Amino acids attached to 2'-amino-LNA: synthesis and excellent duplex stability

The synthesis of 2'-amino-LNA (the 2'-amino derivative of locked nucleic acid) has opened up a number of exciting possibilities with respect to modified nucleic acids. While maintaining the excellent duplex stability inferred by LNA-type oligonucleotides, the nitrogen in the 2'-position of 2'-amino-LNA monomers provides an excellent handle for functionalisation. Herein, the synthesis of amino acid functionalised 2'-amino-LNA derivatives is described. Following ON synthesis, a glycyl unit attached to the N2'-position of 2'-amino-LNA monomers was further acylated with a variety of amino acids. On binding to DNA/RNA complements, the modified ONs induce a marked increase in thermal stability, which is particularly apparent in a buffer system with a low salt concentration. The increase in thermal stability is thought to be caused, at least in part, by decreased electrostatic repulsion between the negatively charged phosphate backbones when positively charged amino acid residues are appended. Upon incorporation of more than one 2'-amino-LNA modification, the effects are found to be nearly additive. For comparison, 2'-amino-LNA derivatives modified with uncharged groups have been synthesised and their effect on duplex thermal stability likewise investigated.     

Discovering antimalarials: a new strategy

Recent discoveries have uncovered some key processes that occur in the food vacuole of the malarial parasite. Consequently, new families of potential antimalarials that inhibit HRP-2, a hitherto unexplored drug target, were identified using a novel screening method.     

Synthesis of 2-aminoethyl-5-carbethoxythiazoles utilizing a Michael-like addition strategy

Ethyl 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-vinylthiazole-5-carboxylate was utilized as a precursor to ethyl 4-(trifluoromethyl)-2-(aminoethyl)thiazole-5-carboxylate analogs via Michael-like addition of various secondary amines. Reactions employed 1.2 equiv of amine, and the products were isolated by solvent removal and acid/base extraction. Use of primary amines was also investigated.     

Optimized DNA targeting using N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-beta-alanyl 2'-amino-LNA

Incorporation of N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-beta-alanyl 2'-amino-LNA (bipyridyl-functionalized 2'-amino locked nucleic acid) monomers into DNA strands enables high-affinity targeting of complementary DNA with excellent Watson-Crick selectivity in the presence of divalent metal ions. Positioning of bipyridyl-functionalized 2'-amino-LNA monomers in two complementary DNA strands in a "3'-end zipper" constitution allows modulation of duplex stability, i.e., a strong stabilizing effect with one equivalent of divalent metal ion per bipyridyl pair, or a strong destabilizing effect with an excess of divalent metal ions.     

Synthesis of a new glycosphingolipid from the marine ascidian Microcosmus sulcatus using a one-pot glycosylation strategy

A novel neutral glycosphingolipid found in Microcosmus sulcatus containing a β-d-Galp(1→4)[α-d-Fucp-(1→3)]β-d-Glcp-(1→)Cer motif was synthesized. Trisaccharide derivatives were synthesized using trimethylsilyltrifluoromethanesulfanate (TMSOTf) and N-iodosuccimide (NIS)/trifluoromethane sulfonic acid (TfOH) as the promoters. Synthesis was achieved with an efficient one-pot glycosylation strategy. This is the first report of a one-pot glycosylation strategy using the procedure of Boons et al. for the synthesis of a natural product. Coupling of trisaccharide derivative 19 and ceramide derivative 20 by TMSOTf afforded the glycosphingolipid derivative 21. The fully protected glycoside was deprotected to give the target glycosphingolipid 2.     

Synthesis of icosahedral gold nanocrystals: a thermal process strategy

We demonstrate a one-step thermal process route to the synthesis of icosahedral gold nanocrystals. By regulating the concentrations of poly(vinyl pyrrolidone) (PVP) and HAuCl4 or changing the temperature, we can readily access the shapes of icosahedral nanocrystals with good uniformity. These gold nanostructures, with unique geometrical shapes, might find use in areas that include photonics, optoelectronics, and optical sensing. We also observed that these gold nanocrystals have a strong tendency to be immobilized spontaneously on the glass substrate.     

