Intramolecular interaction of synthetic chlorophyll heterodyads with different π-skeletons.

Two heterodyads were prepared from the chemical modification of naturally occurring (bacterio)chlorophyll-a and composed of a chlorin π-skeleton linked to a porphyrin or bacteriochlorin π-system. Zinc methyl pyropheophorbide-a, one of the chlorophyll-a derivatives, was covalently linked with its 17,18-didehydrogenated species (zinc methyl pyroprotopheophorbide-a) or its trans-7,8-dihydrogenated analog (zinc methyl pyrobacteriopheophorbide-a as one of the bacteriochlorophyll-a derivatives) through ethylene glycol diester at their 17-propionate residues. In benzene, the central zinc atoms of the synthetic conjugates were coordinated by two methanol molecules which were hydrogen-bonded with the 13-keto-carbonyl groups in a dyad molecule. The methanol locked, y-axis aligned, and slipped cofacial conformers showed two apparent Qy bands at longer wavelengths than those of the composite zinc complex monomers. The red-shifted Qy bands are ascribable to the exciton coupling of the two different π-systems in the folded heterodyad conformers. The synthetic heterodyads could be models of chlorophyll-a/c dimers in the light-harvesting antennas of chromophytes including fucoxanthin-chlorophyll proteins in diatoms and also chlorophyll-a species interacting with bacteriochlorophyll-a or g species in the charge-separating reaction centers of green sulfur bacteria or heliobacteria, respectively.

Synthesis of Zinc Chlorophyll Homo/Hetero-Dyads and their Folded Conformers with Porphyrin, Chlorin, and Bacteriochlorin π-Systems.

Zinc complex of pyropheophorbide-b, a derivative of chlorophyll-b, was covalently dimerized through ethylene glycol diester. The synthetic homo-dyad was axially ligated with two methanol molecules from the ß-face and both the diastereomerically coordinating methanol species were hydrogen bonded with the keto-carbonyl groups of the neighboring chlorin in a complex. The resulting folded conformer in a solution was confirmed by visible, (1) H NMR and IR spectra. All the synthetic zinc chlorin homo- and hetero-dyads consisting of pyropheophorbides-a, b and/or d took the above methanol-locked and π-π stacked supramolecules in 1% (v/v) methanol and benzene to give redmost (Qy) electronic absorption band(s) at longer wavelengths than those of the corresponding monomeric chlorin composites. The other zinc chlorin and bacteriochlorin homo-dyads completely formed similar folded conformers in the same solution, while zinc inverse chlorin and porphyrin homo-dyads partially took such supramolecules. The J-type aggregation to folded conformers and the redshift values of composite Qy bands were dependent on the electronic and steric factors of porphyrinoid moieties in dyads.

In vitro synthesis and characterization of bacteriochlorophyll-f and its absence in bacteriochlorophyll-e producing organisms.

Bacteriochlorophyll(BChl)-f which has not yet been found in natural phototrophs was prepared by chemically modifying chlorophyll-b. The retention time of reverse-phase high-performance liquid chromatography of the synthetic monomeric BChl-f as well as its visible absorption and fluorescence emission spectra in a solution were identified and compared with other naturally occurring chlorophyll pigments obtained from the main light-harvesting antenna systems of green sulfur bacteria, BChls-c/d/e. Based on the above data, BChl-f was below the level of detection in three strains of green photosynthetic bacteria producing BChl-e.

Fluconazole decreases cyclosporine dosage in renal transplanted dogs.

The effect of fluconazole (Fcz) on the cyclosporine (CsA) dosage was investigated in renal transplanted dogs receiving CsA-based immunosuppressive therapy. Initially, CsA was administered orally twice daily to raise the blood trough level between 400 and 600 ng/ml. After the addition of Fcz, the CsA dosage was adjusted to maintain its therapeutic blood concentration. Fcz significantly decreased CsA dosage in both normal and renal transplanted dogs, but a higher dosage of CsA was needed in renal transplanted dogs. In conclusion, Fcz decreases required CsA dosage and thereby reduces the cost of immunosuppressive therapy in canine renal transplantation.

Covalently linked zinc chlorophyll dimers as a model of a chlorophyllous pair in photosynthetic reaction centers.

A heterodimer, where zinc pyropheophorbide-a was linked with zinc pyropheophorbide-d through ethylene glycol diester, was prepared, as well as the corresponding homodimers. The synthetic dimers were complexed with methanol in benzene to give folded dimers by mutual Zn...O(Me)-H...O=C13(1) bonding. Such complexes had furthest red (Qy) absorption bands at longer wavelengths than the monomeric species. These red-shifts were ascribable to excitonic coupling of the Qy transition states in the chlorin pi-pi stacking conformer. In the heterodimeric system, a minor band was observed at the shorter wavelength side of the main Qy band. This observation can be explained by an additional contribution of Qy vibronic state to the exciton-coupled states. Based on the experimental results, a pair of chlorophyll(Chl)-d with Chl-a as well as a Chl-d homopair were proposed as dimers in reaction centers of Chl-d dominating cyanobacteria.