Effect of some monohydric alcohols on the oxygen affinity of hemoglobin: relevance of solvent dielectric constant and hydrophobicity.

We studied the effect of methanol, ethanol, iso-propanol, and n-propanol on the reaction of hemoglobin with oxygen. The oxygen affinity was found to decrease with increasing alcohol concentration and alkyl group size; no detectable effect on Hill's constant was found. Difference spectroscopy indicated K_R not to be affected by the presence of alcohols; the lowered affinity was then attributed to an altered equilibrium between T and R conformations of hemoglobin. The results have been analyzed in such a way as to allow separation of electrostatic contributions to free energy difference between the T and R states from nonelectrostatic ones. The nonelectrostatic term has been attributed to protein–solvent hydrophobic interactions. Values of hydrophobic free energy are in good agreement with analogous data estimated by correlating different results previously reported in the literature.     

Size and chain length effects on structural behaviors of biphenylcyclohexane-based liquid crystal nanoclusters by a coarse-grained model

Size and chain length effects on structural behaviors of liquid crystal nanoclusters were examined by a coarse-grained model and the configurational-bias Monte Carlo (CBMC) simulation. The nanoclusters investigated in this study are composed of the biphenylcyclohexane-based BCH5H liquid crystal molecule and its derivatives. Results of the study show that the average energy decreases (i.e., more negative) as the cluster size (i.e., the number of molecules) increases. With the increasing cluster size, the equilibrium conformation of the nanocluster changes gradually from a pipe-like structure (for the smaller systems) to a ball-like cluster (for the larger systems). The order parameter of the system reduces with the transition of the equilibrium conformation. Regarding the chain length effect, the pipe-like equilibrium conformation (for the smaller systems) was observed more close to a pipe as the length of the tail alkyl chain of the derivatives extended. However, due to the flexibility of the tail alkyl chain, the pipe conformation of the system deflects slightly about its cyclohexyl group as the tail extends further.     

Enzymatic glucosylation of hydrophobic alcohols in organic medium by the reverse hydrolysis reaction using almond-beta-D-glucosidase

Alkyl beta-D-glucosides were synthesized from D-glucose and alcohols by reverse hydrolysis using the commercially available almond beta-D-glucosidase in 9:1 (v/v) acetonitrile-water medium. The main characteristics of this enzyme-catalyzed glucosylation were established by using 2-hydroxybenzyl alcohol. The reaction is entirely regio- and stereoselective. The solvent plays a fundamental role because, by decreasing the water concentration in the medium, the shift of the reaction equilibrium toward synthesis is realized without using an excessive amount of alcohol. Nevertheless, a minimum amount of water is necessary to maintain the enzyme activity. In contrast to the use of the enzyme in aqueous medium, the pH of the added water in acetonitrile did not influence the synthesis. Using this procedure, we have conducted systematic glucosylation of numerous alcohols and we have investigated enzyme specificity and alcohol reactivity. The enzyme has a pronounced affinity for the alcohols containing a phenyl group, and enantioselectivity for the aglycon is obtained with 1-phenylethyl alcohol. Moreover, by using almond beta-D-glucosidase it was also possible to synthesize alkyl beta-D-galactosides. (c) 1995 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Responsiveness of κ-carrageenan microgels to cationic surfactants and neutral salts

The objective of this study was to examine the responsiveness of chemically cross-linked κ-carrageenan microspheres to different types of neutral salt electrolytes as well as to surfactants of varying chain lengths. In the presence of increasing salt concentration microsphere size changed radically from D[4,3] values of 320 μm to approximately 160 μm. The level of salt concentration needed to bring about this change varied depending on electrolyte type. This common behaviour was attributed to the difference in free cationic counter-ions concentration between the inside and outside of the microsphere and can be explained due to the effect of the Donnan equilibrium. The rheological properties of these microgels in their swollen and collapsed states were also explored with results showing that the collapsed microspheres had a greater impact on the viscosity of the system probably as a result of some aggregation of the collapsed microgels at rest due to surface charge screening at these high salt concentrations. The effect of surfactant on microsphere size showed a dramatic drop in D[4,3] values from 320 μm to approximately 120 μm for BAC, DoTAB, MTAB and CTAB at specific critical concentrations. This critical aggregation concentration was found to increase linearly on a log–log scale with the critical micelle concentration of these surfactants in water, indicating that the alkyl chain length of the surfactants had an effect on the critical aggregation concentration.     

