VISUAL PIGMENTS AND BACTERIORHODOPSINS FORMED FROM AROMATIC RETINAL ANALOGS

Abstract— Rhodopsin (Rh) and bacteriorhodopsin (bR) analogs have been prepared from retinals containing various aromatic and heterocyclic nuclei. In the case of Rh, aromatic methyl substituents facilitate the regeneration and stabilize the pigments formed; in bR, however, methyl substituents seem to have little influence. Rhodopsins derived from unsubstituted aromatic retinals show fine structure in the relatively stable "pre-pigment" intermediate and their maxima are red-shifted compared to pigments derived from methylated aromatic retinals. This implies that in these aromatic rhodopsins the ring moiety adopts a more planar conformation when unsubstituted. In bR derivatives also the aromatic ring adopts a close-to-planar conformation when unsubstituted, but comparison with indene-derived bR suggests that even the unsubstituted phenyl ring may not be coplanar with the side-chain.     

Structural changes by sulfoxidation of phenothiazine drugs

Summary The side-chain conformations of psychoactive phenothiazine drugs in crystals are different from those of biologically inactive ring sulfoxide metabolites. This study examines the potential energies, molecular conformations and electrostatic potentials in chlorpromazine, levomepromazine (methotrimeprazine), their sulfoxide metabolites and methoxypromazine. The purpose of the study was to examine the significance of the different crystal conformations of active and inactive phenothiazine derivatives, and to determine why phenothiazine drugs lose most of their biological activity by sulfoxidation. Quantum mechanics and molecular mechanics calculations demonstrated that conformations with the side chain folded over the ring structure had lowest potential energy in vacuo, both in the drugs and in the sulfoxide metabolites. In the sulfoxides, side chain conformations corresponding to the crystal structure of chlorpromazine sulfoxide were characterized by stronger negative electrostatic potentials around the ring system than in the parent drugs. This may weaken the electrostatic interaction of sulfoxide metabolites with negatively charged domains in dopamine receptors, and cause the sulfoxides to be virtually inactive in dopamine receptor binding and related pharmacological tests.     

苯酰胺类D2受体显像剂的共平面效应

苯酰胺类化合物是多巴胺Ｄ2受体的拮抗剂,它不仅与Ｄ2受体的亲和力高,而且产生的锥体外副反应极轻,是一类很有应用潜力的抗精神病药物.放射性同位素(123Ｉ等)标记的苯酰胺类化合物可作为多巴胺Ｄ2受体显像剂用于临床诊断疾病.近年来,相继报导了一系列高亲和力的该类化合物,其中,123ＩＩＢＺＭ等已用于临床诊断疾病[1].本文在前文[2]苯酰胺类Ｄ2受体显像剂结构效应的研究基础上,利用ＳＹＢＹＬ6.4软件,研究了该类化合物分子的不同构象以及空间结构与结合活性之间的关系,证实了前文提出的由于分子内氢键形成六元共平面假想Ａ环、Ｂ环等是影响…     

Quantum molecular modeling of melatonin

Molecular modeling of melatonin was conducted using AM1 and ab initio quantum computations. Our study shows that four minimal energy conformations (noted I to IV) with a folded ethylamido side-chain are possible. These conformations are in correspondance (form I with form II, and form III with form IV) and are characterized by equivalent orbital frontiers and electrostatic properties. Conformations II and IV are in good agreement with pharmacophore models proposed by Jansen et al. [Bioorganic Med. Chem. 4 (1996) 1321] or by Sicsic et al. [J. Med. Chem. 40 (1997) 739].

The localization of molecular electrostatic potential and of the H and L onto the indole may explain a dominant role of this ring in the free radical scavenging mechanism.     

Spectroscopic investigation of chalcone-analogous ferrocenes ortho-substituted in the aromatic ring II. Ferrocenyl---CO---CH=CH---aryl-type compounds

Chalcone-analogous ferrocenes of the type Fc---CO---CH=CH---Ar, ortho-substituted in the aromatic ring were prepared. Their conformations and electron distributions were investigated by cyclic voltammetry, IR, ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy. The spectroscopic properties measured for this series were compared with those of para-subsituted analogues and with data for structural isomers synthesized and studied earlier and having the aryl and ferrocenyl groups bonded to the enone moiety in reversed positions (Fc---CH=CH---CO---Ar). In contrast with the isomers investigated earlier, the new series are coplanar and the S-cis → S-trans conformational equilibria are shifted in favour of the former.     

