the composition of the PsB complex changes during secretion and spore maturation. Some of the PsB complex proteins have been identified as spore coat proteins. These data demonstrate that some of the proteins that form the spore coat exist as a preassembled precursor complex. The PsB complex is secreted in a developmentally regulated manner during the process of spore differentiation, at which time proteins of the complex, as well as additional spore coat proteins, become covalently associated in at least two forms of extracellular matrix: the interspore matrix and the spore coat. These and other studies show that proteins with modB dependent O-linked oligosaccharides are involved in a wide variety of processes underlying morphogenesis in this organism. These developmental processes are the direct result of cellular mechanisms regulating protein targeting, assembly and secretion, and the

Covalent bonding and J-J mixing effects on the EPR parameters of Er3+ions in GaN crystal

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

柴瑞鹏; 李隆; 梁良; 庞庆

2016-01-01

The EPR parameters of trivalent Er3+ ions doped in hexagonal GaN crystal have been studied by diagonalizing the 364×364 complete energy matrices. The results indicate that the resonance ground states may be derived from the Kramers doubletΓ6. The EPR g-factors may be ascribed to the stronger covalent bonding and nephelauxetic effects compared with other rare-earth doped complexes, as a result of the mismatch of ionic radii of the impurity Er3+ion and the replaced Ga3+ion apart from the intrinsic covalency of host GaN. Furthermore, the J–J mixing effects on the EPR parameters from the high-lying manifolds have been evaluated. It is found that the dominant J–J mixing contribution is from the manifold 2K15/2, which accounts for about 2.5%. The next important J–J contribution arises from the crystal–field mixture between the ground state 4I15/2 and the first excited state 4I13/2, and is usually less than 0.2%. The contributions from the rest states may be ignored.

Complexes superstructurés mixtes Ru/Fe et Ru/Co à ligands polypyridinyles multitopiques : synthèses, caractérisations, propriétés rédox et photorédox.

OpenAIRE

Lombard , Jean

2007-01-01

This work deals with the synthesis and physico-chemical study of heterobimetallic complexes bearing ruthenium(II)-tris-bipyridine units as photosensitizers covalently linked to a polypyridinic complex unit of iron (II) or cobalt (II), in order to investigate photoinduced electron transfer in such architectures.With bis-bipyridine type ligands, we synthesized a serie of tetranuclear complexes formed by a central complex unit FeII-tris-bipyridine, covalently linked to three RuII-tris-bipyridine...

Covalent Attachment of Bent-Core Mesogens to Silicon Surfaces

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Scheres, L.; Achten, R.; Giesbers, M.; Smet, de L.; Arafat, A.; Sudhölter, E.J.R.; Marcelis, A.T.M.; Zuilhof, H.

2009-01-01

Two vinyl-terminated bent core-shaped liquid crystalline molecules that exhibit thermotropic antiferroelectric SmCPA phases have been covalently attached onto a hydrogen-terminated silicon(111) surface. The surface attachment was achieved via a mild procedure from a mesitylene solution, using

Covalent co-immobilization of heparin/laminin complex that with different concentration ratio on titanium surface for selectively direction of platelets and vascular cells behavior

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, Jian; Chen, Yuan; Liu, Tao; Wang, Xue; Liu, Yang; Wang, Yuan; Chen, Junying; Huang, Nan

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Extracellular matrix inspired surface modification with fibronectin, heparin and VEGF to construct a favorable microenvironment for selectively anticoagulant and promote endothelialization. • Take the advantage of specific intermolecular interaction, the bioactivity of above biomolecules was more efficiently maintained in compared with the common used covalent immobilization method. • Poly-l-lysine was used as a novel interlayer for surface amination, and in comparison, PLL coating was more feasible and the degradation product had no harm to human body. - Abstract: Surface biofunctional modification of coronary artery stent to improve the hemocompatibility and selectively accelerate endothelium regeneration but prevent restenosis have been become a new hotspot. For this, a novel method was developed in this work by co-immobilization of Ln and heparin complex on poly-L-lysine modified Ti surface. Take the advantage of the specific interaction between Ln and heparin, Ln and heparin complexes with different concentration ratios were set up for creating different exposure density of these two types of biomolecules. According to biocompatibility evaluation results, the Hep/Ln complexes modified surface displayed less platelet adhesion and activation. Especially, on L(150)H and L(200)H surface, the AT III binding quantity, APTT value and anti-coagulation property of modified surface were significantly promoted. Furthermore, the adherent density and proliferation activity of ECs and EPCs were positively correlated with Ln concentration. Notably, the proliferation of both ECs and EPCs on L(100)H, L(150)H and L(200)H surface were greatly promoted. Another hand, the proliferation activity of SMCs was significantly inhibited on Hep/Ln modified surfaces, which was considered mainly due to the inhibitory effect of heparin to SMCs. According to the existing results, this study demonstrated that in a certain range of heparin and laminin concentration ratio

Influence of the covalent immobilization of graphene oxide in poly(vinyl alcohol) on human osteoblast response.

Science.gov (United States)

Linares, Javier; Matesanz, María Concepción; Feito, María José; Salavagione, Horacio Javier; Martínez, Gerardo; Gómez-Fatou, Marián; Portolés, María Teresa

2016-02-01

The differences in the response of human Saos-2 osteoblasts to nanocomposites of poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) and 1.5wt.% graphene oxide (GO) prepared by covalent linking (PVA/GO-c) and simple blending (PVA/GO-m) have been evaluated through different biocompatibility parameters. The effects produced on osteoblasts by these two nanocomposites were analysed in parallel and compared with the direct action of GO and with the effect of PVA films without GO. The intracellular content of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and the levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured to evaluate oxidative stress induction and protective response, respectively. The results demonstrate that the combination of GO with PVA reduces both the proliferation delay and the internal cell complexity alterations induced by GO on human osteoblasts. Moreover, the covalent attachment of GO to the PVA chains increases both cell viability and IL-6 levels, reducing both apoptosis and intracellular ROS content when compared to simple blending of both materials. The use of this strategy to modulate the biointerface reduces the toxic effects of graphene while preserving the reinforcement characteristics for application in tissue engineering scaffolds, and has enormous interest for polymer/graphene biomaterials development. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Self-healing polymer gels based on dynamic covalent bonds%基于动态共价键的可自愈合聚合物凝胶

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

张云飞; 邓国华

2012-01-01

简要介绍了动态共价键既具有普通共价键的高强度和稳定性,又能像分子间作用力（如氢键）那样可逆地断裂和重组的特点,以及基于动态共价键构筑智能凝胶材料的优势。综述了多种动态共价键,如芳香基苯并呋喃酮二聚体（diarylbibenzo furanone,DABBF）、三硫酯（trithiocarbonate,TTC）、芳基硼酸酯、酰腙键（acylhydrazone bond）、双硫键（disulfide bond）等的结构及其动态化学,以及应用它们合成聚合物凝胶的方法、凝胶的自愈合机理和性能。提出了发现和采用多种动态共价键构筑可自愈合聚合物凝胶的趋势,为此须解决多种动态共价键的相容性、凝胶自愈合机理与性能的光谱表征等问题,并加强应用研究。%Dynamic covalent bonds have high mechanical strength and stability like ordinary covalent bonds and can reversibly break and rebuild like intermolecular forces(such as hydrogen bonding).The properties of dynamic covalent bonds are introduced.The advantages of building smart gels based on dynamic covalent bonds are described.Specifically,the structure and dynamic chemistry of diarylbibenzo furanone(DABBF),trithiocarbonate(TTC),phenylboronic aciddiol ester bond,acylhydrazone bond and disulfide bond are reviewed.The methods of utilizing those dynamic covalent bonds to construct dynamic gels with self-healing properties,including the healing mechanisms,are presented.Combining two or more covalent bonds to construct dynamic gels with more complex responsiveness are proposed.Problems,such as compatibility of the dynamic covalent bonds,spectroscopic methods for characterizing self-healing mechanisms and capabilities,and application-oriented systems need to be further investigated.

Covalent immobilization of lipase from Candida rugosa on Eupergit®

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Bezbradica Dejan I.

2005-01-01

Full Text Available An approach is presented for the stable covalent immobilization of Upase from Candida rugosa on Eupergit® with a high retention of hydrolytic activity. It comprises covalent bonding via lipase carbohydrate moiety previously modified by periodate oxidation, allowing a reduction in the involvement of the enzyme functional groups that are probably important in the catalytic mechanism. The hydrolytic activities of the lipase immobilized on Eupergif1 by two conventional methods (via oxirane group and via glutaralde-hyde and with periodate method were compared. Results of lipase assays suggest that periodate method is superior for lipase immobilization on Eupergit® among methods applied in this study with respect to both, yield of immobilization and hydrolytic activity of the immobilized enzyme.

The impact of FCN2 polymorphisms and haplotypes on the Ficolin-2 serum levels

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Munthe-Fog, L; Hummelshøj, T; Hansen, B E

2007-01-01

Ficolin-2 in serum samples and identified FCN2 genotypes with a Taq Man-based minor groove binder assay and by sequencing. Serum samples were applied to gel-permeation chromatography and fractions were analysed by an ELISA, SDS-PAGE and subsequently Western blotting. In 214 Danish blood donors, the median...... Ficolin-2 serum concentration was determined to 5.4 microg/ml (range: 1.0-12.2 microg/ml). An ELISA, SDS-PAGE and Western blot analysis of gel-permeation chromatography fractions showed that Ficolin-2 comprises a mixture of covalently and non-covalently linked Ficolin-2 oligomers independent...

Covalent bond force profile and cleavage in a single polymer chain

Science.gov (United States)

Garnier, Lionel; Gauthier-Manuel, Bernard; van der Vegte, Eric W.; Snijders, Jaap; Hadziioannou, Georges

2000-08-01

We present here the measurement of the single-polymer entropic elasticity and the single covalent bond force profile, probed with two types of atomic force microscopes (AFM) on a synthetic polymer molecule: polymethacrylic acid in water. The conventional AFM allowed us to distinguish two types of interactions present in this system when doing force spectroscopic measurements: the first interaction is associated with adsorption sites of the polymer chains onto a bare gold surface, the second interaction is directly correlated to the rupture process of a single covalent bond. All these bridging interactions allowed us to stretch the single polymer chain and to determine the various factors playing a role in the elasticity of these molecules. To obtain a closer insight into the bond rupture process, we moved to a force sensor stable in position when measuring attractive forces. By optimizing the polymer length so as to fulfill the elastic stability conditions, we were able for the first time to map out the entire force profile associated with the cleavage of a single covalent bond. Experimental data coupled with molecular quantum mechanical calculations strongly suggest that the breaking bond is located at one end of the polymer chain.

Characteristics of enzyme hydrolyzing natural covalent bond between RNA and protein VPg of encephalomyocarditis virus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Drygin, Yu.F.; Siyanova, E.Yu.

1986-01-01

The isolation and a preliminary characterization of the enzyme specifically hydrolyzing the phosphodiester bond between protein VPg and the RNA of encephalomyocarditis virus was the goal of the present investigation. The enzyme was isolated from a salt extract of Krebs II mouse ascites carcinoma cells by ion-exchange and affinity chromatography. It was found that the enzyme actually specifically cleaves the covalent bond between the RNA and protein, however, the isolation procedure does not free the enzyme from impurities which partially inhibit it. The enzyme cleaves the RNA-protein VPg complex of polio virus at a high rate, it is completely inactivated at 55 0 C, and is partially inhibited by EDTA

Non-covalent interactions between thio-caffeine derivatives and water-soluble porphyrin in ethanol-water environment

Science.gov (United States)

Lipke, Agnieszka; Makarska-Bialokoz, Magdalena; Sierakowska, Arleta; Jasiewicz, Beata

2018-03-01

To determine the binding interactions and ability to form the non-covalent systems, the association process between 5,10,15,20-tetrakis[4-(trimethylammonio)phenyl]-21H,23H-porphine tetra-p-tosylate (H2TTMePP) and a series of five structurally diverse thio-caffeine analogues has been studied in ethanol and ethanol-water solutions, analyzing its absorption and steady-state fluorescence spectra. The porphyrin fluorescence lifetimes in the systems studied were established as well. During the titration with thio-caffeine compounds the slight bathochromic effect and considerable hypochromicity of the porphyrin Soret band maximum can be noted. The fluorescence quenching effect observed for interactions in H2TTMePP - thio-caffeine derivative systems, as well as the order of binding and fluorescence quenching constants (of 105-103 mol- 1) suggest the existence of the mechanism of static quenching due to the formation of non-covalent and non-fluorescent stacking complexes. In all the systems studied the phenomenon of the fractional accessibility of the fluorophore for the quencher was observed as well. Additionally, the specific binding interactions, due to the changes in reaction environment polarity, can be observed. It was found that thio-caffeine compounds can quench the porphyrin fluorescence according to the structure of thio-substituent in caffeine molecule. The obtained results can be potentially useful from scientific, therapeutic or environmental points of view.

From covalent bonding to coalescence of metallic nanorods

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lee Soohwan

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Growth of metallic nanorods by physical vapor deposition is a common practice, and the origin of their dimensions is a characteristic length scale that depends on the three-dimensional Ehrlich-Schwoebel (3D ES barrier. For most metals, the 3D ES barrier is large so the characteristic length scale is on the order of 200 nm. Using density functional theory-based ab initio calculations, this paper reports that the 3D ES barrier of Al is small, making it infeasible to grow Al nanorods. By analyzing electron density distributions, this paper shows that the small barrier is the result of covalent bonding in Al. Beyond the infeasibility of growing Al nanorods by physical vapor deposition, the results of this paper suggest a new mechanism of controlling the 3D ES barrier and thereby nanorod growth. The modification of local degree of covalent bonding, for example, via the introduction of surfactants, can increase the 3D ES barrier and promote nanorod growth, or decrease the 3D ES barrier and promote thin film growth.

Contribution of the covalent and the Van der Waals force to the nuclear binding

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rosina, M.; Povh, B.

1994-01-01

The contribution of the covalent and the Van der Waals force to the nuclear binding is estimated in a simplified model for medium distance of about 1 fm. It is shown how colour effects suppress these two forces as compared to the case of the forces between atoms. The covalent and the Van der Waals force represent a minor though noticeable component of the nuclear force. (orig.)

Kinetic properties of two Rhizopus exo-polygalacturonase enzymes hydrolyzing galacturonic acid oligomers using isothermal titration calorimetry

Science.gov (United States)

The kinetic characteristics of two Rhizopus oryzae exo-polygalacturonases acting on galacturonic acid oligomers (GalpA) were determined using isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC). RPG15 hydrolyzing (GalpA)2 demonstrated a Km of 55 uM and kcat of 10.3 s^-1^ while RPG16 was shown to have greater af...

Application of the Moessbauer effect to the study of the structure of transition metal complexes; Applications de l'effet Mossbauer a l'etude de la structure des complexes des metaux de transition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tsymbal, C [Commissariat a l' Energie Atomique, Grenoble (France). Centre d' Etudes Nucleaires

1968-07-01

In this survey, the structural investigations of transition metal complexes by the hyperfine interactions in the Moessbauer effect are described. The isomer shift provides a unique tool for estimating s electrons covalency in high spin complexes and one of the best pieces of evidence for the importance of bacle donation in low spin complexes. The electric field gradient deriving from quadrupole coupling measurements is correlated with the energy levels distribution of d orbitals in high spin complexes, whereas in low spin complexes it originates from the unbalanced d electrons. (authors) [French] Dans cette etude, nous decrivons les applications des interactions hyperfines dans l' effet Mossbauer a l'etude de la structure des complexes des metaux de transition. Le deplacement isomerique donne des informations tres utiles sur la covalence des electrons s dans les complexes a spin eleve et met en evidence d'une maniere nette l'importance du phenomene de 'bacle donation' dans les complexes a spin faible. Le gradient de champ electrique qui provient des mesures d'interaction quadripolaire est lie a la distribution des niveaux d'energie des orbitales d dans les complexes a spin eleve alors que dans les complexes a spin faible, il est provoque par des electrons d non apparies. (auteurs)

Solvent-free covalent functionalization of multi-walled carbon nanotubes and nanodiamond with diamines: Looking for cross-linking effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basiuk, Elena V., E-mail: elenagd@unam.mx [Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnologico, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Nanophysics Department, Italian Institute of Technology, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Liguria (Italy); Basiuk, Vladimir A. [Nanophysics Department, Italian Institute of Technology, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Liguria (Italy); Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Autonoma del Estado de Morelos, Av. Universidad 1001, Col. Chamilpa, 62209 Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico); Meza-Laguna, Victor; Contreras-Torres, Flavio F.; Martinez, Melchor [Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnologico, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Rojas-Aguilar, Aaron [Centro de Investigacion y de Estudios Avanzados, Instituto Politecnico Nacional, Av. Instituto Politecnico Nacional 2508, Col. San Pedro Zacatenco, 07360 Mexico, D.F. (Mexico); Salerno, Marco [Nanophysics Department, Italian Institute of Technology, via Morego 30, 16163 Genova, Liguria (Italy); and others

2012-10-15

Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Diamines were used for one-step functionalization of nanotubes and nanodiamond. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We found experimental evidences of cross-linking effects in these nanomaterials. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer We found a strong orientation effect in the functionalized carbon nanotubes. - Abstract: The covalent functionalization of carbon nanomaterials with diamines is a way to enhance the mechanical strength of nanocomposites due to cross-linking effects, to form complex networks for nanotube-based electronic circuits, as well as is important for a number of biomedical applications. The main goal of the present work was to covalently functionalize pristine multi-walled carbon nanotubes and nanodiamond with three aliphatic diamines (1,8-diaminooctane, 1,10-diaminodecane and 1,12-diaminododecane) and one aromatic diamine (1,5-diaminonaphthalene), by employing a simple one-step solvent-free methodology, which is based on thermal instead of chemical activation. We looked for experimental evidences of cross-linking effects in the carbon nanomaterials synthesized by using solubility/dispersibility tests, atomic force microscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, as well as Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy and thermogravimetric analysis for additional characterization.

