Precise and rapid point-of-care quantification of albumin levels in unspiked blood using organic field-effect transistors.

Nanowire-based field-effect transistors (FETs) are widely used to detect biomolecules precisely. However, the fabrication of such devices involves complex integration procedures of nanowires into the device and most are not easily scalable. In this work, we report a straightforward fabrication approach that utilizes the grain boundaries of the semiconducting film of organic FETs to fabricate biosensors for the detection of human serum albumin (HSA) with an enhanced sensitivity and detection range. We used trichromophoric pentapeptide (TPyAlaDo-Leu-ArTAA-Leu-TPyAlaDo, TPP) as a receptor molecule to precisely estimate the concentration of HSA protein in human blood. Bi-layer semiconductors (pentacene and TPP) were used to fabricate the OFET, where the pentacene molecule acted as a conducting channel and TPP acted as a receptor molecule. This approach of engineering the diffusion of receptor molecules into the grain boundaries is crucial in developing OFET-based HSA protein sensors, which cover a considerable detection range from 1 pM to 1 mM in a single device. The point-of-care detection in unspiked blood samples was confirmed at 4.2 g dL-1, which is similar to 4.1 g dL-1 measured using a pathological procedure.

Targeting the SARS-CoV-2 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp) with synthetic/designer unnatural nucleoside analogs: an in silico study.

CONTEXT: Since the outbreak of COVID-19 in December 2019, it developed into a pandemic affecting all the countries and millions of people around the globe. Until now, there is no medicine available to contain the spread of the virus. As an aid to drug discovery, the molecular docking and molecular dynamic tools were applied extensively. In silico studies made it possible for rapid screening of potential molecules as possible inhibitors/drugs against the targeted proteins. As a continuation of our drug discovery research, we have carried out molecular docking studies of our 12 reported unnatural nucleosides and 14 designer Avigan analogs with SARS-CoV-2, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase (RdRp), which we want to report herein. The same calculation was also carried out, taking 11 known/under trail/commercial nucleoside drug molecules for a comparison of the binding interactions in the catalytic site of RdRp. The docking results and binding efficiencies of our reported nucleosides and designer nucleosidic were compared with the binding energy of commercially available drugs such as remdesevir and favipiravir. Furthermore, we evaluated the protein-drug binding efficiency and stability of the best docked molecules by molecular dynamic studies (MD). From our study, we have found that few of our proposed drugs show promising binding efficiency at the catalytic pocket of SARS-CoV-2 RdRp and can be a promising RdRp inhibitor drug candidate. Hence, this study will be of importance to make progress toward developing successful nucleoside-based drugs and conduct the antiviral test in the wet lab to understand their efficacy against COVID-19. METHOD: All the docking studies were carried out with AutoDock 4.2, AutoDock Vina and Molegro Virtual Docker. Following the docking studies, the MD simulations were carried out following the standard protocol with the GROMACS ver. 2019.6. by applying the CHARMM36 all-atom biomolecular force field. The drug-protein interaction was studied using the Biovia Discovery Studio suite, Ligplot software, and Protein-Ligand Interaction Profiler (PLIP).

Intramolecular cyclization of isothiocyanyl amino acids/peptide: arrival at unnatural thioxoimidazolidinyl/thioxooxazolidinyl amino acids.

A novel intramolecular cyclization of isothiocyanyl amino acids/peptide is reported to arrive at unnatural thioxoimidazolidinyl (TOI)/thioxooxazolidinyl (TOO) amino acids for the first time. Interestingly, analogous isothiocyanyl amines under a similar reaction condition either follow 5-endo-dig cyclization to offer 5-membered thiourea or acyclic diethylaminyl thiourea derivative instead of 6-membered cyclic thiourea.

Bio-inspired PtNPs/Graphene nanocomposite based electrocatalytic sensing of metabolites of dipyrone.

