Voltammetry of half-sandwich manganese group complexes of η-PhC3B7H9 and η-C60Bn2PhH2, two ligands that are cyclopentadienyl mimicks

The potentials of a series of one-electron oxidation and reduction reactions have been determined for manganese group half-sandwich complexes of the tricarbadecaboranyl ligand PhC₃B₇H₉ and the penta-organo fullerene ligand C₆₀Bn₂PhH₂ (Bn = benzyl). The anodic processes were studied in CH₂Cl₂ and the cathodic processes were studied in both CH₂Cl₂ and THF, the supporting electrolyte being [NBu₄][B(C₆F₅)₄]. The manganese complex Mn(CO)₂(PMe₃)(PhC₃B₇H₉) (1) is a member of a three-electron transfer series which includes oxidation to 1⁺ (0.51 V versus ferrocene) and successive reductions to 1⁻ (−1.66 V) and 1²⁻ (−1.77 V). Both the oxidation and reduction of the closely-related complex Mn(CO)₂(PPh₃)(PhC₃B₇H₉) (2) are chemically irreversible under slow-scan cyclic voltammetry conditions. The rhenium complex Re(CO)₂(PPh₃)(PhC₃B₇H₉) (3) oxidizes (E_1/2 = 0.82 V versus ferrocene) to a radical cation which, unlike its cyclopentadienyl analogue, shows no evidence of dimerization. Oxidation of the fullerene-based complex Re(CO)₃(C₆₀Bn₂PhH₂) is more facile than that of its cyclopentadienyl analogue, in contrast to previous findings in this class of metal-fullerene derivatives. An electrochemical ligand factor, E_L, of 0.63 is calculated for the PhC₃B₇H₉ ligand in manganese group half-sandwich complexes.     

A comparison of the disposition of 14C-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol and 3H-Δ9-tetrahydrocannabinol

Preliminary experiments suggested that total levels of radioactivity disappeared from the blood of male, Fischer rats much more rapidly following intragastric administration of ¹⁴C-Δ⁹-tetrahydrocannabinol (¹⁴C-THC) than ³H-THC. Collaborative experiments at the Stanford Research Institute (SRI) and the Research Institute on Alcoholism (RIA) verified and characterized the initial observations. In rats that had food available throughout the experiments, the concentrations of total ³H and ¹⁴C in fresh plasma reached a maximum at 2 – 4 hours after treatment with ³H-THC plus ¹⁴C-THC. Thereafter, ¹⁴C levels fell while ³H levels decreased very slowly or not at all. In fasted rats, peak plasma concentrations of both isotopes were not attained until about 8 hours following drug administration. The concentrations of ¹⁴C then decreased more rapidly than ³H. The differences between the plasma disappearance curves for ¹⁴C and ³H were not dependent upon the method of blood collection or the techniques of isotope counting. However, when plasma or whole blood samples were dried before radioisotope analysis, the difference between ¹⁴C and ³H concentrations was virtually abolished in fed and fasted rats. Experiments suggest that tritiated water, produced during the metabolism of ³H-THC, may be responsible for the prolonged maintenance of high ³H levels in the blood.     

Thermodynamic Analyses of Nucleotide Binding to an Isolated Monomeric β Subunit and the α3β3γ Subcomplex of F1-ATPase

Rotation of the γ subunit of the F₁-ATPase plays an essential role in energy transduction by F₁-ATPase. Hydrolysis of an ATP molecule induces a 120° step rotation that consists of an 80° substep and 40° substep. ATP binding together with ADP release causes the first 80° step rotation. Thus, nucleotide binding is very important for rotation and energy transduction by F₁-ATPase. In this study, we introduced a βY341W mutation as an optical probe for nucleotide binding to catalytic sites, and a βE190Q mutation that suppresses the hydrolysis of nucleoside triphosphate (NTP). Using a mutant monomeric βY341W subunit and a mutant α₃β₃γ subcomplex containing the βY341W mutation with or without an additional βE190Q mutation, we examined the binding of various NTPs (i.e., ATP, GTP, and ITP) and nucleoside diphosphates (NDPs, i.e., ADP, GDP, and IDP). The affinity (1/K_d) of the nucleotides for the isolated β subunit and third catalytic site in the subcomplex was in the order ATP/ADP > GTP/GDP > ITP/IDP. We performed van’t Hoff analyses to obtain the thermodynamic parameters of nucleotide binding. For the isolated β subunit, NDPs and NTPs with the same base moiety exhibited similar ΔH⁰ and ΔG⁰ values at 25°C. The binding of nucleotides with different bases to the isolated β subunit resulted in different entropy changes. Interestingly, NDP binding to the α₃β(Y341W)₃γ subcomplex had similar K_d and ΔG⁰ values as binding to the isolated β(Y341W) subunit, but the contributions of the enthalpy term and the entropy term were very different. We discuss these results in terms of the change in the tightness of the subunit packing, which reduces the excluded volume between subunits and increases water entropy.     

