The Thermal Diastereomerization of the Tryptophane-Derived Green Fluorescent Protein Chromophore

Summary. Two model compounds for the tryptophane variant of the green fluorescent protein chromophore containing a 3-indolyl and 2-pyrrolyl moiety were prepared. For the first one the (Z)-diastereomer was found to be more stable than the (E)-diastereomer by 5.7 kJ mol⁻¹. It could be photo-diastereomerized and its thermal equilibration was studied, whereas the second one underwent photo-destruction. From an Arrhenius plot an activation barrier for the (E) to (Z) diastereomerization of 85.6 kJ mol⁻¹ could be determined. Thus, it could be demonstrated that in contrast to the corresponding phenyl derivative studied recently the tyrosine- and tryptophane-derived chromophores of the green fluorescent protein are amenable to fast thermal diastereomerization, which is of fundamental importance for the fluorescence and photoswitching processes in the corresponding proteins.     

On the Chemistry of the Resveratrol Diastereomers

Summary.  The (E)- and (Z)-diastereomers of resveratrol were investigated with respect to their photochemical and thermal diastereomerization reactions. The free enthalpy difference between the two diastereomers was estimated to be in the order of common stilbenes, with the (E)-diastereomer more stable by about 11–14 kJ mol⁻¹. The Arrhenius activation barrier of about 280 kJ mol⁻¹ was found to be quite high and implies that thermal equilibration cannot account for the (Z)-diastereomer found in nature. A preparative access to the (Z)-diastereomer by photodiastereomerization is described. The ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectra of the two diastereomers were assigned and their absorption spectra and fluorescence quantum yields of the neutral and monodeprotonated species were determined. Corresponding author. E-mail: heinz.falk@jku.at Received October 15, 2002; accepted November 7, 2002 Published online February 20, 2003     

Concerning the Diastereomerization of Stilbenoid Hypericin Derivatives

Summary.  Experiments on a newly prepared (E)-configured ω-benzal-hypericin derivative using TLC and ¹H NMR together with quantum chemical calculations revealed that in stilbenoid hypericin derivatives photodiastereomerization between the (E)- and (Z)-diastereomers occurs in principle. However, due to its low diastereomerization quantum yield and photo and thermal equilibria, which reside mostly on the side of the (E)-diastereomer, this photoreaction is only of marginal importance to the photochemistry of stilbenoid hypericin derivatives. Thus, photodiastereomerization does not appreciably interfere with the photoreactions important for photodynamic therapy. This was demonstrated by comparing the sensitized bilirubin photodestruction of hypericin and the ω-benzal-hypericin derivative. Received December 6, 2001. Accepted December 21, 2001     

Absorption tuning of the green fluorescent protein chromophore: synthesis and studies of model compounds

Abstract  

The green fluorescent protein (GFP) chromophore is a heterocyclic compound containing a p-hydroxybenzylidine attached to an imidazol-5(4H)-one ring. This review covers the synthesis of a variety of model systems for elucidating the intrinsic optical properties of the chromophore in the gas phase and its response in particular to hydrogen bond interactions. The overall goal is to understand how the protein binding pocket influences the absorption behavior, and the current status of our ongoing efforts is presented.     

Concerning the Diastereomerization of Stilbenoid Hypericin Derivatives

 Experiments on a newly prepared (E)-configured ω-benzal-hypericin derivative using TLC and ¹H NMR together with quantum chemical calculations revealed that in stilbenoid hypericin derivatives photodiastereomerization between the (E)- and (Z)-diastereomers occurs in principle. However, due to its low diastereomerization quantum yield and photo and thermal equilibria, which reside mostly on the side of the (E)-diastereomer, this photoreaction is only of marginal importance to the photochemistry of stilbenoid hypericin derivatives. Thus, photodiastereomerization does not appreciably interfere with the photoreactions important for photodynamic therapy. This was demonstrated by comparing the sensitized bilirubin photodestruction of hypericin and the ω-benzal-hypericin derivative.     

On synthesis and properties of hypericin-porphyrin hybrids

Two diastereomeric tetraphenylporphyrinyl-ω-hypericinyl-ethylenes were prepared and their properties investigated. The (Z)-diastereomer displayed an even higher photosensitization of singlet oxygen and/or reactive oxygen species than hypericin, whereas the (E)-configured derivative showed a somewhat weaker effect. Accordingly, hybridization of hypericin and porphyrin chromophores seems to be a promising target for the development of novel sensitizers for photodynamic therapy. Correspondence: Heinz Falk, Department of Organic Chemistry, Johannes Kepler University Linz, 4040 Linz, Austria, Europe.     

