Chiral Compounds Synthesized by Biocatalytic Reductions [New Synthetic Methods (51)]

It has been known for many decades that chiral compounds can be obtained by stereospecific biocatalytic reduction. Further significant methodological developments in this field have, however, only been made during the past ten years; they include the application of previously unused microorganisms and electron donors, the discovery of additional substrates for the known reductases, the development of methods for regenerating reduced pyridine nucleotides, and the discovery of new reductases which were sought for specific preparative purposes. Many chiral compounds can now be synthesized by microbial hydrogenation using H₂ and hydrogenase-containing microorganisms as well as by electromicrobial or electroenzymatic reduction. In the two latter methods, anaerobic or aerobic organisms are supplied with electrons from electrochemically reduced, artificial mediators, e.g., methyl viologen. Reductases that do not require pyridine nucleotides and can accept electrons directly from reduced viologens are especially useful. Two examples of this type of enzyme are described which are of preparative interest. Many cells contain methyl viologen-dependent NAD(P) reductases, a large number of which have still not been characterized. A productivity number is proposed which allows different methods of bioconversion with microorganisms to be compared. The productivity numbers of compounds synthesized by the methods described in this review are often 10- to 100-fold higher than those of substances obtained by conventional techniques.     

On the tetrad theory of gravity

After reviewing problems which appear in the theory of teleparallelism (tetrad theory) based on a Lagrangian quadratic in the torsion, the possibility of adding higher-order terms is discussed. For a test Lagrangian,O(3)-symmetric vacuum solutions and spatially homogeneous and isotropic solutions are found. The latter contain nonsingular cosmological models.     

Mass spectrometric studies of organophosphorus compounds: III—Remarkable migration of chalcogen on electron impact of organophosphorus compounds

The mass spectra of several dibenzo (d.f)-1,3,2,-dioxaphosphorepines of the type where X=0, S, Se and R=2,2′-biphenylylene, have been studied. Dibenzochalcogen ions [RX]⁺˙ stemming directly from [M]⁺˙ were observed with high intensities, indicating specific migration of X from phosphorus to carbon with simultaneous destruction of the dioxaphosphorepine ring. Simple cleavage of P? Y as usually observed in similar organophosphorus compounds is not a common process here.     

Massenspektrometrische Untersuchung Organischer Stickstoffverbindungen. XIV—Mechanismus der Piperidin-Eliminierung aus N.N′-(o-Xylylen)-Dipieridin

The electron-impact-induced elimination of piperidine from the title compound could be established by investigation of the unsymmetrically ²H-labelled compound. The mechanism of a 1,1-elimination can be excluded be unequivocally.     

UV-VIS and CD-spectroscopic investigations of intermolecular interactions of bile pigments with small proteins

Summary The intermolecular complex formation of bilirubin and biliverdin with two proteins (basic pancreatic trypsin inhibitor and lysozyme) were studied by optical and chiroptical methods. Evidence for specific intermolecular interactions of biliverdin with both proteins was found. Bilirubin forms a soluble complex only with lysozyme.

---

UV-VIS und CD-spektroskopische Untersuchungen intermolekularer Wechselwirkungen von Gallenpigmenten mit kleinen Proteinen

Zusammenfassung Die intermolekulare Komplexbildung von Bilirubin und Biliverdin mit zwei Proteinen (basischer pankreatischer Trypsininhibitor und Lysozym) wurden mittels optischer und chiroptischer Spektroskopie untersucht. Für Biliverdin konnten intermolekulare Wechselwirkungen mit beiden Proteinen nachgewiesen werden. Bilirubin bildet nur mit Lysozym einen löslichen Komplex.

     

Conformational analysis of benzoannulated nine-membered rings. Part 3. 1,4,5,7-Tetrahydro-3H-2,6-benzodiselenine and its 4-spiro derivatives

The ¹H and ¹³C nmr spectra of 1,4,5,7-tetrahydro-3H-2,6-benzodiselenine (1) and three 4-spiro derivatives 2–4 as well as the ⁷⁷Se nmr spectra of 2 have been recorded at different temperatures in order to investigate their conformational behavior. It was found that in analogy to corresponding dithionins the molecules adopt a chiral ground state conformation (Figure 2), and coalescence effects are due to racemization.