Thermodynamics of the denaturation of lysozyme in alcohol--water mixtures.

The thermal denaturation of lysozyme was studied at pH 2 in aqueous mixtures of methanol, ethanol, and 1-propanol by high sensitivity differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The most obvious effect of alcohols was the lowering of Td, the temperature of denaturation, increasingly with higher alcohol concentration and longer alkyl chain. Both the calorimetric and van't Hoff enthalpies of denaturation initially increased and then decreased with increasing alcohol concentration, the ratio of the two enthalpies being nearly unity, 1.007 +/- 0.011, indicating the validity of the two-state approximation for the unfolding of lysozyme in these solvent systems. The reversibility of the denaturation was demonstrated by the reversibility of the DSC curves and the complete recovery of enzymic activity on cooling. The changes in heat capacity on unfolding decreased with increasing alcohol concentration for each alcohol. Experimentally determined values of denaturation temperature and of entropy and heat capacity changes were used to derive the additional thermodynamic parameters delta G degrees and delta S degrees for denaturation as a function of temperature for each alcohol--water mixture. Comparison of the thermodynamic parameters with those reported [Pfeil, W., & Privalov, P.L. (1976) Biophys. Chem. 4, 23--50] in aqueous solution at various values of pH and guanidine hydrochloride concentration showed that these latter changes have no effect on the heat capacity changes, whereas the addition of alcohols causes a sharp decrease.     

Factors influencing the rate of `aging' of a series of alkyl methylphosphonyl-acetylcholinesterases

1. The progressive development of resistance to reactivation by an oxime (;aging') shown by a series of alkyl methylphosphonyl-acetylcholinesterases is slow when the alkyl group is a primary alcohol, whether or not the carbon chain is branched, but is much more rapid if the alkyl group is a secondary or cyclic alcohol. 2. Aging is accelerated by increase of temperature or decrease of pH. 3. Aging is inhibited by the quaternary amine N-methylpyridinium iodide. 4. The results are discussed in relation to the role played by aging in the therapy of poisoning by organophosphorus compounds.     

ESR analysis with long-chain alkyl spin labels in bovine blood platelets. Relationship between the increase in membrane fluidity by alcohols and phenolic compounds and their inhibitory effects on aggregation

Four spin-labeled probes (5-doxylstearic acid (5-NS), its methyl ester (5-NMS), 16-doxylmethylstearate (16-NMS) and 4-(N,N-dimethyl-N-pentadecyl)ammonium-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-ox yl (CAT-15)) were used to monitor membrane fluidity change in bovine platelets induced by three alkyl alcohols, benzyl alcohol and two phenolic compounds. The relationship between the increase in membrane fluidity induced by these compounds and their inhibitory effects on platelet aggregation was observed. Experiments with the four probes showed that n-hexyl alcohol induced decreases in the order parameter of 5-NS and apparent rotational correlation times of the other probes at the same minimal alcohol concentration. The decreases were observed in the concentration range that inhibited aggregation. n-Amyl alcohol and n-butyl alcohol decreased the values of the parameters of the above mentioned only at higher concentrations that were dependent on their hydrophobicities. Like alkyl alcohols, benzyl alcohol and phenolic compounds decreased the values of the parameters in the concentration ranges in which these compounds inhibited platelet aggregation. The concentration of these compounds causing 50% inhibition of platelet aggregation, the IC50 values, and data on 5-NS-labeled platelets indicated that they inhibited aggregation and decreased the value of the order parameter at lower concentrations relative to their Poct values in comparison to the effective concentrations of alcohols. Phenolic compounds also decreased the values of the apparent rotational correlation times of 5-NMS and 16-NMS. These results indicate that the inhibition of platelet aggregation by alcohols and phenolic compounds is due to membrane perturbation in wide range in depths within the lipid bilayer.     

