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Molecular and electronic structural properties of the hydrogen-bonded complexes of p-quinone dianions (PQ(2)(-)) were investigated by electrochemistry and spectroelectrochemistry of PQ in MeCN combined with ab initio MO calculations. Hydrogen bonding between PQ(2)(-) and MeOH was measured as the continuous positive shift of the apparent second half-wave reduction potentials with increasing concentrations of MeOH. Detailed analyses of the behavior reveal that PQ(2)(-) forms the 1:2 hydrogen-bonded complexes at low concentrations of MeOH and the 1:4 complexes at high concentrations, yielding the formation constants. Temperature dependence of the formation constants allows us to yield the formation energy as 76.6 and 118.9 kJ mol(-)(1) for the 1:2 and 1:4 complex formation of the 1,4-benzoquinone dianion (BQ(2)(-)) with MeOH, respectively. These results show that the pi-dianions involving the quinone carbonyl groups exhibit very strong hydrogen-accepting ability. The longest wavelength band of the spectra of BQ(2)(-) and the chloranil dianion (CL(2)(-)) is assigned to the (1)B(3u) <-- (1)A(g) band mainly contributed from an intramolecular charge-transfer (CT) configuration. Hydrogen bonding allows the band of BQ(2)(-) and CL(2)(-) to be blue-shifted, depending on the strength of the hydrogen bonds. CNDO/S-CI calculations reveal that the blue shift is ascribed to stabilization of the ground state by the hydrogen bonding involving strong n-sigma-type CT interaction. The HF/6-31G(d) calculation results show that the structure of PQ(2)(-) is characterized by a lengthening of the C=O bonds and a benzenoid ring. The geometrical properties of the hydrogen-bonded complexes of PQ(2)(-) are a slight lengthening of the C=O bonds and a short distance of the hydrogen bonds. It is demonstrated that this situation is due to the strong n-sigma CT interaction in the hydrogen bonds. The results suggest that the differing functions and properties of biological quinones are conferred by the n-sigma CT interaction through hydrogen bonding of the dianions with their protein environment.

We report the visible‐light‐induced trifluoromethylation of arenes and heteroarenes using sodium trifluoromethanesulfinate catalyzed by anthraquinone‐2‐carboxylic acid. This reaction is a metal‐free trifluoromethylation of arenes and heteroarenes catalyzed by a photoredox organocatalyst. Perfluoroalkylated arenes were also produced using sodium perfluoroalkylsulfinates.magnified image

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The first and second reduction (E1⁄2.1red, E1⁄2.2red) and the first oxidation (E1⁄2.1oxd) standard potentials of benzenoid alternant hydrocarbons (BAH) were experimentally determined by means of cyclic voltammetry (CV) in nonaqueous solvents. The second standard oxidation potential (E1⁄2.2oxd) was however, estimated by checking the scan rate dependence of the irreversible CV curve. The equations pertinent to these potentials and their mutual relations were formulated from the points of view of the Born–Haber-type thermodynamic energy cycle and SCFMO calculations. Of the SCFMO calculations, the MO-paring property established in the PPP-type π-electron theory was very successful in the discussion of the equations given above. Under the acceptable assumptions that the solvation energies due to mono- and dications are put equal to those of the mono- and dianions respectively, and using the MO-pairing property, the equation of (E1⁄2.1oxd+E1⁄2.1red)=(E1⁄2.2oxd+E1⁄2.2red) was derived. The experimental results were well described by this equation. The solvationenergy values were evaluated by applying the experimentally determined reduction or oxidation potentials to the theoretical equations. An examination of the solvation energies has shown that these values can be interpreted by means of the Born-type equation.

It is known that pyruvate kinase in muscle (PKM), which is a rate-limiting glycolytic enzyme, has essential roles in the Warburg effect and that expression of cancer-dominant PKM2 is increased by polypyrimidine tract-binding protein 1 (PTBP1), which is a splicer of the PKM gene. In other words, PKM2 acts as a promoter of the Warburg effect. Previously, we demonstrated that the Warburg effect was partially established by down-regulation of several microRNAs (miRs) that bind to PTBP1 and that ectopic expression of these miRs suppressed the Warburg effect. In this study, we investigated the functions of miR-1 and -133b, which are well known as muscle-specific miRs, from the viewpoint of the Warburg effect in colorectal tumors. The expression levels of miR-1 and -133b were relatively high in colon tissue except muscle and very frequently down-regulated in 75 clinical colorectal tumors samples, even in adenomas, compared with those of the adjacent normal tissue samples. The ectopic expression of these miRs induced growth suppression and autophagic cell death through the switching of PKM isoform expression from PKM2 to PKM1 by silencing PTBP1 expression both in vitro and in vivo. Also, we showed that the resultant increase in the intracellular level of reactive oxygen species (ROS) was involved in this mechanism. Furthermore, PTBP1 was highly expressed in most of the 30 clinical colorectal tumor samples examined, even in adenomas. Our results suggested that PTBP1 and PTBP1-associated miR-1 and -133b are crucial molecules for the maintenance of the Warburg effect in colorectal tumors.

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