Recoordination of a metal ion in the cavity of a crown compound: a theoretical study. 1. Conformers of arylazacrown ethers and their complexes with Ca2+ cation

Photoinduced recoordination of Ca²⁺ complexes of the photochromic azacrown ethers is studied by the density functional method. The study included model arylazacrown ethers containing various acceptor groups in the aromatic ring in the para position to the azacrown ether moiety and a real azacrown-containing styryl dye. It is found that both free azacrown ethers and their complexes can adopt two types of conformations: (1) axial conformations, in which the aromatic ring axis passing through the crown ether nitrogen N_cr and the opposite atom of the aromatic ring is perpendicular to the root-mean-square (RMS) plane of the crown ether (least-squares fitted plane for all the crown ether atoms), and (2) equatorial conformations, in which the aromatic ring axis only slightly deflects from the RMS plane of the crown ether. In the equatorial conformers, the metal cation is coordinated only to the O atoms of the azacrown ether cycle, the metal—nitrogen bond is broken, and N_cr is conjugated with the aromatic ring. In the axial conformers, the metal cation is additionally coordinated to N_cr. It is found that the presence of an acceptor group bearing a formal positive charge decreases the relative energy of the equatorial conformer and favors metal—nitrogen bond dissociation, which results in the recoordination of the metal cation. However, a long distance between the charged group and N_cr has the reverse effect. The photoinduced recoordination observed in the alkaline-earth metal complexes of the photochromic azacrown ethers is explained by the transitions between the axial and equatorial conformers facilitated by the charge transfer in the excited state of the complex.     

Proton magnetic resonance spectra of some 6- and 7-substituted 2-amino-4-hydroxypteridines

The conformations in solution of 6-phenyltetrahydropterin, 6,7-diphenyltetrahydropterin and 6-7, dimethyltetrahydropterin have been determined from their proton magnetic resonance spectra. The 6-phenyltetrahydropterin has the reduced pyrazine ring in a half chair conformation with the phenyl ring in the equatorial position. Both the 6,7-diphenyl- and 6,7-dimethyltetrahydropterins are of the cis configuration and have one substituent in an axial position. The enzymatic activity of these cofactors may be related to these conformations.     

Hydro­gen bonding and π–π stacking in di­methyl­genistein

The title compound, 5‐hydroxy‐4′,7‐di­methoxy­isoflavone, C₁₇H₁₄O₅, is composed of a benzo­pyran­one moiety, a phenyl moiety and two methoxy groups. The benzo­pyran­one ring is not coplanar with the phenyl ring, the dihedral angle between them being 56.28 (3)°. The two methoxy groups are nearly coplanar with their corresponding rings, having C—C—O—C torsion angles of 2.9 (2) and 5.9 (2)°. The mol­ecules are linked by C—H·O hydrogen bonds into sheets containing classical centrosymmetric (8) rings. The sheets are further linked by aromatic π–π stacking interactions and C—H·O hydrogen bonds into a supramolecular structure.     

Anodic oxidation of methyl alpha-dimethylsilyldihydrocinnamate. A novel silicon gamma-aryl effect

The anodic oxidation of methyl 3-phenyl-2-dimethylsilylpropionate occurs at a potential almost 1 V positive of that required to oxidize other alpha-silyl esters. Semiempirical and ab initio calculations on the model compound 1-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylethane indicate that electron removal from these two compounds is highly stereoelectronically dependent. Both molecules exist almost exclusively in a conformation in which the phenyl group and silicon atom are anti and the side chain is perpendicular to the aromatic ring. This conformation has a higher energy HOMO orbital and lower computed ionization potential than the only other significantly populated conformation of 1-phenyl-2-trimethylsilylethane. Finally, the ab initio calculations show that in the cation radical of this model compound the ipso carbon of the aromatic ring and the side chain carbon bound to silicon draw significantly closer together than in the neutral species; an electrostatic potential map of the cation radical shows that the ipso carbon bears the highest degree of positive charge of any of the benzenoid carbons. We interpret these data, taken together, as an indication that this cation radical is stabilized by overlap of the rear lobe of the carbon-silicon bond with the p-orbital of the ipso carbon.     

Propagation of polar substituent effects in 1-(substituted phenyl)-6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydro- and -1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines as explained by resonance polarization concept

[structures: see text] Propagation of inductive and resonance effects of phenyl substituents within 1-(substituted phenyl)-6,7-dimethoxy-3,4-dihydro- and -1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines were studied with the aid of 13C and 15N NMR chemical shifts and ab initio calculations. The substituent-induced changes in the chemical shift (SCS) were correlated with a dual substituent parameter equation. The contributions of conjugative (rhoR) and nonconjugative effects (rhoF) were analyzed, and mapping of the substituent-induced changes is given over the entire isoquinoline moiety for both series. The experimental results can be rationalized with the aid of the resonance polarization concept. This means the consideration of the substituent-sensitive balance of different resonance structures, i.e., electron delocalization, and the effect of the aromatic ring substituents on their relative contributions. With tetrahydroisoquinolines, the delocalization of the nitrogen lone pair (stereoelectronic effect) particularly contributes. Correlation analysis of the Mulliken atomic charges for the dihydroisoquinoline derivatives was also performed. The results support the concept of the substituent-sensitive polarization of the isoquinoline moiety even if the polarization pattern achieved via the NMR approach is not quite the same as that predicted by the computational charges. Previously the concepts of localized pi-polarization and extended polarization have been used to explain polar substituent effects within aromatic side-chain derivatives. We consider that the resonance polarization model effectively contributes to the understanding of the polar substituent effects.     

