Biomedical subjects

Matthias C Letzel

Publications and source records attributed to Matthias C Letzel.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Calixarenes as hosts for ammonium cations: a quantum chemical study and mass-spectrometric investigations.

Host-guest complexes of tetramethylcavitand with different ammonium cations were investigated by using a quantum chemical method at the density functional level (BP86, B3 LYP). The NH4+ cation is strongly bound to the host. Increasing methyl substitution at the cation decreases its inclination towards the complex formation. The calculated data are in line with results from electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) experiments. They reveal stable aggregates only for the NH4+ cation and for the primary alkylammonium cations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Inhibition of furin by serpin Spn4A from Drosophila melanogaster.

The serpin gene Spn4 from Drosophila melanogaster encodes multiple isoforms with alternative reactive site loops (RSL). Here, we show that isoform Spn4A inhibits human furin with an apparent kassoc of 5.5 x 10(6) M(-1) s(-1). The serpin forms SDS-stable complexes with the enzyme and the RSL of Spn4A is cleaved C-terminally to the sequence -Arg-Arg-Lys-Arg/ in accord with the recognition/cleavage site of furin. Immunofluorescence studies show that Spn4A is localized in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), suggesting that the inhibitor is an interesting tool for investigating the cellular mechanisms regulating furin and for the design of agents controlling prohormone convertases.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Encapsulated guest molecules in the dimer of octahydroxypyridine[4]arene.

Recently a new type of calix[4]arenes has been synthesized via condensation of 2,6-dihydroxypyridine and a number of aldehydes. This type of pyridine[4]arenes forms capsules consisting of two single pyridine[4]arenes. These capsules can incorporate different guest molecules, like carboxylic acids and amides in this case. We proved that the guest acids really are incorporated inside the cavity of the capsules by electrospray mass spectrometry, NMR spectroscopy, and theoretical calculations.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2004

Chiral discrimination on the host-guest-complexation of resorc[4]arenes with quarternary amines.

The interaction of inherently chiral resorc[4]arenes with different chiral ammonium ions was measured by ESI-MS. For that purpose one enantiomer of the ammonium guests was labeled with deuterium to distinguish the enantiomers by their mass. We synthesized the ammonium salts by reaction of chiral primary amines with either CH3I or CD3I and analyzed the resulting ammonium iodides by NMR and optical rotation. The complexation experiments were performed by mixing the chiral host with various ratios of the unlabeled guest and its labeled enantiomer. By analysis of the integrals of the host-guest complexes we observed a chiral discrimination effect and a secondary isotope effect as well.

Amines↗

PubMed2002

Soccer-playing metal oxide giant spheres: a first step towards patterning structurally well defined nano-object collectives.

In context with the challenge to assemble giant molecules into patterns with limited size, molybdenum oxide giant spheres (with a molecular mass of about 16 kDa) could be 'kicked out' like soccer balls into the gas phase using matrix assisted laser desorption and ionization (MALDI) and detected by TOF mass spectrometry while cluster collectives ranging from dimers to pentamers were observed.

Journal Article↗

PubMed2002

Investigation of homo- and heterodimer alkali metal cation complexes of resorc[4]arenes by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry.

Resorc[4]arenes are compounds with interesting properties, mainly because of their ability to form host-guest complexes with the guest located inside the cavity. The size of the guest limits the complexation, as shown by a competition experiment with tetraalkylammonium ions of different size. By electroscopy ionization tandem mass spectrometric experiments on resorc[4]arene heterodimers bearing an alkali metal ion as guest, it was found that there must be two different binding mechanisms for alkali metal ions with high surface charge density (Li(+) and Na(+)) on the one hand compared with those with a lower surface charge density on the other hand (K(+), Rb(+), Cs(+)).

Journal Article↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Sequence analysis of chitooligosaccharides by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization postsource decay mass spectrometry.

Chitin/chitosan oligosaccharides composed of 2-acetamido-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose (GlcNAc) and/or 2-amino-2-deoxy-D-glucopyranose (GlcN) were prepared by chemical degradation of chitin or chitosan and separated by gel permeation chromatography. Oligosaccharides obtained after enzymatic hydrolysis of chitosan [F(A) 0.19] with a fungal chitinase were derivatized by reductive amination with 2-aminoacridone and sequenced by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight postsource decay (PSD) mass spectrometry (MS). The sequence of a trimer, D1A2, was established as D-A-A. The composition of a hexamer D3A3 was ca. 65% D-A-D-D-A-A and 35% D-D-A-D-A-A. The PSD MS of a nonamer D5A4-amac revealed four isobaric species D-X-Y-D-X-Y-D-A-A, where A is GlcNAc, D is GlcN, and X and Y (X not equal Y) are mutually either D or A. This structure motif was also observed in a dodecamer D7A5 which was composed of eight isobaric sequences of the general formula (D-X-Y)(3)-D-A-A.

Animals↗