The fluorescence of biliverdin dimethyl ester

Freshly prepared solutions of biliverdin dimethyl ester ( 2 ) in ethanol showed fluorescence maxima at 710 and 770 nm [Φ_F = 1.1. 10^?4 (room temperature) and 5.0 10^?4 (77 K)]. The maxima of monoprotonated 2 at 77 K were shifted to 725 and 806 nm and the quantum yield was increased to 2.6. 10^?2. This acid effect was reversible by neutralization with base. When a neutral solution was kept standing in the dark at room temperature, or when an acidic solution was neutralized by base, an additional fluorescence maximum at 500 nm with a mirror image excitation spectrum with λ_max = 470 nm developed, which disappeared on addition of acid and which is attributed to a chemical change of 2 .     

EFFECTS OF BOUND MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES ON THE DECAY OF THE PHOTOTRANSFORMATION INTERMEDIATES I1,21700 FROM NATIVE Avena PHYTOCHROME*

Abstract–Thc kinetics of the microsecond phototransformation intermediates of 124 kDa Avena phytochrome (1700^1,2) were studied in the prcsence of bound monoclonal antibodies at various temperatures. A global analysis was applied to the decays at all wavelengths at each temperature in order to derive the rate constants and the decay-associated spectra of the three decay components. Monoclonal antibodies bound to specific epitopes altered the Arrhenius parameters of both 1700^1,2 decay components. The strongest influence on these parameters was observed with OAT 8 (epitope between residues 624 and 686), which decreased by more than 50% the activation parameters of both components. This decrease is interpreted to result from an increased flexibility induced by this antibody in the ground state or in the transition state of bonds changing during the decay of both 1700 transients. Thus, the OAT 8 cpitope appears to be functionally important during the decay of the 1700^1,2 intermediates. For the case of 1100¹ bound OAT 23 and OAT 25 (epitopes between residues 1 and 66) reduced even further the relatively small flexibility of these bonds in the red light-absorbing form of phytochrome (P1) without antibodies, as reflected by the high preex-ponential factors for its decay. This resulted also in higher activation energies for this decay in the presence of the antibodies. Thus, the amino-terminus should act as a rigid spacer of the chromophore cavity without affecting it during the microsecond transformation, because the Arrhenius parameters for these decays are similar to those for small phytochrome. The possible implications of the influence of the various antibodies on the bleaching remaining after the decay of 1700^1,2 are discussed.     

On the photochemical conversion of an alpha, beta-unsaturated gamma, delta-epoxy ketone: 3-oxo-6-alpha, 7-alpha-oxide-17-beta-acetoxy-Delta-androstane

The α,β-unsaturated γ,δ-epoxyketone 7 is isomerized almost exclusively to the δ-diketone 9 both upon irradiation in the n → π* absorption band with light of wavelengths above 310 nm (in anhydrous dioxane or benzene solutions) and upon triplet sensitization using acetophenone in benzene. The reaction may be formulated by the cleavage of the C_γ? O oxide bond and the shift of the δ-hydrogen to the γ-position, and thus bears a formal “double bond homology” to the photochemical α,β-epoxyketone rearrangement. Excitation in the π → π* absorption band of 7 with light of wavelength 253,7 nm (in anhydrous dioxane solution) leads to the formation of product 10 as well as to the triplet rearrangement to 9 . With this result a novel partial synthesis of O-acetyl-B-nortestosterone has been accomplished, which has the advantages of fewer steps and higher product yield ( 7 → 10 : ～30% yield) than previously published syntheses. On the basis of the presently available experiments, the mechanism of the transformation 7 → 10 , which constitutes one of the still few examples of enone photoreactions induced selectively from the π,π* excited singlet, remains unknown.     

