A cyclic peptide mimic of an RNA recognition motif of human La protein is a potent inhibitor of hepatitis C virus

Due to limited available therapeutic options, developing new lead compounds against hepatitis C virus is an urgent need. Human La protein stimulates hepatitis C virus translation through interaction with the hepatitis C viral RNA. A cyclic peptide mimicking the beta-turn of the human La protein that interacts with the viral RNA was synthesized. It inhibits hepatitis C viral RNA translation significantly better than the corresponding linear peptide at longer post-treatment times. The cyclic peptide also inhibited replication as measured by replicon RNA levels using real time RT-PCR. The cyclic peptide emerges as a promising lead compound against hepatitis C.

Durability of Pt/C and Pt/MC-PEDOT catalysts under simulated start-stop cycles in polymer electrolyte fuel cells

A composite of mesoporous carbon (MC) with poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) is studied as catalyst support for platinum nanoparticles. The durability of commercial Pt/carbon and Pt/MC-PEDOT as cathode catalyst is investigated by invoking air-fuel boundary at the anode side so as to foster carbon corrosion at the cathode side of a polymer electrolyte fuel cell (PEFC). Pt/MC-PEDOT shows higher resistance to carbon corrosion in relation to Pt/C. Electrochemical techniques such as cyclic voltammetry (CV) and impedance measurements are used to evaluate the extent of degradation in the catalyst layer. It is surmised that the resistance of MC-PEDOT as catalyst support toward electrochemical oxidation makes Pt/MC-PEDOT a suitable and stable cathode catalyst for PEFCs.

Electrocatalytic oxidation of C-3-aliphatic alcohols on electrodeposited Pd-PEDOT nanodendrites in Alkaline medium

Nanodendritic Pd is electrodeposited on poly(3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene) (PEDOT) coated carbon paper electrode. Electrodeposited Pd is non-dendritic in the absence of PEDOT. The electrooxidation of C-3-aliphatic alcohols, namely, propanol (PA), 1,2- propanediol (1, 2-PD), 1, 3-propanediol (1, 3-PD), and glycerol (GL) is studied in 1.0 M NaOH. The catalytic activity of nanodendritic Pd is greater than that of non-dendritic Pd for oxidation of the four alcohols molecules. Among those molecules the oxidation rate increases as: PA< 1, 2-PD < 1, 3-PD < GL. The cyclic voltammetric oxidation current peak appearing in the reverse direction of the sweep is greatly influenced by the nature of alcohol. The reduction of oxide film on Pd surface is attributed to affect the magnitude of backward peak current density. The amperometry and repeated cyclic voltammetry data suggest a high stability of nanodendritic Pd in alkaline medium. Glycerol is expected to be an appropriate alcohol for application as a fuel in alkaline fuel cells at nanodendritic electrodeposited Pd.

Direct conversion of calcium carbonate to C-1-C-3 hydrocarbons

With the objective of investigating the direct conversion of inorganic carbonates such as CaCO3 to hydrocarbons, assisted by transition metal ions, we have carried out studies on CaCO3 in an intimate admixture with iron oxides (FeCaCO) with a wide range of Fe/Ca mole ratios (x), prepared by co-precipitation. The hydrogen reduction of FeCaCO at 673 K gives up to 23% yield of the hydrocarbons CH4, C2H4, C2H6 and C3H8, leaving solid iron residues in the form of iron metal, oxides and carbide particles. The yield of hydrocarbons increases with x and the conversion of hydrocarbons occurs through the formation of CO. While the total yield of hydrocarbons obtained by us is comparable to that in the Fischer-Tropsch synthesis, the selectivity for C-2-C-3 hydrocarbons reported here is noteworthy.

Distinctive contributions of the ribosomal P-site elements m(2)G966, m(5)C967 and the C-terminal tail of the S9 protein in the fidelity of initiation of translation in Escherichia coli

