Anti-Inflammatory Dysidazirine Carboxylic Acid from the Marine Cyanobacterium Caldora sp. Collected from the Reefs of Fort Lauderdale,Florida

Dysidazirine carboxylic acid (1) was isolated from the lipophilic extract of a collection of the benthic marine cyanobacterium Caldora sp. from reefs near Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The planar structure of this new compound was determined by spectroscopic methods and comparisons between HRMS and NMR data with its reported methyl ester. The absolute configuration of the single chiral center was determined by the conversion of 1 to the methyl ester and the comparison of its specific rotation data with the two known methyl ester isomers, 2 and 3. Molecular sequencing with 16S rDNA indicated that this cyanobacterium differs from Caldora penicillata (Oscillatoriales) and represents a previously undocumented and novel Caldora species. Dysidazirine (2) showed weak cytotoxicity against HCT116 colorectal cancer cells (IC₅₀ 9.1 µM), while dysidazirine carboxylic acid (1) was non-cytotoxic. Similar cell viability patterns were observed in RAW264.7 cells with dysidazirine only (2), displaying cytotoxicity at the highest concentration tested (50 µM). The non-cytotoxic dysidazirine carboxylic acid (1) demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity in RAW264.7 cells stimulated with LPS. After 24 h, 1 inhibited the production of NO by almost 50% at 50 µM, without inducing cytotoxicity. Compound 1 rapidly decreased gene expression of the pro-inflammatory gene iNOS after 3 h post-LPS treatment and in a dose-dependent manner (IC₅₀ ~1 µM); the downregulation of iNOS persisted at least until 12 h.     

Visible‐Light‐Induced Click Chemistry

A rapid and catalyst‐free cycloaddition system for visible‐light‐induced click chemistry is reported. A readily accessible photoreactive 2H‐azirine moiety was designed to absorb light at wavelengths above 400 nm. Irradiation with low‐energy light sources thus enables efficient small‐molecule synthesis with a diverse range of multiple‐bond‐containing compounds. Moreover, in order to demonstrate the efficiency of the current approach, quantitative ligation of the photoactivatable chromophore with functional polymeric substrates was performed and full conversion with irradiation times of only 1 min at ambient conditions was achieved. The current report thus presents a highly efficient method for applications involving selective cycloaddition to electron‐deficient multiple‐bond‐containing materials.     

Gold‐Catalyzed Synthesis of Functionalized Pyridines by Using 2H‐Azirines as Synthetic Equivalents of Alkenyl Nitrenes

2H‐Azirines are easily synthesized from the corresponding ketones and, despite possessing a C?N bond embedded in a strained three‐membered cycle, they are sufficiently stable to be isolated, stored, and manipulated. 2H‐Azirines can be regarded as valuable synthetic equivalents of alkenyl nitrenes, however, reactions capitalizing on the cyclic strain of the heterocyclic motif and involving the cleavage of the C? N single bond remain surprisingly limited. A gold‐catalyzed reaction that allows the formation of polysubstituted functionalized pyridines from easily accessible 2‐propargyl 2H‐azirine derivatives was developed. This transformation, which corresponds to an unprecedented intramolecular transfer of an alkenyl nitrene to an alkyne, proceeds with low catalyst loading, is efficient, and exhibits a high functional‐group tolerance and a wide substrate scope.     

Isomerization of 5-(2H-Azirin-2-yl)oxazoles: An Atom-Economic Approach to 4H-Pyrrolo[2,3-d]oxazoles

An atom economical method for the preparation of variously substituted 4H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]oxazoles was developed on the basis of thermal isomerization of 5-(2H-azirin-2-yl)oxazoles. The latter were prepared by Rh₂(oct)₄ catalyzed reaction of 2-(3-aryl/heteroaryl)-2-diazoacetyl-2H-azirines with a set of substituted acetonitriles, benzonitriles, acrylonitrile and fumaronitrile. According to DFT calculations the transformation of 5-(2H-azirin-2-yl)oxazole to 4H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]oxazole occurs through the nitrenoid-like transition state to give a 3aH-pyrrolo[2,3-d]oxazole intermediate, followed by 1,5-H-shift.     

Rearrangement of azirine intermediates to nitriles: Theoretical study of cleavage of 3,4-dihydro-1aH-azirine[2,3-c]pyrrol-2-one to cyanoketene–formaldimine complex

A detailed investigation of the reaction path for the thermal rearrangement of 3,4-dihydro-1aH-azirine[2,3-c]pyrrol-2-one to yield a cyanoketene–formaldimine complex is carried out at the MP2/6-31G* and B3LYP/6-31G* levels of theory. The ring opening of the five-membered pyrrolinone ring and the formation of the nitrile group takes place in a concerted manner, presenting a significant strain energy release and allowing for an electronic stabilization by coarctate conjugation of the transition structure (TS). These two factors make possible a moderate energy barrier. Although the structural features B3LYP/6-31G* theoretical levels, it is found that the MP2 energy barrier (28.8) CCSD(T)/6-31G*//MP2/6-31G* value (17.1 kcal/mol). The complex electronic rearrangement can be rationalized using the theory of coarctate transition structures developed by Herges as the evolution of an azirine structure without referring to a hypothetical vinyl nitrene intermediate. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Comput Chem 19: 912–922, 1998     

Improved procedure for cyclization of vinyl azides into 3-substituted-2H-azirines

A significantly improved procedure for the preparation of 3-substituted 2H-azirines has been developed. By cyclization of the corresponding vinyl azides in low boiling solvents in closed vessels at elevated temperature, high purity, short reaction time and simple isolation of the product were achieved.