Total synthesis of siphonazole and its O-methyl derivative, structurally unusual bis-oxazole natural products

The details of the first syntheses of the unusual bis-oxazole natural products siphonazole and its O-methyl derivative are reported. The cinnamyl substituted oxazole was constructed using diazocarbonyl chemistry, whereby the cinnamamide was reacted with the rhodium carbene derived from methyl 2-diazo-3-oxobutanoate to give a beta-ketoamide that was cyclodehydrated to the corresponding oxazole-4-ester. Reduction to the corresponding aldehyde was followed by coupling with a zinc reagent derived from methyl 2-iodomethyl-5-methyloxazole-4-carboxylate, also prepared using rhodium carbene chemistry, to give, after oxidation of the resulting secondary alcohol, the desired bis-oxazole ketone. The syntheses were completed by hydrolysis of the ester and coupling of the 2,4-pentadienylamine side chain.     

Indolequinone antitumour agents: correlation between quinone structure and rate of metabolism by recombinant human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase

A series of indolequinones bearing a range of substituents at the (indol-2-yl)methyl position has been synthesized. The ability of these indolequinones to act as substrates for recombinant human NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase (NQO1), a two-electron reductase upregulated in tumour cells, was determined, along with their toxicity to an isogenic tumour cell line pair that is differentiated as either NQO1-expressing cells (BE-NQ) or NQO1-null cells (BE-WT). Overall, the 2-substituted indolequinones were relatively poor substrates for NQO1. Hydroxymethyl groups at C-2 led to higher rates of reduction, a finding that was observed previously with 3-hydroxymethylated indolequinones. Predictably, the best substrate had an electron-withdrawing ester group at the indole-2-position. The indolequinones were generally non-toxic to both cell lines with the exception of those quinones that had methylaziridine groups at the indole-5-position. These compounds could form DNA cross-links when activated by reduction and were up to 3-fold more toxic to the BE-NQ cells than the BE-WT cells.     

The analysis of uranium-232: comparison of radiochemical techniques and an improved method by alpha spectrometry

Uranium-232 is an isotope of interest for nuclear forensic studies because it can provide information on the irradiation history of a sample of uranium. The isotope is formed in uranium materials through several pathways and is typically found at ultra-trace levels (usually ng/g or smaller) in typical uranium materials. The low abundance of this isotope in irradiated materials makes it very difficult to measure accurately and precisely. Many different methods have been proposed for the analysis of ²³²U using radiochemical methods including alpha and gamma spectrometry. In this paper, literature methods will be discussed and an improved method using alpha spectrometry will be presented. Alpha spectrometry offers a direct analysis technique for measuring ²³²U, with few interferences that can be removed via separations. Results from our improved method will be presented and compared to results obtained from a non-destructive gamma spectrometry method that utilizes an indirect measurement. LA-UR-12-20186.     

Synthesis of cyclopent[bindoles by formal [3+2]-addition of indolylmethyl cations to alkenes

Treatment of indole-2- or 3-methanols with tin(IV) chloride as Lewis acid in the presence of styrenes results informal [3+2]-addition of the indole stabilised cation to the alkene to give cyclopent[b]indoles with a high degree of stereoselectivity; use of methylcyclohexene as the alkene component gave the cis-fused cyclopent[b]indole 17, which was independently synthesised in enantiomerically pure form from the diketone 18.     

Gamma spectrometry in the ITWG CMX-4 exercise

Journal of Radioanalytical and Nuclear Chemistry - Low enriched uranium samples of unknown origin were analyzed by 16 laboratories in the context of a Collaborative Materials Exercise (CMX),...     

A comparative lipidomics platform for chemotaxonomic analysis of Mycobacterium tuberculosis

The lipidic envelope of Mycobacterium tuberculosis promotes virulence in many ways, so we developed a lipidomics platform for a broad survey of cell walls. Here we report two new databases (MycoMass, MycoMap), 30 lipid fine maps, and mass spectrometry datasets that comprise a static lipidome. Further, by rapidly regenerating lipidomic datasets during biological processes, comparative lipidomics provides statistically valid, organism-wide comparisons that broadly assess lipid changes during infection or among clinical strains of mycobacteria. Using stringent data filters, we tracked more than 5,000 molecular features in parallel with few or no false-positive molecular discoveries. The low error rates allowed chemotaxonomic analyses of mycobacteria, which describe the extent of chemical change in each strain and identified particular strain-specific molecules for use as biomarkers.     

Formal Total Synthesis of Diazonamide A by Indole Oxidative Rearrangement

A short formal total synthesis of the marine natural product diazonamide A is described. The route is based on indole oxidative rearrangement, and a number of options were investigated involving migration of tyrosine or oxazole fragments upon oxidation of open chain or macrocyclic precursors. The final route proceeds from 7‐bromoindole by sequential palladium‐catalysed couplings of an oxazole fragment at C‐2, followed by a tyrosine fragment at C‐3. With the key 2,3‐disubstituted indole readily in hand, formation of a macrocyclic lactam set the stage for the crucial oxidative rearrangement to a 3,3‐disubstituted oxindole. Notwithstanding the concomitant formation of the unwanted indoxyl isomer, the synthesis successfully delivered, after deprotection, the key oxindole intermediate, thereby completing a formal total synthesis of diazonamide A.