Novel Tdp1 Inhibitors Based on Adamantane Connected with Monoterpene Moieties via Heterocyclic Fragments

Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase 1 (Tdp1) is a promising target for anticancer therapy due to its ability to counter the effects topoisomerase 1 (Top1) poison, such as topotecan, thus, decreasing their efficacy. Compounds containing adamantane and monoterpenoid residues connected via 1,2,4-triazole or 1,3,4-thiadiazole linkers were synthesized and tested against Tdp1. All the derivatives exhibited inhibition at low micromolar or nanomolar concentrations with the most potent inhibitors having IC₅₀ values in the 0.35–0.57 µM range. The cytotoxicity was determined in the HeLa, HCT-116 and SW837 cancer cell lines; moderate CC₅₀ (µM) values were seen from the mid-teens to no effect at 100 µM. Furthermore, citral derivative 20c, α-pinene-derived compounds 20f, 20g and 25c, and the citronellic acid derivative 25b were found to have a sensitizing effect in conjunction with topotecan in the HeLa cervical cancer and colon adenocarcinoma HCT-116 cell lines. The ligands are predicted to bind in the catalytic pocket of Tdp1 and have favorable physicochemical properties for further development as a potential adjunct therapy with Top1 poisons.     

Photoacoustic Doppler effect from flowing small light-absorbing particles

From the flow of a suspension of micrometer-scale carbon particles, the photoacoustic Doppler shift is observed. As predicted theoretically, the observed Doppler shift equals half of that in Doppler ultrasound and does not depend on the direction of laser illumination. This new physical phenomenon provides a basis for developing photoacoustic Doppler flowmetry, which can potentially be used for detecting fluid flow in optically scattering media and especially low-speed blood flow of relatively deep microcirculation in biological tissue.     

3-Cyanoazolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazines: synthesis and antiviral activity

Chemistry of Heterocyclic Compounds - A series of azolo[5,1-c][1,2,4]triazines containing a cyano group were prepared as analogs of the drug Triazavirin (riamilovir). Sodium...     

A feasibility study of X‐ray phase‐contrast mammographic tomography at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron

Results are presented of a recent experiment at the Imaging and Medical beamline of the Australian Synchrotron intended to contribute to the implementation of low‐dose high‐sensitivity three‐dimensional mammographic phase‐contrast imaging, initially at synchrotrons and subsequently in hospitals and medical imaging clinics. The effect of such imaging parameters as X‐ray energy, source size, detector resolution, sample‐to‐detector distance, scanning and data processing strategies in the case of propagation‐based phase‐contrast computed tomography (CT) have been tested, quantified, evaluated and optimized using a plastic phantom simulating relevant breast‐tissue characteristics. Analysis of the data collected using a Hamamatsu CMOS Flat Panel Sensor, with a pixel size of 100 µm, revealed the presence of propagation‐based phase contrast and demonstrated significant improvement of the quality of phase‐contrast CT imaging compared with conventional (absorption‐based) CT, at medically acceptable radiation doses.     

Ionic strength of electrospray droplets affects charging of DNA oligonucleotides

The fundamental aspects of charging in electrospray ionization (ESI) are hotly debated. In the present study, ESI charging of DNA oligonucleotides was explored in both positive (ESI+) and negative (ESI?) polarity using mass spectrometry detection. Single‐stranded 12‐mer CCCCAATTCCCC in buffer solution (aqueous NH₄Ac, 100 mM) produced similar charge state distribution (CSD) in either ESI+ or ESI?. Similarity of CSD in ESI+ and ESI? was also observed for the double‐stranded 12‐mer CGCGAATTCGCG. By adding typical low‐vapor reagents (e.g. m‐nitro benzyl alcohol, m‐NBA; sulfolane) into the same buffer solution (<0.5% w/v), both CCCCAATTCCCC and CGCGAATTCGCG revealed strong supercharging (SC) effect in ESI?, while very little or no SC effect was observed in ESI+. With either sulfolane or m‐NBA, the CGCGAATTCGCG duplex dissociated into single strands in ESI?. No SC was observed in both ESI+ and ESI? for thermally denatured CGCGAATTCGCG duplex in NH₄Ac buffer without the reagents. These findings are difficult to reconcile with the earlier model, which attributes SC in aqueous buffer solution to the conformational changes of analytes. Our observations suggest that the ionic strength of ESI droplets strongly affects the CSD of biopolymers such as DNA oligonucleotides and that SC effect is related to the depletion of ionic strength during the ESI process. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

