Variation in copolymer composition and molecular weight of polyhydroxyalkanoate generated by saturation mutagenesis of Aeromonas caviae PHA synthase

Amino acid substitutions at two residues downstream from the active-site histidine of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) synthases are effective for changing the composition and the molecular weight of PHA. In this study, saturation mutagenesis at the position Ala505 was applied to PHA synthase (PhaCAc) from Aeromonas caviae to investigate the effects on the composition and the molecular weight of PHA synthesized in Ralstonia eutropha. The copolymer composition and molecular weight of PHA were varied by association with amino acid substitutions. There was a strong relationship between copolymer composition and PHA synthase activity of the cells. This finding will serve as a rationale for producing tailor-made PHAs.     

Total Synthesis of (R,R,R)‐γ‐Tocopherol through Cu‐Catalyzed Asymmetric 1,2‐Addition

Based on the asymmetric copper‐catalyzed 1,2‐addition of Grignard reagents to ketones, (R,R,R)‐γ‐tocopherol has been synthesized in 36 % yield over 12 steps (longest linear sequence). The chiral center in the chroman ring was constructed with 73 % ee by the 1,2‐addition of a phytol‐derived Grignard reagent to an α‐bromo enone prepared from 2,3‐dimethylquinone.     

An Efficient Stereoselective Total Synthesis of Bioactive (3R,5R)‐1‐(4‐Hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐phenylheptane‐3,5‐diol via Asymmetric Aldol Reaction

An efficient stereoselective total synthesis of (3R,5R)‐1‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐phenylheptane‐3,5‐diol ( 1 ) is reported based on the Mukaiyama aldol reaction. The total synthesis of compound 1 was accomplished with 30% overall yield in simple eight steps from commercially available trans‐cinnamaldehyde.     

The First Stereoselective Total Synthesis of Naturally Occurring,Bioactive (3R,5R)‐1‐(4‐Hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐phenylheptane‐3,5‐diol and the Synthesis of Its Enantiomer

The first stereoselective total synthesis of the naturally occurring anti‐emetic diarylheptanoid (3R,5R)‐1‐(4‐hydroxyphenyl)‐7‐phenylheptane‐3,5‐diol ( 1 ) was accomplished starting from 4‐hydroxybenzaldehyde and involving a Sharpless kinetic resolution and an asymmetric epoxidation as the key steps (Scheme 2). The enantiomer 1a of this compound was also simultaneously prepared.     

Asymmetric Synthesis of (R)-Fluoxetine: A Practical Approach Using Recyclable and in-situ Generated Oxazaborolidine Catalyst

A practical route for the synthesis of (R)-fluoxetine•HCl (ee＝96%) in 56% overall yield was described. The key intermediate (R)-3-chloro-1-phenyl-1-propanol was obtained by the asymmetric reduction of prochiral 3-chloropropiophenone using in-situ generated oxazaborolidine catalyst derived from (S)-α,α-diphenylprolinol. The chiral procatalyst (S)-α,α-diphenylprolinol was recovered quantitatively and recycled. An improved practical synthesis of (S)-α,α-diphenylprolinol was also discussed.     

A sensitive LC‐MS/MS method for simultaneous determination of R‐bambuterol and its active metabolite R‐terbutaline in human plasma and urine with application to a clinical pharmacokinetic study

A sensitive liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC‐MS/MS) method for simultaneous determination of R‐bambuterol and its active metabolite R‐terbutaline in human plasma and urine was established. The inhibition for the biotransformation of R‐bambuterol in plasma was fully investigated. Plasma samples were prepared on ice and neostigmine metilsulfate added as a cholinesterase inhibitor immediately after sample collection. All samples were extracted with ethyl acetate and separated on a C₁₈ column under gradient elution with a mobile phase consisting of methanol and water containing 5 mm ammonium acetate at a flow rate of 0.6 mL/min. The analytes were detected by an API 4000 tandem mass spectrometer with positive electrospray ionization in multiple reaction monitoring mode. The established method was highly sensitive with the lower limit of quantification (LLOQ) of 10.00 pg/mL for each analyte in plasma. In urine samples, the LLOQs were 20.00 and 500.0 pg/mL for R‐bambuterol and R‐terbutaline, respectively. The intra‐ and inter‐day precisions were <12.7 and <8.6% for plasma and urine, respectively. The analytical runtime within 6.0 min per sample made this method suitable for high‐throughput determination. The validated method has been successfully applied to the human pharmacokinetic study of R‐bambuterol involving 10 healthy volunteers. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Facile and Efficient Synthesis of (R)‐4‐(Benzyloxy)‐3‐methylbutanenitrile: Toward Developing a Versatile Chiral Building Block

A practical synthesis of (R)‐4‐(benzyloxy)‐3‐methylbutanenitrile, a potential chiral building block, from the corresponding α‐keto ester in high yield and large scale was presented.     

