Xinli Liao

Aqueous Biphasic Hydroformylation of Higher Olefins Catalyzed by Rhodium Complexes with Amphiphilic Ligands of Sulfonated Triphenylphosphine Analog

The catalytic performances of rhodium complexes with three new amphiphilic phosphine ligands, bis-(3-sodium sulfonatophenyl)-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-phosphine (3), phenyl-(3-sodium sulfonatophenyl)-(4-tert-butyl-phenyl)-phosphine (4) and bis-(4-tert-butylphenyl)-(3-sodium sulfonatophenyl) phosphine (5), in hydroformylation of 1-hexene, 1-octene and 1-dodecene have been studied. The steric attributes of free ligands are investigated by Tolmans cone angle method through geometric optimizations. The results reveal that the new phosphines are surface-active as the typical surfactants and the corresponding rhodium complexes show significant enhancements in the reaction rate and higher selectivities toward the normal aldehydes in comparison with those obtained by triphenylphosphine trisulfonate (TPPTS)- and triphenylphosphine disulfonate (TPPDS) rhodium complexes under identical conditions.

Structural basis for targeting the ribosomal protein S1 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis by pyrazinamide.

Pyrazinamide (PZA) is a first‐line drug for tuberculosis (TB) treatment and is responsible for shortening the duration of TB therapy. The mode of action of PZA remains elusive. RpsA, the ribosomal protein S1 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), was recently identified as a target of PZA based on its binding activity to pyrazinoic acid (POA), the active form of PZA. POA binding to RpsA led to the inhibition of trans‐translation. However, the nature of the RpsA–POA interaction remains unknown. Key questions include why POA exhibits an exquisite specificity to RpsA of Mtb and how RpsA mutations confer PZA resistance. Here, we report the crystal structures of the C‐terminal domain of RpsA of Mtb and its complex with POA, as well as the corresponding domains of two RpsA variants that are associated with PZA resistance. Structural analysis reveals that POA binds to RpsA through hydrogen bonds and hydrophobic interactions, mediated mainly by residues (Lys303, Phe307, Phe310 and Arg357) that are essential for tmRNA binding. Conformational changes induced by mutation or sequence variation at the C‐terminus of RpsA abolish the POA binding activity. Our findings provide insights into the mode of action of PZA and molecular basis of PZA resistance associated with RpsA mutations.

ZIF-8 Cooperating in TiN/Ti/Si Nanorods as Efficient Anodes in Micro-Lithium-Ion-Batteries

Zeolite imidazolate framework-8 (ZIF-8) nanoparticles embedded in TiN/Ti/Si nanorod (NR) arrays without pyrolysis have shown increased energy storage capacity as anodes for lithium ion batteries (LIBs). A high capacity of 1650 μAh cm(-2) has been achieved in this ZIF-8 composited multilayered electrode, which is ∼100 times higher than the plain electrodes made of only silicon NR. According to the electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) and (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) characterizations, the improved diffusion of lithium ions in ZIF-8 and boosted electron/Li(+) transfer by the ZIF-8/TiN/Ti multilayer coating are proposed to be responsible for the enhanced energy storage ability. The first-principles calculations further indicate the favorable accessibility of lithium with appropriate size to diffuse in the open pores of ZIF-8. This work broadens the application of ZIF-8 to silicon-based LIBs electrodes without the pyrolysis and provides design guidelines for other metal-organic frameworks/Si composite electrodes.

Probing Side-Chain Dynamics in Proteins by the Measurement of Nine Deuterium Relaxation Rates Per Methyl Group

We demonstrate the feasibility of the measurement of up to nine deuterium spin relaxation rates in 13CHD2 and 13CH2D methyl isotopomers of small proteins. In addition to five measurable 2H relaxation rates in a 13CH2D methyl group (Millet, O.; Muhandiram, D. R.; Skrynnikov, N. R.; Kay, L. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2002, 124, 6439-48), the measurement of additional four rates of (nearly) single-exponentially decaying magnetization terms in methyl groups of the 13CHD2 variety is reported. Consistency relationships between 2H spin relaxation rates measured in the two different types of methyl groups are derived and verified experimentally for a subset of methyl-containing side chains in the protein ubiquitin. A detailed comparison of methyl-bearing side-chain dynamics parameters obtained from relaxation measurements in 13CH2D and 13CHD2 methyls of ubiquitin at 10, 27, and 40 °C reveals that transverse 2H relaxation rates in 13CHD2 groups are reliable and accurate reporters of the amplitudes of methyl 3-fold axis motions (S(axis)2) for protein molecules with global molecular tumbling times τ(C) >~9 ns. For smaller molecules, simple correction of transverse 2H relaxation rates in 13CHD2 groups is sufficient for the derivation of robust measures of order. Residue-specific distributions of S(axis)2 are consistent with atomic-detail molecular dynamics (MD) results. Both 13CHD2- and 13CH2D-derived S(axis)2 values are in good overall agreement with those obtained from 1 μs MD simulations at all the three temperatures, although some differences in the site-specific temperature dependence between MD- and 2H-relaxation-derived S(axis)2 values are observed.

