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Overactivation of Pyrin is the cause of the inflammatory diseases Mediterranean Fever and Pyrin-associated autoinflammation with neutrophilic dermatosis (PAAND). Binding of 14-3-3 proteins reduces the pro-inflammatory activity of Pyrin, hence small molecules that stabilize the Pyrin/14-3-3 complex could convey an anti-inflammatory effect. We have solved the atomic resolution crystal structures of phosphorylated peptides derived from PyrinpS208 and PyrinpS242 – the two principle 14-3-3 binding sites in Pyrin - in complex with 14-3-3 and analyzed the ligandability of these protein-peptide interfaces by crystal-based fragment soaking. The complex between 14-3-3 and PyrinpS242 appears to be much more amenable for small-molecule binding than that of 14-3-3/PyrinpS208. Consequently, only for the 14-3-3/PyrinpS242 complex could we find an interface-binding fragment, validating protein crystallography and fragment soaking as a method to evaluate the ligandability of protein surfaces.

l-glutamate oxidase (LGOX) from Streptomyces sp. is a heterohexameric flavin enzyme that catalyzes the oxidative deamination of l-glutamate to form α-ketoglutarate with ammonia and hydrogen peroxide. LGOX shows strict substrate specificity for l-Glu. In addition, it is highly thermostable and pH stable. Because of these properties, LGOX is currently used as a biosensor for the trace determination of l-Glu in the food industry and clinical laboratories. The full-length cDNA is 2103 bp and is encoded by a single polypeptide chain consisting of 701 residues including subunits α-γ-β. The LGOX gene was heterologously expressed in Escherichia coli JM109. The LGOX precursor expressed in E. coli is a homodimer with weak enzymatic activity and becomes a heterohexamer upon activation by protease treatment. X-ray crystallography and docking studies of purified recombinant LGOX suggest that the Arg305 residue is a key residue for substrate recognition. Mutant analysis showed that Arg305 is essential for substrate recognition, as the activity toward l-Glu was greatly reduced and substrate specificity was changed in some enzymes. The functional analysis of R305E-LGOX, which is an l-Arg oxidase, revealed that R305E-LGOX can be used as a enzyme biosensor for l-Arg.

Crystal structures of early first-row, second-row, and third-row main-transition metal-complexes chelated by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) are surveyed to clarify whether the well-known hexadentately six-coordinate (6&6) species is major or not. In the early first-row transition metal (Sc, Ti, V, Cr, and Mn)-EDTA, only three of 6&6 species were found within 28 kinds. Whereas there were no such 6&6 species within 50 kinds of the second-row, 15 kinds of the third-row main-transition metalEDTA. It has been also shown that in the late first-row, there were 33 cases of 6&6 species within 100 kinds by previous study. Therefore, the well-known hexadentately six-coordinate structure is not so much major as minor in the main-transition metal-EDTA complexes from the structural comparison., 長崎大学大学院工学研究科研究報告, 53(100), pp.79-86; 2023

Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA), non-chelating conformational salts, and chelates of alkaline earth metals thereof have recently been reported to be room temperature phosphorescence (RTP)-emissive. The origin of RTP was identified as through-space conjugation by hydrogen bonding. Although crystal structures of other non-chelating EDTA and its salts have been previously reported, RTP-emissive or not are unknown. Therefore, in the present study, I investigate the intra- and inter- molecular hydrogen bonding distances in the crystals of 25 non-chelating EDTA and their salts using Cambridge Structural Database (CSD). Integrating the RTP ability with the reported crystal structures of EDTA and salts thereof including metal-EDTA chelates would be an intriguing research in the future., 長崎大学大学院工学研究科研究報告, 53(100), pp.87-94; 2023

Based on the data available in Cambridge Crystallographic Data Centre (CCDC), the crystal structures of late first-row transition metal-complexes chelated by ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid (EDTA) are overviewed. Herein, it is summarized that the crystal structures of 17 of FeIII-EDTA, 6 of FeII-EDTA, 21 of CoIII-EDTA, 14 of CoII-EDTA, 13 of Ni-EDTA, 22 of Cu-EDTA, and 7 of Zn-EDTA complexes (total 100 kinds) have coordination numbers (CN) ranging from 5 to 7, most have CN = 6(70/100), and the denticities of these chelates are tetra-, penta-, and hexadentate. In analytical chemistry, typically learned complexes of hexadentate and CN = 6 are found to be only 33 cases (ca. 33%), not major species in the late first-row transition metal-EDTA complexes, following up on the former review., 長崎大学大学院工学研究科研究報告, 53(100), pp.71-78; 2023

In the present study, the crystal structures of non-chelating EDTA molecules and their non-chelation salts in a zwitterionic state, along with the EDTA-chelates of alkali and alkaline earth metals, were searched and overviewed. 25 non-chelating molecules of EDTA, and zwitterions of ethylenediammonium-diacetate diacetic acid HOOC-CH2-(-OOC-CH2-)NH+-CH2-CH2-NH+(-CH2-COO-)-CH2-COOH and their salts (ethylenediammonium-tetraace­tic acid (HOOC-CH2-)2NH+-CH2-CH2-NH+(-CH2-COOH)2, ethylenediammonium-acetate triacetic acid (HOOC-CH2-)2NH+-CH2-CH2-NH+(-CH2-COO-)-CH2-COOH, and ethylenediammonium-tetraacetate (-OOC-CH2-)2NH+-CH2-CH2-NH+(-CH2-COO-)2 with counterions), as well as 17 types of EDTA-chelates of alkali metal ions (Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+) and alkaline earth metal ions (Mg2+, Ca2+, Sr2+, Ba2+) were analyzed using data from the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Center (CCDC). Each intramolecular contact distance between nitrogen and oxygen atoms (NH+···O) has been examined and found to be around 2.7 Å. Investigation on the distribution of the intramolecular NH+··· NH+-distances of EDTA and non-chelated salts thereof also revealed that bulky counterion and certain crystal solvent molecules correspond to change in crystal packing, and that they influenced the conformers of EDTA mo­lecules among gauche form to anti form. In the existing crystalline EDTA-chelates of alkali metals as well as alkaline earth metals, various coordination numbers (CN) and the denticity (к) of EDTA anions are displayed; CN 5 to 9, and tri- and hexadentate fashions. Intramolecular contact N···O and N···N distances correspond to the metal ion radii except for the case of Sr-EDTA chelate, probably due to differences of crystal packings in addition to the number of counterions and crystal solvent molecules. The existing data on crystalline EDTA and its salts have been gathered herein, which contributes to a further understanding and exploring applications hereafter., Ukrainian Chemistry Journal, 88(10), pp.55-69; 2022