Synchrotron SAXS and WAXS Studies on Changes in Structural and Thermal Properties of Poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] Single Crystals during Heating

Summary: The annealing and melting behavior of poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] (P(3HB)) single crystals were followed in real time by synchrotron small‐ (SAXS) and wide‐angle X‐ray scattering (WAXS) measurements. The real‐time SAXS measurements revealed that the P(3HB) single crystal exhibits a discontinuous increase of lamellar thickness during heating. The structural changes as observed by SAXS and WAXS were in response to the thermal properties of single crystals characterized by differential scanning calorimetry.

A series of two‐dimensional small‐angle X‐ray scattering patterns of P(3HB) single crystal mats during the lamellar thickening process.     

Study of molecular structures for arylidene derivatives of 3R‐methylcyclohexanone by 1H NMR and molecular simulation

Conformational states of the cyclohexanone ring were established for 3R‐methyl‐6‐(4‐phenylbenzylidene)cyclohexanone and several 2,6‐bis(4‐X‐benzylidene)‐3R‐methylcyclohexanones (X = Br, OCOCH₃ and C₆H₅) by ¹H NMR spectroscopy combined with molecular simulation using the semi‐empirical methods AM1 and PM3. The first compound studied contains only one arylidene group, and exists predominantly in a chair conformation of the cyclohexanone ring with an equatorial orientation of the methyl substituent in C₆D₆ and CDCl₃ solutions at room temperature (22–23 °C). In contrast, the 2,6‐bis(arylidene) derivatives of 3R‐methylcyclohexanone preferentially adopt conformations with an axially oriented methyl group. The extent of twisting of enone fragments was also characterized for the compounds studied based on simulation results and comparison of chemical shifts for the arylidene protons of appropriate model compounds. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Processing of a Strong Biodegradable Poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] Fiber and a New Fiber Structure Revealed by Micro‐Beam X‐Ray Diffraction with Synchrotron Radiation

Summary: Biodegradable poly[(R)‐3‐hydroxybutyrate] (P(3HB)) fibers with high tensile strength of 1.32 GPa were processed from ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight P(3HB) by a method combining cold‐drawing and two‐step‐drawing procedures at room temperature. The distribution of molecular structures in a mono‐filament was analyzed by micro‐beam X‐ray diffraction with synchrotron radiation. It was revealed that the P(3HB) fiber has a new core‐sheath structure consistent with two types of molecular conformations: a 2₁ helix conformation in the sheath region and a planar zigzag conformation in the core region.

P(3HB) fiber processed by cold‐drawing in ice water and two‐step drawing at room temperature, and subsequently annealing at 50 °C.     

Asymmetric Mannich‐Type Synthesis of N‐Phosphinyl α‐Aminophosphonic Acid Monoesters

A convenient diastereoselective synthesis of diisopropyl (2R,3R)‐3‐{{{(R/S)‐aryl[(diethoxyphosphinyl)amino]methyl}hydroxyphosphinyl}oxy}‐2‐hydroxybutanedioate through Mannich‐type reactions is reported. The reactions take place under mild conditions in good yields, and this makes it possible to introduce various substituents at the α‐position to the P‐atom of α‐aminophosphonates. The chiral diisopropyl (4R,5R)‐2‐chloro‐1,3,2‐dioxaphospholane‐4,5‐dicarboxylate ( 3 ) was found to be a good phosphonylating agent in this stereoselective reaction.     

New Bisabolane Sesquiterpenes from the Rhizomes of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb. and Their Inhibitory Effects on UVB‐Induced MMP‐1 Expression in Human Keratinocytes

Two new bisabolane sesquiterpenoids, 1 and 2 , along with five known ones, 13‐hydroxyxanthorrhizol ( 3 ), 12,13‐epoxyxanthorrhizol ( 4 ), xanthorrhizol ( 5 ), β‐curcumene ( 6 ), and β‐bisabolol ( 7 ), were isolated from the rhizomes of Curcuma xanthorrhiza Roxb . The chemical structures of the new compounds were determined to be (7R,10R)‐10,11‐dihydro‐10,11‐dihydroxyxanthorrhizol 3‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 1 ) and (?)‐curcuhydroquinone 2,5‐di‐O‐β‐D ‐glucopyranoside ( 2 ) on the basis of 1D‐ and 2D‐NMR spectroscopic analyses and optical‐rotation characteristics. Compounds 2 and 3 decreased MMP‐1 expression in UVB‐treated human keratinocytes by ca. 8.9‐ and 7.6‐fold at the mRNA level, and by ca. 9.2‐ and 6.6‐fold at the protein level, respectively. The results indicate that the isolated compounds may have anti‐aging effects through inhibition of MMP‐1 expression in skin cells.     

