Crystal structure of ethyl 2-[(4-bromo-phen-yl)amino]-3,4-di-methyl-pent-3-enoate.

In the title compound, C15H20BrNO2, there are two independent mol-ecules (A and B) comprising the asymmetric unit and these adopt very similar conformations. In A, the dihedral angle between the CO2 and MeC=CMe2 groups is 80.7 (3)°, and these make dihedral angles of 3.5 (3) and 84.09 (16)°, respectively, with the bromo-benzene ring. The equivalent dihedral angles for mol-ecule B are 78.4 (3), 2.1 (3) and 78.37 (12)°, respectively. The most prominent inter-actions in the crystal packing are amine-N-H⋯O(carbon-yl) hydrogen bonds between the two independent mol-ecules, resulting in non-centrosymmetric ten-membered {⋯OC2NH}2 synthons. Statistical disorder is noted for each of the terminal methyl groups of the ethyl residues.

Two intermediates in the synthesis of decahydroisoquinolines with NMDA and AMPA receptor antagonist activity.

In 6-methyl-N-(4-nitrobenzoyl)-5,6-dihydropyridin-2(1H)-one, C(13)H(12)N(2)O(4), (I), the piperidone ring is in a distorted half-chair conformation. In 8-methoxy-3-methyl-N-(4-nitrobenzoyl)-1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8-octahydroisoquinoline-1,6-dione, C(18)H(20)N(2)O(6), (II), the heterocyclic ring is in a slightly distorted half-boat conformation, while the other six-membered ring is in a distorted chair conformation. Compound (II) presents a strong intramolecular C-H...O hydrogen bond. In both (I) and (II), the molecules interact through C-H...O interactions.

Acetonyldichloro[(Z)-2-chloro-2-phenylvinyl]tellurium(IV), helical chains of metal complexes.

The primary geometry about the Te(IV) atom in the title compound, [TeCl2(C8H6Cl)(C3H5O)] or C11H11Cl3OTe, is a pseudo-trigonal-bipyramidal arrangement, with two Cl atoms in apical positions, and the lone pair of electrons and C atoms in the equatorial plane. The Te(IV) atom is involved in three secondary interactions, two intramolecular [Te...O = 2.842 (3) A and Te.Cl3 = 3.209 (1) A] and one intermolecular [Te...Cl = 3.637 (1) A], the latter giving rise to a helical chain. These helices are linked by C-H...O interchain interactions.

Two polycyclic compounds derived from a Diels-Alder reaction.

In both 9,10-dimethoxy-11-oxatricyclo[6.2.1.0(2,7)]undeca-4,9-diene-3,6-diol, C(12)H(16)O(5), (I), and 5,6-dimethoxy-3,7-dioxatetracyclo[6.4.0.0(2,6).0(4,12)]dodec-9-en-11-ol, C(12)H(16)O(5), (II), the hetero-oxygen-containing five-membered rings have an envelope conformation. The six-membered rings are in a boat conformation in compound (I), and in (II), one is in a half-boat and the other is in a slightly distorted boat conformation. The molecules in both compounds interact through classical hydrogen bonds and C-H.O contacts.

Crystallization and preliminary X-ray studies on the lectin from the seeds of Cratylia mollis.

The lectin from the seeds of Cratvlia mollis shows strong binding to human malignant cancerous tissues, particularly those from many glands, uterus, rectum and brain. The C. mollis lectin has been crystallized using the hanging-drop method with polyethylene glycol 6000 as a precipitant. Two different crystal forms were grown from the same drops and they belong to space groups I222 and P2(1)2(1)2(1), respectively. The cell parameters obtained were a = 63.26 (4), b = 77.45 (8) and c = 105.22 (8) A, for the I222 form, and a = 88.83 (5), b = 183.24 (9) and c = 61.70 (2) A for the P2(1)2(1)2(1) crystals. The solution of both structures is currently being attempted by means of molecular replacement techniques.

A new analogue of nifurtimox.

1-¿[(5-Nitro-2-furyl)methylene]amino¿-1,2,4-triazole, C7H5N5O3, is a new analogue of nifurtimox with activity against Tripanosoma cruzi. In the crystal structure, the molecule lies on a mirror plane and has an E-sZ conformation along the N = C-C moiety. The molecules are linked through C-H...O and C-H...N interactions.

Isolation of a polypeptide from Phoneutria nigriventer spider venom responsible for the increased vascular permeability in rabbit skin.