N-glycans are modified by glycosyltransferases in the endoplasmic reticulum and Golgi apparatus. N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase IV (GnT-IV) is a Golgi-localized glycosyltransferase that synthesizes complex-type N-glycans in vertebrates. This enzyme attaches N-acetylglucosamine (GlcNAc) to the α-1,3-linked mannose branch of the N-glycan core structure via a β-1,4 linkage. Deficiency of this enzyme is known to cause abnormal cellular functions, making it a vital enzyme for living organisms. However, there has been no report on its 3-dimensional structure to date. Here, we demonstrated that the C-terminal regions (named CBML) of human GnT-IVa and Bombyx mori ortholog have the ability to bind β-N-acetylglucosamine. In addition, we determined the crystal structures of human CBML, B. mori CBML, and its complex with β-GlcNAc at 1.97, 1.47, and 1.15 Å resolutions, respectively, and showed that they adopt a β-sandwich fold, similar to carbohydrate-binding module family 32 (CBM32) proteins. The regions homologous to CBML (≥24% identity) were found in GnT-IV isozymes, GnT-IVb, and GnT-IVc (known as GnT-VI), and the structure of B. mori CBML in complex with β-GlcNAc indicated that the GlcNAc-binding residues were highly conserved among these isozymes. These residues are also conserved with the GlcNAc-binding CBM32 domain of β-N-acetylhexosaminidase NagH from Clostridium perfringens despite the low sequence identity (

RadH is one of the flavin-dependent halogenases that has previously exhibited promising catalytic activity towards hydroxycoumarin, hydroxyisoquinoline, and phenolic derivatives. Here, we evaluated new functional homologs of RadH and expanded its specificities for the halogenation of non-tryptophan-derived, heterocyclic scaffolds. Our investigation revealed that RadH could effectively halogenate hydroxyquinoline and hydroxybenzothiophene. Assay optimization studies revealed the need to balance the various co-factor concentrations and where a GDHi co-factor recycling system most significantly improves the conversion and efficiency of the reaction. A crystal structure of RadH was also obtained with a resolution of 2.4 Å, and docking studies were conducted to pinpoint the binding and catalytic sites for substrates.

Ferulic acid and related hydroxycinnamic acids, used as antioxidants and preservatives in the food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries, are among the most abundant phenolic compounds present in plant biomass. Identification of novel compounds that can produce ferulic acid and hydroxycinnamic acids, that are safe and can be mass-produced, is critical for the sustainability of these industries. In this study, we aimed to obtain and characterize a feruloyl esterase (LaFae) from Lactobacillus acidophilus. Our results demonstrated that LaFae reacts with ethyl ferulate and can be used to effectively produce ferulic acid from wheat bran, rice bran and corn stalks. In addition, xylanase supplementation was found to enhance LaFae enzymatic hydrolysis, thereby augmenting ferulic acid production. To further investigate the active site configuration of LaFae, crystal structures of unliganded and ethyl ferulate-bound LaFae were determined at 2.3 and 2.19 Å resolutions, respectively. Structural analysis shows that a Phe34 residue, located at the active site entrance, acts as a gatekeeper residue and controls substrate binding. Mutating this Phe34 to Ala produced an approximately 1.6-fold increase in LaFae activity against p-nitrophenyl butyrate. Our results highlight the considerable application potential of LaFae to produce ferulic acid from plant biomass and agricultural by-products.

Clinically relevant disease-causing variants of the human dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (hLADH, hE3), a common component of the mitochondrial α-keto acid dehydrogenase complexes, were characterized using a multipronged approach to unravel the molecular pathomechanisms that underlie hLADH deficiency. The G101del and M326V substitutions both reduced the protein stability and triggered the disassembly of the functional/obligate hLADH homodimer and significant FAD losses, which altogether eventually manifested in a virtually undetectable catalytic activity in both cases. The I12T-hLADH variant proved also to be quite unstable, but managed to retain the dimeric enzyme form; the LADH activity, both in the forward and reverse catalytic directions and the affinity for the prosthetic group FAD were both significantly compromised. None of the above three variants lent themselves to an in-depth structural analysis via X-ray crystallography due to inherent protein instability. Crystal structures at 2.89 and 2.44 Å resolutions were determined for the I318T- and I358T-hLADH variants, respectively; structure analysis revealed minor conformational perturbations, which correlated well with the residual LADH activities, in both cases. For the dimer interface variants G426E-, I445M-, and R447G-hLADH, enzyme activities and FAD loss were determined and compared against the previously published structural data.

SETD2 catalyzes methylation at lysine 36 of histone H3 and it has many disease connections. We investigated the substrate sequence specificity of SETD2 and identified nine additional peptide and one protein (FBN1) substrates. Our data showed that SETD2 strongly prefers amino acids different from those in the H3K36 sequence at several positions of its specificity profile. Based on this, we designed an optimized super-substrate containing four amino acid exchanges and show by quantitative methylation assays with SETD2 that the super-substrate peptide is methylated about 290-fold more efficiently than the H3K36 peptide. Protein methylation studies confirmed very strong SETD2 methylation of the super-substrate in vitro and in cells. We solved the structure of SETD2 with bound super-substrate peptide containing a target lysine to methionine mutation, which revealed better interactions involving three of the substituted residues. Our data illustrate that substrate sequence design can strongly increase the activity of protein lysine methyltransferases., Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation), German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Egyptian Ministry of Higher Education, Projekt DEAL

Protonation of key histidine residues has been long implicated in the acid-mediated cellular action of the diphtheria toxin translocation (T-) domain, responsible for the delivery of the catalytic domain into the cell. Here, we use a combination of computational (constant-pH Molecular Dynamics simulations) and experimental (NMR, circular dichroism, and fluorescence spectroscopy along with the X-ray crystallography) approaches to characterize the initial stages of conformational change happening in solution in the wild-type T-domain and in the H223Q/H257Q double mutant. This replacement suppresses the acid-induced transition, resulting in the retention of a more stable protein structure in solutions at pH 5.5 and, consequently, in reduced membrane-disrupting activity. Here, for the first time, we report the pKa values of the histidine residues of the T-domain, measured by NMR-monitored pH titrations. Most peaks in the histidine side chain spectral region are titrated with pKas ranging from 6.2 to 6.8. However, the two most up-field peaks display little change down to pH 6, which is a limiting pH for this protein in solution at concentrations required for NMR. These peaks are absent in the double mutant, suggesting they belong to H223 and H257. The constant-pH simulations indicate that for the T-domain in solution, the pKa values for histidine residues range from 3.0 to 6.5, with those most difficult to protonate being H251 and H257. Taken together, our experimental and computational data demonstrate that previously suggested cooperative protonation of all six histidines in the T-domain does not occur.

