Cyclization mechanism for the synthesis of macrocyclic antibiotic lankacidin in Streptomyces rochei

The lankacidin biosynthetic gene cluster in Streptomyces rochei strain 7434AN4 was found to span 31 kb of the giant linear plasmid pSLA2-L and contain a polyketide synthase (PKS)/nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) hybrid gene (lkcA), type I PKS genes, and pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ) biosynthetic genes (lkcK-lkcO). Feeding of PQQ to a pqq mutant restored the lankacidin production, suggesting its crucial role in an oxidation process. However, formation of the 17-membered macrocyclic ring was not catalyzed by PQQ-dependent dehydrogenase (Orf23), but was by flavin-dependent amine oxidase (LkcE). Compound LC-KA05 isolated from an lkcE disruptant was an acyclic intermediate lacking the C2-C18 linkage. These results suggested a cyclization mechanism for the synthesis of the lankacidin macrocyclic skeleton.     

Enhanced sensitivity and resolution in (1)H solid-state NMR spectroscopy of paramagnetic complexes under very fast magic angle spinning

High-resolution NMR spectroscopy for paramagnetic complexes in solids has been rarely performed because of its limited sensitivity and resolution due to large paramagnetic shifts and associated technical difficulties. The present study demonstrates that magic angle spinning (MAS) at speeds exceeding 20 kHz provides unusually high sensitivity and excellent resolution in 1H solid-state NMR (SSNMR) for paramagnetic systems. Spinning-speed dependence of 1H MAS spectra showed that very fast MAS (VFMAS) at 24-28 kHz enhanced sensitivity by a factor of 12-18, compared with the sensitivity of 1H SSNMR spectra under moderate MAS at 10 kHz, for Cu(dl-alanine)2.H2O and Mn(acac)3, for which the spectral ranges due to 1H paramagnetic shifts reach 200 and 1000 ppm, respectively. It was theoretically and experimentally confirmed that the absolute sensitivity of 1H VFMAS for small paramagnetic complexes such as Cu(dl-alanine)2 can be an order of magnitude higher than that of equimolar diamagnetic ligands because of short 1H T1 ( approximately 1 ms) of the paramagnetic systems and improved sensitivity under VFMAS. On the basis of this demonstrated high sensitivity, 1H SSNMR micro analysis of paramagnetic systems in a nanomole scale is proposed. Applications were performed on two polymorphs of Cu(II)(8-quinolinol)2, which is a suppressor of human cancer cells. It was demonstrated that 1H VFMAS SSNMR spectra accumulated for 20 nmol of the polycrystalline samples in 10 min enabled one to distinguish alpha- and beta-forms of Cu(II)(8-quinolinol)2 on the basis of shift positions and line widths.     

Chemical studies on the anobiidae: Sex pheromone of the drugstore beetle, stegobium paniceum (L.) (coleoptera)

Chemical an spectroscopic evidence is presented to show that 2,3-dihydro-2,3,5-trimethyl-6-(1-methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one (10) is the sex pheromone produced by the female drugstore beetle, Stegobium paniceum L.     

Synthesis and DNA binding properties of iminodiacetic acid-linked polyamides: characterization of cooperative extended 2:1 side-by-side parallel binding

A series of iminodiacetic acid (IDA)-linked polyamides (DpPyPyPy-IDA-PyPyPyDp) were prepared and constitute polyamides joined head-to-head by a functionalizable five-atom linker. It was found that the IDA linker exerts a unique influence over the DNA binding conformation differing from both the beta-alanine (extended) or gamma-aminobutyric acid (hairpin) linkers, resulting in cooperative parallel side-by-side 2:1 binding in an extended conformation most likely with a staggered versus stacked alignment. A generalized variant of a fluorescent intercalator displacement (FID) assay conducted on a series of hairpin deoxyoligonucleotides containing a systematically varied A/T-rich binding-site size was used to distinguish between the binding modes of the IDA-linked polyamides.     

Heat of immersion of iron(III) oxides in water at 25°C

The heat of immersion in water was measured at 25°C for three iron(III) oxides using a twin-type microcalorimeter. One of the samples was commercial α-Fe₂O₃ (sample C) and the other two (samples M and F) were prepared by calcining magnetite and iron(III) hydroxide in air at various temperatures, T_p, from 300 to 700°C. The samples were evacuated at outgassing temperature, T_o, between room temperature and 500°C at a pressure of 1 × 10^?2?2.7 × 10^?2N m^?2 for 6 h. The heat of immersion, h_i(J m^?2), of samples C and M increased with an increase in T_o and showed the maximum h_i at T_o =400°C, while sample F did not show the maximum up to T_o =500°C. The systematic correlation was not observed between h_i and T_p of sample F. The heat of reproduction of the surface hydroxyl group on sample F was approximately estimated as 6.6 × 10⁴ J mole^?1 H₂O.     