Noble metal nanoparticles are known to electrocatalyze various redox reactions by improving the electron transfer kinetics. In the present study, we have introduced a facile bioinspired synthesis of PtNPs and their integration for the formation of PtNPs/graphene nanocomposite using Psidium guajava (guava) leaves extract. Graphene used in nanocomposite formulation was synthesized by exfoliation of graphite in water/acetone (25:75 v/v) mixture followed by mechanical shearing using ultrasonication and microwave irradiation. PtNPs/graphene nanocomposite was drop-cast onto a glassy carbon electrode (GCE, 3 mm dia). The electrocatalytic activity of PtNPs/graphene nanocomposite was tested in a three-electrode system for sensing of metabolic products of dipyrone (DIP) formed through 1 e- and 2 e- transfer reactions. The modified electrode exhibited almost 50% reduction in electrode resistance. The limit of detection was found to be 0.142 µM with sensitivities of 0.820 and 0.445 µA․µM-1cm-2 for DIP concentration below and above 100 µM, respectively, using square wave voltammetry. The signal of sensing of metabolites of DIP was almost invariant in the presence of glucose, dopamine, uric acid, and ciprofloxacin; however, the response current was decayed by 20% within the 10th cycle. The sensing of DIP spiked in treated sewage-water and running tap-water samples was ∼100% recoverable and comparable with HPLC.

Stabilization of an abasic site paired against an unnatural triazolyl nitrobenzene nucleoside.

An abasic site is the most frequently observed among the various forms of DNA lesions in genomic DNA. If left unrepaired, an abasic site might turn out to be a principle cause for deleterious mutations and can be threat to cellular survival. Thus, to keep cellular integrity and measure the extent of DNA damage, recognition and stabilization of the abasic sites (apurinic/apyrimidinic site = Ap) are essential. Further, it is crucial to detect and stabilise the abasic site for towards the development of new diagnostics and chemotherapeutics. Herein, we report the stabilization of an abasic DNA duplex wherein the abasic site paired against a novel unnatural nucleoside, triazolylnitrobenzene (TNBBAc). This nucleoside is bulky and exhibits, high polarizability and good stacking propensity. Robust hetero-pair stabilization is another feature of it. Therefore, it is interesting to study the stabilization of an abasic DNA containing a synthesized triazolylnitrobenzene nucleoside TNBBAc We planned to study the thermal as well as the thermodynamic origin of abasic DNA stabilization by our synthesized oligonucleotide probe containing TNBBAc nucleoside. We observed that the nucleoside TNBBAc offered good thermal stabilization of a TNBBAc-Φ duplex via strong intercalative stacking interaction alongside an abasic site. The UV-visible spectroscopic study supported the intercalative stacking interaction. The stabilization though is marginal, but it would shed light on the design of bases of significant volume to stabilise abasic DNA to a greater extent.

A relay FRET event in a designed trichromophoric pentapeptide containing an o-,m-aromatic-amino acid scaffold.

The concept of a relay FRET event is established in a designed trichromophoric pentapeptide containing an o-,m-aromatic amino acid scaffold in the backbone as a novel ß-turn mimetic ß-sheet folding nucleator. This system would find application in studying fundamental processes involving interbiomolecular interactions in chemical biology.

Design of "Click" Fluorescent Labeled 2'-deoxyuridines via C5-[4-(2-Propynyl(methyl)amino)]phenyl Acetylene as a Universal Linker: Synthesis, Photophysical Properties, and Interaction with BSA.

Microenvironment-sensitive fluorescent nucleosides present attractive advantages over single-emitting dyes for sensing inter-biomolecular interactions involving DNA. Herein, we report the rational design and synthesis of triazolyl push-pull fluorophore-labeled uridines via the intermediacy of C5-[4-(2-propynyl(methyl)amino)]phenyl acetylene as a universal linker. The synthesized nucleosides showed interesting solvatochromic characteristic and/or intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) features. A few of them also exhibited dual-emitting characteristics evidencing our designing concept. The HOMO-LUMO distribution showed that the emissive states of these nucleosides were characterized with more significant electron redistribution between the C5-[4-(2-propynyl(methyl)amino)]phenyl triazolyl donor moiety and the aromatic chromophores linked to it, leading to modulated emission property. The solvent polarity sensitivity of these nucleosides was also tested. The synthesized triazolyl benzonitrile (10C), naphthyl (10E), and pyrenyl (10G) nucleosides were found to exhibit interesting ICT and dual (LE/ICT) emission properties. The dual-emitting pyrenyl nucleoside maintained a good ratiometric response in the BSA protein microenvironment, enabling the switch-on ratiometric sensing of BSA as the only protein biomolecule. Thus, it is expected that the new fluorescent nucleoside analogues would be useful in designing DNA probes for nucleic acid analysis or studying DNA-protein interactions via a drastic change in fluorescence response due to a change in micropolarity.