On the photochemistry of alpha, beta-unsaturated gamma-aldehydoketones. I. The UVirradiation of 3, 19-dioxo-17-beta-acetoxy-delta-4-androstene

Irradiation of 3,19-dioxo-17β-acetoxy-Δ⁴-androstene ( 2 ) at room temperature in either of its two absorption bands centered at about 245 and 315 nm, respectively, led to products 21, 22 , and 23 (Chart 3). Compounds 21 and 22 result from rearrangements involving intramolecular formal 1,2- (→ 21 ) and 1,3-shifts (→ 22 ) of the angular formyl group, and the formation of compound 23 proceeds through the elimination of the formyl radical and the incorporation of a hydrogen from the medium. Evidence favors the latter process to be a secondary radical reaction rather than a primary photochemical step.     

The Synthesis of 4b, 5, 12, 12a-Tetrahydro-5, 12-ethano-13H-indeno[2,3-b]anthracenes, 4b, 5, 10, 10a - tetrahydro-5,10-ethano-11H-indeno[2,3-b]naphtalenes and 1,2,3,4,4a, 9a-Hexahydro-1,4-(peri-naphthaleno)-fluorenes

The synthesis of endo- and exo-13-oxo-4b, 5, 12, 12a-tetrahydro-5, 12-ethanoindeno[2,3-b]anthracene ( 23 ; Schemes 1 and 2), exo- and endo-11-oxo-4b, 5, 10, 10a-tetrahydro-5, 10-ethano-indeno[2,3-b]naphthalene ( 31 ; Scheme 3), 1,2,3,4,4a,9a-hexahydro?1,4-(peri-naphthaleno)-fluoren-9-one (36; Scheme 4), and the corresponding hydrocarbons of the stereoisomeric ketone pairs 23 and 36 , is described.     

Novel Variant of the Tricyclooctanone Approach to Cyclopentanoid Natural Products. Synthesis of (±)-Coriolin. Preliminary Communication

A total synthesis of the antitumor sesquiterpene coriolin ( 9 ; racemic) in 11 steps from 3,3,6-trimethylbicyclo[2.2.2]oct-7-ene-2,5-dione ( 2a / 2b ) is described (yield 2a / 2b → 8: 28%). The sequence is unprecedentedly short and avoids difficult separation problems. The key step in the scheme is a novel facet of oxadi-π-methane photochemistry, i.e., the steering by subtle steric effects of the β,γ-unsaturated ?-diketone to undergo a regioselective photorearrangement involving one β,γ-enone partial chromophore. Furthermore, the overall phototransformation, which can be carried out at unusually high concentrations (≥20% solutions), involves also a Norrish type I process equilibrating the two epimeric starting enediones 2a and 2b in favour of the desired stereoisomer.     

Spezifisch π→π*-induzierte Reaktionen von γ-Dimethoxymethylcyclohexen-2-onen: 1,3-Umlagerung und Wasserstoffabstraktion durch das α-Kohlenstoffatom

When α,β-unsaturated γ-dimethoxymethyl cyclohexenones are excited to the S₂(π,π*) state, certain unimolecular reactions can be observed to compete with S₂ → S₁ internal conversion. These reactions do not occur from the S₁(n,π*) or the lowest T(π,π* and n,π*) states. They comprise the radical elimination of the formylacetal substituent (cf. 8 , 9 → 32 + 33 ), γ → α formylacetal migration (cf. 6 → 27 , 8 → 30 , 9 → 34 , 12 → 37 ), and a cyclization process involving the transfer of a methoxyl hydrogen to the α carbon and ring closure at the β position (cf. 6 → 28 , 8 → 31 , 12 → 38 , 20 → 40 + 41 ). The quantum yield of the ring closure 20a → 40a + 41a is 0.016 at ≤ 0.05M concentration. It is independent of the excitation wavelength within the π→π* absorption band (238–254 nm), but Φ ( 40a + 41a ) decreases at higher concentrations. According to the experimental data the reactive species of these specifically π→π*-induced transformations is placed energetically higher than the S₁(n,π*) state, and it is either identical with the thermally equilibrated S₂(n,π*) state, or reached via this latter state. The linear dienone 14 undergoes a similar π→π*-induced cyclization (→ 42 ) whereas the benzohomologue 26 proved unreactive, and the dienone 22 at both n → π and π→π* excitation only gives rise to rearrangements generally characteristic of cross-conjugated cyclohexadienones.