ParaHydrogen Polarized Ethyl-[1-13C]pyruvate in Water,a Key Substrate for Fostering the PHIP-SAH Approach to Metabolic Imaging

An efficient synthesis of vinyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate has been reported, from which ¹³C hyperpolarized (HP) ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate has been obtained by means of ParaHydrogen Induced Polarization (PHIP). Due to the intrinsic lability of pyruvate, which leads quickly to degradation of the reaction mixture even under mild reaction conditions, the vinyl-ester has been synthesized through the intermediacy of a more stable ketal derivative. ¹³C and ¹H hyperpolarizations of ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate, hydrogenated using ParaHydrogen, have been compared to those observed on the more widely used allyl-derivative. It has been demonstrated that the spin order transfer from ParaHydrogen protons to ¹³C, is more efficient on the ethyl than on the allyl-esterdue to the larger J-couplings involved. The main requirements needed for the biological application of this HP product have been met, i. e. an aqueous solution of the product at high concentration (40 mM) with a good ¹³C polarization level (4.8 %) has been obtained. The in vitro metabolic transformation of the HP ethyl-[1-¹³C]pyruvate, catalyzed by an esterase, has been observed. This substrate appears to be a good candidate for in vivo metabolic investigations using PHIP hyperpolarized probes.     

Saturated Commutative Spaces of Heisenberg Type

In this paper, we give a partial classification of commutative spaces of Heisenberg type. Several classification results were known previously. In order to avoid complicated technical details, we restrict ourselves to saturated commutative spaces. Our results are presented in Table II.     

Structural Study of C-undecylcalix[4]resorcinarene Solvate with Dioxane

The crystal structure of the molecular complex of C-undecylcalix[4]resorcinarene with dioxane has been determined by X-ray analysis. The asymmetric unit contains one host and four guest molecules. The calix[4]resorcinarene moiety adopts a bowl conformation with C_4v symmetry. Four undecyl chains are axially oriented. Calix molecules are packed in a bowl-to-bowl fashion with alternating hydrophilic and hydrophobic layers. One of the hydrophilic dioxane molecules is located at the rim of the calix moiety and is hydrogen bonded to the other one. There is no interaction to attract, or direct the dioxane molecule into the interior of the cavity. There is an exo complex formed. The dioxane molecules – located in the hydrophobic part – are highly disordered.     

Coordination of solvent molecules to VO(acac)<Subscript>2</Subscript> complexes in solution studied by hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy and pulsed electron nuclear double resonance

Interactions and binding sites of the solvent molecules chloroform and ethanol to bis(acetylacetonate)oxovanadium(IV) (VO(acac)₂) complexes in (frozen) solutions have been investigated by pulsed electron nuclear double resonance, sum peak electron spin echo envelope modulation and hyperfine sublevel correlation spectroscopy. The experimental proton hyperfine coupling data of coordinating solvent molecules have been interpreted using quantum chemical calculations (density functional theory). Experimental and computed hyperfine couplings indicate that ethanol coordinates to vanadium in the equatorial plane of VO(acac)₂ and chloroform interacts via hydrogen bonding to oxygens of the acac ligands.     

Crystal Structures of 1,5,9,18,22,26-Hexaaza[11.11]-p-cyclophane Adducts; Two-dimensional Supramolecular Networks

Two newly identified supramolecular structures arise from self-assembly of the macrocyclic 1,5,9,18,22,26- hexaaza[11.11]-p-cyclophane salts with o-nitrophenol (C₂₈H₅₀N₆)⁴⁺·4(C₆H₄NO₂O)⁻ (1) and with HCl (C₂₈H₅₂N₆)⁶⁺·6Cl^-·4H₂O (2). In both cases two-dimensional supramolecular sheets are formed.     

A three‐dimensional framework of bis­[tris­(ethyl­enediamine)zinc] tetra­iodo­cadmate diiodide assisted by N—H⋯I hydrogen bonds

The title salt, [Zn(C₂N₂H₈)₃]₂[CdI₄]I₂, conventionally abbreviated [Zn(en)₃]₂[CdI₄]I₂, where en is ethyl­enediamine, contains discrete [Zn(en)₃]²⁺ cations and [CdI₄]²⁻ anions with distorted octa­hedral and nearly tetra­hedral geometries, respectively, as well as uncoordinated I⁻ ions. The cation and the free I⁻ anion lie on twofold rotation axes and the [CdI₄]²⁻ anion lies on a axis in the space group I2d. The structure exhibits numerous weak inter‐ionic hydrogen bonds of two types, viz. N—H⋯I⁻(free ion) and N—H⋯I([CdI₄]²⁻), which support the resulting three‐dimensional framework.     

