A short synthetic route to the calystegine alkaloids

An efficient strategy is described for the synthesis of enantiopure calystegine alkaloids. The key step employs a zinc-mediated fragmentation of benzyl-protected methyl 6-iodo-glycosides followed by in situ formation of the benzyl imine and Barbier-type allylation with zinc, magnesium, or indium metal. Stereochemistry in the pivotal allylation is controlled by the choice of the metal. The functionalized 1,8-nonadienes, thus formed, are converted into cycloheptenes by ring-closing olefin metathesis. Regioselective hydroboration and oxidation give the corresponding cycloheptanones, which are deprotected to afford the desired calystegines. Hereby, calystegine B(2), B(3), and B(4) are prepared from D-glucose, D-galactose, and D-mannose, respectively. This route constitutes the shortest synthesis of calystegine B(2) and gives rise to the first total syntheses of calystegine B(3) and B(4).     

Characterization of protein-ligand interactions by high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy

A novel approach for detection of ligand binding to a protein in solid samples is described. Hydrated precipitates of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xL show well-resolved (13)C-(13)C 2D solid-state NMR spectra that allow site-specific assignment of resonances for many residues in uniformly (13)C-enriched samples. Binding of a small peptide or drug-like organic molecule leads to changes in the chemical shift of resonances from multiple residues in the protein that can be monitored to characterize binding. Differential chemical shifts can be used to distinguish between direct protein-ligand contacts and small conformational changes of the protein induced by ligand binding. The agreement with prior solution-state NMR results indicates that the binding pocket in solid and liquid samples is similar for this protein. Advantages of different labeling schemes involving selective (13)C enrichment of methyl groups of Ala, Val, Leu, and Ile (Cdelta1) for characterizing protein-ligand interactions are also discussed. It is demonstrated that high-resolution solid-state NMR spectroscopy on uniformly or extensively (13)C-enriched samples has the potential to screen proteins of moderate size ( approximately 20 kDa) for ligand binding as hydrated solids. The results presented here suggest the possibility of using solid-state NMR to study ligand binding in proteins not amenable to solution NMR.     

The first photocrystallographic evidence for light-induced metastable linkage isomers of ruthenium sulfur dioxide complexes

Light-induced metastable linkage isomers of trans-[Ru(NH(3))(4)Cl(SO(2))]Cl and trans-[Ru(NH(3))(4)(H(2)O)(SO(2))](C(6)H(5)SO(3))(2) have been identified for the first time using photocrystallographic methods. In both linkage isomers the SO(2) ligand is side bound, but the Ru-O and Ru-S distances are considerably longer and almost equal in the trans-H(2)O isomer. DFT calculations confirm that both isomers correspond to minima on the ground-state potential energy surface and also predict the existence of a second oxygen-bound isomer for both compounds. The decay of the light-induced species has been studied by both DSC and IR. Activation energies for the thermal back-reaction, as derived from the temperature-dependent disappearance of light-induced IR bands, are 50.0 and 58.4 kJ/mol for the two isomers, which is larger than the corresponding numbers for photoinduced side-bound nitrosyl linkage isomers.     

Structural studies in main group chemistry : XIX. Organotin(IV) derivatives of tetracyanoethylene, 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane and 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorobenzoquinone. The isolation of stable organotin-substituted radicals

