1,721,095 research outputs found
Non trivial chiroptical responses: experimental and theoretical investigations
No full textIn the past few years, our two groups of research have been collaborating on a number of projects
dealing with the assignment of the absolute configuration (AC) of complex chiral molecules of phar-
macological interest in the disordered phase. [1] These studies have been mainly carried out by means of
electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectroscopy and quantum mechanical (QM) calculations at the den-
sity functional theory (DFT) level of approximation. Particular attention has been payed to non-trivial
chiroptical responses due to conformational flexibility and solvation.
Beside these shared activities, some more specific research fields have been investigated too. In par-
ticular, the Bologna group has performed studies concerning the hyphenation of enantioselective HPLC
methods with detection systems based on ECD [2] and the characterization of biomolecular recognition
phenomena between drugs and target or carrier macromolecules. [3] The Salerno group has developed
some skills in vibrational circular dichroism (VCD) [4] and chiral NMR [5] spectroscopies, thanks to the
availability of a VCD spectrometer and previous studies concerning the non-linear response of molecules
exposed to radiation.
[1] (a) C. Bertucci, M. Pistolozzi, D. Tedesco, R. Zanasi, R. Ruzziconi, A. M. Di Pietra, J. Chromatogr. A 2012, 1232,
128–133; (b) D. Tedesco, R. Zanasi, A. Guerrini, C. Bertucci, Chirality 2012, 24, 741–750; (c) F. Dong, J. Li, B.
Chankvetadze, Y. Cheng, J. Xu, X. Liu, Y. Li, X. Chen, C. Bertucci, D. Tedesco, R. Zanasi, Y. Zheng, Environ. Sci.
Technol. 2013, 47, 3386–3394; (d) W. J. Andrioli, R. Conti, M. J. Araújo, R. Zanasi, B. C. Cavalcanti, V. Manfrim,
J. S. Toledo, D. Tedesco, M. O. de Moraes, C. Pessoa, A. K. Cruz, C. Bertucci, J. Sabino, D. N. P. Nanayakkara,
M. T. Pupo, J. K. Bastos, J. Nat. Prod. 2014, 77, 70–78; (e) D. Tedesco, R. Zanasi, I. W. Wainer, C. Bertucci, J.
Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2014, 91, 92–96.
[2] (a) C. Bertucci, D. Tedesco, J. Chromatogr. A 2012, 1269, 69–81; (b) D. Tedesco, A. M. Di Pietra, F. Rossi, M.
Garagnani, E. Del Borrello, C. Bertucci, V. Andrisano, J. Pharm. Biomed. Anal. 2013, 81-82, 76–79.
[3] (a) G. A. Ascoli, E. Domenici, C. Bertucci, Chirality 2006, 18, 667–679; (b) M. Pistolozzi, C. Bertucci, Chirality
2008, 20, 552–558;
[4] (a) A. Lattanzi, A. Russo, P. Rizzo, G. Monaco, R. Zanasi, Chirality 2010, 22, E130–E135; (b) A. Massa, P. Rizzo,
G. Monaco, R. Zanasi, Tetrahed. Lett. 2013, 54, 6242–6246.
[5] (a) S. Pelloni, P. Lazzeretti, R. Zanasi, J. Chem. Theory Comput. 2007, 3, 1691–1698; (b) G. Monaco, R. Zanasi,
Chirality 2011, 23, 752–755
Binding modes of drug-albumin complexes investigated by induced CD spectroscopy and TD-DFT calculations
No full textAt the molecular level, the activity of drugs relies on a sequence of biorecognition phenomena, such as the binding to biological macromolecules, which define their pharmacological, toxicological and pharmacokinetic profiles. Physiologically-relevant interactions are usually very stereospecific: the occurrence of high binding affinities for specific stereochemical configurations or conformational arrangements of a drug is a very important research topic in the field of medicinal chemistry. When a drug is bound with high affinity to its target or to a carrier protein, e.g. a serum albumin, the conformational restraint due to the interaction may result in the insurgence of induced circular dichroism (ICD), which can be detected experimentally by spectroscopic analysis: nice examples are given by the ICD spectra of diazepam and ketoprofen complexed with human serum albumin (HSA). [1]
Quantum mechanical (QM) calculations based on time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) can be used to investigate the theoretical ICD spectra of all the possible conformational arrangements of the ligand, and may result very helpful in the identification of possible binding modes. [2] The present communication will report the application of TD-DFT calculations to the investigation of the binding modes of ketoprofen and benzodiazepines to serum albumins: in particular, the stereospecific binding of the M conformation of benzodiazepines to HSA is confirmed, and the peculiar species-dependent ICD spectra observed for the binding of ketoprofen to different serum albumins can be explained by the selection of different mutual arrangements of the phenyl moieties in the binding pockets.
