The effect of regioisomerism on the coordination chemistry and CEST properties of lanthanide(III) NB-DOTA-tetraamide chelates

Chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) offers many advantages as a method of generating contrast in magnetic resonance images. However, many of the exogenous agents currently under investigation suffer from detection limits that are still somewhat short of what can be achieved with more traditional Gd³⁺ agents. To remedy this limitation we have undertaken an investigation of Ln³⁺ DOTA-tetraamide chelates (where DOTA is 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid) that have unusually rigid ligand structures: the nitrobenzyl derivatives of DOTA-tetraamides with (2-phenylethyl)amide substituents. In this report we examine the effect of incorporating hydrophobic amide substituents on water exchange and CEST. The ligand systems chosen afforded a total of three CEST-active isomeric square antiprismatic chelates; each of these chelates was found to have different water exchange and CEST characteristics. The position of a nitrobenzyl substituent on the macrocyclic ring strongly influenced the way in which the chelate and Ln³⁺ coordination cage distorted. These differential distortions were found to affect the rate of water proton exchange in the chelates. But, by far the greatest effect arose from altering the position of the hydrophobic amide substituent, which, when forced upwards around the water binding site, caused a substantial reduction in the rate of water proton exchange. Such slow water proton exchange afforded a chelate that was 4.5 times more effective as a CEST agent than its isomeric counterparts in dry acetonitrile and at low temperatures and very low presaturation powers.     

The thulium complex of 1,4,7,10-tetrakis{[N-(1H-imidazol-2-yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (dotami) as a ParaCEST contrast agent

1,4,7,10-Tetrakis{[N-(1H-imidazol-2-yl)carbamoyl]methyl}-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (dotami), a tetra(1H-imidazol-2-yl) derivative of the well-studied octadentate 1,4,7,10-tetrakis[(carbamoyl)methyl]-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (dotam) ligand, was synthesized by reaction of 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane with N-(1H-imidazol-2-yl)chloroacetamide in high yield. Its tricationic thulium complex was isolated as a water-soluble chloride salt. The detection of the mildly acidic amide and amine protons by direct proton NMR in aqueous solution was unsuccessful, but such exchangeable protons could be detected via their chemical exchange-dependent saturation transfer (CEST) effect. The observed CEST effect was distinctly different from that found for respective dotam complexes and is, therefore, ascribed to exchangeable protons associated with the imidazole substituent.     

TmDOTA-tetraglycinate encapsulated liposomes as pH-sensitive LipoCEST agents

Lanthanide DOTA-tetraglycinate (LnDOTA-(gly)₄ ⁻) complexes contain four magnetically equivalent amide protons that exchange with protons of bulk water. The rate of this base catalyzed exchange process has been measured using chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) NMR techniques as a function of solution pH for various paramagnetic LnDOTA-(gly)₄ ⁻ complexes to evaluate the effects of lanthanide ion size on this process. Complexes with Tb(III), Dy(III), Tm(III) and Yb(III) were chosen because these ions induce large hyperfine shifts in all ligand protons, including the exchanging amide protons. The magnitude of the amide proton CEST exchange signal differed for the four paramagnetic complexes in order, Yb>Tm>Tb>Dy. Although the Dy(III) complex showed the largest hyperfine shift as expected, the combination of favorable chemical shift and amide proton CEST linewidth in the Tm(III) complex was deemed most favorable for future in vivo applications where tissue magnetization effects can interfere. TmDOTA-(gly)₄ ⁻ at various concentrations was encapsulated in the core interior of liposomes to yield lipoCEST particles for molecular imaging. The resulting nanoparticles showed less than 1% leakage of the agent from the interior over a range of temperatures and pH. The pH versus amide proton CEST curves differed for the free versus encapsulated agents over the acidic pH regions, consistent with a lower proton permeability across the liposomal bilayer for the encapsulated agent. Nevertheless, the resulting lipoCEST nanoparticles amplify the CEST sensitivity by a factor of ∼10⁴ compared to the free, un-encapsulated agent. Such pH sensitive nano-probes could prove useful for pH mapping of liposomes targeted to tumors.     

