Membrane Binding and Insertion of a pHLIP Peptide Studied by All-Atom Molecular Dynamics Simulations

Recent experiments in function mechanism study reported that a pH low-insertion peptide (pHLIP) can insert into a zwitterionic palmitoyloleoylphosphatidylcholine (POPC) lipid bilayer at acidic pH while binding to the bilayer surface at basic pH. However, the atomic details of the pH-dependent interaction of pHLIP with a POPC bilayer are not well understood. In this study, we investigate the detailed interactions of pHLIP with a POPC bilayer at acidic and basic pH conditions as those used in function mechanism study, using all-atom molecular dynamics (MD) simulations. Simulations have been performed by employing the initial configurations, where pHLIP is placed in aqueous solution, parallel to bilayer surface (system S), partially-inserted (system P), or fully-inserted (system F) in POPC bilayers. On the basis of multiple 200-ns MD simulations, we found (1) pHLIP in system S can spontaneously insert into a POPC bilayer at acidic pH, while binding to the membrane surface at basic pH; (2) pHLIP in system P can insert deep into a POPC bilayer at acidic pH, while it has a tendency to exit, and stays at bilayer surface at basic pH; (3) pHLIP in system F keeps in an α-helical structure at acidic pH while partially unfolding at basic pH. This study provides at atomic-level the pH-induced insertion of pHLIP into POPC bilayer.     

Na-feldspar (F) and kaolinite (K) system at high temperature: Resulting phase composition,micro-structural features and mullite-glass Gibbs energy of formation,as a function of F/K ratio and kaolinite crystallinity

The system Na-feldspar (F) and kaolinite (K) was investigated at temperatures of interest in ceramic applications (1200–1280 °C) to study the effects of F/K ratios by weight and crystallinity degree of kaolinite on the final product, micro-structural features and mullite-glass Gibbs energy of formation (ΔG^eff). Mullite and glass are the dominant phases; in general, the higher the temperature, the larger the former. An F/K increase promotes the formation of glass and secondary mullite, appearing along with the primary one. ΔG^eff was modelled by α(T) × (F/K)² + β(T) × F/K + γ(T), α, β and γ being linear functions of temperature whose coefficients were determined by fitting the ΔG^eff-theoretical to the ΔG^eff-obtained from the measured phase compositions. ΔG^eff is less affected by temperature than by F/K, whose increase shifts equilibrium towards glass phases. The ΔG^eff-curves for ordered and disordered kaolinite intersect one another at F/K ～0.5, a ratio close to that used in industrial practice.     

Tetrakis(nitratoxycarbon)methane (Née CLL‐1) as a Potential Explosive Ingredient: a Theoretical Study

Ab initio electronic structure calculations at the MP2/cc‐pVTZ level predict the vibrational stability of the theoretical molecule tetrakis(nitratoxycarbon)methane, designated CLL‐1. The gas phase enthalpy of formation, predicted to be +1029.3 kJ mol⁻¹ using the G3(MP2) method, and the estimated density of 1.87 g cm⁻³ are used to predict the explosive performance properties using the equilibrium thermochemical code CHEETAH. The predicted detonation velocity (8.61 km s⁻¹) and pressure (33.1 GPa) are similar to those of RDX, but with a significantly higher detonation temperature (6740 K). Finally, the stability of this theoretical molecule is investigated by calculating the lowest energy unimolecular decomposition pathways of the HCO₃N model compound as well as barriers to rearrangement upon interaction of two HCO₃N molecules.     

One‐Pot Synthesis of Allylamine Derivatives by Iodine‐ Catalyzed Three‐Component Reaction of N‐Heterocycles,Paraformaldehyde and Styrenes

The molecular iodine‐catalyzed three‐component reaction of amides or amide derivatives, paraformaldehyde and styrenes allows for the clean generation of allylamine derivatives in good yields and high regioselectivities. The reaction, forming water as the sole co‐product, is an experimentally easy to conduct transformation in the absence of transition metals under mild conditions.     