Acid-base properties of complexes with three-dimensional polyligands. Complexes with three-dimensional polyphosphoric acids

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kopylova, V.D.; Bojko, Eh.T.; Saldadze, K.M.

1985-01-01

By the method of potentiometric titration acid-base properties of uranyl (2) complexes with three-dimensional polyphosphoric acids, KRF-8p, KF-1, KF-7 prepared by phosphorylation of copolymer of styrene and divinylbenzene or saponification of the copolymers of di-2,2'-chloroethyl ester of vinylphosphonic acid with divinyl benzene are studied. It is shown that in case of formation in the phase of three-dimensional polyphosphoric acids of UO 2 2+ complexes with the growth of bond covalence of metal ion-phosphonic group the acidjty of the second hydroxyl of the phosphonic group increases

Combination of supramolecular cross-linking with covalent cross-linking through epoxide ring-opening including gel studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofmeier, H.; El-Ghayoury, A.; Schubert, U.S.

2003-01-01

Terpolymers based on poly(methyl methacrylate), containing terpyridinemoieties as well as epoxide groups, were synthesized via free-radical polymerization. The products were cross-linked non-covalently with iron(II) ions and covalently by treatment with AlCl3. Both steps could be combined in

Immobilization of β-glucosidase onto mesoporous silica support: Physical adsorption and covalent binding of enzyme

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ivetić Darjana Ž.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available This paper investigates β-glucosidase immobilization onto mesoporous silica support by physical adsorption and covalent binding. The immobilization was carried out onto micro-size silica aggregates with the average pore size of 29 nm. During physical adsorption the highest yield of immobilized β-glucosidase was obtained at initial protein concentration of 0.9 mg ml-1. Addition of NaCl increased 1.7-fold, while Triton X-100 addition decreased 6-fold yield of adsorption in comparison to the one obtained without any addition. Covalently bonded β-glucosidase, via glutaraldehyde previously bonded to silanized silica, had higher yield of immobilized enzyme as well as higher activity and substrate affinity in comparison to the one physically adsorbed. Covalent binding did not considerably changed pH and temperature stability of obtained biocatalyst in range of values that are commonly used in reactions in comparison to unbounded enzyme. Furthermore, covalent binding provided biocatalyst which retained over 70% of its activity after 10 cycles of reuse. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. III 45021

Covalent bindings in proteins following UV-C irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diezel, W.; Meffert, H.; Soennichsen, N.; Reinicke, C.

1980-01-01

Following a UV-C irradiation of catalase cross-linked catalase subunits could be detected by sodium dodecylsulfate gel electrophoresis. The subunits of aldolase were not cross-linked. The origin of covalent bindings in the catalase molecule is suggested to be effected by a free radical chain reaction induced by the heme component of catalase after UV-C irradiation. (author)

Anisotropic Covalency Contributions to Superexchange Pathways in Type One Copper Active Sites

Science.gov (United States)

2015-01-01

Type one (T1) Cu sites deliver electrons to catalytic Cu active sites: the mononuclear type two (T2) Cu site in nitrite reductases (NiRs) and the trinuclear Cu cluster in the multicopper oxidases (MCOs). The T1 Cu and the remote catalytic sites are connected via a Cys-His intramolecular electron-transfer (ET) bridge, which contains two potential ET pathways: P1 through the protein backbone and P2 through the H-bond between the Cys and the His. The high covalency of the T1 Cu–S(Cys) bond is shown here to activate the T1 Cu site for hole superexchange via occupied valence orbitals of the bridge. This covalency-activated electronic coupling (HDA) facilitates long-range ET through both pathways. These pathways can be selectively activated depending on the geometric and electronic structure of the T1 Cu site and thus the anisotropic covalency of the T1 Cu–S(Cys) bond. In NiRs, blue (π-type) T1 sites utilize P1 and green (σ-type) T1 sites utilize P2, with P2 being more efficient. Comparing the MCOs to NiRs, the second-sphere environment changes the conformation of the Cys-His pathway, which selectively activates HDA for superexchange by blue π sites for efficient turnover in catalysis. These studies show that a given protein bridge, here Cys-His, provides different superexchange pathways and electronic couplings depending on the anisotropic covalencies of the donor and acceptor metal sites. PMID:25310460

Theoretical study of trivalent element complexes for the nuclear waste reprocessing; Etude theorique de complexes d'elements f trivalents pour le retraitement des dechets nucleaires

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petit, L

2007-10-15

Current energetic and environmental concerns have made the nuclear waste reprocessing to be a major issue in numerous countries. One avenue to treat nuclear spent fuel requires separating selectively trivalent minor actinides An (Am{sup 3+}, Cm{sup 3+}) from lanthanides Ln. In this regard, nitrogen extractants are under study. Their selectivity toward actinides is still unclear, but could be the result of enhanced covalency effects with trivalent minor actinides with respect to lanthanides (III). In this thesis, we have performed DFT calculations (Density Functional Theory) to study covalency effects within the actinide-ligand bond, following three main axes of research: advanced study of the nature of the chemical bonding, spectroscopic characterization of covalency, and preliminary tests of ab initio molecular dynamics for future calculations in solvent. Methods that are not regularly applied to trivalent actinides complexes have been used: topological methods, TDDFT, LDDFT, ab initio molecular dynamics. We have managed to show that the selectivity of the BTP ligand - the most effective An/Ln extractant to date - comes at least for a part from stronger covalency effects within the An-BTP bond with respect to the Ln-BTP bond, which has never been proved before. (author)

Identification and characterization of stable membrane protein complexes

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spelbrink, R.E.J.

2007-01-01

Many membrane proteins exist as oligomers. Such oligomers play an important role in a broad variety of cellular processes such as ion transport, energy transduction, osmosensing and cell wall synthesis. We developed an electrophoresis-based method of identifying oligomeric membrane proteins that are

Combination of supramolecular cross-linking with covalent cross-linking through epoxide ring-opening including gel studies

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Hofmeier, H.; El-Ghayoury, A.; Schubert, U.S.

2003-01-01

Terpolymers based on poly(methyl methacrylate), containing terpyridine-moieties as well as epoxide groups, were synthesized via free-radical polymeri-zation. The products were cross-linked non-covalently with iron(II) ions and cova-lently by treatment with AlCl3. Both steps could be combined in

Effect of side chain length and degree of polymerization on the decomposition and crystallization behaviour of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Heinze, D.; Mang, Th.; Popescu, C.; Weichold, O.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • Thermal behaviour of telomerized polyvinyl esters is investigated. • Thermal stability relies mainly on the contribution of side chains. • At equal molecular weights thermal stability is dictated by length of side chain. • Increasing the length of side chains improves also the packing degree of polymer. - Abstract: Four members of a homologous series of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers CCl_3–(CH_2CH (OCO(CH_2)_mCH_3))_n–Cl with degrees of polymerization of 10 and 20 were prepared by telomerisation using carbon tetrachloride. The number of side chain carbon atoms ranges from 2 (poly(vinyl acetate) to 18 (poly(vinyl stearate)). The effect of the n-alkyl side chain length and of the degree of polymerization on the thermal stability and crystallization behaviour of the synthesized compounds was investigated. All oligomers degrade in two major steps by first losing HCl and side chains with subsequent breakdown of the backbone. The members with short side chains, up to poly(vinyl octanoate), are amorphous and show internal plasticization, whereas those with high number of side chain carbon atoms are semi-crystalline due to side-chain crystallization. A better packing for poly(vinyl stearate) is also noticeable. The glass transition and melting temperatures as well as the onset temperature of decomposition are influenced to a larger extent by the side chain length than by the degree of polymerization. Thermal stability is improved if both the size and number of side chains increase, but only a long side chain causes a significant increase of the resistance to degradation. This results in a stabilization of PVAc so that oligomers from poly(vinyl octanoate) on are stable under atmospheric conditions. Thus, the way to design stable, chlorinated PVEs oligomers is to use a long n-alkyl side chain.

Effect of side chain length and degree of polymerization on the decomposition and crystallization behaviour of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heinze, D.; Mang, Th. [Aachen University of Applied Sciences, Heinrich-Mussmann-Str. 1, 52428 Jülich (Germany); Popescu, C., E-mail: crisan.popescu@kao.com [KAO Germany GmbH, Pfungstädterstr. 98-100, 64297 Darmstadt (Germany); Weichold, O., E-mail: weichold@ibac.rwth-aachen.de [Institute of Building Materials Research, Schinkelstr. 3, 52062 Aachen (Germany)

2016-08-10

Highlights: • Thermal behaviour of telomerized polyvinyl esters is investigated. • Thermal stability relies mainly on the contribution of side chains. • At equal molecular weights thermal stability is dictated by length of side chain. • Increasing the length of side chains improves also the packing degree of polymer. - Abstract: Four members of a homologous series of chlorinated poly(vinyl ester) oligomers CCl{sub 3}–(CH{sub 2}CH (OCO(CH{sub 2}){sub m}CH{sub 3})){sub n}–Cl with degrees of polymerization of 10 and 20 were prepared by telomerisation using carbon tetrachloride. The number of side chain carbon atoms ranges from 2 (poly(vinyl acetate) to 18 (poly(vinyl stearate)). The effect of the n-alkyl side chain length and of the degree of polymerization on the thermal stability and crystallization behaviour of the synthesized compounds was investigated. All oligomers degrade in two major steps by first losing HCl and side chains with subsequent breakdown of the backbone. The members with short side chains, up to poly(vinyl octanoate), are amorphous and show internal plasticization, whereas those with high number of side chain carbon atoms are semi-crystalline due to side-chain crystallization. A better packing for poly(vinyl stearate) is also noticeable. The glass transition and melting temperatures as well as the onset temperature of decomposition are influenced to a larger extent by the side chain length than by the degree of polymerization. Thermal stability is improved if both the size and number of side chains increase, but only a long side chain causes a significant increase of the resistance to degradation. This results in a stabilization of PVAc so that oligomers from poly(vinyl octanoate) on are stable under atmospheric conditions. Thus, the way to design stable, chlorinated PVEs oligomers is to use a long n-alkyl side chain.

Eckmaxol, a Phlorotannin Extracted from Ecklonia maxima, Produces Anti-β-amyloid Oligomer Neuroprotective Effects Possibly via Directly Acting on Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3β.

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Jialing; Zheng, Jiachen; Huang, Chunhui; Zhao, Jiaying; Lin, Jiajia; Zhou, Xuezhen; Naman, C Benjamin; Wang, Ning; Gerwick, William H; Wang, Qinwen; Yan, Xiaojun; Cui, Wei; He, Shan

2018-04-10

Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that mainly affects the elderly. Soluble β-amyloid oligomer, which can induce neurotoxicity, is generally regarded as the main neurotoxin in Alzheimer's disease. Here we report that eckmaxol, a phlorotannin extracted from the brown alga Ecklonia maxima, could produce neuroprotective effects in SH-SY5Y cells. Eckmaxol effectively prevented but did not rescue β-amyloid oligomer-induced neuronal apoptosis and increase of intracellular reactive oxygen species. Eckmaxol also significantly reversed the decreased expression of phospho-Ser9-glycogen synthase kinase 3β and increased expression of phospho-extracellular signal-regulated kinase, which was induced by Aβ oligomer. Moreover, both glycogen synthase kinase 3β and mitogen activated protein kinase inhibitors produced neuroprotective effects in SH-SY5Y cells. Furthermore, eckmaxol showed favorable interaction in the ATP binding site of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and mitogen activated protein kinase. These results suggested that eckmaxol might produce neuroprotective effects via concurrent inhibition of glycogen synthase kinase 3β and extracellular signal-regulated kinase pathways, possibly via directly acting on glycogen synthase kinase 3β and mitogen activated protein kinase. Based on the central role that β-amyloid oligomers play in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease and the high annual production of Ecklonia maxima for alginate and other nutritional ingredients, this report represents a new candidate for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease, and also expands the potential application of Ecklonia maxima and its constituents in the field of pharmacology.

Analysis of Proteins, Protein Complexes, and Organellar Proteomes Using Sheathless Capillary Zone Electrophoresis - Native Mass Spectrometry

Science.gov (United States)

Belov, Arseniy M.; Viner, Rosa; Santos, Marcia R.; Horn, David M.; Bern, Marshall; Karger, Barry L.; Ivanov, Alexander R.

2017-12-01

Native mass spectrometry (MS) is a rapidly advancing field in the analysis of proteins, protein complexes, and macromolecular species of various types. The majority of native MS experiments reported to-date has been conducted using direct infusion of purified analytes into a mass spectrometer. In this study, capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) was coupled online to Orbitrap mass spectrometers using a commercial sheathless interface to enable high-performance separation, identification, and structural characterization of limited amounts of purified proteins and protein complexes, the latter with preserved non-covalent associations under native conditions. The performance of both bare-fused silica and polyacrylamide-coated capillaries was assessed using mixtures of protein standards known to form non-covalent protein-protein and protein-ligand complexes. High-efficiency separation of native complexes is demonstrated using both capillary types, while the polyacrylamide neutral-coated capillary showed better reproducibility and higher efficiency for more complex samples. The platform was then evaluated for the determination of monoclonal antibody aggregation and for analysis of proteomes of limited complexity using a ribosomal isolate from E. coli. Native CZE-MS, using accurate single stage and tandem-MS measurements, enabled identification of proteoforms and non-covalent complexes at femtomole levels. This study demonstrates that native CZE-MS can serve as an orthogonal and complementary technique to conventional native MS methodologies with the advantages of low sample consumption, minimal sample processing and losses, and high throughput and sensitivity. This study presents a novel platform for analysis of ribosomes and other macromolecular complexes and organelles, with the potential for discovery of novel structural features defining cellular phenotypes (e.g., specialized ribosomes). [Figure not available: see fulltext.

An approach for degradation of grape seed and skin proanthocyanidin polymers into oligomers by sulphurous acid.

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Lanxin; Cui, Yan; Cheng, Jinhui; Fang, Bairui; Wei, Zongmin; Sun, Baoshan

2018-08-01

To develop an efficient method for degradation of grape seed and skin proanthocyanidins polymers into oligomers, an optimized sulphurous acid degradation conditions for grape seed with the temperature of 60 °C, reaction time of 60 min and sample-sulphurous acid ratio of 1:0.2, and for grape skin with the temperature of 40 °C, reaction time of 60 min and sample-sulphurous acid ratio of 1:0.2, were established. Afterwards, HSCCC and prep-HPLC were used to fractionate and isolate individual proanthocyanidin oligomers from the degradation products. Total of ten dimeric or trimeric procyanidins were obtained, and most of them presented high yield (from 0.7 mg to 13.6 mg per run in grape seed and from 0.5 mg to 4.1 mg per run in grape skin) and high purity (over 90%). The proposed method provides a new way for large preparation of oligomeric proanthocyanidins from naturally abundant and wasted polymeric ones. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Identification of chlorinated oligomers formed during anodic oxidation of phenol in the presence of chloride

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen, Linxi; Campo, Pablo; Kupferle, Margaret J.

2015-01-01

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • By-products from anodic oxidation of phenol in the presence of chloride are investigated. • Chlorinated oligomer formation is demonstrated by LC-QTOF-MS. • They have structures similar to triclosan and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. - Abstract: Chlorinated oligomer intermediates formed during the anodic electrochemical oxidation of phenol with a boron-doped diamond electrode were studied at two different concentrations of chloride (5 mM and 50 mM). Under the same ionic strength, with sodium sulfate being the make-up ion, a 10-fold increase in Cl − led to removal rates 10.8, 1.5, and 1.4 times higher for phenol, TOC, and COD, respectively. Mono-, di- and trichlorophenols resulting from electrophilic substitution were the identified by-products. Nevertheless, discrepancies between theoretical and measured TOC values along with gaps in the mass balance of chlorine-containing species indicated the formation of unaccounted-for chlorinated by-products. Accurate mass measurements by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and MS-MS fragmentation spectra showed that additional compounds formed were dimers and trimers of phenol with structures similar to triclosan and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins

Morpholino oligomer-mediated exon skipping averts the onset of dystrophic pathology in the mdx mouse.

