Adenosine analogue–oligo-arginine conjugates (ARCs) serve as high-affinity inhibitors and fluorescence probes of type I cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKGIα)

Introduction

Type I cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PKGIα) belongs to the family of cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases and is one of the main effectors of cGMP. PKGIα is involved in regulation of cardiac contractility, vasorelaxation, and blood pressure; hence, the development of potent modulators of PKGIα would lead to advances in the treatment of a variety of cardiovascular diseases. Aim: Representatives of ARC-type compounds previously characterized as potent inhibitors and high-affinity fluorescent probes of PKA catalytic subunit (PKAc) were tested towards PKGIα to determine that ARCs could serve as activity regulators and sensors for the latter protein kinase both in vitro and in complex biological systems. Results: Structure–activity profiling of ARCs with PKGIα in vitro demonstrated both similarities as well as differences to corresponding profiling with PKAc, whereas ARC-903 and ARC-668 revealed low nanomolar displacement constants and inhibition IC₅₀ values with both cyclic nucleotide-dependent kinases. The ability of ARC-based fluorescent probes to penetrate cell plasma membrane was demonstrated in the smooth muscle tissue of rat cerebellum isolated arteries, and the compound with the highest affinity in vitro (ARC-903) showed also potential for in vivo applications, fully abolishing the PKG1α-induced vasodilation.     

Effect of 1-n-Decylimidazole on Gibberellin Biosynthesis in Tan-ginbozu,a Dwarf Variety of Rice

Previous structural studies of less-polar dimers in autoxidized methyl linoleate (ML) have been extended to polar dimers. After isolation by successive silicic acid and gel permeation chromatography, the dimeric fraction of linoleate was separated into two major fractions, A₁ and A₂, according to their polarities. The polar dimers (A₁) were further fractionated by HPLC either directly or after reduction with triphenyl phosphine on a micro silica column. Isolated subfractions were characterized by UV, IR, GC-MS and FD-MS after suitable derivatizations. FD-MS of all these dimers showed a molecular ion peak which corresponds to 2 × ML + 6 × O and the reduction of each subfraction with stannous chloride gave equimolar amounts of 9 and 13-hydroxy octadecadienoate, and 9, 10, 13 and/or 9, 12, 13-trihydroxy octadecenoate. These results combined with others show that the A₁ dimers are composed of isomeric mixtures containing a peroxide bridge linking a methyl octadecadienoate and a 9, 12 and/or 10, 13-dihydroperoxy octadecenoate across C-9 and/or 13 on each of them.     

Two steps in the transition between the native and acid states of bovine α-lactalbumin detected by circular polarization of luminescence: Evidence for a premolten globule state?

A few studies indirectly support the existence of an intermediate in the transition of Ca(2+)-saturated bovine alpha-lactalbumin (alpha-LA) from the native (N) to the acidic (A) state, known as the molten globule state. However, direct experimental evidence for the appearance of this intermediate has not been obtained. The signal of circular polarization of luminescence (CPL) is sensitive to fine conformational transitions because of its susceptibility to changes in the environmental asymmetry of fluorescent chromophores in their excited electronic states. In the present study, CPL measurements were applied using the intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of alpha-LA as well as the fluorescence of 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid (ANS) bound to alpha-LA. CPL of tryptophan and ANS was measured in the pH range of 2.5-6 in order to find direct experimental evidence for the proposed intermediate. CPL (characterized by the emission anisotropy factor, g(em)) depends on the asymmetry of the protein molecular structure in the environment of the tryptophan and the ANS chromophores in the excited electronic state. The pH dependence of both the gab, absorption anisotropy factor determined by CD, and the ANS steady state fluorescence, showed a single transition at pH 3-3.7 as already reported elsewhere. This transition was interpreted as being a result of a change of the alpha-LA tertiary structure, which resulted in a loss of asymmetry of the environment of both the tryptophan residues and the ANS hydrophobic binding sites. The pH dependence of the tryptophan and ANS g(em) showed an additional conformational transition at pH 4-5, which coincided with the pKa of Ca2+ dissociation (pKa 5), as predicted by Permyakov et al. (1981, Biochem Biophys Res Commun 100:191-197). The titration curve showed that there is a pH range between 3.7 and 4.1 in which alpha-LA exists in an intermediate state between the N- and A-state. We suggest that the intermediate is the premolten globule state characterized by a reduced Ca2+ binding to the alpha-LA, native-like tertiary structure, and reduced asymmetric fluctuation of the tertiary structure on the nanosecond time scale. This intermediate resembles the "critical activated state" theoretically deduced by Kuwajima et al. (1989, J Mol Biol 206:547-561). The present study demonstrates the power of CPL measurements for the investigation of folding/unfolding transitions in proteins.     

PEX14 binding to Arabidopsis PEX5 has differential effects on PTS1 and PTS2 cargo occupancy of the receptor

PEX5 acts as a cycling receptor for import of PTS1 proteins into peroxisomes and as a co-receptor for PEX7, the PTS2 receptor, but the mechanism of cargo unloading has remained obscure. Using recombinant protein domains we show PEX5 binding to the PEX14N-terminal domain (PEX14N) has no effect on the affinity of PEX5 for a PTS1 containing peptide. PEX5 can form a complex containing both recombinant PTS1 cargo and endogenous PEX7-thiolase simultaneously but isolation of the complex via the PEX14 construct resulted in an absence of thiolase, suggesting a possible role for PEX14 in the unloading of PTS2 cargos.     

