Grassypeptolides A-C, cytotoxic bis-thiazoline containing marine cyclodepsipeptides

Grassypeptolides A−C (1−3), a group of closely related bis-thiazoline containing cyclic depsipeptides, have been isolated from extracts of the marine cyanobacterium Lyngbya confervoides. Although structural differences between the analogues are minimal, comparison of the in vitro cytotoxicity of the series revealed a structure−activity relationship. When the ethyl substituent of 1 is changed to a methyl substituent in 2, activity is only slightly reduced (3−4-fold), whereas inversion of the Phe unit flanking the bis-thiazoline moiety results in 16−23-fold greater potency. We show that both 1 and 3 cause G1 phase cell cycle arrest at lower concentrations, followed at higher concentrations by G2/M phase arrest, and that these compounds bind Cu²⁺ and Zn²⁺. The three-dimensional structure of 2 was determined by MS, NMR, and X-ray crystallography, and the structure of 3 was established by MS, NMR, and chemical degradation. The structure of 3 was explored by in silico molecular modeling, revealing subtle differences in overall conformation between 1 and 3. Attempts to interconvert 1 and 3 with base were unsuccessful, but enzymatic conversion may be possible and could be a novel form of activation for chemical defense.

Isoquinoline-based chiral monodentate N-heterocyclic carbenes

C(1)-symmetric isoquinoline-based chiral diaminocarbene ligands (MIQ) have been developed to block three quadrants of the metal coordination sphere, complementing C(2)-symmetric biisoquinoline-based ligands (BIQ). MIQ-Cu complexes catalyzed conjugate borylation of various α,β-unsaturated amides in good yields (82-99%) and enantioselectivities (75-87% ee).

The impact of polyether chain length on the iron clearing efficiency and physiochemical properties of desferrithiocin analogues

(S)-2-(2,4-Dihydroxyphenyl)-4,5-dihydro-4-methyl-4-thiazolecarboxylic acid (2) was abandoned in clinical trials as an iron chelator for the treatment of iron overload disease because of its nephrotoxicity. However, subsequent investigations revealed that replacing the 4'-(HO) of 2 with a 3,6,9-trioxadecyloxy group, ligand 4, increased iron clearing efficiency (ICE) and ameliorated the renal toxicity of 2. This compelled a closer look at additional polyether analogues, the subject of this work. The 3,6,9,12-tetraoxatridecyloxy analogue of 4, chelator 5, an oil, had twice the ICE in rodents of 4, although its ICE in primates was reduced relative to 4. The corresponding 3,6-dioxaheptyloxy analogue of 2, 6 (a crystalline solid), had high ICEs in both the rodent and primate models. It significantly decorporated hepatic, renal, and cardiac iron, with no obvious histopathologies. These findings suggest that polyether chain length has a profound effect on ICE, tissue iron decorporation, and ligand physiochemical properties.

An alcoholysis route to a Cu16 cluster, and the influence of the alcohol

A systematic investigation of the alcoholysis of copper(II) pivalate (piv(-)) solutions has led to a series of Cu(2), Cu(6), and Cu(16) products, depending on the alcohol used as solvent. When Pr(n)OH or Bu(n)OH was employed, the products were the clusters [Cu(16)O(4)(OH)(4)(OR)(8)(piv)(12)(ROH)] (R = Pr(n), Bu(n)) that are almost isostructural. The Cu(16) clusters are antiferromagnetically-coupled with an S = 0 spin ground state.

Catalytic aerobic oxidation by a trianionic pincer Cr(III)/Cr(V) couple

Aerobic oxidation that incorporates both O atoms into a substrate (PPh(3)) is achieved by employing a Cr(III)/Cr(V)[triple bond]O catalytic couple. A terphenyl trianionic pincer ligand stabilizes a high oxidation state Cr(V)[triple bond]O complex, and both the reduced (Cr(III), IR/X-ray) and oxidized (Cr(V)[triple bond]O, electron paramagnetic resonance/IR/X-ray) participants in the catalytic cycle are characterized.

Mn4, Mn6, and Mn11 clusters from the use of bulky diphenyl(pyridine-2-yl)methanol

The synthesis, crystal structure, and magnetochemical characterization are reported of three new Mn clusters [Mn(4)O(2)(O(2)CBu(t))(5)(dphmp)(3)] (1), [Mn(6)O(4)(OMe)(2)(O(2)CPh)(4)(dphmp)(4)] (2), and [Mn(11)O(7)(OMe)(7)(O(2)CPh)(7)(dphmp)(4)(MeOH)(2)] (3). They were obtained from the use of diphenyl(pyridine-2-yl)methanol (dphmpH), a bulkier version of the 2-(hydroxymethyl)pyridine (hmpH) reagent commonly employed previously in Mn chemistry. The reaction of dphmpH with MnCl(2) x 4 H(2)O and NaO(2)CBu(t) in MeCN/MeOH (30 mL, 5:1 v/v) led to the isolation of tetranuclear complex 1, whereas the analogous reaction with NaO(2)CPh gave hexanuclear complex 2. When the 5:1 solvent ratio in the latter reaction was changed to 1:29, the isolated product was now undecanuclear complex 3. Complexes 1-3 all possess rare or unprecedented Mn(x) topologies: Complex 1 possesses a [Mn(4)(mu(3)-O)(2)](8+) (4 Mn(III)) butterfly core, one edge of which is additionally bridged by an alkoxide arm of a dphmp(-) chelate; complex 2 possesses a [Mn(6)(mu(4)-O)(2)(mu(3)-O)(2)(mu(3)-OMe)(2)](8+) (6 Mn(III)) core with a face-sharing double cubane topology; and complex 3 (Mn(II), 10 Mn(III)) possesses a [Mn(4)(mu(4)-O)(3)(mu(3)-OMe)](5+) cubane unit, attached on one side to a Mn(II) atom by a mu(4)-O atom and alkoxide groups, and on the other side to a [Mn(5)(mu(4)-O)(mu(3)-O)(3)(mu(3)-OMe)(mu-OR)(3)](3+) unit consisting of three face-sharing defective cubanes linked to an additional Mn(III) atom by a mu(3)-O atom. Solid-state dc and ac magnetic susceptibility measurements on 1-3 establish that they possess S = 0, 3, and 5/2 ground states, respectively. ac susceptibility studies on 2 and 3 reveal weak non-zero frequency-dependent out-of-phase (chi(M)'') signals at temperatures below 3 K, possibly indicative of single-molecule magnets with very small barriers. The combined results demonstrate a ligating difference between bulky dphmp(-) and hmp(-), and the resulting usefulness of the former to provide access to a variety of Mn(x) molecular species not known with the latter.