Total syntheses of ent-penicillones A (ent-1) and B (ent-2) from 3,5-dimethylcatechol (3) were accomplished in 10 and 9 synthetic steps, respectively. A carbohydrate-templated asymmetric intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of a masked o-benzoquinone (MOB) 9 and an aqueous acid-catalyzed intramolecular aldol reaction are the key synthetic steps. In addition, the absolute configurations of the bi...

The presence of an intramolecular hydrogen bond has been proposed to play a key role in the catalysis of amide isomerization by peptidylprolyl isomerases (PPIases), which are highly conserved and ubiquitous rotamase enzymes that catalyze the cis-trans isomerization of proline residues in peptides and proteins. We present herein kinetic and spectroscopic evidence that indicates the existence of ...

Protein splicing is a self-catalyzed and spontaneous post-translational process in which inteins excise themselves out of precursor proteins while the exteins are ligated together. We report the first discovery of an intramolecular disulfide bond between the two active-site cysteines, Cys1 and Cys+1, in an intein precursor composed of the hyperthermophilic Pyrococcus abyssi PolII intein and e...

Membrane-associated guanylate kinases (MAGUKs) regulate the formation and function of molecular assemblies at specialized regions of the membrane. Allosteric regulation of an intramolecular interaction between the Src homology 3 (SH3) and guanylate kinase (GK) domains of MAGUKs is thought to play a central role in regulating MAGUK function. Here we show that a mutant of the Drosophila MAGUK Dis...

Using the freon mixture CDF(3)/CDClF(2) as solvent we have been able to measure the (1)H and (15)N NMR spectra of the doubly (15)N labeled 2,2'-bipyridinium cation (BpyH(+)) at temperatures down to 115 K. The obtained NMR parameters strongly depend on the type of counteranions indicating the formation of ion pairs. In the case of the bulky poorly coordinating tetrakis[3,5-bis(trifluoromethyl)ph...

Using a time-dependent-density functional theory (TD-DFT), Configuration Interaction Singles (CIS) and Zerner’s Intermediate Neglect of Differential Overlap (ZINDO) methods, we have investigated the UV-Visible spectra of one new intramolecular cyclization at before and after intramolecular attack. All structures were optimized at the B3LYP/6-311++G** level while UV-Visible parameters were calcul...

We present results of numerical simulations indicating a complex laser driven electron dynamics inside simple molecular systems on the attosecond time scale. This attosecond electron dynamics influences the instant of ionization of the molecule and the final electron momentum distributions.

Metal-free homoallylic oxygen-directed intramolecular hydroboration is reported. Regioselectivities from 20:1 to 82:1 favoring the 1,3-dioxy-substituted products have been achieved using Me2S.BH3/TfOH followed by standard oxidative workup. Branching at the C5 position improves regioselectivity.

In most of the oxidation—reduction reactions involving net electron transfer which have been studied, the experimental results yield only second order rates, and thus reflect the barrier to bringing reactants together as well as that for the electron transfer act itself. Recent advances in synthetic procedures make it possible to measure as an intramolecular or first order process, net electron...