Prostaglandin E Receptor 2 Modulates Macrophage Activity for Cardiac Repair.

Background Prostaglandin E has long been known to be an immune modulator. It is released after tissue injury and plays a role in modulating macrophage activities, which are essential for tissue regeneration. However, the involvement of prostaglandin E receptor 2 ( EP 2)-dependent regulation of macrophages in postischemic heart is unclear.

Phototriggering electron flow through Re(I)-modified Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurins.

The [Re(I)(CO)(3)(4,7-dimethyl-1,10-phenanthroline)(histidine-124)(tryptophan-122)] complex, denoted [Re(I)(dmp)(W122)], of Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin behaves as a single photoactive unit that triggers very fast electron transfer (ET) from a distant (2 nm) Cu(I) center in the protein. Analysis of time-resolved (ps-μs) IR spectroscopic and kinetics data collected on [Re(I)(dmp)(W122)AzM] (in which M=Zn(II), Cu(II), Cu(I); Az=azurin) and position-122 tyrosine (Y), phenylalanine (F), and lysine (K) mutants, together with excited-state DFT/time-dependent (TD)DFT calculations and X-ray structural characterization, reveal the character, energetics, and dynamics of the relevant electronic states of the [Re(I)(dmp)(W122)] unit and a cascade of photoinduced ET and relaxation steps in the corresponding Re-azurins. Optical population of [Re(I)(imidazole-H124)(CO)(3)]→dmp (1)CT states (CT=charge transfer) is followed by around 110 fs intersystem crossing and about 600 ps structural relaxation to a (3)CT state.

Human host factors required for influenza virus replication.

Influenza A virus is an RNA virus that encodes up to 11 proteins and this small coding capacity demands that the virus use the host cellular machinery for many aspects of its life cycle. Knowledge of these host cell requirements not only informs us of the molecular pathways exploited by the virus but also provides further targets that could be pursued for antiviral drug development. Here we use an integrative systems approach, based on genome-wide RNA interference screening, to identify 295 cellular cofactors required for early-stage influenza virus replication.

Tryptophan-accelerated electron flow through proteins.

Energy flow in biological structures often requires submillisecond charge transport over long molecular distances. Kinetics modeling suggests that charge-transfer rates can be greatly enhanced by multistep electron tunneling in which redox-active amino acid side chains act as intermediate donors or acceptors. We report transient optical and infrared spectroscopic experiments that quantify the extent to which an intervening tryptophan residue can facilitate electron transfer between distant metal redox centers in a mutant Pseudomonas aeruginosa azurin.

Catalytic asymmetric Staudinger reactions to form beta-lactams: an unanticipated dependence of diastereoselectivity on the choice of the nitrogen substituent.

There are relatively few methods for the catalytic asymmetric synthesis of beta-lactams, and those that have been reported are generally cis selective. This communication describes the first catalytic enantioselective Staudinger reactions that preferentially furnish trans beta-lactams (trans = relationship of Ph to R1). The key to this method is the use of an N-triflyl protecting group for the imine.