The elevated copper binding strength of amyloid-β aggregates allows the sequestration of copper from albumin: a pathway to accumulation of copper in senile plaques.

Copper coexists with amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides at a high concentration in the senile plaques of Alzheimer's disease (AD) patients and has been linked to oxidative damage associated with AD pathology. However, the origin of copper and the driving force behind its accumulation are unknown. We designed a sensitive fluorescent probe, Aβ(1-16)(Y10W), by substituting the tyrosine residue at position 10 in the hydrophilic domain of Aβ(1-42) with tryptophan.

Synthesis, structures, spectroscopic and electrochemical properties of dinitrosyl iron complexes with bipyridine, terpyridine, and 1,10-phenathroline.

Three new dinitrosyl iron complexes LFe(NO)(2) (L = 2,2'-bipyridine (bipy) (1), 2,2',2''-terpyridine (terpy) (2) and 1,10-phenathroline (phen) (3)) were synthesized by the reaction of Fe(NO)(2)(CO)(2) with corresponding ligands in tetrahydrofuran. Complexes 1-3 were studied using IR, UV-vis, MS, NMR, and electrochemical techniques. Complexes 1 and 2 were also characterized using single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis.

Motions of the substrate recognition duplex in a group I intron assessed by site-directed spin labeling.

The Tetrahymena group I intron recognizes its oligonucleotide substrate in a two-step process. First, a substrate recognition duplex, called the P1 duplex, is formed. The P1 duplex then docks into the prefolded ribozyme core by forming tertiary contacts.

Diastereomer characterizations of nitroxide-labeled nucleic acids.

Site-directed spin labeling (SDSL) obtains structural and dynamic information of a macromolecule using a site-specifically attached stable nitroxide radical. SDSL studies of arbitrary DNA and RNA sequences can be achieved using an efficient phosphorothioate labeling scheme, where a nitroxide is attached to a phosphorothioate substituted at a target site during chemical synthesis. The chemically introduced phosphorothioate contains two diastereomers (Rp and Sp), and nitroxides attached to each diastereomer may experience different local environments.

Measuring nanometer distances in nucleic acids using a sequence-independent nitroxide probe.

This protocol describes the procedures for measuring nanometer distances in nucleic acids using a nitroxide probe that can be attached to any nucleotide within a given sequence. Two nitroxides are attached to phosphorothioates that are chemically substituted at specific sites of DNA or RNA. Inter-nitroxide distances are measured using a four-pulse double electron-electron resonance technique, and the measured distances are correlated to the parent structures using a Web-accessible computer program.

A facile method for attaching nitroxide spin labels at the 5' terminus of nucleic acids.

In site-directed spin labeling (SDSL), a nitroxide moiety containing a stable, unpaired electron is covalently attached to a specific site within a macromolecule, and structural and dynamic information at the labeling site is obtained via electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. Successful SDSL requires efficient site-specific incorporation of nitroxides. Work reported here presents a new method for facile nitroxide labeling at the 5' terminus of nucleic acids of arbitrary sizes.