PubMed Health⌕ Search

SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Biomimetics”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 649 records · Page 36Linked to original sources

Molecular characterization of a laminin-derived oligopeptide with implications in biomimetic applications.

The molecular properties of the laminin-derived oligopeptide, H-CDPGYIGSR-NH2, have been investigated with the aid of a tandem computer simulation/experimental approach. The simulation studies placed a particular emphasis on studying the oligopeptide in aqueous media, as well as in a grafted or immobilized state. The simulations revealed the presence of a stable double hydrogen bond between arginine (R) and aspartic acid (D) residues. The mutation of the terminal arginine with lysine, another hydrophilic and positively charged amino acid, resulted in a drastic structural change, thus suggesting a major role of the terminal arginine residue in the overall oligopeptide's conformation and, hence, its bioactivity. In addition, the involvement of the aspartic acid residue in overall peptide structural stabilization also illustrates a previously undetermined role for this region (i.e. CDPG) of the oligopeptide. A subsequent in vitro experiment demonstrated a significant loss of bioactivity upon mutating the terminal residue from arginine to lysine, thereby corroborating the overall findings of the computational model.

Amino Acid Motifs↗

Near UV circular dichroism from biomimetic model compounds define the coordination geometry of vanadate centers in MeVi- and MeADPVi-rabbit myosin subfragment 1 complexes in solution.

The circular dichroism (CD) spectrum was measured from vanadate (Vi) cyclic esters of chiral vicinal diols, hydroxycarboxylates, and cyclodextrines as a function of Vi concentration ([Vi]) and at the lowest energy transitions of the vanadium. At low [Vi] and in the presence of excess vicinal diols, hydroxycarboxylates, or cyclodextrines the CD signal intensity scales linearly with [Vi] indicating the predominance of a monomeric cyclic ester. At higher [Vi], the signal intensity in the presence of the vicinal diols and hydroxycarboxylates become nonlinear in [Vi], indicating formation of a dimeric cyclic ester. Vanadium-51 NMR (51V-NMR) indicates the coordination geometry of several of these model Vi centers in solution and identifies the CD signals characteristic to Vi trigonal bipyramidal (tbp) and octahedral (Oh) coordination geometries from monomeric and dimeric species. The CD spectra from monomeric and dimeric forms of the tbp-coordinated model compounds have two apparent transitions with amplitudes of opposite sign at wavelengths > or = 240 nm. Spectra from the monomeric and dimeric Oh coordinated species are distinct from the tbp-type spectra over the same wavelength domain because of the presence of two additional transitions with opposite sign amplitudes. These model spectra were compared to the vanadate CD spectra from Vi bound to rabbit myosin subfragment 1 (S1) in solution, in the presence of divalent metal cations (MeVi-S1) or trapped with MeADP (MeADPVi-S1). Polymeric MeVi binds to the active site of S1 and the vanadate centers in MnVi-S1 or CoVi-S1 produce a CD signal resembling that from the tbp model. The trapped ATPase transition state analog MeADPVi produces a different CD signal resembling that from the Oh model.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

A new look at the rearrangement of adrenochrome under biomimetic conditions.

At physiological pH values, the rearrangement of adrenochrome leads, besides adrenolutin, to a major dimeric compound consisting of an adrenolutin moiety covalently linked to the angular 9-position of adrenochrome. When the reaction is carried out in air, the initially generated adrenolutin undergoes autoxidation to give 5,6-dihydroxy-1-methyl-isatin (DHMIs), which is smoothly oxidized to the 4,4'-dimer. Under an oxygen-depleted atmosphere, formation of these latter compounds is prevented, and the rearrangement of adrenochrome leads mainly to the adrenochrome dimer (about 50% yield) along with adrenolutin and 5,6-dihydroxy-1-methylindole (DHMI) in about 10% yield each. The product distribution is markedly dependent on the concentration of the aminochrome undergoing rearrangement, the nature of the buffer system used, and the pH of the medium. Heavy metal ions of common occurrence in biological systems, such as Cu2+, Zn2+, Co2+, significantly direct the reaction course towards the formation of adrenolutin, while Fe2+ and other cations with low redox potentials induce the almost exclusive formation of DHMI.

Adrenochrome↗

Biomimetic gaze stabilization based on feedback-error-learning with nonparametric regression networks.

Oculomotor control in a humanoid robot faces similar problems as biological oculomotor systems, i.e. the stabilization of gaze in face of unknown perturbations of the body, selective attention, stereo vision, and dealing with large information processing delays. Given the nonlinearities of the geometry of binocular vision as well as the possible nonlinearities of the oculomotor plant, it is desirable to accomplish accurate control of these behaviors through learning approaches. This paper develops a learning control system for the phylogenetically oldest behaviors of oculomotor control, the stabilization reflexes of gaze. In a step-wise procedure, we demonstrate how control theoretic reasonable choices of control components result in an oculomotor control system that resembles the known functional anatomy of the primate oculomotor system. The core of the learning system is derived from the biologically inspired principle of feedback-error learning combined with a state-of-the-art non-parametric statistical learning network. With this circuitry, we demonstrate that our humanoid robot is able to acquire high performance visual stabilization reflexes after about 40 s of learning despite significant nonlinearities and processing delays in the system.

Biofeedback, Psychology↗

Copper-promoted overall transformation of 4-tert-butylphenol to its para-hydroxyquinonic derivative, 2-hydroxy-5-tert-butyl-1,4-benzoquinone. Biomimetic studies on the generation of topaquinone in copper amine oxidases.

Topaquinone (TPQ) is a cofactor present at the active site of copper amine oxidases, derived from a Tyr residue inserted in the polypeptide chain through a copper-dependent but otherwise largely unknown mechanism. A simple model system was developed that permits to obtain the overall transformation of 4-tert-butylphenol, chosen as a model for Tyr, into a TPQ-like, para-hydroxyquinonic structure in the presence of Cu(II)-imidazole mononuclear complexes.

