Validation of Diethoxyphosphonate as an Effective Agent for Charge Transfer in Anion Relay Chemistry (ARC)

The diethoxyphosphonate group comprises an effective agent to achieve negative charge migration in Type II Anion Relay Chemistry (ARC). The process involves a [1,4]-phosphorus-Brook rearrangement that proceeds via a phosphacyclic intermediate leading to an anion that can be captured by reactive electrophiles. In the absence of an exogenous electrophile, the anion derived via phosphorus migration undergoes internal displacement of the phosphonate group to produce a diastereomeric mixture of cyclopropanes.     

Unification of anion relay chemistry with the Takeda and Hiyama cross-coupling reactions: identification of an effective silicon-based transfer agent

The unification of Anion Relay Chemistry (ARC) with the Takeda and Hiyama palladium-mediated cross-coupling processes to provide aryl-aryl, alkenyl-aryl, and alkenyl-alkenyl coupled products by exploiting a common silicon-based transfer agent has been achieved. These results provide a practical solution for intermolecular cross-coupling of organolithium reagents without the problematic lithium-halogen exchange and/or undesired homocoupling that has kept organolithium cross-couplings from achieving the same level of utility asother palladium-mediated methods (e.g., Suzuki organoboron, Negishi organozinc, Stille organotin, Kumada organomagnesium, etc.).     

Indole diterpene synthetic studies: development of a second-generation synthetic strategy for (+)-nodulisporic acids A and B

A second-generation strategy for construction of (+)-nodulisporic acids A and B based on the development of a new, effective modular indole synthesis exploiting a sequential Stille cross-coupling/Buchwald-Hartwig union/cyclization tactic is disclosed. This strategy evolved due to the considerable acid instability of the C(24) hydroxyl group observed in several advanced intermediates during our first-generation approach.     

Functional film of ethylene vinyl acetate and co‐polyamide compound containing “Nisin” active substance

This study deals with flexible films incorporating nisin for antibacterial active packaging purposes. A novel approach was used to gain control over nisin release profile from a thermoplastic film in order to enhance its antibacterial efficiency. This approach involves polymer blends of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer and co‐polyamide at various ratios. It was shown that the release profile of an antibacterial substance from active packaging to foodstuff is a key factor concerning the antibacterial efficiency. Samples of 400[μm] were produced by using a laboratory twin screw compounder and a laboratory hot press. Samples were characterized for their migration kinetics, molecular interactions, mechanical properties, and water swelling properties. Antibacterial activity tests show that nisin incorporated films reduced bacterial count by different extents. Listeria ATCC 33090 was used as target bacteria (data not shown). Nisin migration profile to water medium was determined by Lowry's protocol. Scanning electron microscopy images and thermal analysis indicated that no significant molecular interactions occurred. Furthermore, droplet and co‐continues like morphology were seen at different polymer blend ratios. Osmotic pressure driven release mechanism appears to be the dominant migration mechanism, and diffusion kinetics was dominant. Results show that morphology of the polymer blend matrix alters the diffusion coefficient. In addition, water swelling characterization of different samples was done in order to reveal the relations with the diffusion coefficient. It seems that there is an inverse resemblance between water swelling and the diffusion coefficient trends.     

Disilene,silylsilylene and their cations

An accurate examination of features of the ground state surfaces of Si₂H₄ and Si₂H ₄ ⁺ is reported; they are compared to C₂H₄ and C₂H ₄ ⁺ . For the neutral species, accurate SCF calculations show disilene to be planar, but silylsilylene has the lower energy, whereas at the correlated (CI, MP2, MP3, MP4(SD)) levels disilene becomes trans bent and has the lower energy by 6 kcal/mol. In view of a recent theoretical suggestion that this value should be 23 kcal/mol, we have used large basis sets in these investigations. Our calculations cannot support this large value. Similar investigations are reported for the cation, where the planar disilene structure is predicted to be the most stable. It may be very slightly twisted at high accuracy CI, but it is much lower in energy than the silylsilylene structure. Vibrational frequencies and infra-red intensities are also reported. Theoretical photoelectron spectra of C and Si systems are presented and compared with experiment.     

The Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Desepoxyisotedanolide and a Comparison with Desepoxytedanolide

The tedanolides are biologically active polyketides that exhibit a macrolactone constructed from a primary alcohol. Since polyketidal transformations only generate secondary alcohols, it has been hypothesized by Taylor that this unique lactone could arise from a postketidal transesterification. In order to probe this hypothesis and to investigate the biological profile of the putative precursor of all members of the tedanolide family, we embarked on the synthesis of desepoxyisotedanolide and its biological evaluation in comparison to desepoxytedanolide. The biological experiments unraveled a second target for desepoxytedanolide and provided evidence that the proposed transesterification indeed provides a survival advantage for the producing microorganism.     

Molecular docking of cathepsin L inhibitors in the binding site of papain

The papain/CLIK-148 coordinate system was employed as a model to study the interactions of a nonpeptide thiocarbazate inhibitor of cathepsin L ( 1). This small molecule inhibitor, a thiol ester containing a diacyl hydrazine functionality and one stereogenic center, was most active as the S-enantiomer, with an IC 50 of 56 nM; the R-enantiomer ( 2) displayed only weak activity (33 microM). Correspondingly, molecular docking studies with Extra Precision Glide revealed a correlation between score and biological activity for the two thiocarbazate enantiomers when a structural water was preserved. The molecular interactions between 1 and papain were very similar to the interactions observed for CLIK-148 ( 3a and 3b) with papain, especially with regard to the hydrogen-bonding and lipophilic interactions of the ligands with conserved residues in the catalytic binding site. Subsequent docking of virtual compounds in the binding site led to the identification of a more potent inhibitor ( 5), with an IC 50 of 7.0 nM. These docking studies revealed that favorable energy scores and correspondingly favorable biological activities could be realized when the virtual compound design included occupation of the S2, S3, and S1' subsites by hydrophobic and aromatic functionalities of the ligand, and at least three hydrogen bonding contacts between the ligand and the conserved binding site residues of the protein.     

Use of the quartz crystal microbalance to monitor ligand-induced conformational rearrangements in HIV-1 envelope protein gp120

We evaluated the potential of a quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring (QCM-D) to provide a sensitive, label-free method for detecting the conformational rearrangement of glycoprotein gp120 upon binding to different ligands. This glycoprotein is normally found on the envelope of the HIV-1 virus and is involved in viral entry into host cells. It was immobilized on the surface of the sensing element of the QCM-D and was exposed to individual solutions of several different small-molecule inhibitors as well as to a solution of a soluble form of the host cell receptor to which gp120 binds. Instrument responses to ligand-triggered changes were in qualitative agreement with conformational changes as suggested by other biophysical methods.

Spongipyran synthetic studies. Total synthesis of (+)-spongistatin 2

Evolution of a convergent synthetic strategy to access (+)-spongistatin 2 (2), a potent cytotoxic marine macrolide, is described. Highlights of the synthesis include: development of a multicomponent dithiane-mediated linchpin union tactic, devised and implemented specifically for construction of the spongistatin AB and CD spiro ring systems; application of a Ca^II ion controlled acid promoted equilibration to set the thermodynamically less stable axial-equatorial stereogenicity in the CD spiroketal; use of sulfone addition/Julia methylenation sequences to unite the AB and CD fragments and introduce the C(44)-C(51) side chain; and fragment union and final elaboration to (+)-spongistatin 2 (2) exploiting Wittig olefination to unite the advanced ABCD and EF fragments, followed by regioselective Yamaguchi macrolactonization and global deprotection. Correction of the CD spiro ring stereogenicity was subsequently achieved via acid equilibration in the presence of Ca^II ion to furnish (+)-spongistatin 2 (2). The synthesis proceeded with a longest linear sequence of 41 steps.