A chemomechanical polymer that functions in blood plasma with high glucose selectivity.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Hans-Jörg Schneider.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The affinities of polyamines consisting of ethylenediamine units equipped with either one or two terminal naphthyl-, anthryl-, or acridyl units towards PolyA.PolyU as an RNA model, and Poly(dA).Poly(dT) as a DNA model are screened by measuring the melting point changes (DeltaT(m)) of the double strands, and also partially by a fluorimetric binding assay using ethidium bromide. The larger aromatic moieties with long spacers between them allow bisintercalation; this leads to an increased preference for DNA in comparison to RNA, where ion pairing of the ammonium centers with the major RNA groove phosphates dominates. Allosteric affinity control by metalation is achieved e.g. with Cu(2+) ions, which induce conformational distortions within the chains. With anthryl- in contrast to naphthyl derivatives intercalation can be so strong that distortion of the ethylenediamine chain by metalation is not powerful enough. A particularly high concentration of positive charges is accessible with tripodal derivatives built up from ethylenediamine and propylenediamine units; in the absence of aryl parts, which interfere with the RNA groove preference, one observes the highest affinity difference known until today, reflected in a melting point ratio of DeltaT(m(RNA))/DeltaT(m(DNA)) = 40, whereas other synthetic ligands reach only a DeltaT(m(RNA))/DeltaT(m(DNA)) ratio of about 3.
The new bis-phenanthridine triamine is characterised by three pK(a) values: 3.65; 6.0 and >7.5. A significant difference in the protonation state of at pH = 5 (four positive charges) and at pH = 7 (less than two positive charges) accounts for the strong dependence of -nucleotide binding constants on nucleotide charge under acidic conditions, whereas at neutral pH all -nucleotide complexes are of comparable stability. All experimental data point at intercalation as the dominant binding mode of to polynucleotides. However, there is no indication of bis-intercalation of the two phenanthridine subunits in binding to double stranded polynucleotides, the respective complexes being most likely mono-intercalative. Thermal stabilisation of calf thymus DNA (ct-DNA) and poly A-poly U duplexes upon addition of is significantly higher at pH = 5 than at neutral conditions. This is not the case with poly dA-poly dT, indicating that the specific secondary structure of the latter, most likely the shape of the minor groove, plays a key role in complex stability. At pH = 5 acts as a fluorimetric probe for poly G (emission quenching) as opposed to other ss-polynucleotides (emission increase), while at neutral conditions this specificity is lost. One order of magnitude higher cytotoxicity of compared to its "monomer" can be accounted for by cooperative action of two phenanthridinium units and the charged triamine linker. The results presented here are of interest to the development of e.g. sequence-selective cytostatic drugs, and in particular for the possibility to control the drug activity properties over binding to DNA and/or RNA by variation of the pH of its surrounding.
For the first time it is shown that diminishing the particle size of a chemomechanical polymer leads to a dramatic sensitivity increase, with a large response triggered e.g. by action of external AMP; as illustrated with carbohydrate model complexes in solution, the necessary high binding affinity can be achieved by providing an excess of recognition units in one of the partners.
A flexible polymer based on the reaction of polyacrylate with diethylenetriamine shows, under the control of transition metal ions in the external aqueous medium, size expansion or contraction by up to 200%(corresponding to 400% volume change); the macroscopic movements, which are fully reversible, show a distinct maximum at a certain metal salt concentration, and vary significantly with the addition of second effector compounds such as sodium chloride or benzoate.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The synthesis and purification of a water-soluble host compound that contains three pyridinium units and one spacer-connected benzocrown ether unit in the meso-positions of porphyrin and of its Zn(II) or Cu(II) complexes is described. Metalation leads to small (compared to the apo-derivative) changes of selectivities with different peptides, with complexation constants in water of above 10(5)M(-1). One complex containing the tripeptide Gly-Gly-Phe is analyzed in detail by COSY, HSQC, HMBC, and NOESY NMR experiments. Temperature-dependent spectra show activation energies for a intramolecular hydrogen exchange of amide protons with valence isomerization of the porphyrin ring, in accordance with the literature. Sharp signals for the spin system are only found at elevated temperature. Vicinal coupling constants within the crown ether moiety indicate stronger puckering than that reported for benzocrowns. All NMR signals of the complexed peptide are shielded, in particular those of the terminal phenylalanine unit, in line with its stacking on the porphyrin surface. A corresponding structural model, obtained by CHARMm simulation, is also in line with the observed intermolecular NOE cross peaks.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Stability constants of potassium, sodium, and benzylammonium salts with 18C5 are determined in water, methanol, and acetonitrile by potentiometric titrations. The corresponding free energies DeltaG agree within the error with those obtained from calorimetric titrations. In comparison to 18C6 the DeltaG values are lower by 14 to 16 kJ/mol, with methanol or acetonitrile as solvent and K(+) or benzylammonium salts. Differences in the calorimetrically determined binding enthalpies DeltaH between 18C6 and 18C5 are usually even larger. In water, however, the DeltaG differences between the 18C5 and 18C6 complexes become almost negligible. The D(3)d-like conformation of such crown ethers can be evaluated for the first time by NOE methods using the less symmmetrical 18C5. The NMR data indicate also the absence of significant conformational changes upon complexation, in line with molecular mechanics calculations (CHARMm). These show that the low binding constants of K(+) with 18C5 are due to the expulsion of the cation due to one C-H bond pointing toward the cavity, leading to larger K(+).O distances. The CHARMm calculated gas phase energy difference between the K(+) crown complexes of 26 kJ/mol agrees approximately with experimental differences.