Cascade cyclizations via N,4-didehydro-2-(phenylamino)pyridine biradicals/zwitterions generated from enyne-carbodiimides

Thermolysis of the enyne-carbodiimides 7 having the central carbon-carbon double bond incorporated as part of the cyclopentene ring favors the formation of the corresponding N,4-didehydro-2-(phenylamino)pyridine intermediates, either as the sigma,pi-biradicals 8 or as the zwitterions 8', for subsequent synthetic elaborations. By placing appropriate substituents at the acetylenic terminus, a variety of the intramolecular decay routes are available for the initially formed sigma,pi-biradicals/zwitterions, leading to the 5,6-dihydrobenzo[c][1,8]naphthyridine 21, the 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro[1,8]naphthyridine 24 and related compounds 25 and 26, the 5,6-dihydrobenz[f]isoquinoline 28, and the benzofuro[3,2-c]pyridine 30. Surprisingly, the use of the dimethylamino group of the 2-(dimethylamino)phenyl substituent to capture the carbocationic center in the zwitterion 8e' furnished the 5H-pyrido[4,3-b]indole 32 in only 14% yield. The majority of the products were the 1H-pyrrolo[2,3-b]quinolines 34 and 35, isolated in 48 and 7% yields, respectively. However, it was possible to redirect the reaction toward 32 by conducting thermolysis of the enyne-carbodiimide 7e in the presence of 5 equiv of dimethylphenylsilyl chloride. Under this reaction condition, the 2-pyridone imine 37 was isolated in 86% yield, which on exposure to silica gel was converted to 32 in essentially quantitative yield. Thermolysis of the enyne-carbodiimide 42 having a methoxymethyl substituent at the acetylenic terminus led to the formation of 46' as a pyridine analogue of ortho-quinone methide imine. An intramolecular hetero-Diels-Alder reaction of 46' then furnished the tetrahydro[1,8]naphthyridino[2,1-c][1,4]benzoxazine 47.     

Susceptibility to Effects of UVB Irradiation on Induction of Contact Sensitivity, Relevance of Number and Function of Langerhans Cells and Epidermal Macrophages

Sensitization on skin exposed to acute low-dose UVB irradiation separates normal humans into two phenotypically distinct groups: One group, following sensitization on UVB-irradiated skin, develops contact sensitivity, designated UVB resistant (UVB-R) and the second group, following sensitization on UVB-irradiated skin, fails to develop contact sensitivity, designated UVB susceptible (UVB-S). To investigate whether UVB susceptibility in humans is related to antigen-presenting activity in the skin we studied the effect of UVB irradiation on the number and function of the epidermal antigen-presenting cells in volunteers identified as UVB-R and UVB-S. Single cell suspensions of epidermal cells from control skin and skin exposed to 3 minimal erythema doses (MED) of UVB 3 days previously were stained for Langerhans cells (CD1a+HLA-DR+) and epidermal macrophages (CD1a-HLA-DR+). The UVB exposure of the skin significantly decreased the percentage of Langerhans cells (UVB-R: n = 7, P < 0.02, UVB-S: n = 6, P < 0.03) and increased the percentage of epidermal macrophages (UVB-R: n = 7, P < 0.03, UVB-S: n = 6, P < 0.03) however to the same degree in both the UVBR and the UVB-S group. To study the effect on Langerhans cell alloreactivity, epidermal cells were harvested immediately after UVB irradiation. However, in both UVB-R and UVB-S subjects the Langerhans cell alloreactivity was blocked to the same degree immediately after UVB irradiation compared to nonirradiated epidermal cells. To determine the effect of UVB irradiation on epidermal macrophages, epidermal cells were harvested 3 days after UVB irradiation. Irradiated epidermal cells from both UVB-R and UVB-S subjects demonstrated a strong antigen-presenting capacity compared to epidermal cells from control skin leading to activation of T cells that mainly secrete interferon (1FN)-γ and not interleukin (IL)-4. In conclusion we found that UVB susceptibility was not correlated with the number of Langerhans cells or epidermal macrophages in the skin at the same time of sensitization. Neither was it correlated with the capacity of Langerhans cells nor UVB-induced epidermal macrophages to activate T cells in vitro.     