[1] M. Pistolozzi, C. Bertucci, Chirality 20, 552 (2008).
[2] S. Ionescu, I. Matei, C. Tablet, M. Hillebrand, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys. 15, 11604 (2013)
FLUORESCENCE BASED STUDIES ON BETA-AMYLOID MISFOLDING AND AGGREGATION
No full textRecent findings about the relationship between amyloid b-peptide (Ab) accumulation and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's disease (AD) suggest a complex role for Ab in this neurodegenerative process. The transition of Ab soluble monomers to toxic small oligomers involves an initial transition from a non organized/a-helix monomer to a b-sheet rich conformer. This early step represents a suitable target to design new potent inhibitors and obtain effective therapeutics for AD. Moreover, several chaperone molecules are though to accelerate amyloid aggregation, i.e., the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE). Since most of the marketed drugs for AD are AChE inhibitors, the investigation of the inhibitory potency against the AChE-induced amyloid aggregation exerted by anti-cholinesterase agents definitively represents an interesting area of investigation for drug discovery. The in vitro Ab aggregation can be evaluated by a fluorescence-based assay by using Thioflavin T (ThT) as fluorescent dye. More in details, ThT specifically binds to amyloid fibrils (in the beta-sheet conformation) giving rise to an intense specific emission band (lem = 490 nm) in its fluorescent spectrum (1-3). Therefore the increase in the specific fluorescence emission was used to monitor amyloid fibrils formation. Two fluorescence-based assays specifically developed (4,5) for the evaluation of beta-amyloid self- and AChE-induced aggregation were applied to follow the aggregation process as well as to screen for potential inhibitors. The concomitant use of circular dichroism spectroscopy was helpful to set up the optimal experimental conditions and to draw some hypotheses on the mechanism of action of known and new inhibitors.
(1) H. Naiki, K. Higuchi, K. Nakakuki, T. Takeda, Lab. Invest. 1991, 65, 104.
(2) H. LeVine, Protein Sci. 1993, 2, 404.
(3) H. LeVine 3rd, Methods Enzymol. 1999, 309, 274.
(4) M. Bartolini, C. Bertucci, M.L. Bolognesi, A. Cavalli, C. Melchiorre, V. Andrisano, Chembiochem 2007, 8, 2152.
(5) M. Bartolini, C. Bertucci, V. Cavrini, V. Andrisano, Biochem. Pharmacol. 2003, 65, 407
Chiroptical properties and conformational flexibility of fenoterol and analogues: a combined experimental and theoretical study
Full text linkFenoterol is a selective β 2 -adrenergic receptor (AR) agonist used in the treatment of asthma, which is
under scrutiny as possible drug against congestive heart failure. Fenoterol is currently used as a racemic
mixture of the (R,R′)- and (S,S′)-enantiomers, whose stereochemistry was previously determined by
electronic circular dichroism (ECD) analysis through the application of a semi-empirical sector rule. [1]
Recently, a series of fenoterol derivatives has been synthesized and tested: [2-3] their absolute
configuration was determined by chemical correlation with synthetic precursors, but no further
stereochemical characterization has been carried out. In addition, stereoselectivity in the binding to β 2 -
AR has been demonstrated, with (R,R′)- and (R,S′)-fenoterol displaying higher affinity compared to
(S,R′)- and (S,S′)-fenoterol, and a tridimensional quantitative structure-activity relationship model (3D-
QSAR) based on comparative molecular field analysis (CoMFA) has been developed to rationalize the
binding of fenoterol derivatives to β 2 -AR. [2-3]
The relationship between chiroptical properties and absolute stereochemistry of fenoterol and its
derivatives has been investigated [4] by experimental ECD analysis and quantum chemical (QC)
calculations using time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT). [5-6] The stereoisomers of three
compounds have been considered: fenoterol (1), (4′′-methoxy-1′′-naphthyl)fenoterol (2), and (4′′-methoxy-
1′-desmethyl)fenoterol (3). Due to the high conformational flexibility of the investigated structures and the
consequent large pool of equilibrium conformers, DFT geometry optimizations were carried out using the
resolution of identity (RI) approximation and the B97D functional with empirical dispersion corrections; [7]
TD-DFT calculations were then performed using the PBE0 functional. The accuracy of this protocol in
reproducing the experimental ECD spectra of fenoterol derivatives will be evaluated.
