Aim: Sporothrix schenckii is the causative agent of sporotrichosis. A 70-kDa glycoprotein, Gp70, is a candidate for the development of prophylactic alternatives to control the disease, and its gene (GP70) is predicted to encode for a protein of 43 kDa, contrasting with the molecular weight of the native protein. Materials & methods: The GP70 was expressed in bacteria, the recombinant protein purified, used in immunoassays and injected to Galleria mellonella. Results & conclusion: The recombinant protein was detected by anti-Gp70 antibodies, confirming that the Gp70 backbone is a 43-kDa peptide. This protein showed enzyme activity of cyclase and was recognized by sera of patients with sporotrichosis. Although it was not useful for serodiagnosis of sporotrichosis, it conferred protection to animals against experimental sporotrichosis.

Five new nonsymmetric BODIPY dyes based on the Biellmann methodology [NSBBs (nonsymmetrical Biellmann BODIPYs)] were prepared by condensation of pairs of different pyrroles with thiophosgene. Treatment of the resulting thioketones with MeI and BF3·Et2O/TEA yielded a wide range of products in a simple manner, with selective alkylation of each pyrrole of the indacene core and with controlled functionalization at the meso position. A comprehensive combined photophysical and computational study has been conducted to determine the impact of the alkylation pattern, as well as the role of the conformational freedom and electron coupling of 8‐phenyl and 8‐methylthio groups on the spectroscopic signatures of BODIPYs. The results and conclusions reached are compared with those for previously reported related analogues. We intend to provide key structural guidelines with regard to the factors that trigger the fluorescence responses and spectral shifts of multifunctional fluorophores of this family.

Different functions of molecular rotors based on viscosity sensitivity and temperature dependence.

Circularly polarized luminescence (CPL) is a chiroptical phenomenon consisting of the differential emission of right and left circularly polarized light by chiral systems (such as molecules, ionic pairs, polymers, metal complexes, supramolecular aggregates). The interest of CPL is due to the resolution provided by the circular polarization of the light, which allows the development of smarter photonic materials for useful technologies, such as 3D displaying, information storage and processing, communication of spin information (spintronics), or bioimaging (for example, ellipsometry-based tomography). In our Group, we have demonstrated that conformationally flexible bis(BODIPY)s are a good platform for the development of smart CPL-SOMs (single organic molecules enabling CPL). We present in this communication synthetic strategies for the modification of the parent structure, directed to the optimization of the CPL properties: (1) Introduce sterical hindrance in the flexible bridge, in order to modify the dihedral angle in the induced helix and (2) Explore new positions at which the bridge connecting both chromofores can be attached.