Simple Synthesis of a Heterocyclophane Exhibiting Anti-c-Met Activity by Acting as a Hatch Blocking Access to the Active Site**

A simple approach to the synthesis of heterocyclophane consisting of two 4,4’-bithiazoles has been developed in mild conditions. The heterocyclophane with two short chains was conveniently prepared by Hantzsch thiazoles synthesis using the reaction of 3-tert-butoxycarbonyl-3-azapentanethiocarboxamide with 1,4-dibromobutane-2,3-dione in methanol under reflux for only 15 min. Amino groups at the linkers of this heterocyclophane can be functionalized to give acylated and carbamate derivatives. Their properties as protein kinase inhibitors were investigated, and one of the heterocyclophanes exhibited specific anti-activity for c-mesenchymal epithelial transition factor (IC₅₀=603 nm ), among seven types of protein kinases investigated. The computational site identification by ligand competitive saturation method was used to determine why the one heterocyclophane exhibited strong anti-activity for c-mesenchymal epithelial transition factor.     

Synthesis, structure, and properties of extended π-conjugated systems bearing sterically crowded triarylphosphines

The sterically crowded triarylphosphines bearing formyl and benzoyl groups were synthesized and characterized by X-ray crystallography. The benzoyl derivative was converted to the p-quinomethane conjugated with the triarylphosphine. The McMurry coupling of the formyl derivative afforded the diarylethene bearing the two sterically-crowded-triarylphosphine moieties. The cyclic voltammograms of these compounds show reversible redox waves corresponding to the oxidation to the radical cations of the triarylphosphines and irreversible or quasi-reversible waves corresponding to the reduction of the acceptor moieties. The electronic and the fluorescence spectra of these π-conjugated systems, especially push-pull substituted derivatives, exhibit bathochromic shift typical of the extended π-conjugated systems especially in the polar solvent, and the large Stokes shift typical of the crowded triarylphosphines is enhanced by conjugation with the acceptor moiety.     

Transport of monooleoylglycerol mediated by bile salt micelles across porous membranes

In order to study how the bile salts and lipids behave in the vicinity of microvillus, the transport properties of a sodium salt of deoxycholic acid (NaDC) and its mixture with monooleoylglycerol (MO) through artificial membranes were investigated in 0.15 M NaCl saline solution at 37°C.The hydrodynamic radius of MO-solubilized micelles was estimated to be approximately 17–20 Å from the transport study. The thermodynamically stable MO-NaDC mixed micelles formed above critical micelle concentration in the higher region of mole fraction of NaDC in the mixture (X _NaDC>ca. 0.6), can behave as a single species in transport process and freely pass through the porous membranes of both pore sizes, 0.01 m and 0.1 m.The permeabilities of MO-NaDC mixed micelles are large compared with those of pure NaDC micelles. MO molecules solubilized may probably enhance the interaction between MO and NaDC molecules by better contacting with the respective hydrophobic groups in a mixed micelle (the flexible structure of MO molecule enables it), and in this situation, the smaller micelles compared with those of pure NaDC must be more favorable.     

Unambiguously confirmed structure of 2-phenacylidene-1,2-dihydro-4H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-3-one and 3-phenacylidene-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-2-one

To determine the structures of two isomeric products, 2-phenacylidene-1,2-dihydro-4H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-3-one (2) and 3-phenacylidene-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-2-one (3) obtained by condensation of 2,3-diaminopyridine (1) with ethyl benzoylpyruvate [1–3], these compounds were hydrolyzed to give 2-methyl-4H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-3-one (4) and 3-methyl-1H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-2-one (5) , respectively [4,5]. Both hydrolysates 4 and 5 were hydrogenated to afford 2-methyl-1,2-dihydro-4H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-3-one (6) and 3-methyl-3,4-dihydro-1H-pyrido[2,3-b]pyrazin-2-one (7) . The latter compound was identical with an unequivocally synthesized compound providing proof for the structures of all these compounds.     

Single-vesicle estimation of ATP-binding cassette transporters in microfluidic channels

We have developed a method to analyze the substrate transport of ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters, which are associated with drug resistance in tumor cells. Our microfluidic method is well suited to the single-vesicle estimation of substrate transport and the rapid drug screening of ABC transporters. Using this method, we have demonstrated, for the first time, the analysis of substrate transport by a single transporter and performed drug-inhibition experiments in less than 3 h.     

Selective growth of ag nanowires on Si(111) surfaces by electroless deposition

Electroless deposition of Ag on atomically flat H-terminated Si(111) surfaces in aqueous alkaline solutions containing Ag ions produced two different sizes of Ag nanowires along atomic step edges: (1) a narrow nanowire of 10 nm in width and 0.5 nm in height and (2) a wide nanowire of 35 nm in width and 11 nm in height. The narrow and wide nanowires were formed by immersion in the solutions containing less than 1 ppb and 8 ppm dissolved-oxygen concentrations, respectively. This result indicates that the dissolved oxygen initiates the formation of Ag nucleation sites and that the fabrication method has a possibility of controlling the size of Ag nanowires.     

Optical microscopy and in situ Raman scattering of single crystalline ethylene hydrate and binary methane-ethylene hydrate at high pressures

Visual observations through a microscope and in situ Raman measurements have been made for single crystalline ethylene hydrate (EH) and binary methane-ethylene hydrate (MEH) at pressures up to 3.7 GPa and room temperature. Both hydrates showed pressure-induced phase transitions at 1.6, 2.0, and 3.0 GPa for EH and at 1.7, 2.1, and 3.3 GPa for MEH. The cubic sI phase of EH and MEH remains stable up to 1.6 and 1.7 GPa, respectively, which are more widely ranging values than the values for the methane hydrate sI phase. In this sI phase of binary MEH, the cage occupancies by methane and ethylene molecules are investigated from Raman spectra. Above P = 3.0 GPa for EH and 3.3 GPa for MEH, they decomposed by associating with the formation of the polyethylene.