Intermolecular Domino Reaction of Two Aryl Iodides Involving Two C?H Functionalizations

A palladium‐catalyzed intermolecular cross‐coupling of two aryl iodides is reported, giving polycyclic ring systems with a high level of convergence and efficiency.     

Intermolecular Domino Reaction of Two Aryl Iodides Involving Two CH Functionalizations

A palladium‐catalyzed intermolecular cross‐coupling of two aryl iodides is reported, giving polycyclic ring systems with a high level of convergence and efficiency.     

Shear viscosity of langmuir monolayers in the low-density limit

We have measured the shear viscosity in the liquid phase of several Langmuir monolayers with an accuracy better than 30%. The method is based on the optical monitoring of the Brownian diffusion of submicron latex spheres floating at the air-water interface. The values are between 1 and 11x10(-10) N s m(-1), which is 10 to 100 times lower than previous data on similar systems. For N-palmitoyl-6-n-penicillanic acid and L-alpha-dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, the variation of the shear viscosity with surface density agrees with a classical free area model, whereas for pentadecanoic acid we observe a compensation effect.     

The interaction of lipid modified pseudopeptides with lipid membranes

We have studied the structure of two lipopeptides based on the simple dipeptide building block L-Phe-D-Oxd. These peptides have been reported previously to form fiber-like materials. The lipopeptides synthesized here had the structures C(n)(2)H((2n+1))CO-L-Phe-D-Oxd-OBn or C(n)(2)H((2n+1))CO-D-Phe-L-Oxd-OBn with n = 5 or 11. Addition of the N-terminal lipid modification did not cause a major disturbance of the structures these molecules form. The lipid modifications themselves showed highly rigid structures as inferred from solid-state (2)H NMR. The peptide backbone showed (13)C NMR chemical shifts in agreement with β-sheet secondary structure. Addition of a lipid modification to the N-terminus is a common motif in biology to attach proteins to the membrane. Therefore, we also investigated the lipopeptides in the presence of synthetic POPC bilayers. Two different molecular species were detected under these circumstances: (i) lipopeptide monomers that showed chain order parameters similar to those of the host membrane, (ii) lipopeptide aggregates that exhibited very similar structures and dynamics as the crystalline aggregates. Overall, the lipopeptides showed a well defined and rigid secondary structure that is in agreement with fibrillar aggregates previously detected for those peptides without the lipid modification.     

Self-hydroxylation of perbenzoic acids at a nonheme iron(II) center

Treatment of mononuclear nonheme iron(II) complexes bearing two cis-labile sites with perbenzoic acids results in the self-hydroxylation of the aromatic ring to form the corresponding iron(III)-salicylate complexes through an intramolecular oxo-transfer process.     

The Brønsted Acid Catalyzed,Enantioselective Vinylogous Mannich Reaction

The first catalytic, enantioselective vinylogous Mannich reaction of acyclic silyl dienolates is reported. A second‐generation 2,2′‐dihydroxy‐1,1′‐binaphthyl (BINOL)‐based phosphoric acid has been developed and further optimized as an enantioselective organocatalyst. Upon protonation of the imines, chiral contact ion pairs are generated in situ and attacked highly diastereoselectively by the nucleophile. γ‐Substituted silyl dienolates that lead to more highly substituted Mannich products with a second stereogenic center in good diastereoselectivity have been employed in these reactions. The reaction path has been elucidated with NMR spectroscopy and mass spectrometry, which suggest that the protic reaction medium found to be optimal in these reactions serves to trap the cationic silicon species as silanol. A crystal structure of a phosphoric acid bound imine was obtained that provides insight into the binding mode and a rationale for the stereochemical course of the reaction.     

XAS characterization of end-on and side-on peroxoiron(III) complexes of the neutral pentadentate N-donor ligand N-methyl-N,N',N'-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine

Peroxo intermediates are implicated in the catalytic cycles of iron enzymes involved in dioxygen metabolism. X-ray absorption spectroscopy has been used to gain insight into the iron coordination environments of the low-spin complex [Fe(III)(Me-TPEN)(eta(1)-OOH)](2+)(1) and the high-spin complex [Fe(III)(Me-TPEN)(eta(2)-O(2))](+)(2)(the neutral pentadentate N-donor ligand Me-TPEN =N-methyl-N,N',N'-tris(2-pyridylmethyl)ethane-1,2-diamine) and obtain metrical parameters unavailable from X-ray crystallography. The complexes exhibit relatively large pre-edge peak areas of approximately 15 units, indicative of iron centers with significant distortions from centrosymmetry. These distortions result from the binding of peroxide, either end-on hydroperoxo for 1 (r(Fe-O)= 1.81A) or side-on peroxo for 2 (r(Fe-O)= 1.99 A). The XAS analyses of 1 strongly support a six-coordinate low-spin iron(III) center coordinated to five nitrogen atoms from Me-TPEN and one oxygen atom from an end-on hydroperoxide ligand. However, the XAS analyses of 2 are not conclusive: Me-TPEN can act either as a pentadentate ligand to form a seven-coordinate peroxo complex, which has precedence in the DFT geometry optimization of [Fe(III)(N4Py)(eta(2)-O(2))](+)(the neutral pentadentate N-donor ligand N4Py =N,N-bis(2-pyridylmethyl)-N-bis(2-pyridyl)methylamine), or as a tetradentate ligand with a dangling pyridylmethyl arm to form a six-coordinate peroxo complex, which is precedented by the crystal structure of [Fe(2)(III)(Me-TPEN)(2)(Cl)(2)(mu-O)](2+).     

Peptide Modifications Differentially Alter G Protein‐Coupled Receptor Internalization and Signaling Bias

Although G protein‐coupled receptors (GPCRs) are targeted by more clinically used drugs than any other type of protein, their ligand development is particularly challenging. Humans have four neuropeptide Y receptors: hY₁R and hY₅R are orexigenic, while hY₂R and hY₄R are anorexigenic, and represent important anti‐obesity drug targets. We show for the first time that PEGylation and lipidation, chemical modifications that prolong the plasma half‐lives of peptides, confer additional benefits. Both modifications enhance pancreatic polypeptide preference for hY₂R/hY₄R over hY₁R/hY₅R. Lipidation biases the ligand towards arrestin recruitment and internalization, whereas PEGylation confers the opposite bias. These effects were independent of the cell system and modified residue. We thus provide novel insights into the mode of action of peptide modifications and open innovative venues for generating peptide agonists with extended therapeutic potential.