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Complexes of 18-crown-6 ether (18C6) with four protonated amino acids (AAs) are examined using infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy utilizing light generated by the infrared free electron laser at the Centre Laser Infrarouge d'Orsay (CLIO). The AAs examined in this work include glycine (Gly) and the three basic AAs: histidine (His), lysine (Lys), and arginine (Arg). To identify the (AA)H+(18C6) conformations present in the experimental studies, the measured IRMPD spectra are compared to spectra calculated at the B3LYP/6-311+G(d,p) level of theory. Relative energies of various conformers and isomers are provided by single point energy calculations carried out at the B3LYP, B3P86, M06, and MP2(full) levels using the 6-311+G(2p,2d) basis set. The comparisons between the IRMPD and theoretical IR spectra indicate that 18C6 binds to Gly and His via the protonated backbone amino group, whereas protonated Lys prefers binding via the protonated side-chain amino group. Results for Arg are less definitive with strong evidence for binding to the protonated guanidino side chain (the calculated ground conformer at most levels of theory), but contributions from backbone binding to a zwitterionic structure are likely.

The IRMPD action spectra of the deprotonated forms of the four common RNA mononucleotides, adenosine-5'-monophosphate (A5'p), guanosine-5'-monophosphate (G5'p), cytidine-5'-monophosphate (C5'p), and uridine-5'-monophosphate (U5'p), are measured to probe their gas-phase structures. The IRMPD action spectra of all four deprotonated RNA mononucleotides exhibit distinct IR signatures in the frequency region investigated, 570-1900 cm(-1), that allows these deprotonated mononucleotides to be easily differentiated from one other. Comparison of the measured IRMPD action spectra to the linear IR spectra calculated at the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) level of theory finds that the most stable conformations of the deprotonated forms of AS'p, C5'p, and U5'p are accessed in the experiments, and these conformers adopt the C3' endo conformation of the ribose moiety and the anti conformation of the nucleobase. In the case of deprotonated G5'p, the most stable conformer is also accessed in the experiments. However, the ground-state conformer differs from the other three deprotonated RNA mononucleotides in that it adopts the syn rather than anti conformation for the nucleobase. Present results are compared to results previously obtained for the deprotonated forms of the four common DNA mononucleotides to examine the fundamental conformational differences between these species, and thus elucidate the effects of the 2'-hydroxyl group on their structure, stability, and fragmentation behavior.

The gas-phase structures of protonated complexes of uracil and five thiouracils including 2-thiouracil (2SU), 5-methyl-2-thiouracil (5Me2SU), 6-methyl-2-thiouracil (6Me2SU), 4-thiouracil (4SU), and 2,4-dithiouracil (24dSU) are examined via infrared multiple photon dissociation (IRMPD) action spectroscopy and theoretical electronic structure calculations. IRMPD action spectra of all six protonated complexes exhibit both similar and distinct spectral features over the range of similar to 1000-1900 cm(-1), such that the complexes are easily differentiated by their IRMPD action spectra. Absence of the carbonyl stretch at similar to 1825 cm(-1) in the IRMPD spectra for the H+(U), H+(2SU), H+(5Me2SU), and H+(6Me2SU) complexes suggests that the binding of a proton preferentially stabilizes alternative tautomers of the nucleobases in these complexes such that no free carbonyl stretch is observed. In contrast, the intense band at similar to 1825 cm(-1) in the IRMPD action spectrum of H+ (4SU) indicates that a free carbonyl group is still present in this complex. Measured IRMPD action spectra are compared to linear IR spectra calculated at the B3LYP/6-31G(d) level of theory to identify the structures accessed in the experimental studies. On the basis of these comparisons and energetics derived from the calculations, protonation results in preferential stabilization of a minor tautomer of the nucleobase in the H+(U), H+(2SU), H+(5Me2SU),H+(6Me2SU), and H+(24dSU) complexes, where both keto (thioketo) groups are converted to hydroxy (sulfhydryl) groups by proton binding and proton transfer from the neighboring N3H group. In contrast, the proton preferentially binds at the 4-thioketo position to the canonical keto-thioketo tautomer in the H+(4SU) complex. Additional band(s) are present in the IRMPD action spectra of the H+(U) and H(4SU) complexes that suggest that a small population of excited low-energy conformers are also accessed in those systems. (C) 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The production of a rennin-like enzyme by Byssochlamys fulva varied considerably with the isolates tested. Among the seven isolates tested, NRRL 2260, IMI 83277, and N.Y. 1 were good enzyme producers. The enzyme produced by isolate IMI 83277 was purified approximately 20-fold after (NH 4 ) 2 SO 4 precipitation, diethylaminoethyl-cellulose chromatography and Sephadex G-100 gel filtration. The partially purified enzyme has a p H optimum at 2.9 and a temperature optimum around 60 C. The enzyme appeared to be relatively stable at 40 C between p H 3.0 and p H 6.85. A name, byssochlamyopeptidase A, was proposed for this new enzyme. The milk-clotting activity of byssochlamyo-peptidase A is dependent on p H and appeared to be minimal at p H 6.2 or above. No extensive proteolysis has been observed during the milk-clotting process. The non-trichloroacetic acid-precipitable nitrogen titration curve on skim milk was comparable to that catalyzed by animal rennet.