Signal attenuation of PFG restricted anomalous diffusions in plate, sphere, and cylinder

Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR is a noninvasive tool to study anomalous diffusion, which exists widely in many systems such as in polymer or biological systems, in porous material, in single file structures and in fractal geometries. In a real system, the diffusion could be a restricted or a tortuous anomalous diffusion, rather than a free diffusion as the domains for fast and slow transport could coexist. Though there are signal attenuation expressions for free anomalous diffusion in literature, the signal attenuation formalisms for restricted anomalous diffusion is very limited, except for a restricted time-fractional diffusion within a plate reported recently. To better understand the PFG restricted fractional diffusion, in this paper, the PFG signal attenuation expressions were derived for three typical structures (plate, sphere, and cylinder) based on two models: fractal derivative model and fractional derivative model. These signal attenuation expressions include two parts, the time part Tn(t) and the space part Xn(r). Unlike normal diffusion, the time part Tn(t) in time-fractional diffusion can be either a Mittag-Leffler function from the fractional derivative model or a stretched exponential function from the fractal derivative model. However, provided the restricted normal diffusion and the restricted time-fractional diffusion are in an identical structure, they will have the same space part Xn(r) as both diffusions have the same space derivative parameter β equaling 2, therefore, they should have similar diffractive patterns. The restricted general fractional diffusion within a plate is also investigated, which indicates that at a long time limit, the diffusion type is insignificant to the diffractive pattern that depends only on the structure and the gradient pulses. The expressions describing the time-dependent behaviors of apparent diffusion coefficient Df,app for restricted anomalous diffusion are also proposed in this paper. Both the short and long time-dependent behaviors of Df,app are distinct from that of normal diffusion. The general expressions for PFG restricted curvilinear diffusion of tube model were derived in a conventional way and its result agree with that obtained from the fractional derivative model with α equaling 1/2. Additionally, continuous-time random walk simulation was performed to give good support to the theoretical results. These theoretical results reported here will be valuable for researchers in analyzing PFG anomalous diffusion.

Selective detection of 13CHD2 signals from a mixture of 13CH3/13CH2D/ 13CHD2 methyl isotopomers in proteins

In NMR spectra of partially deuterated proteins methyl correlations are commonly observed as a combination of signals from ¹³CH₃, ¹³CH₂D and ¹³CHD₂ isotopomers. In a number of NMR applications, methyl groups of the ¹³CHD₂ variety are targeted because of their AX-like character and concomitant simplification of the involved relaxation mechanisms. Although complete elimination of signals from ¹³CH₂D methyl groups can be easily achieved in such applications, if the magnetization is not transferred through deuterium nuclei, efficient suppression of usually stronger ¹³CH₃ peaks is more problematic. A pair of simple pulse-scheme elements are presented that achieve almost complete suppression of ¹³CH₃ signals in the mixtures of ¹³CH₃/¹³CH₂D/¹³CHD₂ methyl isotopomers of small proteins at the expense of a moderate (∼20-to-40%) reduction in intensities of the targeted ¹³CHD₂ groups. The approaches described are based purely on scalar coupling (¹J(CH)) evolution properties of different ¹³C and ¹H transitions within ¹³CH₃ spin-systems and are superior to magnetization transfer through deuterons with respect to sensitivity of the detected ¹³CHD₂ methyl signals.

