2,6-Bis(arylsulfonyl)anilines as Fluorescent Scaffolds through Intramolecular Hydrogen Bonds: Solid-State Fluorescence Materials and Turn-On-Type Probes Based on Aggregation-Induced Emission.

A series of 2,6-bis[aryl(alkyl)sulfonyl]anilines were synthesized by nucleophilic aromatic substitution of 2,6-dichloronitrobenzene with various aryl or alkyl thiolates (benzyl-, phenyl-, 2-naphthyl-, and 2-aminophenyl thiolate), followed by hydrogenation and subsequent oxidation. All prepared 2,6-bis[aryl-(alkyl)sulfonyl]anilines showed high fluorescence emissions in the solid state; X-ray structures revealed well-defined intramolecular hydrogen bonds, which served to immobilize the rotatable amino group and generate a fluorescence enhancement in addition to improved photostability. Moreover, absorption and fluorescence spectra showed redshifts in the order of benzyl

Terazulene: a high-performance n-type organic field-effect transistor based on molecular orbital distribution control.

We present herein a linear expanded π-conjugation system comprising azulene units: 2,6':2',6″-terazulene. This simple hydrocarbon exhibits excellent n-type transistor performance with an electron mobility of up to 0.29 cm(2) V(-1) s(-1). The lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO) is well distributed over the entire molecule, whereas the highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) is localized at one end. These findings indicate a disadvantage of hole carrier transport and an advantage of n-type-specific transport behavior. This system presents an unconventional concept: polarity control of OFET by molecular orbital distribution control.

Synthesis, properties, and OFET characteristics of 5,5'-di(2-azulenyl)-2,2'-bithiophene (DAzBT) and 2,5-di(2-azulenyl)-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene (DAzTT).

Two azulene-based π-conjugated systems, 5,5'-di(2-azulenyl)-2,2'-bithiophene and 2,5-di(2-azulenyl)-thieno[3,2-b]thiophene, were constructed via Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reactions. The crystal structures of both revealed an edge-to-face orientation in a well-defined herringbone packing. The molecules stood nearly perpendicular to the substrate in the film form, with features of an organic field-effect transistor at hole mobilities of up to 5.0 × 10(-2) cm(2) V(-1) s(-1).

Formation of cholesterol ozonolysis products through an ozone-free mechanism mediated by the myeloperoxidase-H2O2-chloride system.

The presence of the cholesterol ozonolysis products, 3beta-hydroxy-5-oxo-5,6-secocholestan-6-al (atheronal-A) and its aldolization product 3beta-hydroxy-5beta-hydroxy-B-norcholestane-6beta-carboxaldehyde (atheronal-B) in human atherosclerotic tissues was recently reported as evidence for the generation of ozone by activated human neutrophils. However, the mechanism for the formation of atheronals in atherosclerotic tissues is unknown. In this study, we found that atheronals were formed by the reaction of cholesterol with human myeloperoxidase (MPO) in the presence of its substrates H(2)O(2) and Cl(-). The omission of either H(2)O(2) or Cl(-) from the MPO-H(2)O(2)-Cl(-) system resulted in a significant reduction in yields. The formation of atheronals by the MPO-H(2)O(2)-Cl(-) system was inhibited by an inhibitor of MPO and scavengers of reactive oxygen species such as sodium azide, methionine, beta-carotene, and vinylbenzoic acid. Our results suggest that MPO produces atheronals at least partly through an ozone-free mechanism, via the reaction of cholesterol with singlet oxygen generated from HOCl and H(2)O(2).

Impaired activation of caspase cascade during cell death induced by newly synthesized singlet oxygen generator, 1-buthylnaphthalene-4-propionate endoperoxide.

Endoperoxides of naphthalene derivatives generate singlet oxygen under physiological conditions. Here we have synthesized a new endoperoxide of a naphthalene derivative, 1-buthylnaphthalene-4-propionate endoperoxide (BNPE), and studied its cytotoxic properties on HepG2 and HaCaT cells. BNPE induced cell death at much lower concentration than 1-methylnaphthalene-4-propionate endoperoxide (MNPE) and naphthalene dipropionate endoperoxide (NDPE). A positive correlation exists between the amount of endoperoxide incorporated into cells and its cytotoxic ability. The cytotoxic effect of BNPE was attenuated by alpha-tocopherol but not by sodium azide. In contrast, the effects of MNPE and NDPE were attenuated by both alpha-tocopherol and sodium azide. The caspase cascade in cells treated with endoperoxide was impaired. Caspase activity in a soluble protein fraction were inhibited similarly by the above three endoperoxides. These results suggest an abortive apoptotic pathway due to the suppression of caspase activation is a general feature of cell death induced by singlet oxygen.

