Separation and determination of alpha-amino acids by boroxazolidone formation

Reaction of an alpha-amino acid (alpha-AA) with 1,1-diphenylborinic acid (DPBA) leads to the formation of a kinetically stable adduct at pH 2-5 in which both the alpha-amino and the alpha-carboxyl groups are bound to boron forming a cyclic mixed anhydride termed a boroxazolidone. In this adduct, the greater than N:B bond is coordinate, involving the free electron pair of nitrogen, thereby satisfying the octet rule for the second electron shell of boron (Group IIIA). Consequently, the alpha-amino function of the boroxazolidone can be primary, secondary, or tertiary, as demonstrated by boroxazolidone formation with glycine, N-methylglycine, and N,N-dimethylglycine. On reaction with DPBA, the alpha-AA moiety of N-terminal gamma-glutamyl peptides is also derivatized as demonstrated by the formation of a glutathione boroxazolidone. The 1,1-diphenylboroxazolidone adducts of alpha-AA may be separated by reversed-phase (RP)-HPLC (AA-DPBA/RP-HPLC) enabling the derivatization procedure to be used as a precolumn reaction for alpha-AA analysis. Under the conditions we describe here, DPBA is not stably reactive with the epsilon-amino group of lysine. Furthermore, it does not complex with amide bonds of the peptide backbone or to any side chains of the common amino acids. Reaction of an alpha-AA mixture with DPBA, followed by RP-HPLC (AA-DPBA/RP-HPLC) is then a simple method by which to analyze alpha-AA in a mixture with peptides and amines. Precolumn reaction with DPBA may be used to separate peptides from alpha-AA and from those peptides which contain an alpha-AA moiety. Unreacted peptides are bound only weakly to the HPLC column and thus are separated from reacted alpha-amino acids which are retained as 1,1-diphenylboroxazolidones until their selective elution. This method is particularly suited for the analysis of alpha-amino acids that are derived from post-translational modification of protein side chains.     

Participation of alpha-amino group of amino acids in ammonia production in heart muscle

The ammoniogenetic capacity of some L-amino acids in rat heart muscle was studied. It was shown that [15N]leucine, [15N]glutamate and [15N]aspartate are involved in ammonia production without being the major source of this compound. The amount of [15N]ammonia produced by [15N]amino acids makes up to 0.25% of its total content. The deamination of L-[15N]leucine catalyzed by 2-oxoglutarate occurred at the highest rate. The [15N]aspartate and [15N]glutamate appeared to be less efficient precursors of ammonia. The bulk of amino nitrogen of L-[15N]amino acids was incorporated into the proteins and free amino acids in heart muscle.     

Effect of temperature on viscosity properties of some alpha-amino acids in aqueous urea solutions

Viscosities for solutions of glycine, DL-alpha-alanine, DL-alpha-amino-n-butyric acid, DL-valine, DL-leucine and L-serine in 5 mol kg(-1) aqueous urea have been determined at 278.15, 288.15, 298.15 and 308.15 K. The viscosity B-coefficients for the amino acids in the aqueous urea solution have been calculated at different temperatures. The effect of temperature on the B-coefficients is discussed on the basis of the Feakins equation. The contribution of solute to the activation parameters (delta mu0*2, deltaH0*2, deltaS0*2) for viscous flow of the solution have been calculated, together with the Gibbs energy, enthalpy and entropy of transfer for the amino acids from the ground-state solvent to the hypothetical viscous transition state solvent. The contributions of the charged end group (NH3+, COO-) and CH2 groups of the amino acids to B-coefficient and delta mu0*2 have been also estimated using the linear correlations between B-coefficient or delta mu0*2 and the number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chains of the amino acids. All the activation parameters are discussed in terms of the solute-solvent interactions in the ground and transition states.     

