Synthesis and applications of [1-(15)N]-labeled 4,6-dimethyl-4H-[1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-5,7-dione 1-oxide as a useful tool for mechanistic investigations

[1-(15)N]-Labeled 4,6-dimethyl-4H-[1,2,5]oxadiazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidine-5,7-dione 1-oxide (1-(15)N1) was easily prepared by nitration of commercially available 6-amino-1,3-dimethyl-1H-pyrimidine-2,4-dione using 15N-enriched nitric acid followed by an intramolecular oxidative cyclization with iodosylbenzene diacetate under mild conditions. On the basis of the experimental results using 1-(15)N1, the formation of 8-phenyltheophylline (3), the 1,3-dimethylalloxazines (4: n = 0, 1), and 1,3,7,9-tetramethyl-1H,9H-pyrimido[5,4-g]pteridine-2,4,6,8-tetraone++ + (5) in the thermal reaction of the N-oxide 1 with benzylamine, aniline, or piperidine, and the generation of NO or NO-related species in the reaction with N-acetylcysteamine were reasonably explained by considering the initial attack of the employed nucleophiles on the 3a-position of 1.     

Cationic polymerization of p-methylstyrene initiated by acetyl perchlorate: An approach to living polymerization

The cationic polymerization of p-methylstyrene initiated by acetyl perchlorate at ?78°C led to long-lived (living-like) polymers with a narrow molecular weight distribution (M?_w/M?_n = 1.1–1.4) in methylene chloride containing a common ion salt (n-Bu₄NClO₄) or in a less polar solvent (CH₂Cl₂/toluene, 1/4v/v). Under these conditions, the number-average molecular weight (M?_n) of the polymers increased in proportion to monomer conversion and was regulated by the monomer-to-initiator ratio. When fresh feeds of the monomer were repeatedly added to a completely polymerized solution, the polymerization ensued at the same rate as before and the linear increase in M?_n with monomer conversion continued. The effects of solvent polarity and the common ion salt on the polymerization showed the suppression of the ionic dissociation of the propagating species, resulting in a “nondissociated species,” to be the key factor for the formation of the long-lived polymers.     

A convenient stereoselective synthesis of β-lactams from β-hydroxy-α-thioalkylesters prepared from Michael/aldol tandem reaction or stereoselective addition of thiols to the Baylis-Hillman adducts

A convenient stereoselective synthesis of β-lactams from thio-Michael/aldol tandem adduct is described. syn-Selective tandem reaction followed by amidation and intramolecular S_N2 reaction provided β-lactams in diastereomerically pure form. The tandem reaction with aliphatic aldehydes, on the other hand, afforded a mixture of diastereomers of corresponding tandem adducts in about 3:1 ratio so that the conversion to β-lactams afforded a diastereomeric mixture. As an alternative approach to prepare the tandem adducts, the stereoselective Michael addition of aliphatic thiols to Baylis-Hillman adduct was developed. The stereoselectivity was sensitive to the protective group at the hydroxyl group and TBS protection brought the most successful syn-selective formation of the tandem adducts. The procedure could be applied to the ketone derivatives of the Baylis-Hillman adduct but no selectivity was observed for the nitrile-Baylis-Hillman adducts. A similar conversion of the adduct provided desired β-lactams stereoselectively.     

Concentrations of 239,240Pu and 241Am of marine products in coastal waters of Ibaraki

More than 200 samples of marine products have been collected and analyzed for plutonium and almost 100 samples for americium around Hitachi, Tokai and Oarai in the pacific coast of Ibaraki prefecture. The data have shown that the concentration factor (CF) values for plutonium were 330 for bivalve, 770 for abalone (muscle) and 610 for brown algae. For americium, the CF was calculated as 2400 for bivalve, 1000 for abalone (muscle) and 420 for brown algae.     

Polycyclic N-heterocyclic compounds. XLI. Synthesis of 4-substituted 6,7-dihydro-5H-pyrimido[5,4-d][1]benzazepines, 1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-4H-imidazo[1′,2′:1,6]pyrimido[5,4-d][1]benzazepines and their related compounds as a series of potential blood platelet aggregation inhibitors

