Wood is our most important renewable resource. We need better quality and quantity both according to the wood itself and the processes that are using wood as a raw material. Hence, the understanding of the chemical composition of the wood is of high importance. Improved and new methods for analyzing wood are important to achieve better knowledge about both refining processes and raw material. The combination of NMR and multivariate analyses (MVA) is a powerful method for these analyses but so far it has been limited mainly to 1D NMR. In this project, we have developed methods for combining 2D NMR and MVA in both wood analysis and metabolomics. This combination was used to compare samples from normal wood and tension wood, and also trees with a down regulation of a pectin responsible gene. Dissolving pulp was also examined using the same combination of 2D-NMR and MVA, together with FT-IR and solid state 13C CP-MAS NMR. Here we focused on the difference between wood type (softwood and hardwood), process type (sulfite and sulfate) and viscosity. These methods confirmed and added knowledge about the dissolving pulp. Also reactivity was compared in relation to morphology of the cellulose and pulp composition. Based on the method and software used in the wood analysis projects, a new method called HSQC-STOCSY was developed. This method is especially suited for assignment of substances in complex mixtures. Peaks in 2D NMR spectra that correlate between different samples are plotted in correlation plots resembling regular NMR spectra. These correlation plots have great potential in identifying individual components in complex mixtures as shown here in a metabolic data set. This method could potentially also be used in other areas such as drug/target analyses, protein dynamics and assignment of wood spectra.

<p> <p>&nbsp / </p> </p> <p align="left">Retinoblastoma binding protein 6 (RBBP6) is a 250 kDa human splicing-associated protein that is also known to interact with tumour suppressor proteins p53 and pRb and to mediate ubiquitination of p53 via its interaction with Hdm2. RBBP6 is highly up regulated in oesophageal cancer, and has been shown to be a promising target for immunotherapy against the disease. RBBP6 is also known to play a role in mRNA splicing, cell cycle control and apoptosis.</p>

<p> <p>&nbsp / </p> </p> <p align="left">Retinoblastoma binding protein 6 (RBBP6) is a 250 kDa human splicing-associated protein that is also known to interact with tumour suppressor proteins p53 and pRb and to mediate ubiquitination of p53 via its interaction with Hdm2. RBBP6 is highly up regulated in oesophageal cancer, and has been shown to be a promising target for immunotherapy against the disease. RBBP6 is also known to play a role in mRNA splicing, cell cycle control and apoptosis.</p>

Magister Scientiae - MSc / Retinoblastoma binding prot ein 6 (RBBP6) is a 250 kDa human splicing-associated protein that is also known to interact with tumour suppresso r proteins p53 and pRb and to mediate ubiquitination of p53 via its intera ction with Hdm2. RBBP6 is highly up regulated in oesophageal cancer, and has been shown to be a promising target for immunotherapy against the disease. RBBP6 is also known to play a role in mRNA splicing, cell cycle control and apoptosis. / South Africa