Science.gov (United States)

Fletcher, Sue; Honeyman, Kaite; Fall, Abbie M; Harding, Penny L; Johnsen, Russell D; Steinhaus, Joshua P; Moulton, Hong M; Iversen, Patrick L; Wilton, Stephen D

2007-09-01

Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophies are allelic disorders arising from mutations in the dystrophin gene. Duchenne muscular dystrophy is characterized by an absence of functional protein, whereas Becker muscular dystrophy, commonly caused by in-frame deletions, shows synthesis of partially functional protein. Anti-sense oligonucleotides can induce specific exon removal during processing of the dystrophin primary transcript, while maintaining or restoring the reading frame, and thereby overcome protein-truncating mutations. The mdx mouse has a non-sense mutation in exon 23 of the dystrophin gene that precludes functional dystrophin production, and this model has been used in the development of treatment strategies for dystrophinopathies. A phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) has previously been shown to exclude exon 23 from the dystrophin gene transcript and induce dystrophin expression in the mdxmouse, in vivo and in vitro. In this report, a cell-penetrating peptide (CPP)-conjugated oligomer targeted to the mouse dystrophin exon 23 donor splice site was administered to mdxmice by intraperitoneal injection. We demonstrate dystrophin expression and near-normal muscle architecture in all muscles examined, except for cardiac muscle. The CPP greatly enhanced uptake of the PMO, resulting in widespread dystrophin expression.

Identification of chlorinated oligomers formed during anodic oxidation of phenol in the presence of chloride

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Linxi; Campo, Pablo; Kupferle, Margaret J., E-mail: margaret.kupferle@uc.edu

2015-02-11

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • By-products from anodic oxidation of phenol in the presence of chloride are investigated. • Chlorinated oligomer formation is demonstrated by LC-QTOF-MS. • They have structures similar to triclosan and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins. - Abstract: Chlorinated oligomer intermediates formed during the anodic electrochemical oxidation of phenol with a boron-doped diamond electrode were studied at two different concentrations of chloride (5 mM and 50 mM). Under the same ionic strength, with sodium sulfate being the make-up ion, a 10-fold increase in Cl{sup −} led to removal rates 10.8, 1.5, and 1.4 times higher for phenol, TOC, and COD, respectively. Mono-, di- and trichlorophenols resulting from electrophilic substitution were the identified by-products. Nevertheless, discrepancies between theoretical and measured TOC values along with gaps in the mass balance of chlorine-containing species indicated the formation of unaccounted-for chlorinated by-products. Accurate mass measurements by liquid chromatography quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry and MS-MS fragmentation spectra showed that additional compounds formed were dimers and trimers of phenol with structures similar to triclosan and polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins.

Achieving enhanced hydrophobicity of graphene membranes by covalent modification with polydimethylsiloxane

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lei, Wei-Wei; Li, Hang [College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Shi, Ling-Ying, E-mail: shilingying@scu.edu.cn [College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Diao, Yong-Fu; Zhang, Yu-Lin; Ran, Rong [College of Polymer Science and Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Polymer Materials Engineering, Sichuan University, Chengdu 610065 (China); Ni, Wei, E-mail: niwei@iccas.ac.cn [Institute of Chemical Materials, China Academy of Engineering Physics, Chengdu 610200 (China)

2017-05-15

Highlights: • The graphene oxide (GO) was covalently modified by amino terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) through amidation reaction. • Through the vacuum filtration method, the GO, RGO and PDMS-modified graphene membranes were successfully prepared respectively. • The morphology of membranes had smooth surface and well-stacked structure indicated by SEM and EDS mapping results. • The contact angle of GO-g-PDMS membrane was high to be 129.5° indicating a great enhancement of hydrophobicity. - Abstract: In this study, the graphene oxide was covalently modified by amino terminated polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) through amidation reaction. And the membranes of the graphene oxide (GO), reduced graphene oxide (RGO) and PDMS-covalently modified graphene were prepared respectively by a vacuum filtration method, and the wettability of these membranes were investigated. Infrared spectroscopy, Raman, X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and thermogravimetry analysis combined with dispersion ability indicated that PDMS chains were successfully grafted on the surface of graphene oxide sheets. The morphology of the prepared membranes had smooth surface and well-stacked structure in the cross-section indicated by the scanning electron microscope and EDS-mapping. The contact angle measurements indicated that the PDMS-modified graphene membrane with water contact angle 129.5° showed increased hydrophobicity compared with GO and RGO membranes.

Theoretical study of trivalent element complexes for the nuclear waste reprocessing

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petit, L.

2007-10-01

Current energetic and environmental concerns have made the nuclear waste reprocessing to be a major issue in numerous countries. One avenue to treat nuclear spent fuel requires separating selectively trivalent minor actinides An (Am 3+ , Cm 3+ ) from lanthanides Ln. In this regard, nitrogen extractants are under study. Their selectivity toward actinides is still unclear, but could be the result of enhanced covalency effects with trivalent minor actinides with respect to lanthanides (III). In this thesis, we have performed DFT calculations (Density Functional Theory) to study covalency effects within the actinide-ligand bond, following three main axes of research: advanced study of the nature of the chemical bonding, spectroscopic characterization of covalency, and preliminary tests of ab initio molecular dynamics for future calculations in solvent. Methods that are not regularly applied to trivalent actinides complexes have been used: topological methods, TDDFT, LDDFT, ab initio molecular dynamics. We have managed to show that the selectivity of the BTP ligand - the most effective An/Ln extractant to date - comes at least for a part from stronger covalency effects within the An-BTP bond with respect to the Ln-BTP bond, which has never been proved before. (author)

Yttrium and lanthanide nitrate complexes of N,N1-bis(4-antipyryl methylidene) ethylenediamine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Joseph, Siby; Radhakrishnan, P.K.

1998-01-01

Complexes of yttrium and lanthanide nitrates with a Schiff base, N, N 1 -bis(4-antipyrylmethylidene)ethylenediamine (BAME) having the general formula [Ln(BAME) 2 (NO 3 )](NO 3 ) 2 , where Ln = Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Ho and Er have been synthesised and characterised by elemental analyses, molar conductance in non-aqueous solvents, electronic, infrared and proton NMR spectra. BAME acts as a neutral bidentate ligand coordinating through both azomethine nitrogen atoms. One of the nitrate groups is coordinated in a bidentate manner. A coordination number of six may be assigned to the metal ion in these complexes. The covalency parameters evaluated from the solid state electronic spectra suggest weak covalent character of the metal-ligand bond. (author)

COVAL, Compound Probability Distribution for Function of Probability Distribution

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Astolfi, M.; Elbaz, J.

1979-01-01

1 - Nature of the physical problem solved: Computation of the probability distribution of a function of variables, given the probability distribution of the variables themselves. 'COVAL' has been applied to reliability analysis of a structure subject to random loads. 2 - Method of solution: Numerical transformation of probability distributions

Molecular and electronic structure of osmium complexes confined to Au(111) surfaces using a self-assembled molecular bridge

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Llave, Ezequiel de la; Herrera, Santiago E.; Adam, Catherine; Méndez De Leo, Lucila P.; Calvo, Ernesto J.; Williams, Federico J., E-mail: fwilliams@qi.fcen.uba.ar [INQUIMAE-CONICET, Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química-Física, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad Universitaria, Pabellón 2, Buenos Aires C1428EHA (Argentina)

2015-11-14

The molecular and electronic structure of Os(II) complexes covalently bonded to self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) on Au(111) surfaces was studied by means of polarization modulation infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy, photoelectron spectroscopies, scanning tunneling microscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and density functional theory calculations. Attachment of the Os complex to the SAM proceeds via an amide covalent bond with the SAM alkyl chain 40° tilted with respect to the surface normal and a total thickness of 26 Å. The highest occupied molecular orbital of the Os complex is mainly based on the Os(II) center located 2.2 eV below the Fermi edge and the LUMO molecular orbital is mainly based on the bipyridine ligands located 1.5 eV above the Fermi edge.

Antisense Phosphorodiamidate Morpholino Oligomers as Novel Antiviral Compounds

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yuchen Nan

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomers (PMO are short single-stranded DNA analogs that are built upon a backbone of morpholine rings connected by phosphorodiamidate linkages. As uncharged nucleic acid analogs, PMO bind to complementary sequences of target mRNA by Watson–Crick base pairing to block protein translation through steric blockade. PMO interference of viral protein translation operates independently of RNase H. Meanwhile, PMO are resistant to a variety of enzymes present in biologic fluids, a characteristic that makes them highly suitable for in vivo applications. Notably, PMO-based therapy for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration which is now a hallmark for PMO-based antisense therapy. In this review, the development history of PMO, delivery methods for improving cellular uptake of neutrally charged PMO molecules, past studies of PMO antagonism against RNA and DNA viruses, PMO target selection, and remaining questions of PMO antiviral strategies are discussed in detail and new insights are provided.

The L polymerase protein of parainfluenza virus 3 forms an oligomer and can interact with the heterologous Sendai virus L, P and C proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smallwood, Sherin; Moyer, Sue A.

2004-01-01

We recently showed that the L protein of Sendai virus is present as an oligomer in the active P-L polymerase complex [Smallwood et al., Virology 304 (2002) 235]. We now demonstrate using two different epitope tags that the L protein of a second respirovirus, human parainfluenza type 3 virus (PIV3), also forms an L-L complex. L oligomerization requires the coexpression of the differentially epitope tagged L proteins. By exploiting a series of C-terminal truncations the L-L binding site maps to the N-terminal half of L. There is some complex formation between the heterologous PIV3 and Sendai L and P proteins; however, the heterologous L protein does not function in transcription of either the PIV3 or Sendai template. The PIV3 C protein binds PIV3 L and inhibits RNA synthesis in vitro and in vivo. Significant homology exists between the C proteins of PIV3 and Sendai and complex formation occurs between the PIV3 and Sendai heterologous C and L proteins. In addition, the heterologous C proteins can inhibit transcription at ∼50% of the level of the homologous protein. These data suggest that while the C proteins may be functionally somewhat interchangeable, the L and P proteins are specific for each virus

Nature and consequences of non-covalent interactions between flavonoids and macronutrients in foods.

Science.gov (United States)

Bordenave, Nicolas; Hamaker, Bruce R; Ferruzzi, Mario G

2014-01-01

Many of the potential health benefits of flavonoids have been associated with their specific chemical and biological properties including their ability to interact and bind non-covalently to macronutrients in foods. While flavonoid-protein interactions and binding have been the subject of intensive study, significantly less is understood about non-covalent interactions with carbohydrates and lipids. These interactions with macronutrients are likely to impact both the flavonoid properties in foods, such as their radical scavenging activity, and the food or beverage matrix itself, including their taste, texture and other sensorial properties. Overall, non-covalent binding of flavonoids with macronutrients is primarily driven by van der Waals interactions. From the flavonoid perspective, these interactions are modulated by characteristics such as degree of polymerization, molecular flexibility, number of external hydroxyl groups, or number of terminal galloyl groups. From the macronutrient standpoint, electrostatic and ionic interactions are generally predominant with carbohydrates, while hydrophobic interactions are generally predominant with lipids and mainly limited to interactions with flavonols. All of these interactions are involved in flavonoid-protein interactions. While primarily associated with undesirable characteristics in foods and beverages, such as astringency, negative impact on macronutrient digestibility and hazing, more recent efforts have attempted to leverage these interactions to develop controlled delivery systems or strategies to enhance flavonoids bioavailability. This paper aims at reviewing the fundamental bases for non-covalent interactions, their occurrence in food and beverage systems and their impact on the physico-chemical, organoleptic and some nutritional properties of food.

Diastereotopic covalent binding of the natural inhibitor leupeptin to trypsin: Detection of two interconverting hemiacetals by solution and solid-state NMR spectroscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ortiz, C.; Tellier, C.; Williams, H.; Stolowich, N.J.; Scott, A.I.

1991-01-01

The naturally occurring peptidyl protease inhibitor leupeptin (N-acetyl-L-leucyl-L-leucyl-L-argininal) has been prepared labeled with 13 C at the argininal carbonyl. 13 C chemical shift data for the trypsin-leupeptin inhibitor complex in the pH range 3.0-7.6 reveal the presence of two pH-dependent covalent complexes, suggestive of two interconverting diastereomers at the new asymmetric tetrahedral center created by covalent addition of Ser195 to either side of the 13 C-enriched aldehyde of the inhibitor. At pH 7 two signals are observable at δ 98.8 and δ 97.2 (84:16 ratio), while at pH 3.0 the latter signal predominates. In the selective proton 13 C-edited NOE spectrum of the major diastereomer at pH 7.4, a strong NOE is observed between the hemiacetal proton of the inhibitor and the C2 proton of His57 of the enzyme, thus defining the stereochemistry of the high pH complex to the S configuration in which the hemiacetal oxygen resides in the oxyanion hole. pH titration studies further indicate that the 13 C chemical shift of the S diastereomer follows a titration curve with a pK a of 4.69, the magnitude of which is consistent with direct titration of the hemiacetal oxygen. Similar pH-dependent chemical shifts were obtained by using CPMAS 13 C NMR, providing evidence for the existence of the same diastereomeric equilibrium in the solid state

Covalent bonds and their crucial effects on pseudogap formation in α-Al(Mn,Re)Si icosahedral quasicrystalline approximant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirihara, K.; Nagata, T.; Kimura, K.; Kato, K.; Takata, M.; Nishibori, E.; Sakata, M.

2003-01-01

X-ray charge densities of Al-based icosahedral quasicrystalline approximant crystals α-AlReSi, α-AlMnSi, and Al 12 Re were observed by a combination of the maximum entropy method with the Rietveld method. We successfully obtained the clear images of interatomic covalent bonds between Al and transition metals (Mn, Re) and those in the Al (or Si) icosahedron in Mackay icosahedral clusters of both α-AlReSi and α-AlMnSi approximant crystals. The bonding nature of the three kinds of glue atom sites connecting Mackay icosahedral clusters was also clarified. This covalent bonding nature should strongly relate with the enhancement of the electron density-of-states pseudogap near the Fermi level. In addition, the interatomic covalent bonds of α-AlReSi are stronger than those of α-AlMnSi. This fact leads to the low effective carrier density of α-AlReSi in comparison with that of α-AlMnSi. Unlike the covalent bonding nature of an icosahedron in α-AlReSi and α-AlMnSi crystals, the Al icosahedron with an Re center atom exhibits no Al-Al interatomic covalent bonds in the Al 12 Re crystal. The tendency for metallic-covalent bonding conversion in the Al icosahedron, which is related to the atom site occupancy of the icosahedral cluster center, is also strongly supported

Charge Delocalization in Oligomers of Poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), PBTTT

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Yuexing

2016-04-25

We investigate theoretically charge delocalization in radical-cations, i.e., positive polarons, formed on oligomer chains of poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), PBTTT. We use non-empirically tuned range-separated density functionals (TRS-DFT), including LC-ωPBE, LC-BLYP, and ωB97XD. We consider the evolution with oligomer length of the molecular geometric and electronic structures, optical absorption features, and spin densities. The TRS-DFT results indicate that a positive polaron can delocalize ideally over some 10 thiophene rings when the backbone is non-planar and up to 14 rings for a backbone forced to be completely planar. Interestingly, up to six polarons can co-exist side-by-side in a hexamer (which contains 24 thiophene rings), which is consistent with the highest degrees of doping (oxidation) experimentally achievable in polythiophene derivatives.

Charge Delocalization in Oligomers of Poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), PBTTT

KAUST Repository

Zhang, Yuexing; Steyrleuthner, Robert; Bredas, Jean-Luc

2016-01-01

We investigate theoretically charge delocalization in radical-cations, i.e., positive polarons, formed on oligomer chains of poly(2,5-bis(3-alkylthiophene-2-yl)thieno[3,2-b]thiophene), PBTTT. We use non-empirically tuned range-separated density functionals (TRS-DFT), including LC-ωPBE, LC-BLYP, and ωB97XD. We consider the evolution with oligomer length of the molecular geometric and electronic structures, optical absorption features, and spin densities. The TRS-DFT results indicate that a positive polaron can delocalize ideally over some 10 thiophene rings when the backbone is non-planar and up to 14 rings for a backbone forced to be completely planar. Interestingly, up to six polarons can co-exist side-by-side in a hexamer (which contains 24 thiophene rings), which is consistent with the highest degrees of doping (oxidation) experimentally achievable in polythiophene derivatives.

The yeast cell fusion protein Prm1p requires covalent dimerization to promote membrane fusion.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alex Engel

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Prm1p is a multipass membrane protein that promotes plasma membrane fusion during yeast mating. The mechanism by which Prm1p and other putative regulators of developmentally controlled cell-cell fusion events facilitate membrane fusion has remained largely elusive. Here, we report that Prm1p forms covalently linked homodimers. Covalent Prm1p dimer formation occurs via intermolecular disulfide bonds of two cysteines, Cys-120 and Cys-545. PRM1 mutants in which these cysteines have been substituted are fusion defective. These PRM1 mutants are normally expressed, retain homotypic interaction and can traffic to the fusion zone. Because prm1-C120S and prm1-C545S mutants can form covalent dimers when coexpressed with wild-type PRM1, an intermolecular C120-C545 disulfide linkage is inferred. Cys-120 is adjacent to a highly conserved hydrophobic domain. Mutation of a charged residue within this hydrophobic domain abrogates formation of covalent dimers, trafficking to the fusion zone, and fusion-promoting activity. The importance of intermolecular disulfide bonding informs models regarding the mechanism of Prm1-mediated cell-cell fusion.