The accuracy of pairing of the anticodon of the initiator tRNA (tRNA(fMet)) and the initiation codon of an mRNA, in the ribosomal P-site, is crucial for determining the translational reading frame. However, a direct role of any ribosomal element(s) in scrutinizing this pairing is unknown. The P-site elements, m(2)G966 (methylated by RsmD), m(5)C967 (methylated by RsmB) and the C-terminal tail of the protein S9 lie in the vicinity of tRNA(fMet). We investigated the role of these elements in initiation from various codons, namely, AUG, GUG, UUG, CUG, AUA, AUU, AUC and ACG with tRNA(CAU)(fmet) (tRNA(fMet) with CAU anticodon); CAC and CAU with tRNA(GUG)(fme); UAG with tRNA(GAU)(fMet) using in vivo and computational methods. Although RsmB deficiency did not impact initiation from most codons, RsmD deficiency increased initiation from AUA, CAC and CAU (2- to 3.6-fold). Deletion of the S9 C-terminal tail resulted in poorer initiation from UUG, GUG and CUG, but in increased initiation from CAC, CAU and UAC codons (up to 4-fold). Also, the S9 tail suppressed initiation with tRNA(CAU)(fMet)lacking the 3GC base pairs in the anticodon stem. These observations suggest distinctive roles of 966/967 methylations and the S9 tail in initiation.

Reactive hot pressing of Ti-B-C and Ti-C at 1200 degrees C

Stoichiometric and non-stoichiometric powder mixtures of Ti-B4C and Ti-C with 1 wt% Ni were reactively hot pressed at 40 MPa, 1200 degrees C for 30 min. In both systems, the combined presence of Ni and non-stoichiometry enabled complete densification. While in Ti-C, non-stoichiometry by itself plays a significant role in promoting densification, the formation of intermediate borides in Ti-B4C powder mixtures requires the additional presence of Ni which promotes full reaction through the formation of a transient liquid as established previously in Ti-BN powder mixtures.

Euglena sp as a suitable source of lipids for potential use as biofuel and sustainable wastewater treatment

Prolific algal growth in sewage ponds with high organic loads in the tropical regions can provide cost-effective and efficient wastewater treatment and biofuel production. This work examines the ability of Euglena sp. growing in wastewater ponds for biofuel production and treatment of wastewater. The algae were isolated from the sewage treatment plants and were tested for their nutrient removal capability. Compared to other algae, Euglena sp. showed faster growth rates with high biomass density at elevated concentrations of ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and organic carbon (C). Profuse growth of these species was observed in untreated wastewaters with a mean specific growth rate (mu) of 0.28 day(-1) and biomass productivities of 132 mg L-1 day(-1). The algae cultured within a short period of 8 days resulted in the 98 % removal of NH4-N, 93 % of total nitrogen 85 % of ortho-phosphate, 66 % of total phosphate and 92 % total organic carbon. Euglenoids achieved a maximum lipid content of 24.6 % (w/w) with a biomass density of 1.24 g L-1 (dry wt.). Fourier transform infrared spectra showed clear transitions in biochemical compositions with increased lipid/protein ratio at the end of the culture. Gas chromatography and mass spectrometry indicated the presence of high contents of palmitic, linolenic and linoleic acids (46, 23 and 22 %, respectively), adding to the biodiesel quality. Good lipid content (comprised quality fatty acids), efficient nutrient uptake and profuse biomass productivity make the Euglena sp. as a viable source for biofuel production in wastewaters.

Influence of steric effect on the structural aspects of N,N `,N `'-triarylguanidine derived six-membered C,N] palladacycles

Guanidine derived six-membered C,N] palladacycles of the types (C,N)Pd(mu-OC(O)R)](2) (1a-d), (C,N)Pd(mu-Br)](2) (2a,b), cis-(C,N)PdBr(L)] (3a-d, 4, and 5), and ring contracted guanidine derived five-membered C,N] palladacycle, (C,N)PdBr(C NXy)] (6) were prepared in high yield following the established methods with a view aimed at understanding the influence of the substituents on the aryl rings of the guanidine upon the solid state structure and solution behaviour of palladacycles. Palladacycles were characterised by microanalytical, IR, NMR and mass spectral data. The molecular structures of 1a, 1c, 2a, 2b, 3a, 3c, 3d, and 4-6 were determined by single crystal X-ray diffraction data. Palladacycles 1a and 1c were shown to exist as a dimer in transoid in-in conformation in the solid state but as a mixture of a dimer in major proportion and a monomer (kappa(2)-O,O'-OAc) in solution as deduced from H-1 NMR data. Palladacycles 2a and 2b were shown to exist as a dimer in transoid conformation in the solid state but the former was shown to exist as a mixture of a dimer and presumably a trimer in solution as revealed by a variable temperature H-1 NMR data in conjunction with ESI-MS data. The cis configuration around the palladium atom in 3a, 3c, and 3d was ascribed to steric influence of the aryl moiety of =NAr unit and that in 4-6 was ascribed to antisymbiosis. The solution behaviour of 3d was studied by a variable concentration (VC) H-1 NMR data.

