Shimalactone Biosynthesis Involves Spontaneous Double Bicyclo-Ring Formation with 8π-6π Electrocyclization

Shimalactones A and B are neuritogenic polyketides possessing characteristic oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane and bicyclo[4.2.0]octadiene ring systems that are produced by the marine fungus Emericella variecolor GF10. We identified a candidate biosynthetic gene cluster and conducted heterologous expression analysis. Expression of ShmA polyketide synthase in Aspergillus oryzae resulted in the production of preshimalactone. Aspergillus oryzae and Saccharomyces cerevisiae transformants expressing ShmA and ShmB produced shimalactones A and B, thus suggesting that the double bicyclo-ring formation reactions proceed non-enzymatically from preshimalactone epoxide. DFT calculations strongly support the idea that oxabicyclo-ring formation and 8π-6π electrocyclization proceed spontaneously after opening of the preshimalactone epoxide ring through protonation. We confirmed the formation of preshimalactone epoxide in vitro, followed by its non-enzymatic conversion to shimalactones in the dark.     

Persistent Dialkylsilanone Generated by Dehydrobromination of Dialkylbromosilanol

A persistent dialkylsilanone was synthesized by the dehydrobromination of a dialkylbromosilanol with tris(trimethylsilyl)silyl potassium in solution at ?80 °C: It was characterized by NMR and IR spectroscopy, and was tested in several reactions. In ²⁹Si NMR spectrum in [D₈]toluene, the signal due to the unsaturated silicon nuclei was observed at 128.7 ppm. Reactions of the dialkylsilanone with water and mesitonitrile oxide gave a silanediol and a [2+3] cycloadduct, respectively. The silanone remains intact in [D₈]toluene below ?80 °C for at least two days, while it undergoes unprecedented isomerization to give a siloxysilene by means of 1,3‐silyl migration at higher temperatures.     

A Dual Functional-Group Derivatization Liquid Chromatography–Tandem Mass Spectrometry Method: Application for Quantification of Human Insulin

Chromatographia - Recently, we developed a sensitive and accurate quantification method for short-chain peptides using dual functional-group derivatization. Sensitive and accurate quantification...     

Preparation,Isolation and Characterization of all of the Regioisomeric 61, 6N-Bis-O-(Monomethoxytrityl) and-(Dimethoxytrityl) Derivatives of Cyclomalto-Olgosaccharides

Abstract

Regioisomeric 6¹, 6ⁿ-bis-O-(monomethoxytrityl) or 6¹, 6ⁿ-bis-O-(dimethoxytrityl) cyclomaltohexaose, -cyclomaltoheptaose (n = 2-4), and -cyclomaltooctaose derivatives (n = 2-5) were prepared by the reaction of cyclomaltohexaose (1, cG₆, αCD), cyclomaltoheptaose (11, cG₇, βCD) or cyclomaltooctaose (21, cG₈, γCD) and 4-monomethoxytrityl chloride or 4,4′-dimethoxytrityl chloride in pyridine. Products were isolated by HPLC. The regiochemical determination of these positional isomers was done by converting these compounds to the respective 6¹, 6ⁿ-bis-O-(tert-butyldimethylsilyl) derivatives¹ whose structures have been already established.     

Synthesis of novel fluorescently labeled water-soluble fullerenes and their application to its cellar uptake and distribution properties

Fullerene is a well-known carbon nanomaterial, which can be potentially used for drug manufacture or delivery. Despite several successful examples of utilizing fullerene derivatives as drug candidate materials, their low water solubility under physiological conditions negatively affects the cell penetration efficiency after treatment. In this work, we successfully synthesized two fullerene derivatives with covalently attached fluorescein and boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) fluorophore moieties, which exhibited cellular uptake and intracellular localization. While both fluorophores decreased their fluorescence intensity in the vicinity of fullerene, the cellar uptake of the fluorescein-modified fullerene was detected via fluorescence microscopy observations. Moreover, decreases in the fluorescence intensities of the intact fluorescein and BODIPY species were observed when both fluorophores and fullerene coexisted in aqueous media.     

Practical effects of pressure-transmitting media on neutron diffraction experiments using Paris–Edinburgh presses

ABSTRACT

To understand the practical effects of pressure-transmitting media (PTM) on neutron diffraction using Paris–Edinburgh presses, diffraction patterns of MgO were collected to approximately 20?GPa using PTMs of Pb, AgCl, 4:1 methanol–ethanol (ME) mixture with and without heating, N₂, and Ar. Hydrostaticity in the sample chamber estimated from the MgO 220 peak width improves in the order of Pb, AgCl, Ar, ME mixture, N₂, and the heated ME mixture. Unlike previous results using diamond anvil cells, the unheated ME mixture is superior to Ar even after freezing, probably due to the cup on the anvil face. Considering these results and the sizable coherent scattering of Ne, which would show good hydrostaticity, we conclude that the ME mixture (preferably the heated one) is the best PTM in neutron experiments up to 20?GPa, while Ar can be substituted when a sample is reactive to alcohols.     

Novel Stereoselective Phase Transfer Catalytic Synthesis and Some Applications of ( E )-2-Chlorovinylthioarenes and Hetarenes

A novel two-step method for the preparation of ( E )-2-chlorovinylthioarenes (or hetarenes) from thiols and 1,1,2-trichloroethane in the phase transfer catalytic systems solid K 2 CO 3 /solid KI/18-crown-6/xylene and solid KOH/18-crown-6/toluene has been developed. ( E )-2-chlorovinylthioarenes were isolated in yields up to 98%. Utilization of ( E )-2-chlorovinylthioarenes in the Heck and Stille reactions has been shown.