Mechanism of azole antifungal activity as determined by liquid chromatographic/mass spectrometric monitoring of ergosterol biosynthesis

A liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) method for separation and characterization of ergosterol biosynthetic precursors was developed to study the effect of Posaconazole on sterol biosynthesis in fungi. Ergosterol biosynthetic precursors were characterized from their electron ionization mass spectra acquired by a normal-phase chromatography, particle beam LC/MS method. Fragment ions resulting from cleavage across the D-ring and an abundant M - 15 fragment ion were diagnostic for methyl substitution at C-4 and C-14. Comparison of the sterol profile in control and treated Candida albicans incubations showed depletion of ergosterol and accumulation of C-4 and C-14 methyl-substituted sterols following treatment with Posaconazole. These C-4 and C-14 methyl sterols are known to be incapable of sustaining cell growth. The results demonstrate that Posaconazole exerts its antifungal activity by inhibition of ergosterol biosynthesis. Furthermore, Posaconazole appears to disrupt ergosterol biosynthesis by inhibition of lanosterol 14alpha-demethylase.     

Laser-enhanced ionization and laser-induced atomic fluorescence as element-specific detection methods for gas chromatography. Application to organotin analysis

The applicability of (1R,2R)-1,3-diacetoxy-1-(4-nitrophenyl)-2-propyl isothiocyanate [(R,R)-DANI] as a recently developed chiral derivatizing agent for the enantioseparation of a series of β-blockers is described. The thiourea diastereomers formed were analyzed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography, mixtures of water and methanol or acetonitrile being used for elution. Conditions of derivatizations (temperature, reagent excess and reaction time) were optimized, and the effects of organic modifiers on the retention and separation were investigated; the diastereomers could readily be baseline separated with methanol-containing mobile phases with resolutions between 1.58 and 2.72.     

α,ω-Diisocyanatocarbodiimides, -Polycarbodiimides,and Their Derivatives

Research in the field of low-molecular weight, oligomeric and polymeric α,ω-diisocyanatocarbodiimides and -polycarbodiimides has been fruitful, not only in connection with these compounds themselves, but also—as so often happens in chemistry—with quite different problems. Novel synthetic methods, discoveries concerning the properties of low-molecular weight carbodiimides and phosphane imide derivatives, as well as results on the fragmentation reactions of four-membered heterocyclic compounds containing oxygen, phosphorus, and nitrogen, and a better understanding of the diisocyanate polyaddition process are among the many by-products of this research. The “high- and low-temperature formation” of polycarbodiimides and the homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis of this process are described, and the fundamental importance of four-membered ring fragmentation mechanisms resulting in the formation of phosphane imide derivatives is outlined. Interesting building blocks for the diisocyanate polyaddition and polycondensation processes can be synthesized by many derivatization reactions of oligomeric and high-molecular weight polycarbodiimides and polyuretonimines. The in situ production of polycarbodiimides via matrix reactions in flexible polyurethane foams leads to a cellular arrangement of the material due to the pronounced symmetrical growth processes. Combination-foams with increased carbonation tendencies are formed in this way. Attention is drawn to several industrial applications of α,ω-diisocyanatopolycarbodiimides, of high-molecular weight cross-linked polyuretonimines, and of polycarbodiimide foams.     

Enzyme inhibitors as chemical tools to study enzyme catalysis: rational design, synthesis, and applications

Carefully designed molecules that are intimately related to the reaction mechanism of enzymes are often highly selective and potent inhibitors that serve as extremely useful chemical probes for understanding the reaction mechanism and structure of enzymes. This article describes the design, synthesis, and applications of specific inhibitors of two mechanistically distinct groups of enzymes, ATP-dependent amide ligases and Ser- and Thr-hydrolases. Our strategy is based on the premise that stable analogues of the transition state (transition-state analogues) are highly potent inhibitors that serve as good mechanistic probes, and that a key structure of a good inhibitor of one enzyme is also utilized for the inhibitors of other enzymes that share the same chemistry in their catalyzed reactions, irrespective of the degree of structural similarity and evolutionary link between the enzymes. According to these principles, we designed and synthesized a series of phosphinate- and sulfoximine-based transition-state analogue inhibitors of glutathione synthetase, gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase and asparagine synthetase. For the second group of enzymes, we synthesized a gamma-monofluorophosphono glutamate analogue for mechanism-based affinity labeling of gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase and fluorescent phosphonic acid esters for the active-site titration of lipase. These inhibitors were used successfully as ligands for detailed kinetic analyses, X-ray crystallography, and mass analysis of the enzymes to identify the key amino acid residues responsible for catalysis and substrate recognition in the transition state.     

