Isolation of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 mutants defective in bacterial magnetic particle synthesis by transposon mutagenesis

Nonmagnetic mutants of Magnetospirillum magneticum AMB-1 were recovered following mini-Tn5 transposon mutagenesis. Transconjugants with kanamycin resistance were obtained at a frequency of 2.7 × 10⁻⁷ per recipient. Of 3327 transconjugants, 62 were defective for bacterial magnetic particle (BMP) synthesis. The frequency of independent transposition events for nonmagnetic mutants was about 1.4% in transconju gants. Further analysis of DNA sequences flanking transposon by inverted polymerase chain reaction allowed isolation of at least 10 genes or DNA sequences involved in BMP synthesis in M. magneticum AMB-1.     

Novel anionic polyaddition of 2‐trifluoromethylacrylate by double Michael reaction with ethyl cyanoacetate

Novel fluorinated polymer synthesis with anionic polyaddition by double Michael addition reaction of 2‐trifluoromethylacrylate derivatives with ethyl cyanoacetate (ECA) was proposed. Diaddition product of ECA with phenyl 2‐trifluoromethylacrylate was yielded in high yield by the catalysis of sodium ethoxide in tetrahydrofuran at 60 °C. Sodium hydroxide catalyzed double Michael addition reaction also produced diaddition product in high yield. Novel anionic polyaddition of 1,4‐phenylene bis(2‐trifluoromethylacrylate) [CH₂?C(CF₃)COOC₆H₄OCOC(CF₃)?CH₂] (PBFA) with ECA afforded the polymer of 1.2 × 10⁴ as the highest molecular weight. The isolated polymer gave the polymer of 2.8 × 10⁴ as a molecular weight by the reaction of the isolated polymer with PBFA in the presence of sodium ethoxide; which proved that the polymer end groups were mainly ECA moieties. The reaction mechanism that the proton abstraction from ECA followed by the addition of 2trifluoromethylacrylate was proposed. The reaction of acetylacetone with PBFA was also examined to give the polymer of 7.6 × 10³ as the highest molecular weight catalyzed by sodium hydroxide at room temperature. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 47: 5698–5708, 2009     

Revisiting [3 + 3] route to 1,3-cyclohexanedione frameworks: hidden aspect of thermodynamically controlled enolates.

We have revisited the traditional consecutive Michael-Claisen [3 + 3] process (MC-[3 + 3]) promising the synthesis of a cyclohexane-1,3-dione derivatives from nonactivated simple ketones and enoates and evaluated its potential in modern organic synthesis. Twenty to thirty examples were demonstrated to be effective. The reactions exhibited remarkable regioselectivity with the Michael addition proceeding through nucleophilic attack by the more hindered site of the ketones without exception. The subsequent Claisen condensation resulted in the formation of carbon-carbon bonds between less hindered site of the ketones and acyl carbon of the enoates. The MC-[3 + 3] process described is useful for the synthesis of Taxol A-ring synthons in multigram quantities and for the synthesis of other six-membered carbocyclic compounds. A number of control experiments have been conducted to provide strong support for the mechanism of this MC-[3 + 3].     

Phase Development Mechanism during Drawing from Highly Entangled Polyethylene Melts

Summary: The phase development mechanism during drawing from a highly entangled melt of ultra‐high‐molecular‐weight polyethylene is analyzed by simultaneous measurements of in situ X‐ray diffraction using synchrotron radiation and stress/strain behavior. The stress/strain curve exhibits a plateau region at the initial stage of the draw, and no crystalline reflections appear on a series of in situ X‐ray diffraction patterns. However, as the sample draw proceeds above a critical strain, a metastable hexagonal reflection appears and becomes predominant, where the stress/strain curve still shows a plateau deformation. With a further increase of the strain, the intensity of the hexagonal reflection peak begins to decrease and subsequently that of the usual orthorhombic ones increase. Correspondingly, a rapid increase of draw stress, because of the strain‐hardening behavior, is recorded.

Stacked line profiles extracted from in situ WAXD patterns along the equatorial direction. The red profile was obtained at the critical time of 162.5 s.     

Structural Study of Phase Transition Behavior of Uniaxially-Oriented Ethylene-Tetrafluoroethylene Alternating Copolymer

Crystal modifications and phase transition behavior have been investigated for the uniaxially-oriented ethylene-tetrafluoroethylene alternating copolymer samples of equimolar content by the temperature-dependent X-ray diffraction and Raman spectral measurements. The X-ray fiber diagram measured for the sample drawn at 0 °C has been found to be quite different from that drawn above 100 °C or the normal orthorhombic-type sample. The new X-ray diagram is characterized by the sharpness of the reflections and the positional shift from the horizontal lines, indicating the tilting phenomenon of the crystallites. This sample was found to transform into the hexagonal phase in the temperature region around 110 °C with keeping the tilting phenomenon. The molecular motion of the more or less conformationally disordered chains was enhanced above this transition region as seen from the increase in the half-width of trans bands and the intensity increment of gauche bands in the Raman spectra.     