[1] F. Beigi, C. Bertucci, W. Zhu, K. Chakir, I.W. Wainer, R.P. Xiao, D.R. Abernethy, Chirality, 2006, 18, 822-827.
[2] K. Jóźwiak, K. Chakir, M.J. Tanga, I. Berzetei-Gurske, L. Jimenez, J.A. Kozocas, A. Woo, W. Zhu, R.P. Xiao,
D.R. Abernethy, I.W. Wainer, J. Med. Chem., 2007, 50, 2903-2915.
[3] K. Jóźwiak, A.Y.H. Woo, M.J. Tanga, L. Toll, L. Jimenez, J.A. Kozocas, A. Plazinska, R.P. Xiao, I.W. Wainer,
Bioorg. Med. Chem., 2010, 18, 728-736.
[4] ISCRA project IsC08_SCCFPM (ID: HP10CU0YHL) granted by CINECA, Bologna, Italy.
[5] J. Autschbach, Chirality, 2009, 21, E116-E152.
[6] L. Goerigk, H. Kruse, S. Grimme, in: N. Berova, P.L. Polavarapu, K. Nakanishi, R.W. Woody (Eds.),
Comprehensive chrioptical spectroscopy, vol. 1, 2011, Hoboken: Wiley & Sons, pp. 643-673.
[7] S. Grimme, WIREs Comput. Mol. Sci., 2011, 1, 211-228
Going Beyond Counting First Authors in Author Co-citation Analysis
Full text linkThe present study examines one of the fundamental aspects of author co-citation analysis (ACA) - the way co-citation
counts are defined. Co-citation counting provides the data on which all subsequent statistical analyses and mappings
are based, and we compare ACA results based on two different types of co-citation counting - the traditional type that
only counts the first one among a cited work's authors on the one hand and a non-traditional type that takes into
account the first 5 authors of a cited work on the other hand. Results indicate that the picture produced through this non-traditional author co-citation counting contains more coherent author groups and is therefore considerably clearer. However, this picture represents fewer specialties in the research field being studied than that produced through the traditional first-author co-citation counting when the same number of top-ranked authors is selected and analyzed. Reasons for these effects are discussed
Variations on the Author
Full text link“Variations on the Author” discusses two of Eduardo Coutinho’s recent films (Um Dia na Vida, from 2010, and Últimas Conversas, posthumously released in 2015) and their contribution to the general question of documentary authorship. The director’s filmography is characterized by a consistent yet self-effacing form of authorial self-inscription: Coutinho often features as an interviewer that rather than express opinions propels discourses; an interviewer that is good at listening. This mode of self-inscription characterizes him as an author who is not expressive but who is nonetheless markedly present on the screen. In Um Dia na Vida, however, Coutinho is completely absent form the image, while Últimas Conversas, on the contrary, includes a confessional prologue that moves the director from the margins to the center of his films. This article examines the ways in which these works stand out in the filmography of a director who offers new insights into the notion of cinematic authorship
Appropriate Similarity Measures for Author Cocitation Analysis
Full text linkWe provide a number of new insights into the methodological discussion about author cocitation analysis. We first argue that the use of the Pearson correlation for measuring the similarity between authors’ cocitation profiles is not very satisfactory. We then discuss what kind of similarity measures may be used as an alternative to the Pearson correlation. We consider three similarity measures in particular. One is the well-known cosine. The other two similarity measures have not been used before in the bibliometric literature. Finally, we show by means of an example that our findings have a high practical relevance.information science;Pearson correlation;cosine;similarity measure;author cocitation analysis
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