Insight into the Behaviour of a Lithium Enolate in Solution

(2S,4S)-2-(tert-Butyl)-5-oxo-1,3-dioxolan-4-acetic acid ( 1 ) was dilithiated to the enolate 2 in toluene and THF with lithium diisopropylamide (LiN(i-Pr)₂) under various conditions. Deuteration experiments with 2 showed that two different stable forms of the enolate could be produced, depending on whether the deprotonation of 1 had been carried out in toluene or THF. The generated (i-Pr)₂NH was coordinated to the enolate and, hence, served as a strong lipophilic solvating agent. LiN(i-Pr)₂ could substitute the amine ligands of the two species to a different extent. THF was partially able to displace (i-Pr)₂NH that solvated the species produced in toluene, but the coordination of the amine to the one produced in THF was quantitive. Correlations with given explanations are made.     

Solution- and bound-state conformational study of N,N',N"-triacetyl chitotriose and other analogous potential inhibitors of hevamine: application of trNOESY and STD NMR spectroscopy

The solution-state conformations of N,N',N"-triacetyl chitotriose (1) and other potential chitinase inhibitors 2-4 were studied using a combination of NMR spectroscopy (NOESY) and molecular mechanics calculations. Determination solely of the global energy minimum conformation was found to be insufficient for an agreement with the NMR results. An appropriate consistency between the NMR experimental data and theoretical calculations was only reached by assessing the structures as population-weighted average conformers based on Boltzmann distributions derived from the calculated relative energies. Analogies, but also particular differences, between the synthetic compounds 2-4 and the naturally-occurring N,N',N"-triacetyl chitotriose were found. Furthermore, the conformation of compounds 1 and 2 when bound to hevamine was also studied using transferred NOESY experiments and the binding process was found to impart a level of conformational restriction on the ligands. The preferred conformation as determined for 1 in the bound state to hevamine belonged to one of the conformational families found for the compound when free in solution, although full characterisation of the bound-state conformations was impeded due to severe signal overlap. Saturation transfer difference NMR experiments were also employed to analyse the binding epitopes of the bound compounds. We thus determined that it is mainly the acetyl amido groups of the trisaccharide and the heterocyclic moiety which are in close contact with hevamine.     

GnRH binding RNA and DNA Spiegelmers: a novel approach toward GnRH antagonism

Mirror-image oligonucleotide ligands (Spiegelmers) that bind to the pharmacologically relevant target gonadotropin-releasing hormone I (GnRH) with high affinity and high specificity have been identified using the Spiegelmer technology. GnRH is a decapeptide that plays an important role in mammalian reproduction and sexual maturation and is associated with several benign and malignant diseases. First, aptamers that bind to D-GnRH with dissociation constants of 50-100 nM were isolated out of RNA and DNA libraries. The respective enantiomers of the DNA and RNA aptamers were synthesized, and their binding to L-GnRH was shown. These Spiegelmers bind to L-GnRH with similar affinity to that of the corresponding aptamers that bind to D-GnRH. We further demonstrated dose-dependent inhibition of GnRH-induced Ca(2+) release in Chinese hamster ovary cells that were stably transfected with the human GnRH receptor.     

The origin of electrochemical activity in Li2MnO3

The electrochemical activity of Li2MnO3 in non-aqueous media has been investigated and found to involve neither Mn(4+)-Mn5+ oxidation nor simultaneous O2- removal but exchange of Li+ by H+, the latter being generated in the electrolyte.     

Stereoselective synthesis of unnatural α-amino acid derivatives through photoredox catalysis

A protocol for stereoselective C-radical addition to a chiral glyoxylate-derived N-sulfinyl imine was developed through visible light-promoted photoredox catalysis, providing a convenient method for the synthesis of unnatural α-amino acids. The developed protocol allows the use of ubiquitous carboxylic acids as radical precursors without prior derivatization. The protocol utilizes near-stoichiometric amounts of the imine and the acid radical precursor in combination with a catalytic amount of an organic acridinium-based photocatalyst. Alternative mechanisms for the developed transformation are discussed and corroborated by experimental and computational studies.

A protocol for stereoselective C-radical addition to a chiral glyoxylate-derived N-sulfinyl imine was developed through visible light-promoted photoredox catalysis, providing a convenient method for the synthesis of unnatural α-amino acids.     

Synthesis and structure of trigonal and tetragonal connectors for a "Tinkertoy" construction set

We describe a convergent synthesis of eight 1,3,5- and 1,2,4,5-substituted benzene derivatives with long rigid arms containing 4-pyridyl, 2,2'-bipyridyl, and 2,2'-bipyrimidyl termini, meant to be used as trigonal or tetragonal connectors for the construction of large molecular structures. The synthesis involved copper-free Pd-mediated coupling of terminal acetylenes to aryl halides. First, one of the termini of 1,3-diethynylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentane was coupled with a brominated aza heterocycle, and second, 3 equiv of the resulting extended arm were coupled with 1,3,5-triiodobenzene or 4 with 1,2,4,5-tetraiodobenzene. An improved large-scale synthesis for 1,3-diethynylbicyclo[1.1.1]pentane is described. The structures of two of the arms were determined by single-crystal X-ray analysis. Several long molecular rods with 4-pyridyl termini were obtained as byproducts, and a single-crystal X-ray structure is reported for the shortest of these.     