Fluorescent studies on the interaction of DNA and ternary lanthanide complexes with cinnamic acid‐phenanthroline and antibacterial activities testing

Twelve lanthanide complexes with cinnamate (cin^–) and 1,10‐phenanthroline (phen) were synthesized and characterized. Their compositions were assumed to be RE(cin)₃phen (RE³⁺ = La³⁺, Pr³⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, Eu³⁺, Gd³⁺, Tb³⁺, Dy³⁺, Ho³⁺, Tm³⁺, Yb³⁺, Lu³⁺). The interaction mode between the complexes and DNA was investigated by fluorescence quenching experiment. The results indicated the complexes could bind to DNA and the main binding mode is intercalative binding. The fluorescence quenching constants of the complexes increased from La(cin)₃phen to Lu(cin)₃phen. Additionally, the antibacterial activity testing showed that the complexes exhibited excellent antibacterial ability against Escherichia coli, and the changes of antibacterial ability are in agreement with that of the fluorescence quenching constants. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Towards extracellular Ca<Superscript>2+</Superscript> sensing by MRI: synthesis and calcium-dependent <Superscript>1</Superscript>H and <Superscript>17</Superscript>O relaxation studies of two novel bismacrocyclic Gd<Superscript>3+</Superscript> complexes

Two new bismacrocyclic Gd³⁺ chelates containing a specific Ca²⁺ binding site were synthesized as potential MRI contrast agents for the detection of Ca²⁺ concentration changes at the millimolar level in the extracellular space. In the ligands, the Ca²⁺-sensitive BAPTA-bisamide central part is separated from the DO3A macrocycles either by an ethylene (L¹) or by a propylene (L²) unit [H₄BAPTA is 1,2-bis(o-aminophenoxy)ethane-N,N,N′,N′-tetraacetic acid; H₃DO₃A is 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid]. The sensitivity of the Gd³⁺ complexes towards Ca²⁺ and Mg²⁺ was studied by ¹H relaxometric titrations. A maximum relaxivity increase of 15 and 10% was observed upon Ca²⁺ binding to Gd₂L¹ and Gd₂L², respectively, with a distinct selectivity of Gd₂L¹ towards Ca²⁺ compared with Mg²⁺. For Ca²⁺ binding, association constants of log K = 1.9 (Gd₂L¹) and log K = 2.7 (Gd₂L²) were determined by relaxometry. Luminescence lifetime measurements and UV–vis spectrophotometry on the corresponding Eu³⁺ analogues proved that the complexes exist in the form of monohydrated and nonhydrated species; Ca²⁺ binding in the central part of the ligand induces the formation of the monohydrated state. The increasing hydration number accounts for the relaxivity increase observed on Ca²⁺ addition. A ¹H nuclear magnetic relaxation dispersion and ¹⁷O NMR study on Gd₂L¹ in the absence and in the presence of Ca²⁺ was performed to assess the microscopic parameters influencing relaxivity. On Ca²⁺ binding, the water exchange is slightly accelerated, which is likely related to the increased steric demand of the central part leading to a destabilization of the Ln–water binding interaction. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Magnetic and luminescence characteristics of dinuclear complexes of lanthanides and a phenolic schiff base macrocyclic ligand

