Interorganellar DNA transfer in wheat: dynamics and phylogenetic origin

A homology search of wheat chloroplast (ct) and mitochondrial (mt) genomes identified 54 ctDNA segments that have homology with 66 mtDNA segments. The mtDNA segments were classified according to their origin: orthologs (prokaryotic origin), xenologs (interorganellar DNA transfer origin) and paralogs (intraorganellar DNA amplification origin). The 66 mtDNA sequences with homology to ctDNA segments included 14 paralogs, 18 orthologs and 34 xenologs. Analysis of the xenologs indicated that the DNA transfer occurred unidirectionally from the ct genome to the mt genome. The evolutionary timing of each interorganellar DNA transfer that generated a xenolog was estimated. This analysis showed that 2 xenologs originated early in green plant evolution, 4 in angiosperm evolution, 3 in monocotyledon evolution, 9 during cereal diversification and 8 in the evolution of wheat. Six other xenologs showed recurrent transfer from the ct to mt genomes in more than one taxon. The two remaining xenologs were uninformative on the evolutionary timing of their transfer. The wheat mt nad9 gene was found to be chimeric, consisting of the cereal nad9 gene and its 291 bp 5'-flanking region that included a 58 bp xenolog of the ct-ndhC origin.     

Regio- and stereoselective synthesis of 1-aryl-1-thio-2-thiophosphinylethene derivatives via a radical process

Radical additions of S-thiophosphinyl dithiocarbonate to terminal aromatic alkynes afford (E)-1-aryl-1-thio-2-thiophosphinylethene derivatives regio- and stereoselectively in high yields. The transformations of the products are also described.     

Collinear fast atomic-beam laser spectroscopy at riken garis/igisol

We have constructed a fast atomic-beam collinear laser spectroscopy system connected to the on-line isotope separator facility GARIS/IGISOL at RIKEN. This system is potentially powerful in studying refractory elements. To test the system, an off-line collinear experiment was made on stable Hf isotopes produced by means of laser ablation technique. For production of radioactive Hf isotopes, the use of the inverse kinematics of a fusion reaction,⁹Be(¹⁶⁶Er,xn)^175-x Hf, was investigated. The radioactive isotope¹⁶⁹Hf was successfully extracted from GARIS/IGISOL and accelerated up to 30 keV.     

Rhodium-catalyzed allyl transfer from homoallyl alcohols to acrylate esters via retro-allylation

Retro-allylation of homoallyl alcohols by rhodium catalysts occurs to generate allylrhodium species. Insertion of acrylate esters to the allylrhodiums proceeds to give the corresponding 2,5-hexadienoate esters in situ. Subsequent isomerization or iterative 1,4-addition takes place in the same pots to furnish the corresponding 2,4-hexadienoate esters or triesters in good yields.