Synthesis of tumor-associated glycopeptide antigens for the development of tumor-selective vaccines

In contrast to normal cells, the glycoprotein profile on epithelial tumor cells is distinctly altered. Due to an incomplete formation of the glycan side-chains resulting from a premature sialylation, additional peptide epitopes become accessible to the immune system in mucin-type glycoproteins on tumor cells. These tumor-associated structure alterations constitute the basis for a selective immunological attack on cancer cells. For the construction of immunostimulating antigens, glycopeptide partial structures from the mucins MUC1 and MUC4 carrying the tumor-associated sialyl-T(N), alpha2,6-sialyl-T and alpha2,3-sialyl-T antigens have been synthesized. Employing different linkers such as the allylic HYCRON or the fluoride-sensitive PTMSEL anchor, the antigenic glycopeptide structures were constructed on the solid phase utilizing pre-assembled glycosyl amino acid building blocks prepared in solution by convergent chemical or chemoenzymatic strategies. The proliferation of cytotoxic T cells has been induced applying a construct composed of a sialyl-T(N) MUC1-glycopeptide conjugated with a tetanus toxin T cell peptide epitope.     

Long-time overdamped Langevin dynamics of molecular chains

We present a novel algorithm of constrained, overdamped dynamics to study the long-time properties of peptides, proteins, and related molecules. The constraints are applied to an all-atom model of the molecule by projecting out all components of the nonbonding interactions which tend to alter fixed bond lengths and angles. Because the overdamped dynamical equations are first order in time, the constraints are satisfied by inversion of a banded matrix at each timestep, which is computationally efficient. Thermal effects are included through a Langevin noise term in the equation of motion. Because high-frequency components of the motion have been eliminated, the timestep of the algorithm is determined by the nonbonding forces, which are two to three orders of magnitude weaker than the bonding forces. Using polyalanine as a test example, we demonstrate that trajectories simulating a microsecond of motion can be run about 10³ times faster than an equivalent molecular dynamics simulation. © 1994 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Synthesis and photoluminescent properties of 1,1'-binaphthyl-based chiral phenylenevinylene dendrimers

New chiral, soluble binaphthyl derivatives that incorporate stilbenoid dendrons at the 6,6'-positions have been prepared. The synthesis of the new enantiopure dendrimers was performed in a convergent manner by Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) reaction of the appropriately functionalized 1,1'-binaphthyl derivative (R)-1 and the appropriate dendrons (R)(2n)G(n)-CHO. Different electroactive units were incorporated in the peripheral positions of the dendrons in order to tune both the optical and electrochemical behavior of these systems. Fluorescence measurements on the chiral dendrimers reveal a strong emission with maxima between 409 and 508 nm depending upon the substitution pattern. Finally, the redox properties of the dendrimers were determined by cyclic voltammetry, showing the influence of the functional groups at the peripheral positions of the dendrimer on the redox behavior of these systems.     

Sensitized photoconduction in a polydiacetylene crystal (DCHD)

The photoconductivity of DCHD displays a maximum near 3.6 eV coinciding with the maximum of the S_o → S₁ absorption of the carbazole group. It is attributed to a sensitization involving charge transfer from the excited chromophore to the chain. The rate constant for non-radiative decay of the carbazole singlet due to energy transfer to the chain is 1.6 × 10¹³ s^?1, and for charge transfer ≈ 3 × 10¹¹ s^?1.     

Synthese von enantiomerenreinen Violaxanthinen und verwandten Verbindungen

Syntheses of Enantiomerically Pure Violaxanthins and Related Compounds The epoxides 16 and ent- 16 , prepared by Sharpless-Katsuki oxidation of 15 in excellent yield and very high enantiomeric purity, were used as synthons for the preparation of (+)-(S)-didehydrovomifoliol (45) , (+)-(6S, 7E, 9E)-abscisic ester 46 , (+)-(6S, 7E, 9Z)-abscsic ester 47 , (?)-(3S, 7E, 9E)-xanthoxin (49) , (?)-(3R, 7E, 9E)-xanthoxin (50) , (3S, 5R, 6S, 3′S,5′R, 6′S, all-E)-violaxanthin (1) (3R, 5R,6S,3′R,5′R,6′S, all-E)-violaxanthin (55) and their (9Z) (see 53 , 57 ), (13Z) (see 54 , 58 ), and (15Z) (see 60 ) isomers. The novel violadione ( 61 ) was prepared from 1 by oxidation with DMSO/Ac₂O. By base treatment, 61 was converted into violadienedione (62) , a potential precursor of carotenoids with phenolic end groups.     

Solvolysen von 4-Alkylidenbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-olen. Synthese von 1-Vinylfulvenen und 8,8-Diphenylheptafulven

Solvolysis of 4-Alkydenbicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-oles. Synthesis of 1-Vinylfulvenes and 8,8-Diphenylheptafulvene Four 4-alkylidenebicyclo[3.2.0]hept-2-en-6-ones 2–5 , obtained via ketene cycloaddition to fulvenes, were reduced to separated mixtures of the ‘endo’ -alcohols ‘endo’- 6 to ‘endo’- 9 (68–73%) and ‘exo’- 6 to ‘exo’- 9 (3–20%). Treatment of some of these alcohols with (CF₃SO₂)₂O in CH₂Cl₂/pyridine caused a spontaneous solvolysis to yield unsaturated 7-membered rings as pyridinium triflates 10–12 or 1-vinylfulvenes 13 and 14 , a new class of reactive tetraenes: Both ‘endo’- 9 and ‘exo’- 9 , having two methyl groups at C(7), were converted into the vinylfulvene 13 (≈ 80%). The alcohols with two H-atoms at C(7) exhibited a stereochemically controlled reaction selectivity, inasmuch as ‘endo’- 6 to ‘endo’- 8 afforded only the corresponding 7-membered-ring pyridinium salts 10–12 (66–79%), while ‘exo’- 6 produced only the vinylfulvene 14 (77%). A stereoelectronic control argument explains the C(1), C(5)-bond cleavage with ‘endo’- B and ‘endo’– 6 -‘endo’- 8 , as well as the C(1), C(7)-bond cleavage with ‘exo’- B , ‘exo’- 6 , and with both ‘endo’- and ‘exo’- 9 . Thermolysis (120°) of the pyridinium triflates 10 and 11 yielded the 3-isopropenyl-cycloheptatrienes 18 and 19 , respectively (≈90%); similar conditions (145°) applied to the triflate 12 produced the doubly cyclized fluorene derivative 21 (60%). When the iodide 22 derived from the triflate 12 with Nal was heated in refluxing toluene, 8,8-diphenylheptafulvene ( 23 , 86%) was obtained.