The magnetic and luminescence characteristics of trimorphic homodinuclear macrocyclic complexes of lanthanides and a 2:2 phenolate Schiff's base L, derived from 2,6-diformyl-p-cresol and triethylenetetramine were determined. The complexes of Pr³⁺ exhibit non-Curie-Weiss temperature dependent magnetic susceptibilities for which satisfactory fits to an axial relationship depends on crystal field splitting and a weak binuclear Pr³⁺Pr³⁺ antiferromagnetic interaction. The exchange interaction parameters are zJ′ = −2.2, −4.4 and −7.0 cm ⁻¹ for ‘off-white’ Pr₂L(NO₃)₄·2H₂O, ‘yellow’ Pr₂L(NO₃)₄, and ‘orange’ Pr₂L(NO₃)₂(OH)₂, respectively. In contrast, magnetic susceptibilities of the Ln₂L(NO₃)₃(OH) complexes (Ln = Dy, Ho) follow Curie-Weiss behavior over the entire temperature range (6 K to 300 K). The complexes of closed shell ions La³⁺, Lu³⁺, Y³⁺ and those of the half filled shell ion Gd³⁺ exhibit a strong ligand fluorescence in the 450 nm to 650 nm range with decay times at 77 K of 5–8 ns for Ln≠Gd or 2–4 ns for Ln = Gd. The complexes of Gd³⁺ also exhibit a phosphorescence at 600 nm (decay time ∼ 200 μs). The complexes containing Ce³⁺, Eu³⁺, Tb³⁺ and Er³⁺ show very weak ligand luminescence indicative of effective quenching processes. Sensitized emission from the lanthanide ion is observed only with the Eu³⁺ complexes (⁵D_o → ⁷F_j transitions). The emission lifetimes are on the order of 250 μs in the pure Eu³⁺ complexes. The emission decay curves from dilute samples of Eu³⁺ in ‘off-white’ La₂L(NO₃)_4nH₂O show a noticeable rise time as well as a biphasic decay (fast component ∼ 400 μs; slow component ∼ 2500 μs). The luminescing states of L and Eu³⁺ have a common excitation spectrum which is similar to the electronic absorption spectrum of L indicating that ligand-to-metal ion energy transfer processes are dominant. Overall the result if this study suggest that the spectral properties of the complexes are determined by the coordination mode of the lanthanide ions to the Schiff base portion of macrocyclic ligand.     

Physical and optical studies of Gd2O2S:Eu3+ nanophosphors by microwave irradiation and γ‐irradiation methods

Gd₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanophosphors have been successfully synthesized using microwave irradiation and γ‐irradiation methods with polyvinyl pyrrolidone as a stabilizer. The physical and luminescence spectra were compared. The morphologies of both Gd₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanophosphors were in the hexagonal phase and mainly consisted of spherical nanostructures with diameters of ~90 nm and ~50 nm for both microwave irradiation and γ‐irradiation methods. Upon 325 nm of ultraviolet (UV) light excitation, strong red emissions (626 nm) were observed for both methods; these emissions corresponded to the ⁵D₀→⁷F₂ transition of Eu³⁺ ions. However, Gd₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanophosphors following microwave treatment showed better luminescence intensity than Gd₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanophosphors treated with γ‐irradiation. This difference was attributed to the crystallinity phase and surface quenching effects of Gd₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanophosphors. The reaction mechanisms of Gd₂O₂S:Eu³⁺ nanophosphors in both methods are discussed in detail.     

Antioxidation and DNA‐Binding Properties of Binuclear Lanthanide(III) Complexes with a Schiff Base Ligand Derived from 8‐Hydroxyquinoline‐7‐carboxaldehyde and Benzoylhydrazine

8‐Hydroxyquinoline‐7‐carboxaldehyde (8‐HQ‐7‐CA), Schiff‐base ligand 8‐hydroxyquinoline‐7‐carboxaldehyde benzoylhydrazone, and binuclear complexes [LnL(NO₃)(H₂O)₂]₂ were prepared from the ligand and equivalent molar amounts of Ln(NO₃)?6 H₂O (Ln=La³⁺, Nd³⁺, Sm³⁺, Eu³⁺, Gd³⁺, Dy³⁺, Ho³⁺, Er³⁺, Yb³⁺, resp.). Ligand acts as dibasic tetradentates, binding to Ln^III through the phenolate O‐atom, N‐atom of quinolinato unit, and C?N and ? O? C?N? groups of the benzoylhydrazine side chain. Dimerization of this monomeric unit occurs through the phenolate O‐atoms leading to a central four‐membered (LnO)₂ ring. Ligand and all of the Ln^III complexes can strongly bind to CT‐DNA through intercalation with the binding constants at 10⁵–10⁶ M ^?1. Moreover, ligand and all of the Ln^III complexes have strong abilities of scavenging effects for hydroxyl (HO^.) radicals. Both the antioxidation and DNA‐binding properties of Ln^III complexes are much better than that of ligand.     