Structural characterization and molecular order of rodlike mesogens with three- and four-ring core by XRD and C-13 NMR spectroscopy

Structural characterizations using XRD and C-13 NMR spectroscopy of two rodlike mesogens consisting of (i) three phenyl ring core with a polar cyano terminal and (ii) four phenyl ring core with flexible dodecyl terminal chain are presented. The three-ring-core mesogen with cyano terminal exhibits enantiotropic smectic A phase while the four-ring mesogen reveals polymesomorphism and shows enantiotropic nematic, smectic C, and tilted hexatic phases. The molecular organization in the three-ring mesogen is found to be partial bilayer smectic Ad type, and the interdigitation of the molecules in the neighboring layers is attributed to the presence of the polar terminal group. For the four-ring mesogen, the XRD results confirm the existence of the smectic C and the tilted hexatic mesophases. A thermal variation of the layer spacing across the smectic C phase followed by a discrete jump at the transition to the tilted hexatic phase is also observed. The tilt angles have been estimated to be about 45 degrees in the smectic C phase and about 40 degrees in tilted hexatic phase. C-13 NMR results indicate that in the mesophase the molecules are aligned parallel to the magnetic field. From the C-13-H-1 dipolar couplings determined from the 2D experiments, the overall order parameter for the three-ring mesogen in its smectic A phase has been estimated to be 0.72 while values ranging from 0.88 to 0.44 have been obtained for the four-ring mesogen as it passes from the tilted hexatic to the nematic phase. The orientations of the different rings of the core unit with respect to each other and also with respect to the long axis of the molecule have also been obtained.

Human la protein interaction with GCAC near the initiator AUG enhances hepatitis C virus RNA replication by promoting linkage between 5 ` and 3 ` untranslated regions

Human La protein has been implicated in facilitating the internal initiation of translation as well as replication of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA. Previously, we demonstrated that La interacts with the HCV internal ribosome entry site (IRES) around the GCAC motif near the initiator AUG within stem-loop IV by its RNA recognition motif (RRM) (residues 112 to 184) and influences HCV translation. In this study, we have deciphered the role of this interaction in HCV replication in a hepatocellular carcinoma cell culture system. We incorporated mutation of the GCAC motif in an HCV monocistronic subgenomic replicon and a pJFH1 construct which altered the binding of La and checked HCV RNA replication by reverse transcriptase PCR (RT-PCR). The mutation drastically affected HCV replication. Furthermore, to address whether the decrease in replication is a consequence of translation inhibition or not, we incorporated the same mutation into a bicistronic replicon and observed a substantial decrease in HCV RNA levels. Interestingly, La overexpression rescued this inhibition of replication. More importantly, we observed that the mutation reduced the association between La and NS5B. The effect of the GCAC mutation on the translation-to-replication switch, which is regulated by the interplay between NS3 and La, was further investigated. Additionally, our analyses of point mutations in the GCAC motif revealed distinct roles of each nucleotide in HCV replication and translation. Finally, we showed that a specific interaction of the GCAC motif with human La protein is crucial for linking 5' and 3' ends of the HCV genome. Taken together, our results demonstrate the mechanism of regulation of HCV replication by interaction of the cis-acting element GCAC within the HCV IRES with human La protein.

Role of the Ribosomal P-Site Elements of m(2)G966, m(5)C967, and the S9 C-Terminal Tail in Maintenance of the Reading Frame during Translational Elongation in Escherichia coli

The ribosomal P-site hosts the peptidyl-tRNAs during translation elongation. Which P-site elements support these tRNA species to maintain codon-anticodon interactions has remained unclear. We investigated the effects of P-site features of methylations of G966, C967, and the conserved C-terminal tail sequence of Ser, Lys, and Arg (SKR) of the S9 ribosomal protein in maintenance of the translational reading frame of an mRNA. We generated Escherichia coli strains deleted for the SKR sequence in S9 ribosomal protein, RsmB (which methylates C967), and RsmD (which methylates G966) and used them to translate LacZ from its +1 and -1 out-of-frame constructs. We show that the S9 SKR tail prevents both the +1 and -1 frameshifts and plays a general role in holding the P-site tRNA/peptidyl-tRNA in place. In contrast, the G966 and C967 methylations did not make a direct contribution to the maintenance of the translational frame of an mRNA. However, deletion of rsmB in the S9 Delta 3 background caused significantly increased -1 frameshifting at 37 degrees C. Interestingly, the effects of the deficiency of C967 methylation were annulled when the E. coli strain was grown at 30 degrees C, supporting its context-dependent role.

