Adolf Zschunke

Estimation of water content and water mobility in the nucleus and cytoplasm of Xenopus laevis oocytes by NMR microscopy

NMR microscopy is a noninvasive approach for studying cell structure and properties. Spatially resolved measurements of the relaxation times T1 and T2 provided information on the water proton spin density and water mobility in different parts of Xenopus laevis oocytes. The spin-lattice relaxation time T1 was determined using a saturation-recovery sequence and the common spin-echo sequence with increasing repetition times, while the transverse relaxation time T2 was measured by means of the spin-echo sequence with varying echo times. From the relaxation times, the mole fractions of possible reorientational correlation times tau c for different types of intracellular water were calculated according to a simple two-phase model. The values for T1, T2, and proton spin density (i.e., water content) are: nucleus >> animal cytoplasm > vegetal cytoplasm. Based on the estimation of tau c, nearly 90% of the nuclear water and 74.4% of the water of the animal pole was considered as free mobile water, whereas 55.5% of the water of the vegetal pole appeared as bound water.

Study of the membrane permeability of a paramagnetic metal complex on single cells by NMR microscopy

A new procedure has been developed for investigating the ability of paramagnetic metal complexes to penetrate the plasma membrane of eukaryotic cells without decomposition. Defolliculated Xenopus laevis oocytes formed the biological system to test N,N-ethylenebis-(1,5,5-trimethyltetramic-acid-3-acetiminato) copper (II). An increase of the signal intensities in spin-echo (SE) images of oocytes treated with the tested substance indicated that the complex was able to penetrate biological membranes due to the arrangement of hydrophobic and hydrophilic groups within the ligand. In contrast, the treatment with the commonly used contrast agent gadolinium-DTPA/dimeglumine did not enhance the signal intensity in NMR images of oocytes after time periods of exposure comparable to those used for the copper complex. After microinjection into Xenopus oocytes the copper complex was released into the extracellular medium without degradation, as shown by HPLC measurements.

Structure determination and by-product profile of the NK2 receptor antagonist nepadutant, a bicyclic glycopeptide

We have synthesized and fully characterized the NK2 receptor antagonist nepadutant and its by‐products using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and restrained molecular dynamics. The agent consists of an active bicyclic hexapeptide combined with a sugar residue. Analysis of the high‐performance liquid chromatogram and the mass spectroscopy spectra yields traces of three by‐products with the same molecular weight as the main product. The conformation of the molecules in the bicyclic hexapeptide segment, the active region, is well defined, whereas the sugar moiety is disordered. For the peptide region of nepadutant and all of its by‐products, the NMR observables can be described by a single backbone conformation, more specifically a βI, βII‐turn arrangement. The active dipeptide unit Trp–Phe occupies the i+1 and i+2 position of a βI‐turn. The by‐product profile is characterized by different forms of sugars which are caused mainly by isomerization in the process of ring opening.

Structures of Rare Earth Homodinuclear Macrocyclic Complexes with the Polyamine Polycarboxylic Ligand 1,4,7,10,14,17,20,23-Octaazacyclohexacosane-1,4,7,10,14,17,20,23-octaacetic Acid (H8OHEC) in the Crystal and in Solution

The solid-state structures of the four homodinuclear chelate complexes, [Na2(Y2OHEC)(H2O)2] · 7 H2O · C2H5OH (1), [Na2(Gd2OHEC)(H2O)2] · 12 H2O (2), [Na2(Eu2OHEC)(H2O)2] · 11 H2O (3), and [Cs2(La2OHEC)(H2O)2] · 14 H2O (4) (H8OHEC = 1,4,7,10,14,17,20,23-octaazacyclohexacosane-1,4,7,10,14,17,20,23-octaacetic acid), were determined by X-ray crystal structure analysis. Each lanthanide(III) ion is ninefold coordinated by eight donor atoms of the ligand system and the oxygen atom of one water molecule. The structures are compared with those of DOTA- and TETA-coordinated complexes and the conformation of the OHEC ligand system with that of the parent amine and its dinuclear copper complex. NMR investigations of the diamagnetic complex 1indicate a very similar environment of the lanthanide cations in solution and in the solid state. Low-temperature and variable-temperature 1H-NMR measurements prove the existence of two isomers of 1 (3.5:1 ratio) which undergo conformational processes. The rate constants of these processes were deduced from a complete line shape analysis and were used to determine the activation parameters.