Design, synthesis, evaluation, and structure of vitamin D analogues with furan side chains

Based on the crystal structures of human vitamin D receptor (hVDR) bound to 1α,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D(3) (1,25 D) and superagonist ligands, we previously designed new superagonist ligands with a tetrahydrofuran ring at the side chain that optimize the aliphatic side-chain conformation through an entropy benefit. Following a similar strategy, four novel vitamin D analogues with aromatic furan side chains (3a, 3b, 4a, 4b) have now been developed. The triene system has been constructed by an efficient stereoselective intramolecular cyclization of an enol triflate (A-ring precursor) followed by a Suzuki-Miyaura coupling of the resulting intermediate with an alkenyl boronic ester (CD-side chain, upper fragment). The furan side chains have been constructed by gold chemistry. These analogues exhibit significant pro-differentiation effects and transactivation potency. The crystal structure of 3a in a complex with the ligand-binding domain of hVDR revealed that the side-chain furanic ring adopts two conformations.     

Electron-induced (EI) mass fragmentation is directed by intra-molecular H-bonding in two isomeric benzodipyran systems

The striking differences observed in the electron-induced (EI) mass fragmentation pathways of two isomeric benzodipyrans are attributable to hydrogen bonding in these molecules. In the "angular" isomer, 6-butyryl-5-hydroxy-2,2,8,8-tetramethyl-3,4,9,10-tetra-hydro-2H,8H-benzo[1,2-b:3,4-b(1)]dipyran (2), H-bonding occurs between the aromatic OH group and the alpha carbonyl moiety contained in the ortho-phenone group, whereas in the"linear" isomer, 10-butyryl-5-hydroxy-2,2,8,8-tetramethyl-3,4,6,7-tetrahydro-2H,8H-benzo-[1,2-b:5,4-b(1)]dipyran (3), the aromatic OH group is para to the phenone moiety, effectively precluding any H-bonding. Semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations (AM1) were used to compare predicted sites of ionization with associated fragmentation patterns. In both molecules, the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) was located predominantly on the aromatic moiety. Similarly, in the radical cation species of both compounds, maximum spin density was located over the aromatic rings. Neither the HOMO nor the spin density maps provided a rational explanation for the differences in fragmentation patterns of the two benzodipyran isomers. The H-bonding favors EI alpha aromatic ring C-O bond cleavage in the"angular" benzodipyran and in 5,7-dihydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-8-butyryl chroman (1), a related monochroman also containing a hydrogen proximal to the aromatic ring C-O bond. In contrast,fragmentation of the "linear" benzodipyran followed a different route, which was exhibited by its base peak resulting from the loss of a propyl group from the butyryl side-chain.     

Induction of an aromatic six-membered nitrogen ring via cation-pi interaction

Nitrogen clusters have been intensively studied for their potential application as high-energy density materials, but a six-membered nitrogen ring (N6) was not found to be stable and aromatic. To explore the possibility of inducing an aromatic N6 ring via cation-pi interaction, quantum chemistry calculations were performed on the systems of Ca2N6, CaN6, CaN6(2-), N6, and N6(4-) at the B3LYP/6-311+G level. The optimized geometries reveal that the planar structure of the N6 ring is stable only in the Ca2N6 complex. The computed NBO and CHelpG charges demonstrate that the planar N6 moiety in the Ca2N6 complex is almost a 10pi-electron system. The predicted nucleus-independent chemical shift (NICS) values demonstrate that the N6 moiety is aromatic in comparison with the NICS values of benzene. The estimated enthalpy of formation for the Ca2N6 complex is 100.4 kcal/mol for the reaction of 2Ca and 3N2. The binding energy between the Ca2+ cation and the N6(4-) moiety is -1928.8 kcal/mol, with electrostatic interaction serving as the predominant component. When all the calculated results are taken into account, including the planar structure, 10pi-electron system, identical bond length, and negative NICS value of the N6(4-) moiety in the Ca2N6 complex, it is deduced that the alkaline earth metal Ca is capable of inducing an aromatic N6 ring through the cation-pi interaction formed by electron transfer from the Ca atom to the N6 ring.     

