Isoenergetic penta- and hexanucleotide microarray probing and chemical mapping provide a secondary structure model for an RNA element orchestrating R2 retrotransposon protein function.
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Modeling studies of potato nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase NTPDase1: an insight into the catalytic mechanism.
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Nucleoside triphosphate diphosphohydrolase--NTPDase1 (apyrase, EC 3.6.1.5) was modeled based on sequence homology. The single polypeptide chain of apyrase is folded into two domains. The putative catalytic site with the apyrase conserved regions (ACR 1-5) is located between these two domains. Modeling confirmed that apyrase belongs to the actin superfamily of proteins. The amino acids interacting with the nucleoside triphosphate substrate and probably involved in the catalyzed hydrolysis were identified. The proposed two-step catalytic mechanism of hydrolysis involves Thr127 and Thr55 as potential nucleophilic factors responsible for the cleavage of the Pgamma and Pbeta anhydride bonds, respectively. Their action seems to be assisted by Glu170 and Glu78 residues, respectively. The presence of two nucleophiles in the active site of apyrase explains the differences in the hydrolytic activity between apyrases and other enzymes belonging to the NTPDase family. (+info)
Identification of enzyme-bound activated CO2 as carbonic-phosphoric anhydride: isolation of the corresponding trimethyl derivative from the active site of glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase.
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The activated CO2 intermediate formed in the reaction catalyzed by glutamine-dependent carbamyl phosphate synthetase was identified as carbonic-phosphoric anhydride through the use of two independent procedures. The carboxy phosphate intermediate was reduced to formate by treatment with potassium borohydride. Although both free CO2 and the enzyme-bound activated CO2 are reduced to formic acid by borohydride, it was possible to selectively introduce a 14C label into the enzyme-bound activated CO2 and thus into the formic acid derived from it. Such [14C]formate formation required the presence of ATP, KCl, and the enzyme, and evidence was obtained that the [14C]formate found is not derived from carbamyl phosphate or from bicarbonate bound nonspecifically to the enzyme. When the enzyme was treated with L-2-amino-4-oxo-5-chloropentanoate (or cyanate), the formation of [14C]formate was increased about 2-fold, a finding consistent with the previous observation that such treatment effects a similar increase in the bicarbonate-dependent cleavage of ATP catalyzed by the enzyme. When reaction mixtures containing the enzyme, [gamma-32P]ATP, and [14C]bicarbonate were methylated by treatment with diazomethane, a labeled compound was formed which cochromatographed with authentic trimethyl carboxy phosphate. Equimolar quantities of 14C and 32P wer incorporated into the intermediate, thus confirming its identification as carboxy phosphate. Nonenzymatic transphosphorylation from ATP to bicarbonate to form carboxy phosphate was also detected by diazomethane trapping. (+info)
On the two-component microwave-mediated reaction of isonitriles with carboxylic acids: regarding alleged formimidate carboxylate mixed anhydrides.
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A simple, rapid and mild one pot synthesis of benzene ring acylated and demethylated analogues of harmine under solvent-free conditions.
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A simple, rapid, solvent-free, room temperature one pot synthesis of benzene ring acylated and demethylated analogues of harmine using acyl halides/acid anhydrides and AlCl(3) has been developed. Eight different acyl halides/acid anhydrides were used in the synthesis. The resulting mixture of products was separated by column chromatography to afford 10- and 12-monoacyl analogues, along with 10,12-diacyl-11-hydroxy products. In five cases the corresponding 10-acyl-11-hydroxy analogues were also obtained. Yields from the eight syntheses (29 products in total) were in the 6-34% range and all compounds were fully characterized. (+info)
Chemical and enzymatic approaches to carbohydrate-derived spiroketals: di-D-fructose dianhydrides (DFAs).
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Di-D-fructose dianhydrides (DFAs) comprise a unique family of stereoisomeric spiro-tricyclic disaccharides formed upon thermal and/or acidic activation of sucrose- and/ or D-fructose-rich materials. The recent discovery of the presence of DFAs in food products and their remarkable nutritional features has attracted considerable interest from the food industry. DFAs behave as low-caloric sweeteners and have proven to exert beneficial prebiotic nutritional functions, favouring the growth of Bifidobacterium spp. In the era of functional foods, investigation of the beneficial properties of DFAs has become an important issue. However, the complexity of the DFA mixtures formed during caramelization or roasting of carbohydrates by traditional procedures (up to 14 diastereomeric spiroketal cores) makes evaluation of their individual properties a difficult challenge. Great effort has gone into the development of efficient procedures to obtain DFAs in pure form at laboratory and industrial scale. This paper is devoted to review the recent advances in the stereoselective synthesis of DFAs by means of chemical and enzymatic approaches, their scope, limitations, and complementarities. (+info)
Oxidative cleavage with hydrogen peroxide: preparation of polycarboxylic acids from cyclic olefins.
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Oxidative cleavage of carbon-carbon double bonds of cyclic olefins with hydrogen peroxide in the presence of heteropolyacids has been investigated as a clean and environmentally friendly preparation of polycarboxylic acids. In the presence of 12-tungstophospholic acid (H(3)PW(12)O(40)), adipic acid was obtained in 95% yield from cyclohexene in lipophilic phase and hydrogen peroxide in aqueous phase. In addition, 1,2,3,4-butanetetracarboxylic acid was also obtained in 87% yield from 1,2,3,6-tetrahydrophtharic acid anhydride, while endic acid anhydride did not afford corresponding 2,3,6-cyclopentanetetracarboxylic acid but only lactone compound was obtained. In this oxidation process, oxidative cleavage of carbon-carbon double bonds would proceed as the sequential reactions in which the rate determining step is oxidative cleavage of vicinal-diol compounds. (+info)