Cooperativity as quantification and optimization paradigm for nuclear receptor modulators

Nuclear Receptors (NRs) are highly relevant drug targets, for which small molecule modulation goes beyond a simple ligand/receptor interaction. NR–ligands modulate Protein–Protein Interactions (PPIs) with coregulator proteins. Here we bring forward a cooperativity mechanism for small molecule modulation of NR PPIs, using the Peroxisome Proliferator Activated Receptor γ (PPARγ), which describes NR–ligands as allosteric molecular glues. The cooperativity framework uses a thermodynamic model based on three-body binding events, to dissect and quantify reciprocal effects of NR–coregulator binding (K^I_D) and NR–ligand binding (K^II_D), jointly recapitulated in the cooperativity factor (α) for each specific ternary ligand·NR·coregulator complex formation. These fundamental thermodynamic parameters allow for a conceptually new way of thinking about structure–activity-relationships for NR–ligands and can steer NR modulator discovery and optimization via a completely novel approach.

A cooperativity framework describes the formation of nuclear receptor ternary complexes and deconvolutes ligand and cofactor binding into intrinsic affinities and a cooperativity factor, providing a conceptually new understanding of NR modulation.     

Versatile post-functionalisation strategy for the formation of modular organic–inorganic polyoxometalate hybrids

Hybrid structures incorporating different organic and inorganic constituents are emerging as a very promising class of materials since they synergistically combine the complementary and diverse properties of the individual components. Hybrid materials based on polyoxometalate clusters (POMs) are particularly interesting due to their versatile catalytic, redox, electronic, and magnetic properties, yet the controlled incorporation of different clusters into a hybrid structure is challenging and has been scarcely reported. Herein we propose a novel and general strategy for combining multiple types of metal-oxo clusters in a single hybrid molecule. Two novel hybrid POM structures (HPOMs) bis-functionalised with dipentaerythritol (R–POM₁–R; R = (OCH₂)₃CCH₂OCH₂C(CH₂OH)) were synthesised as building-blocks for the formation of heterometallic hybrid triads (POM₂–R–POM₁–R–POM₂). Such a modular approach resulted in the formation of four novel heterometallic hybrids combing the Lindqvist {V₆}, Anderson–Evans {XMo₆} (X = Cr or Al) and trisubstituted Wells–Dawson {P₂V₃W₁₅} POM structures. Their formation was confirmed by multinuclear Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), infrared (IR) and UV-Vis spectroscopy, as well as Mass Spectrometry, Diffusion Ordered Spectroscopy (DOSY) and elemental analysis. The thermal stability of the hybrids was also examined by Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), which showed that the HPOM triads exhibit higher thermal stability than comparable hybrid structures containing only one type of POM. The one-pot synthesis of these novel compounds was achieved in high yields in aqueous and organic media under simple reflux conditions, without the need of any additives, and could be translated to create other hybrid materials based on a variety of metal-oxo cluster building-blocks.

A versatile modular approach has been developed for incorporating different metal-oxo nanoclusters with characteristic structures into a single hybrid molecule by covalently linking them with polyol ligands.     

Dual-fibre stretcher and coma as tools for independent 2nd and 3rd order tunable dispersion compensation in a fibre-based ‘scan-free’ time domain optical coherence tomography system

Dispersion compensation up to the third order is experimentally demonstrated by using a dual-fibre stretcher combined with the coma of an imaging lens, in a fibre-based scan-free time domain optical coherence tomography system, leading to an axial resolution of less than 3 μm.     

Cucurbituril‐mediated immobilization of fluorescent proteins on supramolecular biomaterials

The reversible introduction of functionality at material surfaces is of interest for the development of functional biomaterials. In particular, the use of supramolecular immobilization strategies facilitates mild reaction and processing conditions, as compared to other covalent analogues. Here, the engineering of multicomponent supramolecular materials, beyond the use of a single supramolecular entity is proposed. Cucurbit[8]uril (Q8) mediated host–guest chemistry is combined with hydrogen bonding supramolecular 2‐ureido‐4‐pyrimidinone (UPy)‐based materials. The modular incorporation of a UPy‐additive that presents one guest to incorporate into the Q8 host allows for selective supramolecular functionalization at the water–polymer material interface. Supramolecular ternary complex formation at the material surface was studied by X‐ray photoelectron spectroscopy, which as a result of large overlap in atomic composition of the different components showed minor changes is surface composition upon complex formation. Surface MALDI‐ToF MS measurements revealed useful insights in the formation of complexes. Protein immobilization was monitored using both fluorescence spectroscopy and quartz crystal microbalance with dissipation monitoring, which successfully demonstrated ternary complex formation. Although proteins could selectively be immobilized onto the surfaces, control of the system's stability remains a challenge as a result of the dynamicity of the host–guest assembly. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Polym. Sci., Part A: Polym. Chem. 2017 , 55, 3607–3616     

