Reaction of sulphate radical anion (SO<SUB>4</SUB><SUP>&#8226;-</SUP>) with hydroxy- and methyl-substituted pyrimidines: a pulse radiolysis study

Reactions of sulphate radical anion (SO4&#8226;-) with 4,6-dihydroxy-2-methyl pyrimidine (DHMP), 2,4-dimethyl-6-hydroxy pyrimidine (DMHP), 6-methyl uracil (MU) and 5,6-dimethyl uracil (DMU) have been studied by pulse radiolysis at pH 3 and at pH 10. The transient intermediate spectra were compared with those from the reaction of hydroxyl radical (&#8226;OH). It is proposed that SOSO4&#8226;- produces radical cations of these pyrimidines in the initial stage. These radical cations are short-lived except in the case of DMHP where a relatively longer lived radical cation is proposed to be formed. When there is a hydrogen atom attached to the N(1) or N(3) position, a deprotonation from these sites is highly favored. When there is no hydrogen attached to these sites, deprotonation from a substituted methyl group is favored. At acidic pH, deprotonation from nitrogen is observed for DHMP, MU and DMU. At basic pH, the radical cation reacts with OH- leading to the formation of OH adducts

Reaction of oxide radical ion (O<SUP>&#8226;-</SUP>) with substituted pyrimidines

Pulse radiolysis technique has been used to investigate the reaction of oxide radical ion (O&#8226;-) with 4,6-dihydroxy-2-methyl pyrimidine (DHMP), 2,4-dimethyl-6-hydroxy pyrimidine (DMHP), 5,6-dimethyl uracil (DMU) and 6-methyl uracil (MU) in strongly alkaline medium. The second-order rate constants for the reaction of O&#8226;- with these compounds are in the range 2-5 &#215; 108 dm3 mol-1 s-1. The transient absorption spectra obtained with DHMP have two maxima at 290 and 370 nm and with DMHP have maxima at 310 and 470 nm. The transient spectrum from DMU is characterized by its absorption maxima at 310 and 520 nm and that of MU by its single maximum at 425 nm. The intermediate species were found to react with N,N,N',N'-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD) with high G(TMPD&#8226;+) values ranged between 3.9 &#215; 10-7 molJ-1 and 4.8 &#215; 10-7 molJ-1. These radicals undergo decay by second-order kinetics (2k/&#949; = 1.0-1.7 &#215; 106 s-1). The reaction of O&#8226;- with the selected pyrimidines is proposed to proceed through a hydrogen abstraction from the methyl group forming allyl type radicals. These are mainly oxidizing radicals and hence readily undergo electron transfer reactions with TMPD

Properties of the OH Adducts of Hydroxy-, Methyl-, Methoxy-, and Amino-Substituted Pyrimidines: Their Dehydration Reactions and End-Product Analysis

Reactions of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) with 2-amino-4-methyl pyrimidine (AMP), 2-amino-4,6-dimethyl pyrimidine (ADMP), 2-amino-4-methoxy-6-methyl pyrimidine (AMMP), 2-amino-4-hydroxy-6-methyl pyrimidine (AHMP), 4,6-dihydroxy-2-methyl pyrimidine (DHMP), 2,4-dimethyl-6-hydroxy pyrimidine (DMHP), 6-methyl uracil (MU), and 5,6-dimethyl uracil (DMU) have been studied by pulse radiolysis and steady-state radiolysis techniques at different pH values. The second-order rate constants of the reaction of •OH with these systems are of the order of (2−9) × 10^9 dm^3 mol^(-1) s^(-1) at near neutral pH. The difference in the spectral features of the intermediates at near neutral pH and at higher pH (10.4) obtained with these pyrimidines are attributed to the deprotonation of the OH adducts. The G(TMPD•+) obtained at pH ∼ 6, from the electron-transfer reactions of the oxidizing intermediates with the reductant, N,N,N‘,N‘-tetramethyl-p-phenylenediamine (TMPD), are in the range (0.2−0.9) × 10^(-7) mol J^(-1) which constituted about 3−16% oxidizing radicals. These yields were highly enhanced at pH 10.5 in the case of AHMP, DHMP, DMU, and MU (G(TMPD^(•+)) = 3.8−5.5 ≅ 66−95% oxidizing radical). On the basis of these results, it is proposed that a nonoxidizing C(6)-ylC(5)OH radical adduct is initially formed at pH 6 which is responsible for the observed transient spectra. The high yield of TMPD•+ at higher pH is explained in terms of a base-catalyzed conversion (via a dehydration reaction) of the initially formed C(6)-ylC(5)OH adduct (nonoxidizing) to C(5)-ylC(6)OH adduct which is oxidizing in nature. Among the selected pyrimidines, such a dehydration reaction was observed only with those having a keto (or hydroxy) group at the C(4) position of the pyrimidine ring. Qualitative analyses of the products resulting from the OH adducts of DHMP (at pH 4.5) and DMHP (at pH 6) were carried out using HPLC-ES-MS and a variety of products have been identified. Glycolic and dimeric products were observed as the major end-products. The product profiles of both DHMP and DMHP have shown that the precursors of the products are mainly the C(6)-ylC(5)OH and the H adduct radicals. The identified products are formed mainly by disproportionation and dimerization reactions of these radicals. The mechanistic aspects are discussed

