Metal-free synthesis of functionalized tacrine derivatives and their evaluation for acetyl/butyrylcholinesterase and α-glucosidase inhibition.

A mild and greener protocol was developed for C-C (C(sp)-H functionalization) and C-N bond formation to synthesize functionalized tacrine derivatives using a biodegradable and reusable deep eutectic solvent [(DES) formed from ,'-dimethyl urea and L-(+)-tartaric acid in a 3 : 1 ratio at 80 °C]. The condensation of 9-chloro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridines with a variety of aromatic aldehydes gave unsaturated compounds C(sp)-H functionalization (at the C-4 position) with good yields. The substituted -aryl tacrine derivatives were obtained from the condensed products of 9-chloro-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroacridine with substituted anilines the nucleophilic substitution reaction (SN type) in the DES with good yields.

Slow Folding of a Helical Protein: Large Barriers, Strong Internal Friction, or a Shallow, Bumpy Landscape?

The rate at which a protein molecule folds is determined by opposing energetic and entropic contributions to the free energy that shape the folding landscape. Delineating the extent to which they impact the diffusional barrier-crossing events, including the magnitude of internal friction and barrier height, has largely been a challenging task. In this work, we extract the underlying thermodynamic and dynamic contributions to the folding rate of an unusually slow-folding helical DNA-binding domain, PurR, which shares the characteristics of ultrafast downhill-folding proteins but nonetheless appears to exhibit an apparent two-state equilibrium.

Engineering Order and Cooperativity in a Disordered Protein.

Structural disorder in proteins arises from a complex interplay between weak hydrophobicity and unfavorable electrostatic interactions. The extent to which the hydrophobic effect contributes to the unique and compact native state of proteins is, however, confounded by large compensation between multiple entropic and energetic terms. Here we show that protein structural order and cooperativity arise as emergent properties upon hydrophobic substitutions in a disordered system with non-intuitive effects on folding and function.

In-gel staining of proteins in native poly acryl amide gel electrophoresis using tetrakis(4-sulfonato phenyl)porphyrin.

Protein identification in polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (PAGE) requires post-electrophoretic steps like fixing, staining and destaining of the gel, which are time-consuming and cumbersome. We have developed a method for direct visualization of protein bands in PAGE using tetrakis(4-sulfonato phenyl)porphyrin (TPPS) as a dye without the need for any post electrophoretic steps, where separation and recovery of enzymes become much easier for further analysis. Activity staining was done to prove that the biochemical activity of the enzymes was preserved after electrophoresis.