Catalytic Asymmetric Synthesis of Atropisomeric N-Aryl 1,2,4-Triazoles.

The atroposelective synthesis of N-aryl 1,2,4-triazoles was developed. A cyclodehydration reaction was rendered asymmetric with the use of a chiral phosphoric acid catalyst to afford atropisomeric N-aryl 1,2,4-triazoles in up to 91:9 er. Recrystallization of the isolated heterocycle further enriched the atropisomeric ratio of several analogs to 99:1 er or greater. A divergent and substrate-dependent reaction pathway yielding a different heterocyclic product is also disclosed.

Peptide-Catalyzed Fragment Couplings that Form Axially Chiral Non-C2 -Symmetric Biaryls.

We have demonstrated that small, modular, tetrameric peptides featuring the Lewis-basic residue ß-dimethylaminoalanine (Dmaa) are capable of atroposelectively coupling naphthols and ester-bearing quinones to yield non-C2 -symmetric BINOL-type scaffolds with good yields and enantioselectivity. The study culminates in the asymmetric synthesis of backbone-substituted scaffolds similar to 3,3'-disubstituted BINOLs, such as (R)-TRIP, with good (94:6 e.r.) to excellent (>99.9:0.1 e.r.) enantioselectivity after recrystallization, and a diastereoselective net arylation of the minimally modified nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) naproxen.

Synthesis of a Tight Intramolecular OH···Olefin Interaction, Probed by IR, (1)H NMR, and Quantum Chemistry.

We have synthesized a molecule containing a tight hydrogen-bonding interaction between an alcohol and a nonconjugated π-system. The strength of this hydrogen bond results in a large red shift, nearly 189 cm(-1), on the alcohol stretching frequency in the IR spectrum in comparison to a free alcohol control. The interaction is notable in that it possesses a better defined intramolecular hydrogen bond compared to the usual molecules for which it is noted, such as syn-7-norbornenol. This interaction was studied through the use of IR and NMR spectroscopy, X-ray crystallography, and molecular modeling calculations.

A hydrophobic domain within the small capsid protein of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus is required for assembly.

Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) capsids can be produced in insect cells using recombinant baculoviruses for protein expression. All six capsid proteins are required for this process to occur and, unlike for alphaherpesviruses, the small capsid protein (SCP) ORF65 is essential for this process. This protein decorates the capsid shell by virtue of its interaction with the capsomeres. In this study, we have explored the SCP interaction with the major capsid protein (MCP) using GFP fusions. The assembly site within the nucleus of infected cells was visualized by light microscopy using fluorescence produced by the SCP-GFP polypeptide, and the relocalization of the SCP to these sites was evident only when the MCP and the scaffold protein were also present - indicative of an interaction between these proteins that ensures delivery of the SCP to assembly sites. Biochemical assays demonstrated a physical interaction between the SCP and MCP, and also between this complex and the scaffold protein. Self-assembly of capsids with the SCP-GFP polypeptide was evident. Potentially, this result can be used to engineer fluorescent KSHV particles. A similar SCP-His6 polypeptide was used to purify capsids from infected cell lysates using immobilized affinity chromatography and to directly label this protein in capsids using chemically derivatized gold particles. Additional studies with SCP-GFP polypeptide truncation mutants identified a domain residing between aa 50 and 60 of ORF65 that was required for the relocalization of SCP-GFP to nuclear assembly sites. Substitution of residues in this region and specifically at residue 54 with a polar amino acid (lysine) disrupted or abolished this localization as well as capsid assembly, whereas substitution with non-polar residues did not affect the interaction. Thus, this study identified a small conserved hydrophobic domain that is important for the SCP-MCP interaction.

Interactions of the Kaposi's Sarcoma-associated herpesvirus nuclear egress complex: ORF69 is a potent factor for remodeling cellular membranes.

All herpesviruses encode a complex of two proteins, referred to as the nuclear egress complex (NEC), which together facilitate the exit of assembled capsids from the nucleus. Previously, we showed that the Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) NEC specified by the ORF67 and ORF69 genes when expressed in insect cells using baculoviruses for protein expression forms a complex at the nuclear membrane and remodels these membranes to generate nuclear membrane-derived vesicles. In this study, we have analyzed the functional domains of the KSHV NEC proteins and their interactions. Site-directed mutagenesis of gammaherpesvirus conserved residues revealed functional domains of these two proteins, which in many cases abolish the formation of the NEC and remodeling of nuclear membranes. Small in-frame deletions within ORF67 in all cases result in loss of the ability of the mutant protein to induce cellular membrane proliferation as well as to interact with ORF69. Truncation of the C terminus of ORF67 that resides in the perinuclear space does not impair the functions of ORF67; however, deletion of the transmembrane domain of ORF67 produces a protein that cannot induce membrane proliferation but can still interact with ORF69 in the nucleus and can be tethered to the nuclear membrane by virtue of its interaction with the wild-type-membrane-anchored ORF67. In-frame deletions in ORF69 have varied effects on NEC formation, but all abolish remodeling of nuclear membranes into circular structures. One mutant interacts with ORF67 as well as the wild-type protein but cannot function in membrane curvature and fission events that generate circular vesicles. These studies genetically confirm that ORF67 is required for cellular membrane proliferation and that ORF69 is the factor required to remodel these duplicated membranes into circular-virion-size vesicles. Furthermore, we also investigated the NEC encoded by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). The EBV complex comprised of BFRF1 and BFLF2 was visualized at the nuclear membrane using autofluorescent protein fusions. BFRF1 is a potent inducer of membrane proliferation; however, BFLF2 cannot remodel these membranes into circular structures. What was evident is the superior remodeling activity of ORF69, which could convert the host membrane proliferations induced by BFRF1 into circular structures.