RSF thanks the Royal Society for receipt of a URF, EPSRC (EP/N509668/1), and the University of Glasgow for funding. IDHO and MRW thank EPSRC for funding (EP/N015401/1). We acknowledge Diamond Light Source for time on I19-2 under proposal CY24020. ZHD thanks the ERC (Advanced Grant 787073 ADOR) for studentship funding. CLH thanks UKRI for a Future Leaders Fellowship (MR/V026070/1) and the University of Edinburgh for a Chancellor’s Fellowship. SAM acknowledges the support of the Australian Research Council (ARC) from a Future Fellowship (FT200100243) and Discovery Project (DP 220103690). Postsynthetic modification of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has proven a hugely powerful tool to tune physical properties and introduce functionality, by exploiting reactive sites on both the MOF linkers and their inorganic secondary building units (SBUs), and so has facilitated a wide range of applications. Studies into the reactivity of MOF SBUs have focussed solely on removal of neutral coordinating solvents, or direct exchange of linkers such as carboxylates, despite the prevalence of ancillary charge-balancing oxide and hydroxide ligands found in many SBUs. Herein, we show that the µ2-OH ligands in the MIL-53 topology Sc MOF, GUF-1, are labile, and can be substituted for µ2-OCH3 units through reaction with pore-bound methanol molecules in a very rare example of pressure-induced postsynthetic modification. Using comprehensive solid-state NMR spectroscopic analysis, we show an order of magnitude increase in this cluster anion substitution process after exposing bulk samples suspended in methanol to a pressure of 0.8 GPa in a large volume press. Additionally, single crystals compressed in diamond anvil cells with methanol as the pressure-transmitting medium have enabled full structural characterisation of the process across a range of pressures, leading to a quantitative single-crystal to single-crystal conversion at 4.98 GPa. This unexpected SBU reactivity – in this case chemisorption of methanol – has implications across a range of MOF chemistry, from activation of small molecules for heterogeneous catalysis to chemical stability, and we expect cluster anion substitution to be developed into a highly convenient novel method for modifying the internal pore surface and chemistry of a range of porous materials. Publisher PDF

A binuclear tungsten(0) complex with an asymmetric bridging 1,2-diphosphole ligand was prepared by the photolysis of tungsten hexacarbonyl in the presence of 1-isopropyl-2-phenyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydroacenaphtho [5,6-cd][1,2]diphosphole. The tungsten complex 1 was characterized by high resolution mass spectrometry, multinuclear NMR spectroscopy (1H, 13C, 31P), and elemental microanalysis. The structure of the trans isomer was resolved by single crystal X-ray diffraction, showing a slight elongation of the P−P bond upon coordination to the W(CO)5 groups. Publisher PDF

Materials science research has expanded significantly in recent years; a multidisciplinary field, home to an ever-growing number of chemists. However, our general chemistry degree courses have not changed to reflect the rise in interest in this topic. In this paper, we propose a laboratory experiment for the undergraduate chemistry practical course, which may serve as a hands-on introduction to this field. The experiment involves the synthesis and characterization of magnetic materials via commonly employed techniques in materials science. Students begin by producing three metal ferrite spinels using a sol–gel combustion synthesis. They must then characterize the differing magnetic properties across their three samples using a magnetic susceptibility balance. In the second part of the experiment, students must create a ferrofluid via coprecipitation, from which they may observe the phenomenon of “spiking” in response to an external magnet. Additional data such as X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) images corresponding to these materials are also provided, and students are tasked with the interpretation of these data in their writeup report. Upon completion, students should gain a new-found understanding of materials science and its fundamental overlap with chemistry.

In this paper, two cathinone derivatives, 4F-3Me-α-PVP and N-ethylheptedrone, seized on the illegal drug market in Poland, were described and characterized by various instrumental analytical methods. The compounds were characterized by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, high-resolution mass spectrometry, gas chromatography–mass spectrometry, infrared spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, thermogravimetric analysis, differential scanning calorimetry and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The two tested compounds were confirmed as 1-(4-fluoro-3-methylphenyl)-2-(pyrrolidin-1-yl)pentan-1-one and N-ethyl-2-amino-1-phenylheptan-1-one hydrochlorides; both are cathinone derivatives available on the market for new psychoactive substances (NPS). The obtained analytical data should be useful for forensic and toxicological purposes in the rapid and reliable identification of compounds.

The molecular Pt nanocluster [Pt27(CO)31]4- (14-) was obtained by thermal decomposition of [Pt15(CO)30]2- in tetrahydrofuran under a H2 atmosphere. The reaction of 14- with increasing amounts of HBF4·Et2O afforded the previously reported [Pt26(CO)32]2- (32-) and [Pt26(CO)32]- (3-). The new nanocluster 14- was characterized by IR and UV-visible spectroscopy, single-crystal X-ray diffraction, direct-current superconducting quantum interference device magnetometry, cyclic voltammetry, IR spectroelectrochemistry (IR SEC), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The cluster displays a cubic-close-packed Pt27 framework generated by the overlapping of four ABCA layers, composed of 3, 7, 11, and 6 atoms, respectively, that encapsulates a fully interstitial Pt4 tetrahedron. One Pt atom is missing within layer 3, and this defect (vacancy) generates local deformations within layers 2 and 3. These local deformations tend to repair the defect (missing atom) and increase the number of Pt-Pt bonding contacts, minimizing the total energy. The cluster 14- is perfectly diamagnetic and displays a rich electrochemical behavior. Indeed, six different oxidation states have been characterized by IR SEC, unraveling the series of 1n- (n = 3-8) isostructural nanoclusters. Computational studies have been carried out to further support the interpretation of the experimental data.

BAZ2A is an epigenetic regulator affecting transcription of ribosomal RNA. It is overexpressed in aggressive and recurrent prostate cancer, promoting cellular migration. Its bromodomain is characterized by a shallow and difficult-to-drug pocket. Here, we describe a structure-based fragment-growing campaign for the identification of ligands of the BAZ2A bromodomain. By combining docking, competition binding assays, and protein crystallography, we have extensively explored the interactions of the ligands with the rim of the binding pocket, and in particular ionic interactions with the side chain of Glu1820, which is unique to BAZ2A. We present 23 high-resolution crystal structures of the holo BAZ2A bromodomain and analyze common bromodomain/ligand motifs and favorable intraligand interactions. Binding of some of the compounds is enantiospecific, with affinity in the low micromolar range. The most potent ligand has an equilibrium dissociation constant of 7 μM and a good selectivity over the paralog BAZ2B bromodomain.

