Efficient synthesis of bromocyclopenta[b] indoles via a bromination ‐ reduction sequence

Substituted cyclopenta[b]indoles are selectively brominated in good yields with excess pyridine ‐ Br₂ charge‐transfer complex (PyBr₂) in a one‐pot reaction to provide 5 and/or 7‐bromoindoles. The mechanism involves the formation of an adduct (addition of bromine on the central double bond) which is subsequently reduced in situ with Zn and AcOH. A variety of functional groups in the cyclopentyl and the benzenoid rings are tolerated.     

Photoinduced electron transfer at liquid|liquid interfaces. Part VII. Correlation between self-organisation and structure of water-soluble photoactive species

The self-organisation of a variety of dyes at the water|1,2-dichloroethane interface was studied by admittance measurements, photocurrent–potential curves and light polarisation anisotropy of the photocurrent. The heterogeneous photo-oxidation of ferrocene was studied at interfaces sensitised by Sn(IV) meso-tetra-(4-carboxyphenyl) porphyrin dichloride (SnTPPC), chlorin e-6, protoporphyrin IX (protoIX) and Fe(III) protoporphyrin IX chloride (Fe-protoIX). Cyclic voltammograms and capacitance voltage curves exhibit different features associated with the self-assembly of the dye species at the liquid|liquid boundary. In the case of SnTPPC, the capacitance curves displayed the characteristic responses commonly associated with the specific adsorption of ionic species. On the other hand, chlorin e-6, protoIX and Fe-protoIX show rather complex behaviour suggesting not only changes in the excess charge but also in the dielectric permittivity of the interface. Differences in the photocurrent efficiency were also observed under the same experimental conditions. The relative magnitude of the photocurrent responses were rationalised in terms of the phenomenological electron transfer rate constant, the photon capture cross-sections and the lifetime of the triplet state as obtained from nanosecond flash photolysis. Finally, the average molecular orientation of the adsorbed photoactive species was estimated from the photocurrent dependence on the angle of light polarisation in total internal reflection. The results show a clear correlation between the orientation of the transition dipole and the distribution of the peripheral carboxyl groups responsible for the hydrophilic nature of the dyes.     

Novel methods for the synthesis of 5-substituted-3-carboxy-2,5- and 4,5-dihydrothiophenes and 5-substituted 2- and 3-sulfolenes

Various approaches to the syntheses of 5-substituted-3-carbomethoxy-2,5-dihydrothiophenes and their product sulfolenes, required as synthetic precursors for tangutorine, are described. An efficient route to 3,5-disubstituted-4,5-dihydrothiophenes and hence 3,5-disubstituted-2-sulfolenes by radical chemistry is also described.     

Design and characterization of libraries of molecular fragments for use in NMR screening against protein targets

We have designed four generations of a low molecular weight fragment library for use in NMR-based screening against protein targets. The library initially contained 723 fragments which were selected manually from the Available Chemicals Directory. A series of in silico filters and property calculations were developed to automate the selection process, allowing a larger database of 1.79 M available compounds to be searched for a further 357 compounds that were added to the library. A kinase binding pharmacophore was then derived to select 174 kinase-focused fragments. Finally, an additional 61 fragments were selected to increase the number of different pharmacophores represented within the library. All of the fragments added to the library passed quality checks to ensure they were suitable for the screening protocol, with appropriate solubility, purity, chemical stability, and unambiguous NMR spectrum. The successive generations of libraries have been characterized through analysis of structural properties (molecular weight, lipophilicity, polar surface area, number of rotatable bonds, and hydrogen-bonding potential) and by analyzing their pharmacophoric complexity. These calculations have been used to compare the fragment libraries with a drug-like reference set of compounds and a set of molecules that bind to protein active sites. In addition, an analysis of the overall results of screening the library against the ATP binding site of two protein targets (HSP90 and CDK2) reveals different patterns of fragment binding, demonstrating that the approach can find selective compounds that discriminate between related binding sites.     

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.     

Carbohydrate-protein interactions at interfaces: synthesis of thiolactosyl glycolipids and design of a working model for surface plasmon resonance

Thiolactosyl lipids designed for carbohydrate-protein binding studies have been synthesised. One representative was selected for binding studies with a plant lectin RCA120, the agglutinin from Ricinus communis. The interactions were measured quantitatively in real time using a BIAcore surface plasmon resonance instrument. Removal of much of the galactose from the thiolactosyl lipid in situ with beta-galactosidase showed that the lectin binding was highly specific. A dissociation constant KD = 8.77 x 10(-8) M was measured for 1-[2-[2-(2-[beta-D-galactopyranosyl-(1-->4)-1-thio-beta-D -glucopyranosyl]ethoxy)ethoxy]ethoxy]octadecane 30 which is four orders of magnitude greater than that determined for binding to lactose in solution. A concentration of lactose of > 80 mM was required to block the lectin binding to thiolactosyl lipid in a neomembrane.     

Highly stereoselective Friedel-Crafts type cyclization. Facile access to enantiopure 1,4-dihydro-4-phenyl isoquinolinones

The present report describes a stereoselective synthesis of 1,4-dihydro-4-phenyl isoquinolinones 5 based on a stereoselective Friedel-Crafts type cyclization. Cyclization precursors 1 were prepared in two steps, from the readily available (S)-mandelic acid, in 60-80% overall yield. The stereoselective electrophilic cyclization was accomplished in 20-86% yield and with 20-97% ee. In the course of this work, the presence of the amide carbonyl was found to be particularly important to guarantee a stereospecific process during the electrophilic aromatic substitution.     

Total synthesis of zincophorin methyl ester

[reaction: see text]. A convergent total synthesis of the methyl ester of zincophorin, an ionophore antibiotic, has been realized relying on a diastereoselective titanium-mediated aldol coupling between the C1-C12 and C13-C25 subunits. The latter fragment was prepared by using a Carroll-Claisen rearrangement.     

Chemoselective and stereoselective synthesis of gem-difluoro-β-aminoesters or gem-difluoro-β-lactams from ethylbromodifluoroacetate and imines during Reformatsky reaction

The chemoselective and stereoselective synthesis of gem-difluoro-β-aminoesters or gem-difluoro-β-lactams was investigated from ethylbromodifluoroacetate and imines during Reformatsky reaction. Influence of various reaction parameters, such as nature of the amine part, nature of the chiral auxiliary, was evaluated. High levels of stereoselectivity (up to 98%) were obtained for gem-difluoro-β-aminoesters and gem-difluoro-β-lactams using either (R)-phenylglycinol or (R)-methoxyphenylglycinol.     

Synthesis of New,Unnatural Macrocyclic Trichothecenes: 3-isoverrucarin A ((1″-O)(3→4)abeo-verrucarin A), verrucinol,and verrucene. 46th Communication on verrucarins and roridins

A new unnatural macrocyclic trichothecene, an analogue of verrucarine A ( 1 ), which was named 3-Isoverrucarin A ((1″-O)(3→4)abeo-verrucarin A; 3 ) was synthesized starting from anguidine ( 5 ). The two key reactions were the removal of the 4β-acetoxy group of anguidine ( 5 ) by a Barton deoxygenation and the final macrolactonization. During the cyclization procedure, two unexpected new macrocyclic by-products, which were named verrucinol ( 19 ) and verrucene ( 20 ), were formed. They represent novel types of macrocyclic trichothecenes, the macrolidic moiety of verrucene ( 20 ) consisting only of the (Z,E)-muconic-acid residue. The formation of the analogous macrolide 26 of verrucene ( 20 ) was not possible, probably because the ring strain is too strong.