The synthesis of cypridina etioluciferamine and the proof of structure of cypridina luciferin

An unambiguous synthesis of Cypridina etioluciferamine was accomplished in order to prove the structure of this important bioluminescent natural product. Several 2-aminopyrazine 1-oxides were synthesized in order to establish a spectroscopic method for determining the placement of substituents on the pyrazine nucleus of Cypridina etioluciferamine. Titanium tetrachloride was used to improve the yields of these compounds; for example, the yield of 2-amino-3-methyl-5-phenylpyrazine 1-oxide (19) from reaction of phenylglyoxal 1-oxime and α-aminopropionitrile was raised from 3% to 51% by the use of titanium tetrachloride. The pyrazine ring proton is found at τ 1·37 (DMSO-d₆). The isomeric 2-amino-3-methyl-6-phenylpyrazine 1-oxide (22) was similarly prepared and its pyrazine ring proton is found at τ 2·18. This large difference (0·81 ppm) in chemical shift was used to determine whether a 2-aminopyrazine 1-oxide was 5- or 6- substituted. Prepared in an analogous fashion were 2-amino-5-(indol-3-yl)-3-methylpyrazine 1-oxide (23) and 2-amino-5-(indol-3-yl)-3-(3-phthalimidopropyl)pyrazine 1-oxide (16). The structures of these compounds were verified by NMR spectroscopy. By treatment with Raney nickel and hydrogen gas, then 100% hydrazine hydrate, 16 was converted to 2-amino-3-(3-aminopropyl)-5-indol-3-ylpyrazine (5), isolated as the dihydrochloride. This compound, with the indole moiety definitely placed at C-5, is identical with Cypridina etioluciferamine dihydrochloride (IR, UV, TLC). These results show that the structures of Cypridina etioluciferamine and luciferin are correct as published.     

Transmission of electronic effects of substituents in vinyl esters

To elucidate the transmission mechanism of electronic effects of substituents in vinyl esters on the optical parameters of the absorption bands in the IR spectra, a comparison was made of the frequencies of corresponding absorption bands in vinyl ethers, vinyl esters, alkyl esters of carboxylic acids, ketones, and acid anhydrides. Calculation of the - and -electron structure of the molecules by the Hückel and Del Re approximations was made. The results were compared with the spectral characteristics. The conclusion was reached that the ester oxygen atom in vinyl esters reduces interaction of the carbonyl and vinyl groups, although it is not removed completely. In vinyl esters of aromatic acids the effect of benzene ring substituents is displayed by a change of the -electron structure of the CH₂=CH-O-CO- fragment. In vinyl esters of aliphatic acids the electronic influence of radicals of the acid portion is transmitted by the ester oxygen, mainly inductively, which, in its turn, shows a change in the ability of this atom to conjugate with the vinyl group.The authors express their thanks to Yu. A. Kruglyak for allowing use of the programs for the computation and for helpful advice.     

Tautomeric equilibrium of 1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-2-keto-4-(n-methoxyamino)pyrimidine

The 1-β-D-ribofuranosides of 2-keto-4-(N-methoxyamino)pyrimidine, 2-keto-4-(N-methyl-N-methoxyamino)pyrimidine, and 2-keto-3-methyl-4-(N-methoxyamino)pyrimidine were synthesized, and their pK_a values were determined by spectrophotometry. The pK_a values of the compounds are evidence that the tautomeric equilibrium between the oxime and hydroxyamine forms of 1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-2-keto-4-(N-methoxyamino)pyrimidine in aqueous solutions is shifted to favor the oxime form (K_T?25).     

Neutral lipids in the brain of premature and newborn infants

Using already published methods, the authors have determined in eight brains of premature and seven brains of new-born children: dry matter, total lipids, pure lipids, and acid and neutral lipids. The latter have been separated into cerebrosides, sphingomyelines, colamine cephalines, and lecithins.     

EPR study of melanin-protein interaction: photoinduced free radicals and progressive microwave power saturation.

The photo-induction of free radicals in synthetic L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) melanin in the presence of bovine serum albumin (BSA) was studied by electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy. By monitoring the signal intensities and progressive microwave power saturation it was shown that L-DOPA melanin in solution behaves as a single macromolecule, interacting with BSA and molecular oxygen. In the absence of oxygen, the EPR signal of L-DOPA melanin was homogeneously broadened; the magnetic interaction with oxygen induced inhomogeneous broadening. In aqueous solution, the presence of BSA decreased the accessibility of oxygen to paramagnetic centres in the melanin. On UV-visible illumination, the presence of BSA modified the rates of formation and decay of photoinduced free radicals, resulting in a net enhancement of the EPR signal compared with that observed in pure L-DOPA melanin.     