A swelling pressure cell is introduced to measure apparent swelling pressure (ps) and basal spacing of montmorillonite (d001) simultaneously for compacted bentonite during water absorption. Specimens with an initial dry density of up to 1·7 Mg/m3 were prepared with initially oven-dried bentonite powder. Results show that the ps time history curve has four stages: a sharp increase to the peak swelling pressure (pp); a drop to a valley swelling pressure (pv); another increase to the initial swelling pressure for equilibrium (pei); and equilibrium swelling pressure (peq). Meanwhile, d001 changes from 0·98 nm to 1·26 nm, 1·58 nm, 1·90 nm and 4·0 nm gradually during water absorption. Results imply that crystalline swelling of montmorillonite serves an important role for interpretation of ps behaviour of tested specimens. Another testing programme to measure ps compacted bentonite only was conducted using the swelling pressure cell. Results suggest that specimen dry density closely correlates with feature points of ps time history (i.e. pp, pv, pei and peq), which is consistent with results of earlier studies. Importantly, the 2 mm specimen thickness was used, which reduced the test duration to less than 24 h. Evidence from experiments suggests that the swelling pressure cell is a powerful and inexpensive tool for studying the swelling behaviour of compacted bentonite.

EDTA (Ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid), abbreviated as H4Y with Y4- herein, is a chelating ligand that complexes a wide range of metal ions. Alkali metal ions have rather low stability constants with EDTA; however, syntheses and crystal structures of a few alkali metal-EDTA complexes have been reported. Note that the structures have diversity, i.e., they are different from that of the EDTA complexes having typically known hexadentate Y4- with the coordination numbers (CN) 6 for cations. For example, in a lithium-EDTA complex, [Li4(EDTA-4H)], Li+ have CN 4 or 5 by tridentate μ12-Y4- . Additionally, in some sodium-, potassium- and rubidium-EDTA complexes whose crystal structures are also revealed, Na+ , K+ and Rb+ have greater CN than 6 with multidentate Y4- , HY3- and H2Y2- . Nevertheless, elucidating the structures of alkali metal-EDTA complexes in solution have still difficulties. Because in solutions the structures of the EDTA complexes do not necessarily consistent with that in crystalline states., 長崎大学大学院工学研究科研究報告, 52(99), pp.22-29; 2022

The reaction of 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diamine (dmpn) with an excess of concentrated aqueous hydrochloric acid yielded colorless crystals of 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diaminium dichloride, dmpnH2Cl2 (1), in addition to small amounts of a monohydrate, dmpnH2Cl2∙H2O (2). The compounds were studied via X-ray crystallography, IR and Raman spectroscopy, NMR spectroscopy and thermal analysis. Single crystal structure determinations on 1 and 2 showed that dmpnH2Cl2 exists in two polymorphic forms, 1a and 1b. The crystal structure of 1b showed to be much more complex than that of 1a. In the crystal structure of 2, four (dmpnH2)2+ cations and eight chloride anions form a cage constructed by N−H∙∙∙Cl hydrogen bonds. In the center of these cages water dimers with a O∙∙∙O distance of 2.776 (8) Å are present. In addition, a conformational analysis of the 2,2-dimethylpropane-1,3-diaminium cation was performed. The results are compared to the experimental findings of 1a, 1b, 2 and other related hydrogen bonded salt structures from the Cambridge crystallographic structure database (CCDC). Last, a topological classification of the solid-state structures of 1a and 2 was performed and the simplified topological networks are discussed.

Two novel Sb(III) and Sb(V) peri-substituted acenaphthene phosphorus−antimony compounds were prepared. The Sb(III) compound, 1, was prepared via reacting the organolithium precursor with dichloro(p-tolyl)Stibine, and 2 was prepared by the chlorination of 1. Both 1 and 2 were characterized by multinuclear (1H, 13C and 31P) NMR spectroscopy, and their molecular structures resolved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Both compounds show a dative P−Sb interaction with the antimony being the acceptor group in both cases owing to its Lewis acidity. Publisher PDF

The human protein tyrosine phosphatase non-receptor type 3 (PTPN3) is a phosphatase containing a PDZ (PSD-95/Dlg/ZO-1) domain that has been found to play both tumor-suppressive and tumor-promoting roles in various cancers, despite limited knowledge of its cellular partners and signaling functions. Notably, the high-risk genital human papillomavirus (HPV) types 16 and 18 and the hepatitis B virus (HBV) target the PDZ domain of PTPN3 through PDZ-binding motifs (PBMs) in their E6 and HBc proteins respectively.This study focuses on the interactions between the PTPN3 PDZ domain (PTPN3-PDZ) and PBMs of viral and cellular protein partners. The solved X-ray structures of complexes between PTPN3-PDZ and PBMs of E6 of HPV18 and the tumor necrosis factor-alpha converting enzyme (TACE) reveal two novel interactions. We provide new insights into key structural determinants of PBM recognition by PTPN3 by screening the selectivity of PTPN3-PDZ recognition of PBMs, and by comparing the PDZome binding profiles of PTPN3-recognized PBMs and the interactome of PTPN3-PDZ.The PDZ domain of PTPN3 was known to auto-inhibit the protein’s phosphatase activity. We discovered that the linker connecting the PDZ and phosphatase domains is involved in this inhibition, and that the binding of PBMs does not impact this catalytic regulation.Overall, the study sheds light on the interactions and structural determinants of PTPN3 with its cellular and viral partners, as well as on the inhibitory role of its PDZ domain on its phosphatase activity.

International audience; The synthesis and characterization of cobalt(II) (3, 4) and acetato cobalt(III) (5) complexes with two tripodal tetradentate diamino-bis(phenolate) ligands (L1 and L2) are reported. The solid-state structures of proligand H2L1 and complexes 4 and 5 were determined by X-ray crystallography. Complex 4 crystallizes as a dimer via the formation of a Co2O2 core. Complex 5 is monomeric with a six-coordinated cobalt(III) center bearing a chelating acetate ligand. In both structures, the diamino-bis(phenolate) ligand (L1 or L2) is acting as a tetradentate dianionic κ4-(O2,N2) chelating ligand. The diamagnetic nature of complex 5 allowed its characterization by multinuclear NMR spectroscopic techniques. Complex 5 is not a competent unimolecular initiator for the radical polymerization of methyl acrylate or methyl methacrylate. Its cobalt(II) analog (3) did not act as an efficient OMRP moderator for the radical polymerization of activated (styrene, tert-butyl acrylate) and non-activated (vinyl acetate) monomers.

