Straightforward Synthesis of the Near-Infrared Fluorescent Voltage-Sensitive Dye RH1691 and Analogues Thereof

Base-Promoted Formal [3 + 2] Cycloaddition of α-Halohydroxamates with Carbon Disulfide to Synthesize Polysubstituted Rhodanines

A concise and practical strategy via potassium-carbonate-mediated [3 + 2]-cycloaddition reaction of α-halohydroxamates with the common solvent carbon disulfide for the synthesis of functionalized rhodanine derivatives in good to excellent yields is developed. The present methodology features a wide substrate scope as well as good functional group tolerance. The potential synthetic utility of this protocol is demonstrated by synthesis of a series of natural product derivatives containing rhodamine skeletons.

Enantioselective Michael Addition of Pyrazolin-5-ones to Nitroalkenes Catalyzed by Novel Squaramide Organocatalyst

Abstract:

A newly tertiary amine-thiourea organocatalyst has successfully developed and applied into the asymmetric Michael addition of pyrazolin-5-one to nitroalkenes. The catalyst system performed well with a low catalyst loading of 5 mol% under mild reaction conditions. A series of synthetically and pharmaceutically useful chiral pyrazolone derivatives were obtained in high yields (up to 95%) with good enantioselectivities (up to 88 % ee).

In Vivo Two-Photon Voltage Imaging with Sulfonated Rhodamine Dyes

Optical methods that rely on fluorescence for mapping changes in neuronal membrane potential in the brains of awake animals provide a powerful way to interrogate the activity of neurons that underlie neural computations ranging from sensation and perception to learning and memory. To achieve this goal, fluorescent indicators should be bright, highly sensitive to small changes in membrane potential, nontoxic, and excitable with infrared light. We report a new class of fluorescent, voltage-sensitive dyes: sulfonated rhodamine voltage reporters (sRhoVR), synthetic fluorophores with high voltage sensitivity, excellent two-photon performance, and compatibility in intact mouse brains. sRhoVR dyes are based on a tetramethyl rhodamine fluorophore coupled to a phenylenevinylene molecular wire/diethyl aniline voltage-sensitive domain. When applied to cells, sRhoVR dyes localize to the plasma membrane and respond to membrane depolarization with a fluorescence increase. The best of the new dyes, sRhoVR 1, displays a 44% ΔF/F increase in fluorescence per 100 mV change, emits at 570 nm, and possesses excellent two-photon absorption of approximately 200 GM at 840 nm. sRhoVR 1 can detect action potentials in cultured rat hippocampal neurons under both single- and two-photon illumination with sufficient speed and sensitivity to report on action potentials in single trials, without perturbing underlying physiology or membrane properties. The combination of speed, sensitivity, and brightness under two-photon illumination makes sRhoVR 1 a promising candidate for in vivo imaging in intact brains. We show sRhoVR powerfully complements electrode-based modes of neuronal activity recording in the mouse brain by recording neuronal transmembrane potentials from the neuropil of layer 2/3 of the mouse barrel cortex in concert with extracellularly recorded local field potentials (LFPs). sRhoVR imaging reveals robust depolarization in response to whisker stimulation; concurrent electrode recordings reveal negative deflections in the LFP recording, consistent with the canonical thalamocortical response. Importantly, sRhoVR 1 can be applied in mice with chronic optical windows, presaging its utility in dissecting and resolving voltage dynamics using two-photon functional imaging in awake, behaving animals.

Small molecule fluorescent voltage indicators for studying membrane potential

Voltage imaging has the potential to unravel the contributions that rapid changes in membrane voltage make to cellular physiology, especially in the context of neuroscience. In particular, small molecule fluorophores are especially attractive because they can, in theory, provide fast and sensitive measurements of membrane potential dynamics. A number of classes of small molecule voltage indicators will be discussed, including dyes with improved two-photon voltage sensing, near infrared optical profiles for use in in vivo applications, and newly developed electron-transfer based indicators, or VoltageFluors, that can be tuned across a range of wavelengths to enable all-optical voltage manipulation and measurement. Limitations and a 'wish-list' for voltage indicators will also be discussed.

DMAP-promoted domino annulation of β-ketothioamides with internal alkynes: a highly regioselective access to functionalized 1,3-thiazolidin-4-ones at room temperature

One-pot DMAP-mediated regioselective access to functionalized 1,3-thiazolidin-4-ones has been achieved via annulation of β-ketothioamides with internal alkynes.

An efficient microwave assisted synthesis of novel class of Rhodanine derivatives as potential HIV-1 and JSP-1 inhibitors

(Z)-5-(2-(1H-Indol-3-yl)-2-oxoethylidene)-3-phenyl-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-one (7a-q) derivatives have been synthesized by the condensation reaction of 3-phenyl-2-thioxothiazolidin-4-ones (3a-h) with suitably substituted 2-(1H-indol-3-yl)-2-oxoacetaldehyde (6a-d) under microwave condition. The thioxothiazolidine-4-ones were prepared from corresponding aromatic amines (1a-e) and di-(carboxymethyl)-trithiocarbonyl (2). The aldehydes (6a-h) were synthesized from the corresponding acidchlorides (5a-d) using HSnBu(3).