Multi‐Enzymatic Biosynthesis of Chiral β‐Hydroxy Nitriles through Co‐Expression of Oxidoreductase and Halohydrin Dehalogenase

To establish a system for the efficient one bacterial multi‐enzymatic biosynthesis of both (R)‐ and (S)‐β‐hydroxy nitriles, we co‐expressed alcohol dehydrogenases with opposite stereoselectivities, cofactor regeneration enzymes, and a halohydrin dehalogenase in Escherichia coli. By researching cofactor recycling and various co‐expression strategies and by selecting and engineering the halohydrin dehalogenase, we engineered two E. coli strains, which were subsequently used in a cascade of reactions to produce chiral β‐hydroxy nitriles with high enantiomeric excess directly from prochiral α‐halo ketones. Three valuable pharmaceutical intermediates were prepared by means of this catalytic system, and substrate conversion reached about >99%. More importantly, the system is of low cost because there is no need for expensive cofactors or for expression and purification of the component enzymes.

     

A Method to Obtain Gas-PDMS Membrane Interaction Parameters for UNIQUAC Model

The recovery or capture of one or more components from gas mixture by membrane separation has become a research focus in recent years. This study investigates the gas-membrane solution equilibrium, for which Henry’s law is not applicable if the gas phase is a mixture. This problem can be solved by using UNIQUAC model to calculate the activity coefficient of gas dissolved in the membrane. A method was proposed in this study to obtain the gas-membrane interaction parameter for UNIQUAC model. By the experiments of gas permeation through polydimethylsiloxane PDMS membrane, the solubility coefficients of some gases (N₂, CO₂, CH₄) were measured. Through non-linear fitting UNIQUAC model to the experimental results from this study and in literature (H₂, O₂, C₃H₈), the gas-membrane interaction parameters for these gases were obtained. Based on these parameters, the activity coefficients of the dissolved gas were calculated by UNIQUAC model, and their values agree well with the experimental data. These results confirm the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed method, which makes it possible to better predict gas-membrane solution equilibrium.     

PVDF和PTFE中空纤维膜生物反应器对垃圾渗滤液深度处理效能的中试比较研究简

文章利用中空纤维膜生物反应器作为垃圾渗滤液的深度处理工艺.通过现场中试试验,对聚偏氟乙烯（PVDF）膜和聚四氟乙烯（PTFE）膜的跨膜压差、产水水质、抗污染能力、化学清洗周期、清洗后膜通量恢复能力及经济性能进行了比较研究.结果表明,PTFE膜更适合应用于垃圾渗滤液的处理中.     

去氢芳樟醇加氢的工业研究

去氢芳樟醇加氢在机械搅拌釜中进行,采用膜分离设备,实现了催化剂在反应系统中循环使用,大大提高了催化剂使用寿命：考察了反应温度、压力对加氢反应结果的影响;提出了反应终点预测方法.     

乌洛托品气相生产工艺及生成反应的影响因素简

本文结合生产实际情况介绍乌洛托品气相法生产工艺和生成反应的影响因素,对气相法生产乌洛托品工艺有一定的参考意义.     

Effect of Repetitive Lysine-Tryptophan Motifs on the Eukaryotic Membrane

In a previous study, we synthesized a series of peptides containing simple sequence repeats, (KW)_n–NH₂ (n = 2,3,4 and 5) and determined their antimicrobial and hemolytic activities, as well as their mechanism of antimicrobial action. However, (KW)₅ showed undesirable cytotoxicity against RBC cells. In order to identify the mechanisms behind the hemolytic and cytotoxic activities of (KW)₅, we measured the ability of these peptides to induce aggregation of liposomes. In addition, their binding and permeation activities were assessed by Trp fluorescence, calcein leakage and circular dichrorism using artificial phospholipids that mimic eukaryotic liposomes, including phosphatidylcholine (PC), PC/sphingomyelin (SM) (2:1, w/w) and PC/cholesterol (CH) (2:1, w/w). Experiments confirmed that only (KW)₅ induced aggregation of all liposomes; it formed much larger aggregates with PC:CH (2:1, w/w) than with PC or PC:SM (2:1, w/w). Longer peptide (KW)₅, but not (KW)₃ or (KW)₄, strongly bound and partially inserted into PC:CH compared to PC or PC:SM (2:1, w/w). Calcein release experiments showed that (KW)₅ induced calcein leakage from the eukaryotic membrane. Greater calcein leakage was induced by (KW)₅ from PC:CH than from PC:SM (2:1, w/w) or PC, whereas (KW)₄ did not induce calcein leakage from any of the liposomes. Circular dichroism measurements indicated that (KW)₅ showed higher conformational transition compared to (KW)₄ due to peptide-liposome interactions. Taken together, our results suggest that (KW)₅ reasonably mediates the aggregation and permeabilization of eukaryotic membranes, which could in turn explain why (KW)₅ displays efficient hemolytic activity.