N-succinimidyl methoxyphenylacetic acid ester, an amine-directed chiral derivatizing reagent suitable for enzymatic scale resolutions

A chiral derivatizing reagent, N-succinimidyl-2-(S)-methoxy-2-phenylacetic acid ester (SMPA), directed toward reaction with primary amine-containing compounds has been synthesized and characterized. This reagent is suitable for HPLC resolution from enzymatic-scale reactions where only microgram quantities of chiral products may be obtainable. SMPA derivatization was shown to be effective in the resolution of the enantiomers of a number of different racemic compounds. SMPA was used to resolve the diastereoisomeric derivatives of a previously unknown enzymatically oxygenated product, allowing determination of the stereochemical course of the enzymatic reaction. SMPA is easily prepared from an inexpensive, commercially available, and enantiomerically pure precursor with the formation of a shelf-stable crystalline product which is utilizable in water-containing solutions. In addition to its usefulness for micro-determinations, SMPA is useful for preparative-scale resolutions of enantiomers since the reagent is cleaved from the diastereoisomeric derivative by acid hydrolysis.     

Instability of orthophthalaldehyde reagent for amino acid analysis

Determination of amino acids by reversed-phase chromatography of the adduct with orthophthalaldehyde and a thiol is rapid and sensitive. The major recognized adverse feature of this method is the instability of the reaction product, which requires precise control of reaction timing and chromatographic parameters for reliable quantitative application. We report another source of major variability: reagent instability. Deterioration of reagent was noted as low peak heights and peak broadening and was predictable if the premixed reagent was left at room temperature. Restoration of sharp chromatograms was accomplished by addition of mercaptoethanol or sodium metabisulfite. Reagent which was chromatographically inert contained minimal free thiol by direct assay. Free thiol disappearance was markedly slowed by addition of a chelating agent. Excess mercaptoethanol was deleterious. We conclude that reagent deterioration represents oxidation of the thiol, may be reversed by rereduction with minimal thiol or bisulfite, and may be minimized by inclusion of a metal chelator in the reagent.     

Epizoic and parasitic rotifers

Many rotifer species live in close association with plants or other animals. Most of these associations are of a commensal or synoecious nature, some rotifer species having lost the ability to live independently. Few rotifers are true parasites, actually harming their hosts.The Seisonidae, Monogononta and Bdelloidea include epizoic and parasitic species. The most widely known are probably the parasites of colonial and filamentous algae (e.g. Volvox, Vaucheria). However, rotifers are also found on a wide range of invertebrates: colonial, sessile Protozoa; Porifera; Rotifera; Annelida; Bryozoa; Echinodermata; Mollusca, especially on the shells and egg masses of aquatic gastropods; Crustacea, including the lower forms (e.g. Daphnia, Asellus, Gammarus) and in the gill chambers of Astacus and Chasmagnathus; the aquatic larvae of insects. There appear to be few records of epizoic or parasitic rotifers among vertebrates, apart from Encentrum kozminskii on carp, Limnias ceratophylli on the Amazonian crocodile, Melanosuchus niger, and an unidentified Bdelloid apparently living as a pathogenic rotifer in Man.