Iminoboronates: a new strategy for reversible protein modification

Protein modification has entered the limelight of chemical and biological sciences, since, by appending small molecules into proteins surfaces, fundamental biological and biophysical processes may be studied and even modulated in a physiological context. Herein we present a new strategy to modify the lysine's ε-amino group and the protein's N-terminal, based on the formation of stable iminoboronates in aqueous media. This functionality enables the stable and complete modification of these amine groups, which can be reversible upon the addition of fructose, dopamine, or glutathione. A detailed DFT study is also presented to rationalize the observed stability toward hydrolysis of the iminoboronate constructs.     

Multilabeled pyrene-functionalized 2'-amino-LNA probes for nucleic acid detection in homogeneous fluorescence assays

Homogeneous fluorescence assays for detection of nucleic acids are widely used in biological sciences. Typically, probes such as molecular beacons that rely on distance-dependent fluorescence quenching are used for such assays. Less attention has been devoted to tethering a single kind of fluorophores to oligonucleotides and exploiting hybridization-induced modulation of fluorescence intensity for nucleic acid detection. Herein, thermal denaturation experiments and fluorescence properties of oligodeoxyribonucleotides containing one or more 2'-N-(pyren-1-yl)carbonyl-2'-amino-LNA monomer(s) X are described. These pyrene-functionalized 2'-amino-LNAs display large increases in thermal stability against DNA/RNA complements with excellent Watson-Crick mismatch discrimination. Upon duplex formation of appropriately designed 2'-N-(pyren-1-yl)carbonyl-2'-amino-LNA probes and complementary DNA/RNA, intensive fluorescence emission with quantum yields between 0.28 and 0.99 are observed. Quantum yields of such magnitudes are unprecedented among pyrene-labeled oligonucleotides. Molecular modeling studies suggest that the dioxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptane skeleton and amide linkage of monomer X fix the orientation of the pyrene moiety in the minor groove of a nucleic acid duplex. Interactions between pyrene and nucleobases, which typically lead to quenching of fluorescence, are thereby reduced. Duplexes between multiple modified probes and DNA/RNA complements exhibit additive increases in fluorescence intensity, while the fluorescence of single stranded probes becomes increasingly quenched. Up to 69-fold increase in fluorescence intensity (measured at lambda(em) = 383 nm) is observed upon hybridization to DNA/RNA. The emission from duplexes of multiple modified probes and DNA/RNA at concentrations down to less than 500 nM can easily be seen by the naked eye using standard illumination intensities.     

Synthesis of a new photoactive nanovehicle: a nanoworm

A nanovehicle with a new photoactive moiety has been synthesized. The incorporation of the azobenzene chassis allows for potential wormlike movement accompanying the rolling behavior of the wheels. Two versions, the fullerene-wheeled and carborane-wheeled nanoworms, were synthesized to examine the solution-based photoisomerization yields of the chassis.     

Domino metathesis of 2-azanorbornenones: a new strategy for the enatioselective synthesis of 1-azabicyclic compounds

Domino metathesis of N-alkylated derivatives of (1S)-2-azanorborn-5-en-3-one allowed for the enantioselective synthesis of pyrrolizidine, quinolizidine, pyrrolidinoazepine, and pyrrolidinoazocine derivatives in a straightforward process.     

Synthesis of new 2-oxosparteine derivatives

For the first time, substituents to the 3-position of 2-oxosparteine have been introduced. The synthesis of 3-phenylthiolupanine, 3,3-di(phenylthio)lupanine, 3-dehydrolupanine, 3-bromodehydro-lupanine and 2-thiono-3-dehydrosparteine has been described. The stereochemistry of these compounds has been determined and by NMR spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography.     

Photocaged permeability: a new strategy for controlled drug release

Light is used to release a drug from a cell impermeable small molecule, uncloaking its cytotoxic effect on cancer cells.     

