Incorporation Of 18O Research Articles

MIDA boronates are hydrolysed fast and slow by two different mechanisms.

MIDA boronates (N-methylimidodiacetic boronic acid esters) serve as an increasingly general platform for building-block-based small molecule construction, largely due to the dramatic and general rate differences with which they are hydrolysed under various basic conditions. Yet the mechanistic underpinnings of these rate differences have remained unclear, hindering efforts to address current limitations of this chemistry. Here we show that there are two distinct mechanisms for this hydrolysis: one is base-mediated and the other neutral. The former can proceed more than three orders of magnitude faster, and involves rate-limiting attack at a MIDA carbonyl carbon by hydroxide. The alternative ‘neutral’ hydrolysis does not require an exogenous acid/base and involves rate-limiting B-N bond cleavage by a small water cluster, (H2O)n. The two mechanisms can operate in parallel, and their relative rates are readily quantified by 18O incorporation. Whether hydrolysis is ‘fast’ or ‘slow’ is dictated by the pH, the water activity (aw), and mass-transfer rates between phases. These findings stand to rationally enable even more effective and widespread utilisation of MIDA boronates in synthesis.

Soil microbial carbon use efficiency and biomass turnover in a long-term fertilization experiment in a temperate grassland

Soil microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE), defined as the ratio of organic C allocated to growth over organic C taken up, strongly affects soil carbon (C) cycling. Despite the importance of the microbial CUE for the terrestrial C cycle, very little is known about how it is affected by nutrient availability. Therefore, we studied microbial CUE and microbial biomass turnover time in soils of a long-term fertilization experiment in a temperate grassland comprising five treatments (control, PK, NK, NP, NPK). Microbial CUE and the turnover of microbial biomass were determined using a novel substrate-independent method based on incorporation of 18O from labeled water into microbial DNA. Microbial respiration was 28–37% smaller in all three N treatments (NK, NP, and NPK) compared to the control, whereas the PK treatment did not affect microbial respiration. N-fertilization decreased microbial C uptake, while the microbial growth rate was not affected. Microbial CUE ranged between 0.31 and 0.45, and was 1.3- to 1.4-fold higher in the N-fertilized soils than in the control. The turnover time ranged between 80 and 113 days and was not significantly affected by fertilization. Net primary production (NPP) and the abundance of legumes differed strongly across the treatments, and the fungal:bacterial ratio was very low in all treatments. Structural equation modeling revealed that microbial CUE was exclusively controlled by N fertilization and that neither the abundance of legumes (as a proxy for the quality of the organic matter inputs) nor NPP (as a proxy for C inputs) had an effect on microbial CUE. Our results show that N fertilization did not only decrease microbial respiration, but also microbial C uptake, indicating that less C was intracellularly processed in the N fertilized soils. The reason for reduced C uptake and increased CUE in the N-fertilization treatments is likely an inhibition of oxidative enzymes involved in the degradation of aromatic compounds by N in combination with a reduced energy requirement for microbial N acquisition in the fertilized soils. In conclusion, the study shows that N availability can control soil C cycling by affecting microbial CUE, while plant community-mediated changes in organic matter inputs and P and K availability played no important role for C partitioning of the microbial community in this temperate grassland.

Mononuclear Nonheme High-Spin Iron(III)-Acylperoxo Complexes in Olefin Epoxidation and Alkane Hydroxylation Reactions.