Direct vinylation of glucose derivatives with acetylene

Vinyl ethers, promising chiral carbohydrate synthons, have been synthesized by the addition of glucose acetals (1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-glucofuranose, methyl 4,6-O-benzylidene-α-d-glucopyranoside, 1,2-O-cyclohexylidene-α-d-glucofuranose, methyl α-d-glucopyranoside) to acetylene under atmospheric and elevated pressures in an autoclave in the presence of superbase catalytic systems (KOH-DMSO, t-BuOK-DMSO). The complete vinylation of 1,2:5,6-di-O-isopropylidene-α-d-glucofuranose and methyl α-d-glucopyranoside has been realized under elevated pressure of acetylene in the system KOH-THF as well.     

[1‐Allylpyridinium][Cu2Cl3]: Synthesis,X‐ray Structure and the Regularity of Crystal Architecture of 1‐Allyl/(amino)‐pyridinium Copper(I) Chloride π‐Complexes

By alternating‐current electrochemical technique crystals of copper(I) π‐complex with 1‐allylpyridinium chloride of [C₅H₅N(C₃H₅)][Cu₂Cl₃] ( 1 ) composition have been obtained and structurally investigated. Compound 1 crystallizes in monoclinic system, space group C2/c a = 24.035(1) Å, b = 11.4870(9) Å, c = 7.8170(5) Å, β = 95.010(5)°, V = 2150.0(2) ų (at 100 K), Z = 8, R = 0.028, for 4836 independent reflections. In the structure 1 trigonal‐pyramidal environment of π‐coordinated copper(I) atom is formed by a lengthened to 1.376(2) Å C=C bond of allyl group and by three chlorine atoms. Other two copper atoms are tetrahedrally surrounded by chlorine atoms only. The coordination polyhedra are combined into an original infinite (Cu₄Cl₆^2—)_n fragment. Structural comparison of 1 and the recently studied copper(I) chloride π‐complexes with 3‐amino‐, 2‐amino‐, 4‐amino‐1‐allylpyridinium chlorides of respective [LCu₂Cl₃] ( 2 ), [L₂Cu₂Cl₄] ( 3 ), and [LCuCl₂] ( 4 ) compositions allowed us to reveal the trend of the inorganic fragment complication which depends on pKa (base) value of the corresponding initial heterocycle.     

Structure of Complexes Formed in the CuX2–Cu–N-Allylisoquinolinium Chloride System (X = Cl,Br)

The crystals of N-allylisoquinolinium chlorides of the compositions [C₉H₇N(C₃H₅)]₂Cu^IICl₄ (I), [C₉H₇N(C₃H₅)]Cu^ICl₂ · H₂O (II), and [C₉H₇N(C₃H₅)]Cu^ICl_1.43Br_0.57 · H₂O (III) were prepared by alternating-current electrosynthesis. X-ray diffraction analysis (using diffractometer models DARCH1 for I, STOE for II, and KUMA/CCD for III, MoK radiation) showed that the crystals of I are monoclinic, space group P2₁/n, a = 14.91(1) Å, b = 10.41(1) Å, c = 16.90(1) Å, = 109.73(8)°, V = 2470(8) ų, Z = 4. The crystals of isostructural compounds II and III are triclinic, space group P, Z = 2; crystals II: a = 7.2446(6) Å, b = 7.4379(6) Å, c = 12.110(1) Å, = 80.95(1)°, = 85.55(1)°, = 86.60(1)°, V = 641.8(2) ų; crystals III: a = 7.253(2) Å, b = 7.459(4) Å, c = 12.151(5) Å, = 80.82(4)°, = 83.73(3)°, = 86.81(4)°, V = 644.6(9) ų. The structure of I is composed of Cu^IICl₄ ^2– tetrahedra and N-allylisoquinolinium cations united by C–H···Cl hydrogen bonds in corrugated layers. The crystal structures of -complexesII and III are built of [C₉H₇(C₃H₅)]₂Cu₂ ^IX₄ dimers, which form layers along the c axis due to the C–H···X hydrogen bonds. An important role in the structure formation is played by water molecules, which crosslink the organometallic layers to form a three-dimensional framework through the O–H···X contacts.     

Designed helical peptides inhibit an intramembrane protease

gamma-Secretase cleaves the transmembrane domain of the amyloid precursor protein, a process implicated in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease, and this enzyme is a founding member of an emerging class of intramembrane proteases. Modeling and mutagenesis suggest a helical conformation for the substrate transmembrane domain upon initial interaction with the protease. Moreover, biochemical evidence supports the presence of an initial docking site for substrate on gamma-secretase that is distinct from the active site, a property predicted to be generally true of intramembrane proteases. Here we show that short peptides designed to adopt a helical conformation in solution are inhibitors of gamma-secretase in both cells and enzyme preparations. Helical peptides with all d-amino acids are the most potent inhibitors and represent potential therapeutic leads. Subtle modifications that disrupt helicity also substantially reduce potency, suggesting that this conformation is critical for effective inhibition. Fluorescence lifetime imaging in intact cells demonstrates that helical peptides disrupt binding between substrate and protease, whereas an active site-directed inhibitor does not. These findings are consistent with helical peptides interacting with the initial substrate docking site of gamma-secretase, suggesting a general strategy for the development of potent and specific inhibitors of intramembrane proteases.