The goal of this PhD research was directed to the isolation and structural elucidation of the secondary metabolites from four species of Durio plants, especially from those growing in the island of Borneo; This island contains most Durio species. The structures of isolated compounds were deduced using state-of-the-art approaches, including 1D and 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR), mass spectrometric (MS) and circular dichroism (CD) analyses. From the bark of the woody species Durio zibethinus Murr. (Bombacaceae), that was collected in Pontianak, a chemically diverse group of oxygenated compounds was obtained. These included caffeoyl triterpenes, lignans and phenylpropanoid derivatives. During this research, one new compound 27-O-cis-caffeoylcylicodiscate was obtained which resulted from a trans to cis isomerization; this process might be caused by acid and light. Two presumed fungal metabolites were also isolated during this study, these possibly arising from fungal (unknown species) contamination of the bark. The relative stereochemistry of 4-hydroxymellein were also established by conversion to it diacetate and measurement of the coupling constant between H-3 and H-4. The absolute configuration was determined by comparison of []D values with those from the literature. Assignment of the 13C NMR spectrum for (+)-(R)-de-O-methyllasiodiplodin was completed using HSQC-TOCSY data. The methanol extract of the bark of Durio kutejensis (Hassk.) Becc. was fractionated and purified by C18-HPLC. Two new caffeoyl pentacyclic triterpenes 3-O-trans-caffeoyl-2-hydroxyolean-12-en-28-oic acid and 3-O-trans-caffeoyl-2-hydroxyurs-12-en-28-oic acid, together with five known compounds were isolated. The known compound fraxidin had previously been obtained from D. zibethinus Murr. The bark of Durio carinatus Mast., a plant species which has non edible fruit was collected in Sambas district, West Kalimantan. Three new lignans, boehmenan X, (-)-(7S,8S)-threo-carolignan X and (-)-(7R,8S)-erythro-carolignan X, and a new caffeoyl triterpene 3-O-cis-caffeoyl betulinic acid, together with three known lignans and one known caffeoyl triterpene, were obtained from the crude MeOH extract. The relative configurations and conformational models of the diastereomers threo- and erythro-carolignan X were determined by the coupling constant data for H-7′ and H-8′ and supported by 2D NMR spectroscopic analysis including NOESY and HSQC-HECADE in CDCl3. However, the magnitude of the coupling constants for both compounds in MeOH-d4 was similar. The stability of the individual conformers was solvent dependent and must be considered for their contribution to the overall conformational equilibria. This stability was determined by steric interactions, dipole repulsion effects and intramolecular hydrogen bonding. The absolute configuration of the two new diastereomers was established by application of circular dichroism (CD) and optical rotation []D measurements. Another Durio plant studied and collected in Bengkayang region, West Kalimantan, was Durio oxleyanus Griff. From the MeOH extract of its bark, two new lignans, (-)-(7S,8S)-threo-carolignan Y and (-)-(7R,8S)-erythro-carolignan Y were isolated using C18-HPLC. The relative stereochemistry of the carolignan Y diastereomers could not be deduced from the coupling constants for H-7′ and H-8′ either in CDCl3 and MeOH-d4, because of the presence of multiple conformers. The conformational model for the diastereomers of carolignan Y was similar to that of threo- and erythro-carolignan X in MeOH-d4. Using 2D NMR spectroscopic methods, including NOESY and HSQC-HECADE, the relative stereochemistry of the threo and erythro isomers of carolignan Y was confirmed. Further, the absolute configuration of threo- and erythro-carolignan Y was explored via analysis of CD spectra and by comparison of experimentally obtained []D values with literature values.

No description available.

Since the development of the ruthenium containing precatalysts Grubbs 1 (1) and Grubbs 2 (2), there was an increase in the development of new precatalysts. The NMR characterization could not cope with this. The NMR characterization mainly consists of 1H, 31P, COSY and rarely 13C. Due to the high natural abundance of 1H and 31P (99.98% and 100%), these experiments could be carried out quickly and easily. The only change that had to be made was to the spectral width, to accommodate the carbene signal (Ru=CH) between δ 20.02 and δ 17.32 ppm. The lack of 13C characterization is attributed to the low natural abundance of these nuclei that is only 1.10% and the lack of published parameters. Furthermore, the broad spectral width of 300 ppm increases the difficulty because the number of scans has to be increased to increase the sensitivity of the spectra and obtain useful data. In this study the precatalyst 1 was used to learn the NMR technique as well as to acquire the NMR parameters. 2 and two other commercial Grubbs-type precatalysts 3 and 4 underwent NMR characterization so that acquired values could be compared with the literature. Six other non-commercial Grubbs-type precatalysts 5-10 were synthesized and characterized. Due to the instability of the precatalysts and taking into account the duration of these experiments, the characterization was done over three steps. The first step was to do the following experiments: 1H, COSY, HSQC and HMBC, which took four hours. The next step was the DEPT135 experiment of three hours, and finally the 13C experiment of seven hours. The maximum amount of information could be obtained in this way. The combined NMR parameters for this study was obtained and used to characterize the Grubbs-type precatalysts 5-10 partially. Due to the large amount of overlapping peaks in the aromatic and alkane areas the resolution was not sufficient for full characterization. / MSc (Chemistry), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

