Search results for "oligo"
showing 10 items of 1298 documents
Synthesis, Structure and Conformation of Partially-Modified Retro- and Retro-Inversoψ[NHCH(CF3)]Gly Peptides
2003
Partially modified retro- (PMR) and retro-inverso (PMRI) psi[NHCH(CF(3))]Gly peptides, a conceptually new class of peptidomimetics, have been synthesized in wide structural diversity and variable length by aza-Michael reaction of enantiomerically pure alpha-amino esters and peptides with enantiomerically and geometrically pure N-4,4,4-trifluorocrotonoyl-oxazolidin-2-ones. The factors underlying the observed moderate to good diastereocontrol have been investigated. The conformations of model PMR-psi[NHCH(CF(3))]Gly tripeptides have been studied in solution by (1)H NMR spectroscopy supported by MD calculations, as well as in the solid-state by X-ray diffraction. Remarkable stability of turn-l…
NMR study of hexanucleotide d(CCGCGG)2 containing two triplet repeats of fragile X syndrome
2003
Abstract Long repeated stretches of d(CCG) and tri-nucleotide are crucial mutations that cause hereditary forms of mental retardation (fragile X-syndrome). Moreover, the alternating (CG) di-nucleotide is one of the candidates for Z-DNA conformation. Solution NMR structure of d(CCGCGG) 2 has been solved and is discussed. The determined NMR solution structure is a distorted highly bent B-DNA conformation with increased flexibility in both terminal residues. This conformation differs significantly from the Z-DNA tetramer structure reported for the same hexamer in the crystal state at similar ionic strength by Malinina and co-workers. Crystal structure of d(CCGCGG) 2 at high salt concentration …
Conformational and structural analysis of the equilibrium between single- and double-strand ?-helix of aD,L-alternating oligonorleucine
2004
Alternating sequences of D and L residues in peptides are directly related to the formation of several kinds of regular helical conformations usually called beta-helices. The major feature of these structures is that they can be associated with the transmembrane ion-conducting channel activity in some natural antibacterial peptides. The study of alternating D,L synthetic peptides is critical to understand how factors such as surrounding media, main chain length, type of side chain and terminal groups, among others, can determine the adoption of a specific kind of beta-helix. Early studies pointed out that the peptides Boc-(D-NLeu-L-NLeu)(6)-D-MeNLe-L-Nl-D-Nl-L-Nl-OMe (Boc: tert-butyloxycarb…
Synthesis of enantiopure pyrrolidine-derived peptidomimetics and oligo-beta-peptides via nucleophilic ring-opening of beta-lactams.
2006
The synthesis of the two enantiomers of pyrrolidine-derived spiro beta-lactams by resolution with D- and L-Boc phenylalanine is described. The potential of these optically active spiro beta-lactams on the synthesis of peptidomimetics as analogues of melanostatin is evaluated. Theoretical studies of several models, at the Becke3LYP/6-31+G* level of theory, together with previous experimental evidences from our group, gathered by NMR, allow us to design structures that can efficiently mimic some biologically active peptide-type molecules. On the other hand, the spiro beta-lactams have shown their utility in the preparation of beta-peptides. As an example, a homo-tetra-beta-peptide was synthes…
Mutations in the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ca toxin demonstrate the role of domains II and III in specificity towards Spodoptera exigua larvae
2004
Several mutants of the Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1Ca toxin affected with regard to specific activity towards Spodoptera exigua were studied. Alanine was used to replace single residues in loops 2 and 3 of domain II (mutant pPB19) and to replace residues 541– 544 in domain III (mutant pPB20). Additionally, a Cry1Ca mutant combining all mutations was constructed (mutant pPB21). Toxicity assays showed a marked decrease in toxicity against S. exigua for all mutants, while they retained their activity against Manduca sexta, confirming the importance of these residues in determining insect specificity. Parameters for binding to the specific receptors in BBMV (brush border membrane vesicles) of S.…
The Role of Adenine Excimers in the Photophysics of Oligonucleotides
2009
Energies and structures of different arrangements of the stacked adenine homodimer have been computed at the ab initio CASPT2 level of theory in isolation and in an aqueous environment. Adenine dimers are shown to form excimer singlet states with different degrees of stacking and interaction. A model for a 2-fold decay dynamics of adenine oligomers can be supported in which, after initial excitation in the middle UV range, unstacked or slightly stacked pairs of nucleobases will relax by an ultrafast internal conversion to the ground state, localizing the excitation in the monomer and through the corresponding conical intersection with the ground state. On the other hand, long-lifetime intra…
Exploring the redox reactivity of magnesium porphine. Insight into the origins of electropolymerisation.
2010
International audience; Magnesium(II) porphine, MgP (1), was synthesised according to the Lindsey procedure allowing to isolate and crystallise 1-formyldipyrromethane (2) as a synthetic intermediate. Unprecedented Xray diffraction studies revealed multiple intermolecular associations in the crystal between neighbouring units of 2, namely hydrogen bond and CH … π. The electrochemical behaviour of 1 was examined by means of cyclic voltammetry. In oxydation, two well-defined and distinct steps are assigned to macrocycle concerned electron transfers yielding initially the π-cation radical and π dication, respectively. The highly reactive dication condenses neutral magnesium porphine to form a d…
News from an Ancient World: Two Novel Astacin Metalloproteases from the Horseshoe Crab
2008
In this work, we report the cloning, heterologous expression, and characterization of two novel astacin proteases from the chelicerate Limulus polyphemus (horseshoe crab), designated as LAST (Limulus astacin) and LAST_MAM (Limulus astacin containing a MAM domain), respectively. The expression pattern showed ubiquitous occurrence of LAST_MAM, while LAST was predominantly restricted to the eyes and brain, indicating a function in the nervous system. Both enzymes contain the characteristic metzincin-type zinc-binding region and Met turn. While LAST is made up only of the typical prodomain and astacin-like protease domain, LAST_MAM contains an additional MAM (meprin A5 protein tyrosine phosphat…
Pharmacogenomics of cantharidin in tumor cells.
2014
Cantharis vesicatoria (blister beetle) is used in Chinese medicine and has been categorized as highly toxic in the Chinese pharmacopeia. In Europe, Cantharis patches have been used since ages to treat various skin-related diseases. We investigated the cytotoxicity of the Cantharis ingredient, cantharidin, in 41 tumor cell lines (Oncotest panel) and compared the results with those of 60 cell lines of the National Cancer Institute, USA. We found profound activity at low micromolar concentrations (log ₁₀IC₅₀ values between -6.980 and 5.009 M). Cantharidin bound to protein phosphatase 2A (PP2A) with higher affinity (-8.12 kcal/mol) than to PP1 (-6.25 kcal/mol) in molecular docking analyses. Usi…
NMR Solution Structure of the Non-RGD Disintegrin Obtustatin
2003
The solution structure of obtustatin, a novel non-RGD disintegrin of 41 residues isolated from Vipera lebetina obtusa venom, and a potent and selective inhibitor of the adhesion of integrin alpha(1)beta(1) to collagen IV, has been determined by two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance. Almost the whole set of chemical shifts for 1H, 13C and 15N were assigned at natural abundance from 2D homonuclear and heteronuclear 500 MHz, 600 MHz and 800 MHz spectra at pH 3.0 recorded at 298 K and 303 K. Final structural constraints consisted of 302 non-redundant NOE (95 long-range, 60 medium, 91 sequential and 56 intra-residue), four disulfide bond distances, five chi1 dihedral angles and four hydroge…