A basket tetradecavanadate cluster with blue luminescence.

A blue luminescent tetradecavanadate compound, [Et4N]5[V14O36Cl], has been synthesized. It possesses an unprecedented half-open basket framework. Through the {ABAB}-type stacking, the {V14O36} clusters form infinite one-dimensional channels with considerable accessible volume in the crystalline state.

Electrochemical functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes in large quantities at a room-temperature ionic liquid supported three-dimensional network electrode.

Electrochemical functionalization of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) was one of selective, clean, and nondestructive chemical methods. But in previous studies it met difficulties in homogeneous electrografting of SWNTs in large quantities because the reaction was often localized on a very thin film (ca. 2 microm).

Fabrication of chiral Langmuir-Schaefer films of achiral amphiphilic Schiff base derivatives through an interfacial organization.

Supramolecular chirality in the Langmuir-Schaefer (LS) films of two achiral amphiphilic Schiff bases, 2-(2'-benzimidazolyliminomethyl)-4-octadecyloxyphenol (BSC18) and 2-(2'-benzthiazolyliminomethyl)-4-octadecyloxyphenol (TSC18), was investigated. Both of these amphiphiles could form LS films from the water surface or coordinate with Ag(I) in the subphase to form Ag(I)-coordinated LS films. Although both of these amphiphiles were achiral, TSC18 formed a chiral LS film from the water surface, while BSC18 formed a chiral Ag(I)-coordinated LS film from the aqueous AgNO3 subphase.

Ca2+-dependent regulation of rho GTPases triggers turning of nerve growth cones.

Cytoplasmic Ca2+ elevation and changes in Rho GTPase activity are both known to mediate axon guidance by extracellular factors, but the causal relationship between these two events has been unclear. Here we show that direct elevation of cytoplasmic Ca2+ by extracellular application of a low concentration of ryanodine, which activated Ca2+ release from intracellular stores, upregulated Cdc42/Rac, but downregulated RhoA, in cultured cerebellar granule cells and human embryonic kidney 293T cells. Chemoattractive turning of the growth cone triggered by a gradient of ryanodine was blocked by overexpression of mutant forms of Cdc42 but not of RhoA in Xenopus spinal cord neurons.

Efficient electroluminescence from new lanthanide (Eu3+, Sm3+) complexes.

The syntheses, structures, and electroluminescent properties are described for two new lanthanide complexes Ln(HFNH)3phen [HFNH = 4,4,5,5,6,6,6-heptafluoro-1-(2-naphthyl)hexane-1,3-dione; phen = 1,10-phenanthroline; Ln = Eu3+ (1), Sm3+ (2)]. Both complexes exhibit bright photoluminescence at room temperature (RT) due to the characteristic emission of Eu3+ and Sm3+ ion. Several devices using the two complexes as emitters were fabricated.

Structural basis for the unique biological function of small GTPase RHEB.

The small GTPase Rheb displays unique biological and biochemical properties different from other small GTPases and functions as an important mediator between the tumor suppressor proteins TSC1 and TSC2 and the mammalian target of rapamycin to stimulate cell growth. We report here the three-dimensional structures of human Rheb in complexes with GDP, GTP, and GppNHp (5'-(beta,gamma-imide)triphosphate), which reveal novel structural features of Rheb and provide a molecular basis for its distinct properties. During GTP/GDP cycling, switch I of Rheb undergoes conformational change while switch II maintains a stable, unusually extended conformation, which is substantially different from the alpha-helical conformation seen in other small GTPases.

Palladium-catalyzed tandem cyclization/suzuki coupling reaction of 1,2,7-trienes.

[reaction: see text] A Pd(0)-catalyzed 1,2,7-triene cyclization/arylation cascade reaction was realized via pi-allylpalladium intermediate formation and a subsequent Suzuki coupling reaction to preferentially give a five-membered ring product with a stereodefined exocyclic double bond. Excellent cis/trans selectivity was achieved (only cis-3 was isolated) with heteroatom-tethered 1,2,7-triene substrates.

Protein kinase Cdelta mediates retinoic acid and phorbol myristate acetate-induced phospholipid scramblase 1 gene expression: its role in leukemic cell differentiation.

Although phospholipid scramblase 1 (PLSCR1) was originally identified based on its capacity to promote transbilayer movement of membrane phospholipids, subsequent studies also provided evidence for its role in cell proliferation, maturation, and apoptosis. In this report, we investigate the potential role of PLSCR1 in leukemic cell differentiation. We show that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), an effective differentiation-inducing agent of acute promyelocytic leukemic (APL) cells, can elevate PLSCR1 expression in ATRA-sensitive APL cells NB4 and HL60, but not in maturation-resistant NB4-LR1 cells.

Syntheses, structures, and redox properties of dimeric triruthenium clusters bridged by bis(diphenylphosphino)acetylene and -ethylene.

Reactions of oxo-centered triruthenium acetate complexes [Ru3O(OAc)6(py)2(CH3OH)](PF6) (py = pyridine, OAc = CH3COO-) (1) with nearly equimolar amounts of dppa [bis(diphenylphosphino)acetylene] or dppen [trans-1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)ethylene] gave [Ru3O(OAc)6(py)2(L)](PF6) (L = dppa, 2; dppen, 3). With 2.4 equiv of 1, the reactions provided diphosphine-linked triruthenium dimers, [[Ru3O(OAc)6(py)2]2(L)](PF6)2 (L = dppa, 4; L = dppen, 5), respectively.