Heterologous Production of Fungal Maleidrides Reveals the Cryptic Cyclization Involved in their Biosynthesis

Fungal maleidrides are an important family of bioactive secondary metabolites that consist of 7, 8, or 9‐membered carbocycles with one or two fused maleic anhydride moieties. The biosynthesis of byssochlamic acid (a nonadride) and agnestadride A (a heptadride) was investigated through gene disruption and heterologous expression experiments. The results reveal that the precursors for cyclization are formed by an iterative highly reducing fungal polyketide synthase supported by a hydrolase, together with two citrate‐processing enzymes. The enigmatic ring formation is catalyzed by two proteins with homology to ketosteroid isomerases, and assisted by two proteins with homology to phosphatidylethanolamine‐binding proteins.     

Intramolecular palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of alkenyl triflates

A catalyst generated from Pd(OAc)2 and dppp is effective for the direct intramolecular arylation of alkenyl triflates. Conjugated alkene-arene-containing carbocycles are produced in good yield. The process tolerates a variety of aryl substituents as well a simple heteroaryl groups. Electron-deficient aryl rings deliver faster reactions.     

Octahedral and trigonal prismatic structure preferences in a bicyclic hexaamine cage for zinc(II), cadmium(II) and mercury(II) ions

The synthesis and characterisation of complexes of the hexaamine cage ligand facial-1,5,9,13,20-pentamethyl-3,7,11,15,18,22-hexaazabicyclo[7.7.7]tricosane (fac-(Me)(5)-D(3 h)tricosaneN(6)) with Zn(II), Cd(II) and Hg(II) is reported. Single crystal X-ray structural analyses of the Cd(II) and Hg(II) complexes reveal that the coordination spheres of both cations have an unusual trigonal prismatic stereochemistry organised by the ligand substituents and cavity size. This is unprecedented for hexaamine complexes of these metal ions, and in stark contrast to the distorted octahedral stereochemistry found previously for the analogous Zn(II) complex. An X-ray structural analysis of single crystals of the diprotonated ligand [fac-(Me)(5)-D(3h)tricosaneN(6) - 2H](CF(3)SO(3))(2) shows that it also prefers to adopt a trigonal prismatic structure. The (13)C NMR spectra of the metal complexes indicate that their structures are preserved at 20 degrees C in solution. However, heating the Zn(II) complex to approximately 130 degrees C appears to convert it to the trigonal prismatic form. In contrast cooling the trigonal prismatic Hg(II) complex to -80 degrees C does not convert it to the octahedral structure. The results are also compared to the structures of various other transition metal ion complexes of the same or similar ligands. This comparison yields overall an appreciation of the factors that determine the final structures of complexes formed with such tricosaneN(6) ligands.     

Total syntheses of tambjamines C, E, F, G, H, I and J, BE-18591, and a related alkaloid from the marine bacterium Pseudoalteromonas tunicata

The acetate salts of tambjamines C, E, and F (2-4, respectively), as well as those of the related alkaloids BE-18591 (5) and 6, have been prepared by treatment of bipyrrole aldehyde 16 with the relevant amine in the presence of acetic acid. The 5'-bromo-analogue, 30, of compound 16 has also been prepared and used to obtain the acetate salts of tambjamines G, H, I, and J (8-11 respectively).     

Novel spiro and fused heterocycles from the allylation of indigo

The allylation of indigo results in the one-step synthesis of two unique complex heterocyclic systems: a spiroindoline-pyridoindolone arising from the addition of three allyl moieties and a fused pyridoindolo-azepinoindolone generated from the addition and subsequent cyclisation of two allyl moieties. The structures of these novel heterocycles are assigned unambiguously using extensive NMR experiments and by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The distribution of the products is influenced by the use of thermal versus microwave heating.     

Guest Binding Drives Reversible Atropisomerism in Cavitand Hosts

Guest‐love‐ometer : The equilibrium inside–outside atropisomeric ratio of ortho‐substituted phenyl cavitands shows a strong solvent dependence. The competition between the ortho‐substituent and the solvent guest for the bowl cavity leads to a sensitive system for the measurement of relative guest binding affinities.

