Dual substrate recognition of aminotransferases

Pyridoxal 5'-phosphate-dependent aminotransferases reversibly catalyzes the transamination reaction in which the alpha-amino group of amino acid 1 is transferred to the 2-oxo acid of amino acid 2 (usually 2-oxoglutarate) to produce the 2-oxo acid of amino acid 1 and amino acid 2 (glutamate). An aminotransferase must thus be able to recognize and bind two kinds of amino acids (amino acids 1 and 2), the side chains of which are different in shape and properties, from among many other small molecules. The dual substrate recognition mechanism has been discovered based on three-dimensional structures of aromatic amino acids, histidinol phosphate, glutamine:phenylpyruvate, acetylornithine, and branched-chain amino acid aminotransferases. There are two representative strategies for dual substrate recognition. An aromatic amino acid aminotransferase prepares charged and neutral pockets for acidic and aromatic side chains, respectively, at the same place by a large-scale rearrangement of the hydrogen-bond network caused by the induced fit. In a branched-chain aminotransferase, the same hydrophobic cavity implanted with hydrophilic sites accommodates both hydrophobic and acidic side chains without side-chain rearrangements of the active-site residues, which is reminiscent of the lock and key mechanism. Dual substrate recognition in other aminotransferases is attained by combining the two representative methods.     

Diastereoselective addition of gamma-substituted allylic nucleophiles to ketones: highly stereoselective synthesis of tertiary homoallylic alcohols using an allylic tributylstannane/stannous chloride system

The diastereoselective addition of gamma-substituted allylic nucleophiles to ketones has been accomplished to give tertiary homoallylic alcohols. The reaction of tributylcinnamyltin 1a with simple ketones 2 in the presence of stannous chloride (SnCl(2)) gave the tertiary homoallylic alcohols 3, which include the anti form (based on Ph and OH), with high diastereoselectivity. In the reaction course, transmetalation of tributylcinnamyltin 1a with SnCl(2) proceeds to form an active nucleophile which is tentatively considered to be a cinnamyltin(II) species. A cyclic transition state A is favorable because the chlorinated tin(II) center is highly capable of accepting ligands. The other diastereomers (syn form) 4 were obtained in the reaction of tributylcinnamyltin 1a with ketones 2 by the use of BF(3) x OEt(2) instead of SnCl(2). This reaction proceeds through an acyclic transition state in which BF(3) acts as a Lewis acid for activation of ketones. When 3-tributylstannylcyclohexene 1b or 3-tributylstannylcyclopentene 1c was used with SnCl(2), high diastereoselective formation of the corresponding homoallylic alcohols 6 which have the syn form (based on ring chain and OH) was observed. The selectivity was also explained by the cyclic transition state B. When tributylcrotyltin 1d or 1e was used, the stereochemistry of the products depends on the additives (SnCl(2) or BF(3) x OEt(2)), substituents of ketones, and reaction temperature. It is interesting that those additives compensate for each other in terms of diastereoselective alkylation. The alkylation of alpha-alkoxy, aryloxy, or hydroxyketones 16 was achieved in extremely high selectivity using an allylic tributyltin 1a-c/SnCl(2) system. The chelation by carbonyl and beta-oxygens provides a rigid transition state (E or F) for selective reactions. It is noted that the hydroxyketone can be used without protection in this reaction system. The relative stereochemistry of the produced tertiary homoallylic alcohols was determined on the basis of X-ray analyses.     

Phosphinoselenothioic acids and their salts: synthesis, characterization, and reaction with electrophiles

[reaction: see text] Phosphinoselenothioic acid ammonium salts were synthesized in good yields by reacting phosphinoselenothioic acid S-[2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl] esters with ammonium fluorides. Phosphinoselenothioic acid alkali metal salts were obtained as 18-crown-6 ether complexes with high efficiency by treating the esters with alkali metal fluorides and 18-crown-6 ether. The salts were stable under air and soluble in water. The structures of the phosphinoselenothioic acid tetramethylammonium salt and P-methylseleno-P-methylthiophosphonium triflate were determined by X-ray molecular structure analyses. These salts exhibited monomeric structures, and the central phosphorus atoms adopted tetrahedral structures. Alkylation of the ammonium salts selectively gave phosphinoselenothioic acid Se-alkyl esters, whereas acylation of the salts preferentially gave S-acyl products. Protonation of the salts selectively gave the phosphinoselenothioic S-acid. The S-acid generated in situ was reacted with alpha,beta-unsaturated carbonyl compounds and cyclohexene oxide to give the adducts. Molecular orbital calculations were carried out for the model compound H2P(Se)S- to elucidate the electronic structure.     

