Synthesis of Novel Nucleic Acid Mimics via the Stereoselective Intermolecular Radical Coupling of 3'-Iodo Nucleosides and Formaldoximes(1)

A highly convergent free radical coupling of alkyl iodides and oximes, mediated by bis(trimethylstannyl) benzopinacolate (8), has been utilized to prepare a series of dimeric nucleosides as mimics of natural nucleic acids. The systematic optimization of the reaction conditions allowed for the single-step conversion of the appropriate iodides and oximes into the 2'-deoxy dimers 9 in moderate to excellent yields. For example, the reaction of 3'-deoxy-3'-iodo-5'-(triphenylmethyl)thymidine (6a) with 3'-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)-5'-O-(methyleneimino)thymidine (7a) in the presence of 8 in degassed benzene gave an 81% yield of 3'-de(oxyphosphinico)-3'-(methyleneimino)-5'-O-(triphenylmethyl)thymidylyl-(3'-->5')-3'-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)thymidine (9a). Similarly prepared were dimers containing both pyrimidine (thymine, 5-methylcytosine) and purine (adenine, guanine) bases. The reaction was highly stereoselective, giving only a single dimeric species having the ribo-configuration of the newly introduced C-3'-branched methylene moiety. Also prepared were dimers 16, incorporating 2'-O-methyl ribonucleosides in both halves of the dimer. This required the synthesis of 3'-deoxy-3'-iodo-2'-O-methyl nucleosides 12 as well as 2'-O-methyl-5'-O-methyleneimino nucleosides 15. For example, 5'-O-(tert-butyldiphenylsilyl)-3'-deoxy-3'-iodo-2'-O-methyl-5-methyluridine (12e) was prepared in 80% yield by displacement of the corresponding triflate with Bu(4)NI. Also prepared were the suitably protected 3'-deoxy-3'-iodo adenosine and guanosine derivatives. Compounds 15 were prepared in high yield by a regioselective Mitsunobu reaction to give the corresponding 5'-O-phthalimido nucleosides 13, which were subsequently converted to the requisite oximes 15. In the 2'-O-methyl series, the pinacolate coupling reaction proceeded with efficiency equal to that observed for the 2'-deoxy series 9, but with slightly less stereoselectivity, giving predominantly the C-3'ribo products 16, contaminated with 5-25% of the epimeric material. Mixed base dimers containing both pyrimidine and purine bases at all possible positions, including purine-purine dimers were prepared. The hydroxylamine or methyleneimino (MI) backbone of several representative dimers so prepared was converted via methylation to give the corresponding methylenemethylimino (MMI)-linked compounds, which are novel phosphate surrogates for use in antisense oligonucleotides.     

Synthesis of 2'-O-methoxyethylguanosine using a novel silicon-based protecting group

A short and efficient synthesis of 2'-O-methoxyethylguanosine (8) is described. Central to this strategy is the development of a novel silicon-based protecting group (MDPSCl(2), 2) used to protect the 3',5'-hydroxyl groups of the ribose. Silylation of guanosine with 2 proceeded with excellent regioselectivity and in 79% yield. Alkylation of the 2'-hydroxyl group of 6 proceeded with methoxyethyl bromide and NaHMDS and afforded compound 7 in 85% yield, without any noticeable cleavage of the silyl protecting group and without the need to protect the guanine base moiety. Finally, deprotection of 7 was achieved using TBAF and produced 8 in 97% yield.     

Synthesis and transformations of (±)-trans-4aβ(H), saα(H)-octahydro-4α,7β-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one

Hydrogenation of 4,7-dimethylcoumarin ( 1 ) in alkaline medium has been shown to furnish a mixture of (±)-trans-4aβ(H),8aα(H)-octahydro-4α,7β-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one ( 2 ), (±)-trans-4aβ(H),8aα(H)-octahydro-4α,7α-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one ( 3 ) and (±)-cis-4aα(H),8aα(H)-octahydro-4α,7α-dimethyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2-one ( 4 ) in 40:25:35:ratio, respectively. The stereochemistry of the major hydrogenation product 2 , has been established by transforming it to p-menthane derivatives e.g. (±)-2 (R)-[2′(R)hydroxy-4′(R) methylcyclohex-(1′S)-yl]propan-1-ol ( 20 ) and (±)-trans-3α,6β-dimethyl-3aβ(H),7aα(H)-octahydrobenzofuran ( 12 ). Starting from a mixture of lactones 2, 3 and 4 , lactone 3 has been obtained in pure state employing a sequence of reactions.     