Microwave—optical double resonance in the A1A2 excited state of thioformaldehyde

Microwave—optical double resonance experiments have been carried out on the 4_o¹ band of the $\text{A}$¹A₂$\text{X}$¹A₁ system of thioformaldehyde (H₂CS). More than 100 microwave and radiofrequency transitions have been observed in the $\text{A}$¹A₂ excited state. Many of these transitions are magnetically sensitive. Some of the excited state levels are perturbed by triplet levels and others by high vibrational levels of the ground state.     

A fluorescent molecular imaging probe with selectivity for soluble tau aggregated protein

Soluble forms of aggregated tau misfolded protein, generally termed oligomers, are considered to be the most toxic species of the different assembly states that are the pathological components of neurodegenerative disorders. Therefore, a critical biomedical need exists for imaging probes that can identify and quantify them. We have designed and synthesized a novel fluorescent probe, pTP-TFE for which binding and selectivity profiles towards aggregated tau and Aβ proteins were assessed. Our results have shown pTP-TFE to be selective for early forms of soluble tau aggregates, with high affinity of dissociation constants (K_d) = 66 nM, and tenfold selectivity over mature tau fibrils. Furthermore, we found that pTP-TFE is selective for tau over Aβ aggregates and had good cell permeability. This selectivity of pTP-TFE towards early forms of aggregated tau protein ex vivo was also supported with studies on human brain tissue containing tau and Aβ pathology. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first fluorescent molecule to be reported to have this form of selectivity profile, which suggests that pTP-TFE is a unique probe candidate for imaging-based detection of early stages of Alzheimer''s disease and other tauopathies.

pTP-TFE imaging probe can distinguish soluble tau aggregated proteins from other aggregated proteins enabling earlier detection of neurodegenerative diseases.     

Synthesis and structural characterization of [SiMe2(C5H4)2][(C5Me5) Zr(μ-S)]2. a dinuclear zirconocenophane complex with a skewed dimethylsilyl-bridged bis(cyclopentadienyl) ligand

The reaction of [SiMe₂(C₅H₄)₂][(C₅Me₅)ZrMe₂]₂ with H₂S at 110°C proceeds with the formation of [SiMe₂(C₅H₄)₂][(C₅Me₅)Zr(-S)]₂]₂. The molecular structure of this dinuclear zirconocenophane compound features a non-planar four-membered Zr₂(-S)_{2 2} ring with two symmetrically-bridging sulfido groups. The bridging dimethylsilyl-bridged bis(cyclopentadienyl) ligand adopts a skewed orientation to accommodate the long Zr ... Zr separation of 3.611(1) Å. This compound crystallizes in the centrosymmetric space group P1 with refined lattice parameters ofa = 10.905(1) Å,b = 10.939(2) Å,c = 14.621(2) Å, = 106.32(1)°, = 91.25(1)°, = 111.25(1)°,V = 1545.1(8) ų, _calc. = 1.512g/cm³,Z=2. Full-matrix refinement converged with final discrepancy indices of R(F _o = 0.045 andR(F _o) = 0.079 with GOF= 1.60 for 4403 data withF _o > 3(F _o).This paper is dedicated to Professor Larry Dahl, a valued friend and mentor, on the occasion of his 65th birthday and in recognition of his significant fundamental contributions to the field of metal cluster chemistry. May the Goddess Fortuna continue to bring distinction and honor to him and his research endeavors.     

Intramolecular electron transfer in nitrite reductases.

The copper- and heme-containing nitrite reductases (NiRs) are key enzymes in denitrification. Their subunits contain two distinct redox-active metal centers, an electron-accepting site and a nitrite-reducing site, to carry out the single-electron reduction of nitrite to nitric oxide. Catalytic cycles of both enzyme families employ intramolecular electron transfer that can be rate-determining for their activity. Herein, we report results comparing these two enzyme families in order to resolve the different mechanisms controlling intramolecular electron transfer in these proteins.     

