Site-to-site peptide transport on a molecular platform using a small-molecule robotic arm

Peptides attached to a cysteine hydrazide ‘transporter module’ are transported selectively in either direction between two chemically similar sites on a molecular platform, enabled by the discovery of new operating methods for a molecular transporter that functions through ratcheting. Substrate repositioning is achieved using a small-molecule robotic arm controlled by a protonation-mediated rotary switch and attachment/release dynamic covalent chemistry. A polar solvent mixtures were found to favour Z to E isomerization of the doubly-protonated switch, transporting cargo in one direction (arbitrarily defined as ‘forward’) in up to 85% yield, while polar solvent mixtures were unexpectedly found to favour E to Z isomerization enabling transport in the reverse (‘backward’) direction in >98% yield. Transport of the substrates proceeded in a matter of hours (compared to 6 days even for simple cargoes with the original system) without the peptides at any time dissociating from the machine nor exchanging with others in the bulk. Under the new operating conditions, key intermediates of the switch are sufficiently stabilized within the macrocycle formed between switch, arm, substrate and platform that they can be identified and structurally characterized by ¹H NMR. The size of the peptide cargo has no significant effect on the rate or efficiency of transport in either direction. The new operating conditions allow detailed physical organic chemistry of the ratcheted transport mechanism to be uncovered, improve efficiency, and enable the transport of more complex cargoes than was previously possible.

Peptides are transported in either direction between chemically similar sites on a molecular platform, substrate repositioning is achieved using a cysteine hydrazide transporter module and a small-molecule robotic arm controlled by a rotary switch.     

A supramolecular microfluidic optical chemosensor

A supramolecular microfluidic optical chemosensor (muFOC) has been fabricated. A serpentine channel has been patterned with a sol-gel film that incorporates a cyclodextrin supramolecule modified with a Tb(3+) macrocycle. Bright emission from the Tb(3+) ion is observed upon exposure of the (mu)FOC to biphenyl in aqueous solution. The signal transduction mechanism was elucidated by undertaking steady-state and time-resolved spectroscopic measurements directly on the optical chemosensor patterned within the microfluidic network. The presence of biphenyl in the cyclodextrin receptor site triggers Tb(3+) emission by an absorption-energy transfer-emission process. These results demonstrate that the intricate signal transduction mechanisms of supramolecular optical chemosensors are successfully preserved in microfluidic environments.     

1,2-Epoxycarotinoide. 3. Mitteilung. Isolierun von 1,2-Epoxy-1,2-dihydrolycopin aus Tomaten

1,2-Epoxycarotenoids: Isolation of 1,2-Epoxy-1,2-dihydrolycopene from Tomatoes The optically active, 1,2-epoxy-1,2-dihydrolycopene was isolated from tomatoes. Its constitution was established by comparison with the racemic synthetic compound.     

The “Facilitated Transition” hypothesis as an explanation for the gemdialkyl effect

A new technique of searching the conformational space of transition states was used to explore the cause of the rate acceleration in the gem-dialkyl effect in intramolecular cyclization reactions. Several previous hypotheses were discarded and a new hypothesis was advanced based on this new data. This hypothesis, the “Facilitated Transition” hypothesis, states that increased steric hindrance reduces the overall activation energy by facilitating rotation through the transition state. The older “Reactive Rotamer” hypothesis was eliminated by generating all conformations of the starting materials using the and computer programs and demonstrating that no relationship is found between rate increase and a change in the concentration of “reactive rotamers”.     

A rapid radiochemical procedure for indium

A rapid radiochcmical procedure was developed for the separation of indium radionuclides from a mixed fission-product solution. An alcoholic pyridine solution is added to a uranium solution containing indium and tin carriers. The resulting tin precipitate is separated from the indium-containing solution by filtering through a cellulose membrane filter. The decontamination factor for tin is 2·10³. Other fission products are only partially removed. The chemical yield of indium is about 44%, and the time required for the separation is about 10 sec. After the tin-separated indium has decayed, the tin daughters of indium are removed from all the other fission products at a specified time and measured, so that the amount of indium present at the time of the tin precipitation is determined.     

Hydrocarbon oxidation vs C-C bond-forming approaches for efficient syntheses of oxygenated molecules

[Reaction: see text] A hydrocarbon oxidation approach has been applied to the construction of several linear (E)-allylic alcohols that have served as intermediates in the synthesis of natural products and natural product-like molecules. In the original syntheses, these intermediates were constructed using a standard Wittig-type olefination approach. We report here that routes to these same intermediates designed around a hydrocarbon oxidation approach are more efficient both in the total number of functional group manipulations (FGMs) and overall steps, as well as in the overall yield.     