A Short and Highly Stereoselective Synthesis of Cerebrosterol

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The Reaction of 4-Formylsydnone with Nitroalkanes

Under various basic solutions and reaction durations, 3-substituted 4-formyIsydnones and nitroalkanes containing α-active hydrogen (e.g. nitromethane and nitroethane) are converted to β-nitroalcohols, nitroalkenes and dinitroalkanes. β-Nitroalcohols are obtained only by electrochemical reaction on an electrogenerated base (EGB). The mechanism of overall reaction steps in particular is discussed.     

Synthese und Strukturuntersuchungen von Ba2H[α-FeO4W12O36] · 26 H2O

Synthesis and Structure Studies of Ba₂H[α-FeO₄W₁₂O₃₆] · 26 H₂O The heteropolyanion compound Ba₂H[α-FeO₄W₁₂O₃₆] · 26 H₂O (I) crystallizes in the tetragonal space group P4 n2 with the lattice parameters a = 12.398(6), c = 18.721(6) Å; Z = 2; D_x = 4.128 g · cm^?3. The structure was solved on a twinned crystal from 1029 observed reflections and refined to an index R of 7.6%. The calculations were done by means of a modified ORFLS-programme by Eitel and Bärnighausen. The heteropolyanion [α-FeO₄W₁₂O₃₆]^5? has the well known α-Keggin structure. The average distance of the four central oxygen atoms to the Fe^III position (0, 0, 0) is 1.84 Å. The angles ? O? Fe? O are 112.3° (4X) and 103.9 (2X), respectively, which leads to an disphenoidal distortion of the FeO₄ tetrahedron. The powder and single crystal ESR spectra of I show the anisotropy of the Fe^III fine structure transition 1/2 ? ?1/2. The Mößbauer spectra confirm the tetragonal distortion of the central FeO₄ tetrahedron (quadrupole splitting Δ ≈ 0.50 mm · s^?1).     

Asymmetric Diels-Alder Reactions of Chiral Menthyl α-Sulfinylacrylates

Introducing two chiral auxiliaries, sulfoxide and menthol, into an acrylate would have either matched or mismatched pair systems. The presence of chiral menthol in α-sulfinylacrylates can change the diastereoselectivity from 24% d.e. to a single diastereomer by manipulation of the double asymmetric strategy.     

Titanyl Acetylacetonate as an Efficient Catalyst for Regioselective 1,2‐Reduction of α,β‐Unsaturated Carbonyl Compounds and Conversion of α‐Diketones & Acyloins to Vicinal Diols with Sodium Borohydride

α,β‐Unsaturated aldehydes and ketones were reduced readily and exclusively to their corresponding allylic alcohols with NaBH₄ and catalytic amounts of titanyl acetylacetonate at room temperature. Reduction reactions were carried out in CH₃CN or THF. This reducing system was also efficient for the reduction of α‐diketones and acyloins to their corresponding vicinal diols in CH₃CN.     

Monte‐Carlo simulation of spatial distribution of characteristic x‐rays in multi‐film targets: source size of Al Kα x‐rays in W/Al film targets

A Monte‐Carlo simulation approach has been applied to describe the spatial distribution of characteristic x‐rays in W/Al film targets of different combinations of film thicknesses for the optimal design of a small‐sized x‐ray source having a high x‐ray intensity. The result has led to optimal combinations of W and Al film targets for 100 kV electrons, e.g. W(1 µm)/Al(20 µm), W(3 µm)/Al(15 µm) and W(5 µm)/Al(8 µm). These Al/W targets could be used as x‐ray sources for a medical instrument currently under development. Copyright © 2004 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.