A pseudoreceptor modelling study of the varicella-zoster virus and human thymidine kinase binding sites

Summary A representative range of pyrimidine nucleoside analogues that are known to inhibit herpes simplex virus (HSV) replication have been used to construct receptor binding site models for the varicella-zoster virus (VZV), thymidine kinase (TK) and human TK1. Given a set of interacting ligands, superimposed in such a manner as to define a pharmacophore, the pseudoreceptor modelling technique Yak provides a means of building binding site models of macromolecules for which no three-dimensional experimental structures are available. Once the models have been evaluated by their ability to reproduce experimental binding data [Vedani et al., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 117 (1995) 4987], they can be used for predictive purposes. Calculated and experimental values of relative binding affinity are compared. Our models suggest that the substitution of one residue may be sufficient to determine ligand subtype affinity.     

Synthesis,Structure, and Optical Properties of Terminally Sulfur‐Functionalized Core‐Substituted Naphthalene‐Bisimide Dyes

The synthesis, characterization, and optical properties of a series of new 2,6‐disubstituted naphthalene‐bisimide dyes as molecular rods comprising terminal AcS groups is reported. The first series of dyes ( 1 – 3 ), comprising phenylhetero (Ph‐X) core substituents, cover a broad range of the VIS spectrum, ranging from yellow ( 2 ) over red ( 3 ) to blue ( 1 ). The second series of dyes contains benzylhetero (Bn‐X) core substituents ( 4 – 7 ). For the same heteroatom connecting the substituent to the naphthalene core, both series were found to display comparable colors. For the second series, the colors were blue ( 4 ), red ( 5 ), and violet ( 6, 7 ). The Ph‐X‐substituted dyes 1 – 3 are nonfluorescent, in contrast to the Bn‐X‐substituted compounds 4 – 7 . This rich variety of optical features that can be adjusted by rather small alterations of the core substituents makes these structurally very comparable molecular rods ideal candidates for optically triggered molecular‐transport investigations. Also, thanks to the terminal AcS groups, these compounds can be placed between nobel‐metal electrodes for optically triggered transport experiments.     

Charge recombination fluorescence in photosystem I reaction centers from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii

The fluorescence kinetics of photosystem I core particles from Chlamydomonas reinhardtii have been measured with picosecond resolution in order to test a previous hypothesis suggesting a charge recombination mechanism for the early electron-transfer steps and the fluorescence kinetics (Müller et al. Biophys. J. 2003, 85, 3899-3922). Performing global target analyses for various kinetic models on the original fluorescence data confirms the "charge recombination" model as the only acceptable one of the models tested while all of the other models can be excluded. The analysis allowed a precise determination of (i) the effective charge separation rate constant from the equilibrated reaction center excited state (438 ns(-1)) confirming our previous assignment based on transient absorption data (Müller et al. Biophys. J. 2003, 85, 3899-3922), (ii) the effective charge recombination rate constant back to the excited state (52 ns(-1)), and (iii) the intrinsic secondary electron-transfer rate constant (80 ns(-1)). The average energy equilibration lifetime core antenna/RC is about 1 ps in the "charge recombination" model, in agreement with previous transient absorption data, vs the 18-20 ps energy transfer lifetime from antenna to RC within "transfer-to-the-trap-limited" models. The apparent charge separation lifetime in the recombination model is about three times faster than in the "transfer-to-the-trap-limited" model. We conclude that the charge separation kinetics is trap-limited in PS I cores devoid of red antenna states such as in C. reinhardtii.     

Zur Struktur der Tetrahydro-4-phenylspiro([1]benzopyran-2,4′(1′H)-pyrimidin)-2′(3′H)-one bzw.-thione über Heterocyclen, 49. Mitt

The structures of tetrahydro-4-phenylspiro([1]benzopyran-2,4(1H)-pyrimidin)-2(3H)-ones and-thiones4 a, b resp., are proved by synthesis. 3-(2-methoxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)-3-phenylpropionic acid11 b is prepared from 3,4-dihydro-6,8-dimethyl-4-phenylcoumarin10. The lithium salt of11 b reacts with isobutenyl-lithium to 1-(2-methoxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)-5-methyl-1-phenyl-4-hexen-3-on12 a. 12 a is transferred with urea in acid medium and NH₄CNS resp. in a mixture of dihydro-6-[2-(2-methoxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)-2-phenyläthyl]-4,4-dimethyl-2(1H)-pyrimidinone and-thione13 a, b and tetrahydro-6-[2-(2-methoxy-3,5-dimethylphenyl)-2-phenyläthyliden]-4,4-dimethyl-2(1H)-pyrimidinone and-thione14 a, b resp.14 b leads to13 a, b with H₂O₂. Heating of13 a, 14 a and14 b resp. with pyridin-HCl leads to the spiro compounds4 a, b.     

The synthesis of the drugstore beetle pheromone (Stegobinone)

2,3-Dihydro-2,3,5-trimethyl-6-(1-methyl-2-oxobutyl)-4H-pyran-4-one ($\text{1}$ (Stegobinone), the sex pheromone of the drugstore beetle, was successfully prepared from 4,6-dimethyl-3,5,7-nonatrione ($\text{2}$) by a biogenetically plausible scheme.     

Über substituierte Bis-biphenylen-allyl-Radikale

Zusammenfassung Fluoren reagiert in Gegenwart starker Basen mit Biphenylenvinylbromiden vom Typ (Biph)C=C(R)-Br; dabei bilden sich unter Halogenwasserstoffabspaltung direkt die Anionen acider Propene, deren Entladung mit K₃Fe(CN)₆ sehr stabile Kohlenstoffradikale liefert. Die Dehydrierung des 1,4-Bis-[bis-biphenylen-propenyl-(2)]-benzols ergibt das Biradikal V. Die 2-Arylbis-biphenylen-allyl-Radikale liegen in Lösung und im Fest-zustand bis 77° K monomer vor; ihre Elektronen- und ihre ESR-Spektren wurden aufgenommen.     

Über kondensierte Heterocyclen aus β-Isothiocyanatoketonen und Aminoalkoholen bzw. Diaminen

2- and 3-aminoalcohols, o-aminobenzylalcohol, o-hydroxybenzylamine and o-amino(thio)-phenol react with 4-isothiocyanato-4-methyl-2-pentanone (1) to yield derivatives of condensed heterocycles (oxazolopyrimidines7, pyrimidooxazine8, pyrimidobenzoxazines9, 10, pyrimidobenzoxazole11 a and pyrimidobenzothiazole11 c respectively). Ethylenediamine or 1,3-diaminopropane react with1 to yield either imidazo-pyrimidine13 and pyrimidopyrimidine14 respectively or the 1,2-ethylene- and trimethylenebisdihydro-2(1H)-pyrimidinethione15 a, b respectively, according to the molar ratio of the reactants. o-Phenylenediamine gives pyrimidobenzimidazole11 d. 11a undergoes ring cleavage in boiling dimethylformamide followed by methylpyrimidine-pyridine rearrangement to dihydrohydroxyphenylamino-2(1H)-pyridinethione12, while15 a is converted into the bis-4-(ethanediimino)-pyridinthione16.