Characterization of the lys2 gene of Penicillium chrysogenum encoding α -aminoadipic acid reductase

A DNA fragment containing a gene homologous to LYS2 gene of Saccharomyces cerevisiae was cloned from a genomic DNA library of Penicillium chrysogenum AS-P-78. It encodes a protein of 1409 amino acids (Mr^ 154 859) with strong similarity to the S. cerevisiae (49.9% identity) Schizosaccharomycespombe (51.3% identity) and Candida albicans (48.12% identity) α-aminoadipate reductases and a lesser degree of identity to the amino acid-activating domains of the non-ribosomal peptide synthetases, including the α-aminoadipate-activating domain of the α-aminoadipyl-cysteinyl-valine synthetase of P. chrysogenum (12.4% identical amino acids). The lys2 gene contained one intron in the 5′-region and other in the 3′-region, as shown by comparing the nucleotide sequences of the cDNA and genomic DNA, and was transcribed as a 4.7-kb monocistronic mRNA. The lys2 gene was localized on chromosome III (7.5 Mb) in P. chrysogenum AS-P-78 and on chromosome IV (5.6 Mb) in strain P2, whereas the penicillin gene cluster is known to be located in chromosome I in both strains. The lys2-encoded protein is a member of the aminoacyladenylate-forming enzyme family with a reductase domain in its C-terminal region. Received: 26 January 1998 / Accepted: 4 May 1998     

Influence of CH3 group of μ-N-C-S ligand on the properties of [Fe2(C4H5N2S)2(NO)4] complex

Bi-nuclear neutral sulfur-nitrosyl iron complex [Fe₂(SR)₂(NO)₄] (I) has been obtained by replacement of thiosulfate ligands in dianion [Fe₂(S₂O₃)₂(NO)₄]²⁻ by 1-methyl-imidazole-2-yl. From X-ray analysis data, the complex has centrosymmetrical dimeric structure, with the iron atoms being linked via μ-N-C-S bridge. From Mossbauer spectroscopy, isomeric shift δ_Fe is 0.180(1) mm/s and quadrupole splitting ΔE_Q is 0.928(2) mm/s at T = 290 K. By comparative studying the mass-spectra in the gaseous phase of solid samples decomposition and kinetics of NO release in 1% aqueous solutions of dimethylsulfoxide, using of the ligand with CH₃ substituent in position 1 of imidazole-2-thiol was shown to yield a more stable donor of nitrogen monoxide than earlier obtained analog with imidazole-2-thiol, [Fe₂(C₃H₃N₂S)₂(NO)₄].     

Aminoterminal acetylation of synthetic Nα-desacetyl thymosin α1

A transacetylase associated with the ribosome fraction from wheat germ catalyzes the transfer of acetyl groups from acetyl CoA to synthetic N^α-desacetyl thymosin α₁. The product was identified by high-performance liquid chromatography and by the isolation of a tryptic peptide containing the acetylated NH₂-terminus. In 20 min, with 13 μg of enzyme protein, 15% of the desacetyl thymosin α₁ added was converted to the acetylated form. Under the conditions employed only the α-NH₂ group was acetylated.     

Inhibition of cholesterol esterases by Δ1-tetrahydrocannabinol

Δ¹-Tetrahydrocannabinol was found to inhibit the action of esterases derived from rat adrenal and luteinized ovary on exogenous cholesteryl palmitate. The drug was effective at a dose of 3.2μM causing greater than 30% inhibition; at 16μM almost complete inhibition occured. These findings are similar to those we have recently reported with mouse Leydig cells (1) showing that this is an effect common to steroidogenic tissues and raising the possibility that a variety of endocrine effects of this drug may be due to direct action on these tissues.     