Isolation,identification and synthesis of the sex pheromone of the citrus mealybug,Planococcus citri (risso)

The sex attractant pheromone of the citrus mealybug, $\text{Planococcus citri}$ (Risso), has been Identified as (1$\text{R}$-$\text{cis}$)-(+)-2,2-dimethyl-3-(1-methylethenyl)cyclobutanemethanol acetate (VI).     

cis-UROCANIC ACID FAILED TO AFFECT in vitro HUMAN LANGERHANS CELL ALLOSTIMULATORY FUNCTION

Abstract— -Urocanic acid (UCA) represents the major ultraviolet B (UVB, 290–320 nm)-absorbing component of the skin. Trans-UCA is naturally produced in the stratum corneum and converts to the cis isomer upon UVB irradiation. In this study, we examined the effect of purified cis -UCA (about 99% of cis isomer) on the human Langerhans cell (LC) allostimulatory function by using the mixed epidermal cell-lymphocyte reaction (MELR). We found that addition of increasing amounts (6.5–400 μg/mL) of purified cis-UCA or (rara-UCA did not modify the T-cell response supported by enriched LC (eLC: 8–25% LC) as well as purified LC (pLC: 70–90% LC) suspensions. Because cis-UCA had no effect on the allostimulatory function of untreated LC, we investigated whether this compound could modify T-cell proliferation induced by UVB-irradiated LC. The UVB exposure of eLC or pLC to 100 J/m² significantly inhibited the capacity of both suspensions to mount a T-cell response. However, addition of cis- UCA did not potentiate this UVB-induced immunosuppression. The eLC or pLC were then incubated with cis-UCA for 18 h at 37°C and washed before adding to allogeneic T cells. The obtained proliferative response was similar to that induced by control LC incubated in medium alone, demonstrating that pretreatment with cis -UCA did not alter human LC function. In conclusion, these results strongly suggest that cis-UCA has no direct effect on human LC antigen-presenting function.     

ADVENTITIOUS INTERCONVERSION OF cis- AND trans-UROCANIC ACID BY LABORATORY LIGHT

Urocanic acid (UCA) is a chromophore in the stratum corneum. Ultraviolet radiation (ultraviolet B) has been shown to suppress mammalian cell-mediated immunity. The photoisomerization of trans -UCA to cis -UCA was proposed as the initiator of the suppression process. Cis -urocanic acid has been demonstrated to suppress immunity by a variety of experiments. Investigators should be aware that laboratory illumination may be capable of interconverting trans -UCA and cis -UCA during experimental manipulations. This possible inadvertent contamination of one isomer by the other may influence results. We demonstrated that fluorescent lamps, daylight, sunlight and incandescent lamps were able to bring about isomerization. Window glass and container materials of plastic and clear glass did not filter out effective wavelengths, but three commercial plastic diffusers on fluorescent fixtures prevented the isomerization. Because the molar extinction coefficient (ɛ) for cis -UCA is less than that of trans -UCA, we have exposed 0.1 m M trans -UCA to ambient light and monitored the change in absorbance. A method is given to calculate the percentage of trans and cis isomers from the absorbance at 277 nm when the initial purity and absorbance are known. Using this procedure, we validated the molar extinction coefficient of cis -UCA.     

3-(Dimethylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-2H-azirin als α-Aminoisobuttersäure(Aib)-Äquivalent: Cyclische Depsipeptide durch direkte Amid-Cyclisierung

3-(Dimethylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-2H,-azirine as an α-Aminoisobutyric-Acid (Aib) Equivalent: Cyclic Depsipeptides via Direct Amid Cyclization In MeCN at room temperature, 3-(dimethylamino)-2,2-dimethyl-2H-azirine ( 1 ) and α-hydroxycarboxylic acids react to give diamides of type 8 (Scheme 3). Selective cleavage of the terminal N,N-dimethylcarboxamide group in MeCN/H₂O leads to the corresponding carboxylic acids 13 (Scheme 4). In toluene/Ph SH , phenyl thioesters of type 11 are formed (see also Scheme 5). Starting with diamides 8 , the formation of morpholin-2,5- diones 10 has been achieved either by direct amide cyclization via intermediate 1,3-oxazol-5(4H)-ones 9 or via base-catalyzed cyclization of the phenyl thioesters 11 (Scheme 3). Reaction of carboxylic acids with 1 , followed by selective amide hydrolysis, has been used for the construction of peptides from α-hydroxy carboxylic acids and repetitive α-aminoisobutyric-acid (Aib) units (Scheme 4). Cyclization of 14a, 17a , and 20a with HCI in toluene at 100° gave the 9-, 12-, and 15-membered cyclic depsipeptides 15, 18 , and 21 , respectively.