S1P1-selective in vivo-active agonists from high-throughput screening: off-the-shelf chemical probes of receptor interactions, signaling, and fate

The essential role of the sphingosine 1-phosphate (S1P) receptor S1P(1) in regulating lymphocyte trafficking was demonstrated with the S1P(1)-selective nanomolar agonist, SEW2871. Despite its lack of charged headgroup, the tetraaromatic compound SEW2871 binds and activates S1P(1) through a combination of hydrophobic and ion-dipole interactions. Both S1P and SEW2871 activated ERK, Akt, and Rac signaling pathways and induced S1P(1) internalization and recycling, unlike FTY720-phosphate, which induces receptor degradation. Agonism with receptor recycling is sufficient for alteration of lymphocyte trafficking by S1P and SEW2871. S1P(1) modeling and mutagenesis studies revealed that residues binding the S1P headgroup are required for kinase activation by both S1P and SEW2871. Therefore, SEW2871 recapitulates the action of S1P in all the signaling pathways examined and overlaps in interactions with key headgroup binding receptor residues, presumably replacing salt-bridge interactions with ion-dipole interactions.     

Simple alkenes as substitutes for organometallic reagents: nickel-catalyzed, intermolecular coupling of aldehydes, silyl triflates, and alpha olefins

A nickel-catalyzed method for the three-component coupling of alkenes (ethylene and alpha olefins), aldehydes, and silyl triflates is described, and this process represents the first catalytic method for coupling aldehydes and alkenes to give allylic alcohol derivatives. Conceptually, the alkene functions as a replacement for an alkenylmetal reagent.     

Luminol chemiluminescence HPLC reaction detector for amino acids and other ligands

A detector for HPLC is based on suppression of chemiluminescence from the Cu(II)-luminol-peroxide reaction. Analytes which complex Cu(II) reduce the free Cu(II) concentration and thus the observed chemiluminescence intensity. The degree of chemiluminescence suppression is a measure of the analyte concentrations. Detection limits are in the range of 1 pmole-1 nmole for amino acids (both primary and secondary without derivatization), CN^–, amines, catecholamines, catechol, and aminoglycoside antibiotics. The detection approach is demonstrated with an ion-exchange separation of amino acids, a reverse phase separation of catecholamines, and an ion-pair separation of the three components of gentamicin C in commercial gentamicin sulfate.     

Novel binding of beryllium to dicarboxyimidazole-based model compounds and polymers

The ligand 4,5-dicarboxyimidazole (H(2)DCI) and its methyl derivative 1-methyl-4,5-dicarboxyimidazole (H(2)MDCI) have been shown to bind to Be(II) forming a zwitterionic species that has been structurally characterized. A new dicarboxyimidazole-based polymer has been prepared and its Be-binding properties have been studied using NMR ((1)H and (9)Be) and fluorescence spectroscopy; it represents a rare example of beryllium binding to a polymer. Models of the mononuclear and polymeric Be(II)-binding sites have been studied using density functional theory (DFT), and the (9)Be NMR chemical shifts of these model materials have been calculated for the purpose of direct comparison to experimentally observed values. Differences in the binding modes of the mononuclear and polymeric species are discussed.     

Molecular design of free volume as a route to low-kappa dielectric materials

Polymers incorporating the triptycene subunit were prepared for the molecular-level design of low dielectric constant (low-kappa) materials that can be used to manufacture faster integrated circuits. Triptycenes having restricted rotation by multiple point attachment to the polymer backbone are shown to introduce free volume into the films, thereby lowering their dielectric constants. The triptycene containing polymers exhibit a number of desirable properties including low-water absorption and high thermal stability. Systematic studies wherein comparisons are made between two separate classes of triptycene polymers and their non-triptycene containing analogues demonstrate that proper insertion of triptycenes into a polymer backbone can give rise to a reduction in the material's dielectric constant while also improving its mechanical properties. These characteristics are desired by the semiconductor industry for the next generation of microprocessors and memory to provide insulation of the increasingly shrinking features.     

Oxybenziporphyrins, oxypyriporphyrins, benzocarbaporphyrins, and their 23-oxa and 23-thia analogues: synthesis, spectroscopic characterization, metalation, and structural characterization of a palladium(II) organometallic derivative