Mononuclear nonheme high-spin iron(III)-acylperoxo complexes bearing an N-methylated cyclam ligand were synthesized, spectroscopically characterized, and investigated in olefin epoxidation and alkane hydroxylation reactions. In the epoxidation of olefins, epoxides were yielded as the major products with high stereo-, chemo-, and enantioselectivities; cis- and trans-stilbenes were oxidized to cis- and trans-stilbene oxides, respectively. In the epoxidation of cyclohexene, cyclohexene oxide was formed as the major product with a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) value of 1.0, indicating that nonheme iron(III)-acylperoxo complexes prefer C═C epoxidation to allylic C-H bond activation. Olefin epoxidation by chiral iron(III)-acylperoxo complexes afforded epoxides with high enantioselectivity, suggesting that iron(III)-acylperoxo species, not high-valent iron-oxo species, are the epoxidizing agent. In alkane hydroxylation reactions, iron(III)-acylperoxo complexes hydroxylated C-H bonds as strong as those in cyclohexane at -40 °C, wherein (a) alcohols were yielded as the major products with high regio- and stereoselectivities, (b) activation of C-H bonds by the iron(III)-acylperoxo species was the rate-determining step with a large KIE value and good correlation between reaction rates and bond dissociation energies of alkanes, and (c) the oxygen atom in the alcohol product was from the iron(III)-acylperoxo species, not from molecular oxygen. In isotopically labeled water (H2(18)O) experiments, incorporation of (18)O from H2(18)O into oxygenated products was not observed in the epoxidation and hydroxylation reactions. On the basis of mechanistic studies, we conclude that mononuclear nonheme high-spin iron(III)-acylperoxo complexes are strong oxidants capable of oxygenating hydrocarbons prior to their conversion into iron-oxo species via O-O bond cleavage.

Microbial carbon use efficiency and biomass turnover times depending on soil depth – Implications for carbon cycling

Processing of organic carbon (C) by soil microorganisms is a key process of terrestrial C cycling. For this reason we studied (i) microbial carbon use efficiency (CUE) defined as C allocated to growth over organic C taken up by the microbial community, and (ii) the turnover time of microbial biomass in a pasture and in two forest soils. We hypothesized that microbial CUE decreases in mineral soils with depth from the topsoil to the subsoil, while the turnover time of the microbial biomass increases due to energetic constrains. We determined microbial CUE and turnover of microbial biomass C using a novel substrate-independent method based on incorporation of 18O from labeled water into microbial DNA with concurrent measurements of basal respiration. Microorganisms showed decreasing C uptake rates with decreasing C contents in the deeper soil layers. In the forest soils, no adaptation of microbial CUE with soil depth took place, i.e., microbes in the forest topsoil used C at the same efficiency as microbes in the subsoil. However, in the pasture soil, microbial CUE decreased in the lower soil layers compared to the topsoil, indicating that microorganisms in the deeper soil layers allocated relatively more C to respiration. In the organic soil layer, microorganisms respired more per unit microbial biomass C than in the subsoil, but had a similar CUE despite the high C-to-nitrogen and C-to-phosphorus ratios of the litter layers. The turnover time of microbial biomass increased with soil depth in the two forest soils. Thus, in the forest soils, a lower microbial C uptake rate in the deeper soil layers was partially compensated by a longer turnover time of microbial biomass C. In conclusion, our findings emphasize that in addition to microbial CUE, the turnover time of the microbial biomass strongly affects soil C cycling.

Decline of Phosphotransfer and Substrate Supply Metabolic Circuits Hinders ATP Cycling in Aging Myocardium.

Integration of mitochondria with cytosolic ATP-consuming/ATP-sensing and substrate supply processes is critical for muscle bioenergetics and electrical activity. Whether age-dependent muscle weakness and increased electrical instability depends on perturbations in cellular energetic circuits is unknown. To define energetic remodeling of aged atrial myocardium we tracked dynamics of ATP synthesis-utilization, substrate supply, and phosphotransfer circuits through adenylate kinase (AK), creatine kinase (CK), and glycolytic/glycogenolytic pathways using 18O stable isotope-based phosphometabolomic technology. Samples of intact atrial myocardium from adult and aged rats were subjected to 18O-labeling procedure at resting basal state, and analyzed using the 18O-assisted HPLC-GC/MS technique. Characteristics for aging atria were lower inorganic phosphate Pi[18O], γ-ATP[18O], β-ADP[18O], and creatine phosphate CrP[18O] 18O-labeling rates indicating diminished ATP utilization-synthesis and AK and CK phosphotransfer fluxes. Shift in dynamics of glycolytic phosphotransfer was reflected in the diminished G6P[18O] turnover with relatively constant glycogenolytic flux or G1P[18O] 18O-labeling. Labeling of G3P[18O], an indicator of G3P-shuttle activity and substrate supply to mitochondria, was depressed in aged myocardium. Aged atrial myocardium displayed reduced incorporation of 18O into second (18O2), third (18O3), and fourth (18O4) positions of Pi[18O] and a lower Pi[18O]/γ-ATP[18 O]-labeling ratio, indicating delayed energetic communication and ATP cycling between mitochondria and cellular ATPases. Adrenergic stress alleviated diminished CK flux, AK catalyzed β-ATP turnover and energetic communication in aging atria. Thus, 18O-assisted phosphometabolomics uncovered simultaneous phosphotransfer through AK, CK, and glycolytic pathways and G3P substrate shuttle deficits hindering energetic communication and ATP cycling, which may underlie energetic vulnerability of aging atrial myocardium.

