Catalysis of a new ribose carbon-insertion reaction by the molybdenum cofactor biosynthetic enzyme MoaA.

MoaA, a radical S-adenosylmethionine enzyme, catalyzes the first step in molybdopterin biosynthesis. This reaction involves a complex rearrangement in which C8 of guanosine triphosphate is inserted between C2' and C3' of the ribose. This study identifies the site of initial hydrogen atom abstraction by the adenosyl radical and advances a mechanistic proposal for this unprecedented reaction.

Novel ring chemistry of vitamin B6 with singlet oxygen and an activated ene: isolated products and identified intermediates suggesting an operable [3 + 2] cycloaddition.

Pyridoxine reaction with (1)O(2) in aqueous solution at neutral pH resulted in oxidation at the 2- and 6-positions of the pyridine ring and unprecedented ring contraction. Kinetic and low temperature studies provided observable intermediates by NMR spectroscopy. In addition, novel cycloaddition between pyridoxine and N-methylmaleimide, without N-alkylation and in water, suggest a common [3 + 2] cycloaddition with the 3-hydroxypyridine ring.

PLP catabolism: identification of the 2-(Acetamidomethylene)succinate hydrolase gene in Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099.

The function of the mlr6787 gene from Mesorhizobium loti MAFF303099 has been identified. This gene encodes 2-(acetamidomethylene)succinate hydrolase, an enzyme involved in the catabolism of pyridoxal 5'-phosphate (vitamin B 6). This enzyme was overexpressed in Escherichia coli, purified to homogeneity, and characterized. 2-(Acetamidomethylene)succinate hydrolase catalyzes the hydrolysis of 2-(acetamidomethylene)succinate to yield succinic semialdehyde, acetic acid, carbon dioxide, and ammonia. The k cat and K M for this reaction were 0.6 s (-1) and 143 microM, respectively. The enzyme was shown to utilize the E isomer of 2-(acetamidomethylene)succinate.

Mechanistic studies on pyridoxal phosphate synthase: the reaction pathway leading to a chromophoric intermediate.

Two routes for the de novo biosynthesis of pyridoxal-5'-phosphate (PLP) have been discovered and reconstituted in vitro. The most common pathway that organisms use is dependent upon the activity of just two enzymes, known as Pdx1 (YaaD) and Pdx2 (YaaE) in bacteria. Pdx2 has been shown to have glutaminase activity and most likely channels ammonia to the active site of the PLP synthase subunit, Pdx1, where ribose-5-phosphate (R5P), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (G3P), and ammonia are condensed in a complex series of reactions. In this report we investigated the early steps in the mechanism of PLP formation. Under pre-steady-state conditions, a chromophoric intermediate (I320) is observed that accumulates upon addition of only two of the substrates, R5P and glutamine. The intermediate is covalently bound to the protein. We synthesized C5 monodeuterio (pro-R, pro-S) and dideuterio R5P and showed that there is a primary kinetic isotope effect on the formation of this intermediate using the pro-R but not the pro-S labeled isomer. Furthermore, it was shown that the phosphate unit of R5P is eliminated rather than hydrolyzed in route to intermediate formation and also that there is an observed C5-deuterium kinetic isotope effect on this elimination step. Interestingly, it was observed that the formation of the intermediate could be triggered in the absence of Pdx2 by the addition of high concentrations of NH4Cl to a preincubated solution of Pdx1 and R5P. The formation of I320 was also monitored using high-resolution electrospray ionization Fourier transform mass spectrometry and revealed a species of mass 34,304 Da (Pdx1 + 95 Da). These results allow us to narrow the mechanistic possibilities for the complex series of reactions involved in PLP formation.

X-ray crystallographic and mass spectrometric probing of the conformational and ionophoric properties of stereoisomeric hexatetrahydrofuranylhexane segments.

A full account of the synthesis of the 12 hexacyclic tetrahydrofuran isomers represented by the nearby formulas is first provided. The key steps involved in further elaboration of the spiro ethers 12, 15, 28, and 45 include controlled ozonolysis, 1,2-addition of the Normant reagent, and heterocyclization. Eight of the end products proved to be sufficiently crystalline to enable X-ray analysis and determination of their solid-state conformational features. The alkali metal ion selectivities of the 12 hexamers were evaluated by a picrate extraction method and by electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) which indicated that small, but significant, selectivity differences exist within the groups of diastereomers. These results revealed that each hexamer demonstrated a preference for lithium ion complexation relative to sodium or potassium ion complexation. Stereoisomeric classification of the hexamers was based on the competition between two dissociation routes promoted by collision-induced dissociation. The preference for each of the two dissociation pathways, both of which involved cleavage at the midpoint of the hexamer, correlated with the stereochemical configurations (syn versus anti) of the THF groups near the termini.

Synthesis of, and structural assignments to the stereoisomers of bis (2,2')- and tris (2,2',2")-tetrahydrofurans: conformational features and ionic binding capacities of these gateway polycyclic networks.

Construction of the polytetrahydrofuranyl building blocks 6-10 from the common bissiloxyacetone precursor 11 is detailed. The approach is concise and, for the bis-(THF) pair, capitalizes on the full retention of configuration observed during the rhodium-promoted decarbonylation of aldehydes 18 and 19. The capability of the title compounds to associate with alkali metal ions in solution and the gas phase has demonstrated a preference for Li+ over Na+ and K+ in all cases, with 6 and 7 exhibiting somewhat higher binding selectivities than 8-10. The relative energy orderings of attainable conformations with the bis-THF and tris-THF series were explored computationally. The various envelope arrangements present in the individual THF units are shown to play a significant role alongside prevailing gauche interactions. The "gauche effect" is shown computationally not to be an accurate predictor of the lowest energy conformer.