Synthesis of 11β-3H-prostaglandin E2

11β-³H-Prostaglandin E₂ was synthesized by the stereoselective reduction of the PGD₂ derivative $\text{2}$ using sodium borotritide.     

Ethanol catalyzed synthesis of titanocene aryl carboxylate complexes and crystal structure of (η-C5H5)2Ti(2-OH-5-S-O2CC6H3)2

A method for the synthesis of titanocene (IV) aryl carboxylate complexes is presented in this paper. It is based on the fact that alcohol can catalyze the reaction between Cp₂TiCl₂ and aryl carboxylate ligands in the presence of sodium hydroxide (NaOH). The effects of the catalyst on the reaction system were studied and the possible reaction mechanism was proposed. This method was used to prepare a series of titanocene (IV) aryl carboxylate complexes and a macrocyclic titanocene (5,5′-dithiodisalicylato titanocene), whose structure was determined by X-ray diffraction analysis.     

Comparison of the effects of prostaglandins D2, F2α and E1 on spontaneous contractions of rabbit oviduct

The effects of PGD₂, PGF_2α and PGE₁ were studied on the circular muscle of post-ovulatory rabbit oviducts $\text{in vitro}$. PGE₁ inhibited spontaneous contractile activity. Lower concentrations of PGD₂ and PGF_2α were stimulatory and higher concentrations were inhibitory. Since PGD₂ may be produced in the oviduct, any hypothesis concerning the role of prostaglandins in the control of oviductal motility and ovum transport should include PGD₂ as well as PGFs and PGEs.     

Activation of phosphates to substitution(II). A comparison of catalyses initiated directly by VO2+ and by oxidation of VO2+ by MnO4−

Vanadium(V)-induced hydrolyses of triphosphates in aqueous solutions were initiated in two ways: (1) oxidizing vanadium(IV)-polyphosphate complexes to produce metastable vanadium(V) complexes; (2) forming VO₂⁺-polyphosphate complexes by acidification of solutions of VO₄^3? and polyphosphate to yield equilibrium mixtures of V(V), polyphosphate, and their complexes. Hydrolysis rates for the complexes formed at 40°C ? T ? 25°C follow the order V₂PPP_i = 2(VPPP_i) ≌ (VO₂) ATP ? V(PPP_i)₂ ≌ PPP_i. The hydrolysis of (V(V))₂(PPP_i) was not very temperature sensitive; the activation enthalpy appears small and the activation entropy large and negative. Mechanistic studies reveal that requirements for the activated state in metal-ion-catalyzed hydrolysis of polyphosphates include monodentate polyphosphate ligated cis to H₂O or OH^? in the coordination sphere of the metal ion:

     

Unusual suppression properties of lysogens containing derivatives of ?80 psu3+

Summary Nonsense codon suppressing lysogens of E. coli have been made using 80 psu ₃ ⁺ -A2 and 80 psu _oc ⁺ -A2, heat-sensitive amber and ochre suppressing derivatives, respectively, of bacteriophage 80. The various lysogens selected differ in strength of suppression as well as in heat sensitivity of suppressor function. Heat-resistant derivatives, some still carrying the A2 mutation, can be selected from the heat sensitive parents. Mapping expreiments indicate that the 80 derivatives integrate at the tyrTV locus, which contains two copies of tRNA ₁ ^Tyr . The origin of the various suppressor phenotypes appears to be related to the great variety of distinctive recombination events possible either between the incoming tRNA ₁ ^Tyr gene and the host copies, or among the three copies of this gene in the lysogens.     

Preparation of cobalt sandwich diphosphine ligand [(η-C5H4Pr)Co(η-C4(PPh2)2Ph2)] and its chelated palladium complex: Application of diphosphine ligand in the preparation of mono-substituted ferrocenylarenes