As a series of polyheterocyclic compounds for exploitation as anti-platelet agents, tricyclic heterocyclic compounds, 4-substituted 6,7-dihydro-5H-pyrimido[5,4-d][1]benzazepines 3–6, 9, 12–14 , and 16–26 , having nitrogen, oxygen, or sulfur containing functional groups at the 4-position, were prepared. In addition, tetra-cyclic heterocyclic compounds, 3-methyl-1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-4H-imidazo[1′,2′:1,6]pyrimido[5,4-d][1]benzaze-pinium chloride ( 7 ), 1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-4H-imidazo[1′,2′:1,6]pyrimido[5,4-d][1]benzazepines 10a-e , 2,3,6,7-tetrahydro-1H 5H-pyrimido[1′,2′:1,6]pyrimido[5,4-d][1]benzazepine ( 11 ), and 1,2,5,6-tetrahydro-4H-thiazolo-[3′,2′:1,6]pyrimido[5,4-d][1]benzazepinium chloride ( 15 ) via ring closure of 4-(hydroxyalkylamino)- 6, 9a-e , and 3c , and 4-(2-hydroxyethylthio)-6,7-dihydro-5H-pyrimido[5,4-d][1]benzazepine ( 14 ) with phosphoryl chloride or thionyl chloride, respectively, were also prepared. Their inhibitory activities against collagen-induced aggregation of rabbit blood platelets in vitro were investigated. Among them, compound 5 having a morpholino group at the 4-position on the tricyclic nucleus, which enhanced the activity more than 14-fold as compared with aspirin, was found to have the most satisfactory in inhibitory activity.     

Synthesis of the common left-half part of pectenotoxins

The common left-half [C31-C33(OC1-C7)-C40] part of pectenotoxins has been synthesized convergently from the C31-C35, C36-C40, and C1-C7 parts. The C31-C35 part, prepared via a new route shorter than our previous route, was coupled with the C36-C40 part through reductive lithiation and addition reactions to give an adduct stereoselectively, which was converted to a cyclic acetal corresponding to the C31-C40 part. The left-half was synthesized by a three-step process including esterification of the C31-C40 part with the C1-C7 part.     

Ligand binding properties of myoglobin reconstituted with iron porphycene: unusual O2 binding selectivity against CO binding

Sperm whale myoglobin, an oxygen storage hemoprotein, was successfully reconstituted with the iron porphycene having two propionates, 2,7-diethyl-3,6,12,17-tetramethyl-13,16-bis(carboxyethyl)porphycenatoiron. The physicochemical properties and ligand bindings of the reconstituted myoglobin were investigated. The ferric reconstituted myoglobin shows the remarkable stability against acid denaturation and only a low-spin characteristic in its EPR spectrum. The Fe(III)/Fe(II) redox potential (-190 mV vs NHE) determined by the spectroelectrochemical measurements was much lower than that of the wild-type. These results can be attributed to the strong coordination of His93 to the porphycene iron, which is induced by the nature of the porphycene ring symmetry. The O2 affinity of the ferrous reconstituted myoglobin is 2600-fold higher than that of the wild-type, mainly due to the decrease in the O2 dissociation rate, whereas the CO affinity is not so significantly enhanced. As a result, the O2 affinity of the reconstituted myoglobin exceeds its CO affinity (M' = K(CO)/K(O2) < 1). The ligand binding studies on H64A mutants support the fact that the slow O2 dissociation of the reconstituted myoglobin is primarily caused by the stabilization of the Fe-O2 sigma-bonding. The IR spectra for the carbon monoxide (CO) complex of the reconstituted myoglobin suggest several structural and/or electrostatic conformations of the Fe-C-O bond, but this is not directly correlated with the CO dissociation rate. The high O2 affinity and the unique characteristics of the myoglobin with the iron porphycene indicate that reconstitution with a synthesized heme is a useful method not only to understand the physiological function of myoglobin but also to create a tailor-made function on the protein.     

Appearance of pure fluorocarbon micelles surveyed by fluorescence quenching of amphiphilic quinoline derivatives in fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon surfactant mixtures

A halide-sensitive fluorescence probe was utilized to evaluate the miscibility of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon surfactants in aqueous micellar systems. The fluorescence of 6-methoxy-N-1,1,2,2-tetrahydroheptadecafluorodecylquinolinium chloride, FC10MQ, was quenched by halide ions dissociated from the surfactant. The fluorescence in micellar solutions showed an initially rapid decay. This suggests that halide ions effectively quench FC10MQ fluorescence at the micellar surface. The subsequent slow decay corresponds to the quenching of FC10MQ fluorescence in the aqueous bulk phase by the free counterions. The Stern-Volmer plots for fluorescence quenching gave a distinct break at the critical micelle concentration of the cationic surfactants. The abrupt increase in fluorescence quenching is attributed to the solubilization of the probe in the micelles. The fluorescence quenching behavior provides direct information about the immiscibility of fluorocarbon and hydrocarbon species in micelles, and the results indicate that almost pure fluorocarbon micelles appear in surfactants mixtures.     

Studies on the biosynthesis of terrecyclic acid A II confirmation of the cyclization mechanism and hydrogen shifts using [2-2H3]acetate and [213C2H3]acetate

Feeding experiments with [2-³H₃]acetate and [2-¹³C²H₃]acetate in $\text{Aspergillus terreus}$ Thom No. 14 indicated that the hydrogen at C-2 in terrecyclic acid A is incorporated without migration from the precursor acetic acid; the results favour our group's earlier speculation for the cyclization to the tricyclic skeleton in the biosynthetic scheme.