Rhodium(III)- and iridium(III)-catalyzed C-H activation of oximes and coupling with propargyl alcohols is discussed. Depending on the catalyst, the reaction pathway switched between [3 + 2] and [4 + 2] annulations, thus giving divergent access to indenamines and isoquinolines in a one-pot and atom-economical manner. The hydroxyl group in the tertiary propargyl alcohol substrate was found to be crucial in controlling chemoselectivity. Five-membered rhodacycle and iridacycle intermediates have also been identified for mechanism hypotheses.

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An efficient, mild and redox‐neutral iridium(III)‐catalyzed C−H annulation of N‐phenoxyacetamides for the regioselective synthesis of benzofurans has been developed by employing tertiary propargyl alcohols as the versatile coupling partners. The computed results together with the experimental data revealed that the hydroxyl group of tertiary propargyl alcohols acts as the key factor in controlling the regioselectivity and tuning the reactivity.magnified image

The orphan nuclear receptor COUP-TFII is expressed at a low level in adult tissues, but its expression is increased and shown to promote progression of multiple diseases, including prostate cancer, heart failure, and muscular dystrophy. Suppression of COUP-TFII slows disease progression, making it an intriguing therapeutic target. Here, we identified a potent and specific COUP-TFII inhibitor through high-throughput screening. The inhibitor specifically suppressed COUP-TFII activity to regulate its target genes. Mechanistically, the inhibitor directly bound to the COUP-TFII ligand-binding domain and disrupted COUP-TFII interaction with transcription regulators, including FOXA1, thus repressing COUP-TFII activity on target gene regulation. Through blocking COUP-TFII’s oncogenic activity in prostate cancer, the inhibitor efficiently exerted a potent antitumor effect in xenograft mouse models and patient-derived xenograft models. Our study identified a potent and specific COUP-TFII inhibitor that may be useful for the treatment of prostate cancer and possibly other diseases.