Despite the great potential of heteroatom-containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in organic optoelectronics, there are very limited reports on heteroaromatics containing a B-N-B bond in the π-scaffold. Herein, stable 1,9-dibora-9a-azaphenalenyl (DBAP) derivatives, named BNB-embedded phenalenyls, are presented. The DBAP skeleton contains a three-center two-π-electron B-N-B moiety with 12 π-electrons and can be regarded as the isoelectronic structure of the phenalenyl cation. Chemical reduction of the phenyl derivative of DBAP by potassium generated the dianion containing 14 delocalized π-electrons, which can be regarded as the isoelectronic structure of the phenalenyl anion. The dianion is sandwiched and stabilized by two bulky [K([18]crown-6)] counterions according to its X-ray structure. However, its monoanion (an isoelectronic structure of the henalenyl radical) generated by mixing equal moles of neutral compound and dianion gave an unusual B-N-B-embedded benzo[cd]fluoranthene dianion, which again was confirmed by X-ray crystallographic analysis. The new dianion containing 20 π-electrons is highly aromatic and is further stabilized by [K([18]crown-6)] counterions. An aromaticity driven rearrangement mechanism was proposed for this unusual transformation. Based on X-ray structures and theoretical calculations, the B-N-B moiety in the neutral and anionic DBAP participates in the π-electron delocalization along the whole DBAP skeleton like their phenalenyl cation/radical/anion counterparts, but with more localized character. Therefore, our studies report the first synthesis and characterization of a B-N-B-embedded phenalenyl and its anionic species, which show unique electronic structure and unusual reactivity different from that of their all-carbon phenalenyl analogues.
Go green: Isobutyric acid is a high‐volume industrial chemical produced from non‐sustainable petroleum feedstocks and toxic materials. A synthetic metabolic pathway is constructed in E. coli to enable the biosynthesis of this compound from glucose, a renewable carbon source. The biosynthetic approach is an attractive option from both an economical and environmental point of view.
Mild mitochondrial stress experienced early in life can have beneficial effects on the life span of organisms through epigenetic regulations. Here, we report that acetyl–coenzyme A (CoA) represents a critical mitochondrial signal to regulate aging through the chromatin remodeling and histone deacetylase complex (NuRD) in Caenorhabditis elegans. Upon mitochondrial stress, the impaired tricarboxylic acid cycle results in a decreased level of citrate, which accounts for reduced production of acetyl-CoA and consequently induces nuclear accumulation of the NuRD and a homeodomain-containing transcription factor DVE-1, thereby enabling decreased histone acetylation and chromatin reorganization. The metabolic stress response is thus established during early life and propagated into adulthood to allow transcriptional regulation for life-span extension. Furthermore, adding nutrients to restore acetyl-CoA production is sufficient to counteract the chromatin changes and diminish the longevity upon mitochondrial stress. Our findings uncover the molecular mechanism of the metabolite-mediated epigenome for the regulation of organismal aging.
A new triterpenoid named alisol O ( 1) was isolated from the rhizomes of Alisma orientalis, together with six known compounds: alisol A 24-acetate ( 2), 25-anhydroalisol A ( 3), 13 beta,17 beta-epoxyalisol A ( 4), alisol B 23-acetate ( 5), alisol F ( 6), and alisol F 24-acetate ( 7). Based on 1D and 2D-NMR data (HMQC, HMBC, COSY, ROESY), the structure of the new compound was deduced to be 11-dehydroxy-12-dehydroalisol F-24-acetate ( 1). Compounds 2 - 7 exhibited inhibitory activity in vitro on hepatitis B virus (HBV) surface antigen (HBsAg) secretion of the Hep G2.2.15 cell line with IC (50) values of 2.3, 11.0, 15.4, 14.3, 0.6 and 7.7 microM, and on HBV e antigen (HBeAg) secretion with IC (50) values of 498.1, 17.6, 41.0, 19.9, 8.5 and 5.1 microM, respectively.
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