The reaction of organotin chlorides with the lithium salt of 7,7,8,8-tetracyanoquinodimethane (TCNQ) or hexaalkylditins with TCNQ yield stable organotin-substituted free radicals of the types R₃SnTCNQ^. (R = Me, n-Pr, n-Bu) and Me₂Sn(TCNQ^.)₂. The reaction of hexaphenylditin with TCNQ yields a (σ → π) charge transfer complex of stoichiometry (Ph₃SnSnPh₃)·TCNQ, whilst [Me₂SnCl(terpyridyl)⁺](TCNQ^-·) was isolated from the reaction of [Me₂SnCl(terpyridlyl)⁺][Me₂SnCl₃^-] and LiTCNQ. The oxidation of hexaalkylditins by tetracyanoethylene (TCNE) yields stable free radicals of the type R₃SnTCNE·, but treatment with 2,3,5,6-tetrachlorobenzoquinone yields either R₃SnOC₆Cl₄O·-p (R = Me) or R₃SnOC₆Cl₄OSnR₃-p (R = n-Bu, Ph). Tin-119 Mössbauer spectroscopy shows that the derivatives R₃SnTCNQ· and R₃TCNE· have trigonally-bipyramidally coordinated tin with planar [SnC₃] skeletons and bridging [TCNQ·] and [TCNE·] groups forming infinite one-dimensional chain structures. Me₃SnOC₆Cl₄O·-p was inferred to possess a similar structure but with oxy bridges forming chains with a Sn---O---Sn---O backbone. Me₂Sn(TCNQ·)₂ has a structure intermediate between tetrahedral and octahedral with a non-linear MeSnMe unit and anisobidentate chelation by two TCNQ groups. The TCNQ derivatives were of two types: (i) “green” or “brown”, indicative of delocalisation of the Ione electron over the cyanoquinone ligand, and (ii) a “blue” form in which spin-pairing of the Ione electron between adjacent organic groups takes place. Me₃SnTCNQ· may exist in both forms depending upon the mode of preparation.     

Neutral solvent/crown ether interactions 3. Reorientation of the hydrogen bonds in the low temperature (−150°C) structure of 18-crown-6·2(CH3NO2)

The title complex was crystallized from a saturated solution of 18-crown-6 in nitromethane at 5°C and cooled to –150°C prior to X-ray diffraction data collection. At –150° C 18-crown-6·2(CH₃NO₂) is monoclinic,P2₁/_n witha=9.290(2),b=7.864(6),c=13.627(8) Å, =1000.84(4)° andD _calc=1.31 g cm^–3 for Z=2. Leastsquares refinement using 1521 independent observed reflections [F _o5(F _o)] led to a final conventionalR value of 0.041. The complex at –150°C is isostructural with its room temperature structure with the exception of the orientation of the methyl hydrogen atoms and their crown ether oxygen interactions. The methyl group hydrogen atoms were fully refined isotropically. The crown ether resides around a center of inversion and hasD _3d symmetry. There is one methyl hydrogen...crown interaction at 2.35(3) Å, one apparently bifurcated hydrogen bond utilizing a second methyl hydrogen atom (2.55(3), 2.65(3) Å) and the third hydrogen atom is actually directed away from the crown ring (closest H...O contact=2.67(3) Å). Supplementary Data relating to this article are deposited with the British Library as Supplementary Publication No. SUP 82048 (5 pages).For part 2, see reference [24].     

A new plasmid display technology for the in vitro selection of functional phenotype-genotype linked proteins

BACKGROUND: Display technologies which allow peptides or proteins to be physically associated with the encoding DNA are central to procedures which involve screening of protein libraries in vitro for new or altered function. Here we describe a new system designed specifically for the display of libraries of diverse, functional proteins which utilises the DNA binding protein nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappa B) p50 to establish a phenotype-genotype link between the displayed protein and the encoding gene. RESULTS: A range of model fusion proteins to either the amino- or carboxy-terminus of NF-kappa B p50 have been constructed and shown to retain the picomolar affinity and DNA specificity of wild-type NF-kappa B p50. Through use of an optimal combination of binding buffer and DNA target sequence, the half-life of p50-DNA complexes could be increased to over 47 h, enabling the competitive selection of a variety of protein-plasmid complexes with enrichment factors of up to 6000-fold per round. The p50-based plasmid display system was used to enrich a maltose binding protein complex to homogeneity in only three rounds from a binary mixture with a starting ratio of 1:10(8) and to enrich to near homogeneity a single functional protein from a phenotype-genotype linked Escherichia coli genomic library using in vitro functional selections. CONCLUSIONS: A new display technology is described which addresses the challenge of functional protein display. The results demonstrate that plasmid display is sufficiently sensitive to select a functional protein from large libraries and that it therefore represents a useful addition to the repertoire of display technologies.     