Synthesis and characterization of Di-π-cyclopentadienyl- metal pentasulfides of titanium(IV) and vanadium (IV):an operational test of the influence of an unpaired electron on the molecular geometry

Our preparation of Ti(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂ S₅ by the reaction of elemental sulfur with Ti(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂(CO)₂ in hexane and of V(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂S₅?$\text{1}\text{2}$ H₂O by the reacti of V(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂ Cl₂ with Na₂S₅ in THF and structural analyses by single crystal X-ray diffraction (together with infrared, solution EPR, and temperaturedependent magnetic susceptibility measurements) represent an extension of our previous work on M(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂ (SC₆H₅)₂ (M = Ti, V). The crystallographic results provide further support of our previous conclusions that the Ballhausen—Dahl model is not valid for M(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂L₂ systems. The structuralfeatures of the chair-like titanium and vanadium pentasulfide molecules are compared to the corresponding phenylmercapto analogs and to the chair-like cyclohexasulfur molecule in rhombohedral sulfur. Ti(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂S₅ was isolated as a mixture of monoclinic and orthorhombic Crystalline phases-which were both characterized by preliminary X-ray data. A complete Structural determination and refinement of the monoclinic phase, which contains two independent molecules in a cell of dimensions a 22.843(2), b 7.958(1), c 14.465(1) Å, β 90.074(4)° and symmetry P2₁/c, yielded R₁ 5.3 % and R₂ 5.9 % for 2168 independent diffractometry-collected data with I≥ 2.5o(I). V(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂S₅-$\text{1}\text{2}$ H₂O contains four V(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂S₅ molecules and two water molecules of hydration (of crystallographic site symmetry C₂-2) in onorthorhombic unit cell of symmetry P2₁2₁2 and of dimensions a 13.491(1), b 12.748(1), c 7.715(1) Å. Least-squares refinement of 750 diffractometry data with I≥2.0σ(I) gave R₁ 2.4% and R₂ 3.0% Both of these compounds were independently synthesized and Spectroscopically characterized by Köpf and co-workers, and-a Complete X-ray diffraction study was performed by Epstein and Bernal on a different monoclinic phase of Ti(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂S₅ (isolated by-Köpf). An extraction of V(h⁵?C₅H₅)₂S₅ with re fluxing benzene under nitrogen atmosphere in a Soxhlet apparatus led to the formation of the previously reported [V₂ (h⁵?C₅H₅)₂S₅]_n compound which was characterized by physical measurements including a preliminary X-ray diffraction study.     

3',4'-trans-linked bicyclic nucleosides locked in S-type conformations

A novel class of 3',4'-trans-linked bicyclic nucleosides with locked S-type furanose conformations is introduced by synthesis of two model derivatives; one was obtained by cyclic ether formation and the other by ring-closing metathesis methodology.     

Pulse radiolysis and fourier transform infrared study of neopentyl peroxy radicals in the gas phase at 297 K

The ultraviolet absorption spectrum of the neopentyl peroxy radical (CH₃)₃CCH₂O₂, and the kinetics and products of its self reaction have been studied in the gas phase at 298 K. Absorption cross sections were quantified over the wavelength range 230–290 nm. The measured cross section at 250 nm was; Errors represent statistical (2σ) together with our estimate of potential systematic errors(15%). The kinetics of the decay of the UV absorption following the generation of the neopentyl peroxy radicals was complicated by the rapid decomposition of the (CH₃)₃CCH₂O radicals formed in channel (4a). By measuring the yield of t-butyl peroxy radicals, the branching ratio k_4a/(k_4a + k_4b) was determined to be 0.39 ± 0.03. The rate constant for the self reaction of neopentyl peroxy radicals was k₄ = (1.07 ± 0.22) × 10^?12 cm³ molecule^?1 s^?1. Quoted errors represent 2σ. These results are discussed with respect to the available literature data. © John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Importance of the choice of assumptions and models in the estimation of analytical quality specifications

The validity of any model depends on its ability to imagine the situation or problem to which it is applied. Further, the assumptions made in relation to the model are determining for the actual outcome. Within the field of clinical biochemistry a lot of models for analytical quality specifications, based on a variety of concepts and ’clinical settings’, have been proposed. A hierarchical structure for application of these approaches and models has been agreed on at several occasions in 1999. In this hierarchy, the highest rank is given to evaluation of analytical quality specifications based on ’clinical settings’/’clinical outcome’ models, followed by specifications based on biological variation and on ’clinicians opinions’. This contribution, deals with the problems of combining random and systematic errors and the implications of application of different models to a variety of clinical settings. Received: 1 June, 2002 Accepted: 17 July 2002 Presented at the European Conference on Quality in the Spotlight in Medical Laboratories, 7–9 October 2001, Antwerp, Belgium