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Simply structured conjugated compounds with cyanoacrylate (CA 1–4) and acrylonitrile (AN 1–4) terminal groups were synthesized by a Knoevenagel condensation reaction in one step and investigated for their recognition properties to p-toluenethiol by UV-vis, fluorescence spectra, and FT-IR measurements. When p-toluenethiol was added to CA 1, the FT-IR spectra revealed a cleavage of alkene caused by the addition reaction between p-toluenethiol and CA 1. An increase in p-toluenethiol concentration, a blue-shifted absorption band, and a decrease in the fluorescence intensity of CA 1were observed because of the decrease in its effective conjugated length. Therefore, the most simply structured CA 1was found to be the most effective and the most sensitive chemical sensor for p-toluenethiol.

Valproic acid (VPA) is widely used to treat various types of epilepsy. Interindividual variability in VPA pharmacokinetics may arise from genetic polymorphisms of VPA-metabolizing enzymes. This study aimed to examine the relationships between plasma VPA concentrations and the −161C>T single nucleotide polymorphism in uridine diphosphate glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) 2B7 genes in pediatric epilepsy patients.

The interaction of a tea catechin, epigallocatechin gallate (EGCg), with the model membrane of dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC) was studied by solid-state 31P and 2H NMR. The 31P chemical shift anisotropy of the DMPC phosphate group decreased on addition of EGCg. The 2H NMR spectrum of [4-2H]EGCg, which is deuterated at the 4-position, in the DMPC liposomes gave deuterium nuclei with much smaller quadrupole splittings than those in the solid phase. These 31P and 2H NMR observations provide direct experimental evidence that the EGCg molecule interacts with the lipid bilayers.

ABSTRACTTo investigate the functional domains of the coat protein (CP; 189 amino acids) of Brome mosaic virus, a plant RNA virus, 19 alanine-scanning mutants were constructed and tested for their infectivity in barley and Nicotiana benthamiana.Despite its apparent normal replicative competence and CP production, the C-terminal mutant F184A produced no virions. Furthermore, virion-forming C-terminal mutants P178A and D182A failed to move from cell to cell in both plant species, and mutants D181A and V187A showed host-specific movement. These results indicate that the C-terminal region of CP plays some important roles in virus movement and encapsidation. The specificity of certain mutations for viral movement in two different plant species is evidence for the involvement of host-specific factors.