The reaction of (η⁵-C₅H₄ⁱPr)Co(PPh₃)₂ with PhCCPPh₂ furnished two isomeric cyclobutadiene-substituted Cp′CoCb diphosphines, [(η⁵-C₅H₄ⁱPr)Co(η⁴-1,2-(PPh₂)₂C₄Ph₂)] (5-cis) and [(η⁵-C₅H₄ⁱPr)Co(η⁴-1,3-(PPh₂)₂C₄Ph₂)] (5-trans). Further reaction of 5-cis with one molar equivalent of Pd(COD)Cl₂ gave palladium complex [(η⁵-C₅H₄ⁱPr)Co(η⁴-1,2-(PPh₂)₂C₄Ph₂)-PdCl₂] (6) in good yield. Both of the molecular structures of 5-cis and 6 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction methods. Unexpectedly, the palladium complex 6 was found to be more efficient than the combination of the commonly used Buchwald’s ligand, biphenyl-2-yl-di-tert-butyl-phosphane, with Pd(OAc)₂ as the catalytic precursor in the Suzuki-Miyaura reaction between ferroceneboronic acid and 4-bromoaldehyde. The X-ray structural analysis and DFT study of several palladium complexes containing sandwich-type diphosphine chelating ligands revealed that the variations in bite angles are much larger than those in bite distances. The more energetically favorable conformation in the Pd(II) complexes is the one with bite angle close to 90°.     

Flow-Induced β-Hairpin Folding of the Glycoprotein Ibα β-Switch

Flow-induced shear has been identified as a regulatory driving force in blood clotting. Shear induces β-hairpin folding of the glycoprotein Ibα β-switch which increases affinity for binding to the von Willebrand factor, a key step in blood clot formation and wound healing. Through 2.1-μs molecular dynamics simulations, we investigate the kinetics of flow-induced β-hairpin folding. Simulations sampling different flow velocities reveal that under flow, β-hairpin folding is initiated by hydrophobic collapse, followed by interstrand hydrogen-bond formation and turn formation. Adaptive biasing force simulations are employed to determine the free energy required for extending the unfolded β-switch from a loop to an elongated state. Lattice and freely jointed chain models illustrate how the folding rate depends on the entropic and enthalpic energy, the latter controlled by flow. The results reveal that the free energy landscape of the β-switch has two stable conformations imprinted on it, namely, loop and hairpin—with flow inducing a transition between the two.     

Oxidation of [Ir(η-C5Me5)(C8H4S8)] and crystal structures of [IrI(η-C5Me5)(C8H4S8)](I3) and [IrI(η-C5Me5)(C8H4S8)](I3)1/2(I7)1/2

[Ir(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(C₈H₄S₈)] (1) [ = 2-{(4,5-ethylenedithio)-1,3-dithiole-2-ylidene}-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithionate(2−)] was reacted with iodine in dichloromethane to afford one-electron- and two-electron-oxidized species [IrI(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(C₈H₄S₈)] (2), [IrI(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(C₈H₄S₈)](I₃) (3) and [IrI(η⁵-C₅Me₅)(C₈H₄S₈)](I₅) (4). The oxidized species exhibit electrical conductivities of (1.1-5.0) × 10⁻⁶ S cm⁻¹ measured for compacted pellets at room temperature. The X-ray crystal structures of the two-electron-oxidized complexes 3 and 4 revealed the Ir-I bonds for both of them and the presence of for 3 and ions for 4 as the counter anions. They have many S-S and S-I non-bonding contacts to form two-dimensional molecular interaction sheets in the solid state.     

A Comparison of the Membrane Binding Properties of C1B Domains of PKCγ, PKCδ, and PKC?

The C1 domains of classical and novel PKCs mediate their diacylglycerol-dependent translocation. Using fluorescence resonance energy transfer, we studied the contribution of different negatively charged phospholipids and diacylglycerols to membrane binding. Three different C1B domains of PKCs were studied (the classical γ, and the novel δ and ?), together with different lipid mixtures containing three types of acidic phospholipids and three types of activating diacylglycerols. The results show that C1Bγ and C1B? exhibit a higher affinity to bind to vesicles containing 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-phosphatidic acid, 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-phoshatidylserine, or 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl-sn-phosphatidylglycerol, with C1B? being the most relevant case because its affinity for POPA-containing vesicles increased by almost two orders of magnitude. When the effect of the diacylglycerol fatty acid composition on membrane binding was studied, the C1B? domain showed the highest binding affinity to membranes containing 1-stearoyl-oleoyl-sn-glycerol or 1,2-sn-dioleoylglycerol with POPA as the acidic phospholipid. Of the three diacylglycerols used in this study, 1,2-sn-dioleoylglycerol and 1-stearoyl-oleoyl-sn-glycerol showed the highest affinities for each isoenzyme, whereas 1,2-sn-dipalmitoylglycerol; showed the lowest affinity. DSC experiments showed this to be a consequence of the nonfluid conditions of 1,2-sn-dipalmitoylglycerol;-containing systems.     

