Investigations into the Structures of Biologically Important Molecules. I. The Crystal Structure of Monoclinic Calcium Pyrophosphate Tetrahydrate. II. The Purification of Glucose-6-Phosphate Dehydrogenase from Human Red Blood Cells. III. A Partial Solution of the Crystal Structure of p-Trimethylammoniumbenzene Sulfonate

Author: Davis, Nicki Lee

Year: 1978

Degree: Master's thesis

Advisor: Dickerson, Richard E.

Committee Member: Unknown, Unknown

Option: Chemistry

DOI: 10.7907/FB15-4S36

Abstract

Chapter I deals with the solution and refinement of the crystal structure of monoclinic calcium pyrophosphate tetrahydrate. The role of the triclinic dihydrate of calcium pyrophosphate as the cause of inflammation in pseudogout is briefly discussed, and a detailed comparison is made between its crystal structure and that of the mono-clinic tetrahydrate, which does not cause disease.

In Chapter II, methods for the isolation of the enzyme glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase from human red blood cells are described. The problems involved in adapting a small-scale purification procedure to large-scale production are investigated, and solutions proposed. Alternative methods for the purification of the enzyme are developed and tested.

A partial solution of the crystal structure of p-trimethyl-ammoniumbenzenesulfonate (ZWT) is given in Chapter III. This compound is the product of a solid state rearrangement of methyl-p-dimethyl-aminobenzene sulfonate (ASE). Although the structure of ZWT could not be refined, a trial structure obtained by a direct methods calculation bore a close resemblance to the known structure of the parent compound, MSE. This result was in accord with previous data on the details of the rearrangement reaction.

Files