Conformational preferences of 6-furfuryl amino purine and 6-benzyl amino purine

Conformational preferences of N⁶-furfurylamino purine (kinetin) and N⁶-benzyl amino purine (BAP ) have been investigated theoretically by the quantum chemical perturbative configuration interaction using localized orbitals method. The predicted most stable conformations for these molecules are quite similar. The N⁶ substituents in both these molecules are oriented toward N(1) and away from the imidazole moiety of the purine. The furfuryl ring in kinetin as well as the aromatic benzene ring in BAP are not coplanar with the purine ring. Comparison of these results with the preferred conformation of another compound N⁶-(Δ²-isopentenyl) adenine reveals striking similarity in the orientations of the N⁶ substituents in these cytokinin-active plant-growth-stimulating substances.     

Structures of N—（2,3,4,6—Tetra—O—acetyl—β—D—glycosyl） thiocarbamic Benzoyl Hydrazine

The crystal structure of N-(2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-gly-cosyl)-thiocarbamic benzoyl hydrazine(C22H27N3O9S) was determined by X-ray diffracton method.The hexopyranosyl ring adopts a chair conformation.All the ring substituents are in the equatorial positions.The acetoxyl-methyl group is in synclinal conformation.The S atom is in synperiplanar conformation while the benzoyl hydrazine moiety is anti-periplanar.The thiocarbamic moiety is almost companar with the benzoyl hydrazine group.There are two intramolecular hydrogen bonds and one intermolecular hydrogen bond for each molecule in the crystal structure.The molecules form a network structure through intermolecular hydrogen bonds.     

Hydroxyanthraquinones Carminic Acid and Chrysazin Anodic Oxidation

The anodic oxidation of the hydroxyanthraquinones carminic acid (CA) and chrysazin (CR) was investigated. The oxidation of CA proceeds in a pH‐dependent cascade mechanism, concerning the hydroquinone, the catechol and the 3‐OH groups in the anthraquinone moiety. The oxidation of the hydroquinone following the catechol electron‐donating groups occurs first at low positive potentials, the 3‐OH group is oxidized irreversibly at a higher potential. The oxidation of CR is pH‐dependent and occurs in successive steps. Oxidation of the hydroquinone tautomer in the CR‐ring occurs first, and the symmetrical 1‐OH and 8‐OH groups are irreversibly oxidized at the same higher potential.     

Investigation on the Electrochemical Polymerization of Catechol by Means of Rotating Ring—disk Electrode

The electrolysis of catechol was studied in the pH values of 1 to 10. The results from the rotating ring-disk electrode (RRDE) experiments show that at low pH values,the electrochemical polymerization of catechol was performed by one step,and at higher pH values,the electrochemical polymerization of catechol was carried out by two steps,i.e.oxidation of catechol and followed by polymerization.The intermediates generated at the disk were detected at the ring electrode in the ring potential region of -0.2 to 0 V(vs.Ag/AgCl).One of reasons for the decrease in the ratio of ir to id with increasing the ring potential is caused by formation of positively charged intermediates at the disk electrode.This ratio increases with increasing the rotation rate of the RRDE,which indicates that the intermediates are not stable.A shielding effect during polymerization of catechol was observed when the ring potential was set at 0.1 V (vs.Ag/AgCl).The electron spin resonance(ESR) of polycatechol show that polycatechol possesses unpaired electrons.The images of polycatechol films synthesized at differentconditions are described.     

Syntheses and structures of novel heteroarene-fused coplanar pi-conjugated chromophores

We have synthesized a series of novel coplanar chromophores in which heteroarenes, namely, thiophene, benzothiophene, and carbazole, were fused to neighboring phenylene ring(s) through intramolecular annulation via sp(3)-hybridized carbon atoms bearing two p-tolyl groups as peripheral substituents. The molecular configurations of the pi-conjugated backbones were determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis; the heteroarene-fused molecular frameworks of these novel molecules exhibit nearly coplanar conformations. [structure: see text]     

One-pot regioselective synthesis of dihydronaphthofurans and dibenzofurans

A regioselective approach for the synthesis of substituted naphthofurans and dibenzofurans has been demonstrated through a ring transformation reaction of suitably functionalized 2H-pyran-2-ones by reaction with 6,7-dihydro-5H-benzofuran-4-one and 7-methoxybenzofuran-3-one, respectively, in high yields. The novelty of the procedure lies in the creation of an aromatic ring transformed by 2H-pyran-2-one involving the -COCH₂- moiety of a cyclic ketone.     

X‐ray investigations of bicyclic α‐methylene‐δ‐valerolactones. V. (4aS,7R,8aR)‐7‐Isopropenyl‐4a‐methyl‐3‐methyleneperhydrochromen‐2‐one

The title compound, C₁₄H₂₀O₂, adopts a conformation in which the δ‐valerolactone and cyclohexane rings are almost coplanar with one another. The γ‐methyl substituent occupies an axial position with respect to the cyclohexane ring. The δ‐valerolactone moiety adopts an envelope arrangement, while the cyclohexane ring exists in a chair conformation.