稀土-落叶松单宁配合物的合成及抗真菌活性研究

以稀土(Re~(3+))和落叶松单宁(LT)为原料,采用液相合成法合成了5种廉价的稀土-落叶松单宁(Re~(3+)-LT)配合物,并通过红外光谱、X射线光电子能谱、紫外光谱以及配位数测定确定了配合物的结构.采用牛津杯法、琼脂稀释法测定配合物对黑曲霉、红曲霉、白腐菌、毛霉4种真菌的抑制作用.在抑菌方面,5种配合物对上述4种真菌均具有较强的抑制作用,其抑菌活性大小顺序为Ce~(3+)-LTGd~(3+)-LTLa~(3+)-LTNd~(3+)-LTYb~(3+)-LT,其中Ce~(3+)-LT对4种真菌的最小抑菌浓度分别为:1.6、1.6、0.8和1.6 g·L~(-1);Yb~(3+)-LT对4种真菌的最小抑菌浓度分别为:3.2、1.6、3.2和3.2 g·L~(-1).在杀菌方面,Yb~(3+)-LT的杀菌活性最强,其对4种真菌的最小杀菌浓度分别为:6.4、3.2、3.2和6.4 g·L~(-1).此外,尽管Nd~(3+)-LT和Gd~(3+)-LT具有较强的抑菌活性,但对黑曲霉和毛霉的杀菌作用较弱.     

Cyclen-based Gd3+ complexes as MRI contrast agents: Relaxivity enhancement and ligand design

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive radiology technique used to examine the internal organs of human body. It is useful for the diagnosis of structural abnormalities in the body. Contrast agents are used to increase the sensitivity of this technique. 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) is a macrocyclic tetraamine. Its derivatives act as useful ligands to produce stable complexes with Gd³⁺ ion. Such chelates are investigated as MRI contrast agents. Free Gd³⁺ ion is extremely toxic for in vivo use. Upon complexation with a cyclen-based ligand, it is trapped in the preformed central cavity of the ligand resulting in the formation of a highly stable Gd³⁺-chelate. Better kinetic and thermodynamic stability of cyclen-based MRI contrast agents decrease their potential toxicity for in vivo use. Consequently, such agents have proved to be safest for clinical applications. Relaxivity is the most important parameter used to measure the effectiveness of a contrast agent. A number of factors influence this parameter. This article elucidates detailed strategies to increase relaxivity of cyclen-based MRI contrast agents. 1,4,7,10-Tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid (DOTA) and 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (DO3A) are two key ligands derived from cyclen. They also act as building blocks for the synthesis of novel ligands. A few important methodologies for the synthesis of DOTA and DO3A derivatives are described. Moreover, the coordination geometry of chelates formed by these ligands and their derivatives is discussed as well. Novel ligands can be developed by the appropriate derivatization of DOTA and DO3A. Gd³⁺-chelates of such ligands prove to be useful MRI contrast agents of enhanced relaxivity, greater stability, better clearance, lesser toxicity and higher water solubility.     

Enhanced green emissions of Er3+/Yb3+ co‐doped Gd2(MoO4)3 by co‐excited up‐conversion processes

Improving the emission from rare earth ions doped materials is of great importance to broaden their application in bio‐imaging, photovoltaics and temperature sensing. The green emissions of Gd₂(MoO₄)₃:Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ powder upon co‐excitation with 980 and 808 nm lasers were investigated in this paper. Distinct enhancement of green emissions was observed compared with single laser excitation. Based on the energy level structure of Er³⁺, the enhancement mechanism was discussed. Moreover, the result of temperature‐dependent enhancement revealed that the enhancement factor reached its maximum (2.5) as the sample heated to 120°C, which is due to the competition of two major thermal effects acting in the co‐excited up‐conversion processes. In addition, the same enhancement of green emissions was also observed in Gd₂(MoO₄)₃:Er³⁺ powder and NaYF₄:Er³⁺/Yb³⁺ powder.     