Regioselective Hydroxylation in the Production of 25‐Hydroxyvitamin D by Coprinopsis cinerea Peroxygenase

AbstractMonohydroxylated metabolites of vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) and vitamin D2 (ergocalciferol), generically known as 25‐hydroxycalciferol, are better for several diseases, and other applications, than vitamin D (calciferol). This work describes a novel biotechnological approach for the preparation of 25‐hydroxycalciferols, starting from readily available cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol. This approach enables the regioselective (100 %) hydroxylation of these compounds (at the C‐25 position) under mild and environmentally friendly conditions by using a peroxidase from the fungus Coprinopsis cinerea (gene model CC1G_08427T0 from the sequenced genome), which catalyzes monooxygenation with H2O2 as the only co‐substrate (peroxygenase). Hydroxylation of cholecalciferol and ergocalciferol is a true peroxygenation, as demonstrated by incorporation of 18O from H218O2 into the products. The peroxygenase has additional advantages related to its recombinant nature, enabling enzyme engineering and low‐cost overexpression in an industrial host. Therefore, the peroxygenase is a promising biocatalyst for the production of vitamin D active metabolites.

Mechanism of Selective C–H Hydroxylation Mediated by Manganese Aminopyridine Enzyme Models

The mechanism of selective oxidation of aliphatic C–H groups with H2O2 in the presence of aminopyridine Mn complexes, modeling the reactivities of natural oxygenases of the cytochrome P450 superfamily, has been examined. The oxygenation of C–H groups proceeds via hydrogen atom abstraction by the electrophilic metal site; the logarithm of C–H oxidation rates correlates linearly with bond dissociation energies for homolytic C–H bond cleavage. Hammett correlations and stereospecificity studies reflect the formation of a short-lived electron-deficient radical intermediate. Isotopic labeling studies confirm the incorporation of 18O from added H218O, thus providing so far lacking evidence for the oxomanganese(V)-mediated oxidation mechanism.

Progress in assessing air pollutant risks from in vitro exposures: matching ozone dose and effect in human airway cells.

In vitro exposures to air pollutants could, in theory, facilitate a rapid and detailed assessment of molecular mechanisms of toxicity. However, it is difficult to ensure that the dose of a gaseous pollutant to cells in tissue culture is similar to that of the same cells during in vivo exposure of a living person. The goal of the present study was to compare the dose and effect of O3 in airway cells of humans exposed in vivo to that of human cells exposed in vitro. Ten subjects breathed labeled O3 ((18)O3, 0.3 ppm, 2 h) while exercising intermittently. Bronchial brush biopsies and lung lavage fluids were collected 1 h post exposure for in vivo data whereas in vitro data were obtained from primary cultures of human bronchial epithelial cells exposed to 0.25-1.0 ppm (18)O3 for 2 h. The O3 dose to the cells was defined as the level of (18)O incorporation and the O3 effect as the fold increase in expression of inflammatory marker genes (IL-8 and COX-2). Dose and effect in cells removed from in vivo exposed subjects were lower than in cells exposed to the same (18)O3 concentration in vitro suggesting upper airway O3 scrubbing in vivo. Cells collected by lavage as well as previous studies in monkeys show that cells deeper in the lung receive a higher O3 dose than cells in the bronchus. We conclude that the methods used herein show promise for replicating and comparing the in vivo dose and effect of O3 in an in vitro system.

