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Adducts of nerve agents in phosphate buffer and their hydrolysis

After our publication on the formation of buffer adducts of G-type nerve agents with buffer compounds like TRIS, TES or HEPES we now report in a new publication in the journal Toxicology Letters the formation of pyrophosphate-like adducts of Gagents with phosphate buffer. In contrast to the phosphodiesters formed for example with TRIS, the phosphate adducts are not resistant to hydrolysis. Their hydrolysis at pH 7.4 is slow and follows a pseudo-0th order kinetic. This leads to a complex mixture of phosphorus containing species in solution with changing concentrations over time. Therefore we recommend to avoid the use of phosphate buffer for analytical applications with G-type nerve agents.

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Reversed Enantioselectivity of DFPase by Rational Design

Based on structural and mechanistic knowledge, mutants of the phosphotriesterase enzmye DFPase were created that reverse the enantioselectivity of the enzyme from the less toxic to the more toxic stereoisomer of G-type nerve agents. The mutants not only feature a reversed enantioselectivity but also increased enzymatic activity compared to the wildtype. The results are described in a new paper published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS).

Asides

• Our recently published article in JACS on engineering enantioselectivity in DFPase is now a "Research Highlight" in Nature Chemistry. The article is publicly available but a nature account is required. #
• "Chemistry World" a publication of the Royal Society of Chemistry in the UK reported on a recently published article in JACS about the decontamination of sulfur mustard in microemulsions by oxidative chemistry. I was asked to comment on this article. A few lines managed to get into the ChemWorld coverage, which you can find here. #
• The German newspaper "Frankfurter Rundschau" published an article about DFPase and our neutron structure with the title "Der Fisch und das Gift" (The Fish and the Venom). The article can be found here. #