Upconverted photoluminescence in Ho3+ and Yb3+ codoped Gd2O3 nanocrystals with and without Li+ ions

The upconversion photoluminescence of Ho³⁺ ion sensitized by Yb³⁺ ion in Ho³⁺/Yb³⁺codoped Gd₂O₃ nanocrystals with and without Li⁺ is investigated in this paper. Strong fluorescence in the green (534–570 nm) and red (635–674 nm) regions of the spectrum has been observed, arising from the ⁵F₄/⁵S₂ → ⁵I₈ and ⁵F₅ → ⁵I₈ transitions of Ho³⁺ ion, respectively. Yb³⁺ ion is considered to be a better sensitizer for catching enough pumping energy and transferring considerable energy to Ho³⁺ in the Ho³⁺/Yb³⁺system. The upconversion intensity emitted by Ho³⁺ is greatly enhanced when Li⁺ is added to the Ho³⁺/Yb³⁺ codoped Gd₂O₃ nanocrystals.     

Luminescence properties and solution dynamics of lanthanide complexes composed by a macrocycle hosting site and naphthalene or quinoline appended chromophore

The two-component ligand systems 1 and 2 which contain 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7-triacetic acid (DO3A) as the hosting unit for the lanthanide cations, and naphthalene (which is devoid of any chelating ability) or quinoline units, respectively, as chromophores, were synthesized. The 1:1 complexes with Gd³⁺, Eu³⁺ and Tb³⁺ have been studied in aqueous solution. Relaxometric properties for Gd · 1 indicate that two water molecules (q = 2) are in the first coordination sphere of the metal ion whereas for Gd · 2, q < 2 is found. For Gd · 1, these results indicate that the naphthalene unit is not coordinated to the metal centre; for the case of quinoline, reasons for the lower hydration state are discussed. In case of Eu · 1, Tb · 1, Eu · 2, and Tb · 2 the absorption and luminescence spectra, the overall luminescence efficiencies, and the metal-centred lifetimes, were obtained both in water and deuterated water. The coordination features of these complexes were explored by comparing their luminescence properties, resulting in hydration state q = 2 and 1.4 for the cases of the complexes of 1 and 2, respectively. Use of the photophysical parameters in air-equilibrated water allowed the determination of the ligand-to-cation energy transfer efficiency, Φ_EnT, leading to the overall emission sensitization process. For Eu · 1, and Eu · 2, we found Φ_EnT = 0.034 and 0.078, respectively, supporting that also a non-coordinating chromophore like naphthalene, case of ligand 1, can transfer excitation energy to the metal centre.     

Nd3+‐Yb3+/Nd3+‐Yb3+‐Li+ co‐doped Gd2O3 phosphors for up and down conversion luminescence

Frequency up‐conversion (UC) emission from the Nd³⁺‐Yb³⁺/Nd³⁺‐Yb³⁺‐Li⁺ co‐doped gadolinium oxide (Gd₂O₃) phosphors prepared by the solution combustion technique in the visible range have been studied by using 980 nm near infrared (NIR) laser diode excitation. The crystalline structure and formation of the cubic phase has been confirmed with the help of X‐ray diffraction (XRD) studies. XRD peak shifts have been found towards the lower diffraction angle side in the case of the Nd³⁺‐Yb³⁺‐Li⁺ co‐doped phosphors. Surface morphology and particle size information have been observed by using field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analysis. Down‐conversion emission study under 351 nm excitation in the visible region for the Nd³⁺‐Yb³⁺/Nd³⁺‐Yb³⁺‐Li⁺ co‐doped phosphors has been performed. The UC emission bands lying in the green and red region arising from the Nd³⁺ ions have been enhanced by ~260 times, ~113 times due to incorporation of Li⁺ ions in the Nd³⁺‐Yb³⁺ co‐doped phosphors. Photometric characterization has been done for the Nd³⁺‐Yb³⁺/Nd³⁺‐Yb³⁺‐Li⁺ co‐doped phosphors. The present study suggests the capability of the synthesized phosphors in near‐infrared (NIR) to visible upconverter and luminescent device applications.     

