Complexation of the Non-steroidal Anti-inflammatory Drug Nabumetone with Modified and Unmodified Cyclodextrins

The inclusion of the anti-inflammatory drug, Nabumetone, in -, - and hydroxypropyl--cyclodextrin (CDs) is studied using UV-VIS absorption and steady-state fluorescence emission. Binding constants and thermodynamic parameters of complex formation are determined by spectrofluorimetry. The inclusion phenomena of Nabumetone with the three cyclodextrins is compared with that of the well known similar anti-inflammatory drug Naproxen. In the case of Nabumetone pronounced differences are observed in the complexation process with each cyclodextrin whereas the respective Naproxen complexes are nearly identical. ¹H-NMR experiments show that the inclusion process in Nabumetone can occur either through the substituents in the -2 (butanone) or -6 (methoxy) positions in the naphthalene ring.     

New results for the OH (nu = 0,j = 0) + CO (nu = 0,j = 0) --> H + CO2 reaction: Five- and full-dimensional quantum dynamical study on several potential energy surfaces

Full- [six-dimensional (6-D)] and reduced-dimensional [five-dimensional (5-D)] quantum wave packet calculations have been performed for the title reaction to obtain reaction probabilities deriving from the ground rovibrational states of OH and CO with total angular momentum J = 0. Three potential energy surfaces (PES) are studied, namely, those of Bradley and Schatz (BS), Yu, Muckerman, and Sears (YMS), and Lakin, Troya, Schatz, and Harding (LTSH). 6-D calculations are performed only for the BS PES, while 5-D results are reported for all three PES'. The 6-D results obtained in the present work improve on those previously reported, since a larger vibrational basis and a better representation of the OH and CO bonds has been introduced. In particular, we now employ a generalized Lanczos-Morse discrete variable representation for both the OH and CO vibrations. In a further improvement, the generalized discrete variable representation of the CO vibration is based on different CO intramolecular potentials for the asymptotic and product grids employed in our projection formalism. This new treatment of the vibrational bases allows for a large reduction in computation time with respect to our previous implementation of the wave packet method, for a given level of accuracy. As a result, we have been able to extend the range of collision energies for which we can obtain converged 6-D results to a higher energy (0.8 eV) than was possible before (0.5 eV). The comparison of the new 6-D and previous 5-D results for the BS PES shows good agreement of the general trend in the reaction probabilities over all collision energies considered (0.1-0.8 eV), while our previous 6-D calculation showed reaction probabilities that differed from the 5-D results by up to 10% between 0.5 and 0.8 eV. The 5-D reaction probabilities reveal interesting trends for the different PES'. In particular, at low energies (< 0.2 eV) the LTSH PES gives rise to much larger reactivity than the other PES', while at high energies (> 0.3 eV) its reaction probability decreases with respect to the BS and YMS PES', being more than a factor of 2 smaller at 0.8 eV. A 5-D calculation on a modified version of the LTSH surface shows that the van der Waals interaction in the entrance channel, which is not correctly described in the other PES' is largely responsible for its larger reactivity at low energies. The large difference between the 5-D reaction probabilities for the YMS and LTSH PES' serves to emphasize the importance of the van der Waals interaction for the reactivity at low energies, because most of the stationary point energies on the YMS and LTSH PES are rather similar, being in line with high-level ab initio information.     

Polyfunctional compounds containing the 4,6-dialkoxy-7-arylthioheptene moiety as synthetically useful intermediates. The course of lewis acid-induced transformations

Data on the selectivity of the Lewis acids induced transformations of the title compounds are presented, and the routes leading to formation of products containing either cyclohexane or 1,3-diene units are described.     

Matrices with Heterogeneous Distribution of the Binding Sites for Immobilization of Biomacromolecules

The coupling of photosensitive reagents has been carried out with the goal of obtaining the predetermined distribution of binding sites either for “surface” or “spacial” immobilization of biomacromolecules. The correlation holds between light intensity and the number of readant groups emerged in a matrix.     

Cure kinetics of epoxy resin and thermoplastic polymer

The cure kinetics and morphology of diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA) modified with polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) using diaminodiphenylmethane (DDM) as hardener were investigated through differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM). Isothermal curing measurements were carried out at 150, 120 and 80°C. The kinetic parameters were obtained using the general autocatalytic chemically controlled model. The comparison of the kinetic data indicates that the presence of PVAc does not change the autocatalytic nature of the cure reaction. Two T _g’s were observed in the fully cured samples of the modified systems. ESEM micrographies confirm the biphasic morphology.     