Structural basis for ribosome protein S1 interaction with RNA in trans-translation of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Ribosomal protein S1 (RpsA), the largest 30S protein in ribosome, plays a significant role in translation and trans-translation. In Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the C-terminus of RpsA is known as tuberculosis drug target of pyrazinoic acid, which inhibits the interaction between MtRpsA and tmRNA in trans-translation. However, the molecular mechanism underlying the interaction of MtRpsA with tmRNA remains unknown. We herein analyzed the interaction of the C-terminal domain of MtRpsA with three RNA fragments poly(A), sMLD and pre-sMLD. NMR titration analysis revealed that the RNA binding sites on MtRpsACTD are mainly located in the β2, β3 and β5 strands and the adjacent L3 loop of the S1 domain. Fluorescence experiments determined the MtRpsACTD binding to RNAs are in the micromolar affinity range. Sequence analysis also revealed conserved residues in the mapped RNA binding region. Residues L304, V305, G308, F310, H322, I323, R357 and I358 were verified to be the key residues influencing the interaction between MtRpsACTD and pre-sMLD. Molecular docking further confirmed that the poly(A)-like sequence and sMLD of tmRNA are all involved in the protein-RNA interaction, through charged interaction and hydrogen bonds. The results will be beneficial for designing new anti-tuberculosis drugs.

Ethylenediamine Tetraacetato Trioxomolybdate(VI) and Tungstate(VI) and their Reactions with Hydrogen Peroxide

Investigation of the reactions between ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid with molybdate(VI) and tungstate(VI) resulted in the isolations of dimeric complexes Na2K2[Mo2O6(Edta)] · 10H2O (1) and Na4[W2O6(Edta)] · 8H2O (2) (H4Edta=ethylenediamine tetraacetic acid) in a wide range of pH values 5–10. The new tungstate complex is resistant for the reaction of hydrogen peroxide, while the reaction of its molybdate homolog results in the isolation of peroxo tetramolybdate(VI) K8[Mo4O12(O2)2] (3). The three complexes have been characterized by elemental analyses, IR, NMR and X‐ray structural analyses. The anions of the complexes 1 and 2 contain two metal atoms and one Edta ligand. Each metal atom is tridentately coordinated by nitrogen and carboxyl groups of Edta ligand, making metal atom six‐coordinate.

Chemical shift assignments of Ribosomal protein S1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

RpsA, also known as ribosomal protein S1, is an essential protein required for translation initiation of mRNAs when their Shine-Dalgarno sequence is degenerated (Sorensen et al. 1998). In addition, RpsA of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tb) is involved in trans-translation, which is an effective system mediated by tmRNA-SmpB to release stalled ribosomes from mRNA in the presence of rare codons (Keiler 2008). Shi et al. found that POA binds to RpsA of Mtb and disrupts the formation of RpsA–tmRNA complex (Shi et al. 2011) and mutations at the C-terminus of RpsA confer PZA resistance. The previous work reported the pyrazinoic acid-binding domain of RpsA (Yang et al. Mol Microbiol 95:791–803, 2015). However, the HSQC spectra of the isolated S1 domain does not overlap with that of MtRpsA280-438, suggesting that substantial interactions occur between the flexible C-terminus and the S1 domain in MtRpsA .To further study the PZA resistance and how substantial interactions influence/affect protein structure, using heteronuclear NMR spectroscopy, we have completed backbone and side-chain 1H, 15N, 13C chemical shift assignments of MtRpsA280-438 which contains S1 domain and the flexible C-terminus. These NMR resonance assignments provide the framework for detailed characterization of the solution-state protein structure determination, dynamic studies of this domain, as well as NMR-based drug discovery efforts.

(1)H, (15)N, (13)C resonance assignments for pyrazinoic acid binding domain of ribosomal protein S1 from Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Ribosomal protein S1 of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MtRpsA) binds to ribosome and mRNA, and plays significant role in the regulation of translation initiation, conventional protein synthesis and transfer-messenger RNA (tmRNA) mediated trans-translation. It has been identified as the target of pyrazinoic acid (POA), a bactericidal moiety from hydrolysis of pyrazinamide, which is a mainstay of combination therapy for tuberculosis. POA prevented the interactions between the C-terminal S1 domain of MtRpsA (residues 280–368, MtRpsACTD_S1) and tmRNA; so that POA can inhibit the trans-translation, which is a key component of multiple quality control pathways in bacteria. However, the details of molecular mechanism and dynamic characteristics for MtRpsACTD_S1 interactions with POA, tmRNA or mRNA are still unclear. Here we present the 1H, 15N, 13C resonance assignments of MtRpsACTD_S1 as well as the secondary structure information based on backbone chemical shifts, which lay foundation for further solution structure determination, dynamic properties characterization and interactions investigation between MtRpsACTD_S1 and tmRNA, RNA or POA.