Longitudinal measures of cognition in the Ts65Dn mouse: Refining windows and defining modalities for therapeutic intervention in Down syndrome.

Mouse models have provided insights into adult changes in learning and memory in Down syndrome, but an in-depth assessment of how these abnormalities develop over time has never been conducted. To address this shortcoming, we conducted a longitudinal behavioral study from birth until late adulthood in the Ts65Dn mouse model to measure the emergence and continuity of learning and memory deficits in individuals with a broad array of tests. Our results demonstrate for the first time that the pace at which neonatal and perinatal milestones are acquired is correlated with later cognitive performance as an adult. In addition, we find that life-long behavioral indexing stratifies mice within each genotype. Our expanded assessment reveals that diminished cognitive flexibility, as measured by reversal learning, is the most robust learning and memory impairment in both young and old Ts65Dn mice. Moreover, we find that reversal learning degrades with age and is therefore a useful biomarker for studying age-related decline in cognitive ability. Altogether, our results indicate that preclinical studies aiming to restore cognitive function in Ts65Dn should target both neonatal milestones and reversal learning in adulthood. Here we provide the quantitative framework for this type of approach.

Novel saccharinate-bridged palladium complexes for efficient C-O bond activation displaying promising luminescence properties.

The synthesis of mono- and dinuclear cyclometallated palladium(II) complexes with deprotonated saccharinate ligands displaying different coordination modes is described. The new compounds were prepared by direct reaction between saccharine and the corresponding hydroxo-complexes [{Pd(µ-OH)(C^N)}(2)] (C^N = 2-(2-pyridyl)phenyl (Phpy) I; = 7,8-benzoquinolyl (Bzq) II), showing a general formula [{Pd(µ-sac)(C^N)}(2)] with saccharinate 1 displaying a bridging -NCO-coordination mode. Bridge splitting with neutral ligands (L = pyridine (py) 2, quinoline (quinol) 3 or acridine (acrid) 4) yielded new mononuclear derivatives with saccharinate acting as an N-monodentated ligand. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction of complexes I1, I2 and II2 confirmed the proposed formulae. All complexes emit in the solution and solid state at room temperature. Emission features between 640-680 nm in the solid state for complexes I1 and II1 are significantly red-shifted if compared to the emission in solution. These broad emissions are consistent with the simultaneous presence of (3)ππ* and (3)MMLCT transitions indicating the existence of a strong intramolecular Pd-Pd ground state interaction. The dimeric complexes have also shown to catalyze Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of coumaryl tosylate and aryl boronic acids under phosphine-free conditions. Initial studies suggest the involvement of palladium nanoparticles, which has been further investigated using mercury-drop test and poisoning experiments.

Bis(imidate)palladium(II) complexes with labile ligands. Mimics of classical precursors?

A novel synthetic route to prepare palladium(II) precursor analogous of classical [Pd(Cl)(2)(solvent)(2)] has been developed. Just stirring Pd(3)(AcO)(6) in dimethyl sulfide at room temperature, in the stoichiometric presence of protic imidate ligands, resulted in the precipitation of the desired complexes [Pd(imidate)(2)(SMe(2))(2)] (imidate = succinimidate (succ) 1, phthalimidate (phthal) 2, maleimidate (mal) 3, saccharinate (sac) 4 or glutarimidate (glut) 5). The new complexes are very soluble in common solvents and have been fully characterized, including an X-ray diffraction analysis of 2. Analogous reactions with succinimide in acetonitrile or dimethylsulfoxide produced [Pd(succinimidate)(2)(solvent)(2)] (6 and 7, respectively) as off-white powders. Thermal decomposition of 6 produces a new species 6* with bridging imidate ligands that can be formulated as a trimer similar to Pd(3)(AcO)(6). The usefulness of 1-5 as precursors has been tested by reactions against monodentated neutral donor ligands, PPh(3) (a compounds), or pyridine (py, b compounds), to produce ten new derivatives of the general formula trans-[Pd(imidate)(2)(L)(2)]. The single-crystal structures of compounds 2a, 3a, 4a, 4a', 5a and 4b have also been established, allowing an interesting molecular and supramolecular structural discussion. A cis-conformation was induced when the bidentate chelate ligand 1,2-bis(diphenylphosphino)benzene (dppb, c compounds) was made to react with 1-5. Structural characterization by X-ray diffraction of complex 2c confirmed the proposed formula. Catalytic activity in Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling of aryl bromides and benzyl bromides with aryl boronic acids has been tested.

Synthesis and luminescence properties of cyclopalladated complexes with S

The direct reaction between the hydroxo-complexes [{Pd(µ-OH)(C^N)}(2)] and protonated S^N-donor ligands to yield new dinuclear cyclometallated palladium(ii) complexes containing -NCS- bridging heterocyclic thionates of general formula [{Pd(µ-N^S)(C^N)}(2)] (C^N = 2-(2-pyridyl)phenyl (Phpy) I; = 7,8-benzoquinolyl (Bzq) II; N^S = pyrimidine-2-thionate (Spym) 1, benzoimidazolidine-2-thionate (Sbimid) 2, 1-methylimidazoline-2 thionate (Smeimid) 3) is described. The related mononuclear complexes [Pd(N^S)(C^N)] N^S = 2-aminothiophenolate (Atph) 4) were prepared in a similar way. Photophysical properties were investigated together with those of complexes with related ligands pyridin-2-thionate (Spy) 5 and pyrrole-2-carboxaldehydate (2-pcal) 6. All the compounds absorb intensely below 300 nm via(1)LC transitions located in Bzq or Phpy ligands, and display additional low energy absorptions of mixed (1)MLCT-(1)LC character. In the solid state diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectra, the differences are notable for dinuclear complexes. The complexes under study are quite unusual in terms of luminescence behaviour, since most of them are emissive in solution at room temperature and all display intense emissions in frozen CHCl(3) solution, but also in the solid state at 298 and 77 K. Emission quantum yields are in the range 2.52-0.14%, similar to that of related complexes. Structural characterisation by X-ray diffraction of complexes II3 and II6 confirmed the proposed formula.

Orthogonal non-covalent binding forces in solid state supramolecular herringbone-shaped "interlocked dimers". Pseudopolymorphism in [(ppy)Pd(mu-pz)](2) (ppy = 2-(2-pyridyl)phenyl, pz = pyrazol-1-yl) complex.

The crystal structures of [(ppy)Pd(mu-pz)](2) (ppy = 2-(2-pyridyl)phenyl, pz = pyrazol-1-yl) (1) and two different solvatomorphs of it, [(ppy)Pd(mu-pz)](2) x 1/2 CH(2)Cl(2) (2) and [(ppy)Pd(mu-pz)](2) x 1/2 CHCl(3) (3) have been elucidated by powder (1 and 2) and single crystal (3) X-ray diffraction. In all of them two molecules fit together following a very similar pattern forming a "dimer". All neutral dinuclear square-planar complexes having mu-pz or related bridges and planar aromatic ligands completing the coordination spheres found in the CSD show a similar arrangement to those observed in compounds 1-3, consisting of "interlocked dimers" following a herringbone-like pattern. A DFT study reveals the simultaneous action of pi,pi- and T-stacking interactions occurring as two sets of orthogonally oriented binding forces, as well as anagostic bonds overlapped with the latter.