Monensin A methyl ester complexes with Li+, Na+, and K+ cations studied by ESI-MS, 1H- and 13C-NMR, FTIR, as well as PM5 semiempirical method

Monensin A methyl ester (MON1) was synthesized by a new method and its ability to form complexes with Li+, Na+, and K+ cations was studied by electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS), 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and PM5 semiempirical methods. It is shown that MON1 with monovalent metal cations forms stable complexes of 1:1 stoichiometry. The structures of the complexes are stabilized by intramolecular hydrogen bonds in which the OH groups are always involved. In the structure of MON1, the oxygen atom of the C=O ester group is involved in very weak bifurcated intramolecular hydrogen bonds with two hydroxyl groups, whereas in the complexes of MON1 with monovalent metal cations the C=O ester group is not engaged in any intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Furthermore, it is demonstrated that the strongest intramolecular hydrogen bonds are formed within the MON1-Li+ complex structure. The structures of the MON1 and its complexes with Li+, Na+, and K+ cations are visualized and discussed in detail.     

The schiff base of gossypol with 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24-octaoxa-pentacosylamine complexes and monovalent cations studied by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance, Fourier transform infrared, as well as PM5 semiempirical methods

A Schiff base of gossypol with 3,6,9,12,15,18,21,24-octaoxa-pentacosylamine (GSOB) forms stable complexes with monovalent cations. This process of complex formation was studied by electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry, (1)H-NMR and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy as well as by the PM5 semiempirical method. It was found that GSOB forms 1:6 complexes with Li(+) and Na(+), and 1:4 complexes with K(+) as well as 1:2 complexes with Rb(+) or Cs(+) cations and exists in all these complexes in the enamine-enamine tautomeric form. Moreover, within these complexes only Li(+) cations can fluctuate between the oxygen atoms of the octaoxaalkyl chains. The interactions of Li(+) cations with hydroxyl groups of the gossypol part is also possible. All other cations are much more localized. In the complex of GSOB with protons, a 1:2 stoichiometry is realized. The two protons are localized on the N atoms of the Schiff base, and the complex exists in the imine-imine tautomeric form. The structures of the complexes are calculated by PM5 semiempirical methods and discussed.     

Spectroscopic studies and PM5 semiempirical calculations of new Schiff bases of gossypol with polyoxaalkylamines

Three Schiff bases of racemic gossypol with polyoxaalkylamines were synthesized and studied by FTIR and (1)H-NMR spectroscopy, and their structures were calculated by the PM5 semiempirical method. These Schiff bases exist in the solid state and in solutions as enamine forms. An increasing length of the polyoxaalkyl chain causes the increase of the interaction of the oxygen atoms of this chain with the OH groups in the 6,6' positions. This interaction is very well evidenced in the FTIR and (1)H-NMR spectra. The structures of the Schiff bases and the hydrogen bonds within these structures are discussed.     

1H- and 13C-NMR, FTIR, UV-VIS, ESI-MS, and PM5 studies as well as emission properties of a new Schiff base of gossypol with 5-methoxytryptamine and a new hydrazone of gossypol with dansylhydrazine

A new Schiff base of gossypol with 5-methoxytryptamine (GSTR) and a new hydrazone of gossypol with dansylhydrazine (GHDH) have been synthesized and studied by Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), 1H and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), ultraviolet-visible (UV-VIS), electrospray ionization-mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) as well as the parametric method PM5. The spectroscopic methods have provided clear evidence that GSTR exists in chloroform solution as an enamine-enamine tautomer, whereas GHDH is present in chloroform as a N-imine-N-imine tautomer. The fluorescence spectra of both compounds indicate that their quantum yield of fluorescence is increased by one or two orders of magnitude compared to that of pure gossypol. The ESI-MS spectra of the 1:1 mixtures of GSTR or GHDH with formic acid have demonstrated that both compounds exist as protonated monomers in the gas phase, whereas GHDH can also exist in a stable protonated dimeric structure. The structures of the stable tautomers are calculated and visualized using the PM5 semiempirical method. The intra- and intermolecular hydrogen bonds within these structures are discussed.     

NMR studies on fully hydrated membrane proteins, with emphasis on bacteriorhodopsin as a typical and prototype membrane protein

The 3D structures or dynamic feature of fully hydrated membrane proteins are very important at ambient temperature, in relation to understanding their biological activities, although their data, especially from the flexible portions such as surface regions, are unavailable from X-ray diffraction or cryoelectron microscope at low temperature. In contrast, high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy has proved to be a very convenient alternative means to be able to reveal their dynamic structures. To clarify this problem, we describe here how we are able to reveal such structures and dynamic features, based on intrinsic probes from high-resolution solid-state NMR studies on bacteriorhodopsin (bR) as a typical membrane protein in 2D crystal, regenerated preparation in lipid bilayer and detergents. It turned out that their dynamic features are substantially altered upon their environments where bR is present. We further review NMR applications to study structure and dynamics of a variety of membrane proteins, including sensory rhodopsin, rhodopsin, photoreaction centers, diacylglycerol kinases, etc.