Fractionation of Phoneutria nigriventer venom by Sephadex G-10 followed by ion-exchange chromatography yields a fraction (fraction XIII) which increases microvascular permeability in rabbit skin in vivo by activating the tissue kallikrein-kinin system. One polypeptide (PNV3) with the ability to increase microvascular permeability in the rabbit skin in vivo was isolated from fraction XIII and biochemically characterized. PNV3 has 132 amino acid residues with a calculated mol. wt of 14,475. This polypeptide showed the following N-terminal sequence: AVFAIQDQPC. Amino acid analysis indicated the presence of six disulfide bridges and a high content of Glx (20%). Pairwise comparison of PNV3 amino acid sequence with 27 other spider venom polypeptides and proteins indicated that PNV3 presents high similarity (60-70%) with other toxins (Tx2.1, Tx2.5 and Tx2.6) isolated from P. nigriventer venom.

Studies of the zein-like alpha-prolamins based on an analysis of amino acid sequences: implications for their evolution and three-dimensional structure.

alpha-Prolamins are the major seed storage proteins of species of the grass tribe Andropogonea. They are unusually rich in glutamine, proline, alanine, and leucine residues and their sequences show a series of tandem repeats presumed to be the result of multiple intragenic duplication. Two new sequences of alpha-prolamin clones from Coix (pBCX25.12 and pBCX25.10) are compared with similar clones from maize and Sorghum in order to investigate evolutionary relationships between the repeat motifs and to propose a schematic model for their three-dimensional structure based on hydrophobic membrane-helix propensities and helical "wheels." A scheme is proposed for the most recent events in the evolution of the central part of the molecule (repeats 3 to 8) which involves two partial intragenic duplications and in which contemporary odd-numbered and even-numbered repeats arise from common ancestors, respectively. Each pair of repeats is proposed to form an antiparallel alpha-helical hairpin and that the helices of the molecule as a whole are arranged on a hexagonal net. The majority of helices show six faces of alternating hydrophobic and polar residues, which give rise to intersticial holes around each helix which alternate in chemical character. The model is consistent with proteins which contain different numbers of repeats, with oligomerization and with the dense packaging of alpha-prolamins within the protein body of the seed endosperm.

The mechanism of reaction of nitrosyl with met- and oxymyoglobin: an ESR study.

In this ESR work we have studied the pentacoordinate symmetry in horse, whale and sperm-whale myoglobin (Mb) in different physical states such as solution and powder. Experiments were performed in which the following parameters were varied: the sample temperature, pH, reaction time with NO, and NO concentration. The results enabled us to explain the NO reaction mechanism in the oxy and met forms of myoglobin. The study of powder samples at different degrees of hydration allowed us to identify the diamagnetic intermediate species existent in the reaction of NO with met-Mb proposed in the literature. The results presented explain adequately the pH effect and temperature dependence observed in the ESR spectra obtained using the met-Mb sample solutions from Sigma Chemical Co., which consist of a mixture (13%) of Mb-O2.

An ESR study of nitrosyl-Aplysia brasiliana myoglobin and nitrosyl annelidae Glossoscolex paulistus erythrocruorin.

The nitrosyl derivatives of Annelidae Glossoscolex paulistus hemoglobin (an earth worm erythrocruorin (Ec AGp)) and Aplysia brasiliana myoglobin (Mb Apb) are studied using ESR spectroscopy. These two proteins have a quite similar ESR spectra at 100 K, but a different temperature behaviour. The temperature dependence of the nitrosyl Mb Apb spectrum is in good agreement with the Boltzmann distribution. In the case of nitrosyl-Ec AGp, the results are explained by the existence of two types of spectrum in thermodynamic equilibrium, with delta H = 9.08 kJ/mol, delta S = 47.15 J/mol and T1/2 = 193 K. There is a great similarity of the nitrosyl-Ec AGp spectra with those reported for elephant myoglobin, suggesting the presence of the same heme environment with a glutamine residue in the distal site. The pH dependence of the spectrum of nitrosyl-Mb Apb shows that the affinity of nitrosyl binding is higher at high pH (7.3) than at low pH (4.6). The ESR parameters are the same for these two pH values.

Electron spin resonance dosimetric properties of bone.

The characteristics of electron spin resonance (ESR) dosimetry using bovine bone samples are described. The number of paramagnetic centers created by gamma radiation in the inorganic bone matrix was measured as a function of absorbed dose. The minimum detectable dose was 0.5 Gy for 60Co gamma rays. The response was linear up to the maximum dose studied (30 Gy) and independent of dose rate up to the maximum dose rate used (1.67 Gy min-1). For different bone samples the reproducibility was 5%. This method may be valuable for nuclear accident dosimetry.