Structure activity relationship by NMR and by computer: a comparative study

There has recently been considerable interest in using NMR spectroscopy to identify ligand binding sites of macromolecules. In particular, a modular approach has been put forward by Fesik et al. (Shuker, S. B.; Hajduk, P. J.; Meadows, R. P.; Fesik, S. W. Science 1996, 274, 1531-1534) in which small ligands that bind to a particular target are identified in a first round of screening and subsequently linked together to form ligands of higher affinity. Similar strategies have also been proposed for in silico drug design, where the binding sites of small chemical groups are identified, and complete ligands are subsequently assembled from different groups that have favorable interactions with the macromolecular target. In this paper, we compare experimental and computational results on a selected target (FKBP12). The binding sites of three small ligands ((2S)1-acetylprolinemethylester, 1-formylpiperidine, 1-piperidinecarboxamide) in FKBP12 were identified independently by NMR and by computational methods. The subsequent comparison of the experimental and computational data showed that the computational method identified and ranked favorably ligand positions that satisfy the experimental NOE constraints.     

γ‐HIO3 – a Metastable,Centrosymmetric Polymorph of Iodic Acid

From solutions of chromium(III) perchlorate and periodic acid, single crystals of γ‐HIO₃ were obtained and characterized by single‐crystal X‐ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and thermal analysis. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic crystal system, space group Pbca (a = 563.92, b = 611.10, c = 1507.16 pm). The structure is built up by dimers (HIO₃)₂, which are formed by hydrogen bonds. The crystals are metastable and transform into the stable modification, α‐HIO₃, within a couple of weeks.     

On the stability and decomposition of η6-(2-lithiochlorobenzene)tricarbonylchromium(0)

The decomposition of η⁶-(2-lithiochlorobenzene)tricarbonylchromium(0) (I) was found to follow first order kinetics with k_dec  5.1 x 10^-3 min^-1 at 0°C, the half life of I being 136 min at 0°C. While this dependence strongly suggests intermediacy of η⁶-(benzyne)tricarbonylchromium, trapping experiments were successful in only low yield.     

Ionization energies of cesium and cesium oxide clusters

The vertical ionization potentials of 7 cesium and 86 oxidized cesium clusters were determined using the technique of photoionization mass spectrometry. The spectra were obtained using a tunablecw dye laser for clusters in a mass range 1 to 2024 amu. The vertical ionization potentials (IP) are presented as a function of size and composition. The ionization energies of cesium clusters, Cs_n, decrease with cluster size. Unusually low IP were observed for the enneamer, Cs₉, and for the cesium monoxide Cs₁₁ O. With increasing oxidation of the cesium metal clusters the IP decreases (suboxides) reaches a minimum at Cs(Cs₂O)_n and then increases (superoxides).     

Synthesis of oxa-bridged analogues of farnesyltransferase inhibitor RPR 115135

Two synthetic routes to new oxygen-bridged analogues of farnesyltransferase inhibitors are described that follow either a [3 + 2]/[4 + 2] or a [4 + 2]/[3 + 2] sequence of reactions. The first approach has been achieved by reacting the in situ generated phenylisobenzofuran (PIBF) 4 with pyrroline 5a and has led stereoselectively to racemic 18, which was transformed in a few steps into the target molecule 2. The second pathway relies on a key intermediate 6, obtained either by condensation of PIBF with methyl acrylate, followed by a deprotonation/selenation and an oxidation/elimination sequence, or by cycloaddition between PIBF and alpha-phenylselenoacrylate 11, followed by the same oxidation/elimination sequence. The reaction of 6 with amino dipole 7 gives diastereoselective access to pyrrolidine 25, a precursor of the second target 3, an epimer of 2.     

Bortrifluorid-katalysierte Umsetzungen von 3-Amino-2H-azirinen mit Aminosäure-estern und Aminen

Boron-Trifluoride-Catalyzed Reactions of 3-Amino-2H-azirines with Amino-acid Esters and Amines After activation by protonation or complexation with BF₃, 3-amino-2H-azirines 1 react with the amino group of α-amino-acid esters 3 to give 3,6-dihydro-5-aminopyrazin-2(1H)-ones 4 by ring enlargement (Scheme 2, Table 1). The configuration of 3 is retained in the products 4 . With unsymmetrically substituted 1 (R¹ ≠ R²), two diastereoisomers of 4 (cis and trans) are formed in a ratio of 1:1 to 2:1. With β-amino-acid esters 5 and 7 , only openchain α-amino-imidamides 6 and 8 , respectively, are formed, but none of the seven-membered heterocycle (Scheme 3). Primary amines also react with BF₃-complexed 1 to yield α-amino-imidamides of type 9 (Scheme 4, Table 2). Compound 9b is characterized chemically by its transformation into crystalline derivatives 10 and 12 with 4-nitrobenzoyl chloride and phenyl isothiocyanate, respectively (Scheme 5). The structure of 12 is established by X-ray crystallography. Mechanisms for the reaction of activated 1 with amino groups are proposed in Schemes 6 and 7.     

Porphyrins

The extended Hückel model is applied to porphyrin systems with metals Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn and to the diprotic acid. A single method for choosing parameters is detailed. The model is used to discuss magnetic state, coupling of ring and metal, electronic transitions, and the effect of non-planarity.

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Zusammenfassung Die erweiterte Hückel Theorie wird auf das Porphyrin-System mit den Metallen. Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu und Zn sowie auf die zweifach protonierte Säure angewendet. Die Parameter werden dabei einheitlich gewählt. Anhand dieses Modells werden magnetische Eigenschaften, Kopplung zwischen Ring und Metall, Elektronenübergänge und der Einfluß der Abweichung von planarer Anordnung diskutiert.

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Résumé Le modèle étendu de Hückel est appliqué aux complexes du porphyrine avec les métaux Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu et Zn, et à l'acide diprotonique. On présente en détail une méthode unifiée pour obtenir les paramètres. L'état magnétique, le couplage cycle-métal, les transitions électroniques et l'effet de la non-planeïté sont discutés à l'aide de ce modèle.

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National Institutes of Health Pre-Doctoral Fellow.     

N4-Benzoylspermidine from Oncinotis tenuiloba: Analytical differentiation of the three isomeric N-benzoylspermidines

During the examination of extracts from Oncinotis tenuiloba STAPF a new polyamine, N⁴-benzoylsperimidine ( 8 ), was isolated. For unambiguous structure elucidation, it was transformed into the diacetyl derivative 13 , and the three possible N-benzoyl-substituted isomers of spermidine 5, 8 , and 11 together with their peracetylated derivatives 12–14 , respectively, were synthesized and identified.     

ESR. Spectra and Structures of Radical Anions in the Dibenzo[a,e]cyclooctene Series

ESR. studies are reported for the radical anions of 5,6-didehydro- and 5,6,11,12-tetradehydro-dibenzo[a,e]cyclooctene (III and IV, resp.), in addition to that of dibenzo[a,e]cyclooctene (II) itself, the spectrum of which has been reexamined. Comparison of the proton and ¹³C coupling constants for II·?, III·? and IV·? indicates that the three radical anions do not differ greatly in their electronic and molecular structures. This statement implies that II·? should also be substantially planar, i.e., the tub-shaped eight-membered ring in II is expected to flatten on passing from the neutral molecule to its radical anion. Support for postulating such a change in geometry, analogous to that encountered with the parent cyclooctatetraene (I), is provided by INDO calculations.