The Gravitational Instability of a Finitely Conducting Rotating Plasma Through a Porous Medium

The magneto-gravitational instability of an infinite homogeneous, finitely conducting, viscous rotating plasma through porous medium is investigated in view of its relevance to certain stellar atmospheres. The dispersion relation has been obtained from the relevant linearized perturbation equations of the problem and it has been discussed in the case of rotation parallel and perpendicular to the direction of magnetic field separately. The longitudinal and transverse modes of wave propagation are discussed in each case of rotation. It is found that the combined effect of viscosity, finite conductivity, rotation and the medium porosity does not essentially change the Jeans' criterion of gravitational instability. It is also shown that for the propagation transverse to the direction of magnetic field. the finite conductivity destabilizes the wave number band which is stable in the limit of infinite conductivity when the medium is considered inviscid.     

Electrodiffusion of ions inside living cells

Electrodiffusion of ions, both inside and outside biologicalcells, are of utmost importance to proper cellular functions.Experiments indicate that both ion concentrations and electropotentialcan jump discontinuously across the cell membranes. We studya system of nonlinear partial differential equations modellingsuch phenomena. Jump conditions for species concentrations andelectropotential across cell membranes are imposed. Under zero-fluxboundary conditions for one-dimensional domains, the solutionsare proved to exist for all times. With further assumptions,these transient solutions will converge to the unique steady-statesolution. Numerical experiments in one- and two-dimensionaldomains are also performed in order to study some unresolvedtheoretical issues.     

Synthesis of certain exocyclic thiazole nucleosides related to tiazofurin. Formation of a unique acycloaminonucleoside

Several thiazole nucleosides structurally related to tiazofurin (1) and ARPP (2) were prepared, in order to determine whether these nucleosides had enhanced antitumor/antiviral activities. Ring closure of 1-(2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranosyl)thiourea (4) with ethyl bromopyruvate (5a) gave ethyl 2-(2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranosylamino)thiazole-4-carboxylate (6a) . Treatment of 6a with sodium methoxide furnished methyl 2-(β-D-ribopyranosylamino)thiazole-4-carboxylate (9) . Ammonolysis of the corresponding methyl ester of 6a gave a unique acycloaminonucleoside 2-[(1R, 2R, 3R, 4R)(1-benzamido-2,3,4,5-tetrahydroxypentane)amino]-thiazole-4-carboxamide (7a) . Direct glycosylation of the sodium salt of ethyl 2-mercaptothiazole-4-carboxylate (12) with 2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-D-ribofuranosyl bromide (11) gave the protected nucleoside 10 , which on ammonolysis provided 2-(β-D-ribofuranosylthio)thiazole-4-carboxamide (3b) . Similar glycosylation of 12 with 2-deoxy-3,5-di-O-p-toluoyl-α-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl chloride (13) , followed by ammonolysis gave 2-(2-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosylthio)thiazole-4-carboxamide (3c) . The structural assignments of 3b, 7a , and 9 were made by single-crystal X-ray analysis and their hydrogen bonding characteristics have been studied. These compounds are devoid of any significant antiviral/antitumor activity in vitro.     

Stereoselective epoxidation of 3-trans-benzylideneisoborneol

2-Benzylidenecyclopentanol ( 2 ) can be epoxidized stereoselectively to furnish 2-trans-benzylidene-1β-hydroxycyclopentane β-oxide ( 4 ) with either t-butyl hydroperoxide in the presence of vanadium catalyst or m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid. Epoxidation of 3-trans-benzylideneisoborneol ( 10 ) with t-butyl hydroperoxidevanadium catalyst furnishes stereoselectively 3-trans-benzylideneisoborneol exo-oxide ( 11 ) whereas epoxidation of alcohol 10 with m-chloroperoxybenzoic acid furnishes stereoselectively 3-trans-benzylideneisoborneol endo-oxide ( 14 ).     

Bayesian games as stochastic processes

This paper examines stochastic processes generated by sequential games each of whose “states” includes a distribution and whose up-dating rules for state transitions may include Bayes operators. General properties of discrete-time Markov processes are applied to specific games such as iterated matrix games, including Prisoners' Dilemma, and to a new model for the Asch experiments on conflict and conformity.