Long-chained 1-mercapto-n-alkanes as potent inhibitors toward liver alcohol dehydrogenase

Long-chained 1-mercapto-n-alkanes showed potent inhibitory effects on horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase (HLADH). The inhibitory effect of the thiols was enhanced by increasing the number of the alkyl carbon atoms up to 10-12 and steeply lowered by further increase in the carbon number. The HLADH activity was almost completely inhibited in competitive manner by an equivalent concentration of 1-mercapto-n-decane or -n-dodecane to that of the subunit of the dimeric zinc enzyme; inhibition constant Ki was 0.55 nM for the former. The present study strongly suggests that the thiols interact simultaneously with at least two sites of HLADH; the primary one could be the zinc atom in the active site of the enzyme, interacting with the sulfhydryl groups, and the other a hydrophobic binding site for the their alkyl carbons.     

C-alkylation of N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene: effects on its reaction with DNA in vitro

In vitro reactions of DNA with N-acetoxy-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-AAF), N-acetoxy-7-ethyl-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-EtAAF), N-acetoxy-7-n-butyl-N-2-acetylaminofluorene (N-AcO-But-AAF) are compared. C-alkylation of N-AcO-AAF affects the reactivity of the metabolite towards DNA. The electronic effect and the size of alkyl group seem to determine the reactivity of the metabolite. Although the adducts are about the same for the three metabolites, the proportion of guanine-C-8 adducts diminishes with an increase in the size of the alkyl group.     

Inhibition of soybean lipoxygenase-1 by n-alcohols and n-alkylthiols.

A series of n-alcohols and n-alkylthiols with carbon chains from 2 to 12 were examined for the inhibition of soybean lipoxygenase-1 (L-1). The alcohol produces a competitive inhibition, the extent of which increases with an increase in the carbon number of alkyl chain up to 8. Whereas the inhibition of the alkylthiol is noncompetitive, the extent of which is almost independent from the carbon number. From the behavior of pKi dependence on the carbon number of the alcohol, the decyl group appears to be optimum to bind to L-1. The thermodynamic analysis for the inhibition based upon van 't Hoff equation indicates positive enthalpy and entropy changes for the binding of the alcohol to the enzyme and negative enthalpy and positive to negative entropy changes for that of the alkylthiol. These observations suggest that the alcohol inhibits L-1 by binding of the hydrophobic alkyl tail to the catalytic site of the enzyme by a hydrophobic interaction. The alkylthiol inhibits by binding of the nucleophilic sulfhydryl head to a polarizable region of the enzyme and the alkyl tail to a hydrophobic region of the enzyme free from the steric hindrance as an anchor.     

Effects of pentanol isomers on the phase behavior of phospholipid bilayer membranes

Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) was used to analyze the thermotropic phase behavior of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) bilayers in the presence of pentanol isomers. The concentration of each pentanol isomer needed to induce the interdigitated phase was determined by the appearance of a biphasic effect in the main transition temperatures, the onset of a hysteresis associated with the main transition from the gel-to-liquid crystalline phase, and the disappearance of the pretransition. Lower threshold concentrations were found to correlate with isomers of greater alkyl chain length while branching of the alkyl chain was found to increase biphasic behavior. The addition of a methyl group to butanol systems drastically decreased threshold concentrations. However, as demonstrated in the DPPC/neopentanol system, branching of the alkyl chain away from the -OH group lowers the threshold concentration while maintaining a biphasic effect.     