Non-covalent interaction between polyubiquitin and GTP cyclohydrolase 1 dictates its degradation.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu Zhao

Full Text Available GTP cyclohydrolase 1 (GTPCH1 is the rate-limiting enzyme in the de novo synthesis of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4. GTPCH1 protein degradation has been reported in animal models of several diseases, including diabetes mellitus and hypertension. However, the molecular mechanisms by which GTPCH1 is degraded remain uncharacterized. Here we report a novel non-covalent interaction between polyubiquitin and GTPCH1 in vitro and in vivo. The non-covalent binding of GTPCH1 to polyubiquitin via an ubiquitin-binding domain (UBD results in ubiquitination and degradation. Ectopic expression of ubiquitin in cultured cells accelerated GTPCH1 degradation. In cultured cells and in vitro assays, Lys48-linked ubiquitin chains, but not Lys63-linked chains, interacted with GTPCH1 and targeted it for degradation. Consistently, proteasome inhibition attenuated GTPCH1 degradation. Finally, direct mutagenesis of an isoleucine (Ile131 in the hydrophobic patch of the GTPCH1 UBD affected its ubiquitin binding and the enzyme stability. Taken together, we conclude that GTPCH1 non-covalently interacts with polyubiquitin via an ubiquitin-binding domain. The polyubiquitin binding directs GTPCH1 ubiquitination and proteasome degradation.

Inhibition of Heme Peroxidase During Phenol Derivatives Oxidation. Possible Molecular Cloaking of the Active Center

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Juozas Kulys

2005-10-01

Full Text Available Abstract: Ab initio quantum chemical calculations have been applied to the study of the molecular structure of phenol derivatives and oligomers produced during peroxidasecatalyzed oxidation. The interaction of substrates and oligomers with Arthromyces ramosus peroxidase was analyzed by docking methods. The most possible interaction site of oligomers is an active center of the peroxidase. The complexation energy increases with increasing oligomer length. However, the complexed oligomers do not form a precise (for the reaction hydrogen bonding network in the active center of the enzyme. It seems likely that strong but non productive docking of the oligomers determines peroxidase inhibition during the reaction.

Application of infrared spectroscopy for study of chemical bonds in complexes of rare earth nitrates with alkylammonium nitrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Klimov, V.D.; Chudinov, Eh.G.

1974-01-01

The IR absorption spectra for the tri-n-octylamine, methyl-di-n-octylamine, their nitrates and complexes with the rare element nitrates are obtained. The IR spectra analysis of the complexes has suggested that the degree of covalent character bond of a nitrate with a metal grows with the atomic number of the element. Based on the comparison of the obtained data with those available in literature for various rare-earth complexes a conclusion is made that the bond character of a metal with nitrate groups is influenced by all ligands constituting the inner coordinating sphere. As the donor capacity of a ligand grows the covalent character of the metal-nitrate bond is enhanced. The replacement of the outer-sphere cations (trioctylammonium or methyldioctylammonium) only slightly affects the bond character of a metal with the nitrate group. The distribution coefficients in the rare-earth series are shown to decrease as the electrostatic part in the metal-nitrate declines. The phenomenon is attributed to the competition between nitrate and water for the metal bond as concurrently with the intensification of metal-nitrate covalent bond in the organic phase the strength of metal hydrates in aqueous phase grows much faster. (author)

Structural requirements of cholesterol for binding to Vibrio cholerae hemolysin.

Science.gov (United States)

Ikigai, Hajime; Otsuru, Hiroshi; Yamamoto, Koichiro; Shimamura, Tadakatsu

2006-01-01

Cholesterol is necessary for the conversion of Vibrio cholerae hemolysin (VCH) monomers into oligomers in liposome membranes. Using different sterols, we determined the stereochemical structures of the VCH-binding active groups present in cholesterol. The VCH monomers are bound to cholesterol, diosgenin, campesterol, and ergosterol, which have a hydroxyl group at position C-3 (3betaOH) in the A ring and a C-C double bond between positions C-5 and C-6 (C-C Delta(5)) in the B ring. They are not bound to epicholesterol and dihydrocholesterol, which form a covalent link with a 3alphaOH group and a C-C single bond between positions C-5 and C-6, respectively. This result suggests that the 3betaOH group and the C-CDelta(5) bond in cholesterol are required for VCH monomer binding. We further examined VCH oligomer binding to cholesterol. However, this oligomer did not bind to cholesterol, suggesting that the disappearance of the cholesterol-binding potential of the VCH oligomer might be a result of the conformational change caused by the conversion of the monomer into the oligomer. VCH oligomer formation was observed in liposomes containing sterols with the 3betaOH group and the C-C Delta(5) bond, and it correlated with the binding affinity of the monomer to each sterol. Therefore, it seems likely that monomer binding to membrane sterol leads to the assembly of the monomer. However, since oligomer formation was induced by liposomes containing either epicholesterol or dihydrocholesterol, the 3betaOH group and the C-C Delta(5) bond were not essential for conversion into the oligomer.

Data in support of covalent attachment of tyrosinase onto cyanuric chloride crosslinked magnetic nanoparticles

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kourosh Abdollahi

2016-12-01

Full Text Available Preparation and characterization of cross linked amine-functionalized magnetic nanoparticles as an appropriate support for covalent immobilization on tyrosinase was presented in the study "Covalent immobilization of tyrosinase onto cyanuric chloride crosslinked amine-functionalized superparamagnetic nanoparticles: synthesis and characterization of the recyclable nanobiocatalyst" (Abdollahi et al., 2016 [1]. Herein, complementary data regarding X-ray powder diffraction (XRD to characterize the synthesized magnetic nanoparticles, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM to determine the size and morphology of tyrosinase immobilized magnetic nanoparticles (tyrosinase-MNPs were reported. The purification results of the extracted tyrosinase from mushroom Agaricus bisporus were provided in a purification table. The covalent immobilization of tyrosinase onto cyanuric chloride functionalized magnetic nanoparticles was proved by performing thermo-gravimetric and energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analyses. The operational stability of immobilized tyrosinase was investigated by incubating tyrosinase-MNPs at different pH and temperatures.

Chemo-enzymatic modification of poly-N-acetyllactosamine (LacNAc oligomers and N,N-diacetyllactosamine (LacDiNAc based on galactose oxidase treatment

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Christiane E. Kupper

2012-05-01

Full Text Available The importance of glycans in biological systems is highlighted by their various functions in physiological and pathological processes. Many glycan epitopes on glycoproteins and glycolipids are based on N-acetyllactosamine units (LacNAc; Galβ1,4GlcNAc and often present on extended poly-LacNAc glycans ([Galβ1,4GlcNAc]n. Poly-LacNAc itself has been identified as a binding motif of galectins, an important class of lectins with functions in immune response and tumorigenesis. Therefore, the synthesis of natural and modified poly-LacNAc glycans is of specific interest for binding studies with galectins as well as for studies of their possible therapeutic applications. We present the oxidation by galactose oxidase and subsequent chemical or enzymatic modification of terminal galactose and N-acetylgalactosamine residues of poly-N-acetyllactosamine (poly-LacNAc oligomers and N,N-diacetyllactosamine (LacDiNAc by galactose oxidase. Product formation starting from different poly-LacNAc oligomers was characterised and optimised regarding formation of the C6-aldo product. Further modification of the aldehyde containing glycans, either by chemical conversion or enzymatic elongation, was established. Base-catalysed β-elimination, coupling of biotin–hydrazide with subsequent reduction to the corresponding hydrazine linkage, and coupling by reductive amination to an amino-functionalised poly-LacNAc oligomer were performed and the products characterised by LC–MS and NMR analysis. Remarkably, elongation of terminally oxidised poly-LacNAc glycans by β3GlcNAc- and β4Gal-transferase was also successful. In this way, a set of novel, modified poly-LacNAc oligomers containing terminally and/or internally modified galactose residues were obtained, which can be used for binding studies and various other applications.

Formation of mixed organic layers by stepwise electrochemical reduction of diazonium compounds.

Science.gov (United States)

Santos, Luis; Ghilane, Jalal; Lacroix, Jean Christophe

2012-03-28

This work describes the formation of a mixed organic layer covalently attached to a carbon electrode. The strategy adopted is based on two successive electrochemical reductions of diazonium salts. First, bithiophene phenyl (BTB) diazonium salt is reduced using host/guest complexation in a water/cyclodextrin (β-CD) solution. The resulting layer consists of grafted BTB oligomers and cyclodextrin that can be removed from the surface. The electrochemical response of several outer-sphere redox probes on such BTB/CD electrodes is close to that of a diode, thanks to the easily p-dopable oligo(BTB) moieties. When CD is removed from the surface, pinholes are created and this diode like behavior is lost. Following this, nitrophenyl (NP) diazonium is reduced to graft a second component. Electrochemical study shows that upon grafting NP insulating moieties, the diode-like behavior of the layer is restored which demonstrates that NP is grafted predominately in the empty spaces generated by β-CD desorption. As a result, a mixed BTB/NP organic layer covalently attached to a carbon electrode is obtained using a stepwise electrochemical reduction of two diazonium compounds.

Pulmonary toxicity of trichloroethylene in mice. Covalent binding and morphological manifestations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Forkert, P.G.; Birch, D.W.

1989-01-01

We examined the time course of trichloroethylene (TCE)-induced pulmonary injury and focused on morphological changes and covalent binding of [ 14 C]TCE soon after administration of a single dose of TCE (2000 mg/kg) to CD-1 male mice. At 1 hr after chemical treatment, Clara cells of the bronchiolar epithelium exhibited necrotic changes involving the mitochondria and endoplasmic reticulum. Dilatation of the endoplasmic reticulum became more severe at 2 hr after TCE administration and, by 4 hr, distended cisternae coalesced to form small vacuoles within the cytoplasmic matrix of the Clara cell. The severity of cellular damage increased progressively between 8 and 12 hr and, by 24 hr, the majority of Clara cells within an airway were severely vacuolated. Covalent binding of [ 14 C]TCE to lung macromolecules was evident at 1 hr, peaked at 4 hr, declined thereafter, and reached a plateau between 12 and 24 hr. Peak binding (142.6 +/- 31.8 nmol/g of wet weight) represented approximately 20% of [ 14 C]TCE distributed to the lung. Although the levels of binding in the liver were at all times greater than those in the lung, liver injury was relatively insignificant. The results demonstrate a positive correlation between the onset of Clara cell injury and the formation of reactive metabolites, as assessed by covalent binding of [ 14 C]TCE

Effects of Covalent Functionalization of MWCNTs on the Thermal Properties and Non-Isothermal Crystallization Behaviors of PPS Composites

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Myounguk Kim

2017-09-01

Full Text Available In this study, a PPS/MWCNTs composite was prepared with poly(phenylene sulfide (PPS, as well as pristine and covalent functionalized multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs via melt-blending techniques. Moreover, the dispersion of the MWCNTs on the PPS matrix was improved by covalent functionalization as can be seen from a Field-Emission Scanning Electron Microscope (FE-SEM images. The thermal properties of the PPS/MWCNTs composites were characterized using a thermal conductivity analyzer, and a differential scanning calorimeter (DSC. To analyze the crystallization behavior of polymers under conditions similar with those in industry, the non-isothermal crystallization behaviors of the PPS/MWCNTs composites were confirmed using various kinetic equations, such as the modified Avrami equation and Avrami-Ozawa combined equation. The crystallization rate of PPS/1 wt % pristine MWCNTs composite (PPSP1 was faster because of the intrinsic nucleation effect of the MWCNTs. However, the crystallization rates of the composites containing covalently-functionalized MWCNTs were slower than PPSP1 because of the destruction of the MWCNTs graphitic structure via covalent functionalization. Furthermore, the activation energies calculated by Kissinger’s method were consistently decreased by covalent functionalization.

Rhodium thioacetate complexes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Baranovskij, I.B.; Golubnichaya, M.A.; Mazo, G.Ya.

1976-01-01

Thioacetato-complexes of rhodium(II) were prepared by the reaction of thioacetic acid with rhodium(II) carboxylates. Diamagnetic compounds of the type Rh 2 (CH 3 COS) 4 2A, where A=H 2 O, Py, N 2 H 4 .HCl, Thio, KNCS, DMSO, CH 3 CN, CsCl, or CH 3 COSH, were isolated. Their infrared spectra were recorded, and the principal vibrational wavenumbers assigned. The X-ray electron spectra confirm that rhodium is divalent. The thioacetato-complexes are dimeric, with a metal-metal bond. [Rh(NH 3 ) 5 (CH 3 COS)]I 2 was prepared, and its properties studied. The significant decrease in the strength of the bonds formed by the axial ligands with rhodium is due to the strong trans-influence of the covalent rhodium-rhodium sigma-bond

Covalent DNA-protein crosslinking occurs after hyperthermia and radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cress, A.E.; Bowden, G.T.

1983-01-01

Covalent DNA-protein crosslinks occur in exponentially growing mouse leukemia cells (L1210) after exposure to ionizing radiation. The amount of DNA-protein crosslinks as measured by a filter binding assay is dose dependent upon X irradiation. Although hyperthermia and radiation in combination are synergistic with respect to cell lethality, the combination does not result in an increase of DNA-protein crosslinks when assayed immediately following treatments. Hyperthermia (43 degrees C/15 min) given prior to radiation does not alter the radiation dose dependency of the amount of initial crosslinking. In addition, the amount of DNA-protein crosslinking produced by heat plus radiation is independent of the length of heating the cells at 43 degrees C. The DNA-protein crosslinks produced by 50-Gy X ray alone are removed after 2 hr at 37 degrees C. However, if hyperthermia (43 degrees C/15 min) is given prior to 100-Gy X ray, the removal of DNA-protein crosslinks is delayed until 4.0 hr after radiation. Phospho-serine and phospho-threonine bonds are not produced with either radiation or the combination of hyperthermia plus radiation as judged by the resistance of the bonds to guanidine hydrochloride. However, hyperthermia plus radiation causes an increase in phosphate to nitrogen type bonding. These results show that radiation alone causes covalent DNA-protein crosslinks. Hyperthermia in combination with radiation does not increase the total amount of the crosslinks but delays the removal of the crosslinks and alters the distribution of the types of chemical bonding. These data suggest that the synergistic action on hyperthermia with radiation is more related to the rate of removal and the type of chemical bonding involved in the covalent DNA-protein crosslinks rather than the amount of DNA-protein crosslinks

Co-oligomers Based on 2-Methoxy, 5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy phenylene and Thienylenevinylene for Organic Solar Cells

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. El Alamy

2016-07-01

Full Text Available Thanks to their optoelectronic properties and specific applications such as organic solar cells, the research on the lower band gap of organic p-conjugated materials encompassing both polymers and oligomers have been widely studied over the last years. The control of the band gap of these materials is a research issue of ongoing interest. In this study, theoretical study using the DFT method on four oligomers based on 2-methoxy, 5-(2’-ethylhexyloxy phenylene and thienylenevinylene is reported. The theoretical ground-state geometry and electronic structure of the studied molecules were obtained by the DFT method at the B3LYP level with a 6–31G (d basis set. Theoretical knowledge of the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO, the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO energy levels the gap energy (Eg and the open-circuit voltage (Voc of the studied compounds are calculated and discussed. The results of this work suggest these materials as a good candidate for organic solar cells.  DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.17807/orbital.v8i3.800

Privileged Electrophile Sensors: A Resource for Covalent Drug Development.

Science.gov (United States)

Long, Marcus John Curtis; Aye, Yimon

2017-07-20

This Perspective delineates how redox signaling affects the activity of specific enzyme isoforms and how this property may be harnessed for rational drug design. Covalent drugs have resurged in recent years and several reports have extolled the general virtues of developing irreversible inhibitors. Indeed, many modern pharmaceuticals contain electrophilic appendages. Several invoke a warhead that hijacks active-site nucleophiles whereas others take advantage of spectator nucleophilic side chains that do not participate in enzymatic chemistry, but are poised to bind/react with electrophiles. The latest data suggest that innate electrophile sensing-which enables rapid reaction with an endogenous signaling electrophile-is a quintessential resource for the development of covalent drugs. For instance, based on recent work documenting isoform-specific electrophile sensing, isozyme non-specific drugs may be converted to isozyme-specific analogs by hijacking privileged first-responder electrophile-sensing cysteines. Because this approach targets functionally relevant cysteines, we can simultaneously harness previously untapped moonlighting roles of enzymes linked to redox sensing. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reversible covalent binding of neratinib to human serum albumin in vitro.