Spectroscopic properties of ironthiosemicarbazone compounds. Structure of [Fe(C7H7N4S)2]·1.25H2O

The reaction of FeCl₃ and HL, where HL=C₇H₈N₄S, pyridine-2-carbaldehyde thiosemicarbazone, at physiological pH values in air gives rise to a powder of composition C₁₄H₁₆Cl_0.3FeN₈O_1.2S₂ which contains iron(II)- and iron(III)-thiosemicarbazone species. This fact confirms the reducing character of the ligand in neutral and basic media. The [Fe(C₇H₇N₄S)₂]·1.25H₂O compound has been isolated. The crystal structure consists of discrete monomeric cationic entities containing low-spin iron(II) ions in a distorted octahedral environment. The metal ion is bonded to one sulfur and two nitrogen atoms of each thiosemicarbazone molecule. The powdered X-band EPR spectra of C₁₄H₁₆Cl_0.3FeN₈O_1.2S₂ show a significant variation with temperature which can be explained considering an ‘exchange narrowing’ phenomenon, in good accordance with the presence of antiferromagnetic interactions. The Mössbauer measurements are in good agreement with the existence of one iron(II) and two iron(III) low-spin species, with relative areas of 69, 17 and 14%, respectively.     

The effects of prostaglandins E2 and F2α on synaptosomal accumulation and release of 3H-norepinephrine

Prostaglandins (PG) of both the E and F series may serve as modulators of norepinephrine (NE) release from peripheral sympathetic neurons. We have studied the effects of PGE₂ and PGF_2α on the accumulation and release of ³H-NE in the CNS using synaptosomes isolated from rat hypothalami.The release of ³H-NE from synaptosomes superfused with Krebs-Ringer bicarbonate buffer was multiphasic with an initial fast release phase followed by a slower release. Raising KC1 concentration of the superfusion medium to 56mM during the slow release phase is known to stimulate ³H-NE release. PGE₂ (1 × 10^?6M) attenuated ³H-NE release during the fast phase and reduced the amount of ³H-NE released due to KC1 stimulation. At lower concentrations of PGE₂ there was no change in the release profile. PGF_2α was without effect on ³H-NE release at all concentrations tested.The accumulation of ³H-NE was significantly diminished by PGE₂ at a concentration of 1 × 10^?6M, while a lower concentration (1 × 10^?7M) was ineffective. PGF_2α had no effect on ³H-NE accumulation at all concentrations investigated.     

Single-Channel Monitoring of Reversible L-Type Ca Channel CaVα1-CaVβ Subunit Interaction

Voltage-dependent Ca²⁺ channels are heteromultimers of Ca_Vα₁ (pore), Ca_Vβ- and Ca_Vα₂δ-subunits. The stoichiometry of this complex, and whether it is dynamically regulated in intact cells, remains controversial. Fortunately, Ca_Vβ-isoforms affect gating differentially, and we chose two extremes (Ca_Vβ_1a and Ca_Vβ_2b) regarding single-channel open probability to address this question. HEK293α_1C cells expressing the Ca_V1.2 subunit were transiently transfected with Ca_Vα₂δ1 alone or with Ca_Vβ_1a, Ca_Vβ_2b, or (2:1 or 1:1 plasmid ratio) combinations. Both Ca_Vβ-subunits increased whole-cell current and shifted the voltage dependence of activation and inactivation to hyperpolarization. Time-dependent inactivation was accelerated by Ca_Vβ_1a-subunits but not by Ca_Vβ_2b-subunits. Mixtures induced intermediate phenotypes. Single channels sometimes switched between periods of low and high open probability. To validate such slow gating behavior, data were segmented in clusters of statistically similar open probability. With Ca_Vβ_1a-subunits alone, channels mostly stayed in clusters (or regimes of alike clusters) of low open probability. Increasing Ca_Vβ_2b-subunits (co-)expressed (1:2, 1:1 ratio or alone) progressively enhanced the frequency and total duration of high open probability clusters and regimes. Our analysis was validated by the inactivation behavior of segmented ensemble averages. Hence, a phenotype consistent with mutually exclusive and dynamically competing binding of different Ca_Vβ-subunits is demonstrated in intact cells.