Anaerobic Degradability of Alcohol Ethoxylates and Related Non-Ionic Surfactants

The anaerobic degradability of alcohol ethoxylates with various degrees of branching and several related substances was studied. Different inocula were employed in order to increase the probability of obtaining capable bacteria, and the degradation assays were fed with several small doses of the test substances in order to avoid inhibition by too high initial concentrations. Mineralization was quantified by monitoring the biogas production and inorganic carbon concentration in the liquid phase. Almost complete mineralization was achieved in the assays with linear alcohol ethoxylate, poly(ethylene glycol), dodecanol, 2-ethyl-hexanoic acid and 3-methyl-valeric acid. No significant degradation was detected in the assays with highly branched alcohol ethoxylate, 2-butyl-branched alcohol ethoxylate, alcohol alkoxylate, poly(propylene glycol) and iso-tridecanol. A 2-ethyl-branched alcohol ethoxylate was transformed to (2-ethyl-hexyloxy)-acetate, which was not further degraded. Apparently already the first step of anaerobic degradation of alcohol ethoxylates, the ethoxylate chain shortening, is sterically hindered by the alkyl branching. Alkyl branching in alcohol ethoxylates and the inclusion of propylene oxide units in alcohol alkoxylates seem to have a clearly more detrimental effect on anaerobic degradability than on aerobic degradability.     

Correlation studies based on enzyme structure and kinetic results: Deduction of productive substrate orientation in the active-site pocket of horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase

Kinetic information on the reduction of alkylated cyclohexanones catalyzed by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase was correlated with the three-dimensional structure of the enzyme. The substrates investigated were: 2-, 3-, and 4-alkylcyclohexanones with alkyl groups methyl, ethyl, i-propyl, and t-butyl. Kinetic studies establishing at which position of the cyclohexanone ring an alkyl group leads to fast, slow, or no reduction and at which position an increase in the size of the alkyl group leads to a decrease of the rate of reduction, allows one to deduce at which position an alkyl group leads to favorable or unfavorable interactions with groups of the enzyme. On the basis of the X-ray structure of the enzyme and on plausible assumptions regarding the arrangement of the reacting atoms, models were built of the enzyme-NAD⁺-alkylcyclohexanol complexes formed during reduction. These models were analyzed with respect to favorable and unfavorable interactions. By changing the orientation of the cyclohexanol molecules in the complex it was possible to arrive at a structure in which the interactions observed in the model correlated extremely well with those deduced from kinetic analysis. As a result, a probable structure of the enzyme-coenzyme substrate complex with productive substrate orientation was obtained. In this orientation the oxygen of the substrate appears to be directly bound to the active-site zinc. In addition the excellent correlation between the kinetic and the structural information demonstrates that the method of kinetically deducing the occurrence of interactions between groups of the substrate and the enzyme can be used to obtain information about the topography of the active site.     

Preparation of N-9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonylamino acid chlorides from mixed anhydrides by the action of hydrogen chloride.

N-9-Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-(Fmoc) amino-acid chlorides have been prepared by reaction of hydrogen chloride on purified mixed Fmoc-amino acid-monoalkyl carbonic acid anhydrides in dichloromethane. The products partially undergo subsequent conversion to the corresponding esters due to the presence of the liberated alcohol, the extent depending on the nature of the alkyl group. Esterification occurred to 5-20% when the alkyl group was isopropyl. Anhydrides of monoisopropenyl carbonic acid which liberate acetone instead of an alcohol gave products uncontaminated with ester. The three components in a reaction mixture could be determined as the reaction progressed by normal phase high-performance liquid chromatography of aliquots, which had been freed of excess hydrogen chloride, on a mu Porasil (underivatized silica) column using tert.-butanol-hexane (1.5:98.5) as solvent.     

Selective Lipase-Catalyzed Esterification of Alkyl Glycosides

Alkyl derivatives of glucose, galactose and fructose were acylated by lipase-catalyzed transesterification with alkanoic esters. The best results were obtained with immobilized Upases of the Candida antarctica type. Primary alcohol functions were acylated first, followed by secondary ones depending on the structure of the glycoside.

The water activity in the reaction medium had a striking effect on both the rate and the selectivity of the process. The size and orientation of the alkyl substituent and the structure of the acyl acceptor were also found to exert a profound influence on the course of the reaction.     