The chelating aluminum complex [2-(Me2NCH2)C2B10H10]AlX2 (X = Br 3, CH34) was synthesized using 2-dimethylaminomethyl-o-carboranyl lithium (LiCabN, 2) with aluminum tribromide (AlBr3) or dimethylaluminum bromide (Me2AlBr), resulting in a modest yield. Compound 4 was obtained by reacting compound 3 with methyllithium (CH3Li) in toluene. All compounds were characterized using infrared (IR) spectroscopy; 1H, 11B, 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy; and X-ray crystallography. X-ray structural studies of CabNAlBr2 (3) and CabNAlMe2 (4) (CabN = 2-dimethylaminomethyl-o-carboranyl) indicated that the aluminum atom was located at the center of a distorted tetrahedron. Crystal structures of CabNAlBr2 (3) [a = 8.9360(3) Å, b = 12.0358(9) Å, c = 14.7730(4) Å, α = β = γ = 90°] and CabNAlMe2 (4) [a = 8.9551(3) Å, b = 11.9126(9) Å, c = 14.7711(4) Å, α = β = γ = 90°] were obtained. The reactivity of aluminum complexes 3 and 4 with Lewis bases, such as H2O, pyridine, alkylamines, and arylamines, confirmed their rapid decomposition due to the strong Lewis acidity of aluminum metals.

As all life on this planet evolves around water, it is important for our bodies to be able to regulate it. This may be done passively, but just like with water in the ocean, if we were to rely solely on passive transport (such as evaporation), the flow of water would be too slow for biological functions to uphold the homeostasis that is so important for us to survive. All organisms have thus developed specialised water channels, aquaporins (AQPs), which, much like rivers, (usually) act as rapid transporters of water across land - or our lipid-rich cellular membranes.When issues arise with AQPs, disease states such as nephrogenic diabetes insipidus, Sjögren's syndrome, and cataracts may occur. These diseases are all related to the malfunction in either the integrity or regulation of the AQP responsible, or proteins related to their regulation.In this thesis, the following proteins are studied; AQP0, AQP2, and AQP5, along with their regulatory proteins calmodulin and ezrin. In the case of AQP2, the structural impact of mutations from patients are investigated in relation to their structure and function, as well as their role in causing the disease state. The study of membrane proteins as a whole is a complicated matter, mainly due to the fact that they are situated in the cell membrane. Detergents are required to isolate them from their place in the membrane, and form in structural studies using X-ray crystallography, this can be an impediment. Detergents may cause irregularities the crystal lattice, resulting in lower resolution data. These irregularities may in some cases be possible to benefit from, if they cause continuous diffraction. We have studied the nature of this type of diffraction, what causes it, and if it can be manipulated to our advantage.

PPARγ represents a key target for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. To avoid serious adverse effects related to the PPARγ agonism profile of traditional antidiabetic drugs, a new opportunity is represented by the development of molecules acting as inhibitors of PPARγ phosphorylation by the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5). Their mechanism of action is mediated by the stabilization of the PPARγ β-sheet containing Ser273 (Ser245 in PPARγ isoform 1 nomenclature). In this paper, we report the identification of new γ-hydroxy-lactone-based PPARγ binders from the screening of an in-house library. These compounds exhibit a non-agonist profile towards PPARγ, and one of them prevents Ser245 PPARγ phosphorylation by acting mainly on PPARγ stabilization and exerting a weak CDK5 inhibitory effect.

We report the time-efficient synthesis of quinolin-8-yl 4-chlorobenzoate (3) via an O-acylation reaction between 8-hydroxyquinoline (1) and 4-chlorobenzoyl chloride (2) mediated by triethylamine in acetonitrile under heating at 80 °C for 20 min in the Monowave 50 reactor. This protocol is distinguished by its short reaction time, operational simplicity, and clean reaction profile. The structure of 3 was fully characterized through a combination of analytical techniques, including NMR, IR, and UV–Vis spectroscopy, MS spectrometry, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), thermogravimetry (TG), and crystallographic studies. Interestingly, X-ray diffraction analyses of 3 show that the crystal structure is characterized by C-H···N, C-H···O, Cl···π, and π···π interactions. The molecular conformation presents an orthogonal orientation between aromatic rings in the solid state. The calculated interaction energies using the CE-B3LYP model show that dispersion forces act in a higher proportion to build the crystal, which is consistent with the few short hydrogen interactions detected. Electrostatic potential maps suggest the formation of σ-holes over the Cl atoms. Although they can behave as both Lewis acid and base sites, Cl··Cl interactions are absent due to the shallow depth of these σ-holes. Quantum chemical descriptors and global reactivity descriptors were examined using the B3LYP method with the 6-31G(d,p) basis set implemented in CrystalExplorer. Finally, compound 3 exhibited low activity against HOP-92 and EKVX non-Small-cell lung and UO-31 Renal cancer cell lines, with a growth inhibition percentage (GI%) ranging from 6.2% to 18.1%.

S-formylglutathione hydrolases (SFGHs) catalyze the hydrolysis of S-formylglutathione to formate and glutathione using the conserved serine hydrolase catalytic triad residues (Ser-His-Asp). SFGHs have broad substrate specificity, including, for example, ester bond-containing substrates. Here, we report the crystal structure of Burkholderiaceae sp. SFGH (BuSFGH) at 1.73 Å resolution. Structural analysis showed that the overall structure of BuSFGH has a typical α/β hydrolase fold, with a central β-sheet surrounded by α-helices. Analytical ultracentrifugation analysis showed that BuSFGH formed a stable dimer in solution. The enzyme activity assay indicated that BuSFGH has a high preference for short-chain p-nitrophenyl esters, such as p-nitrophenyl acetate. The activity of BuSFGH toward p-nitrophenyl acetate was five times higher than that of p-nitrophenyl butylate. Molecular modeling studies on the p-nitrophenyl acetate-bound BuSFGH structure indicate that Gly52, Leu53, Trp96, His147, Ser148, Trp182, Phe228, and His259 residues may be crucial for substrate binding. Collectively, these results are useful for understanding the substrate-binding mechanism and substrate specificity of BuSFGH. They can also provide useful insights for designing modified BuSFGHs with different substrate specificities.

International audience; La Crosse virus, responsible for pediatric encephalitis in the United States, and Schmallenberg virus, a highly teratogenic veterinary virus in Europe, belong to the large Orthobunyavirus genus of zoonotic arthropod-borne pathogens distributed worldwide. Viruses in this under-studied genus cause CNS infections or fever with debilitating arthralgia/myalgia syndromes, with no effective treatment. The main surface antigen, glycoprotein Gc (∼1,000 residues), has a variable N-terminal half (GcS) targeted by the patients’ antibody response and a conserved C-terminal moiety (GcF) responsible for membrane fusion during cell entry. Here, we report the X-ray structure of post-fusion La Crosse and Schmallenberg virus GcF, revealing the molecular determinants for hairpin formation and trimerization required to drive membrane fusion. We further experimentally confirm the role of residues in the fusion loops and in a vestigial endoplasmic reticulum (ER) translocation sequence at the GcS-GcF junction. The resulting knowledge provides essential molecular underpinnings for future development of potential therapeutic treatments and vaccines.