Syntheses and Vero toxin-binding activities of carbosilane dendrimers periphery-functionalized with galabiose

Carbosilane dendrimers bearing galabiose (Galα1-4Gal) with three, four, and six galabiose units at the periphery of the dendrimers were synthesized for use as artificial inhibitors against Shiga toxins (Stxs) produced by Escherichia coli O157:H7. The galabiose unit, prepared from penta-O-acetyl-β-d-galactopyranose, was linked with carbosilane dendrimers of three shapes to afford acetyl-protected glycodendrimers in good yields. De-O-acetylation of the clusters was carried out in the presence of NaOMe and then aq NaOH to give the desired three shapes of galabiose-coated carbosilane dendrimers. Their biological activities toward Stxs were evaluated by kinetic analysis, binding assays, and cytotoxic assays.     

Asymmetric synthesis catalyzed by chiral ferrocenylphosphine-transition metal complexes VII. New chiral ferrocenylphosphines with C2 symmetry

A new chiral ferrocenylphosphine ligand, 2,2′-bis[1-N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl]-1,1′-bis(diphenylphosphino)ferrocene (2), which has C₂ symmetry and a functional group on the side chain, was prepared by ortho-lithiation and phosphination of 1,1′-bis[1-N,N-dimethylamino)ethyl]ferrocene followed by optical resolution; recrystallization of the diammonium salt with tartaric acid. An X-ray diffraction study of PdCl₂[(+)-2] showed that the complex has square-planar geometry with two cis chlorine and two phosphorus atoms and ligand (+)-2 has an (S) configuration on the 1-dimethylaminoethyl side chain and (R) ferrocene planar chirality.     

Discrimination and identification of the six aromatic positional isomers of trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS)

A reliable and accurate GC-MS method was developed that allows both mass spectrometric and chromatographic discrimination of the six aromatic positional isomers of trimethoxyamphetamine (TMA). Regardless of the trifluoroacetyl (TFA) derivatization, chromatographic separation of all the investigated isomers was achieved by using DB-5 ms capillary columns (30 m x 0.32 mm i.d.), with run times less than 15 min. However, the mass spectra of the nonderivatized TMAs, except 2,4,6-trimethoxyamphetmine (TMA-6), showed insufficient difference for unambiguous discrimination. On the other hand, the mass spectra of the TFA derivatives of the six isomers exhibited fragments with significant intensity differences, which allowed the unequivocal identification of all the aromatic positional isomers investigated in the present study. This GC-MS technique in combination with TFA derivatization, therefore, is a powerful method to discriminate these isomers, especially useful to distinguish the currently controlled 3,4,5-trimethoxyamphetmine (TMA-1) and 2,4,5-trimethoxyamphetmine (TMA-2) from other uncontrolled TMAs.     

Direct observation of OH radicals ejected from water ice surface in the photoirradiation of nitrate adsorbed on ice at 100 K

Production of gaseous OH radicals in the 248-350 nm photoirradiation of NO3(-) doped on amorphous ice at 100 K was monitored directly by using resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization. The translational energy distribution of the OH product was represented by a Maxwell-Boltzmann energy distribution with the translational temperature of 3250 +/- 250 K. The rotational temperature was estimated to be 175 +/- 25 K. We have confirmed that the OH production should be attributed to the secondary photolysis of H2O2 produced on ice surface on the basis of the results of controlled photolysis experiments for H2O2 doped on ice surface.     

Solution-phase oligosaccharide synthesis in a cycloalkane-based thermomorphic system

The cycloalkane-based thermomorphic (CBT) system is a convenient and practical method for oligosaccharide synthesis, and hydrophobically modified oligosaccharides have a remarkable affinity for CBT solutions composed of methylcyclohexane and propionitrile.     

O-selective condensation using P-N bond cleavage in RNA synthesis without base protection

In RNA synthesis without base protection, a new method for O-selective condensation with more than 99% selectivity was developed by 6-nitro-HOBt-mediated cleavage of undesired P(III)-N bonds on nucleobase moieties. Moreover, we for the first time succeeded in synthesizing oligoRNAs without base protection.