Since the development of the ruthenium containing precatalysts Grubbs 1 (1) and Grubbs 2 (2), there was an increase in the development of new precatalysts. The NMR characterization could not cope with this. The NMR characterization mainly consists of 1H, 31P, COSY and rarely 13C. Due to the high natural abundance of 1H and 31P (99.98% and 100%), these experiments could be carried out quickly and easily. The only change that had to be made was to the spectral width, to accommodate the carbene signal (Ru=CH) between δ 20.02 and δ 17.32 ppm. The lack of 13C characterization is attributed to the low natural abundance of these nuclei that is only 1.10% and the lack of published parameters. Furthermore, the broad spectral width of 300 ppm increases the difficulty because the number of scans has to be increased to increase the sensitivity of the spectra and obtain useful data. In this study the precatalyst 1 was used to learn the NMR technique as well as to acquire the NMR parameters. 2 and two other commercial Grubbs-type precatalysts 3 and 4 underwent NMR characterization so that acquired values could be compared with the literature. Six other non-commercial Grubbs-type precatalysts 5-10 were synthesized and characterized. Due to the instability of the precatalysts and taking into account the duration of these experiments, the characterization was done over three steps. The first step was to do the following experiments: 1H, COSY, HSQC and HMBC, which took four hours. The next step was the DEPT135 experiment of three hours, and finally the 13C experiment of seven hours. The maximum amount of information could be obtained in this way. The combined NMR parameters for this study was obtained and used to characterize the Grubbs-type precatalysts 5-10 partially. Due to the large amount of overlapping peaks in the aromatic and alkane areas the resolution was not sufficient for full characterization. / MSc (Chemistry), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2014

<p>As a means of further localising the interaction, truncated fragments derived from the C-terminal region of YB-1, were tested for their interaction with the RING finger domain of RBBP6 using three different assays: a directed yeast 2-hybrid assay, co-immunoprecipitation and NMR chemical shift perturbation analysis. Our results suggest that the entire 62 amino acid region at the C-terminal domain of YB-1 may be involved in the interaction with RBBP6. Using chemical shift perturbation analysis, this study provides an indication of where YB-1 binds to the RING finger. This represents the first step towards the design of therapeutics aimed at modulating the interaction between RBBP6 and YB-1 as a means of targeting the oncogenic effects of YB-1. In order to identify E2 enzymes involved in the ubiquitination of YB-1, we examined the efficiencies of selected E2s in an in vitro ubiquitination assay. UbcH5c and UbcH7 were both found to catalyse the ubiquitination of YB-1 in conjuction with RBBP6, whereas Ubc13 was not. Finally, we show using NMR that two single-point mutations of the RING finger-like domain are sufficient to abolish homodimerisation of the domain. These will be used in future studies to investigate the requirement for homodimerisation on the ubiquitination activity of RBBP6.</p>

<p>As a means of further localising the interaction, truncated fragments derived from the C-terminal region of YB-1, were tested for their interaction with the RING finger domain of RBBP6 using three different assays: a directed yeast 2-hybrid assay, co-immunoprecipitation and NMR chemical shift perturbation analysis. Our results suggest that the entire 62 amino acid region at the C-terminal domain of YB-1 may be involved in the interaction with RBBP6. Using chemical shift perturbation analysis, this study provides an indication of where YB-1 binds to the RING finger. This represents the first step towards the design of therapeutics aimed at modulating the interaction between RBBP6 and YB-1 as a means of targeting the oncogenic effects of YB-1. In order to identify E2 enzymes involved in the ubiquitination of YB-1, we examined the efficiencies of selected E2s in an in vitro ubiquitination assay. UbcH5c and UbcH7 were both found to catalyse the ubiquitination of YB-1 in conjuction with RBBP6, whereas Ubc13 was not. Finally, we show using NMR that two single-point mutations of the RING finger-like domain are sufficient to abolish homodimerisation of the domain. These will be used in future studies to investigate the requirement for homodimerisation on the ubiquitination activity of RBBP6.</p>