Building C(sp3) Molecular Complexity on 2,2′-Bipyridine and 1,10-Phenanthroline in Rhenium Tricarbonyl Complexes

The reactions of [Re(N-N)(CO)₃(PMe₃)]OTf (N-N=2,2′-bipyridine, bipy; 1,10-phenanthroline, phen) compounds with tBuLi and with LiHBEt₃ have been explored. Addition to the N-N chelate took place with different site-selectivity depending on both chelate and nucleophile. Thus, with tBuLi, an unprecedented addition to C5 of bipy, a regiochemistry not accessible for free bipy, was obtained, whereas coordinated phen underwent tBuLi addition to C2 and C4. Remarkably, when LiHBEt₃ reacted with [Re(bipy)(CO)₃(PMe₃)]OTf, hydride addition to the 4 and 6 positions of bipy triggered an intermolecular cyclodimerization of two dearomatized pyridyl rings. In contrast, hydride addition to the phen analog resulted in partial reduction of one pyridine ring. The resulting neutral Re^I products showed a varied reactivity with HOTf and with MeOTf to yield cationic complexes. These strategies rendered access to Re^I complexes containing bipy- and phen-derived chelates with several C(sp³) centers.     

Improvements for ground-based remote sensing of atmospheric aerosol properties by additional polarimetric measurements

We discuss the improvements in the aerosol properties characterization resulting from the additional multi-wavelength polarization measurements measured by a new CIMEL polarized sun/sky-photometer, CE318-DP. In order to process direct-sun, sky and polarization measurements in a wide spectral range (340–1640 nm), we developed new calibration methods and strategies, e.g. using the Langley plot method to calibrate both direct-sun irradiance and sky radiance, as well as combining laboratory facilities with a vicarious method to calibrate the polarized sky measurements. For studying the impact of new polarimetric measurements on the retrievals of aerosol properties, we have processed an extensive record of field measurements using an updated Dubovik and King retrieval algorithm [Dubovik O, Sinyuk A, Lapyonok T, Holben BN, Mishchenko MI, et al. Application of spheroid models to account for aerosol particle nonsphericity in remote sensing of desert dust. J Geophys Res 2006;111:D11208.]. A preliminary analysis shows that adding polarization in the inversion can reduce possible errors (notably for about 30% of our field cases) in the fine mode size distribution, real part of refractive index and particle shape parameter retrievals, especially for small particles.     

The Intramolecular Diels-Alder Furan Approach in Synthesis : 11-oxatricyclo|6.2.1.01,6|undec-9-en-5-one

Although the synthetic potential of the intramolecular variant of the Diels-Alder reaction has now been fully recognized³, little attention has so far been paid to this type of addition using the furan nucleus as the diene partner4–8. The presence of an oxygenated cyclohexene system in several complex natural products (e.g. gibberellic acid, morphine), the diverse possibilities of the substituted 7-oxabicyclo |2.2.1|-2-heptene system for further transformation⁹, the expected enhanced reactivity and stereoselectivity of the intramolecular cycloaddition and the availability of a wide variety of commercial furan derivatives make the sequence a → b → c particularly attractive in total synthesis.     

CR-submanifolds of complex hyperbolic spaces satisfying a basic equality

The first author introduced a Riemannian invariant denoted by δ and proved in [4] that everyn-dimensional submanifold of the complex hyperbolicm-space ℂH ^m (4c) of constant holomorphic sectional curvature 4c<0 satisfies a basic inequality , whereH ² denotes the squared mean curvature of the submanifold. The main purpose of this paper is to completely classify properCR-submanifolds of complex hyperbolic spaces which satisfy the equality case of this inequality. Dedicated to Leopold Verstraelen on his fiftieth birthday