Multipurpose isothiocyanyl alanine/lysine: Use as solvatochromic IR probes and in site specific labeling/ligation of short peptides.

The solvatochromic IR responsivity of small side chain -NCS in two unexplored unnatural amino acids, isothiocyanyl alanine (NCSAla = Ita) and lysine (NCSLys = Itl), without perturbing the conformation is demonstrated in two designed short tripeptide (BocAla-NCSAla-Ala-OMe) and hexapeptide (BocLeu-Val-Phe-Phe-NCSLys-Gly-OMe). Demonstration of site specific fluorescent labeling in both the peptides and ligation type reaction in NCSLys indicates the novelty of these two amino acids as alternative to the available canonical amino acids.

Use of azidonaphthalimide carboxylic acids as fluorescent templates with a built-in photoreactive group and a flexible linker simplifies protein labeling studies: applications in selective tagging of HCAII and penicillin binding proteins.

This work describes the synthesis of azidonaphthalimide carboxylic acids which act as fluorescent templates with a built-in photoreactive group and a linker thus simplifying the design of protein labeling agents. These were separately connected to selectivity hands like a sulfonamide and ampicillin for successful labeling/detection of HCAII and PBPs, respectively.

Tetrazolylpyrene unnatural nucleoside as a human telomeric multimeric G-quadruplex selective switch-on fluorescent sensor.

We report herein the specific sensing of dimeric H45 G-quadruplex DNA via a fluorescence light-up response using fluorescent tetrazolylpyrene nucleoside (TzPyBDo) as a probe. The strong binding of the probe via an intercalative stacking interaction inside the connecting loop of two G-quadruplex units of H45 and the discrimination to other monomeric and long DNA duplexes are accompanied by a drastic enhancement of the emission intensity without compromising the conformation and stability.

Uracil-amino acid as a scaffold for ß-sheet peptidomimetics: Study of photophysics and interaction with BSA protein.

We report herein the uracil-di-aza-amino acid (UrAA) as a new family of molecular scaffold to induce ß-hairpin structure with H-bonded ß-sheet conformation in a short peptide. This has been demonstrated in two conceptual fluorescent pentapeptides wherein triazolylpyrenyl alanine and/or triazolylmethoxynapthyl alanine (TPyAlaDo and/or TMNapAlaDo) are embedded into two arms of the uracil-amino acid via an intervening leucine. Conformational analysis by CD, IR, variable temperature and 2D NMR spectroscopy reveals the ß-hairpin structures for both the peptides. Study of photophysical property reveals that the pentapeptide containing fluorescent triazolyl unnatural amino acids TMNapAlaDo and TPyAlaDo at the two termini exhibits dual path entry to exciplex emission-either via FRET from TMNapAlaDo to TPyAlaDo or via direct excitation of a FRET acceptor, TPyAlaDo. The other pentapeptide with TPyAlaDo/TPyAlaDo pair shows excimer emission. Furthermore, both the peptides maintaining their fundamental photophysics are found to interact with BSA as only a test biomolecule.

Isothiocyanyl Alanine as a Synthetic Intermediate for the Synthesis of Thioureayl Alanines and Subsequent Aminotetrazolyl Alanines.

The synthesis of unnatural amino acids with small side-chain functionalities usable for further transformations is highly demanding for the expansion of the genetic code and other possible biotechnological applications. To this end, we wanted to report the utility of an unexplored unnatural amino acid, isothiocyanyl alanine (NCSAla = Ita), for the synthesis of another class of unnatural amino acids, thioureayl alanines (TUAla = Tua). The synthesis of a third class of unnatural amino acids, amino tetrazolyl alanines (ATzAla = Ata), in a very good yield was subsequently achieved utilizing thioureayl alanines. Thus, a variety of aliphatic- and aromatic-substituted thioureayl alanines and aromatic-substituted amino tetrazolyl alanines were successfully synthesized in good to excellent yields. The photophysical properties of three of the fluorescent unnatural amino acids from two classes were also studied and presented herein.