Structural basis for recognition of bacterial cell wall teichoic acid by pseudo-symmetric SH3b-like repeats of a viral peptidoglycan hydrolase

Endolysins are bacteriophage-encoded peptidoglycan hydrolases targeting the cell wall of host bacteria via their cell wall-binding domains (CBDs). The molecular basis for selective recognition of surface carbohydrate ligands by CBDs remains elusive. Here, we describe, in atomic detail, the interaction between the Listeria phage endolysin domain CBD500 and its cell wall teichoic acid (WTA) ligands. We show that 3′O-acetylated GlcNAc residues integrated into the WTA polymer chain are the key epitope recognized by a CBD binding cavity located at the interface of tandem copies of beta-barrel, pseudo-symmetric SH3b-like repeats. This cavity consists of multiple aromatic residues making extensive interactions with two GlcNAc acetyl groups via hydrogen bonds and van der Waals contacts, while permitting the docking of the diastereomorphic ligands. Our multidisciplinary approach tackled an extremely challenging protein–glycopolymer complex and delineated a previously unknown recognition mechanism by which a phage endolysin specifically recognizes and targets WTA, suggesting an adaptable model for regulation of endolysin specificity.

Combining genetic, biochemical and computational approaches, we elucidated the molecular mechanisms underlying the recognition of Listeria wall teichoic acid by bacteriophage-encoded SH3b repeats.     

Thermodynamics of alpha-Cyclodextrin-p-Nitrophenyl Glycoside Complexes. A Simple System To Understand the Energetics of Carbohydrate Interactions in Water

Thermodynamic studies of the binding of a series of p-nitrophenyl glycosides (PNPGly) of varying stereochemistry to alpha-cyclodextrin (alpha-CD) were performed at three different temperatures (25, 35, and 42 degrees C) using a microcalorimetric technique. The system p-nitrophenol (PNP) at pH = 3 and alpha-CD was also studied for the sake of comparison. All these complexes were found to be enthalpy driven with a favorable enthalpic term clearly dominant over an unfavorable entropic term. A clear enthalpy-entropy compensation effect was observed at all the temperatures, with a slope close to unity (alpha = 1.02) and an intercept TDeltaS degrees (o) = 2.91 kcal mol(-)(1). This thermodynamic pattern is in agreement with those usually found for lectin-carbohydrate associations and for the binding processes of several host-guest systems. This pattern is explained in terms of the contribution of primarily two driving forces: the van der Waals interactions between the host and the guest, and the solvation/desolvation processes which accompany the association reaction. The presence of the carbohydrate molecule in the PNP ring causes a slight destabilization of the complex at 25 degrees C with respect to the alpha-CD-PNP (pH = 3) complex, although a different behavior has been observed depending on the axial/equatorial configuration of the glycoside and the temperature. This behavior is modulated by the stereochemistry of the glycoside. Differences were observed between the deoxy-derivatives (LAra and LFuc) and those derivatives with a hydroxymethyl group (Glc, Gal, Man). DeltaC(p) degrees values were obtained from the dependency of DeltaH degrees on temperature (=( partial differentialDeltaH degrees / partial differentialT)(p)). These values are small and negative except for alphaMan complex. For the latter complex, discrepancy between the calorimetric and the calculated van't Hoff enthalpies was observed. Parallels are drawn between the thermodynamics of our model and those proposed for carbohydrate-protein associations.     

Thermodynamic evidence for Ca2+-mediated self-aggregation of Lewis X gold glyconanoparticles. A model for cell adhesion via carbohydrate-carbohydrate interaction

Thermodynamic evidence for the selective Ca(2+)-mediated self-aggregation via carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions of gold glyconanoparticles functionalized with the disaccharides lactose (lacto-Au) and maltose (malto-Au), or the biologically relevant trisaccharide Lewis X (Le(X)-Au), was obtained by isothermal titration calorimetry. The aggregation process was also directly visualized by atomic force microscopy. It was shown in the case of the trisaccharide Lewis X that the Ca(2+)-mediated aggregation is a slow process that takes place with a decrease in enthalpy of 160 +/- 30 kcal mol(-)(1), while the heat evolved in the case of lactose and maltose glyconanoparticles was very low and thermal equilibrium was quickly achieved. Measurements in the presence of Mg(2+) and Na(+) cations confirm the selectivity for Ca(2+) of Le(X)-Au glyconanoparticles. The relevance of this result to cell-cell adhesion process mediated by carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions is discussed.