Synthesis of 1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-ones with aliphatic groups at N-3

A series of 3-substituted-5-methoxy-1,3,4-oxadiazol-2-ones were prepared from aldehydes, ketones, phenylacetic acids, and 1,2- and 1,3-diketones. Conditions for the formation of these oxadiazolones from the precursor N-carbamoyl chlorides depended on the structure, and varied from spontaneous ring closure to those requiring bases. Variation in the N-3 substituents sometimes produced mixtures of isomers which were separated and identified. These molecules were prepared in order to study the effect of the N-3 substituent variation on the biological properties of oxadiazolones.     

The solid state structure of arene-mercury(II) complexes from magic-angle spinning carbon-13 NMR and the solution carbon-13 NMR of some complexes of mercury(II) with arenes having bulky aliphatic substituents

The cross-polarization magic angle spinning ¹³C NMR spectra of Hg(SbF₆)₂ - 2 Arene (Arene = C₆HMe₅, 1,2,4,5-C₆H₂Me₄, 1,2,3,4-C₆H₂Me₄, or C₆H₆) have been measured. The spectra of the complexes of C₆HMe₅ and 1,2,4,5-C₆H₂Me₄ are consistent with static η¹-bonding of the mercury to the arene at an unsubstituted carbon atom, while the spectra of the 1,2,3,4-C₆H₂Me₄ and C₆H₆ complexes show the arene to have time-averaged C_s or C₂, and C₆ symmetry respectively, at the temperature of measurement (300 K).The reduced temperature ¹³C NMR spectra of Hg(Arene)_n²⁺ (n = 1 or 2; Arene = 1,3,5-C₆H₃R₃ (R = Me, i-Pr, or t-Bu)) in SO₂ solution are also reported and affirm that in these intramolecularly mobile species the mercury bonds in an η¹-manner, with unsubstituted aryl carbon atoms being the strongly preferred point of mercury attachment. This site preference is further demonstrated by the solution ¹³C NMR spectra of Hg(Arene)_n²⁺ (Arene = 1,2,3,4-C₆H₂-Me₄, n = 1 or 2; Arene = 1,4-C₆H₄R₂, R = Me or t-Bu, n = 1). The spectra of the 1,4-C₆H₄R₂ complexes and Hg(p-C₆H₄-t-BuMe)²⁺ provide clear evidence for steric influence of the binding site.Like Hg(C₆Me₆)₂²⁺, but unlike most of the complexes of substituted benzenes which have been studied, Hg(1,3,5-C₆H₃-i-Pr₃)₂²⁺ exchanges only slowly with excess free ligand.     

Total synthesis of dysiherbaine

A convergent total synthesis of the marine natural product dysiherbaine was accomplished. The key steps of the synthesis are an alkylation at the gamma-carbon of a protected glutamate with a highly substituted pyran derived from mannose, which was followed by a ring-contraction cascade reaction, which simultaneously gave the tetrasubstituted carbon and the hexahydrofuro[3,2-b]pyran ring system of the natural product.     

New cytotoxic bufadienolides from the biotransformation of resibufogenin by Mucor polymorphosporus

Resibufogenin is a cytotoxic steroid isolated from the Chinese drug ChanSu. The biotransformation of resibufogenin by Mucor polymorphosporus afforded 22 products, and 15 of them were new. The transformation reactions involved hydroxylations at C-1β, C-5, C-7α, C-7β, C-12α, C-12β and C-16α, as well as epimerization or dehydrogenation of 3-OH. Hydroxylations at C-12α, C-12β and C-16α were the major reactions, each giving products in >5% yields, whereas the other products were obtained in fairly low yields. Some of the products showed decreased but still potent cytotoxicities. This investigation provided a useful approach to prepare new bufadienolides and most of them were difficult to obtain by chemical means.     

The direct photo-oxidative decarboxylation of α-oxo-carboxylic acids

α-Oxo-carboxylic acids undergo photo-oxidative decarboxylation from both C-1 and C-2 positions, and reaction does not involve singlet oxygen: a mechanism involving an electron transfer reaction is postulated.     

Cationic dirhodium carboxylate-catalyzed synthesis of dihydropyrimidones from propargyl ureas

Cationic Rh(II) complexes are able to catalyze the regioselective hydroamination of propargyl ureas in a 6-endo fashion. This transformation permits access to interesting substitution patterns of dihydropyrimidines, which have found use as nucleotide exchange factor inhibitors.     

S‐Alkylation of Soft Scorpionates

The alkylation reactions of soft scorpionates are reported. The hydrotris(S‐alkyl‐methimazolyl)borate dications (alkyl=methyl, allyl, benzyl), which were prepared by the reaction of Tm^Me anion and primary alkyl halides, have been isolated and structurally characterised. The reaction is, however, not universally successful. DFT analysis of these alkylation reactions (C?S versus B? H alkylation) indicates that the observed outcome is driven by kinetic factors. Extending the study to incorporate alternative imine thiones (mercaptobenzothiazole, bz; thiazoline, tz) led to the structural characterisation of di[aquo‐μ‐aquohydrotris(mercaptobenzothiazolyl)boratosodium], which contains sodium atoms in the κ³‐S,S,S coordination mode. Alkylation of Na[Tbz] and Na[tzTtz] leads to decomposition resulting in the formation of the simple S‐alkylated heterocycles. The analysis of the species involved in these reactions shows an inherent weakness in the B? N bond in soft scorpionates, which has implications for their use in more advanced chemistry.     

Protein Allostery at Atomic Resolution

Protein allostery is a phenomenon involving the long range coupling between two distal sites in a protein. In order to elucidate allostery at atomic resoluion on the ligand-binding WW domain of the enzyme Pin1, multistate structures were calculated from exact nuclear Overhauser effect (eNOE). In its free form, the protein undergoes a microsecond exchange between two states, one of which is predisposed to interact with its parent catalytic domain. In presence of the positive allosteric ligand, the equilibrium between the two states is shifted towards domain–domain interaction, suggesting a population shift model. In contrast, the allostery-suppressing ligand decouples the side-chain arrangement at the inter-domain interface thereby reducing the inter-domain interaction. As such, this mechanism is an example of dynamic allostery. The presented distinct modes of action highlight the power of the interplay between dynamics and function in the biological activity of proteins.