Recent developments in the synthesis of five- and six-membered heterocycles using molecular iodine.

Heterocyclic scaffolds represent the key structural subunits of many biologically active compounds. Over the last few years iodine-mediated reactions have been extensively studied due to their low cost and eco-friendliness. This Review covers advances in the field of iodine-mediated synthesis of heterocyclic compounds since 2006, especially with an emphasis on mechanisms of ring formation. In this article, syntheses of different heterocycles are classified based on the manipulation of functional groups.

A variant quorum sensing system in Aeromonas veronii MTCC 3249.

We have investigated the quorum sensing control in Aeromonas veronii MTCC 3249, originally isolated as A. culicicola from the midgut of Culex quinquefasciatus. Based on biosensor assays, the bacterium showed constant production of multiple acyl-homoserine lactones (AHLs) with increasing cell-density. The luxRI gene homologs, acuR (A. culicicola transcriptional Regulator) and acuI (A. culicicola autoInducer) were successfully amplified by inverse-PCR. Sequence analysis indicated acuRI were divergent from all known quorum sensing gene homologs in Aeromonas. Two localized regions in the C-terminal autoinducer binding domain of acuR showed indels suggesting variations in autoinducer specificity. Further, only a single copy of the quorum sensing genes was detected, suggesting a tight regulation of mechanisms under its control. Chromatography and further chemical analysis identified two AHLs in the culture supernatant: 6-carboxy-HHL (homoadipyl homoserine lactone), a novel AHL, and N-tetradecanoylhomoserine lactone. The existence of a potentially variant quorum sensing system might therefore, reflect in some way the ecological strategies adopted by this bacterium in the mosquito midgut.

An expeditious I2-catalyzed entry into 6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline system of cryptotackieine.

A synthesis of a series of novel 6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinolines with different substituents on the quinoline ring is described. The method involves reaction of indole-3-carboxyaldehyde with aryl amines in the presence of a catalytic amount of iodine in refluxing diphenyl ether to yield indolo[2,3-b]quinolines in one-pot. The present approach provides a new route for the synthesis of polycyclic structures related to an alkaloid cryptotackieine (neocryptolepine).

Total synthesis of (-)- and (+)-tedanalactam.

The first stereoselective route providing access to both enantiomers of tedanalactam, a naturally occurring piperidone, has been developed. The stereogenic centers were generated by the use of Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation. Tandem oxidation-Wittig reaction and one-pot deprotection, lactamization, and oxirane ring formation are the other key elements.