Asymmetric Henry reactions of aldehydes with various nitroalkanes catalyzed by copper(II) complexes of novel chiral N‐monoalkyl cyclohexane‐1,2‐diamines

A number of novel chiral diamines 3 , (1R,2R)‐N‐monoalkylcyclohexane‐1,2‐diamines, were designed and synthesized from trans‐cyclohexane‐1,2‐diamine and applied to the catalytic asymmetric Henry reaction of benzaldehyde and nitromethane to provide β‐nitroalcohol in high yield (up to 99%) and good enantiomeric excess (up to 89%). By using ligand (1R,2R)‐N¹‐(4‐methylpentan‐2‐yl)cyclohexane‐1,2‐diamine ( 3g ), the reaction was optimized in terms of the metal ion, temperature, solvent and base. Further experiments indicated that the complex, 3g –Cu(OAc)₂, was an efficient catalyst in the asymmetric Henry reaction between different aldehydes and nitromethane, and the desired products have been obtained with high chemical yields (up to 99%) and high enantiomeric excess (up to 93%). The optimized catalyst promoted the diastereoselective Henry reaction of various aldehyde substrates and nitroalkane, which gave the corresponding anti‐selective adduct with up to 99% yield and 83:17 anti/syn selectivity. Upon scaling up to gram quantities, the β‐nitroalcohol was obtained in good yield (96%) with excellent selectivities (93% ee). The chiral induction mechanism was tentatively explained on the basis of a previously proposed transition‐state model. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A simple HPLC-MS method for the quantitative determination of the composition of bacterial medium chain-length polyhydroxyalkanoates

Bacterial poly(hydroxyalkanoates) (PHAs) vary in the composition of their monomeric units. Besides saturated side-chains, unsaturated ones can also be found. The latter leads to unwanted by-products (THF ester, secondary alcohols) during acidic cleavage of the polymer backbone in the conventional analytical assays. To prevent these problems, we developed a new method for the reductive depolymerization of medium chain-length PHAs, leading to monomeric diols that can be separated and quantified by HPLC/MS. Reduction is performed at room temperature with lithium aluminum hydride within 5-15 min. The new method is faster and simpler than the previous ones and is quantitative. The results are consistent with the ones obtained by quantitative (1)H NMR.     

Efficient Synthesis of a Styryl Analogue of (2S,3R,4E)‐N2‐Octadecanoyl‐4‐tetradecasphingenine via Cross‐Metathesis Reaction

The first total synthesis of sphingolipid (2S,3R,4E)‐N²‐octadecanoyl‐4‐tetradecasphingenine ( 1a ), a natural sphingolipid isolated from Bombycis Corpus 101A, and of its styryl analogue 1b was achieved in good overall yield (Schemes 1 and 2). The key step involved the installation with (E) stereoselectivity of a long lipophilic chain or phenyl group on allyl alcohol derivative 3 via a cross‐metathesis reaction (→ 5a or 5b ). The N‐Boc protected 3 was easily accessible from (S)‐Garner aldehyde.     

Uniaxial drawing of poly[(R)-3-hydroxybutyrate]/cellulose acetate butyrate blends and their orientation behavior

Miscible blends of PHB and CAB were prepared by the solvent-casting method with various blend compositions, and their orientation behavior was investigated during uniaxial drawing. X-ray analysis revealed that the orientation of the crystallizable PHB component in the drawn PHB/CAB blends was changed from c-axis-orientation to a-axis-orientation with increasing CAB content. The a-axis-orientation was a result from the a-axis-oriented crystal growth caused by the intramolecular nucleation and the confined crystal growth. For quantitative assessment of the chain orientation, the Hermans orientation functions of the two respective components were obtained from the polarized FT-IR measurements. The orientation function of pure PHB stretched to 5 times of its initial length was approximately 0.8. However the value decreased rapidly with increasing CAB content, and it turned to a negative value from 30 wt.-% CAB content. This indicates that the PHB chains were aligned perpendicular to the drawing direction. On the contrary, the value of the CAB component remained almost unchanged at about 0.1 regardless of the blend composition and the annealing time, indicating that the CAB chains were constantly oriented parallel to the drawing direction without any chain relaxation. In addition, SAXS analysis suggested that the lamellar stacking direction also changed from parallel to perpendicular in the stretching direction with increasing CAB content.     

Enantiospecific Synthesis of (R)‐3‐Amino‐4‐(2,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)butanoic Acid Using (S)‐Serine as a Chiral Pool

Starting from (S)‐serine, a new method was developed for the synthesis of the β‐amino acid part of sitagliptin in ten steps and with an overall yield of 30%. The crucial step of the synthesis was the ring opening of N‐ and O‐protected (R)‐aziridin‐2‐methanol with (2,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)magnesium bromide to give N‐ and O‐protected (R)‐2‐amino‐3‐(2,4,5‐trifluorophenyl)propan‐1‐ol.