Synthesis of dinuclear boron complexes of sulfinylcalix[4]arenes: Syn/Anti stereocontrol by the arrangement of the sulfinyl functions.

Stereocontrol in the synthesis of dinuclear metal complexes of sulfinylcalix[4]arenes 2 has been achieved by the arrangement of sulfinyl functionalities. Thus, the treatment of the(rtct) isomer of 2 (2(rtct)) with an excess of Et(3)B affords syn dinuclear boron complex 4, while a similar treatment of rctt and rcct isomers 2(rctt) and 2(rcct) yields anti dinuclear complexes 5 and 6, respectively.

Inactivation of cysteine and serine proteases by singlet oxygen.

The reaction of singlet oxygen with individual proteins is less well understood than that with other biological molecules. The inhibition of caspase 3 by singlet oxygen appears to involve the modification of a catalytic cysteine residue, since the reactivity of the sulfhydryl with alkylating agents decreased after singlet oxygen treatment. In addition to three cysteine proteases, two serine proteases were also found to be inhibited by singlet oxygen with a similar dose dependency, while an aspartate protease and a metalloprotease were not affected. The carbonyl content of these enzymes was elevated as the result of treatment with singlet oxygen. The catalytic center in serine proteases and cysteine proteases, in which catalytic reactions are based on similar mechanisms involving nucleophilic catalysis assisted by histidine as a general acid/base, can be expected to be modified by singlet oxygen and undergo inactivation.

Interaction between biphenols and anions: selective receptor for dihydrogenphosphate.

Biphenol was shown to bind dihydrogenphosphate (H2PO4-) selectively over various other anions (MeCO2-, Cl-, Br-, I-, NO3-, HSO4-). The highly selectivity of biphenol toward dihydrogenphosphate is explained in terms of the basicity and shape of the guest anion.

Suppression of the pro-apoptotic function of cytochrome c by singlet oxygen via a haem redox state-independent mechanism.

Stimuli for apoptotic signalling typically induce release of cyt c (cytochrome c) from mitochondria. Cyt c then initiates the formation of the apoptosome, comprising Apaf-1 (apoptotic protease-activating factor 1), caspase-9 and other cofactors. The issue of whether the redox state of the haem in cyt c affects the initiation of the apoptotic pathway is currently a subject of debate. In a cell-free reconstitution system, we found that only oxidized cyt c was capable of activating the caspase cascade. Oxidized cyt c was reduced by the physiological reductants cysteine and glutathione, after which it was unable to activate the caspase cascade. It is thus likely that cyt c with oxidized haem is in a conformation capable of interaction with Apaf-1 and forming apoptosomes. When either oxidized or reduced cyt c was treated with submillimolar concentrations of endoperoxide, which affected less than 3% of the redox state of haem, the ability of the oxidized cyt c to activate the caspase cascade was abolished. Higher amounts of singlet oxygen were required to affect the optical spectral change of haem, suggesting that the suppressed pro-apoptotic function of oxidized cyt c is a mechanism that is separate from the redox state of haem. Oxidative protein modification of cyt c by singlet oxygen was evident, on the basis of elevated contents of carbonyl compounds. Our data suggest that singlet oxygen eliminates the pro-apoptotic ability of oxidized cyt c not via the reduction of haem, but via the modification of amino acid residues that are required for apoptosome formation.

Specific inactivation of cysteine protease-type cathepsin by singlet oxygen generated from naphthalene endoperoxides.

