The small peptide-catalyzed direct asymmetric aldol reaction in water

Simple modular di- and tripeptides with a primary amine at the N-terminus catalyze the aqueous asymmetric aldol reaction between unmodified ketones and aldehydes to furnish the corresponding beta-hydroxy ketones with up to 86% ee in water and 99% ee in aqueous media.     

Synthesis of the water-soluble [Rh(Tpms)(CO)(PTA)] compound, the first transition metal complex bearing the 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane (PTA) and the tris(1-pyrazolyl)methanesulfonate (Tpms) ligands

The water-soluble Rh^I compound [Rh(Tpms)(CO)(PTA)] (1) (Tpms = O₃SC(pz)₃⁻, PTA = 1,3,5-triaza-7-phosphaadamantane) has been easily prepared in high yield by a single-pot reaction of [{Rh(CO)₂(μ-Cl)}₂] with PTA and the tris(1-pyrazolyl)methanesulfonate lithium salt Li(Tpms), in a CH₂Cl₂/MeOH solution at room temperature. This synthetic strategy can be easily applied to the preparation of general [Rh(Tpms)(CO)(L)] (L = phosphine) complexes and constitutes a substantial improvement over the previously described procedures. Compound 1 is air stable in the solid state and water-soluble, affording stable solutions under an inert atmosphere. It has been characterized by IR, ¹H, ³¹P{¹H} and ¹³C{¹H} NMR spectroscopies, elemental and single crystal X-ray diffraction structural analyses. The solid state structure of 1 has a square-planar geometry with the Tpms ligand coordinating the metal centre in a (κ²: N,N) bipodal mode. The title compound has also been investigated by cyclic voltammetry in CH₃CN, and values of the E_L Lever and P_L Pickett electrochemical parameters (which measure the ligand net electron-donor character) are proposed for the PTA ligand. Complex 1 represents the first example of a transition metal complex bearing both PTA and Tpms (or any other tris(1-pyrazolyl)methane or derivative) ligands.     

Stereochemical analysis of N-cyclohexylidene-N-(1-phenylethyl)amine derivatives

The configurational properties of a series of cyclohexylidene imines are discussed on the basis of their 1H, 13C and 15N NMR spectral data.     

Classical analogue of displaced Fock states and quantum correlations in Glauber-Fock photonic lattices

Coherent states and their generalizations, displaced Fock states, are of fundamental importance to quantum optics. Here we present a direct observation of a classical analogue for the emergence of these states from the eigenstates of the harmonic oscillator. To this end, the light propagation in a Glauber-Fock waveguide lattice serves as equivalent for the displacement of Fock states in phase space. Theoretical calculations and analogue classical experiments show that the square-root distribution of the coupling parameter in such lattices supports a new family of intriguing quantum correlations not encountered in uniform arrays. Because of the broken shift invariance of the lattice, these correlations strongly depend on the transverse position. Consequently, quantum random walks with this extra degree of freedom may be realized in Glauber-Fock lattices.     

Chromatin supraorganization, mitotic abnormalities and proliferation in cells with increased or down-regulated lox expression: Indirect evidence of a LOX-histone H1 interaction in vivo

Lysyl oxidases (LOXs) are enzymes that permit the covalent crosslinking of the component chains of collagen and elastin. These enzymes are present inside the nuclei of certain mammalian cells. Previous studies have proposed LOX binding to histone H1 in vitro, and histone H1 is known to control global chromatin compaction and mitotic chromosome architecture. Therefore, in the present study, we analyzed chromatin supraorganizational changes, mitotic abnormalities, mitotic indices and cell death ratios in COS-7 and NRK-49F cells with high and low lox expression levels, respectively. The objective was to support biochemical data of LOX-H1 interaction, by providing evidence of chromatin remodeling in vivo, under different lox expressions. Chromatin decondensation assessed by image analysis was observed in COS-7 cells with increased lox expression. This decondensation is suggested to be promoted by LOX actions on histone H1, which loosens the DNA-H1 complex. In NRK-49F cells transfected with antisense lox or subjected to treatment with beta-aminopropionitrile (BAPN), chromatin condensation and nuclear phenotypic variability were found, which may be due to reduced LOX-H1 interaction. When lox expression was increased in COS-7 cells, the frequency of irregular chromosome plates was not affected, but cell proliferation decreased and "cell death preceded by multinucleation" increased. In NRK-49F cells there was accelerated proliferation induced by transfection with the antisense lox, and confirmed when cells were treated with BAPN. Apoptosis increased in NRK-49F cells only with BAPN treatment whereas cell death preceded by multinucleation increased only after antisense lox transfection. The data presented herein regarding chromatin remodeling indirectly support the hypothesis that LOX binds to histone H1 in vivo. Cell proliferation in COS-7 and NRK-49F cells and cell death at least in COS-7 cells agree with predicted effects of LOX interference in these processes.     

One-pot organocatalytic domino Michael/alpha-alkylation reactions: direct catalytic enantioselective cyclopropanation and cyclopentanation reactions

The development of one-pot organocatalytic domino Michael/alpha-alkylation reactions between bromomalonates or bromoacetoacetate esters and alpha,beta-unsaturated aldehydes is presented. The chiral-amine-catalyzed reactions with bromomalonates as substrates give access to the corresponding 2-formylcyclopropane derivatives in high yields with excellent diastereoselectivity and up to 99 % ee. The catalytic domino Michael/alpha-alkylation reactions between 4-bromo-acetoacetate and enals provide a route for the synthesis of functionalized cyclopentanones in good to high yields with 93-99 % ee. The products from the organocatalytic reactions were also reduced with high diastereoselectivity to the corresponding cyclopropanols and cyclopentanols, respectively. Moreover, one-pot combinations of amine and heterocyclic carbene catalysis (AHCC) enabled the highly enantioselective synthesis of beta-malonate esters (91-97 % ee) from the reaction between bromomalonates and enals. The tandem catalysis included the catalytic domino reaction followed by catalytic in situ chemoselective ring-opening of the 2-formylcyclopropane intermediates.