Modulation of I A Potassium Current in Adrenal Cortical Cells by a Series of Ten Lanthanide Elements

The modulation of I _A K⁺ current by ten trivalent lanthanide (Ln³⁺) cations spanning the series with ionic radii ranging from 0.99 ? to 1.14 ? was characterized by the whole-cell patch clamp technique in bovine adrenal zona fasciculata (AZF) cells. Each of the ten Ln³⁺s reduced I _A amplitude measured at +20 mV in a concentration-dependent manner. Smaller Ln³⁺s were the most potent and half-maximally effective concentrations (EC₅₀s) varied inversely with ionic radius for the larger elements. Estimation of EC₅₀s yielded the following potency sequence: Lu³⁺ (EC₅₀= 3.0 μm) ≈ Yb³⁺ (EC₅₀= 2.7 μm) > Er³⁺ (EC₅₀= 3.7 μm) ≥ Dy³⁺ (EC₅₀= 4.7 μm) > Gd³⁺ (EC₅₀= 6.7 μm) ≈ Sm³⁺ (EC₅₀= 6.9 μm) > Nd³⁺ (EC₅₀= 11.2 μm) > Pr³⁺ (EC₅₀= 22.3 μm) > Ce³⁺ (EC₅₀= 28.0 μm) > La³⁺ (EC₅₀= 33.7 μm). Ln³⁺s altered selected voltage-dependent gating and kinetic parameters of I _A with a potency and order of effectiveness that paralleled the reduction of I _A amplitude. Ln³⁺s markedly slowed activation kinetics and shifted the voltage-dependence of I _A gating such that activation and steady-state inactivation occurred at more depolarized potentials. In contrast, Ln³⁺s did not measurably alter inactivation or deactivation kinetics and only slightly slowed kinetics of inactivated channels returning to the closed state. Replacement of external Ca²⁺ with Mg²⁺ had no effect on the concentration-dependent inhibition of I _A by Ln³⁺s. In contrast to their action on I _A K⁺ current, Ln³⁺s inhibited T-type Ca²⁺ currents in AZF cells without slowing activation kinetics. These results indicate that Ln³⁺ modulate I _A K⁺ channels through binding to a site on I _A channels located within the electric field but which is not specific for Ca²⁺. They are consistent with a model where Ln³⁺ binding to negative charges on the gating apparatus alters the voltage-dependence and kinetics of channel opening. Ln³⁺s modulate transient K⁺ and Ca²⁺ currents by two fundamentally different mechanisms. Received: 21 January 1997/Revised: 3 April 1998     

Physicochemical and MRI characterization of Gd<Superscript>3+</Superscript>-loaded polyamidoamine and hyperbranched dendrimers

Generation 4 polyamidoamine (PAMAM) and, for the first time, hyperbranched poly(ethylene imine) or polyglycerol dendrimers have been loaded with Gd³⁺ chelates, and the macromolecular adducts have been studied in vitro and in vivo with regard to MRI contrast agent applications. The Gd³⁺ chelator was either a tetraazatetracarboxylate DOTA-pBn⁴⁻ or a tetraazatricarboxylate monoamide DO3A-MA³⁻ unit. The water exchange rate was determined from a ¹⁷O NMR and ¹H Nuclear Magnetic Relaxation Dispersion study for the corresponding monomer analogues [Gd(DO3A-AEM)(H₂O)] and [Gd(DOTA-pBn-NH₂)(H₂O)]⁻ (k _ex²⁹⁸ = 3.4 and 6.6 × 10⁶ s⁻¹, respectively), where H₃DO3A-AEM is {4-[(2-acetylaminoethylcarbamoyl)methyl]-7,10-bis(carboxymethyl-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododec-1-yl)}-acetic acid and H₄DOTA-pBn-NH₂ is 2-(4-aminobenzyl)-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane-1,4,7,10-tetraacetic acid. For the macromolecular complexes, variable-field proton relaxivities have been measured and analyzed in terms of local and global motional dynamics by using the Lipari–Szabo approach. At frequencies below 100 MHz, the proton relaxivities are twice as high for the dendrimers loaded with the negatively charged Gd(DOTA-pBn)⁻ in comparison with the analogous molecule bearing the neutral Gd(DO3A-MA). We explained this difference by the different rotational dynamics: the much slower motion of Gd(DOTA-pBn)⁻-loaded dendrimers is likely related to the negative charge of the chelate which creates more rigidity and increases the overall size of the macromolecule compared with dendrimers loaded with the neutral Gd(DO3A-MA). Attachment of poly(ethylene glycol) chains to the dendrimers does not influence relaxivity. Both hyperbranched structures were found to be as good scaffolds as regular PAMAM dendrimers in terms of the proton relaxivity of the Gd³⁺ complexes. The in vivo MRI studies on tumor-bearing mice at 4.7 T proved that all dendrimeric complexes are suitable for angiography and for the study of vasculature parameters like blood volume and permeability of tumor vessels. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Effects of Mechano-Gated Cation Channel Blockers on Xenopus Oocyte Growth and Development