Ethylene and propylene polymerization behavior of a series of bis(phenoxy–imine)titanium complexes

This contribution reports ethylene and propylene polymerization behavior of a series of Ti complexes bearing a pair of phenoxy–imine chelate ligands. The bis(phenoxy–imine)Ti complexes in conjunction with methylalumoxane (MAO) can be active catalysts for the polymerization of ethylene. Unexpectedly, this C₂ symmetric catalyst produces syndiotactic polypropylene. ¹³C NMR spectroscopy has revealed that the syndiotacticity arises from a chain-end control mechanism. Substitutions on the phenoxy–imine ligands have substantial effects on both ethylene and propylene polymerization behavior of the complexes. In particular, the steric bulk of the substituent ortho to the phenoxy–oxygen is fundamental to obtaining high activity and high molecular weight for ethylene polymerization and high syndioselectivity for the chain-end controlled propylene polymerization. The highest ethylene polymerization activity, 3240 kg/mol-cat h, exhibited by a complex having a t-butyl group ortho to the phenoxy–oxygen, represents one of the highest reported to date for Ti-based non-metallocene catalysts. Additionally, the polypropylene produced exhibits a T_m, 140 °C, and syndioselectivity, rrrr 83.7% (achieved by a complex bearing a trimethylsilyl group ortho to the phenoxy–oxygen) that are among the highest for polypropylenes produced via a chain-end control mechanism. Hence, the bis(phenoxy–imine)Ti complexes are rare examples of non-metallocene catalysts that are useful for the polymerization of not only ethylene but also propylene.     

Concomitant increase in putrescine incorporation with transferrin uptake into rat reticulocytes.

Concomitant increase in putrescine incorporation with transferrin uptake into rat reticulocytes was found. [14C]Putrescine incorporation occurred in the presence of transferrin at 37 degrees C. The subcellular distribution of incorporated [14C]putrescine showed that the incorporation in the plasma membrane time dependently increased. Both 125I-labeled transferrin uptake and [14C]putrescine incorporation decreased when ethylene glycol bis(2-aminoethyl ether)-N,N,N',N'-tetraacetic acid was added, while it increased with the addition of A23187.     

Photochemische Reaktionen. 121. Mitteilung. Zur Photochemie von ε,ζ-Methano-α,γ-dienonen und 7,8-Methano-1,3,5-trienen

Photochemistry of ε,ζ-Methano-α,γ-dienones and 7,8-Methano-1,3,5-trienes Irradiation of the δ-cyclopropyl-dienone (E)- 6 (λ ≥ 347 nm) gives (Z)- 6, 10 (1,5-sigmatropic H-shift), (E/Z)- 9 (electrocyclic process involving C(ε), C(ζ)-cleavage) and 11 (ring opening). The corresponding 6-cyclopropyl-triene (E)- 7 gives on singlet excitation (δ > 280 nm) 14 (1,5-sigmatropic H-shift) and, to a smaller extent, the bicyclo [3.2.0] heptenyl-dienes (E/Z)- 13 . However, on triplet excitation (λ ≥ 347 nm, benzophenone) (E)- 7 gives (E/Z)- 13 as the main products. On both ¹π,π*- and ³π,π*-excitation, (Z)- 7 and 15 are formed in small amounts.     

Detection of ethanol in human body fluids by headspace solid-phase micro extraction (SPME)/capillary gas chromatography

Summary Ethanol has been found extractable from human whole blood and urine samples by headspace solid-phase micro extraction (SPME) with a Carbowax/divinylbenzene-coated fiber. After heating a vial containing the body fluid sample with ethanol, and isobutanol as internal standard (IS) at 70°C in the presence of (NH₄)₂SO₄, a Carbowax/divinylbenzene-coated SPME fiber was exposed in the headspace of the vial to allow adsorption of the compounds. The fiber needle was then injected into a middle-bore capillary gas chromatography (GC) port. The headspace SPME-GC gave intense peaks for both compounds; a small amount of background noises appeared, but did not interfere with the detection of the compounds. Recoveries of ethanol and IS were 0.049 and 0.026% for whole blood, respectively, and 0.054 and 0.085% for urine, respectively. The calibration curves for ethanol showed excellent linearity in the range of 80–5000 mg L^–1 for whole blood and 40–5000 mg L^–1 for urine; the detection limits for both samples were 20 and 10 mg L^–1, respectively. The data on actual determination of ethanol after the drinking of beer are also presented for two subjects.     

Model complexes for metallated polythiophenes: gold(I) and palladium(II) complexes of bis(diphenylphosphino)oligothiophenes

The preparations of two new phosphinothiophene ligands, 3,3'-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,2'-bithiophene (dppbt; 1) and 3,3' "-dihexyl-3',3' '-bis(diphenylphosphino)-2,5':2',2' ':5' ',2' "-quaterthiophene (hdppqt; 2) are reported. Oxidation of 1 gives 3,3'-bis(diphenylphosphine oxide)-2,2'-bithiophene (3), and the crystal structure of this compound was determined. Pd(II) and Au(I) complexes of these ligands have been synthesized and characterized. Crystal structures of [(dppbt)PdCl(2)] (1-Pd), [(hdppqt)PdCl(2)] (2-Pd), [(dppbt)(AuCl)(2)] (1-Au), and [(hdppqt)(AuCl)(2)] (2-Au) were obtained. [(dppbt)(AuCl)(2)] crystallized in two solid-state forms; crystals grown from CH(2)Cl(2)/Et(2)O show a gold-gold interaction of 3.3221(4) A, but from CH(2)Cl(2)/toluene, the molecule crystallizes as a toluene adduct (1-Au-tol) and does not show any gold-gold interaction. All the complexes were characterized via UV-vis spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry, and the effect of the metal on the energy of the pi-pi transition and oxidation potential was determined. These data are correlated to the interannular torsion angles in the oligothienyl groups from the crystal structure studies.