双光子激发荧光各向异性度的成像

荧光各向异性度 (fluorescence anisotropy) 测量可以获得荧光分子的转动速度信息,进而了解分子质量、结构、以及与周边环境的相互作用情况 . 围绕一台双光子激发扫描荧光成像系统,通过改变外光路和图像记录与处理程序,从而实现了双光子激发荧光各向异性度成像,并针对一些典型样品和体系,展示了该方法的应用 . 实验中观察了 FITC 荧光分子、 FITC 结合的 CD44 抗体分子及与肿瘤细胞表面受体结合的 FITC-CD44 抗体分子 . 测量结果表明,不同分子质量、不同微观环境状态下的荧光分子,其各向异性度大小不同,在各向异性度图中能够被明显区分 . 荧光各向异性度成像能够定量测量样品微区的各向异性度值,并以二维图像的形式直观表达,是各向异性度测量与成像技术的良好结合 .     

A pyridine adduct of bis(di-iso-butyldithiocarbamato-S,S′)cadmium(II): Multinuclear (C, N, Cd) CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy, crystal and molecular structure, and thermal behaviour

Crystalline bis(N,N-di-iso-butyldithiocarbamato-S,S′)(pyridine)cadmium(II) - adduct 1 was prepared and studied by means of multinuclear ¹³C, ¹⁵N, ¹¹³Cd CP/MAS NMR spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction and simultaneous thermal analysis (STA). In molecular structure 1, the cadmium atom coordinates with four sulphur atoms and one nitrogen atom of pyridine, forming a coordination polyhedron [CdS₄N], whose geometry is an almost ideal tetragonal pyramidal (C_4v). The coordinated py molecule is in the apical position, while two structurally non-equivalent di-iso-butyldithiocarbamate ligands, playing the same terminal S,S′-chelating function, define the basal plane. To characterise additionally the structural state of the cadmium atom in this fivefold coordination, ¹¹³Cd chemical shift anisotropy (CSA) parameters, δ_aniso and η, were calculated from experimental MAS NMR spectra that revealed an almost axially symmetric ¹¹³Cd chemical shift tensor. From a combination of TG and DSC measurements taken under an argon atmosphere, we found that the mass of adduct 1 is lost in two steps involving initial desorption of coordinated py molecules with subsequent thermal destruction of liberated cadmium(II) di-iso-butyldithiocarbamate, with yellow-orange, fine-powdered solid CdS as the final product.     

A cyano-bridged FeRe(CN)2 cluster incorporating two high-magnetic anisotropy building units

The pentagonal bipyramidal high-spin iron(II) complex, [(TPA^2C(O)NHtBu)Fe(CF₃SO₃)]⁺, is shown to exhibit a high-anisotropy ground state, with fits to dc magnetization data providing an axial zero-field splitting parameter of D = − 7.9 cm⁻¹. The utility of this compound as a building unit is demonstrated, as its reaction with [ReCl₄(CN)₂]²⁻ affords the cyano-bridged dinuclear cluster (TPA^2C(O)NHtBu)FeReCl₄(CN)₂. dc magnetic susceptibility measurements reveal intracluster ferromagnetic exchange interactions between Fe^II and Re^IV centers, with J = +3.0 cm⁻¹, giving rise to a spin ground state of S = 7/2. Moreover, fits to dc magnetization data obtained for the FeRe cluster show the presence of strong axial anisotropy, with D = −2.3 cm⁻¹. Finally, variable-frequency ac susceptibility measurements reveal the onset of slow magnetic relaxation at low temperature, suggesting that the FeRe cluster is a single-molecule magnet.     

Kinetics of absorbance and anisotropy upon excited state relaxation in the reaction center core complex of a green sulfur bacterium

Properties of the excited states in reaction center core (RCC) complexes of the green sulfur bacterium Prosthecochloris aestuarii were studied by means of femtosecond time-resolved isotropic and anisotropic absorption difference spectroscopy at 275 K. Selective excitation of the different transitions of the complex resulted in the rapid establishment of a thermal equilibrium. At about 1 ps after excitation, the energy was located at the lowest energy transition, BChl a 835. Time constants varying between 0.26 and 0.46 ps were observed for the energy transfer steps leading to this equilibrium. These transfer steps were also reflected in changes in polarization. Our measurements indicate that downhill energy transfer towards excited BChl a 835 occurs via the energetically higher spectral forms BChl a 809 and BChl a 820. Low values of the anisotropy of about 0.07 were found in the ‘two-color’ measurements at 820 and 835 nm upon excitation at 800 nm, whereas the ‘one-color’ kinetics showed much higher anisotropies. Charge separation occurred with a time constant varying between 20 and 30 ps. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

蓝藻(A.variabilis)藻胆体核结构与功能的研究II.变藻蓝蛋白六聚体内能量传递过程的物理机制

以变藻蓝蛋白的晶体结构和光谱性质为基础,利用密度矩阵理论对变藻蓝蛋白六聚体内的激发能传递物理机制进行分析,并利用时间分辨荧光光谱技术对其能量传递途径进行实时探测。结果表明：在变藻蓝蛋白六聚体内,色素对（毗邻单体上的色素αｉ８４βｊ８４,其中ｊ＝ｉ±１,和β＊ＬＣＭ４２）内的能量传递服从激子偶极－偶极相互作用机制;而色素对之间的能量传递机制则为Ｆｒｓｔｅｒ偶极－偶极相互作用机制,并且其能量传递途径分为两类：（１）．两个变藻蓝蛋白三聚体之间色素对的能量传递,其时间常数大约为１５ｐｓ左右;（２）．同一变藻蓝蛋白三聚体内色素对间的能量传递,在ＡＰＩＩ三聚体内,其能量传递时间大约为４５ｐｓ左右,而在ＡＰＩ三聚体内,其能量传递时间常数为４５ｐｓ和６５ｐｓ。