Partial molar volumes of some alpha-amino acids in aqueous sodium acetate solutions at 308.15 K

The apparent molar volumes V(2,phi) have been determined for glycine, DL-alpha-alanine, DL-alpha-amino-n-butyric acid, DL-valine and DL-leucine in aqueous solutions of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 mol kg(-1) sodium acetate by density measurements at 308.15 K. These data have been used to derive the infinite dilution apparent molar volumes V(0)(2,phi) for the amino acids in aqueous sodium acetate solutions and the standard volumes of transfer, Delta(t)V(0), of the amino acids from water to aqueous sodium acetate solutions. It has been observed that both V(0)(2,phi) and Delta(t)V(0) vary linearly with increasing number of carbon atoms in the alkyl chain of the amino acids. These linear correlations have been utilized to estimate the contributions of the charged end groups (NH(3)(+), COO(-)), CH(2) group and other alkyl chains of the amino acids to V(0)(2,phi) and Delta(t)V(0). The results show that V(0)(2,phi) values for (NH(3)(+), COO(-)) groups increase with sodium acetate concentration, and those for CH(2) are almost constant over the studied sodium acetate concentration range. The transfer volume increases and the hydration number of the amino acids decreases with increasing electrolyte concentrations. These facts indicate that strong interactions occur between the ions of sodium acetate and the charged centers of the amino acids. The volumetric interaction parameters of the amino acids with sodium acetate were calculated in water. The pair interaction parameters are found to be positive and decreased with increasing alkyl chain length of the amino acids, suggesting that sodium acetate has a stronger dehydration effect on amino acids which have longer hydrophobic alkyl chains. These phenomena are discussed by means of the co-sphere overlap model.     

Liposome-assisted selective polycondensation of alpha-amino acids and peptides

The main question of this paper is whether and to what extend lipid bilayers can aid in the polycondensation of amino acids and peptides. This means in particular how such bilayers can favor the selection of certain sequences out of a large number of theoretical possible ones. In a first series of experiments we started from a library of Trp-containing dipeptides of the type Trp-X where X is an amino acid residue; and we could show that, when adding this mixture to the POPC liposomes containing a hydrophobic quinoline condensing agent (EEDQ), only the hydrophobic Trp-Trp dipeptide is selected out by the liposomes and transformed into a longer oligomer. Trp-oligomers up to 29 monomers long (water insoluble) could be obtained by using the matrix support of liposomes. Mixed POPC/DDAB liposomes (positive charge) were used to produce co-oligopeptides that contain Trp and Glu residues in the same sequence. Arg/Trp and His/Trp containing sequences were obtained in presence of negatively charged liposomes (mixed POPC/DOPA-liposomes). The polycondensation of racemic NCA-amino acids has been studied to clarify if homochiral sequences are produced preferentially in presence or absence of liposomes. LC-MS and isotope labeling of the L-amino acid, participating in the polymerization reaction achieved this on the level of a direct product analysis. So the individual stereoisomer distribution up to a polymerization degree of 10 (in the case of Trp) could be determined. The data for Trp and other amino acids (Leu, Ile) and amino acid mixtures (Trp/Leu, Trp/Ile, Leu/Ile and Trp/Leu/Ile) show that homochiral sequences are produced preferentially if compared with a random (Bernoulli) distribution.     

Temperature-triggered self-assembly of elastin-like block co-recombinamers:the controlled formation of micelles and vesicles in an aqueous medium

The possibility of obtaining different self-assembled nanostructures in reversible systems based on elastin-like block corecombinamers is explored in this work. The results obtained show how an evolution from a more common micellar structure to a hollow vesicle can be attained simply by changing the block arrangements and lengths, even when other molecular properties, such as molecular weight or mean polarity, remain essentially unchanged. This work sheds light on the possibility of obtaining hollow nano-objects, based on elastin-like recombinamers, which can assemble and disassemble in response to a change in their surroundings. This kind of system can be an example of how high precision in the genetic production of synthetic macro-molecules can be used, on an exclusive basis, to control the shape and size of their derived nano-objects.     