Trifunctional fluorescent unnatural nucleoside: Label free detection of T-T/C-C base mismatches, abasic site and bulge DNA.

The detection and targeting of both the mismatched and abasic DNA is highly important which would ultimately help in designing new diagnostics and chemotherapeutics. Furthermore, sensing and targeting the bulge sequence with a fluorescent probe would be useful to study the role of bulges in nucleic acid function or could have significant therapeutic potential. Thus, detection of specific bulges by small fluorescent molecules is an attractive research area since the past several years. Many attempts have been made to prepare such compounds. We report herein a label free strategy for the detection of pyrimidine base mismatches (T/T and C/C), sensing of abasic site, and pyrimidine base bulge DNA using an unnatural tetrazolylpyrene nucleoside (TPyBDo) as a bare fluorescent probe. The H-bonding/hydrophobic force mediated interactions allow the sensing of all three deformed DNA via an enhancement of fluorescence signal using our simple "Just-Mix and Read" strategy. The binding of the probe to all the three deformed DNA duplexes is accompanied by an increase in the thermal melting stability of the deformed DNAs. That the probe binds efficiently to the minor groove near the deformed site was evident from spectroscopic studies. All the spectral evidences open up a multitude of possibilities for using our probe, tetrazolylpyrene nucleoside, as an efficient fluorescent light-up bio-probe for label free DNA detection.

Hybridization accompanying FRET event in labeled natural nucleoside-unnatural nucleoside containing chimeric DNA duplexes.

Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a highly efficient strategy in illuminating the structures, structural changes and dynamics of DNA, proteins and other biomolecules and thus is being widely utilized in studying such phenomena, in designing molecular/biomolecular probes for monitoring the hybridization event of two single stranded DNA to form duplex, in gene detection and in many other sensory applications in chemistry, biology and material sciences. Moreover, FRET can give information about the positional status of chromophores within the associated biomolecules with much more accuracy than other methods can yield. Toward this end, we want to report here the ability of fluorescent unnatural nucleoside, triazolylphenanthrene ((TPhen)BDo) to show FRET interaction upon hybridization with fluorescently labeled natural nucleosides, (Per)U or (OxoPy)U or (Per)U, forming two stable chimeric DNA duplexes. The pairing selectivity and the thermal duplex stability of the chimeric duplexes are higher than any of the duplexes with natural nucleoside formed. The hybridization results in a Förster resonance energy transfer (FRET) from donor triazolylphenanthrene of (TPhen)BDo to acceptor oxopyrene of (OxoPy)U and/or to perylene chromophore of (Per)U, respectively, in two chimeric DNA duplexes. Therefore, we have established the FRET process in two chimeric DNA duplexes wherein a fluorescently labeled natural nucleoside ((OxoPy)U or (Per)U) paired against an unnatural nucleoside ((TPhen)BDo) without sacrificing the duplex stability and B-DNA conformation. The hybridization accompanying FRET event in these classes of interacting fluorophores is new. Moreover, there is no report of such designed system of chimeric DNA duplex. Our observed phenomenon and the design can potentially be exploited in designing more of such efficient FRET pairs for useful application in the detection and analysis of biomolecular interactions and in material science application.

Synthesis, photophysical properties of triazolyl-donor/acceptor chromophores decorated unnatural amino acids: Incorporation of a pair into Leu-enkephalin peptide and application of triazolylperylene amino acid in sensing BSA.