Human fetal hemoglobin (HbF) is an attractive starting protein for developing an effective agent for oxygen therapeutics applications. This requires that HbF can be produced in heterologous systems at high levels and in a homogeneous form. The introduction of negative charges on the surface of the α-chain in HbF can enhance the recombinant production yield of a functional protein in Escherichia coli. In this study, we characterized the structural, biophysical, and biological properties of an HbF mutant carrying four additional negative charges on each α-chain (rHbFα4). The 3D structure of the rHbFα4 mutant was solved with X-ray crystallography at 1.6 Å resolution. Apart from enabling a higher yield in recombinant protein production in E. coli, we observed that the normal DNA cleavage activity of the HbF was significantly lowered, with a four-time reduced rate constant for the rHbFα4 mutant. The oxygen-binding properties of the rHbFα4 mutant were identical to the wild-type protein. No significant difference between the wild-type and rHbFα4 was observed for the investigated oxidation rates (autoxidation and H2O2-mediated ferryl formation). However, the ferryl reduction reaction indicated some differences, which appear to be related to the reaction rates linked to the α-chain.

Metal hydrides, generally formed by high pressure combined with high-temperature conditions, have attracted substantial interest due to their promising high-energy density and high-temperature supe...

Phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase type 2α (PI3KC2α) is an essential member of the structurally unresolved class II PI3K family with crucial functions in lipid signaling, endocytosis, angiogenesis, viral replication, platelet formation and a role in mitosis. The molecular basis of these activities of PI3KC2α is poorly understood. Here, we report high-resolution crystal structures as well as a 4.4-Å cryogenic-electron microscopic (cryo-EM) structure of PI3KC2α in active and inactive conformations. We unravel a coincident mechanism of lipid-induced activation of PI3KC2α at membranes that involves large-scale repositioning of its Ras-binding and lipid-binding distal Phox-homology and C-C2 domains, and can serve as a model for the entire class II PI3K family. Moreover, we describe a PI3KC2α-specific helical bundle domain that underlies its scaffolding function at the mitotic spindle. Our results advance our understanding of PI3K biology and pave the way for the development of specific inhibitors of class II PI3K function with wide applications in biomedicine.

Aromatic residues cluster in the core of folded proteins, where they stabilize the structure through multiple interactions. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) studies in the 1970s showed that aromatic side chains can undergo ring flips—that is, 180° rotations—despite their role in maintaining the protein fold1–3. It was suggested that large-scale ‘breathing’ motions of the surrounding protein environment would be necessary to accommodate these ring flipping events1. However, the structural details of these motions have remained unclear. Here we uncover the structural rearrangements that accompany ring flipping of a buried tyrosine residue in an SH3 domain. Using NMR, we show that the tyrosine side chain flips to a low-populated, minor state and, through a proteome-wide sequence analysis, we design mutants that stabilize this state, which allows us to capture its high-resolution structure by X-ray crystallography. A void volume is generated around the tyrosine ring during the structural transition between the major and minor state, and this allows fast flipping to take place. Our results provide structural insights into the protein breathing motions that are associated with ring flipping. More generally, our study has implications for protein design and structure prediction by showing how the local protein environment influences amino acid side chain conformations and vice versa.

Na2Ti3O7 has attracted much attention in the field of anode materials for Na-ion batteries thanks to its non-toxicity and very low working potential of 0.3 V vs Na0/Na+. Building a clearer picture of its formation from cheap Na2CO3 and TiO2 starting materials is therefore of obvious interest. Here, we report new insights from an in-situ high temperature X-ray diffraction study conducted from room temperature to 800 °C, complemented by ex-situ characterizations. We were thereby able to position the previously reported Na4Ti5O12 and Na2Ti6O13 intermediate phases in a reaction scheme involving three successive steps and temperature ranges. Shifts and/or broadening of a subset of the Na2Ti6O13 reflections suggested a combination of intra-layer disorder with the well-established ordering of successive layers. This in-situ study was carried out on reproducible mixtures of Na2CO3 and TiO2 in 1:3 molar ratio prepared by spray-drying of mixed aqueous suspensions. Single-phase Na2Ti3O7 was obtained after only 8 h at 800 °C in air, instead of a minimum of 20 h for a conventional solid-state route using the same precursors. Microstructure analysis revealed ~ 15 µm diameter granules made up from rectangular rods of a few-µm length presenting electrochemical properties in line with expectations. In the absence of grinding or formation of intimate composites with conductive carbon, the specific capacity of 137 mAh/g at C/5 decreased at higher rates.

Graphical abstract, Highlights • The mappings between micro cracks and diffraction pattern curves were revealed based on GIXD and MD. • Surface and subsurface defects of CaF2 crystals induced by abrasive machining were evaluated and characterized accurately. • MD simulated results agreed well with the experimental results. • This work provided a novel technology for nondestructive testing of defects of single crystals at nano- and micro- scales., Introduction Surface and subsurface defects were easily induced during abrasive machining process of optical crystals due to their high brittleness. Accurate characterization of these defects is the prerequisite for obtaining optical components with high surface integrity. Objectives This work aims to evaluate subsurface defects of CaF2 single crystals induced by abrasive machining, the mappings between micro cracks and diffraction pattern curves, and the influence of micro cracks on lattice structures. Methods Molecular dynamics simulation, grazing incidence X-ray diffraction experiments and cross-sectional TEM detection were used in this work. Results In grazing incidence X-ray diffraction (GIXD) detection experiments on lapping and polished specimens, shifts phenomenon of the peak position under the non-theoretical grazing incidence angle indicated that the subsurface was damaged to a certain extent. The micro cracks of the subsurface were evaluated by the consistent characteristic of “peak drift” of the diffraction pattern curve in both experiments and simulations. In addition, cross-sectional TEM results showed that regular micro cracks were found on the subsurface, which agreed well with the simulation results. Conclusion The subsurface defects of CaF2 single crystals induced by abrasive machining, and the influence of micro cracks on lattice structures can be evaluated by molecular dynamics simulation. The simulation results revealed the mappings between the micro cracks and diffraction pattern curve, which demonstrated that a phenomenon of “peak drift” occurred near the diffraction angle of a specific crystal plane. This work provided a novel technology for the nondestructive testing of defects of single crystal materials at nano- and micro- scales.