Manipulation of Single‐Stranded DNA by Using an Artificial Site‐Selective DNA Cutter Composed of Cerium(IV)/EDTA and Phosphonate–Oligonucleotide Conjugates

An artificial site‐selective DNA cutter to hydrolyze single‐stranded DNA at a desired site was prepared from Ce^IV/ethylenediamintetraacetic acid (EDTA) and two ethylenediamine‐N,N,N′,N′‐tetrakis(methylenephosphonic acid)–oligonucleotide conjugates. By using this cutter, the sense strand of a blue fluorescent protein (BFP) gene was selectively cut at a predetermined site in the chromophore‐coding region. The upstream fragment obtained by the site‐selective scission was ligated with the downstream fragment of the closely related green fluorescent protein (GFP) gene so that the 5′‐ and 3′‐end portions of the chromophore came from the BFP fragment and the GFP fragment, respectively. The recombinant gene was successfully expressed in E. coli and the chimeric chromophore emitted green fluorescence as expected.     

Design,Synthesis and Characterization of a Visible-Light-Sensitive Molecular Switch and Its PEGylation Towards a Self-Assembling Molecule

HBDI-like chromophores represent a novel set of biomimetic switches mimicking the fluorophore of the green fluorescent protein that are currently studied with the hope to expand the molecular switch/motor toolbox. However, until now members capable of absorbing visible light in their neutral (i. e. non-anionic) form have not been reported. In this contribution we report the preparation of an HBDI-like chromophore based on a 3-phenylbenzofulvene scaffold capable of absorbing blue light and photoisomerizing on the picosecond timescale. More specifically, we show that double-bond photoisomerization occurs in both the E-to-Z and Z-to-E directions and that these can be controlled by irradiating with blue and UV light, respectively. Finally, as a preliminary applicative result, we report the incorporation of the chromophore in an amphiphilic molecule and demonstrate the formation of a visible-light-sensitive nanoaggregated state in water.     

Highly diastereoselective N-nitrosation of chiral (E)-2-(benzylidene-amino)ethanols with nitric oxide

N-Nitrosation of (E)-(S)-2-(benzylidene-amino)ethanols 2 with nitric oxide occurred highly diastereoselectively, to give the (2S,4S)-diastereomer dominant N-nitroso-(2S,4S)-1,3-oxazolidines in good yield. Intermediate 2 was prepared from the reaction of benzaldehyde 1 with (S)-2-aminoethanol.     

Photochemical Reactions 150th Communication. Wavelength Dependence of the Photochemistry of 7-Methyl-β-ionone

The wavelength dependence of the photolysis of 7-methyl-β-ionone ((E)- 1 ) was investigated. Irradiation of (E)- 1 with light of λ > 347 nm leads primarily to (E/Z)-isomerization followed by transformation to the tricyclic enol ether 3 as the only secondary photoproduct. On photolysis of (E)- 1 with light of shorter wavelength (λ > 280 nm or λ = 254 nm), however, a series of other products was formed (via a) photocyclization of the dienone chromophore (→ 5 ), (b) photo-enolization (→ 8 ), and (c) a 1,5-sigmatropic H-shift (→ (E/Z)- 7 ). For the structure elucidation of the new products, 7-[¹³C]methyl-β-ionone ((E)-[7-methyl-¹³C]- 1 ) was prepared and irradiated furnishing the corresponding ¹³C-labelled photoproducts.     

Beiträge zur Chemie der Pyrrolpigmente, 35. Mitt.: Eine regioselektive,reversible Addition an Bilatriene-abc

Using spectroscopic methods (UV-VIS,¹H-NMR) the reversible addition of donors (alcohols, amines, thiols, HCN, bisulfit and C-H acidic compounds) to bilatrienes-abc was investigated. This equilibrium is in close analogy to the addition of donors to a carbonyl group (as was deduced from thermodynamic and kinetic measurements) and is also the basis for understanding the photochemical isomerization of bilatrienes-abc in the adsorbed state. Based thereon a recipe for the isomerization of bilatrienes-abc in homogeneous phase giving high yields of the (E, Z, Z)-diastereomer is presented; in addition the (E, Z, E)-diastereomer of aetiobiliverdin-IV- was isolated and characterized for the first time. A model compound representing the intramolecular addition of a donor attached to a side chain (mimicking a peptide unit) was synthesized and studied with respect to its photochemical behaviour.

