Pyrazolones as therapeutics for kinase-mediated inflammatory disorders

2-Hydroxyethylammonium acetate as a reusable and cost-effective ionic liquid for the efficient synthesis of bis(pyrazolyl)methanes and 2-pyrazolyl-1-nitroalkanes

A new and convenient method for the synthesis of bis(pyrazolyl)methanes by one-pot tandem Knoevenagel–Michael reaction of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-5-pyrazolone with aryl, heteroaryl, or alkyl aldehydes in the presence of 2-hydroxyethylammonium acetate (2-HEAA) as a task-specific ionic liquid is described. This method was also successfully applied for the synthesis of 2-pyrazolyl-1-nitroalkanes by Michael addition of 3-methyl-1-phenyl-5-pyrazolone with β-nitrostyrenes in short reaction times. The present protocol offers several advantages such as using a reusable and cost-effective ionic liquid, an environmentally benign reaction media, being amenable to scale-up and good to high yields of the products.

Tandem mass spectrometry strategies for phosphoproteome analysis

Protein phosphorylation is involved in nearly all essential biochemical pathways and the deregulation of phosphorylation events has been associated with the onset of numerous diseases. A multitude of tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) and multistage MS/MS (i.e., MS(n) ) strategies have been developed in recent years and have been applied toward comprehensive phosphoproteomic analysis, based on the interrogation of proteolytically derived phosphopeptides. However, the utility of each of these MS/MS and MS(n) approaches for phosphopeptide identification and characterization, including phosphorylation site localization, is critically dependant on the properties of the precursor ion (e.g., polarity and charge state), the specific ion activation method that is employed, and the underlying gas-phase ion chemistries, mechanisms and other factors that influence the gas-phase fragmentation behavior of phosphopeptide ions. This review therefore provides an overview of recent studies aimed at developing an improved understanding of these issues, and highlights the advantages and limitations of both established (e.g., CID) and newly maturing (e.g., ECD, ETD, photodissociation, etc.) yet complementary, ion activation techniques. This understanding is expected to facilitate the continued refinement of existing MS/MS strategies, and the development of novel MS/MS techniques for phosphopeptide analysis, with great promise in providing new insights into the role of protein phosphorylation on normal biological function, and in the onset and progression of disease. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., Mass Spec Rev 30:600-625, 2011.