Nonvisual Opsins and the Regulation of Peripheral Clocks by Light and Hormones

The molecular clock machinery is conserved throughout evolution. However, how environmental cues are perceived has evolved in such a way that peripheral clocks in mammals require a variety of signals, including hormones. On the other hand, in nonmammalian cells able to directly detect light, light seems to play a major role in the synchronization of the clock. The interaction between perception of circadian light by nonvisual opsins and hormones will be discussed under the perspective of clock synchronization at the molecular level.     

Formation of Heterocyclic and Polycyclic Compounds from Amino Alcohols and Dialdehydes

Amino alcohols typically react with aldehydes to produce oxazolidines. It was hypothesized that the condensation of several commercially available amino alcohols with dialdehydes would produce a series of bicyclic oxazolidines containing two secondary amines. However, there were remarkable differences in the type of products formed depending on the structure of the dicarbonyl compounds and the reaction conditions. When linear aliphatic dialdehydes such as glyoxal were used, the expected bis‐oxazolidines were not produced; instead, polycyclic structures or oxazines were formed. However, when cyclic dialdehydes such as 1,3/1,4 cyclohexane dicarboxaldehyde were used, they resulted in products bearing the desired oxazolidine moieties.     

Structure of 3,3:6,6-dibutano-3a-methyl-6a-phenyltetrahydrofuro[3,2-b]furan-2,5-dione

Journal of Structural Chemistry - In the interaction of methyl 1-bromocyclopentanecarboxylate with zinc and 1-phenylpropan-1,2-dione,...     

Structural characterisation and photoluminescence of a pyridine–diimine compound

A pyridine–diimine compound N,N′-[pyridine-2,6-diyldi(E)methylylidene]bis(4-chloroaniline) is synthesised by a Schiff base condensation of 2,6-diformylpyridine with 4-chloroaniline in methanol and characterised by spectroscopic and analytical techniques. The molecular structure of the compound is determined by the single crystal X-ray diffraction study. The compound crystallizes in the monoclinic crystal system, I2/c space group with unit cell parameters a = 7.0843(12) Å, b = 6.1909(11) Å, c = 36.262(6) Å, β = 91.576(3)°, V = 1589.8(5) ų and Z = 4. There is an intermolecular hydrogen bonding in the molecule resulting in a 1D hydrogen bonding chain and these hydrogen bonding chains are linked by Cl…HC(aromatic) interactions forming a 2D network. Crystal packing of the compound is determined by Cl…HC and π–π interactions. In the fluorescence emission spectra in CH₃CN, DMF, DMSO and EtOH, the compound shows only one emission maximum.     

1,7-difluoro-1,1,3,5,7,7-hexanitro-3,5-diazaheptane: Crystal structure and sensitivity to mechanical actions

The X-ray crystallographic analysis of 1,7-difluoro-1,1,3,5,7,7-hexanitro-3,5-diazaheptane has been carried out. We have also determined its sensitivity to mechanical actions and a set of calculated and experimental data on explosion characteristics.