Oxidation of single-stranded oligonucleotides by carbonate radical anions: generating intrastrand cross-links between guanine and thymine bases separated by cytosines

The carbonate radical anion is a biologically important one-electron oxidant that can directly abstract an electron from guanine, the most easily oxidizable DNA base. Oxidation of the 5′-d(CCTACGCTACC) sequence by photochemically generated CO3·− radicals in low steady-state concentrations relevant to biological processes results in the formation of spiroiminodihydantoin diastereomers and a previously unknown lesion. The latter was excised from the oxidized oligonucleotides by enzymatic digestion with nuclease P1 and alkaline phosphatase and identified by LC-MS/MS as an unusual intrastrand cross-link between guanine and thymine. In order to further characterize the structure of this lesion, 5′-d(GpCpT) was exposed to CO3·− radicals, and the cyclic nature of the 5′-d(G*pCpT*) cross-link in which the guanine C8-atom is bound to the thymine N3-atom was confirmed by LC-MS/MS, 1D and 2D NMR studies. The effect of bridging C bases on the cross-link formation was studied in the series of 5′-d(GpCnpT) and 5′-d(TpCnpG) sequences with n = 0, 1, 2 and 3. Formation of the G*-T* cross-links is most efficient in the case of 5′-d(GpCpT). Cross-link formation (n = 0) was also observed in double-stranded DNA molecules derived from the self-complementary 5′-d(TTACGTACGTAA) sequence following exposure to CO3·− radicals and enzymatic excision of the 5′-d(G*pT*) product

Endogenous Zinc in Neurological Diseases

The use of zinc in medicinal skin cream was mentioned in Egyptian papyri from 2000 BC (for example, the Smith Papyrus), and zinc has apparently been used fairly steadily throughout Roman and modern times (for example, as the American lotion named for its zinc ore, 'Calamine'). It is, therefore, somewhat ironic that zinc is a relatively late addition to the pantheon of signal ions in biology and medicine. However, the number of biological functions, health implications and pharmacological targets that are emerging for zinc indicate that it might turn out to be 'the calcium of the twenty-first century'. Here neurobiological roles of endogenous zinc is summarized

Seminaphthofluorescein-Based Fluorescent Probes for Imaging Nitric Oxide in Live Cells

Fluorescent turn-on probes for nitric oxide based on seminaphthofluorescein scaffolds were prepared and spectroscopically characterized. The Cu(II) complexes of these fluorescent probes react with NO under anaerobic conditions to yield a 20–45-fold increase in integrated emission. The seminaphthofluorescein-based probes emit at longer wavelengths than the parent FL1 and FL2 fluorescein-based generations of NO probes, maintaining emission maxima between 550 and 625 nm. The emission profiles depend on the excitation wavelength; maximum fluorescence turn-on is achieved at excitations between 535 and 575 nm. The probes are highly selective for NO over other biologically relevant reactive nitrogen and oxygen species including NO3–, NO2–, HNO, ONOO–, NO2, OCl–, and H2O2. The seminaphthofluorescein-based probes can be used to visualize endogenously produced NO in live cells, as demonstrated using Raw 264.7 macrophages.National Science Foundation (U.S.) (CHE-0611944)National Institutes of Health (U.S.) (K99GM092970

Water: From pollution to purification.

International audienc

Development and validation of a high-performance thin layer chromatography method for the determination of cholesterol concentration

An accurate, sensitive, precise, reliable, and quick method for the determination of cholesterol content by high-performance thin layer chromatography is developed. In this method, aluminum-backed precoated silica gel 60 F254 plates were used as the stationary phase and the samples were sprayed with the help of CAMAG sample applicator Linomat 5. The chromatogram was developed with the mobile phase consisting of chloroform:methanol (9.5:0.5, v/v). The samples were detected using CAMAG Scanner 4 and evaluated using the method developed on winCATS software. Densitometric analysis of cholesterol was performed in absorbance mode at 200 nm. In this solvent system, cholesterol gave a compact spot with an Rf value of 0.63 ± 0.03. The linear regression analysis of data for the calibration curve showed good linearity over a concentration range of 2–7 μg/spot with a regression value of 0.99933 and standard deviation of 1.44%. The limit of detection and limit of quantification were found to be 100 ng/spot and 500 ng/spot, respectively. Using the developed method, the concentration of cholesterol in the saponified and unsaponified egg yolk sample was determined. This method was found to be reproducible and can even be used for samples containing complex matrices

Ultrafast charge transfer dynamics in 2-aminopurine modified double helical DNA

Ultrafast charge transfer dynamics in double helical DNAs and the corresponding single strands has been studied by femtosecond time-resolved fluorescence (TRF). The DNA molecules were modified by replacing one adenine with 2-aminopurine (2Ap), a fluorescent analogue of adenine. TRF signals of 2Ap in the DNAs require three time constants with the fastest in the range of 0.42-10 ps. The DNA duplex, where 2Ap and guanine are connected directly, shows the fastest 420 fs decay. The observed time scales are significantly different from the values reported previously. The time constant and amplitude of the fastest component vary with the nature and position of the bridges between the 2Ap and guanine in accordance with the oxidation potential of the bridge suggesting that the Ultrafast component represents the charge transfer dynamics in DNA. The multi-exponential dispersive kinetics can be accounted for by invoking conformational heterogeneity. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.X1116sciescopu