3,3′‐Bi(1,2,4‐oxadiazoles) Featuring the Fluorodinitromethyl and Trinitromethyl Groups

Here we report on the preparation of two hydrogen atom free 3,3′‐bi(1,2,4‐oxadiazole) derivatives. 5,5′‐Bis(fluorodinitromethyl)‐3,3′‐bi(1,2,4‐oxadiazole) was synthesised by fluorination of diammonium 5,5′‐bis(dinitromethanide)‐3,3′‐bi(1,2,4‐oxadiazole). For our previously reported analogue 5,5′‐bis(trinitromethyl)‐3,3′‐bi(1,2,4‐oxadiazole), a new synthetic route starting from new 3,3′‐bi(1,2,4‐oxadiazolyl)‐5,5′‐diacetic acid was developed. In this course also hitherto unknown 5,5′‐dimethyl‐3,3′‐bi(1,2,4‐oxadiazole) was isolated. The compounds were characterised by multinuclear NMR spectroscopy, IR and Raman spectroscopy, elemental analysis as well as mass spectrometry. X‐ray diffraction studies were performed and the crystal structures for the 5,5'‐dimethyl and 5,5'‐(fluorodinitromethyl) derivatives are reported. The energetic 5,5'‐(fluorodinitromethyl) and 5,5'‐(trinitromethyl) compounds do not contain any hydrogen atoms and show remarkable high densities. Furthermore, the thermal stabilities and sensitivities were determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and standardised impact and friction tests. The heats of formation were calculated by the atomisation method based on CBS‐4M enthalpies. With these values and the room‐temperature X‐ray densities, several detonation and propulsion parameters, such as the detonation velocity and pressure as well as the specific impulse of mixtures with aluminium, were computed using the EXPLO5 code.     

Bis[N,N′‐diisopropylbenzamidinato(−)]silicon(II): Lewis Acid/Base Reactions with Triorganylboranes

Reaction of the donor‐stabilized silylene 1 (which is three‐coordinate in the solid state and four‐coordinate in solution) with BEt₃ and BPh₃ leads to the formation of the Lewis acid/base complexes 2 and 3 , respectively, which are the first five‐coordinate silicon compounds with an Si?B bond. These compounds were structurally characterized by crystal structure analyses and by multinuclear NMR spectroscopic studies in the solid state and in solution. Additionally, the bonding situation in 2 and 3 was analyzed by quantum chemical studies.     

ZIBgridfree: efficient conformational analysis by partition-of-unity coupling

Obtaining a sufficient sampling of conformational space is a common problem in molecular simulation. We present the implementation of an umbrella-like adaptive sampling approach based on function-based meshless discretization of conformational space that is compatible with state of the art molecular dynamics code and that integrates an eigenvector-based clustering approach for conformational analysis and the computation of inter-conformational transition rates. The approach is applied to three example systems, namely $n$ -pentane, alanine dipeptide, and a small synthetic host-guest system, the latter two including explicitly modeled solvent.     

Cycloadditions of 1H-1,3-Benzazaphospholes with o-Chloranil

NH-Functional 1H-1,3-benzazaphospholes 1a–1c and o-chloranil (tetrachloro-o-benzoquinone - TCBQ) undergo rapid [1+4]-cycloaddition in a 1:2 molar ratio to give 2a – 2c as high-melting zwitterionic σ⁶λ⁵-phosphorus compounds. In the case of 2a the yield is high (rel. to TCBQ) even if the reactants were used in a 1:0.5 molar ratio. For the 2-tert-butyl-substituted compounds 2b and 2c the yields were significantly lower, in part by unidentified byproducts. Addition of excess TCBQ to crude 2c containing unconverted 1c did not increase but strongly decrease the amount of 2c . Crystallization and XRD analysis led to detection of a minor side or consecutive product 3c , formally corresponding to P=C bond cleavage and [1+4] cycloaddition of three equivalents TCBQ, two at the phosphinidene and one at the carbene end. NMR spectroscopic data of 2a – 2c including conclusive ¹³C data for 2a give evidence of the structures of the new compounds.