Synthesis of the tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid (+/-)-renieramycin G and A (+/-)-lemonomycinone analogue from a common intermediate

The total synthesis of tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids (+/-)-renieramycin G (4) and a lemonomycinone analogue (7) is described. A general strategy to synthesize both the mono- and bistetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloids from a common advanced intermediate, 17, is presented.     

An ab initio structural and vibrational analysis of gauche,trans,trans- and gauche,cis,trans-hexa-1,3,5-trienes

The results of complete geometry optimizations of the high energy stable gauche,Trans,trans- and gauche,Cis,trans- rotamers of hexa-1,3,5-trienes are reported at the RHF/6-31G//RHF/B-31G level. The angles of rotation around one of the single C-C bonds are found to be 33.7° and 45.5°, respectively. The corresponding harmonic force fields of these molecules are also reported at this level and corrected using scale factors transferred from buta 1,3-diene. Aspecial scale factor was used for the central C=C double bond stretching coordinate to take into account vibronic coupling. The theoretical vibrational frequencies, calculated with the scaled quantum mechanical (SQM) force fields, allow a complete interpretation of the experimental vibrational spectra of these molecules.Preliminary results were reported at the Austin XII Symposium on Molecular Structure, Austin, TX, February 28 through March 3, 1988, S 18, p. 111 (USA) and at the XIXth European Congress on Molecular Spectroscopy, Dresden, September 4 through September 8, 1989, p. 226 (GDR).     

Stokes/anti-stokes intensity ratio in the resonance region

Relative intensities of the Stokes and anti-Stokes Raman lines associated with the I-I stretching mode of I₂ and symmetric stretching mode of MnO^?₄ are presented. The data indicate that the maxima in the excitation profile of the anti-Stokes scattering are shifted from those of the Stokes scattering. The experimental Stokes/anti-Stokes intensity ratios agree with the theoretical values obtained with parameters from the electronic absorption spectra.     

Inter- and intramolecular pi-stacking interactions in cis-bis[1-(9-anthracene)]phosphirane complexes of platinum(II)

The bis[1-(9-anthracene)phosphirane]dithiolatoplatinum(II) complexes, Pt[1-(9-anthracene)phosphirane](2)(dithiolate), where dithiolate = 1,1-dimethoxycarbonyl-ethylene-2,2-dithiolate (dmdt) (2), 1,1-diethoxycarbonyl-ethylene-2,2-dithiolate (dedt) (3), 1-ethoxycarbonyl-1-cyano-ethylene-2, 2-dithiolate (ecdt) (4), and 1,1-dicyano-ethylene-2,2-dithiolate (dcdt) (5), were prepared from cis-dichlorobis[1-(9-anthracene)phosphirane]platinum(II) (1). Complexes 3 and 5 were characterized by X-ray crystallography and were found to have vastly different crystal and molecular structures. The crystal and molecular structure of 3 is dominated by intramolecular pi-stacking between the anthracene rings of the cis-bis(anthracene)phosphiranes with a ring...ring separation of 3.48(6) A. The molecular structure of 5 does not exhibit an intramolecular interaction between the anthracene rings. Instead, the crystal structure of 5shows significant intermolecular pi-stacking between the anthracene rings of the phosphirane ligands of adjacent molecules packed in the crystal lattice. The intermolecular stacking interaction results in a ring...ring separation of 3.33(4) A. Complexes 2-5 were found to emit at 530 nm at low temperatures in the solid state. Complex 5 emits strongly in fluid THF or benzene solution at 430 nm.