Singlet oxygen is a causal factor in light-induced skin photoaging and the cytotoxic process of tumor cells in photodynamic chemotherapy. To develop a better understanding of the functional consequences of protein modification by singlet oxygen, the effects of naphthalene endoperoxide on lysosomal protease, cathepsin, were examined. When the soluble fraction of normal human fetal skin fibroblast cells was treated with the endoperoxide, the activities of cysteine proteases, cathepsins B and L/S, were inhibited, but that of aspartate protease, cathepsin D/E, was not. The reduction of the endoperoxide-treated soluble fractions by treatment with dithiothreitol barely recovered the activities. Cathepsin B, purified from normal human liver, exhibited similar profiles to that in cytosol. These data suggest that singlet oxygen oxidatively modifies an amino acid residue essential for catalysis and consequently results in the irreversible inactivation of cysteine protease-type cathepsin.

An abortive apoptotic pathway induced by singlet oxygen is due to the suppression of caspase activation.

Singlet oxygen causes the cytotoxic process of tumour cells in photodynamic therapy. The mechanism by which singlet oxygen damages cells is, however, not fully understood. To address this issue, we synthesized and used two types of endoperoxides, MNPE (1-methylnaphthalene-4-propionate endoperoxide) and NDPE (naphthalene-1,4-dipropionate endoperoxide), that generate defined amounts of singlet oxygen at 37 degrees C with similar half lives. MNPE, which is more hydrophobic than NDPE, induced the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria into the cytosol and exhibited cytotoxicity, but NDPE did not. RBL cells, a rat basophil leukaemia-derived line, that overexpress phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase in mitochondria were found to be highly resistant to the cytotoxic effect of MNPE. MNPE treatment induced much less DNA ladder formation and nuclear fragmentation in cells than etoposide treatment, even though these treatments induced a similar extent of cellular damage. Singlet oxygen inhibited caspase 9 and 3 activities directly and also suppressed the activation of the caspase cascade. Collectively, these data suggest that singlet oxygen triggers an apoptotic pathway by releasing cytochrome c from mitochondria via the peroxidation of mitochondrial components and results in cell death that is different from typical apoptosis, because of the abortive apoptotic pathway caused by impaired caspase activation.

Interaction between quaternary ammonium ions and dipeptides: positive anion allosteric effect.

The binding properties of dipeptides possessing aromatic residues towards quaternary ammonium ions have been investigated by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. The intermolecular hydrogen bonding between exchangeable protons (OH and NH) of aromatic residues of dipeptides and the counter anion of ammonium ion is the primary force. After the formation of the intermolecular hydrogen bonding, two aromatic residues of dipeptides can provide pi-base cavity to interact with the quaternary ammonium moiety.

Syntheses of chiral homoazacalix[4]arenes incorporating amino acid residues: molecular recognition for racemic quaternary ammonium ions.

Chiral calixarene analogues incorporating amino acid residues into the macrocyclic rings were prepared from the cyclization reactions of bis(chloromethyl)phenol-formaldehyde tetramer with amino acid methyl ester in moderate yields. The macrocycles form a chiral concavity, which is induced by the chiral transmission from the point chirality of the amino acid residues to the phenol-formaldehyde tetramer unit. The macrocycles have the cavity pi-basic enough to include the quaternary ammonium ion due to the cation-pi interaction and can serve as a shift reagent for racemic ammonium ions during 1H NMR analysis.

[Interaction between acyclic phenol--formaldehyde oligomers and quaternary ammonium ions].

The interaction between acyclic phenol-formaldehyde oligomers (1) and quaternary ammonium ions (5) was investigated by 1H-NMR spectroscopy. From the induced chemical shift change of 5 in the presence of 1, the cation-pi interaction between the N(+)-(CH3)3 moiety of 5 and the pi-base of 1 occurs during the formation of the complex. Another important observation is that the OH proton signals of 1 are considerably broadened upon addition of 5, indicating that hydrogen bonding occurs between exchangeable protons of 1 and iodide anion of 5. These interactions play an important role in the binding of 5.

Facile formation of chiral calixarene analogs incorporating cystine peptide into the macrocyclic ring.

Chiral calixarene analogs incorporating cystine peptide into their macrocyclic ring were easily prepared by the cyclization reactions of bis(chloromethyl)phenol-formaldehyde oligomers with cystine peptides in moderate yields. Circular dichroism (CD) spectra indicated the existence of the transmission of the chirality from peptide unit to phenol-formaldehyde oligomer moiety.