L-Lysine α-oxidase (LysOX) from Trichoderma viride is a homodimeric flavoenzyme that catalyzes the oxidative deamination of L-Lysine to produce α-keto-ε-aminocaproate with ammonia and hydrogen per-oxide. LysOX inhibited the growth of cancer cells but showed relatively low toxicity for normal cells. The full-length cDNA consists of 2,119 bp, and encodes a long N-terminal propeptide composed of 77 resi-dues (Met1-Arg77) and the mature protein (Ala78-Ile617). The LysOX gene was heterologously expressed in Streptomyces lividans TK24 or Escherichia coli SoluBL21. The enzymatic properties of the purified recombinant LysOX, such as substrate specificity, kinetic parameters and thermal stability, are the same as those of the native LysOX. The LysOX precursor (prLysOX) expressed in E. coli shows weak enzymatic activity and is activated by proteolytic processing. The crystal structure of prLysOX revealed that the propeptide of prLysOX indirectly changes the active site structure to inhibit enzyme activity. Moreover, the crystal structures of LysOX and its L-Lysine complex revealed that the hydrogen bonding network formed by Asp212, Asp315 and Ala440 with two water molecules is responsible for the recogni-tion of the ε-amino group of L-Lysine. In addition, a narrow substrate-binding site and acidic surface at the active site entrance both contribute to strict substrate specificity. Mutational analysis demonstrated that Asp212 and Asp315 are essential for substrate recognition, and the D212A/D315A LysOX prefers aromatic amino acids. Furthermore, the structural basis of the substrate specificity change has also been revealed by the structural analysis of the D212A/D315A LysOX and its substrate complexes.

In standard crystallographic refinement of biomacromolecules, the crystallographic raw data are supplemented by empirical restraints that ensure that the structure makes chemical sense. These restraints are typically accurate for amino acids and nucleic acids, but less so for cofactors, substrates, inhibitors, ligands and metal sites. In quantum refinement, this potential is replaced by more accurate quantum mechanical (QM) calculations. Several implementations have been presented, differing in the level of QM and whether it is used for the entire structure or only for a site of particular interest. It has been shown that the method can improve and correct errors in crystal structures and that it can be used to determine protonation and tautomeric states of various ligands and to decide what is really seen in the structure by refining different interpretations and using standard crystallographic and QM quality measures to decide which fits the structure best.

The most used approaches in structure-based drug design possess peculiar characteristics with advantages and limitations, and thus the management of complementary data from various techniques is of particular interest to synergistically achieve the development of effective enzyme inhibitors. In this Letter, we describe the application of experimental and computational techniques to study the interactions between human carbonic anhydrases and sulfonamide inhibitors. In particular, a series of affinity-labeled carbonic anhydrase inhibitors containing sulfonamido photoprobes was designed and synthesized, and one of these compounds, a benzophenone derivative, was chosen as a model photoprobe/inhibitor. A photoaffinity labeling method followed by mass spectrometry analysis was then applied to elucidate the inhibitor binding site, and a comparison with X-ray crystallography and molecular dynamics simulation data was carried out, highlighting that to have a comprehensive view of the protein/inhibitor complex stabilization all three kinds of experiments are necessary.

One organic functional group was introduced to distinguish the four phenyl ring of tetraphenylethylene, and the In situ temperature-dependent crystal structures were determined to exhibit the conformation changes of tert-butyl (3-(1,2,2-triphenylvinyl)phenyl)carbamate (denoted as BTPC). The isotropic displacement parameters of each phenyl further confirm the inequivalent vibrations of molecule resulted from the anisotropy of crystal.

Riboswitches are structured non-coding RNAs often located upstream of essential genes in bacterial messenger RNAs. Such RNAs regulate expression of downstream genes by recognizing a specific cellular effector. Although nearly 50 riboswitch classes are known, only a handful recognize multiple effectors. Here, we report the 2.60-Å resolution co-crystal structure of a class I type I preQ1-sensing riboswitch that reveals two effectors stacked atop one another in a single binding pocket. These effectors bind with positive cooperativity in vitro and both molecules are necessary for gene regulation in bacterial cells. Stacked effector recognition appears to be a hallmark of the largest subgroup of preQ1 riboswitches, including those from pathogens such as Neisseria gonorrhoeae. We postulate that binding to stacked effectors arose in the RNA World to closely position two substrates for RNA-mediated catalysis. These findings expand known effector recognition capabilities of riboswitches and have implications for antimicrobial development., Riboswitches contain an aptamer domain that recognizes a metabolite and an expression platform that regulates gene expression. Here the authors report the crystal structure of a preQ1-sensing riboswitch from Carnobacterium antarcticus that shows two metabolites in a single binding pocket.

Eukaryotic deubiquitinases are important regulators of ubiquitin signaling and can be subdivided into several structurally distinct classes. The ZUFSP family, with ZUP1 as its sole human member, has a modular architecture with a core catalytic domain highly active against the ubiquitin-derived peptide RLRGG, but not against ubiquitin itself. Ubiquitin recognition is conferred by additional non-catalytic domains, making full-length ZUP1 active against long K63-linked chains. However, non-mammalian ZUFSP family members contain different ubiquitin-binding domains in their N-terminal regions, despite their high conservation within the catalytic domain. Here, by working with representative ZUFSP family members from insects, fungi and plants, we show that different N-terminal domains are associated with different linkage preferences. Biochemical and structural studies suggest that the acquisition of two family-specific proximal domains have changed the default K48 preference of the ZUFSP family to the K63 preference observed in ZUP1 and its insect homolog. Additional N-terminal zinc finger domains promote chain cleavage without changing linkage-specificity., ZUFSP-type enzymes cleave ubiquitin chains in a linkage-specific fashion, but members from different organisms have different specificities. Using an inter-kingdom comparison of activities and structures, the authors identify the domains responsible for this discrepancy.

Based on the molecular-dynamics simulation platform Amber, a refinement algorithm has been developed to obtain structural models of protein crystals in the form of a fully hydrated unit cell. These models typically yield better R free values and MolProbity scores compared with the PDB-deposited or Phenix-refined coordinates. The new algorithm has a favorable radius of convergence, is simple to use and is fast., A procedure has been developed for the refinement of crystallographic protein structures based on the biomolecular simulation program Amber. The procedure constructs a model representing a crystal unit cell, which generally contains multiple protein molecules and is fully hydrated with TIP3P water. Periodic boundary conditions are applied to the cell in order to emulate the crystal lattice. The refinement is conducted in the form of a specially designed short molecular-dynamics run controlled by the Amber ff14SB force field and the maximum-likelihood potential that encodes the structure-factor-based restraints. The new Amber-based refinement procedure has been tested on a set of 84 protein structures. In most cases, the new procedure led to appreciably lower R free values compared with those reported in the original PDB depositions or obtained by means of the industry-standard phenix.refine program. In particular, the new method has the edge in refining low-accuracy scrambled models. It has also been successful in refining a number of molecular-replacement models, including one with an r.m.s.d. of 2.15 Å. In addition, Amber-refined structures consistently show superior MolProbity scores. The new approach offers a highly realistic representation of protein–protein interactions in the crystal, as well as of protein–water interactions. It also offers a realistic representation of protein crystal dynamics (akin to ensemble-refinement schemes). Importantly, the method fully utilizes the information from the available diffraction data, while relying on state-of-the-art molecular-dynamics modeling to assist with those elements of the structure that do not diffract well (for example mobile loops or side chains). Finally, it should be noted that the protocol employs no tunable parameters, and the calculations can be conducted in a matter of several hours on desktop computers equipped with graphical processing units or using a designated web service.