Diastereoselective synthesis of non-proteinogenic alpha-amino acids.

The synthesis of enantiomerically pure azatyrosine, tribromophenylalanine and trichlorophenylalanine is described, using two methods, diastereoselective alkylation and (or) diastereoselective protonation of chiral enolates.     

Study of oxytetracycline solubility in an aqueous medium]

Solubility of oxytetracycline dihydrate in aqueous media was studied. It was shown that solubility of the drug in bidistillate at a temperature of 20 degrees was 195 gamma/ml, which was much lower than the requirements of some pharmacopoeia with respect to the drug solubility. Dependence of oxytetracycline dihydrate solubility in the aqueous medium on the values of pH and temperature was found. Indigency of the procedure described in the literature for determination of antibiotic solubility according to the dry weight of the filtrate on addition of large excesses of the solid phase to the system was shown.     

Tautomeric and microscopic protonation equilibria of some alpha-amino acids

Although there is a wealth of structural and theoretical data relating to palindromic sequences in genomes, the mechanisms of extrusion of cruciform structures during various biological processes in the presence of intercalating agents are still poorly understood. The current study addresses the effects of temperature and intercalator on cruciform extrusion from plasmids and also considers the effects of divalent metal ions on cruciform extrusion. It presents evidence that the cytotoxic effects of certain DNA binding drugs in vivo occur over concentration ranges corresponding to those that modulate cruciform extrusion in vitro. The results confirm earlier studies showing an inverse relationship between the effects of negative superhelicity and temperature on cruciform extrusion. By extrapolation, divalent metal ions facilitate cruciform extrusion by increasing superhelicity. The results allow the concentrations that preclude cruciform extrusion in DNA to be determined, and these are potentially informative about the relationships among temperature, DNA helical winding, cruciform formation, and intercalation. Overall, we provide new and interesting insights into the potential role of cruciform structures in biology and, by implication, cancer therapy.     

Direct amination of carboxylic acids with ammonia by electric discharge against aqueous solution

Glow discharge was applied to the aqueous solution containing ammonia and aliphatic carboxylic acids. Several amino acids were synthesized by the direct amination reaction. Simultaneously stepwise oxidation reactions of the substrates and the products were also took place. The time courses of the amination reactions and also the oxidation reactions were studied. These results indicate that the amination and oxidation reactions induced by the electric discharge are initiated by hydroxyl radicals which are produced by the electric discharge through the decomposition of water molecules.     

Selective formation of certain amino acids from formaldehyde and hydroxylamine in a modified sea medium enriched with molybdate

Amino acids produced from formaldehyde and hydroxylamine in modified sea mediums with different concentrations of molybdate were analyzed. The modified sea mediums contained lower concentration of sodium chloride and higher concentrations of transition metal ions (Zn2+, Fe3+, Cu2+, Co2+, Mn2+ each 10(-4)m, and Mo O4(2-)10(-6), 10(-4), or 10(-2)m) than sea water. The concentration of molybdate had apparently no remarkable effect on the total yields of primary amino groups, but a remarkable effect on the nature of amino acids produced. The formation of alanine, aspartic acid, beta-alanine and, in particular, proline was increased, and that of glycine and serine was decreased with the enrichment of molybdate. The results suggest the possibility of a natural selection of prebiotic organic molecules based on the nature of environmental catalysers in the course of chemical evolution.     

Discrimination of enantiomers of alpha-amino acids by chiral derivatizing reagents from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane

New chiral derivatizing reagents (CDAs) derived from trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane, having an electron-deficient aromatic substituent (either an aromatic imide or 3,5-dinitrobenzamide) and rigid structure (either an amide or a urea linker), are reported. Significant shift differences of diastereotopic protons in the 1H NMR signals are observed for enantiomers of suitably protected alpha-amino acids, linked to CDA by a covalent bond. A simple, general model rationalizing the observed enantiomer discrimination and based on semiempirical conformational search is presented.