Six-membered C,N] cyclopalladated sym N,N `,N `'-tri(4-tolyl) guanidines: Synthesis, reactivity studies and structural aspects

Six-membered C,N] cyclopalladated sym N,N',N `'-tri(4-tolyl)guanidines, (ArNH)(2)C=NAr] (sym = symmetrical; Ar = 4-MeC6H4; LH24-tolyl) of the types (C,N)Pd(mu-OC(O)R)](2) (1 and 2), (C,N)Pd(mu-Br)](2) (3), cis-(C,N)PdLBr] (4-7), and (C,N)Pd(acac)] (8) were prepared in high yield by established methods with a view aimed at understanding the influence of the 4-tolyl substituent of the guanidine moiety upon the solution behaviour of 1-8. The composition of 1-8 was confirmed by elemental analysis, IR, and NMR spectroscopy, and mass spectrometry. The molecular structures of 1-6 were determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Palladacycles 1-3 exist as a dimer in transoid conformation in the solid state while 4-6 exist as a monomer with cis configuration around the palladium atom as the Lewis base is placed cis to the Pd-C bond due to antisymbiosis. The NMR spectra of 1-8 revealed the presence of a single isomer in solution and this spectral feature is ascribed to the rapid inversion of the six-membered ``C,N]Pd'' ring due to the presence of sterically less hindered and more symmetrical 4-tolyl substituent in the =NAr unit of the guanidine moiety. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fast and accurate quantification using Genetic Algorithm optimized H-1-C-13 refocused constant-time INEPT

Using Genetic Algorithm, a global optimization method inspired by nature's evolutionary process, we have improved the quantitative refocused constant-time INEPT experiment (Q-INEPT-CT) of Makela et al. (JMR 204 (2010) 124-130) with various optimization constraints. The improved `average polarization transfer' and `min-max difference' of new delay sets effectively reduces the experimental time by a factor of two (compared with Q-INEPT-CT, Makela et al.) without compromising on accuracy. We also discuss a quantitative spectral editing technique based on average polarization transfer. (C) 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The X-C center dot center dot center dot Y (X = O/F, Y = O/S/F/Cl/Br/N/P) `carbon bond' and hydrophobic interactions

While the tetrahedral face of methane has an electron rich centre and can act as a hydrogen bond acceptor, substitution of one of its hydrogens with some electron withdrawing group (such as -F/OH) can make the opposite face electron deficient. Electrostatic potential calculations confirm this and high level quantum calculations show interactions between the positive face of methanol/methyl fluoride and electron rich centers of other molecules such as H2O. Analysis of the wave functions of atoms in molecules shows the presence of an unusual C center dot center dot center dot Y interaction, which could be called `carbon bonding'. NBO analysis and vibrational frequency shifts confirm the presence of this interaction. Given the properties of alkyl groups bonded to electronegative elements in biological molecules, such interactions could play a significant role, which is yet to be recognized. This and similar interactions could give an enthalpic contribution to what is called the `hydrophobic interactions'.

Identification and characterization of starvation induced msdgc-1 promoter involved in the c-di-GMP turnover

C-di-GMP Bis-(3'-5')-cyclic-dimeric-guanosine monophosphate], a second messenger is involved in intracellular communication in the bacterial species. As a result several multi-cellular behaviors in both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria are directly linked to the intracellular level of c-di-GMP. The cellular concentration of c-di-GMP is maintained by two opposing activities, diguanylate cyclase (DGC) and phosphodiesterase (PDE-A). In Mycobacterium smegmatis, a single bifunctional protein MSDGC-1 is responsible for the cellular concentration of c-di-GMP. A better understanding of the regulation of c-di-GMP at the genetic level is necessary to control the function of above two activities. In this work, we have characterized the promoter element present in msdgc-1 along with the + 1 transcription start site and identified the sigma factors that regulate the transcription of msdgc-1. Interestingly, msdgc-1 utilizes SigA during the initial phase of growth, whereas near the stationary phase SigB containing RNA polymerase takes over the expression of msdgc-1. We report here that the promoter activity of msdgc-1 increases during starvation or depletion of carbon source like glucose or glycerol. When msdgc-1 is deleted, the numbers of viable cells are similar to 10 times higher in the stationary phase in comparison to that of the wild type. We propose here that msdgc-1 is involved in the regulation of cell population density. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.