Cell-cell interactions via non-covalent click chemistry.

Metabolic glycoengineering with unnatural sugars became a valuable tool for introducing recognition markers on the cell membranes via bioorthogonal chemistry. By using this strategy, we functionalized the surface of tumor and T cells using complementary artificial markers based on both ß-cyclodextrins (ß-CDs) and adamantyl trimers, respectively. Once tied on cell surfaces, the artificial markers induced cell-cell adhesion through non-covalent click chemistry. These unnatural interactions between A459 lung tumor cells and Jurkat T cells triggered the activation of natural killer (NK) cells thanks to the increased production of interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the vicinity of cancer cells, leading ultimately to their cytolysis. The ready-to-use surface markers designed in this study can be easily inserted on the membrane of a wide range of cells previously submitted to metabolic glycoengineering, thereby offering a simple way to investigate and manipulate intercellular interactions.

Microwave-assisted [3 + 2] cycloadditions of azomethine ylides.

The microwave-assisted intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition reaction of azomethine ylides to activated and nonactivated alkenes and alkynes is described. The procedure allows the synthesis of pyrrolidines and pyrrole products in good to excellent overall yields in short reaction times. It appears from parallel comparative studies that the microwave procedure favors the reaction times and overall purity of the crude reaction mixture. The reactions can also be performed in the absence of solvent. [reaction: see text]