Separation of Alkyl β-d-Glucosides and n-Alcohols by Using a Porous Trimethylolpropane Trimethacrylate Homopolymer Gel

Alkyl β-D-glucosides and n-alcohols were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography on a porou gel of a trimethylolpropane trimethacrylate homopolymer, using a mixture of water with methanol or acetonitrile as the eluent. The effect of the methanol and acetonitrile concentrations on the separability was examined, and the optimum concentration of each to separate alkyl glucosides and alcohols with alkyl chain lengths of six to twelve was determined. A model for analyzing the elution characteristics of the solutes for various levels of methanol or acetonitrile is proposed, based upon the chemical potential of the solutes and eluent at the interface between the gel and eluent phases. Conventional column chromatographic separation of an alkyl glucoside and an alcohol was also performed by using gel with a larger particle diameter.     

Interaction between flavins and alcohols

The effect of alcohols on the spectral properties of riboflavin derivatives in non-polar solvent was studied by various spectroscopic methods in order to support the view point that alcohol may directly interact with the isoalloxazine moiety of FAD and enhance the catalytic activity of D-amino acid oxidase (DAAO). The most likely association complex between alcohol and riboflavin is 1 : 1 stoichiometric complex through the 3-N imino and the 2-C carbonyl groups of the isoalloxazine ring and the hydroxyl group of alcohols. It appears that methanol has a larger association constant than any other alcohols, and the association constant decreases with the increase in carbon number and with the steric requirement of the alkyl group of alcohols.     

Inhibitors of ether lipid biosynthesis

During biosynthesis of ether lipids, fatty alcohols may add covalently to ene-diol esters that would result from isomerization of acyl-dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Palmitoylation of 1,2,3-trihydroxyeicosane 1-phosphate, obtained by epoxidation of the product obtained by vinyllithiation of octadecanal, yields stable analogs of the high-energy intermediates that would be expected to result from alcohol addition. These analogs, in which an alkyl group replaces the ether alkoxyl group of the intermediates, inhibit formation of hexadecyl-dihydroxyacetone phosphate in a microsomal system from Ehrlich ascites cells. The parent compound is without effect.     

Inhibitory effect of the alkyl side chain of caffeic acid analogues on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production in RAW264.7 macrophages

Caffeic acid esters, one of the components of propolis, are known to show a variety of biological effects such as anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammatory activities. Although, the anti-inflammatory activities of caffeic acid esters have been studied by analyzing their structure, the detailed mechanisms of their activities remain unclear. Thus, in this study, we examined the function of the ester functional group and the alkyl side chain (alcoholic part) and transformed caffeic acid to several derivatives. The inhibitory effect of these derivatives on NO production in murine macrophage RAW264.7 cells was dependent on the length and size of the alkyl moiety, and undecyl caffeate was the most potent inhibitor of NO production. In addition, individual experiments using undecanol, caffeic acid, undecanol plus caffeic acid, and undecyl caffeate showed that the connection between caffeic acid and the alkyl chain is critical for activity. Amide and ketone derivatives showed that not only the ester functional group but also the amide and ketone functional groups exhibit an inhibitory effect on NO production.     

Effect of detergents on the association of the glycophorin a transmembrane helix

We have examined the role of the environment on the interactions between transmembrane helices using, as a model system, the dimerization of the glycophorin A transmembrane helix. In this study we have focused on micellar environments and have examined a series of detergents that include a range of alkyl chain lengths, combined with ionic, zwitterionic, and nonionic headgroups. For each we have measured how the apparent equilibrium constant depends on the detergent concentration. In two detergents we also measured the thermal sensitivity of the equilibrium constant, from which we derive the van't Hoff enthalpy and entropy. We show that several simple models are inadequate for explaining our results; however, models that include the effect of detergent concentration on detergent binding are able to account for our measurements. Our analysis suggests that the effects of detergents on helix association are due to a pair of opposing effects: an enthalpic effect, which drives association as the detergent concentration is increased and which is sensitive to the chemical nature of the detergent headgroup, opposed by an entropic effect, which drives peptide dissociation as the detergent concentration is raised. Our results also indicate that the monomer-monomer interface is relatively hydrophilic and that association within detergent micelles is driven by the enthalpy change. The wide variations in glycophorin a dimmer, stability with the detergent used, together with the realization that this results from the balance between two opposing effects, suggests that detergents might be selected that drive association rather than dissociation of peptide dimers.