34. Mitt.:H. Falk undK. Thirring, Z. Naturforsch. im Druck.     

The effect of the position of the methyl group on the helical twisting powers of aldol condensation products of methyl cyclohexanones

The four aldol condensation products of methylcyclohexanone isomers and 4-(4-hexyloxybenzoyloxy)benzaldehyde have been prepared. These chiral products were either obtained with high enantiomeric excess or the enantiomers were separated by means of chiral HPLC. In all cases only the E-isomer was obtained. UV irradiation was used to isomerize the E-isomers to the Z-isomers. Comparison of the helical twisting powers (HTP) of the E-isomers revealed that the derivative in which the methyl group is directly next to the double bond exhibits the highest value. Although the other three E-isomers have lower HTP values, they show large HTP changes and reversal of the helical twist sense upon irradiation. Of these compounds, the one derived from the commercially available (R)-3-methylcyclohexanone is an interesting candidate for use as an alternative to compounds derived from menthone for realizing photochemically induced twist changes in twisted nematic and cholesteric materials.     

PHOTOREACTIVATING ENZYME FROM STREPTOMYCES GRISEUS—III. EVIDENCE FOR THE PRESENCE OF AN INTRINSIC CHROMOPHORE

Evidence is presented that DNA photoreactivating enzyme from Streptomyces griseus consists of a high molecular protein part and a low molecular chromophore which is released by denaturation. The free chromophore is highly fluorescent and has an absorption maximum at 420 nm. In native photoreactivating enzyme the chromophore fluorescence is almost completely quenched and there is an additional absorption band at 445 nm. Native photoreactivating enzyme spontaneously looses its chromophore following first order kinetics as measured by the increase of fluorescence intensity. A good correlation was found between the increase of fluorescence intensity and the decrease of biological activity, stressing the importance of the chromophore-protein bond. The presence of DNA greatly retards the spontaneous release of chromophore, and with UV-irradiated DNA the photoreactivating enzyme is almost completely stable. In five different chromatographic systems, cochromatography of biological activity and enzyme-bound chromophore was found, thus ruling out the possibility that the observed chromophore belongs to a contamination in the enzyme preparation. Photoreactivating enzyme binds very strongly to Blue-Sepharose indicating the presence of a positive charge in the polynucleotide binding site.     

Radiationless decay of red fluorescent protein chromophore models via twisted intramolecular charge-transfer states

We use CASSCF and MRPT2 calculations to characterize the bridge photoisomerization pathways of a model red fluorescent protein (RFP) chromophore model. RFPs are homologues of the green fluorescent protein (GFP). The RFP chromophore differs from the GFP chromophore via the addition of an N-acylimine substitution to a common hydroxybenzylidene-imidazolinone (HBI) motif. We examine the substituent effects on the manifold of twisted intramolecular charge-transfer (TICT) states which mediates radiationless decay via bridge isomerization in fluorescent protein chromophore anions. We find that the substitution destabilizes states associated with isomerization about the imidazolinone-bridge bond and stabilizes states associated with phenoxy-bridge bond isomerization. We discuss the results in the context of chromophore conformation and quantum yield trends in the RFP subfamily, as well as recent studies on synthetic models where the acylimine has been replaced with an olefin.     

A study on the sulfenylchlorination of cembrene and the related cembranoids

p-Tolylsulfenyl chloride adds regioselectively at the C(11) ? C(12) bond of cembrene 1 to give 11-(R)-p-tolylthio-1-(S)-cembra-2E, 4Z, 7E, 12(20)-tetraene 2 following a rapid HCl elimination. Two new cembranoids, 1-(S)-cembra-2E, 4Z, 7E, 12(20)-tetraene 3 and 1-(S)-cembra-2E, 4Z, 7E, 11Z-tetraen-20-ol 4 are prepared from 2.     

After the electronic field: Structure,bonding, and the first hyperpolarizability of HArF

In this work, we add different strength of external electric field (E_ext) along molecule axis (Z‐axis) to investigate the electric field induced effect on HArF structure. The H‐Ar bond is the shortest at E_ext = ?189 × 10^?4 and the Ar‐F bond show shortest value at E_ext = 185 × 10^?4 au. Furthermore, the wiberg bond index analyses show that with the variation of HArF structure, the covalent bond H‐Ar shows downtrend (ranging from0.79 to 0.69) and ionic bond Ar‐F shows uptrend (ranging from 0.04 to 0.17). Interestingly, the natural bond orbital analyses show that the charges of F atom range from ?0.961 to ?0.771 and the charges of H atoms range from 0.402 to 0.246. Due to weakened charge transfer, the first hyperpolarizability (β_tot) can be modulated from 4078 to 1087 au. On the other hand, make our results more useful to experimentalists, the frequency‐dependent first hyperpolarizabilities were investigated by the coupled perturbed Hartree‐Fork method. We hope that this work may offer a new idea for application of noble‐gas hydrides. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Highly Fluorescent Green Fluorescent Protein Chromophore Analogues Made by Decorating the Imidazolone Ring