     

On the Effect of Tether Composition on cis/trans Selectivity in Intramolecular Diels–Alder Reactions

Intramolecular Diels–Alder (IMDA) transition structures (TSs) and energies have been computed at the B3LYP/6‐31+G(d) and CBS‐QB3 levels of theory for a series of 1,3,8‐nonatrienes, H₂C?CH? CH?CH? CH₂? X? Z? CH?CH₂ [? X? Z? =? CH₂? CH₂? ( 1 ); ? O? C(?O)? ( 2 ); ? CH₂? C(?O)? ( 3 ); ? O? CH₂? ( 4 ); ? NH? C(?O)? ( 5 ); ? S? C(?O)? ( 6 ); ? O? C(?S)? ( 7 ); ? NH? C(?S)? ( 8 ); ? S? C(?S)? ( 9 )]. For each system studied ( 1 – 9 ), cis‐ and trans‐TS isomers, corresponding, respectively, to endo‐ and exo‐positioning of the ? C? X? Z? tether with respect to the diene, have been located and their relative energies (E_rel^TS) employed to predict the cis/trans IMDA product ratio. Although the E_rel^TS values are modest (typically <3 kJ mol^?1), they follow a clear and systematic trend. Specifically, as the electronegativity of the tether group X is reduced (X?O→NH or S), the IMDA cis stereoselectivity diminishes. The predicted stereochemical reaction preferences are explained in terms of two opposing effects operating in the cis‐TS, namely (1) unfavorable torsional (eclipsing) strain about the C4? C5 bond, that is caused by the ? C? X? C(?Y)? group’s strong tendency to maintain local planarity; and (2) attractive electrostatic and secondary orbital interactions between the endo‐(thio)carbonyl group, C?Y, and the diene. The former interaction predominates when X is weakly electronegative (X?N, S), while the latter is dominant when X is more strongly electronegative (X?O), or a methylene group (X?CH₂) which increases tether flexibility. These predictions hold up to experimental scrutiny, with synthetic IMDA reactions of 1 , 2 , 3 , and 4 (published work) and 5 , 6 , and 8 (this work) delivering ratios close to those calculated. The reactions of thiolacrylate 5 and thioamide 8 represent the first examples of IMDA reactions with tethers of these types. Our results point to strategies for designing tethers, which lead to improved cis/trans‐selectivities in IMDAs that are normally only weakly selective. Experimental verification of the validity of this claim comes in the form of fumaramide 14 , which undergoes a more trans‐selective IMDA reaction than the corresponding ester tethered precursor 13 .     

Neutron diffraction studies of U4O9: comparison with EXAFS results

Conradson et al. have analyzed X-ray absorption fine-structure spectra of the UO2-U4O9 system and concluded that oxygen atoms are incorporated in U4O9 as oxo groups with U-O distances in the range 1.72-1.76 A. They also found that the uranium sublattice consists of an ordered portion and an additional 'spectroscopically silent' glassy portion. We have carried out studies of powdered U4O9 by neutron diffraction which contradict these conclusions from EXAFS measurements. Our analysis shows that there are no U-O bonds shorter than 2.2 A and that U4O9 is crystallographically ordered with no evidence of a glassy structure.     

Wave-modulated orbits in rate-and-state friction

A frictional spring-block system has been widely used historically as a model to display some of the features of two slabs in sliding frictional contact. Putelat et al. (2008) [7] demonstrated that equations governing the sliding of two slabs could be approximated by spring-block equations, and studied relaxation oscillations for two slabs driven by uniform relative motion at their outer surfaces, employing this approximation. The present work revisits this problem. The equations of motion are first formulated exactly, with full allowance for wave reflections. Since the sliding is restricted to be independent of position on the interface, this leads to a set of differential-difference equations in the time domain. Formal but systematic asymptotic expansions reduce the equations to differential equations. Truncation of the differential system at the lowest non-trivial order reproduces a classical spring-block system, but with a slightly different “equivalent mass” than was obtained in the earlier work. Retention of the next term gives a new system, of higher order, that contains also some explicit effects of wave reflections. The smooth periodic orbits that result from the spring-block system in the regime of instability of steady sliding are “decorated” by an oscillation whose period is related to the travel time of the waves across the slabs. The approximating differential system reproduces this effect with reasonable accuracy when the mean sliding velocity is not too far from the critical velocity for the steady state. The differential system also displays a period-doubling bifurcation as the mean sliding velocity is increased, corresponding to similar behaviour of the exact differential-difference system.