Mapping of possible prion protein self-interaction domains using peptide arrays

Background  

The common event in transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) or prion diseases is the conversion of host-encoded protease sensitive cellular prion protein (PrP^C) into strain dependent isoforms of scrapie associated protease resistant isoform (PrP^Sc) of prion protein (PrP). These processes are determined by similarities as well as strain dependent variations in the PrP structure. Selective self-interaction between PrP molecules is the most probable basis for initiation of these processes, potentially influenced by chaperone molecules, however the mechanisms behind these processes are far from understood. We previously determined that polymorphisms do not affect initial PrP^C to PrP^Sc binding but rather modulate a subsequent step in the conversion process. Determining possible sites of self-interaction could elucidate which amino acid(s) or amino acid sequences contribute to binding and further conversion into other isoforms. To this end, ovine – and bovine PrP peptide-arrays consisting of 15-mer overlapping peptides were probed with recombinant sheep PrP^C fused to maltose binding protein (MBP-PrP).     

Polymer-supported O-alkylisoureas: useful reagents for the O-alkylation of carboxylic acids

Polymer-supported O-alkylisoureas were prepared by reaction of an alcohol with a polymer-supported carbodiimide under copper(II) catalysis. These reagents were used to transform carboxylic acids into the corresponding methyl, benzyl, allyl, and p-nitrobenzyl esters in a highly chemoselective manner in high yields and in very high purity after simple resin filtration and solvent evaporation. The reactions could be carried out using both conventional or microwave heating, with reaction times as short as 3-5 min in the latter case, without compromising yield, purity, or chemoselectivity. Unfortunately, the corresponding solid-supported tert-butyl isoureas could not be prepared.     

Elevated-temperature metathesis syntheses of structurally novel alkali-metal tetrakis(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)lanthanoidate(III) complexes: toluene-coordinated discrete bimetallic complexes and supramolecular chains

Sodium and potassium tetrakis(3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolato)lanthanoidate(III) complexes [M[Ln(tBu(2)pz)(4)]] have been prepared by reaction of anhydrous lanthanoid trihalides with alkali metal 3,5-di-tert-butylpyrazolates at 200-300 degrees C, and a 1,2,4,5-tetramethylbenzene flux for M=K. On extraction with toluene (or occasionally directly from the reaction tube) the following complexes were isolated: [Na(PhMe)[Ln(tBu(2)pz)(4)]] (1 Ln; 1 Ln=1 Tb, 1 Ho, 1 Er, 1 Yb), [K(PhMe)[Ln(tBu(2)pz)(4)]].2 PhMe (2 Ln; 2 Ln=2 La, 2 Sm, 2 Tb, 2 Ho, 2 Yb, 2 Lu), [Na[Ln(tBu(2)pz)(4)]](n) (3 Ln; 3 Ln=3 La, 3 Tb, 3 Ho, 3 Er, 3 Yb), [K[Ln(tBu(2)pz)(4)]](n) (4 Ln; 4 Ln=4 La, 4 Nd, 4 Sm, 4 Tb, 4 Ho, 4 Er, 4 Yb, 4 Lu), with the last two classes generally being obtained by loss of toluene from 1 Ln or 2 Ln, and [Na(tBu(2)pzH)[Ln(tBu(2)pz)(4)]].PhMe (5 Ln; 5 Ln=5 Nd, 5 Er, 5 Yb). Extraction with 1,2-dimethoxyethane (DME) after isolation of 2 Ho yielded [K(dme)[Ho(tBu(2)pz)(4)]] (6 Ho). X-ray crystal structures of 1 Ln (=1 Tb, 1 Ho; P2(1)/c), 2 Ln (=2 La, 2 Sm, 2 Tb, 2 Yb, 2 Lu; Pnma), 3,4 Ln (=3 La, 3 Er, 4 Sm; P2(1)/m), and 5 Ln (=5 Nd, 5 Er, and 5 Yb; P1) show each group to be isomorphous regardless of the size of the Ln(3+) ion. All complexes contain eight-coordinate [Ln(eta(2)-tBu(2)pz)(4)] units. These are further linked to the alkali metal by bridging through two (1,2,5 Ln) or three (3,4 Ln) tBu(2)pz groups which show striking coordination versatility. Sodium is coordinated by an eta(4)-PhMe, a micro-eta(2):eta(2)-tBu(2)pz, and a micro-eta(4)(Na):eta(2)(Ln)-tBu(2)pz ligand in 1 Ln, and by one eta(1)-tBu(2)pzH and two micro-eta(3)(Na):eta(2)(Ln) ligands in 5 Ln. By contrast, potassium has one eta(6)-PhMe and two micro-eta(5)(K):eta(2)(Ln) ligands in 2 Ln. Classes 3,4 Ln form polymeric chains with the alkali metal bonded by two micro-eta(3)(NNC-M):eta(2)(Ln)-tBu(2)pz ligands within [MLn(tBu(2)pz)(4)] units which are joined together by eta(1)(C)-tBu(2)pz-Na, K linkages.     

Automated carbohydrate synthesis to drive chemical glycomics

This feature article describes the development of the first automated solid-phase oligosaccharide synthesizer. A series of chemical challenges had to be addressed to accomplish this breakthrough and provide rapid access to oligosaccharides of biological significance. Accelerated synthesis of glycoconjugates promises to greatly impact the emerging field of glycobiology. Chemical glycomics uses synthetic carbohydrates and analogs to study their role in recognition, signal transduction pathways and other events of fundamental biomedical significance and shapes up to become the next major wave in biomedical research. The automated synthesis of a novel malaria vaccine candidate is discussed to illustrate the medical potential of chemical glycomics.