Practical designed syntheses of all stereoisomeric bis(2,2')- and tris(2,2',2' ')-tetrahydrofurans.

A convenient synthetic entry to the entire group of bis(2,2')- and tris(2,2',2' ')-tetrahydrofurans has been developed. The method is concise and relies on chromatographic separation, decarbonylation, and annulation to arrive at a specific product of defined relative configuration. [reaction: see text]

Promoter-dependent course of the Beckmann rearrangement of stereoisomeric spiro[4.4]nonane-1,6-dione monoximes.

Activation of the Beckmann rearrangement of the enantiopure spirocyclic keto oximes (-)-9 and (-)-12 has been initiated with four acidic promoters. In two cases (PPE and PPSE), concerted 1,2 shift of the anti carbon operates exclusively. This is not the case with PPA or Eaton's reagent, although optical activity is fully maintained in these ring expansions as well.

Stereochemical features of Lewis acid-promoted glycosidations involving 4'-spiroannulated DNA building blocks.

Tin tetrachloride-catalyzed glycosidation of persilylated nucleobases with acetate donor 6 in CH(2)Cl(2) solution followed by deprotection gave rise very predominantly to alpha-spironucleosides. These stereochemical assignments stem from the determination of NOE interactions and an X-ray crystallographic analysis of the latter product. Computational studies revealed that these results are consistent with the fact that the C5' substituent shields the beta-face of the oxonium ion involved in the coupling reaction while the C3' substituent is projected away from the alpha-underside. Attack from the more open direction is therefore kinetically favored. Entirely comparable calculations suggested that donor 19 should behave comparably. Experimentation involving this donor gave results consistent with this model although more equitable alpha/beta spironucleoside product ratios were seen when acetonitrile was employed as the reaction medium.

Exo- and endo-receptors in one. A novel class of supramolecular structures housing transition-metal-binding bi- and terpyridine units alongside lithium ion-selective trispirotetrahydrofuranyl components.

The preparation of bipyridine and terpyridine ligands covalently linked via acetylenic and alkoxy tethers to rigid inositol orthoformate platforms is described. The constitution of compounds 3-6 is such that latent exo- and endo-receptor properties are simultaneously present with specific binding sites for Li(+) and transition-metal ions. The 2-fold complexation in different regions is not dependent on prior molecular association. To gauge this unprecedented property, the model systems 11-14 were synthesized and their response to CuCl and FeCl(2) probed by UV-vis and MS techniques. In a similar fashion, the ability of 3-6 to ligate lithium ions chemoselectively was evaluated by electrospray methods. The introduction of controlled amounts of both types of cation followed, and conversion to insoluble oligomeric products presumed to result from integral incorporation of the different metal ions in the expected fashion was achieved.

Water-soluble, core-modified porphyrins as novel, longer-wavelength-absorbing sensitizers for photodynamic therapy. II. Effects of core heteroatoms and meso-substituents on biological activity.

Water-soluble, core-modified porphyrins were prepared and evaluated as sensitizers for photodynamic therapy (PDT). The addition of an aromatic aldehyde to 2,5-dilithiothiophene or -selenophene gave diol 3 as a nearly equimolar mixture of meso and d,l diastereomers, which gave a single diastereomer following careful recrystallization. The condensation of pyrrole with a diol 3 using catalytic BF(3)-etherate gave bispyrrolochalcogenophenes (4). Condensation of a diol 3 with 4 in the presence BF(3)-etherate gave 21,23-dichalcogenaporphyrins (5). 21-Thiaporphyrins (6) were prepared by condensation of a diol 3 with excess pyrrole and benzaldehyde in the presence of tetrachlorobenzoquinone and catalytic BF(3)-etherate. Sulfonation of 5 and 6 with concentrated sulfuric acid at 100 degrees C gave sulfonated derivatives 7-15. Bis-4-methoxy-21,23-dithiaporphyrins 5h and 5l were demethylated with BBr(3), and the resulting phenols were alkylated with ethyl bromoacetate. Saponification gave 21,23-dithiaporphyrin dicarboxylate salts 16 and 17. The 21,23-core-modified porphyrins gave band I absorption maxima (lambda(max) of 689-717 nm) at longer wavelengths than band I for the corresponding 21-core-modified porphyrins, but both classes had band I maxima at longer wavelengths than either TPPS(4) or Photofrin (lambda(max) of 630 nm for both). The core heteroatoms had little effect on either absorption maxima or quantum yields of singlet oxygen generation in 7-17. The meso substituents had a greater impact on absorption maxima. Compounds 7-17 were evaluated for phototoxicity against Colo-26 cells in culture using 4 J cm(-2) of 570-800 nm light. Compounds 8-12, 14, 16, and 17 gave a 50% cell kill in vitro at a lower concentration than Photofrin [5.7 mg (9 micromol)/kg]. Compounds 14, 16, and 17 gave a 50% cell kill with 4 J cm(-2) of light and submicromolar concentrations of sensitizer. Sensitizers 8 and 11 showed no toxicity or side effects in BALB/c mice observed for 90 days following a single intravenous injection of 10 mg/kg of sensitizer. Distribution studies show that sensitizer 8 accumulates in the tumors of BALB/c mice. PDT with 8 at 0.125 mg (0.13 micromol)/kg or 11 at 2.5 mg (2.5 micromol)/kg and 135 J cm(-2) of 694 nm light was comparable to PDT with Photofrin at 2.5 mg (4 micromol)/kg and 135 J cm(-2) of 630 nm light against Colo-26 tumors in BALB/c mice.