Science.gov (United States)

Chandrasekaran, Appavu; Shen, Li; Lockhead, Susan; Oganesian, Aram; Wang, Jianyao; Scatina, JoAnn

2010-12-01

Neratinib (HKI-272), an irreversible inhibitor of Her 2 tyrosine kinase, is currently in development as an alternative for first and second line therapy in metastatic breast cancer patients who overexpress Her 2. Following incubation of [(14)C]neratinib in control human plasma at 37°C for 6 hours, about 60% to 70% of the radioactivity was not extractable, due to covalent binding to albumin. In this study, factors that could potentially affect the covalent binding of neratinib to plasma proteins, specifically to albumin were investigated. When [(14)C]neratinib was incubated at 10 μg/mL in human serum albumin (HSA) or control human plasma, the percent binding increased with time; the highest percentages of binding (46 and 67%, respectively) were observed at 6 hours, the longest duration of incubation examined. Binding increased with increasing temperature; the highest percentages of binding to HSA or human plasma (59 and 78%) were observed at 45°C, the highest temperature tested. The binding also increased with increasing pH of incubation; the highest percentages of binding (56 and 65%) were observed at pH 8.5, the highest pH value tested. The percentages of binding were similar (53% to 57%) when a wide range of concentrations of [(14)C]neratinib (50 ng/mL to 10 μg/mL) were incubated with human plasma at 37°C for 6 hours, indicating that the binding was independent of the substrate concentration, especially in the therapeutic range (50 to 200 ng/mL). When human plasma proteins containing covalently bound [(14)C]neratinb were suspended in a 10 fold volume of phosphate buffer at pH 4.0, 6.0, 7.4, and 8.5, and further incubated at 37°C for ~ 16 hours, about 45%, 44%, 32%, and 12% of the total radioactivity, respectively, was released as unchanged [(14)C]neratinib, indicating that the binding is reversible in nature, with more released at pH 7.4 and below. In conclusion, the covalent binding of neratinib to serum albumin is pH, time and temperature dependent, but

Metal–organic covalent network chemical vapor deposition for gas separation

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boscher, N.D.; Wang, M.; Perrotta, A.; Heinze, K.; Creatore, A.; Gleason, K.K.

2016-01-01

The chemical vapor deposition (CVD) polymerization of metalloporphyrin building units is demonstrated to provide an easily up-scalable one-step method toward the deposition of a new class of dense and defect-free metal–organic covalent network (MOCN) layers. The resulting hyper-thin and flexible

Catalyst recycling via specific non-covalent adsorption on modified silicas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kluwer, A.M.; Simons, C.; Knijnenburg, Q.; van der Vlugt, J.I.; de Bruin, B.; Reek, J.N.H.

2013-01-01

This article describes a new strategy for the recycling of a homogeneous hydroformylation catalyst, by selective adsorption of the catalyst to tailor-made supports after a batchwise reaction. The separation of the catalyst from the product mixture is based on selective non-covalent supramolecular

Crystal structure of the covalent intermediate of amylosucrase from Neisseria polysaccharea

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Malene H; Mirza, Osman Asghar; Albenne, Cecile

2004-01-01

The alpha-retaining amylosucrase from the glycoside hydrolase family 13 performs a transfer reaction of a glucosyl moiety from sucrose to an acceptor molecule. Amylosucrase has previously been shown to be able to use alpha-D-glucopyranosyl fluoride as a substrate, which suggested that it could also...... the first covalent intermediate of an alpha-retaining glycoside hydrolase where the glucosyl moiety is identical to the expected biologically relevant entity. Comparison to other enzymes with anticipated glucosylic covalent intermediates suggests that this structure is a representative model...... for such intermediates. Analysis of the active site shows how oligosaccharide binding disrupts the putative nucleophilic water binding site found in the hydrolases of the GH family 13. This reveals important parts of the structural background for the shift in function from hydrolase to transglycosidase seen...

Origin of the Distinct Diffusion Behaviors of Cu and Ag in Covalent and Ionic Semiconductors.

Science.gov (United States)

Deng, Hui-Xiong; Luo, Jun-Wei; Li, Shu-Shen; Wei, Su-Huai

2016-10-14

It is well known that Cu diffuses faster than Ag in covalent semiconductors such as Si, which has prevented the replacement of Ag by Cu as a contact material in Si solar cells for reducing the cost. Surprisingly, in more ionic materials such as CdTe, Ag diffuses faster than Cu despite that it is larger than Cu, which has prevented the replacement of Cu by Ag in CdTe solar cells to improve the performance. But, so far, the mechanisms behind these distinct diffusion behaviors of Cu and Ag in covalent and ionic semiconductors have not been addressed. Here we reveal the underlying mechanisms by combining the first-principles calculations and group theory analysis. We find that the symmetry controlled s-d coupling plays a critical role in determining the diffusion behaviors. The s-d coupling is absent in pure covalent semiconductors but increases with the ionicity of the zinc blende semiconductors, and is larger for Cu than for Ag, owing to its higher d orbital energy. In conjunction with Coulomb interaction and strain energy, the s-d coupling is able to explain all the diffusion behaviors from Cu to Ag and from covalent to ionic hosts. This in-depth understanding enables us to engineer the diffusion of impurities in various semiconductors.

Modeling the role of covalent enzyme modification in Escherichia coli nitrogen metabolism

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kidd, Philip B; Wingreen, Ned S

2010-01-01

In the bacterium Escherichia coli, the enzyme glutamine synthetase (GS) converts ammonium into the amino acid glutamine. GS is principally active when the cell is experiencing nitrogen limitation, and its activity is regulated by a bicyclic covalent modification cascade. The advantages of this bicyclic-cascade architecture are poorly understood. We analyze a simple model of the GS cascade in comparison to other regulatory schemes and conclude that the bicyclic cascade is suboptimal for maintaining metabolic homeostasis of the free glutamine pool. Instead, we argue that the lag inherent in the covalent modification of GS slows the response to an ammonium shock and thereby allows GS to transiently detoxify the cell, while maintaining homeostasis over longer times

Description of Non-Covalent Interactions in SCC-DFTB Methods

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Miriyala, Vijay Madhav; Řezáč, Jan

2017-01-01

Roč. 38, č. 10 (2017), s. 688-697 ISSN 0192-8651 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GJ16-11321Y Institutional support: RVO:61388963 Keywords : density functional tight binding * DFTB3 * non- covalent interactions * dispersion correction * hydrogen bonding correction Subject RIV: CF - Physical ; Theoretical Chemistry OBOR OECD: Physical chemistry Impact factor: 3.229, year: 2016

Macrocyclic complexes of radionuclides in nuclear medicine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Majkowska, A.; Bilewicz, A.

2008-01-01

The use of radiometal-labeled small complexes and biomolecules as diagnostic and therapeutic agents is a relatively new area of medical research. Radiopharmaceuticals are radiolabeled molecules designed to deliver ionizing radiation doses to specific disease sites. Between the targeting biomolecule and a radionuclide a bifunctional ligand is inserted, one end of which is covalently attached to the targeting molecule either directly or through a linker whereas the other strongly coordinates a metallic radionuclide. Selection of a bifunctional ligand is largely determined by the nature and oxidation state of a metal ion. The metal chelate can significantly affect the tumor uptake and biodistribution of radiopharmaceuticals based on small biomolecules. This is because in many cases the metal chelate contributes greatly to the overall size and lipophilicity of the radiopharmaceutical. Therefore, the design and selection of the ligand is very important for the development of a clinically useful therapeutic agent. The requirement for high thermodynamic and kinetic stability of the metal complex is often achieved through the use of macrocyclic ligands with a functionalized arm for covalent bonding to the biomolecule. In this review synthesis of bifunctional macrocyclic ligands and properties of radionuclide macrocyclic complexes used in nuclear medicine are presented. We describe results in two areas: substituted macrocyclic aza ligands for chelation of hard metal cations, and macrocycles containing sulphur for complexation of soft metal cations. Special attention was paid to stability of the complexes as well as to their lipophilicity, which affect biological properties of the formed radiopharmaceuticals. We also include a forecast of the near-term opportunities that are likely to determine practice in the next few years. (authors)

Unified approach to catechin hetero-oligomers: first total synthesis of trimer EZ-EG-CA isolated from Ziziphus jujuba.

Science.gov (United States)

Yano, Takahisa; Ohmori, Ken; Takahashi, Haruko; Kusumi, Takenori; Suzuki, Keisuke

2012-10-14

A catechin hetero-trimer isolated from Ziziphus jujuba has been synthesized. Among three constituent monomers, (-)-epiafzelechin and (-)-epigallocatechin were prepared by de novo synthesis. Trimer formation relied on the unified approach to oligomers based on the bromo-capping and the orthogonal activation, reaching the reported structure of the natural product.

Encapsulation and covalent binding of molecular payload in enzymatically activated micellar nanocarriers.

Science.gov (United States)

Rosenbaum, Ido; Harnoy, Assaf J; Tirosh, Einat; Buzhor, Marina; Segal, Merav; Frid, Liat; Shaharabani, Rona; Avinery, Ram; Beck, Roy; Amir, Roey J

2015-02-18

The high selectivity and often-observed overexpression of specific disease-associated enzymes make them extremely attractive for triggering the release of hydrophobic drug or probe molecules from stimuli-responsive micellar nanocarriers. Here we utilized highly modular amphiphilic polymeric hybrids, composed of a linear hydrophilic polyethylene glycol (PEG) and an esterase-responsive hydrophobic dendron, to prepare and study two diverse strategies for loading of enzyme-responsive micelles. In the first type of micelles, hydrophobic coumarin-derived dyes were encapsulated noncovalently inside the hydrophobic core of the micelle, which was composed of lipophilic enzyme-responsive dendrons. In the second type of micellar nanocarrier the hydrophobic molecular cargo was covalently linked to the end-groups of the dendron through enzyme-cleavable bonds. These amphiphilic hybrids self-assembled into micellar nanocarriers with their cargo covalently encapsulated within the hydrophobic core. Both types of micelles were highly responsive toward the activating enzyme and released their molecular cargo upon enzymatic stimulus. Importantly, while faster release was observed with noncovalent encapsulation, higher loading capacity and slower release rate were achieved with covalent encapsulation. Our results clearly indicate the great potential of enzyme-responsive micellar delivery platforms due to the ability to tune their payload capacities and release rates by adjusting the loading strategy.

Anisotropic Copoly(Imide Oxetane) Coatings and Articles of Manufacture, Copoly(Imide Oxetane)s Containing Pendant Fluorocarbon Moieties, Oligomers and Processes Therefor

Science.gov (United States)

Wohl, Christopher J. (Inventor); Connell, John W. (Inventor); Siochi, Emilie J. (Inventor); Smith, Joseph G. (Inventor)

2017-01-01

Copoly(imide oxetane) materials are disclosed that can exhibit a low surface energy while possessing the mechanical, thermal, chemical and optical properties associated with polyimides. The copoly(imide oxetane)s are prepared using a minor amount of fluorinated oxetane-derived oligomer with sufficient fluorine-containing segments of the copoly(imide oxetane)s that migrate to the exterior surface of the polymeric material to yield low surface energies. Thus the coatings and articles of manufacture made with the copoly(imide oxetane)s of this invention are characterized as having an anisotropic fluorine composition. The low surface energies can be achieved with very low content of fluorinated oxetane-derived oligomer. The copolymers of this invention can enhance the viability of polyimides for many applications and may be acceptable where homopolyimide materials have been unacceptable.

A chiroptical switch based on supramolecular chirality transfer through alkyl chain entanglement and dynamic covalent bonding.

Science.gov (United States)

Lv, Kai; Qin, Long; Wang, Xiufeng; Zhang, Li; Liu, Minghua

2013-12-14

Chirality transfer is an interesting phenomenon in Nature, which represents an important step to understand the evolution of chiral bias and the amplification of the chirality. In this paper, we report the chirality transfer via the entanglement of the alkyl chains between chiral gelator molecules and achiral amphiphilic Schiff base. We have found that although an achiral Schiff base amphiphile could not form organogels in any kind of organic solvents, it formed co-organogels when mixed with a chiral gelator molecule. Interestingly, the chirality of the gelator molecules was transferred to the Schiff base chromophore in the mixed co-gels and there was a maximum mixing ratio for the chirality transfer. Furthermore, the supramolecular chirality was also produced based on a dynamic covalent chemistry of an imine formed by the reaction between an aldehyde and an amine. Such a covalent bond of imine was formed reversibly depending on the pH variation. When the covalent bond was formed the chirality transfer occurred, when it was destroyed, the transfer stopped. Thus, a supramolecular chiroptical switch is obtained based on supramolecular chirality transfer and dynamic covalent chemistry.

Solvent-free covalent functionalization of nanodiamond with amines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Basiuk, Elena V., E-mail: elenagd@unam.mx [Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Santamaría-Bonfil, Adriana; Meza-Laguna, Victor [Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Gromovoy, Taras Yu. [Institute of Surface Chemistry, National Academy of Sciences of the Ukraine, Gen. Naumova 17, 03164 Kiev (Ukraine); Alvares-Zauco, Edgar [Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Contreras-Torres, Flavio F.; Rizo, Juan [Centro de Ciencias Aplicadas y Desarrollo Tecnológico, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México D.F. (Mexico); Zavala, Guadalupe [Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Av. Universidad 2001, Col. Chamilpa, 62210, Cuernavaca, Morelos (Mexico); Basiuk, Vladimir A. [Instituto de Ciencias Nucleares, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Circuito Exterior, Ciudad Universitaria, 04510 México, D.F. (Mexico)

2013-06-15

Covalent functionalization of pristine nanodiamond (ND) with 1,12-diaminododecane (DAD), 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (DAN), poly(ethylene glycol) diamine (PEGDA), and polyethylenimine (PEI) was carried out by employing solvent-free methodology, which is based on thermal instead of chemical activation of carboxylic groups at ND surface. A simple solubility/dispersibility test in water and isopropanol showed an increased lipophilicity of the functionalized samples. The conversion of intrinsic carboxylic groups into the corresponding amide derivatives was characterized by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis found the highest organic content of about 18% for ND-PEI, followed by ND-DAD, for which the contribution of covalently bonded diamine was estimated to be of ca. 10%. In temperature programmed desorption measurements with mass spectrometric detection, the presence of organic functionalizing groups changed both mass spectra and thermodesorption curves of ND. The changes in morphology of primary and secondary ND aggregates were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, as well as by atomic force microscopy. The current–voltage measurements under atmospheric pressure found an increased conductivity for ND-DAN, as compared to that of pristine ND, whereas for ND-DAD, ND-PEGDA and ND-PEI a dramatic decrease in conductivity due to functionalization was observed.

Solvent-free covalent functionalization of nanodiamond with amines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basiuk, Elena V.; Santamaría-Bonfil, Adriana; Meza-Laguna, Victor; Gromovoy, Taras Yu.; Alvares-Zauco, Edgar; Contreras-Torres, Flavio F.; Rizo, Juan; Zavala, Guadalupe; Basiuk, Vladimir A.

2013-01-01

Covalent functionalization of pristine nanodiamond (ND) with 1,12-diaminododecane (DAD), 1,5-diaminonaphthalene (DAN), poly(ethylene glycol) diamine (PEGDA), and polyethylenimine (PEI) was carried out by employing solvent-free methodology, which is based on thermal instead of chemical activation of carboxylic groups at ND surface. A simple solubility/dispersibility test in water and isopropanol showed an increased lipophilicity of the functionalized samples. The conversion of intrinsic carboxylic groups into the corresponding amide derivatives was characterized by means of Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy. Thermogravimetric analysis found the highest organic content of about 18% for ND-PEI, followed by ND-DAD, for which the contribution of covalently bonded diamine was estimated to be of ca. 10%. In temperature programmed desorption measurements with mass spectrometric detection, the presence of organic functionalizing groups changed both mass spectra and thermodesorption curves of ND. The changes in morphology of primary and secondary ND aggregates were characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, as well as by atomic force microscopy. The current–voltage measurements under atmospheric pressure found an increased conductivity for ND-DAN, as compared to that of pristine ND, whereas for ND-DAD, ND-PEGDA and ND-PEI a dramatic decrease in conductivity due to functionalization was observed.

Study on aggregation and electric properties in the micro-region of functionalized dithieno[2, 3-b: 3′, 2′-d]thiophene (DTT) oligomers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jiang, Xiaohong; Huang, Xiaowei; Zhang, Jiajia; Lu, Zhijuan; Wang, Hua; Du, Zuliang, E-mail: zld@henu.edu.cn [Key Laboratory for Special Functional Materials of Ministry of Education, Henan University, Kaifeng, 475004 (China)

2016-07-15

Three kinds of 2,5,-diphenyl-dithienol[2, 3-b: 3′, 2′-d]thiophene (DP-DTT), 2,5,-distyryl-dithienol[2, 3-b: 3′, 2′-d]thiophene (DEP-DTT) and 2,5,-thienyl-dithienol[2, 3-b: 3′, 2′-d]thiophene (DET-DTT) micro-region structure and electronic properties were studied. Thin films of these functionalized DTT oligomers were prepared in a one-step drop-casting deposition onto highly oriented pyrolytic graphite substrates. The surface structure of these films was characterized by atomic force microscopy (AFM). Conducting probe atomic force microscope (C-AFM) and Kelvin probe force microscope (KFM) were both used to characterize the electronic transport behavior and surface potential distribution. The substituents of DTT oligomers can greatly affect their aggregation and the hopping conductance mechanism was used to explain the Au-DTTs-HOPG junctions. KFM investigation revealed that these oligomers with different substituents have different highest occupied molecular orbital energy levels. The corresponding theoretical analysis reveals similar result to KFM characterization. The I-V results indicated that the aggregates of molecules were the dominating factor to their micro-region electrical transport.

Crystal Structures of Nitroalkane Oxidase: Insights into the Reaction Mechanism of a Covalent Complex of the Flavoenzyme Trapped During Turnover

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nagpal,A.; Valley, M.; Fitzpatrick, P.; Orville, A.

