Toluene Dioxygenase Catalysed synthesis and reactions of cis-diol metabolites derived from 2 and 3-methoxy phenols

Using toluene dioxygenase as biocatalyst, enantiopure cisdihydrodiol and cis-tetrahydrodiol metabolites, isolated as their ketone tautomers, were obtained from meta and ortho methoxyphenols. Although these isomeric phenol substrates are structurally similar, the major bioproducts from each of these biotransformations were found at different oxidation levels. The relatively stable cyclohexenone cis-diol metabolite from meta methoxyphenol was isolated, while the corresponding metabolite from ortho methoxyphenol was rapidly bioreduced to a cyclohexanone cis-diol. The chemistry of the 3-methoxycyclohexenone cis-diol product was investigated and elimination, aromatization, hydrogenation, regioselective O-exchange, Stork−Danheiser transposition and O-methylation reactions were observed. An offshoot of this technology provided a two-step chemoenzymatic synthesis, from meta methoxyphenol, of a recently reported chiral fungal metabolite; this synthesis also established the previously unassigned absolute configuration.

X=Y-ZH COMPOUNDS AS POTENTIAL 1,3-DIPOLES .43. METAL-ION CATALYZED ASYMMETRIC 1,3-DIPOLAR CYCLOADDITION REACTIONS OF IMINES AND MENTHYL ACRYLATE

Metallo-azomethine ylides, generated from imines by the action of amine bases in combination with LiBr or AgOAc, undergo cycloaddition with both 1R, 2S, 5R- and 1S, 2R, 5S-menthyl acrylate at room temperature to give homochiral pyrrolidines in excellent yield. The stronger the base the faster the cycloaddition and the greater the yield with: 2-t-butyl-1,1,3,3-tetramethylguanidine > DBU > NEt(3) X-Ray crystal structures of representative cycloadducts establish that the absolute configuration of the newly established pyrrolidine stereocentres is independent of the metal salt and the size of the pyrrolidineC(2)-substituent for a series of aryl and aliphatic imines.

THE SYNTHESIS OF BRIDGED-RING CARBOCYCLES AND HETEROCYCLES VIA PALLADIUM CATALYZED REGIOSPECIFIC CYCLIZATION REACTIONS

A catalyst system comprising 10 mol % (Pd(OAc) and 20 mol % PPh3 effects the cyclisation of aryl halides onto proximate alkenes via 5-, 6-, and 7-exo-trig, and 7-endo-trig processes giving a variety of bridged-ring carbo- and hetero-cycles in excellent yield. Double bond isomerisation in the product is rarely encountered and may be suppressed by the addition of Tl(1) salts. One example of diastereospecific bis-cyclisation is given and the crystal structure of 1-aza-2-sulphonyl-3,4-benzobicyclo[3.2.1]nona-6-ene is reported.

Systemic oxidative-nitrosative-inflammatory stress during acute exercise in hypoxia; implications for microvascular oxygenation and aerobic capacity

New Findings

What is the central question of this study?Exercise performance is limited during hypoxia by a critical reduction in cerebral and skeletal tissue oxygenation. To what extent an elevation in systemic free radical accumulation contributes to microvascular deoxygenation and the corresponding reduction in maximal aerobic capacity remains unknown.What is the main finding and its importance?We show that altered free radical metabolism is not a limiting factor for exercise performance in hypoxia, providing important insight into the fundamental mechanisms involved in the control of vascular oxygen transport.

Exercise performance in hypoxia may be limited by a critical reduction in cerebral and skeletal tissue oxygenation, although the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. We examined whether increased systemic free radical accumulation during hypoxia would be associated with elevated microvascular deoxygenation and reduced maximal aerobic capacity (). Eleven healthy men were randomly assigned single-blind to an incremental semi-recumbent cycling test to determine  in both normoxia (21% O_{2) and hypoxia (12% O2) separated by a week. Continuous-wave near-infrared spectroscopy was employed to monitor concentration changes in oxy- and deoxyhaemoglobin in the left vastus lateralis muscle and frontal cerebral cortex. Antecubital venous blood samples were obtained at rest and at  to determine oxidative (ascorbate radical by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy), nitrosative (nitric oxide metabolites by ozone-based chemiluminescence and 3-nitrotyrosine by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) and inflammatory stress biomarkers (soluble intercellular/vascular cell adhesion 1 molecules by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay). Hypoxia was associated with increased cerebral and muscle tissue deoxygenation and lower  (P < 0.05 versus normoxia). Despite an exercise-induced increase in oxidative–nitrosative–inflammatory stress, hypoxia per se did not have an additive effect (P > 0.05 versus normoxia). Consequently, we failed to observe correlations between any metabolic, haemodynamic and cardiorespiratory parameters (P > 0.05). Collectively, these findings suggest that altered free radical metabolism cannot explain the elevated microvascular deoxygenation and corresponding lower  in hypoxia. Further research is required to determine whether free radicals when present in excess do indeed contribute to the premature termination of exercise in hypoxia.}

Nucleoside Azide-Alkyne Cycloaddition Reactions Under Solvothermal Conditions or Using Copper Vials in a Ball Mill

