BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE The N-terminus of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is important for receptor activation, especially the disulphide-bonded ring (residues 1-7). However, the roles of individual amino acids within this region have not been examined and so the molecular determinants of agonism are unknown. This study has examined the role of residues 1, 3-6 and 8-9, excluding Cys-2 and...

The electronic environment of nitrogen in nucleic acid bases, nucleotides, polynucleotides and DNA has been studied, for the first time using X-Ray Absorption Near-Edge Spectroscopy (XANES). Generally, the spectra of these complex molecules consist of low energy bands corresponding to 1s-->pi* transitions and high energy bands corresponding to 1s-->sigma* transition, as illustrated using severa...

An efficient methodology for the selective substitution of both terminal positions (C6 and C6') in 1',2,3,3',4,4'-hexa-O-benzylsucrose with different unsaturated monosaccharide units is presented. Such a highly functionalized intermediate was cyclized under RCM conditions to afford a macrocyclic derivative containing a 31-membered ring in 26% yield.

A convenient, one-pot, two-component synthesis of 2-(1-amidoalkyl)pyridines is reported, based upon the substitution of suitably-activated pyridine N-oxides by azlactone nucleophiles, followed by decarboxylative azlactone ring-opening. The synthesis obviates the need for precious metal catalysts to achieve a formal enolate arylation reaction, and constitutes a formally 'umpoled' approach to thi...

Ring-opening of cyclic sulfamidates with propargylic sulfonamides yielded substrates for a gold-catalyzed cyclization to yield tetrahydropyrazines. Manipulation of the tetrahydropyrazines, by reduction or using multicomponent reactions, yielded piperazine scaffolds in which substitution of the carbon atoms was varied. Such scaffolds may have value in the synthesis of novel screening compounds w...

Diverse 11H-indeno[1,2-c]quinolines are produced via a palladium-catalyzed three-component reaction of 2-alkynylbromobenzene, 2-alkynylaniline, and electrophile. This conversion tolerates a wide variety of functionality and substitution patterns on the 11H-indeno[1,2-c]quinoline ring.

The synthesis of a ruthenium complex that catalyzes Z-selective (up to 98% Z) asymmetric ring-opening/cross-metathesis with high enantioselectivity (up to 95% ee) is reported. The synthesis of the catalyst features the resolution of a chelating N-heterocyclic carbene complex by ligand substitution with a chiral carboxylate.

Substituted pyrroles were prepared by a gold(I)-catalyzed acetylenic Schmidt reaction of homopropargyl azides. The reaction allows for regiospecific substitution at each position of the pyrrole ring under mild conditions. A mechanism in which azides serve as nucleophiles toward gold(I)-activated alkynes with subsequent gold(I)-aided expulsion of dinitrogen is proposed.