BCL-2 proteins regulate mitochondrial poration in apoptosis initiation. How the pore-forming BCL-2 Effector BAK is activated remains incompletely understood mechanistically. Here we investigate autoactivation and direct activation by BH3-only proteins, which cooperate to lower BAK threshold in membrane poration and apoptosis initiation. We define in trans BAK autoactivation as the asymmetric “BH3-in-groove” triggering of dormant BAK by active BAK. BAK autoactivation is mechanistically similar to direct activation. The structure of autoactivated BAK BH3-BAK complex reveals the conformational changes leading to helix α1 destabilization, which is a hallmark of BAK activation. Helix α1 is destabilized and restabilized in structures of BAK engaged by rationally designed, high-affinity activating and inactivating BID-like BH3 ligands, respectively. Altogether our data support the long-standing hit-and-run mechanism of BAK activation by transient binding of BH3-only proteins, demonstrating that BH3-induced structural changes are more important in BAK activation than BH3 ligand affinity., The authors show that the mechanism of BAK activation in mitochondrial apoptosis involves cooperation between direct activation by BH3-only protein BID and BAK autoactivation, providing a unifying basis for BAK triggering by BH3 ligands.

EttA, energy-dependent translational throttle A, is a ribosomal factor that gates ribosome entry into the translation elongation cycle. A detailed understanding of its mechanism of action is limited due to the lack of high-resolution structures along its ATPase cycle. Here we present the cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM) structures of EttA from Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb), referred to as MtbEttA, in complex with the Mtb 70S ribosome initiation complex (70SIC) at the pre-hydrolysis (ADPNP) and transition (ADP-VO4) states, and the crystal structure of MtbEttA alone in the post-hydrolysis (ADP) state. We observe that MtbEttA binds the E-site of the Mtb 70SIC, remodeling the P-site tRNA and the ribosomal intersubunit bridge B7a during the ribosomal ratcheting. In return, the rotation of the 30S causes conformational changes in MtbEttA, forcing the two nucleotide-binding sites (NBSs) to alternate to engage each ADPNP in the pre-hydrolysis states, followed by complete engagements of both ADP-VO4 molecules in the ATP-hydrolysis transition states. In the post-hydrolysis state, the conserved ATP-hydrolysis motifs of MtbEttA dissociate from both ADP molecules, leaving two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) in an open conformation. These structures reveal a dynamic interplay between MtbEttA and the Mtb ribosome, providing insights into the mechanism of translational regulation by EttA-like proteins., The authors present structures of the MtbEttA protein bound to or free of the ribosome from Mycobacterium tuberculosis under different nucleotide states, which provide insights into the mechanism of translational regulation by EttA-like proteins.

SnO2 is an n-type semiconductor and a transparent conducting oxide and has apt properties in a gas sensing material, photovoltaic cells, fuel cells, batteries etc., Nanocrystalline tin oxide (SnO2) powders with different grain sizes were prepared by chemical co-precipitation method. Synthesised nanopowder XRD data were analyzed with different tools. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis mainly used to determine the crystal structure of nanomaterials such as ZnO, CuO, CdO and SnO2, etc., Pure SnO2 test conditions were set to be Cu-Kα XRD source, accelerating voltage 40 kV, acceleration currency 40 mA, scan range 20–80° with Ni filter (λ = 0.154056 nm). The pure SnO2 sample was exhibiting different crystalline peaks from the powder XRD study. The diffraction peak of pure tin oxide nanoparticles possesses a tetragonal rutile structure with space group P42/mnm. The FULLPROF Suite program was used for Rietveld–type analysis for pure SnO2powder diffraction data. The resultant data were compared with Nelson-Riley, Williamson-Hall plot, and Debye-Scherer methods. The lattice parameters and particle size of pure SnO2were agreed with the ICDD.No.01-077-0447data. The main advantages of these methods are low angle regions and a small number of peaks needed.

Energy-dispersive X-ray diffraction (EDXRD) is extremely insensitive to sample morphology when implemented in a back-reflection geometry. The capabilities of this non-invasive technique for cultural heritage applications have been explored at high resolution at the Diamond Light Source synchrotron. The results of the XRD analysis of the pigments in 40 paints, commonly used by 20th century artists, are reported here. It was found that synthetic organic pigments yielded weak diffraction patterns at best, and it was not possible to unambiguously identify any of these pigments. In contrast, the majority of the paints containing inorganic pigments yielded good diffraction patterns amenable to crystallographic analysis. The high resolution of the technique enables the extraction of a range of detailed information: phase identification (including solid solutions), highly accurate unit cell parameters, phase quantification, crystallite size and strain parameters and preferred orientation parameters. The implications of these results for application to real paintings are discussed, along with the possibility to transfer the technique away from the synchrotron and into the laboratory and museum through the use of state-of-the-art microcalorimeter detectors. The results presented demonstrate the exciting potential of the technique for art history and authentication studies, based on the non-invasive acquisition of very high quality crystallographic data., Comment: Main article: 25 pages, 5 figures; Supplementary information: 35 pages, 37 figures. Accepted for publication in the Journal of Cultural Heritage with revisions

A novel Cu (II) based coordination polymer [Cu(ipa)(py)3]n (1) (ipa = Isophthalic acid) has been synthesized from isophthalate and heterocyclic pyridine ligand and was well characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy and Single Crystal X Ray Diffraction (SCXRD). Phase purity of the compound was analysed by powder X ray Diffraction (PXRD). The thermal behaviour of the compound was also studied by Thermogravimetric analysis (TG) which revealed the thermal stability of synthesised compound over a wide temperature range. SCXRD studies revealed the compound to be a 1D-coordination polymer with asymmetric unit belonging to monoclinic crystal system with space group P 2(1)/n [a = 9.1209(2), b = 15.3603(3), c = 16.0084(3), α = 90.00, β = 92.2250(10), γ = 90.00] and the central atom Cu (II) possessing a triagonal bipyramidal based geometry.