The research in the field of design and synthesis of unnatural amino acids is growing at a fast space for the increasing demand of proteins of potential therapeutics and many other diversified novel functional applications. Thus, we report herein the design and synthesis of microenvironment sensitive fluorescent triazolyl unnatural amino acids (UNAA) decorated with donor and/or acceptor aromatic chromophores via click chemistry. The synthesized fluorescent amino acids show interesting solvatochromic characteristic and/or intramolecular charge transfer (ICT) feature as is revealed from the UV-visible, fluorescence photophysical properties and DFT/TDDFT calculation. HOMO-LUMO distribution shows that the emissive states of some of the amino acids are characterized with more significant electron redistribution between the triazolyl moiety and the aromatic chromophores linked to it leading to modulated emission property. A pair of donor-acceptor amino acid shows interesting photophysical interaction property indicating a FRET quenching event. Furthermore, one of the amino acid, triazolyl-perylene amino acid, has been exploited for studying interaction with BSA and found that it is able to sense BSA with an enhancement of fluorescence intensity. Finally, we incorporated a pair of donor/acceptor amino acids into a Leu-enkephalin analogue pentapeptide which was found to adopt predominantly type II ß-turn conformation. We envisage that our investigation is of importance for the development of new fluorescent donor-acceptor unnatural amino acids a pair of which can be exploited for generating fluorescent peptidomimetic probe of interesting photophysical property for applications in studying peptide-protein interaction.

Donor/acceptor chromophores-decorated triazolyl unnatural nucleosides: synthesis, photophysical properties and study of interaction with BSA.

Much effort has been put forth to develop unnatural, stable, hydrophobic base pairs with orthogonal recognition properties and study their effect on DNA duplex stabilisation. Our continuous efforts on the design of fluorescent unnatural biomolecular building blocks lead us to the synthesis of some triazolyl donor/acceptor unnatural nucleosides via an azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction as a key step, which we want to report herein. We have studied their photophysical properties and found interesting solvatochromic fluorescence for two of the nucleosides. Photophysical interactions among two donor-acceptor ß-nucleosides as well as a pair of α/ß-nucleosides have also been evaluated. Furthermore, we have exploited one of the fluorescent nucleosides in studying its interaction with BSA with the help of UV-visible and steady state fluorescence techniques. Our design concept is based on the hypothesis that a pair of such donor/acceptor nucleosides might be involved in π-stacking as well as in photophysical interactions, leading to stabilization of the DNA duplex if such nucleosides can be incorporated into short oligonucleotide sequences. Therefore, the designed bases may find application in biophysical studies in the context of DNA.

Mechanistic Studies on Garratt-Braverman Cyclization: The Diradical-Cycloaddition Puzzle.

In this work, we present the results of extensive multiprong studies involving the fate of deuterium-labeled substrates, EPR, trapping experiments, and LA-LDI mass spectrometry to sort out the controversies relating to the mechanism of Garratt-Braverman cyclization in two systems, namely bis-propargyl sulfones and ethers. The results are in conformity with a diradical mechamism for the sulfone, while for the ether, the anionic [4 + 2] appears to be the preferred pathway. This shows that the mechanistic pathway toward GB cyclization is dependent upon the nature of heteroatom (O or S in sulfone) bridging the propargyl arms.

Regioselective and stereoselective route to N2-ß-tetrazolyl unnatural nucleosides via SN2 reaction at the anomeric center of Hoffer's chlorosugar.

We are reporting a regioselective and stereoselective route to N2-ß-tetrazolyl aromatic donor/acceptor unnatural nucleosides as new class of possible DNA base analogs. The SN2 substitution reaction at the anomeric center of Hoffer's chlorosugar with various 5-substituted aromatic tetrazoles in THF in presence of K2CO3 proceeds with regioselectivity at N2-tetrazoles and stereoselectivity at α-chlorosugar with very good yield. The stereoelectronic and steric effects play a crucial role for the observed outcome which is also supported from a theoretical (DFT) study. The methodology is simple, eco-compatible and the tetrazolyl unnatural nucleosides might find applications in decorating DNA for various biotechnological and DNA based material science applications.

Synthesis of Functionalized Pyrazoles via Vanadium-Catalyzed C-N Dehydrogenative Cross-Coupling and Fluorescence Switch-On Sensing of BSA Protein.

Vanadium-catalyzed C-N dehydrogenative cross-coupling of alkenyl hydrazones leading to functionalized pyrazoles is described in a 1:1 mixture of toluene/H2O using air as the terminal oxidant. Significant practical features include use of the commercial nontoxic VOSO4 as a recyclable catalyst, mild reaction conditions, scalability, and the broad substrate scope. Some of the product pyrazoles exhibit interesting photophysical properties. Fluorescence light-up sensing of BSA protein by one of the pyrazoles is also highlighted.