Forming Cohesive Calcium Oxalate Layers on Marble Surfaces for Stone Conservation

Batch experiments were conducted with Carrara marble cubes to examine the replacement of calcite by calcium oxalate, a proposed method of protection for marble used as building stone. Coherent oxalate coatings formed on the marble surface during reactions with >10 mM oxalic acid. The replacement rim contained an inner layer that remained attached to the marble surface and was composed of submicron-sized, rounded grains of calcium oxalate with minimal interconnected porosity, although open fluid pathways (inherited grain boundaries from the underlying marble) were present. In contrast, the outer rim comprises large, individual crystals and is easily removed. Raman spectroscopy identified the mineral in both layers as whewellite (CaC2O4·H2O). Raman mapping revealed that the rims have zones of different crystallographic orientations contributing to the friability of the outer layer. Mapping of 18O incorporation into the replacement rim indicates that the outer layer formed from the inner layer via a fluid-me...

Clumped isotope thermometry of cryogenic cave carbonates

Freezing of cave pool water that is increasingly oversaturated with dissolved carbonate leads to precipitation of a very specific type of speleothems known as cryogenic cave carbonates (CCC). At present, two different environments for their formation have been proposed, based on their characteristic carbon and oxygen isotope ratios. Rapidly freezing thin water films result in the fast precipitation of fine-grained carbonate powder (CCCfine). This leads to rapid physicochemical changes including CO2 degassing and CaCO3 precipitation, resulting in significantly 13C-enriched carbonates. Alternatively, slow carbonate precipitation in ice-covered cave pools results in coarse crystalline CCC (CCCcoarse) yielding strongly 18O-depleted carbonate. This is due to the formation of relatively 18O-enriched ice causing the gradual depletion of 18O in the water from which the CCC precipitates.Cryogenic carbonates from Central European caves were found to have been formed primarily during the last glacial period, specifically during times of permafrost thawing, based on the oxygen isotope ratios and U–Th dating. Information about the precise conditions of CCCcoarse formation, i.e. whether these crystals formed under equilibrium or disequilibrium conditions with the parent fluid, however, is lacking. An improved understanding of CCCcoarse formation will increase the predictive value of this paleo-permafrost archive.Here we apply clumped isotopes to investigate the formation conditions of cryogenic carbonates using well-studied CCCcoarse from five different cave systems in western Germany. Carbonate clumped isotope measurements yielded apparent temperatures between 3 and 18°C and thus exhibit clear evidence of isotopic disequilibrium. Although the very negative carbonate δ18O values can only be explained by gradual freezing of pool water accompanied by preferential incorporation of 18O into the ice, clumped isotope-derived temperatures significantly above expected freezing temperatures indicate incomplete isotopic equilibration during precipitation of CCC.

The role of grain boundaries and transient porosity in rocks as fluid pathways for reaction front propagation

The pseudomorphic replacement of Carrara marble by calcium phosphates was used as a model system in order to study the influence of different fluid pathways for reaction front propagation induced by fluid–rock interaction. In this model, grain boundaries present in the rock as well as the transient porosity structures developing throughout the replacement reaction enable the reaction front to progress further into the rock as well as to the center of each single grain until transformation is complete. Hydrothermal treatment of the marble using phosphate bearing solutions led to the formation of hydroxylapatite and β-TCP; the formation of the latter phase was probably promoted by the presence of ∼0.6 wt.% Mg in the parent carbonate phase. Completely transformed single grains show a distinctive zoning, both in composition and texture. Whereas areas next to the grain boundary consist of nearly pure hydroxylapatite and show a coarse porosity, areas close to the center of the single grains show a high amount of β-TCP and a very fine porous microstructure. If fluorine was added as an additional solution component, up to 3 wt.% of F were incorporated into the product apatite and the formation of β-TCP was avoided. The use of the isotope 18O as a chronometer for the replacement reaction makes it possible to reconstruct the chronological development of the calcium phosphate reaction front. Raman analysis revealed that the incorporation of 18O in the PO4 tetrahedron of hydroxylapatite results in the development of distinct profiles in the calcium phosphate reaction front perpendicular to the grain boundaries of the marble. Through the use of the 18O chronometer, it is possible to estimate and compare the time effectiveness of the different fluid pathways in this model system. The results demonstrate that the grain boundaries are an effective pathway enabling the fluid to penetrate the rock more than one order of magnitude faster compared to the newly developing channel-like porosity structures, which act as pathways towards the center of single mineral grains. Thus, after only short reaction durations, it may be possible for the fluid to progress relatively large distances along the grain boundaries without developing broad reaction fronts along the path.

