1. The role of a H(+)-ATPase in the regulation of cytoplasmic pH in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes
N Vanderheyden, G Benaim, R Docampo Biochem J. 1996 Aug 15;318 ( Pt 1)(Pt 1):103-9. doi: 10.1042/bj3180103.
Cytoplasmic pH (pHi) regulation was studied in Trypanosoma cruzi epimastigotes using fluorescent probes. Steady-state pHi was maintained even in the absence of extracellular Na+ or K+, but was significantly decreased in the absence of Cl-. Acid-loaded epimastigotes regained normal pHi by a process that was ATP-dependent and sensitive to N-ethylmaleimide, dicyclohexyl-carbodi-imide and diethylstiboestrol, suggesting involvement of a H(+)-pumping ATPase. Recovery from an acid load was independent of extracellular Na+ or K+ and insensitive to omeprazole, vanadate and low concentrations of bafilomycin A1. Using the fluorescent probe bisoxonol to measure the membrane potential of intact cells, acid loading of epimastigotes was shown to result in a dicyclohexylcarbodi-imide-sensitive hyperpolarization, which suggests electrogenic pumping of protons across the plasma membrane. Addition of glucose, but not of 6-deoxyglucose, produced a transient cellular acidification of possible metabolic origin, and increased the rate of recovery from an acid load. Taken together, these results are consistent with an important role of a H(+)-ATPase in the regulation of pHi homoeostasis in T. cruzi.
2. Solid-state molecular rotators of anilinium and adamantylammonium in [Ni(dmit)2](-) salts with diverse magnetic properties
Tomoyuki Akutagawa, Daisuke Sato, Hiroyuki Koshinaka, Masaaki Aonuma, Shin-ichiro Noro, Sadamu Takeda, Takayoshi Nakamura Inorg Chem. 2008 Jul 7;47(13):5951-62. doi: 10.1021/ic800271m. Epub 2008 May 28.
Supramolecular rotators of hydrogen-bonding assemblies between anilinium (Ph-NH 3 (+)) or adamantylammonium (AD-NH 3 (+)) and dibenzo[18]crown-6 (DB[18]crown-6) or meso-dicyclohexano[18]crown-6 (DCH[18]crown-6) were introduced into [Ni(dmit) 2] salts (dmit (2-) is 2-thioxo-1,3-dithiole-4,5-dithiolate). The ammonium moieties of Ph-NH 3 (+) and AD-NH 3 (+) cations were interacted through N-H (+) approximately O hydrogen bonding with the six oxygen atoms of crown ethers, forming 1:1 supramolecular rotator-stator structures. X-ray crystal-structure analyses revealed a jackknife-shaped conformation of DB[18]crown-6, in which two benzene rings were twisted along the same direction, in (Ph-NH 3 (+))(DB[18]crown-6)[Ni(dmit) 2] (-) ( 1) and (AD-NH 3 (+))(DB[18]crown-6)[Ni(dmit) 2] (-) ( 3), whereas the conformational flexibility of two dicyclohexyl rings was observed in (Ph-NH 3 (+))(DCH[18]crown-6)[Ni(dmit) 2] (-) ( 2) and (AD-NH 3 (+))(DCH[18]crown-6)[Ni(dmit) 2] (-) ( 4). Sufficient space for the molecular rotation of the adamantyl group was achieved in the crystals of salts 3 and 4, whereas the rotation of the phenyl group in salts 1 and 2 was rather restricted by the nearest neighboring molecules. The rotation of the adamantyl group in salts 3 and 4 was evidenced from the temperature-dependent wide-line (1)H NMR spectra, dielectric properties, and X-ray crystal structure analysis. ab initio calculations showed that the potential energy barriers for the rotations of adamantyl groups in salts 3 (Delta E approximately 18 kJmol (-1)) and 4 (Delta E approximately 15 kJmol (-1)) were similar to those of ethane ( approximately 12 kJmol (-1)) and butane (17-25 kJmol (-1)) around the C-C single bond, which were 1 order of magnitude smaller than those of phenyl groups in salts 1 (Delta E approximately 180 kJmol (-1)) and 2 (Delta E approximately 340 kJmol (-1)). 1D or 2D [Ni(dmit) 2] (-) anion arrangements were observed in the crystals according to the shape of crown ether derivatives. The 2D weak intermolecular interactions between [Ni(dmit) 2] (-) anions in salts 1 and 3 led to Curie-Weiss behavior with weak antiferromagnetic interaction, whereas 1D interactions through lateral sulfur-sulfur atomic contacts between [Ni(dmit) 2] (-) anions were observed in salts 2 and 4, whose magnetic behaviors were dictated by ferromagnetic (salt 2) and singlet-triplet (salt 4) intermolecular magnetic interactions, respectively.