The synthesis and photophysical behavior of an unexplored family of green fluorescent protein (GFP)‐like chromophore analogues is reported. The compound (Z)‐4‐(4‐hydroxybenzylidene)‐1‐propyl‐2‐(propylamino)‐1H‐imidazol‐5(4 H)‐one (p‐HBDNI, 2 a ) exhibits significantly enhanced fluorescence properties relative to the parent compound (Z)‐5‐(4‐hydroxybenzylidene)‐2,3‐dimethyl‐3,5‐dihydro‐4H‐imidazol‐4‐one (p‐HBDI, 1 ). p‐HBDNI was considered as a model system and the photophysical properties of other novel 2‐amino‐3,5‐dihydro‐4H‐imidazol‐4‐one derivatives were evaluated. Time‐dependent DFT calculations were carried out to rationalize the results. The analogue AIDNI ( 2 c ), in which the 4‐hydroxybenzyl group of p‐HBDNI was replaced by an azaindole group, showed improved photophysical properties and potential for cell staining. The uptake and intracellular distribution of 2 c in living cells was investigated by confocal microscopy imaging.     

Total Synthesis of the Cyclic Depsipeptide Vioprolide D via its (Z)‐Diastereoisomer

The first total synthesis of vioprolide D was accomplished in an overall yield of 2.0 % starting from methyl (2S)‐3‐benzyloxy‐2‐hydroxypropanoate (16 steps in the longest linear sequence). The cyclic depsipeptide was assembled from two building blocks of similar size and complexity in a modular, highly convergent approach. Peptide bond formation at the C‐terminal dehydrobutyrine amino acid of the northern fragment was possible via its (Z)‐diastereoisomer. After macrolactamization and formation of the thiazoline ring, the (Z)‐double bond of the dehydrobutyrine unit was isomerized to the (E)‐double bond of the natural product. The cytotoxicity of vioprolide D is significantly higher than that of its (Z)‐diastereoisomer.     

Origin, nature, and fate of the fluorescent state of the green fluorescent protein chromophore at the CASPT2//CASSCF resolution

Ab initio CASPT2//CASSCF relaxation path computations are employed to determine the intrinsic (e.g., in vacuo) mechanism underlying the rise and decay of the luminescence of the anionic form of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) fluorophore. Production and decay of the fluorescent state occur via a two-mode reaction coordinate. Relaxation along the first (totally symmetric) mode leads to production of the fluorescent state that corresponds to a planar species. The second (out-of-plane) mode controls the fluorescent state decay and mainly corresponds to a barrierless twisting of the fluorophore phenyl moiety. While a "space-saving" hula-twist conical intersection decay channel is found to lie only 5 kcal mol(-1) above the fluorescent state, the direct involvement of a hula-twist deformation in the decay is not supported by our data. The above results indicate that the ultrafast fluorescence decay observed for the GFP chromophore in solution is likely to have an intrinsic origin. The possible effects of the GFP protein cavity on the fluorescence lifetime of the investigated chromophore model are discussed.     

Photochemical Reactions 151st Communication. Photo-oxygenation of (E)- and (Z)-7-Methyl-β-ionone

Photo-oxygenation of (E)-7-methyl-β-ionone ((E)? 1 ) and (E)-8-methyl-β-ionone ((E)? 2 ) gave rise to the formation of the hydroperoxy-enones (E)? 10 and (E)? 15 , respectively, which, in part, underwent intramolecular epoxidation to the hydroxy-epoxy-ketones 11 and 16 , respectively, The product distribution of the photo-oxidation of (Z)? 1 shows a marked influence of the skewed ground-state conformation of the dienone chromophore. Thus, singlet oxygen (¹O₂) was added to C(γ) of the dienone chromophore leading to the spirocyclic peroxy-hemiacetal 12 and to the endoperoxide 13 . In addition, the tricyclic peroxide 14 was formed as a new type of product via primary addition of ¹O₂ to C(γ) of the dienone chromophore. The structure of 14 was established by X-ray crystal-structure analysis of the hemiacetal 22 .