Novel nucleoside analogues containing photoswitchable moieties were prepared using 'click' cycloaddition reactions between 5 '-azido-5 '-deoxythymidine and mono- or bis-N-propargylamide-substituted azobenzenes. In solution, high to quantitative yields were achieved using 5mol% Cu(I) in the presence of a stabilizing ligand. 'Click' reactions using the monopropargylamides were also effected in the absence of added cuprous salts by the application of liquid assisted grinding (LAG) in metallic copper reaction vials. Specifically, high speed vibration ball milling (HSVBM) using a 3/32('') (2.38mm) diameter copper ball (62mg) at 60Hz overnight in the presence of ethyl acetate lead to complete consumption of the 5 '-azido nucleoside with clean conversion to the corresponding 1,3-triazole.

Density functional theory study on the activation of molecular oxygen on a stepped gold surface in an aqueous environment: a new approach for simulating reactions in solution

The activation of oxygen molecules is an important issue in the gold-catalyzed partial oxidation of alcohols in aqueous solution. The complexity of the solution arising from a large number of solvent molecules makes it difficult to study the reaction in the system. In this work, O-2 activation on an Au catalyst is investigated using an effective approach to estimate the reaction barriers in the presence of solvent. Our calculations show that O-2 can be activated, undergoing OOH* in the presence of water molecules. The OOH* can readily be formed on Au(211) via four possible pathways with almost equivalent free energy barriers at the aqueous-solid interface: the direct or indirect activation of O-2 by surface hydrogen or the hydrolysis of O-2 following a Langmuir-Hinshelwood mechanism or an Eley-Rideal mechanism. Among them, the Eley-Rideal mechanism may be slightly more favorable due to the restriction of the low coverage of surface H on Au(211) in the other mechanisms. The results shed light on the importance of water molecules on the activation of oxygen in gold-catalyzed systems. Solvent is found to facilitate the oxygen activation process mainly by offering extra electrons and stabilizing the transition states. A correlation between the energy barrier and the negative charge of the reaction center is found. The activation barrier is substantially reduced by the aqueous environment, in which the first solvation shell plays the most important role in the barrier reduction. Our approach may be useful for estimating the reaction barriers in aqueous systems.

Riots and Reactions: Hypocrisy and Disaffiliation?

The August 2011 riots in England occasioned widespread condemnation from government and the media. Here, we apply the concepts of hypocrisy and affiliation to explore reactions to these riots. Initially acknowledging that politics necessitates a degree of hypocrisy, we note that some forms of hypocrisy are indefensible: they compromise injavascript:void(0);tegrity. With rioters condemned as thugs and members of a feral underclass, some reactions exemplified forms of corrosive hypocrisy that deflected attention away from economic, social and cultural problems. Moreover, such reactions omitted to attend to the concept of [dis]affiliation amongst young rioters. Accordingly, we look to the role that education might play in re-affiliating those who do not feel they belong to, or have a sufficient stake in, society. Whilst our focus is on the riots in England, the exploration of hypocrisy and affiliation, and discussion of education for re-affiliation, transcends that national context.

Accounting for clean, fast and high yielding reactions under microwave conditions

Thermal reactions proceed optimally when they are rapidly heated to the highest tolerable temperature, held there for the shortest possible time and then quenched. This is explained through assessments of reaction kinetics in literature examples and models. Although presently available microwave equipment is better suited to rapid heating than resistance-heated systems, the findings do not depend upon the method of heating. Claims that microwave heated reactions proceed faster and more cleanly than their conventionally heated counterparts are valid only when comparably rapid heating and cooling cannot be obtained by conventional heating. These findings suggest that rigid adherence to the sixth principle of green chemistry, relating to the use of ambient temperature and pressure, may not always afford optimal results. © 2010 The Royal Society of Chemistry.

The association between subgingival periodontal pathogens and systemic inflammation

Aim To investigate associations between periodontal disease pathogens and levels of systemic inflammation measured by C-reactive protein (CRP). Methods A representative sample of dentate 60-70-year-old men in Northern Ireland had a comprehensive periodontal examination. Men taking statins were excluded. Subgingival plaque samples were analysed by quantitative real time PCR to identify the presence of Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Treponema denticola and Tannerella forsythia. High-sensitivity CRP (mg/l) was measured from fasting blood samples. Multiple linear regression analysis was performed using log-transformed CRP concentration as the dependent variable, with the presence of each periodontal pathogen as predictor variables, with adjustment for various potential confounders. Results A total of 518 men (mean age 63.6 SD 3.0 years) were included in the analysis. Multiple regression analysis showed that body mass index (p < 0.001), current smoking (p < 0.01), the detectable presence of P. gingivalis (p < 0.01) and hypertension (p = 0.01), were independently associated with an increased CRP. The detectable presence of P. gingivalis was associated with a 20% (95% confidence interval 4-35%) increase in CRP (mg/l) after adjustment for all other predictor variables. Conclusion In these 60-70-year-old dentate men, the presence of P. gingivalis in subgingival plaque was significantly associated with a raised level of C-reactive protein.