One-pot deracemization of sec-alcohols: enantioconvergent enzymatic hydrolysis of alkyl sulfates using stereocomplementary sulfatases.

One-pot deracemization of sec-alcohols: enantioconvergent enzymatic hydrolysis of alkyl sulfates using stereocomplementary sulfatases.

Sensitivity Analysis of Flux Determination in Heart by H218O -provided Labeling Using a Dynamic Isotopologue Model of Energy Transfer Pathways

To characterize intracellular energy transfer in the heart, two organ-level methods have frequently been employed: inversion and saturation transfer, and dynamic labeling. Creatine kinase (CK) fluxes obtained by following oxygen labeling have been considerably smaller than the fluxes determined by saturation transfer. It has been proposed that dynamic labeling determines net flux through CK shuttle, whereas saturation transfer measures total unidirectional flux. However, to our knowledge, no sensitivity analysis of flux determination by oxygen labeling has been performed, limiting our ability to compare flux distributions predicted by different methods. Here we analyze oxygen labeling in a physiological heart phosphotransfer network with active CK and adenylate kinase (AdK) shuttles and establish which fluxes determine the labeling state. A mathematical model consisting of a system of ordinary differential equations was composed describing enrichment in each phosphoryl group and inorganic phosphate. By varying flux distributions in the model and calculating the labeling, we analyzed labeling sensitivity to different fluxes in the heart. We observed that the labeling state is predominantly sensitive to total unidirectional CK and AdK fluxes and not to net fluxes. We conclude that measuring dynamic incorporation of into the high-energy phosphotransfer network in heart does not permit unambiguous determination of energetic fluxes with a higher magnitude than the ATP synthase rate when the bidirectionality of fluxes is taken into account. Our analysis suggests that the flux distributions obtained using dynamic labeling, after removing the net flux assumption, are comparable with those from inversion and saturation transfer.

Insights into the Novel Hydrolytic Mechanism of a Diethyl 2-Phenyl-2-(2-arylacetoxy)methyl Malonate Ester-Based Microsomal Triglyceride Transfer Protein (MTP) Inhibitor

Inhibition of intestinal and hepatic microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTP) is a potential strategy for the treatment of dyslipidemia and related metabolic disorders. Inhibition of hepatic MTP, however, results in elevated liver transaminases and increased hepatic fat deposition consistent with hepatic steatosis. Diethyl 2-((2-(3-(dimethylcarbamoyl)-4-(4'-(trifluoromethyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-ylcarboxamido)phenyl)acetoxy)methyl)-2-phenylmalonate (JTT-130) is an intestine-specific inhibitor of MTP and does not cause increases in transaminases in short-term clinical trials in patients with dyslipidemia. Selective inhibition of intestinal MTP is achieved via rapid hydrolysis of its ester linkage by liver-specific carboxylesterase(s), resulting in the formation of an inactive carboxylic acid metabolite 1. In the course of discovery efforts around tissue-specific inhibitors of MTP, the mechanism of JTT-130 hydrolysis was examined in detail. Lack of ¹⁸O incorporation in 1 following the incubation of JTT-130 in human liver microsomes in the presence of H₂¹⁸O suggested that hydrolysis did not occur via a simple cleavage of the ester linkage. The characterization of atropic acid (2-phenylacrylic acid) as a metabolite was consistent with a hydrolytic pathway involving initial hydrolysis of one of the pendant malonate ethyl ester groups followed by decarboxylative fragmentation to 1 and the concomitant liberation of the potentially electrophilic acrylate species. Glutathione conjugates of atropic acid and its ethyl ester were also observed in microsomal incubations of JTT-130 that were supplemented with the thiol nucleophile. Additional support for the hydrolysis mechanism was obtained from analogous studies on diethyl 2-(2-(2-(3-(dimethylcarbamoyl)-4-(4'-trifluoromethyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-ylcarboxamido)phenyl)acetoxy)ethyl)-2-phenylmalonate (3), which cannot participate in hydrolysis via the fragmentation pathway because of the additional methylene group. Unlike the case with JTT-130, ¹⁸O was readily incorporated into 1 during the enzymatic hydrolysis of 3, suggestive of a mechanism involving direct hydrolytic cleavage of the ester group in 3. Finally, 3-(ethylamino)-2-(ethylcarbamoyl)-3-oxo-2-phenylpropyl 2-(3-(dimethylcarbamoyl)-4-(4'-(trifluoromethyl)-[1,1'-biphenyl]-2-ylcarboxamido)phenyl)acetate (4), which possessed an N,N-diethyl-2-phenylmalonamide substituent (in lieu of the diethyl-2-phenylmalonate motif in JTT-130) proved to be resistant to the hydrolytic cleavage/decarboxylative fragmentation pathway that yielded 1, a phenomenon that further confirmed our hypothesis. From a toxicological standpoint, it is noteworthy to point out that the liberation of the electrophilic acrylic acid species as a byproduct of JTT-130 hydrolysis is similar to the bioactivation mechanism established for felbamate, an anticonvulsant agent associated with idiosyncratic aplastic anemia and hepatotoxicity.

