The ND2 subunit is labeled by a photoaffinity analogue of asimicin, a potent complex I inhibitor.

NADH:ubiquinone oxidoreductase (complex I) is the entry enzyme of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation. To obtain the structural information on inhibitor/quinone binding sites, we synthesized [3H]benzophenone-asimicin ([3H]BPA), a photoaffinity analogue of asimicin, which belongs to the acetogenin family known as the most potent complex I inhibitor. We found that [3H]BPA was photo-crosslinked to ND2, ND1 and ND5 subunits, by the three dimensional separation (blue-native/doubled SDS-PAGE) of [3H]BPA-treated bovine heart submitochondrial particles. The cross-linking was blocked by rotenone. This is the first finding that ND2 was photo-crosslinked with a potent complex I inhibitor, suggesting its involvement in the inhibitor/quinone-binding.

Rhenium(VII) oxide catalyzed heteroacylative ring-opening dimerization of tetrahydrofuran.

Re(2)O(7), which is known primarily as a strong oxidant, was found to be a highly selective Lewis acid catalyst that affects the heteroacylative dimerization of THF at room temperature. This multicomponent reaction, which involves THF, trifluoroacetic anhydride (TFAA), and a carboxylic acid, produces a nonsymmetrical diester, RCO(2)(CH(2))(4)O(CH(2))(4)OCOCF(3), in high yields. The reaction is quite general with respect to the carboxylic acid but is highly selective for unsubstituted THF in preference to other cyclic ethers. It is also highly selective for TFAA in preference to other anhydrides. Isotope labeling experiments indicate that two of the five oxygen atoms in the product originate from THF; one comes from rhenium oxide, and the two carbonyl oxygens originate from the carboxylic acid and from TFAA. The catalytic cycle, which is proposed on the basis of these experiments, involves a multistep sequence of nucleophilic attacks, starting with an attack of a rhenium oxo ligand on a coordinated THF, then attack of the resultant alkoxide ligand on a second coordinated THF, nucleophilic addition of the resultant alkoxide ligand to the coordinated carboxylic acid (an intramolecular metal-oxygen bond metathesis), and, finally, electrophilic cleavage of the other coordinated alkoxide by TFAA to produce the nonsymmetrical diester. This synthetically useful reaction highlights the unique, frequently avoided Lewis acidity of transition-metal oxides.

Total synthesis of 34-hydroxyasimicin and its photoactive derivative for affinity labeling of the mitochondrial complex I.

The asymmetric total synthesis of the 34-hydroxyasimicin and its 3-(4-benzoylphenyl)propionate ester was achieved by means of a convergent synthetic strategy. This ester, which contains eight asymmetric centers, represents the first photoaffinity-labeling agent that is derived from an Annonaceous acetogenin. The key transformations in the synthesis include the Sharpless asymmetric dihydroxylation reaction, the Wittig olefination reaction, an oxidative cyclization reaction with rhenium(vii) oxide, the Williamson etherification reaction, and a palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling reaction. Use of the target molecule for photoaffinity-labeling studies of bovine mitochondrial NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase (Complex I) may shed light on the structure/function of this intricate enzyme and on the origin of the high antitumor activity exhibited by the Annonaceous acetogenins.