Genetically Encoded Bioluminescent Indicator for ERK2 Dimer in Living Cells

In this study, a genetically encoded bioluminescent indicator for ERK2 dimer was developed with the split Renilla luciferase complementation method, in which the formation of ERK2 dimer induces a spontaneous emission of bioluminescence in living cells. In response to extracellular stimuli, such as epidermal growth factor (EGF) or 17β‐estradiol (E2), extracellular signal‐regulated kinase 2 (ERK2) is phosphorylated by its upstream kinase MEK, and also phosphorylates its substrates in various regions of the cell, including the nucleus. Phosphorylated ERK2 is led to form its dimer, thereby transporting itself into the nucleus. We demonstrated with the indicator that stimulation with EGF or E2 induces the formation of ERK2 dimer in living MCF‐7 cells. The dynamics of this dimer formation was examined and discussed.     

Synthesis of well‐defined syndiotactic poly(methyl methacrylate) with low‐temperature atom transfer radical polymerization in fluoroalcohol

The copper‐mediated atom transfer radical polymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in 1,1,1,3,3,3‐hexafluoro‐2‐propanol (HFIP) was studied to simultaneously control the molecular weight and tacticity. The polymerization using tris[2‐(dimethylamino)ethyl]amine (Me₆TREN) as a ligand was performed even at ?78°C with a number‐average molecular weight (M_n) of 13,400 and a polydispersity (weight‐average molecular weight/number‐average molecular weight) of 1.31, although the measured M_n's were much higher than the theoretical ones. The addition of copper(II) bromide (CuBr₂) apparently affected the early stage of the polymerization; that is, the polymerization could proceed in a controlled manner under the condition of [MMA]₀/[methyl α‐bromoisobutyrate]₀/[CuBr]₀/[CuBr₂]₀/[Me₆TREN]₀ = 200/1/1/0.2/1.2 at ?20°C with an MMA/HFIP ratio of 1/4 (v/v). For the field desorption mass spectrum of Cu^IBr/Me₆TREN in HFIP, there were [Cu(Me₆TREN)Br]⁺ and [Cu(Me₆TREN)OCH(CF₃)₂]⁺, indicating that HFIP should coordinate to the Cu^I/Me₆TREN complex. The syndiotacticity of the obtained poly(methyl methacrylate)s increased with the decreasing polymerization temperature; the racemo content was 84% for ?78°C, 77% for ?30°C, 75% for ?20°C, and 63% for 30°C. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 44: 1436–1446, 2006     

A construction of spherical 2-design

It is determined for which values ofn andd spherical 2-designs ofn points exist in ^d . And an explicit construction is given when they exist.     

Thermodynamic Insight into the Origin of a Calix[n]arene-[60]fullerene Interaction and its Application to a Porphyrin-[60]fullerene Energy Transfer System

The calixarene-fullerene interaction,which causes only a slight change in the absorptionspectra, has been substantiated by calorimetricmeasurements: the H° values arecomparable with those obtained from the associationconstants estimated by a spectroscopic method. Furthermore, we determined the association constantbetween homooxacalix[3]arene and [60]fullerenederivatives with a porphyrin moiety by fluorescencespectra.     

Amino acid end-group in commercial heparin. III. Determination of the number of amino groups of amino acid and hexosamine residues per heparin molecule

The reactions of heparin with 2,4,6-trinitrobenzenesulfonic acid (TNBS) were studied spectrometrically. Seven different commercial heparins were used in this study. The amino groups react with TNBS to form equimolar amounts of trinitrophenylated (TNP) amino groups and bisulfite ions. The TNP-amino groups further react with bisulfite ions to form the monosubstituted anionic sigma complex. The absorption spectrum with two maxima at approximately 350 nm and approximately 420 nm, characteristic of either the TNP-amino groups or the complex, was analyzed for the reaction of TNBS with heparin. It was shown that the reactivities of TNBS with amino groups from α-amino acid and hexosamine residues are greatly different. By combining the results of the reaction kinetics and the reaction of heparin with Sanger's reagent, the number of the α-amino groups and the free amino groups in hexosamine residues were determined. These data have been performed with a range of heparins from different commercial sources, of different activities and physical characteristics. No correlation was found between the free amino contents of these heparins and biological potency. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Fluorometric sensing of alkaline Earth metal cations by new lariat ethers having plural pyrenylmethyl groups on the electron-donating sidearms

[structure: see text] New fluorescent compounds (1), lariat ethers having plural pyrenylmethyl groups on the sidearms, were prepared, and their complexation behavior with alkaline earth metal cations was examined by fluorescence spectrometry. The pyrene excimer emission decreased accompanied with an increase in the monomer emission upon complexation with the metal ion. This finding is ascribed to the cooperative participation of one of the two sidearms in the complexation of the crown ring with the metal ion.     

Asymmetric michael addition of aromatic thiols to 2-cyclohexenone and maleic acid esters via formation of crystalline cyclodextrin complexes

The asymmetric Michael addition of aromatic thiols to 2-cyclohexenone and maleic acid esters has been carried out by utilizing their crystalline cyclodextrin complexes suspended in water. The best chiral induction, 30% enantiomeric excess (ee), was achieved in combinations of 2-cyclohexenone and octyl maleate with the crystalline -cyclodextrin complex of benzenethiol (method A) to afford (S)-3-phenylthiocyclohexanone and (S)-octyl-2-phenylthiosuccinate, respectively, whereas the reaction of benzenethiol with 2-cyclohexenone included in -cyclodextrin (method B) inversely induced the chiral recognition to give the (R)-adduct with 4–9% ee.     

Asymmetric halogenation and hydrohalogenation oftrans-cinnamic acid in crystalline cyclodextrin complexes

Asymmetric halogenation and hydrohalogenation oftrans-cinnamic acid have been achieved in the microcrystals of cyclodextrin complexes. The bromination of the organic acid in the cavity of -cyclodextrin gave theerythro-dibromide in 40 % optical yield which was much larger than that from the resolution treatment of the racemic dibromide with -cyclodextrin and the absolute configuration was opposite in sign. The asymmetric induction in the gas-solid reaction was not due to optical resolution but to the reaction itself which was influenced by the chiral frame of cyclodextrin. The reaction shows the molecular size effect that the acid in the cavity of -cyclodextrin reacted with smaller hydrogen bromide but did not with larger bromine and chlorine. In contrast, the guest molecule in the wider cavity of -cyclodextrin reacted with bromine and chlorine as well as hydrogen bromide. The stereospecificities of the gas-solid halogenations of the acid in -cyclodextrin were similar to those of the both reactions in the solid state and in carbon tetrachloride solution without -cyclodextrin: bromination of the acid yieldederythro-2, 3-dibromo-3-phenylpropionic acid stereospecifically in 100 % in three different conditions, but chlorination gave an excess ofthreo-2, 3-dichloro-3-phenylpropionic acid to theerythro-isomer in 7287 % yields.