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Robert D. Hancock

Publications and source records attributed to Robert D. Hancock.

4 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2004

Identification, cloning and expression analysis of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) mitochondrial citrate synthase and mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase.

Salt-extractable proteins from the cell walls of immature and ripe strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch. cv. Elsanta) fruit were separated using two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Seven polypeptides (enzymes) were characterized from their N-terminal sequences: (1) glyceraldhyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (EC 1.2.1.12); (2) triose phosphate isomerase (TPI; EC 5.3.1.1); (3) mitochondrial malate dehydrogenase (mMDH; EC 1.1.1.37); (4) NADH glutamate dehydrogenase (EC 1.4.1.3); (5) chalcone synthase (ChS; EC 2.3.1.74); (6) mitochondrial citrate synthase (mCS; EC 4.1.3.7); and (7) UDP glucose:flavonoid 3-O-glucosyltransferase (UDPG:FGT; EC 2.4.1.91). The sequenced polypeptides identified only cytosolic proteins, two of which (ChS and UDPG:FGT) had already been identified as being up-regulated in ripening (strawberry) fruit and important contributors to ripe fruit character. Our focus was therefore diverted to the enzymes mMDH and mCS for further molecular characterization as potentially important determinants of fruit flavour via regulation of the sugar : acid balance. Citrate synthase (CS) and malate dehydrogenase (MDH) enzyme activities increased substantially during ripening, as did citrate and malate contents. The increase in CS activity is supported by western blot analysis. One strawberry mCS (Fa-mCS-I) and two mMDH (Fa-mMDH-I and -II) cDNAs were cloned that were 77, 82 and 53% identical (respectively) to sequences from other plant sources. Northern analysis showed that CS and MDH expression did not correlate with enzyme activities and these findings are discussed.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

Molecular Mechanics Investigation of Gadolinium(III) Complexes.

Parameters for the commercially available modeling package SYBYL have been developed for Gd(3+) complexes allowing these to be studied with molecular mechanics. With these parameters and a technique termed the "coordination scan", the coordination numbers of Gd(III) based complexes can be predicted, and thus the hydration number q determined. Knowledge of q has allowed the prediction of molar relaxivities based on correlations to literature values. In addition, the calculated value DeltaE(coord) was found to successfully predict the thermodynamic stability constants for polyamino carboxylate ligands with Gd(3+). Gadolinium complexes are commonly utilized as MRI contrast agents, and thus the techniques utilized in this work should aid in the development of new contrast agents.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1996

N,N'-Ethylenedi-L-cysteine (EC) and Its Metal Complexes: Synthesis, Characterization, Crystal Structures, and Equilibrium Constants.

N,N'-ethylenedi-L-cysteine (EC) and its indium(III) and gallium(III) complexes have been synthesized and characterized. The crystal structures of the ligand and the complexes have been determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. EC.2HBr.2H(2)O (C(8)H(22)Br(2)N(2)O(6)S(2)) crystallizes in the orthorhombic space group P2(1)2(1)2 with a = 12.776(3) Å, b = 13.735(2) Å, c = 5.1340 (10) Å, Z = 2, and V = 900.9(3) Å(3). The complexes Na[M(III)EC].2H(2)O (C(8)H(16)MN(2)O(6)S(2)Na) are isostructural for M = In and Ga, crystallizing in the tetragonal space group P4(2)2(1)2 with the following lattice constants for In, (Ga): a = 10.068(2) Å, (9.802(2) Å), b = 10.068(2) Å, (9.802(2) Å), c = 14.932(2) Å, (15.170(11) Å), Z = 4 (4), and V = 1513.6(5) Å(3), (1457.5(11) Å(3)). In both metal complexes, the metal atoms (In and Ga) are coordinated by six donor atoms (N(2)S(2)O(2)) in distorted octahedral coordination geometries in which two sulfur atoms and two nitrogen atoms occupy the equatorial positions, and the axial positions are occupied by two oxygen atoms of two carboxylate groups. The structures of the complexes previously predicted by molecular mechanics are compared with the crystal structures of the Ga(III) and In(III) complexes obtained experimentally. In contrast to the oxygen donors in phenolate-containing ligands, such as 1,2-ethylenebis((o-hydroxyphenyl)glycine) (EHPG) and N,N'-bis(o-hydroxybenzyl)ethylenediamine-N,N'-diacetic acid (HBED), the thiolate donors of EC enhances affinity for In(III) relative to Ga(III). The following stability sequence has been obtained: In(III) > Ga(III) >> Ni(II) > Zn(II) > Cd(II) > Pb(II) > Co(II). Evidence was also obtained for several protonated and hydroxo species of the complexes of both divalent and trivalent metals, where the corresponding protonation constants (K(MHL)) decrease with increasing stability of the chelate, ML(n)(-)(4), where M(n)()(+) represent the metal ion.

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