Synthesis of 1,3-dialkylurea from ethylene carbonate and amine using calcium oxide

Several basic metal oxide catalysts were tested for the synthesis of 1,3-disubstituted urea from ethylene carbonate (EC) and amine. Among the catalysts used, CaO has been found to be an excellent recyclable catalyst for the reaction. It has been suggested that strongly basic property of CaO results in its high activity. Disubstituted ureas are obtained from propylamine and butylamine with high yields at 100 °C. Slightly higher reaction temperatures are necessary for obtaining good yields from amines having larger molecular weights and urea is not produced from dibutylamine as a secondary amine. Propylene carbonate can be used instead of EC for the reaction. A reaction mechanism was proposed, which involves reaction between EC and amine giving a carbamate followed by catalytic reaction between the carbamate and amine, yielding 1,3-disubstituted urea. It is suggested that the latter reaction is the rate-determining step. On the basis of this reaction mechanism, the synthesis of unsymmetric urea was also examined. 2-Hydroxyethyl butylcarbamate is selectively produced from EC with butylamine in the absence of the catalyst at a low temperature and reacts with benzylamine producing 1-butyl-3-benzylurea along with symmetric dialkyl ureas.     

Preparation of highly deuterated zeaxanthin, lycopene, and β-carotene from fully deuterated mevalonate using engineered Escherichia coli

Carotenoids are important natural pigments produced by various microorganisms and plants. Specific deuterium-labeling of these compounds is invaluable in biochemical and physiochemical research. In this paper, preparation of highly deuterated zeaxanthin, lycopene, and β-carotene using engineered Escherichia coli with fully deuterated mevalonate is described. Also described are physico-chemical properties of the obtained deuterated carotenoids.     

“Umpulong” of reactivity at the C-6 position of uridine: a simple and general method for 6-substituted uridines

Lithiated 2′,3′-O-isopropylidine-5′-$\text{O}$-methoxymethyl-uridine was found to react with a variety of electrophilic reagents regiospecifically at the C-6 position. The protecting groups of the ribose moiety in the 6-functionalized products were concurrently removed under mild conditions with aqueous trifluoroacetic acid. Consequently, the present method permits simple and general syntheses of 6-substituted uridines.     

Photocyclization of methyl 2-arylthio- and 2-aryloxy-acetoacetates: A facile synthesis of benzoheterocycles

A series of methyl 2-arylthio- (2) and 2-aryloxy-acetoacetates (3) have been prepared and their tautomeric equilibria have been examined by ¹H NMR spectroscopy. S-substitution at the α-position results in an increase of enol tautomer over 90%, while the O-analogues exist predominantly in the keto form (Table 1). Pyrex-filtered irradiation of 2-arylthio compounds 2a-1 in benzene-methanol (1:1) solution gives benzothiophene derivatives (6a–f, 7–10) in fair yield except for 2j and 2k, for which photocyclization does not occur and only polymer formation is observed. A similar irradiation of O-analogues 3b and 3c affords the furan derivatives 17 and 18, respectively, in rather low yield, whereas 3a in photoinert under these conditions. Regiospecificity of photocyclization is revealed by the reactions of 2-naphthyl derivatives (2h and 3c) which afford only naphto[2,1-b] isomer. A plausible reaction mechanism is also discussed.     

Ligand exchange reaction of Zn(II)-acetylacetonate complex with 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphinetetrasulfonic acid

Ligand exchange reaction of Zn(II)-acetylacetonate complex (Zn-acac₂) with 5,10,15,20-tetraphenyl-21H,23H-porphinetetrasulfonic acid (H₂TPPS) has been investigated spectrophotometrically and radiometrically. The exchange reaction was observed by spectral change from H₂TPPS to Zn-TPPS or activity of⁶⁵Zn(acac)₂ extracted into the chloroform phase. The 2nd order rate constants (k ₂) for the exchange reaction at 70 °C and at pH 7.8 were found to be 32.8±2.3 and 31.2±3.2 M^–1·s^–1 from the spectrometric and radiotracer experiments, respectively. For the direct complexation of Zn(II) with H₂TPPS, a similar 2nd order rate constant (k=32.4±4.7 M^–1·s^–1) was obtained as that in the ligand exchange reaction. The activation energies (E) for the exchange and the formation of Zn-TPPS were found to be 69.3±0.2 and 69.4±0.2 kJ·mol^–1, respectively, in the temperature range from 40 to 70 °C.