Simultaneous determination of mercury and arsenic by anodic stripping voltammetry

An electrochemical method for the simultaneous determinations of Hg^II concentration and total As^III and As^V concentration has been developed. The method does not require the additional preliminary step of the chemical reduction of As^V to As^III, or oxidation of As^III to As^V before stripping analysis takes place. Also, the method for the simultaneous determination of Hg^II concentration and As^III concentration is described. Measurements were performed in 0.1 M HCl using a gold-plated graphite electrode as sensor. Detection limits for both methods are below 0.4 ppb. Relative standard deviation did not exceed 15%. The possible interference by other trace metals was investigated. Analyses of natural water and industrial solutions were made using proposed methods and AAS. The t-test demonstrates that there was no significant difference between the results obtained with these methods. Proposed methods decrease the time of analysis because concentrations of the Hg^II and arsenic ions were measured simultaneously. Also, the removal of the additional step of chemical reduction of As^V to As^III or oxidation of As^III to As^V decreases analysis time, and also reduces the chance of contamination due to the use of additional reagents.     

Mannich reaction in the series of 7-hydroxy-3-phenoxychromones and their derivatives

The Mannich condensation of amino acids with 3-phenoxychromones and polyhydroxy-α-phenoxyacetophenones has given a series of 8-carboxyalkylaminomethylchromones and 3-carboxymethylaminomethyl-2,4-dihydroxy-α-phenoxyacetophenones. Some features of the course of the Mannich reaction as a function of the structures of the chromones and acetophenones have been studied. Translated from Khimiya Prirodnykh Soedinenii, No. 4, pp. 475–481, July–August, 1998.     

Identification of a series of C25-C40 acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons in crude oils

The identification of acyclic isoprenoid hydrocarbons in organic extracts of geological samples and particularly in petroleum deserves a great interest from the biological origin of the sedimentary organic matter and the understanding of geochemical processes.     

Reaction of bis(triethylgermyl)mercury with mercurated acid nitriles

Conclusions The exchange reaction of the radicals between bis(triethylgermyl)mercury and mercury derivatives R₂Hg (R=C(Me₂)CN, C(CF₃)₂CN, CH(CN)₂) leads to the formation of unstable Et₃GeHgR compounds. The composition of the decomposition products of these compounds depends on the nature of R.Translated from Izvestiya Akademii Nauk SSSR, Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 12, pp. 2800–2802, December, 1977.     

STRUCTURE AND PHOTOBIOLOGICAL ACTIVITY OF 7-CHLORO-1,4-BENZODIAZEPINES. STUDIES ON THE PHOTOTOXIC EFFECTS OF CHLORDIAZEPOXIDE, DESMETHYLCHLORDIAZEPOXIDE AND DEMOXEPAM USING A BACTERIAL INDICATOR SYSTEM

The photobiological activity of chlordiazepoxide, an active ingredient of the drug Librium, which is known to induce phototoxic effects, and two of its metabolites, desmethylchlordiazepoxide and demoxepam, was investigated. Upon irradiation of these biologically active compounds with longwave UV light, the main decomposition product formed is an oxaziridine. Using a strain of Salmonella typhimurium as a test organism for cytotoxicity, it could be demonstrated that not only the drug itself, but also the major mammalian metabolites are phototoxic and, furthermore, that the respective oxaziridines are responsible for the toxic effects found upon irradiation. A close relationship appears to exist between the phototoxicity of the nitrones and the toxicity in the dark of their respective oxaziridines. Investigations of the photobiological activity of a few closely structurally related benzodiazepines could establish that a 4-oxide moiety in the benzodiazepine nucleus is the structural characteristic responsible for the appearance of phototoxicity; in those compounds which contain a 4-oxide in the benzodiazepine nucleus, photo-decomposition to a toxic oxaziridine is observed, while the analogues lacking the 4-oxide moiety do not show this characteristic and, therefore, no phototoxic effects can be observed. Finally, mutagenicity tests performed with the same bacterial indicator as used for phototoxic studies, and including chlorpromazine as a positive reference compound, indicate that under the present experimental conditions photoproducts formed upon irradiation of chlordiazepoxide and its metabolites with longwave UV light do not exert a mutagenic effect.