The putative role(s) of a mechanically gated (MG) cation channel in Xenopus oocyte growth, maturation, fertilization and embryogenesis has been examined. Using a pharmacological approach, we have tested the effects of the MG channel blockers, gadolinium, gentamicin and amiloride on the above developmental events. Our results indicate that oocyte maturation, fertilization and early embryogenesis (up to the free-swimming stage 45) can proceed normally in the presence of concentrations of agents that either completely abolish (i.e., ≥10 μm Gd³⁺) or partially block (i.e., 1 mm gentamicin) single MG channel activity as measured by patch-clamp recording. However, we also find that higher concentrations of Gd³⁺ (≥50 μm) can lead to an increased percentage (>20%) of axis-perturbed embryos compared with control (<1%) and that amiloride (0.5 mm) reduces the success of fertilization (from 100% to <50%) and increases mortality (by ∼75%) in developing embryos. Furthermore, we find that all three agents inhibit oocyte growth in vitro. However, their order of effectiveness (amiloride > gentamicin > Gd³⁺) is opposite to their order for blocking MG channels (Gd³⁺≫ gentamicin > amiloride). These discrepancies indicated that the drugs effects occur by mechanisms other than, or in addition to, MG channel block. Our results provide no compelling evidence for the idea that MG channel activity is critical for development in Xenopus. This could mean that there are other mechanisms in the oocyte that can compensate when MG channel activity is blocked or that the protein that forms the channel can undergo additional interactions that result in a function insensitive to MG channel blockers. Received: 27 March 1998/Revised: 10 June 1998     

Crystal structure of Ce(IV)/dipicolinate complex as catalyst for DNA hydrolysis

The structures of Ce⁴⁺ complexes that are active for DNA hydrolysis were determined for the first time by X-ray crystallography. The crystals were prepared from a 1:2 mixture of Ce(NH₄)₂(NO₃)₆ and dipicolinic acid (2,6-pyridinedicarboxylic acid). Depending on the recrystallization conditions, three types of crystals were obtained. Some of the Ce⁴⁺ ions in these complexes have enough coordinated water molecules that can directly and indirectly participate in the catalysis. The distances between the Ce⁴⁺ and the dipicolinate ligand are considerably shorter than those in the corresponding La³⁺ and Ce³⁺ complexes. On the other hand, the distances between the Ce⁴⁺ and its coordinated water are similar to those for the La³⁺ and Ce³⁺ complexes. In a proposed mechanism of DNA hydrolysis, the scissile phosphodiester linkage is notably activated by coordination to Ce⁴⁺ and attacked by the Ce⁴⁺-bound hydroxide. The process is further assisted by acid catalysis of Ce⁴⁺-bound water. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of Gd3+-induced perturbations in thymopoietin 32-36: a study of amide and aromatic proton resonances

The Gd³⁺-induced perturbations in the NMR spectra of a cell differentiating peptide fragment, ArgLysAspValTyr (TP5), have been examined. This pentapeptide fragment retains the selective T-cell differentiating activity of its parent polypeptide thymic hormone, thymopoietin. The observed relaxation enhancements induced by Gd³⁺ have been analyzed to determine the relative and absolute amide and aromatic proton-Gd³⁺ distances. The data are compatible with a bidentate model, in which both the aspartyl and tyrosyl carboxylates bind the metal ion simultaneously in a chelate fashion, being the dominant conformer. From these studies a picture of the conformation of Ln³⁺ complexes of TP5 begins to emerge.