A diterpene synthase from the clary sage Salvia sclarea catalyzes the cyclization of geranylgeranyl diphosphate to (8R)-hydroxy-copalyl diphosphate

The bicyclic diterpene (-)-sclareol is accumulated in glandular trichomes in Salvia sclarea (Schmiderer et al., 2008), and is a major terpenoid component of this plant species. It is used as the starting material for Ambrox synthesis, a synthetic ambergris analog used in the flavor and fragrance industry. In order to investigate the formation of sclareol, cDNA prepared from secretory cells of glandular trichomes from S. sclarea inflorescence were randomly sequenced. A putative copalyl diphosphate synthase encoding EST, SscTPS1, was functionally expressed in Escherichia coli. Whereas reaction of geranylgeranyl diphosphate with the putative copalyl diphosphate synthase followed by hydrolysis with alkaline phosphatase yielded a diastereomeric mixture of (13R)- and (13S)-manoyl oxide, HCl hydrolysis yielded (-)-sclareol (1) and 13-epi-sclareol as products. The product of the reaction of SscTPS1 with geranylgeranyl diphosphate was subjected to analysis by LC-negative ion ESI-MS/MS without prior hydrolysis. EPI scans were consistent with copalyl diphosphate to which 18 mass units had added (m/z 467 [M+H](-)). The enzymatic reaction was also carried out in the presence of 60% H2(18)O. LC-negative ion ESI-MS/MS analysis established an additional reaction product consistent with the incorporation of (18)O. Incubation in the presence of 60% (2)H2O resulted in the incorporation of one deuterium atom. These results suggest water capture of the carbocation intermediate, which is known to occur in reactions catalyzed by monoterpene synthases, but has been described only several times for diterpene synthases.

Pd-catalyzed modifiable silanol-directed aromatic C-H oxygenation.

Pd-catalyzed modifiable silanol-directed aromatic C-H oxygenation.

A Novel Ring Oxidation of 4- or 5-Substituted 2H-Oxazole to Corresponding 2-Oxazolone Catalyzed by Cytosolic Aldehyde Oxidase

The ring oxidation of 2H-oxazole, or C2-unsubstituted oxazole, to 2-oxazolone, a cyclic carbamate, was observed on various 4- or 5-substituted oxazoles. Using 5-(3-bromophenyl)oxazole as a model compound, its 2-oxazolone metabolite M1 was fully characterized by liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance. The reaction mainly occurred in the liver cytosolic fraction without the requirement of cytochrome P450 enzymes and cofactor NADPH. Investigations into the mechanism of formation of 2-oxazolone using various chemical inhibitors indicated that the reaction was primarily catalyzed by aldehyde oxidase and not by xanthine oxidase. In addition, cytosol incubation of 5-(3-bromophenyl)oxazole in the medium containing H₂¹⁸O led to the ¹⁸O incorporation into M1, substantiating the reaction mechanism of a typical molybdenum hydroxylase. The rank order of liver cytosols for the 2-oxazolone formation was mouse > monkey ≫ rat and human liver cytosol, whereas M1 was not formed in dog liver cytosol. Because the reaction was observed with a number of 4- or 5-substituted 2H-oxazoles in mouse liver cytosols, 2H-oxazoles represent a new substrate chemotype for ring oxidation catalyzed by aldehyde oxidase.