Amine Oxidase (Copper-Containing)↗

Design, synthesis, and activity of novel cis- and trans-3,6-disubstituted pyran biomimetics of 3,6-disubstituted piperidine as potential ligands for the dopamine transporter.

In our effort to develop novel molecules for the dopamine transporter, we converted our previously designed dopamine transporter specific 3,6-disubstituted piperidine template into corresponding pyran derivatives. cis-Pyran derivative 7b, like their piperidine counterparts, exhibited greater activity for the dopamine transporter compared to the trans-isomer. Further molecular modifications of the cis derivative led to the development of potent analogues which indicated successful bioisosteric replacement of the piperidine ring by a pyran moiety in these 3,6-disubstituted derivatives.

Animals↗

Salen complexes with bulky substituents as useful tools for biomimetic phenol oxidation research.

The catalytic properties of bulky water-soluble Co-, Cu-, Fe- and Mn-salen complexes in the oxidation of phenolic lignin model compounds have been studied in aqueous water--dioxane solutions (pH 3--10). Mn catalysts were found to oxidize coniferyl alcohol in a same reaction time as horseradish peroxidase (HRP) enzyme and Mn and Co catalysts showed different regioselectivity suggesting a different substrate to catalyst interaction in the oxidative coupling. When the oxidation of material more relevant to plant polyphenolics was studied, the results indicated that the complexes catalyze one- and two-electron oxidations depending on the bulk of the substrate.

Biochemistry↗

Biomimetic Diels-Alder cyclizations for the construction of the brevianamide, paraherquamide, sclerotamide, asperparaline and VM55599 ring systems.

A potentially bio-mimetic Diels-Alder cyclization to construct the bicyclo[2.2.2] ring system common to the paraherquamides, marcfortines, sclerotamides, brevianamides, VM55599, and asperparaline is reported. Epi-deoxybrevianamide E (22) is converted into the corresponding lactim ether (23) and then oxidized with DDQ to provide an azadiene (24) which is tautomerized in the presence of base to azadiene 25 which, spontaneously cyclizes to give a 2:1 mixture of cycloadducts 26 and 27. These cycloadducts are each in turn, converted into D,L-C-19-epi-brevianamide A (20) and D,L-brevianamide B (6). The stereochemical implications of the [4 + 2] cycloaddition is discussed in the context of a working hypothesis on the biosynthesis of this family, particularly VM55599.

Alkaloids↗

Biomimetic oxidation of ibuprofen with hydrogen peroxide catalysed by horseradish peroxidase (HRP) and 5,10,15,20-tetrakis-(2',6'-dichloro-3'-sulphonatophenyl)porphyrinatoiro n(III) and manganese(III) hydrates in AOT reverse micelles.

The oxidation of ibuprofen with H2O2 catalysed by Horseradish peroxidase (HRP), Cl8TPPS4Fe(III)(OH2)2 and Cl8TPPS4Mn(III)(OH2)2 in AOT reverse micelles gives 2-(4'-isobutyl-phenyl)ethanol (5) and p-isobutyl acetophenone (6) in moderate yields. The reaction of ibuprofen (2) with H2O2 catalysed by HRP form carbon radicals by the oxidative decarboxylation, which on reaction with molecular oxygen to form hydroperoxy intermediate, responsible for the formation of the products 5 and 6. The yields of different oxidation products depend on the pH, the water to surfactant ratio (Wo), concentration of Cl8TPPS4Fe(III)(OH2)2 and Cl8TPPS4Mn(III)(OH2)2 and amount of molecular oxygen present in AOT reverse micelles. The formation of 2-(4'-isobutyl phenyl)ethanol (5) may be explained by the hydrogen abstraction from ibuprofen by high valent oxo-manganese(IV) radical cation, followed by decarboxylation and subsequent recombination of either free hydroxy radical or hydroxy iron(III)/manganese(III) porphyrins. The over-oxidation of 5 with high valent oxo-manganese, Mn(IV)radical cation intermediate form 6 in AOT reverse micelles by abstraction and recombination mechanism.

Catalysis↗

Research on the microstructure of insect cuticle and the strength of a biomimetic preformed hole composite.

The insect cuticle is a typical natural composite with excellent strength, stiffness, and fracture toughness. Scanning electron microscope observation of the microstructure of Hydrophilidae (an insect) cuticle showed several unique plies and structural characteristics, which may provide available information to the design of advanced composites. The microstructure found in the vicinity of pore canals in the insect cuticle was used for the design of the composite laminate with a hole. Compared with the composite laminate with a normally drilled hole, it was found that the strength of the specially designed composite laminate increases markedly, which is of important significance to the design of high-performance composites.

Animals↗

Synthetic self-assembled models with biomimetic functions.

Self-assembly can be considered a powerful tool in the hand of chemists for the understanding, modeling and mimicking of biological systems. The possibility of reproducing biological functions in synthetic systems obtained by self-assembly is envisioned as a modest but very important step towards the understanding of the mystery of life and its emergence on Earth.

Allosteric Site↗

Biomimetic modeling of copper oxidase reactivity.

Bioinspired copper-model-complexes that react with O(2) provide an opportunity to probe biological reactivity at a small-molecule level of detail. Biological structural information combined with appropriate ligand design has proven sufficient to create Cu:O(2) complexes capable of external substrate oxidation. Most notable developments during the review period are the bioinspired catalysts capable of aerobic alcohol-oxidation. The extension of this oxidative reactivity to other important organic transformations beyond the scope of the inspiring system completes a modeling paradigm.

Catalysis↗