2006-01-01

Nitroalkane oxidase (NAO) from Fusarium oxysporum catalyzes the oxidation of neutral nitroalkanes to the corresponding aldehydes or ketones with the production of H2O2 and nitrite. The flavoenzyme is a new member of the acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (ACAD) family, but it does not react with acyl-CoA substrates. We present the 2.2 Angstroms resolution crystal structure of NAO trapped during the turnover of nitroethane as a covalent N5-FAD adduct (ES*). The homotetrameric structure of ES* was solved by MAD phasing with 52 Se-Met sites in an orthorhombic space group. The electron density for the N5-(2-nitrobutyl)-1,5-dihydro-FAD covalent intermediate is clearly resolved. The structure of ES* was used to solve the crystal structure of oxidized NAO at 2.07 Angstroms resolution. The c axis for the trigonal space group of oxidized NAO is 485 Angstroms, and there are six subunits (11/2 holoenzymes) in the asymmetric unit. Four of the active sites contain spermine (EI), a weak competitive inhibitor, and two do not contain spermine (E{sup ox}). The active-site structures of E{sup ox}, EI, and ES* reveal a hydrophobic channel that extends from the exterior of the protein and terminates at Asp402 and the N5 position on the re face of the FAD. Thus, Asp402 is in the correct position to serve as the active-site base, where it is proposed to abstract the {alpha} proton from neutral nitroalkane substrates. The structures for NAO and various members of the ACAD family overlay with root-mean-square deviations between 1.7 and 3.1 Angstroms. The homologous region typically spans more than 325 residues and includes Glu376, which is the active-site base in the prototypical member of the ACAD family. However, NAO and the ACADs exhibit differences in hydrogen-bonding patterns between the respective active-site base, substrate molecules, and FAD. These likely differentiate NAO from the homologues and, consequently, are proposed to result in the unique reaction mechanism of NAO.

Resonant stimulation of Raman scattering from single-crystal thiophene/phenylene co-oligomers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yanagi, Hisao; Marutani, Yusuke; Matsuoka, Naoki; Hiramatsu, Toru; Ishizumi, Atsushi; Sasaki, Fumio; Hotta, Shu

2013-01-01

Amplified Raman scattering was observed from single crystals of thiophene/phenylene co-oligomers (TPCOs). Under ns-pulsed excitation, the TPCO crystals exhibited amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) at resonant absorption wavelengths. With increasing excitation wavelength to the 0-0 absorption edge, the stimulated resonant Raman peaks appeared both in the 0-1 and 0-2 ASE band regions. When the excitation wavelength coincided with the 0-1 ASE band energy, the Raman peaks selectively appeared in the 0-2 ASE band. Such unusual enhancement of the 0-2 Raman scattering was ascribed to resonant stimulation via vibronic coupling with electronic transitions in the uniaxially oriented TPCO molecules

Covalent bonding of chloroanilines to humic constituents: Pathways, kinetics, and stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kong, Deyang; Xia, Qing; Liu, Guoqiang; Huang, Qingguo; Lu, Junhe

2013-01-01

Covalent coupling to natural humic constituents comprises an important transformation pathway for anilinic pollutants in the environment. We systematically investigated the reactions of chlorine substituted anilines with catechol and syringic acid in horseradish peroxidase (HRP) catalyzed systems. It was demonstrated that although nucleophilic addition was the mechanism of covalent bonding to both catechol and syringic acid, chloroanilines coupled to the 2 humic constituents via slightly different pathways. 1,4-addition and 1,2-addition are involved to catechol and syringic acid, respectively. 1,4-addition showed empirical 2nd order kinetics and this pathway seemed to be more permanent than 1,2-addition. Stability experiments demonstrated that cross-coupling products with syringic acid could be easily released in acidic conditions. However, cross-coupling with catechol was relatively stable at similar conditions. Thus, the environmental behavior and bioavailability of the coupling products should be carefully assessed. -- Highlights: •Chloroanilines covalently coupled to humic constituents in HRP catalyzed processes, which facilitated their transformation. •MS technique was employed to analyze the coupling products and therefore elucidate the reaction pathways. •Chloroanilines couple to catechol and syringic acid via 1,4- and 1,2-nucleophilic addition pathways, respectively. •Cross-coupling products formed via 1,4-nucleophilic addition pathway were more stable than those via 1,2-addition pathway. -- Bound residues of chloroanilines formed via 1,2- and 1,4-nucleophilic addition pathways showed different stability

Coordination diversity of new mononucleating hydrazone in 3d metal complexes: Synthesis, characterization and structural studies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

RAJESH S. BALIGAR

2006-12-01

Full Text Available The mononucleating hydrazone ligand LH3, a condensation product of salicyloylhydrazine and (2-formylphenoxyacetic acid, was synthesized and its coordination behavior with first row transition metal(II ions was investigated by isolating and elucidating the structure of the complexes using elemental analysis, conductivity and magnetic susceptibility measurements, as well as IR, 1H-NMR, electronic and EPR spectral techniques. The ligand forms mononuclear metal(II complexes of the type [CoLH(H2O2], [NiLH(H2O2, [CuLH] and [ZnLH]. The ligand field parameters, Dq, B and b values, in the case of the cobalt and nickel complexes support not only the octahedral geometry around the metal ion, but also imply the covalent nature of the bonding in the complexes. The EPR study revealed the presence of a spin exchange interaction in the solid copper complex and the covalent nature of the bonding. The 1H-NMR study of the zinc(II complex indicated the non-involvement of the COOH group in the coordination. The physico-chemical study supports for the presence of octahedral geometry around cobalt(II, nickel(II and tetrahedral geometry around copper(II and zinc(II ions.

Design of a covalently bonded glycosphingolipid microarray

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Arigi, Emma; Blixt, Klas Ola; Buschard, Karsten

2012-01-01

, the major classes of plant and fungal GSLs. In this work, a prototype "universal" GSL-based covalent microarray has been designed, and preliminary evaluation of its potential utility in assaying protein-GSL binding interactions investigated. An essential step in development involved the enzymatic release...... of the fatty acyl moiety of the ceramide aglycone of selected mammalian GSLs with sphingolipid N-deacylase (SCDase). Derivatization of the free amino group of a typical lyso-GSL, lyso-G(M1), with a prototype linker assembled from succinimidyl-[(N-maleimidopropionamido)-diethyleneglycol] ester and 2...

Gold nanoparticles covalently assembled onto vesicle structures as possible biosensing platform

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. Fátima Barroso

2016-05-01

Full Text Available In this contribution a strategy is shown to covalently immobilize gold nanoparticles (AuNPs onto vesicle bilayers with the aim of using this nanomaterial as platform for the future design of immunosensors. A novel methodology for the self-assembly of AuNPs onto large unilamellar vesicle structures is described. The vesicles were formed with 1,2-dioleoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DOPC and 1-undecanethiol (SH. After, the AuNPs photochemically synthesized in pure glycerol were mixed and anchored onto SH–DOPC vesicles. The data provided by voltammetry, spectrometry and microscopy techniques indicated that the AuNPs were successfully covalently anchored onto the vesicle bilayer and decorated vesicles exhibit a spherical shape with a size of 190 ± 10 nm. The developed procedure is easy, rapid and reproducible to start designing a possible immunosensor by using environmentally friendly procedures.

Amplifying (Im)perfection: The Impact of Crystallinity in Discrete and Disperse Block Co-oligomers.

Science.gov (United States)

van Genabeek, Bas; Lamers, Brigitte A G; de Waal, Bas F M; van Son, Martin H C; Palmans, Anja R A; Meijer, E W

2017-10-25

Crystallinity is seldomly utilized as part of the microphase segregation process in ultralow-molecular-weight block copolymers. Here, we show the preparation of two types of discrete, semicrystalline block co-oligomers, comprising an amorphous oligodimethylsiloxane block and a crystalline oligo-l-lactic acid or oligomethylene block. The self-assembly of these discrete materials results in lamellar structures with unforeseen uniformity in the domain spacing. A systematic introduction of dispersity reveals the extreme sensitivity of the microphase segregation process toward chain length dispersity in the crystalline block.

Radiation inactivation method provides evidence that membrane-bound mitochondrial creatine kinase is an oligomer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Quemeneur, E.; Eichenberger, D.; Goldschmidt, D.; Vial, C.; Beauregard, G.; Potier, M.

1988-01-01

Lyophilized suspensions of rabbit heart mitochondria have been irradiated with varying doses of gamma rays. Mitochondrial creatine kinase activity was inactivated exponentially with a radiation inactivation size of 352 or 377 kDa depending upon the initial medium. These values are in good agreement with the molecular mass previously deduced from by permeation experiments: 357 kDa. This is the first direct evidence showing that the native form of mitochondrial creatine kinase is associated to the inner membrane as an oligomer, very likely an octamer

Covalent attachment of antagonists to the a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: synthesis and reactivity of substituted maleimides

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Ambrus, Joseph I; Halliday, Jill I; Kanizaj, Nicholas

2012-01-01

The 3-methylmaleimide congeners of the natural product methyllycaconitine (MLA) and an analogue covalently attach to functional cysteine mutants of the a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR).......The 3-methylmaleimide congeners of the natural product methyllycaconitine (MLA) and an analogue covalently attach to functional cysteine mutants of the a7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR)....

Molecular Dynamics Simulations of Silica Nanoparticles Grafted with Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomer Chains

KAUST Repository

Hong, Bingbing

2012-03-01

A molecular model of silica nanoparticles grafted with poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers has been developed for predicting the transport properties of nanoparticle organic-hybrid materials (NOHMs). Ungrafted silica nanoparticles in a medium of poly(ethylene oxide) oligomers were also simulated to clarify the effect of grafting on the dynamics of nanoparticles and chains. The model approximates nanoparticles as solid spheres and uses a united-atom representation for chains, including torsional and bond-bending interactions. The calculated viscosities from Green-Kubo relationships and temperature extrapolation are of the same order of magnitude as experimental data but show a smaller activation energy relative to real NOHMs systems. Grafted systems have higher viscosities, smaller diffusion coefficients, and slower chain dynamics than the ungrafted ones at high temperatures. At lower temperatures, grafted systems exhibit faster dynamics for both nanoparticles and chains relative to ungrafted systems, because of lower aggregation of particles and enhanced correlations between nanoparticles and chains. This agrees with the experimental observation that NOHMs have liquidlike behavior in the absence of a solvent. For both grafted and ungrafted systems at low temperatures, increasing chain length reduces the volume fraction of nanoparticles and accelerates the dynamics. However, at high temperatures, longer chains slow down nanoparticle diffusion. From the Stokes-Einstein relationship, it was determined that the coarse-grained treatment of nanoparticles leads to slip on the nanoparticle surfaces. Grafted systems obey the Stokes-Einstein relationship over the temperature range simulated, but ungrafted systems display deviations from it. © 2012 American Chemical Society.

Concentrations of oligomers and polymers of proanthocyanidins in red and purple rice bran and their relationships to total phenolics, flavonoids, antioxidant capacity and whole grain color.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Ming-Hsuan; McClung, Anna M; Bergman, Christine J

2016-10-01

Proanthocyanidins, a flavonoids subgroup, are proposed to have chronic disease modulation properties. With the eventual goal of enhancing rice phytonutrient concentrations, we investigated the genotypic variation of the concentrations of individual oligomers and polymers of proanthocyanidins in red and purple rice brans. A 4.3-fold variation in total proanthocyanidins (sum of oligomers and polymers) in the extractable fraction was found and the concentration was highly correlated with total phenolics, total flavonoids and antiradical capacity. Variation in the proportion of oligomers and polymers existed, with monomers to trimers, 4-6mers, 7-10mers and polymers accounting for 7, 18, 26.5 and 48.7%, respectively, of the total. The redness value a(∗) of whole grain rice measured in CIE L(∗)a(∗)b(∗) color space was negatively and positively correlated with extractable and non-extractable proanthocyanidins, respectively. The variation found indicates it is possible to select rice with bran containing high levels of total proanthocyanidins and specific degree of polymerization profiles. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Polyethylenimine-modified Pluronics (PCMs) Improve Morpholino Oligomer Delivery in Cell Culture and Dystrophic mdx Mice

OpenAIRE

Wang, Mingxing; Wu, Bo; Lu, Peijuan; Cloer, Caryn; Tucker, Jay D; Lu, Qilong

2012-01-01

We investigated a series of small-sized polyethylenimine (PEI, 0.8/1.2 k)-conjugated pluronic copolymers (PCMs) for their potential to enhance delivery of an antisense phosphorodiamidate morpholino oligomer (PMO) in vitro and in dystrophic mdx mice. PCM polymers containing pluronics of molecular weight (Mw) ranging 2–6 k, with hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) 7–23, significantly enhanced PMO-induced exon-skipping in a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter-based myoblast culture system....

Supplementation with xylanase and β-xylosidase to reduce xylo-oligomer and xylan inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and pretreated corn stover

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Background Hemicellulose is often credited with being one of the important physical barriers to enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, and acts by blocking enzyme access to the cellulose surface. In addition, our recent research has suggested that hemicelluloses, particularly in the form of xylan and its oligomers, can more strongly inhibit cellulase activity than do glucose and cellobiose. Removal of hemicelluloses or elimination of their negative effects can therefore become especially pivotal to achieving higher cellulose conversion with lower enzyme doses. Results In this study, cellulase was supplemented with xylanase and β-xylosidase to boost conversion of both cellulose and hemicellulose in pretreated biomass through conversion of xylan and xylo-oligomers to the less inhibitory xylose. Although addition of xylanase and β-xylosidase did not necessarily enhance Avicel hydrolysis, glucan conversions increased by 27% and 8% for corn stover pretreated with ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX) and dilute acid, respectively. In addition, adding hemicellulase several hours before adding cellulase was more beneficial than later addition, possibly as a result of a higher adsorption affinity of cellulase and xylanase to xylan than glucan. Conclusions This key finding elucidates a possible mechanism for cellulase inhibition by xylan and xylo-oligomers and emphasizes the need to optimize the enzyme formulation for each pretreated substrate. More research is needed to identify advanced enzyme systems designed to hydrolyze different substrates with maximum overall enzyme efficacy. PMID:21702938

Phase Morphology and Mechanical Properties of Cyclic Butylene Terephthalate Oligomer-Containing Rubbers: Effect of Mixing Temperature

OpenAIRE

Hal?sz, Istv?n Zolt?n; B?r?ny, Tam?s

2016-01-01

In this work, the effect of mixing temperature (Tmix) on the mechanical, rheological, and morphological properties of rubber/cyclic butylene terephthalate (CBT) oligomer compounds was studied. Apolar (styrene butadiene rubber, SBR) and polar (acrylonitrile butadiene rubber, NBR) rubbers were modified by CBT (20 phr) for reinforcement and viscosity reduction. The mechanical properties were determined in tensile, tear, and dynamical mechanical analysis (DMTA) tests. The CBT-caused viscosity cha...

Dopamine induces soluble α-synuclein oligomers and nigrostriatal degeneration.

Science.gov (United States)

Mor, Danielle E; Tsika, Elpida; Mazzulli, Joseph R; Gould, Neal S; Kim, Hanna; Daniels, Malcolm J; Doshi, Shachee; Gupta, Preetika; Grossman, Jennifer L; Tan, Victor X; Kalb, Robert G; Caldwell, Kim A; Caldwell, Guy A; Wolfe, John H; Ischiropoulos, Harry

2017-11-01

Parkinson's disease (PD) is defined by the loss of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra and the formation of Lewy body inclusions containing aggregated α-synuclein. Efforts to explain dopamine neuron vulnerability are hindered by the lack of dopaminergic cell death in α-synuclein transgenic mice. To address this, we manipulated both dopamine levels and α-synuclein expression. Nigrally targeted expression of mutant tyrosine hydroxylase with enhanced catalytic activity increased dopamine levels without damaging neurons in non-transgenic mice. In contrast, raising dopamine levels in mice expressing human A53T mutant α-synuclein induced progressive nigrostriatal degeneration and reduced locomotion. Dopamine elevation in A53T mice increased levels of potentially toxic α-synuclein oligomers, resulting in conformationally and functionally modified species. Moreover, in genetically tractable Caenorhabditis elegans models, expression of α-synuclein mutated at the site of interaction with dopamine prevented dopamine-induced toxicity. These data suggest that a unique mechanism links two cardinal features of PD: dopaminergic cell death and α-synuclein aggregation.

Diffusivities and Viscosities of Poly(ethylene oxide) Oligomers †

KAUST Repository

Hong, Bingbing

2010-10-14

Diffusivities and viscosities of poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO) oligomer melts with 1 to 12 repeat units have been obtained from equilibrium molecular dynamics simulations using the TraPPE-UA force field. The simulations generated diffusion coefficients with high accuracy for all of the molar masses studied, but the statistical uncertainties in the viscosity calculations were significantly larger for longer chains. There is good agreement of the calculated viscosities and densities with available experimental data, and thus, the simulations can be used to bridge gaps in the data and for extrapolations with respect to chain length, temperature, and pressure. We explored the convergence characteristics of the Green-Kubo formulas for different chain lengths and propose minimal production times required for convergence of the transport properties. The chain-length dependence of the transport properties suggests that neither Rouse nor reptation models are applicable in the short-chain regime investigated. © 2010 American Chemical Society.