Origins of Oxygen Atoms in a Marine Ladder-Frame Polyether: Evidence of Monooxygenation by 18O-Labeling and Using Tandem Mass Spectrometry

Yessotoxin is a ladder-frame polyether produced by the dinoflagellate Protoceratium reticulatum. Previous labeling experiments using (13)C-acetate established the unique assembly of the carbon chain from intact and cleaved acetate units. The origins of ether and hydroxy oxygens in the molecule, which would yield further information regarding the assembly of the ladder-frame structure, have yet to be established. In this study, we describe the incorporation of (18)O in one experiment where the dinoflagellate was cultured under (18)O(2) atmosphere and in a second where the culture media was supplemented with [(18)O(2)]acetate. Labeled yessotoxin obtained from these experiments was subjected to collision-induced dissociation tandem mass spectrometry to determine the positions of (18)O-incorporation pattern in the molecule. Detailed analyses of product ions from the fragmentation processes led to the identification of (18)O-labeled positions and the incorporation ratios. The data revealed that the ether oxygens were labeled from (18)O(2) and the hydroxy oxygen on C32 was derived from [(18)O(2)]acetate. These results support a proposed biosynthetic mechanism of marine ladder-frame polyethers that a polyene precursor was oxidized by a monooxygenase after acetate condensation.

Hydrogen-Bond Symmetry in Difluoromaleate Monoanion

The symmetry of the hydrogen bond in hydrogen difluoromaleate monoanion is probed by X-ray crystallography and by the NMR method of isotopic perturbation in water, in two aprotic organic solvents, and in an isotropic liquid crystal. The X-ray crystal structure of potassium hydrogen difluoromaleate shows a remarkably short O-O distance of 2.41 Å and equal O-H distances of 1.206 Å, consistent with a strong and symmetric hydrogen bond. Incorporation of (18)O into one carboxyl group allows investigation of the symmetry of the H-bond in solution by the method of isotopic perturbation. The (19)F NMR spectra of the mono-(18)O-substituted monoanion in water, CD(2)Cl(2), and CD(3)CN show an AB spin system, corresponding to fluorines in different environments. The difference is attributed to the perturbation of the acidity of a carboxylic acid by (18)O, not to the mere presence of the (18)O, because the mono-(18)O dianion shows equivalent fluorines. Therefore, it is concluded that the monoanion exists as an equilibrating pair of interconverting tautomers and not as a single symmetric structure not only in water but also in organic solvents. However, in the isotropic liquid crystal phase of 4-cyanophenyl 4-heptylbenzoate, tetrabutylammonium hydrogen difluoromaleate-(18)O shows equivalent fluorines, consistent with a single symmetric structure. These results support earlier studies, which suggested that the symmetry of hydrogen bonds can be determined by the local environment.

Isotopic labelling of peptides in tissues enhances mass spectrometric profiling

There is a need in imaging mass spectrometry to use the acquired isotope distribution to unequivocally determine the identity of a peptide ion. A way of achieving unambiguous differentiation of ions from protonated peptides from other [M + H](+) ions in a tissue would be via the direct on-tissue incorporation of (18)O into peptides. Tissues were first digested with trypsin for 3 h at 37 °C in a humidified chamber. For the (18)O-labelling of digested peptides 1 μL of H(2)(18)O/50 mM ammonium acetate (at pH 6.75) was added to the array of tryptic spots and incubated at room temperature for 20 min. α-Cyano-4-hydroxycinnamic acid was used as a matrix modifier. The mass spectral analysis of tissue sections was carried out using a matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionisation tandem time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF-TOF) instrument. On-tissue incorporation of (18)O into peptides cannot be carried out during the digestion step inside a humidified chamber. After tissue digestion for 3 h at 37 °C in an humidified chamber, (18)O labelling was carried out for 20 min at room temperature (no humidified chamber). No trypsin was needed to enhance the labelling. For first time the feasibility of (18)O-labelling of peptides in situ for tissues has been demonstrated. The method decouples protein digestion from peptide labelling and is performed in sequential steps. Furthermore, we observed that (18)O incorporation produces characteristic isotopic peptide distributions, thus making facile distinguishing peptides from other tissue molecular components that ionise in the MALDI ion source.