A series of nine porphyrin analogues have been synthesized using the "3 + 1" variant on the MacDonald condensation. Tripyrrane-type systems with a centrally unsubstituted pyrrole, furan, or thiophene ring were prepared using conventional methods, and these were condensed with indene-1,3-dicarbaldehyde, 5-formylsalicylaldehyde, or 3-hydroxy-2,6-pyridinedicarbaldehyde in the presence of TFA to generate benzocarba-, oxybenzi-, and oxypyriporphyrins, respectively. The furan-containing analogues proved to be highly basic and could only be isolated as the corresponding hydrochloride salts. All nine analogue systems showed porphyrin-like UV-vis spectra with one or two Soret absorptions near 400 nm and a series of weaker bands at longer wavelengths. These systems also showed large diatropic ring currents by proton NMR spectroscopy that were comparable to true porphyrins. In the presence of trace amounts of TFA, benzocarbaporphyrin 12 formed a monocation, and in 50% TFA a C-protonated dication was generated. The 23-oxacarbaporphyrin 14 gave a monocation in chloroform, although the free base was generated in 5% Et(3)N-chloroform. In 50% TFA-CHCl(3), 14 afforded a mixture of mono- and diprotonated species. Thiacarbaporphyrin 15 also formed a monocation in the presence of TFA, but C-protonation was relatively disfavored for this system. Nonetheless, in the presence of TFA-d, 12, 14, and 15 all showed rapid exchange of the internal NH and CH protons. Carbaporphyrin 12 also showed slow exchange at the meso-positions, but this process was not observed for its heteroanalogues 14 and 15. Protonation studies were also conducted for oxybenziporphyrins and oxypyriporphyrins 16-21. Oxacarbaporphyrin 14 was shown to be a superior organometallic ligand and afforded good yields of the related nickel(II) and palladium(II) derivatives under mild conditions. A low yield of the platinum(II) complex could also be isolated. All three complexes retained their aromatic character, although the Pd(II) derivative appeared to possess a slightly larger diatropic ring current. The palladium(II) complex 27 was further characterized by X-ray crystallography. The macrocyclic core was shown to be highly planar where the dihedral angles of the component pyrrole, furan and indene rings relative to the mean [18]annulene plane were all 相似文献   

Elucidation of the structure of quindolinone,a minor alkaloid of cryptolepis sanguinolenta: Submilligram 1H-13c and 1H-15N heteronuclear shift correlation experiments using micro inverse-detection

Elucidation of minor natural product structures has been significantly augmented by inverse-detection; further improvement has been afforded by the development of micro inverse-detection probes. We report here the elucidation of the structure of a new alkaloid, quindolinone (5H, 10H-indolo[3,2-b]quinolin-11-one), from the West African plant Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. All nmr data for this minor, preparative hplc-isolated alkaloid, including ¹H-¹⁵N one? bond heteronuclear shift correlation (HMQC) data, were recorded on an 800 μg sample of the alkaloid dissolved in 140 μl of 100% d₆-DMSO using a 400 MHz spectrometer.     

Time‐resolved Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection spectroscopy for the measurement of molecular diffusion in polymers

Over the past 2 decades, the use of time‐resolved Fourier transform infrared/attenuated total reflection (ATR) spectroscopy for the measurement of diffusion in polymers has grown. ATR is a powerful technique for the measurement of diffusion in polymers because it is an in situ technique that is relatively inexpensive, provides reliable short‐time data, and provides a wealth of information at the molecular level. This article highlights the technique and its application to numerous studies, ranging from the diffusion of drugs in human skin to chemical warfare agents in barrier materials. In addition to these topics, recent studies with ATR to quantify and model molecular interactions during the diffusion process are reviewed. In the future, the ATR technique may have an impact on a variety of emerging fields in which diffusion in polymers plays an important role, such as fuel cells, membrane separation, sensors, and drug delivery. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part B: Polym Phys 41: 2794–2807, 2003     

Mammalian cell growth studiedin situ by fourier transform infrared spectroscopy

Fourier transform infrared techniques were used to monitor mammalian cell growth plated on attenuated total reflection (ATR) crystals. Consistently, the growth kinetics plots generated from the obtained spectra demonstrated a sigmoidal curve representing a sequence of slow, rapid, then tapering cell growth which correlated well with non-spectral cell growth determinations. Significant advantages over traditional methods of measuring cell growth kinetics are demonstrated. The technique has promising potential to be used to study events in areas such as toxicology and cell biology.     

Direct detection of oxygen intermediates in the non-heme Fe enzyme taurine/alpha-ketoglutarate dioxygenase

The reaction of substrate-bound taurine/alpha-ketoglutarate dioxygenase with O2 has been studied using cryogenic continuous-flow spectroscopy. Transient absorption spectra acquired at -38 degrees C show an exponential decay of a 318-nm chromophore with an apparent rate of 1.3 s-1. The observed optical changes and their kinetics are consistent with the profile of an Fe(IV) species detected recently by M?ssbauer spectroscopy (Price et al., Biochemistry 2003, 42, 7497-7508). Resonance Raman measurement upon excitation at 363.7 nm reveal at least two oxygen isotope-sensitive vibrations at 821/787 cm-1 and 583/555 cm-1 for 16O and 18O derivatives, respectively. An additional mode is likely to be obscured by an ethylene glycol vibration at 865 cm-1 and/or 1089 cm-1. The 821 cm-1 vibration is assigned to the stretching mode of Fe(IV)=O species on the basis of its frequency and isotopic shift amplitude. The 583 cm-1 band is likely to originate from an Fe-O2 precursor of the Fe(IV)=O species, although its structural details are unclear at present.