Intramolecular dimers: a new design strategy for fluorescence-quenched probes

Fluorogenic probes dual-labeled with reporter and quencher dyes use a change in fluorescence to monitor biochemical events (e.g., substrate binding or enzyme digestion). Such events change the reporter-quencher distance, which affects fluorescence. Recently, it is has been shown that static quenching through intramolecular dimers is an important mechanism that can sometimes be more efficient than F?rster resonance energy transfer (FRET).     

Omni-composites: a new strategy for forming bulk nanostructured materials

This work describes a new route for producing bulk materials from extremely high loading levels of inorganic nanoparticles, approaching 80%, while maintaining optical transparency. More specifically, LaF3 nanoparticles with trifluorovinyl ether (TFVE) ligands were synthesized. Because a single nanoparticle will have many functional ligands attached to its surface, the nanoparticles themselves act as cross-linkers, without the need for a matrix phase for the composite, promoting homogeneity and reduced optical scattering. In order to distinguish these new types of composites from traditional nanocomposites, they are referred to here as "omni"-composites because the material is composed entirely (Lat. omnino) of composite nanoparticles.     

Synthesis of new 2-sulfanyl- and 2-aminopyrimidines

Alkylation of 4,5,6-substituted 2-sulfanylpyrimidines with alkyl and benzyl iodides and chlorides gave the corresponding 2-alkylsulfanyl and 2-benzylsulfanyl derivatives. 2-Methylsulfanylpyrimidines reacted with morpholine, benzylamine, and 4-methoxyaniline in butanol to produce 2-amino derivatives.     

Synthesis of novel 7-substituted 5,6-dihydroindol-2-ones via a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling strategy

A versatile method for the synthesis of new 7-substituted 5,6-dihydroindol-2-ones is described. The synthetic strategy proceeds through the use of the established palladium-catalyzed Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of halogenated indol-2-ones and arylboronic acids/esters.     

Synthesis of new N-arylpyrimidin-2-amine derivatives using a palladium catalyst

New N-aryl-4-(pyridin-3-yl)pyrimidin-2-amine derivatives were synthesized from the corresponding amines, applying optimized Buchwald-Hartwig amination conditions using dichlorobis(triphenylphosphine)Pd(II), xantphos and sodium tertbutoxide in refluxing toluene under a nitrogen atmosphere. The target N-aryl derivatives were obtained in moderate to good yields ranging from 27% to 82%. The procedure described could be widely employed for the preparation of new heterocyclic compounds. The structures of the new compounds were confirmed by FT-NMR, FT-IR and elemental analysis.     

Synthesis of a new complex Chromium (Ⅲ) 2-mercaptonicotinate

Chromium is an essential trace element for mammals[1-3].Diabetes is a chronic disease with major health consequence. Studies show that the occurrence of diabetes have great thing to do with the chromium deficient. Almost 40 years after the first report of glucose tolerance factor(GTF)[4]no conclusive evidence for an isolable ,biologically active form of chromium exited. Three materials have been proposed to be the biologically active form of chromium: "glucose tolerance factor", chromium Picolinate and low-molecular-weight chromium-binding substance (LWMCr)[5]So there is potential for the design of new chromium drugs[6].Chromium compounds have been used in medicine for centuries and there is potential for the design of new chromium drugs.2-Mercaptonicotinic acid(MN) displays the interesting biological activity. Chromium( Ⅲ )2-mercaptonicotinate is a common and effective biologically active form of Chromium. The test of biological activity indicated that may be useful in treating of diabetes. In this paper, we reported the The synthesis route is as follow:The structure of the complex has been characterized by IR, elemental analysis, MS,atomic absorption spectroscopy, X-ray powder diffraction and TG-DTA analysis.They indicate that the structure of Chromium 2-mercaptonicotinate.HPLC is used for determination of the purity. Studies show that the complex has a good biological activity for supplement tiny dietary chromium,lowering blood glucose levels, lowering serum lipid levels and increasing lean body mass.