Carbohydrate as covalent crosslink in human inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jessen, T E; Faarvang, K L; Ploug, M

1988-01-01

The primary structure of inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor is partially elucidated, but controversy about the construction of the polypeptide backbone still exists. We present evidence suggesting that inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor represents a novel plasma protein structure with two separate polypept...... polypeptide chains covalently crosslinked only by carbohydrate (chondroitin sulphate)....

Protein tetrazinylation via diazonium coupling for covalent and catalyst-free bioconjugation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Jie; Men, Yuwen; Lv, Shanshan; Yi, Long; Chen, Jian-Feng

2015-12-21

An efficient and bench-stable reagent was synthesized for direct and covalent introduction of tetrazines onto target protein or virus surfaces, which can be further modified based on tetrazine-ene ligation to achieve fluorescence labelling or PEGylation under mild conditions.

Improved Performance of Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase by covalent immobilization onto Amberzyme

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Aslan, Yakup; Handayani, Nurrahmi; Stavila, Erythrina; Loos, Katja

2013-01-01

Objective: In this study, the conditions of covalent immobilization of Pseudomonas fluorescens lipase onto an oxirane-activated support (Amberzyme) were optimized to obtain a high activity yield. Furthermore, the operational and storage stabilities of immobilized lipase were tested. Methods: Optimum

Biexcitons in π-conjugated oligomers: Intensity-dependent femtosecond transient-absorption study

Science.gov (United States)

Klimov, V. I.; McBranch, D. W.; Barashkov, N.; Ferraris, J.

1998-09-01

We report femtosecond transient-absorption (TA) studies of a five-ring oligomer of poly(para-phenylene vinylene) prepared in two different forms: solid-state films and dilute solutions. At high pump fluences, in both types of samples, we observe generation of two-exciton states, which are detected by the evolution of TA spectra and dynamics with increasing pump intensity. In solutions, double excitation of molecules results in the formation of stable biexcitons with enhanced oscillator strength, leading to an increased efficiency of the radiative decay and a superlinear pump dependence of the stimulated emission. In solid-state samples, the two-exciton states are unstable and decay on the subpicosecond time scale due to ultrafast charge transfer, accompanied by generation of interchain excitons.

Azobenzene as a photoregulator covalently attached to RNA: a quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics-surface hopping dynamics study.

Science.gov (United States)

Mondal, Padmabati; Granucci, Giovanni; Rastädter, Dominique; Persico, Maurizio; Burghardt, Irene

2018-05-28

The photoregulation of nucleic acids by azobenzene photoswitches has recently attracted considerable interest in the context of emerging biotechnological applications. To understand the mechanism of photoinduced isomerisation and conformational control in these complex biological environments, we employ a Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) approach in conjunction with nonadiabatic Surface Hopping (SH) dynamics. Two representative RNA-azobenzene complexes are investigated, both of which contain the azobenzene chromophore covalently attached to an RNA double strand via a β-deoxyribose linker. Due to the pronounced constraints of the local RNA environment, it is found that trans -to- cis isomerization is slowed down to a time scale of ∼10-15 picoseconds, in contrast to 500 femtoseconds in vacuo , with a quantum yield reduced by a factor of two. By contrast, cis -to- trans isomerization remains in a sub-picosecond regime. A volume-conserving isomerization mechanism is found, similarly to the pedal-like mechanism previously identified for azobenzene in solution phase. Strikingly, the chiral RNA environment induces opposite right-handed and left-handed helicities of the ground-state cis -azobenzene chromophore in the two RNA-azobenzene complexes, along with an almost completely chirality conserving photochemical pathway for these helical enantiomers.

Copoly(Imide Siloxane) Abhesive Materials with Varied Siloxane Oligomer Length

Science.gov (United States)

Wohl, Christopher J.; Atkins, Brad M.; Belcher, Marcus A.; Connell, John W.

2010-01-01

Incorporation of PDMS moieties into a polyimide matrix lowered the surface energy resulting in enhanced adhesive interactions. Polyimide siloxane materials were generated using amine-terminated PDMS oligomers of different lengths to study changes in surface migration behavior, phase segregation, mechanical, thermal, and optical properties. These materials were characterized using contact angle goniometry, tensile testing, and differential scanning calorimetry. The surface migration behavior of the PDMS component depended upon the siloxane molecular weight as indicated by distinct relationships between PDMS chain length and advancing water contact angles. Similar correlations were observed for percent elongation values obtained from tensile testing, while the addition of PDMS reduced the modulus. High fidelity topographical modification via laser ablation patterning further reduced the polyimide siloxane surface energy. Initial particulate adhesion testing experiments demonstrated that polyimide siloxane materials exhibited greater abhesive interactions relative to their respective homopolyimides.

Rare Examples of Fe(IV) Alkyl-Imide Migratory Insertions: Impact of Fe-C Covalency in (Me2IPr)Fe(═NAd)R2 (R = neoPe, 1-nor).

Science.gov (United States)

Jacobs, Brian P; Wolczanski, Peter T; Jiang, Quan; Cundari, Thomas R; MacMillan, Samantha N

2017-09-06

The iron(IV) imide complexes, (Me 2 IPr)-R 2 Fe=NAd (R = neo Pe (3a), 1-nor (3b)) undergo migratory insertion to iron(II) amides (Me 2 IPr)RFe{NR(Ad)} (R = neo Pe (4a), 1-nor (4b)) without evidence of imidyl or free nitrene character. By increasing the field strength about iron, odd-electron reactivity was circumvented via increased covalency.

Covalent Organic Frameworks: From Materials Design to Biomedical Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fuli Zhao

2017-12-01

Full Text Available Covalent organic frameworks (COFs are newly emerged crystalline porous polymers with well-defined skeletons and nanopores mainly consisted of light-weight elements (H, B, C, N and O linked by dynamic covalent bonds. Compared with conventional materials, COFs possess some unique and attractive features, such as large surface area, pre-designable pore geometry, excellent crystallinity, inherent adaptability and high flexibility in structural and functional design, thus exhibiting great potential for various applications. Especially, their large surface area and tunable porosity and π conjugation with unique photoelectric properties will enable COFs to serve as a promising platform for drug delivery, bioimaging, biosensing and theranostic applications. In this review, we trace the evolution of COFs in terms of linkages and highlight the important issues on synthetic method, structural design, morphological control and functionalization. And then we summarize the recent advances of COFs in the biomedical and pharmaceutical sectors and conclude with a discussion of the challenges and opportunities of COFs for biomedical purposes. Although currently still at its infancy stage, COFs as an innovative source have paved a new way to meet future challenges in human healthcare and disease theranostic.

Host-Guest Complexes of Cyclodextrins and Nanodiamonds as a Strong Non-Covalent Binding Motif for Self-Assembled Nanomaterials.

Science.gov (United States)

Schibilla, Frauke; Voskuhl, Jens; Fokina, Natalie A; Dahl, Jeremy E P; Schreiner, Peter R; Ravoo, Bart Jan

2017-11-13

We report the inclusion of carboxy- and amine-substituted molecular nanodiamonds (NDs) adamantane, diamantane, and triamantane by β-cyclodextrin and γ-cyclodextrin (β-CD and γ-CD), which have particularly well-suited hydrophobicity and symmetry for an optimal fit of the host and guest molecules. We studied the host-guest interactions in detail and generally observed 1:1 association of the NDs with the larger γ-CD cavity, but observed 1:2 association for the largest ND in the series (triamantane) with β-CD. We found higher binding affinities for carboxy-substituted NDs than for amine-substituted NDs. Additionally, cyclodextrin vesicles (CDVs) were decorated with d-mannose by using adamantane, diamantane, and triamantane as non-covalent anchors, and the resulting vesicles were compared with the lectin concanavalin A in agglutination experiments. Agglutination was directly correlated to the host-guest association: adamantane showed lower agglutination than di- or triamantane with β-CDV and almost no agglutination with γ-CDV, whereas high agglutination was observed for di- and triamantane with γ-CDV. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Improving the Thermostability and Optimal Temperature of a Lipase from the Hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus by Covalent Immobilization

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Roberta V. Branco

2015-01-01

Full Text Available A recombinant thermostable lipase (Pf2001Δ60 from the hyperthermophilic Archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus (PFUL was immobilized by hydrophobic interaction on octyl-agarose (octyl PFUL and by covalent bond on aldehyde activated-agarose in the presence of DTT at pH = 7.0 (one-point covalent attachment (glyoxyl-DTT PFUL and on glyoxyl-agarose at pH 10.2 (multipoint covalent attachment (glyoxyl PFUL. The enzyme’s properties, such as optimal temperature and pH, thermostability, and selectivity, were improved by covalent immobilization. The highest enzyme stability at 70°C for 48 h incubation was achieved for glyoxyl PFUL (around 82% of residual activity, whereas glyoxyl-DTT PFUL maintained around 69% activity, followed by octyl PFUL (27% remaining activity. Immobilization on glyoxyl-agarose improved the optimal temperature to 90°C, while the optimal temperature of octyl PFUL was 70°C. Also, very significant changes in activity with different substrates were found. In general, the covalent bond derivatives were more active than octyl PFUL. The E value also depended substantially on the derivative and the conditions used. It was observed that the reaction of glyoxyl-DTT PFUL using methyl mandelate as a substrate at pH 7 presented the best results for enantioselectivity E=22 and enantiomeric excess (ee (% = 91.

Recent advances in covalent, site-specific protein immobilization [version 1; referees

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Meldal, Morten Peter; Schoffelen, Sanne

2016-01-01

The properties of biosensors, biomedical implants, and other materials based on immobilized proteins greatly depend on the method employed to couple the protein molecules to their solid support. Covalent, site-specific immobilization strategies are robust and can provide the level of control...

Exploring Covalent Allosteric Inhibition of Antigen 85C from Mycobacterium tuberculosis by Ebselen Derivatives.

Science.gov (United States)

Goins, Christopher M; Dajnowicz, Steven; Thanna, Sandeep; Sucheck, Steven J; Parks, Jerry M; Ronning, Donald R

2017-05-12

Previous studies identified ebselen as a potent in vitro and in vivo inhibitor of the Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) antigen 85 (Ag85) complex, comprising three homologous enzymes required for the biosynthesis of the mycobacterial cell wall. In this study, the Mtb Ag85C enzyme was cocrystallized with azido and adamantyl ebselen derivatives, resulting in two crystallographic structures of 2.01 and 1.30 Å resolution, respectively. Both structures displayed the anticipated covalent modification of the solvent accessible, noncatalytic Cys209 residue forming a selenenylsulfide bond. Continuous difference density for both thiol modifiers allowed for the assessment of interactions that influence ebselen binding and inhibitor orientation that were unobserved in previous Ag85C ebselen structures. The k inact /K I values for ebselen, adamantyl ebselen, and azido ebselen support the importance of observed constructive chemical interactions with Arg239 for increased in vitro efficacy toward Ag85C. To better understand the in vitro kinetic properties of these ebselen derivatives, the energetics of specific protein-inhibitor interactions and relative reaction free energies were calculated for ebselen and both derivatives using density functional theory. These studies further support the different in vitro properties of ebselen and two select ebselen derivatives from our previously published ebselen library with respect to kinetics and protein-inhibitor interactions. In both structures, the α9 helix was displaced farther from the enzyme active site than the previous Ag85C ebselen structure, resulting in the restructuring of a connecting loop and imparting a conformational change to residues believed to play a role in substrate binding specific to Ag85C. These notable structural changes directly affect protein stability, reducing the overall melting temperature by up to 14.5 °C, resulting in the unfolding of protein at physiological temperatures. Additionally, this structural

Covalently attached multilayer assemblies of diazo-resins and binuclear cobalt phthalocyanines

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Li Xiaofang; Zhao Shuang; Yang Min; Sun Changqing; Guo, Liping

2005-01-01

By using the ionic self-assembly technique, ordered multilayer thin films composed of diazo-resin (DAR) as polycation and water-soluble binuclear cobalt phthalocyaninehexasulfonate (Bi-CoPc) as polyanion were alternately fabricated on quartz, CaF 2 and glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs). Upon ultraviolet irradiation, the adjacent interface of the multilayer films reacted to form a covalently cross-linking structure. The obtained thin films were characterized by ultraviolet (UV)-vis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), surface photovoltage spectra (SPS), and cyclic voltammetry. The results show that the uniform, highly stable and ordered multilayer thin films were formed. The linkage nature between the adjacent interface of the multilayer films converts from ionic to covalent, and, as a result, the stability of the multilayer thin films dramatically improved. The multilayer thin films on GCEs also exhibited excellent electrochemical behavior

Covalently attached multilayer assemblies of diazo-resins and binuclear cobalt phthalocyanines

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li Xiaofang [Key Lab of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023 (China); Zhao Shuang [Key Lab of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023 (China); Yang Min [Key Lab of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023 (China); Sun Changqing [Key Lab of Supramolecular Structure and Materials, College of Chemistry, Jilin University, Changchun 130023 (China)]. E-mail: sunchq@mail.jlu.edu.cn; Guo, Liping [Department of Chemistry, Northeast Normal University, Changchun 130024 (China)

2005-05-01

By using the ionic self-assembly technique, ordered multilayer thin films composed of diazo-resin (DAR) as polycation and water-soluble binuclear cobalt phthalocyaninehexasulfonate (Bi-CoPc) as polyanion were alternately fabricated on quartz, CaF{sub 2} and glassy carbon electrodes (GCEs). Upon ultraviolet irradiation, the adjacent interface of the multilayer films reacted to form a covalently cross-linking structure. The obtained thin films were characterized by ultraviolet (UV)-vis, Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscope (AFM), surface photovoltage spectra (SPS), and cyclic voltammetry. The results show that the uniform, highly stable and ordered multilayer thin films were formed. The linkage nature between the adjacent interface of the multilayer films converts from ionic to covalent, and, as a result, the stability of the multilayer thin films dramatically improved. The multilayer thin films on GCEs also exhibited excellent electrochemical behavior.

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

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vijay Kumar Ravi

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

Immobilized copper(II) macrocyclic complex on MWCNTs with antibacterial activity

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tarlani, Aliakbar, E-mail: Tarlani@ccerci.ac.ir [Inorganic Nanostructures and Catalysts Research Lab., Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Pajoohesh Blvd., km 17, Karaj Hwy, Tehran 14968-13151 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Narimani, Khashayar [Inorganic Nanostructures and Catalysts Research Lab., Chemistry & Chemical Engineering Research Center of Iran, Pajoohesh Blvd., km 17, Karaj Hwy, Tehran 14968-13151 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Mohammadipanah, Fatemeh; Hamedi, Javad [Department of Microbial Biotechnology, School of Biology and Center of Excellence in Phylogeny of Living Organisms, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran 14155-6455 (Iran, Islamic Republic of); University of Tehran Biocompound Collection (UTBC), Microbial Technology and Products Research Center, University of Tehran, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Tahermansouri, Hasan [Department of Chemistry, Ayatollah Amoli Branch, Islamic Azad University, Amol (Iran, Islamic Republic of); Amini, Mostafa M. [Department of Chemistry, Shahid Behshti University, 1983963113, Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2015-06-30

Graphical abstract: In an antibacterial test, grafted copper(II) macrocyclic complex on the surface of MWCNT showed higher antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis compared to the individual MWCNT-COOH and the complex. - Highlights: • Copper(II) tetraaza macrocyclic complex covalently bonded to modified MWCNT. • Grafting of the complex carried out via an interaction between −C(=O)Cl group and NH of the ligand. • The samples were subjected in an antibacterial assessment to compare their activity. • Immobilized complex showed higher antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 compared to separately MWCNT-C(C=O)-OH and CuTAM. - Abstract: In a new approach, a copper(II) tetraaza macrocyclic complex (CuTAM) was covalently bonded on modified multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs). To achieve this purpose, MWCNTs were converted to MWCNT-COCl and then reacted to NH groups of TAM ligand. The prepared material was characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), and FESEM (field emission scanning electron microscopy). FT-IR and TGA demonstrated the presence of the organic moieties, and XRD proved that the structure of MWCNTs remained intact during the three modification steps. An increase in the I{sub D}/I{sub G} ratio in Raman spectra confirmed the surface modifications. Finally, the samples were subjected to an antibacterial assessment to compare their biological activity. The antibacterial test showed that the grafted complex on the surface of the nanotube (MWCNT-CO-CuTAM) has higher antibacterial activity against Bacillus subtilis ATCC 6633 than the MWCNT-COOH and CuTAM with 1000 and 2000 μg/mL.

Improved Procedure for Preparation of Covalently Bonded Cellulose Tris-phenylcarbamate Chiral Stationary Phases

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

秦峰; 陈小明; 刘月启; 邹汉法; 王俊德

2005-01-01

The classical method for preparation of covalently boned cellulose derivative chiral stationary phases (CSP) with diisocyanate as spacer was improved. Diisocyanate was firstly allowed to react with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and the resulting product was then applied as the spacer reagent to immobilize cellulose derivatives onto silica gel. Influences of the amount and the length of the spacer on the optical resolution ability of the CSP were investigated. Comparing improved procedure to classical diisocyanate method, the cross-linking between the glucose units of the cellulose derivatives was avoided to the most extent. With the improved procedure, regio-nonselective ways could be adooted to prepare covalently bonded CSP, which showed an advantage for the rapid preparation.

COVALENTLY ATTACHED MULTILAYER ULTRA-THIN FILMS FROM DIAZORESIN AND CALIXARENES

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zhao-hui Yang; Wei-xiao Cao

2003-01-01

A kind of photosensitive ultra-thin film was fabricated from diazoresin (DR) and various calixarenes by using the self-assembly technique. Under UV irradiation both the ionic- and hydrogen bonds between the layers of the film will convert into covalent bonds. As a result, the stability of the film toward polar solvents increases dramatically.

Covalent Functionalization of Carbon Nanotube by Tetrasubtituted Amino Manganese Phthalocyanine

Institute of Scientific and Technical Information of China (English)

Zheng Long YANG; Hong Zheng CHEN; Lei CAO; Han Yin LI; Mang WANG

2004-01-01

The multiwall carbon nanotube (MWCNT) bonded to 2, 9, 16, 23-tetraamino manganese phthalocyanine (TAMnPc) was obtained by covalent functionalization, and its chemical structure was characterized by TEM. The photoconductivity of single-layered photoreceptors, where MWCNT bonded by TAMnPc (MWCNT-b-TAMnPc) served as the charge generation material (CGM), was also studied.

Brain infusion of α-synuclein oligomers induces motor and non-motor Parkinson's disease-like symptoms in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Fortuna, Juliana T S; Gralle, Matthias; Beckman, Danielle; Neves, Fernanda S; Diniz, Luan P; Frost, Paula S; Barros-Aragão, Fernanda; Santos, Luís E; Gonçalves, Rafaella A; Romão, Luciana; Zamberlan, Daniele C; Soares, Felix A A; Braga, Carolina; Foguel, Debora; Gomes, Flávia C A; De Felice, Fernanda G; Ferreira, Sergio T; Clarke, Julia R; Figueiredo, Cláudia P

2017-08-30

Parkinson's disease (PD) is characterized by motor dysfunction, which is preceded by a number of non-motor symptoms including olfactory deficits. Aggregation of α-synuclein (α-syn) gives rise to Lewy bodies in dopaminergic neurons and is thought to play a central role in PD pathology. However, whether amyloid fibrils or soluble oligomers of α-syn are the main neurotoxic species in PD remains controversial. Here, we performed a single intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusion of α-syn oligomers (α-SYOs) in mice and evaluated motor and non-motor symptoms. Familiar bedding and vanillin essence discrimination tasks showed that α-SYOs impaired olfactory performance of mice, and decreased TH and dopamine levels in the olfactory bulb early after infusion. The olfactory deficit persisted until 45days post-infusion (dpi). α- SYO-infused mice behaved normally in the object recognition and forced swim tests, but showed increased anxiety-like behavior in the open field and elevated plus maze tests 20 dpi. Finally, administration of α-SYOs induced late motor impairment in the pole test and rotarod paradigms, along with reduced TH and dopamine content in the caudate putamen, 45 dpi. Reduced number of TH-positive cells was also seen in the substantia nigra of α-SYO-injected mice compared to control. In conclusion, i.c.v. infusion of α-SYOs recapitulated some of PD-associated non-motor symptoms, such as increased anxiety and olfactory dysfunction, but failed to recapitulate memory impairment and depressive-like behavior typical of the disease. Moreover, α-SYOs i.c.v. administration induced motor deficits and loss of TH and dopamine levels, key features of PD. Results point to α-syn oligomers as the proximal neurotoxins responsible for early non-motor and motor deficits in PD and suggest that the i.c.v. infusion model characterized here may comprise a useful tool for identification of PD novel therapeutic targets and drug screening. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All

Studies on the metabolism of chlorotrianisene to a reactive intermediate and subsequent covalent binding to microsomal proteins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Juedes, M.J.

1989-01-01

The studies on chlorotrianisene were conducted to determine whether metabolism of chlorotrianisene occurs via the cytochrome P450 monooxygenase system and whether a reactive intermediate is being formed that is capable of binding covalently to microsomal proteins. [ 3 H]-chlorotrianisene was incubated with liver microsomes supplemented with NADPH. At the termination of the incubation, the protein was trapped on a glass filter and the unbound chlorotrianisene was removed by extensive washing of the protein with organic solvent. A dramatic stimulation of covalent binding was demonstrated in microsomes from rats treated with methylcholanthrene (60 fold increase) versus control or phenobarbital treatment. Verification of covalent binding was achieved by localization of radiolabeled bands following sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) of the macromolecules in the incubation mixture. Further analysis of the radiolabeled macromolecules separated on SDS-PAGE revealed that these macromolecules were degraded by protease degradation indicating that the macromolecules were proteins. Further investigations were done to determine the cause of the dramatic stimulation of covalent binding detected in microsomes from methylcholanthrene treated rats versus control or phenobarbital treated rats. Further evidence for the participation of P-450c was obtained with a reconstituted cytochrome P-450 system. Incubations of chlorotrianisene with reconstituted P-450c and NADPH-cytochrome P-450 reductase exhibited covalent binding characteristics comparable to those seen in microsomal incubations. Investigations into the nature of the binding site and the reactive intermediate are currently being conducted. By analyzing the BSA adduct, the author intends to isolate the specific amino acid binding site(s)

Formation of Me–O–Si covalent bonds at the interface between polysilazane and stainless steel

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Amouzou, Dodji, E-mail: adodji@gmail.com [Research Centre in Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur (Belgium); Fourdrinier, Lionel; Maseri, Fabrizio [CRM-Group, Boulevard de Colonster, B 57, 4000 Liège (Belgium); Sporken, Robert [Research Centre in Physics of Matter and Radiation (PMR), University of Namur, Rue de Bruxelles 61, 5000 Namur (Belgium)

2014-11-30

Highlights: • Natural metal-oxides, hydroxides are detected on the top surface of steel substrates we tested. • Polysilazane reacts with hydroxide functional groups on steel substrates to form Cr–O–Si and Fe–O–Si covalent bonds. • Covalent bonding between steel and polysilazane at the interface was probed using spectroscopic techniques. - Abstract: In earlier works, we demonstrated the potential of polysilazane (PSZ) coatings for a use as insulating layers in Cu(In,Ga)Se{sub 2} (CIGS) solar cells prepared on steels substrates and showed a good adhesion between PSZ coatings and both AISI316 and AISI430 steels. In the present paper, spectroscopic techniques are used to elucidate the reason of such adhesion. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) was used to investigate surfaces for the two steel substrates and showed the presence of metal oxides and metal hydroxides at the top surface. XPS has been also used to probe interfaces between substrates and PSZ, and metallosiloxane (Me–O–Si) covalent bonds have been detected. These results were confirmed by Infra-Red Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (IRRAS) analyses since vibrations related to Cr–O–Si and Fe–O–Si compounds were detected. Thus, the good adhesion between steel substrates and PSZ coatings was explained by covalent bonding through chemical reactions between PSZ precursors and hydroxide functional groups present on top surface of the two types of steel. Based on these results, an adhesion mechanism between steel substrates and PSZ coatings is proposed.

Local Electronic Structure of a Single-Layer Porphyrin-Containing Covalent Organic Framework

KAUST Repository

Chen, Chen; Joshi, Trinity; Li, Huifang; Chavez, Anton D.; Pedramrazi, Zahra; Liu, Pei-Nian; Li, Hong; Dichtel, William R.; Bredas, Jean-Luc; Crommie, Michael F.

2017-01-01

We have characterized the local electronic structure of a porphyrin-containing single-layer covalent organic framework (COF) exhibiting a square lattice. The COF monolayer was obtained by the deposition of 2,5-dimethoxybenzene-1,4-dicarboxaldehyde

Non-Covalent Fluorescent Labeling of Hairpin DNA Probe Coupled with Hybridization Chain Reaction for Sensitive DNA Detection.

Science.gov (United States)

Song, Luna; Zhang, Yonghua; Li, Junling; Gao, Qiang; Qi, Honglan; Zhang, Chengxiao

2016-04-01

An enzyme-free signal amplification-based assay for DNA detection was developed using fluorescent hairpin DNA probes coupled with hybridization chain reaction (HCR). The hairpin DNAs were designed to contain abasic sites in the stem moiety. Non-covalent labeling of the hairpin DNAs was achieved when a fluorescent ligand was bound to the abasic sites through hydrogen bonding with the orphan cytosine present on the complementary strand, accompanied by quench of ligand fluorescence. As a result, the resultant probes, the complex formed between the hairpin DNA and ligand, showed almost no fluorescence. Upon hybridization with target DNA, the probe underwent a dehybridization of the stem moiety containing an abasic site. The release of ligand from the abasic site to the solution resulted in an effective fluorescent enhancement, which can be used as a signal. Compared with a sensing system without HCR, a 20-fold increase in the sensitivity was achieved using the sensing system with HCR. The fluorescent intensity of the sensing system increased with the increase in target DNA concentration from 0.5 nM to 100 nM. A single mismatched target ss-DNA could be effectively discriminated from complementary target DNA. Genotyping of a G/C single-nucleotide polymorphism of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products was successfully demonstrated with the sensing system. Therefore, integrating HCR strategy with non-covalent labeling of fluorescent hairpin DNA probes provides a sensitive and cost-effective DNA assay. © The Author(s) 2016.

Synthesis, characterization and anti-fungal evaluation of Ni(II and Cu(II complexes with a derivative of 4-aminoantipyrine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monika Tyagi

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Transition metal complexes of Ni(II and Cu(II metal ions with the general stoichiometry [M(LX]X and [M(LSO4], where M = Ni(II and Cu(II, L = (1E-N-((5-((E-(2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-4-pyrazolineiminomethylthiophen-2-ylmethylene-2,3-dimethyl-1-phenyl-4-pyrazolineamine and X = Cl−, NO3− and SO42−, have been synthesized and characterized. The synthesized ligand and metal complexes were characterized by 1H NMR, IR, mass spectrometry, UV–Vis spectra and EPR. In molecular modelling, the geometries of the Schiff's base and metal complexes were fully optimized with respect to the energy using the 6-31g(d,p basis set. The nickel(II complexes were found to have octahedral geometry, whereas the copper(II complexes were of tetragonal geometry. The covalency factor (β and orbital reduction factor (k suggest the covalent nature of the complexes. To develop broad spectrum new molecules against seed-borne fungi, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC of the ligand and its metal complexes was evaluated by the serial dilution method.

Conformation of chromatin oligomers. A new argument for a change with the hexanucleosome.

Science.gov (United States)

Marion, C; Bezot, P; Hesse-Bezot, C; Roux, B; Bernengo, J C

1981-11-01

Quasielastic laser light scattering measurements have been made on chromatin oligomers to obtain information on the transition in their electrooptical properties, previously observed for the hexameric structures [Marion, C. and Roux, B. (1978) Nucleic Acids Res. 5, 4431-4449]. Translational diffusion coefficients were determined for mononucleosomes to octanucleosomes containing histone H1 over a range of ionic strength. At high ionic strength, oligomers show a linear dependence of the logarithm of diffusion coefficient upon the logarithm of number of nucleosomes. At low ionic strength a change occurs between hexamer and heptamer. Our results agree well with the recent sedimentation data of Osipova et al. [Eur. J. Biochem. (1980) 113, 183-188] and of Butler and Thomas [J. Mol. Biol. (1980) 140, 505-529] showing a change in stability with hexamer. Various models for the arrangements of nucleosomes in the superstructure of chromatin are discussed. All calculations clearly indicate a conformational change with the hexanucleosome and the results suggest that, at low ionic strength, the chromatin adopts a loosely helical structure of 28-nm diameter and 22-nm pitch. These results are also consistent with a discontinuity every sixth nucleosome, corresponding to a turn of the helix. This discontinuity may explain the recent electric dichroism data of Lee et al. [Biochemistry (1981) 20, 1438-1445]. The hexanucleosome structure which we have previously suggested, with the faces of nucleosomes arranged radially to the helical axis has been recently confirmed by Mc Ghee et al. [Cell (1980) 22, 87-96]. With an increase of ionic strength, the helix becomes more regular and compact with a slightly reduced outer diameter and a decreased pitch, the dimensions resembling those proposed for solenoid models.

Biexcitons in {pi}-conjugated oligomers: Intensity-dependent femtosecond transient-absorption study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klimov, V.I.; McBranch, D.W. [Chemical Science and Technology Division, CST-6, Mail Stop J585, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States); Barashkov, N.; Ferraris, J. [Chemistry Department, University of Texas, Dallas, Texas 75083 (United States)

1998-09-01

We report femtosecond transient-absorption (TA) studies of a five-ring oligomer of poly({ital para}-phenylene vinylene) prepared in two different forms: solid-state films and dilute solutions. At high pump fluences, in both types of samples, we observe generation of two-exciton states, which are detected by the evolution of TA spectra and dynamics with increasing pump intensity. In solutions, double excitation of molecules results in the formation of stable biexcitons with enhanced oscillator strength, leading to an increased efficiency of the radiative decay and a superlinear pump dependence of the stimulated emission. In solid-state samples, the two-exciton states are unstable and decay on the subpicosecond time scale due to ultrafast charge transfer, accompanied by generation of interchain excitons. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}

Supplementation with xylanase and β-xylosidase to reduce xylo-oligomer and xylan inhibition of enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose and pretreated corn stover

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qing Qing

2011-06-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Hemicellulose is often credited with being one of the important physical barriers to enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose, and acts by blocking enzyme access to the cellulose surface. In addition, our recent research has suggested that hemicelluloses, particularly in the form of xylan and its oligomers, can more strongly inhibit cellulase activity than do glucose and cellobiose. Removal of hemicelluloses or elimination of their negative effects can therefore become especially pivotal to achieving higher cellulose conversion with lower enzyme doses. Results In this study, cellulase was supplemented with xylanase and β-xylosidase to boost conversion of both cellulose and hemicellulose in pretreated biomass through conversion of xylan and xylo-oligomers to the less inhibitory xylose. Although addition of xylanase and β-xylosidase did not necessarily enhance Avicel hydrolysis, glucan conversions increased by 27% and 8% for corn stover pretreated with ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX and dilute acid, respectively. In addition, adding hemicellulase several hours before adding cellulase was more beneficial than later addition, possibly as a result of a higher adsorption affinity of cellulase and xylanase to xylan than glucan. Conclusions This key finding elucidates a possible mechanism for cellulase inhibition by xylan and xylo-oligomers and emphasizes the need to optimize the enzyme formulation for each pretreated substrate. More research is needed to identify advanced enzyme systems designed to hydrolyze different substrates with maximum overall enzyme efficacy.

Covalent modification of calcium hydroxyapatite surface by grafting phenyl phosphonate moieties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aissa, Abdallah; Debbabi, Mongi; Gruselle, Michel; Thouvenot, Rene; Gredin, Patrick; Traksmaa, Rainer; Tonsuaadu, Kaia

2007-01-01

The reaction between phenyl phosphonic dichloride (C 6 H 5 P(O)Cl 2 ) and synthetic calcium hydroxy- and fluorapatite has been investigated. The presence of mono- or polymeric (C 6 H 5 PO) fragment bound to hydroxyapatite was evidenced by IR, and solid-state 31 P NMR spectroscopy. X-ray powder analysis has shown that the apatitic structure remains unchanged during the reaction. In contrast, no reaction was found using fluorapatite. According to the results found for these two different apatites a mechanism was proposed for the formation of covalent P-O-P bonds as the result of a reaction between the C 6 H 5 P(O)Cl 2 organic reagent and (HPO 4 ) - and/or OH - ions of the hydroxyapatite. - Graphical abstract: Representation of the first step of the reaction between the phenyl phosphonic dichloride and the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the apatite, leading to covalent P-O-P bond with elimination of HCl

Potent and Selective Covalent Quinazoline Inhibitors of KRAS G12C

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zeng, Mei; Lu, Jia; Li, Lianbo; Feru, Frederic; Quan, Chunshan; Gero, Thomas W.; Ficarro, Scott B.; Xiong, Yuan; Ambrogio, Chiara; Paranal, Raymond M.; Catalano, Marco; Shao, Jay; Wong, Kwok-Kin; Marto, Jarrod A.; Fischer, Eric S.; Jänne, Pasi A.; Scott, David A.; Westover, Kenneth D.; Gray, Nathanael S. (DFCI); (UTSMC); (Harvard-Med); (NYUSM)

2017-08-01

Targeted covalent small molecules have shown promise for cancers driven by KRAS G12C. Allosteric compounds that access an inducible pocket formed by movement of a dynamic structural element in KRAS, switch II, have been reported, but these compounds require further optimization to enable their advancement into clinical development. We demonstrate that covalent quinazoline-based switch II pocket (SIIP) compounds effectively suppress GTP loading of KRAS G12C, MAPK phosphorylation, and the growth of cancer cells harboring G12C. Notably we find that adding an amide substituent to the quinazoline scaffold allows additional interactions with KRAS G12C, and remarkably increases the labeling efficiency, potency, and selectivity of KRAS G12C inhibitors. Structural studies using X-ray crystallography reveal a new conformation of SIIP and key interactions made by substituents located at the quinazoline 2-, 4-, and 7-positions. Optimized lead compounds in the quinazoline series selectively inhibit KRAS G12C-dependent signaling and cancer cell growth at sub-micromolar concentrations.