Glutathione is required for nitric oxide-induced chilling tolerance by synergistically regulating antioxidant system, polyamine synthesis, and mitochondrial function in cucumber (Cucumis sativus L.).

In this paper, we discussed the physiological mechanism of enhanced chilling tolerance with combined treatment of nitric oxide (NO) and reduced glutathione (GSH) in cucumber seedlings. With prolonged low temperature (10 °C/6 °C), oxidative stress improved, which was manifested as an increase the hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and malondialdehyde (MDA), causing cell membrane damage, particularly after 48 h of chilling stress. Exogenous sodium nitroprusside (SNP, NO donor) enhanced the activity of nitric oxide synthase NOS-like, the contents of GSH and polyamines (PAs), and the cellular redox state, thus regulating the activities of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation components (CI, CII, CIV, CV). However, buthionine sulfoximine (BSO, a GSH synthase inhibitor) treatment drastically reversed or attenuated the effects of NO. Importantly, the combination of SNP and GSH treatment had the best effect in alleviating chilling-induced oxidative stress by upregulating the activities of antioxidant enzyme, including superoxidase dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX) and peroxidase (POD) and improved the PAs content, thereby increased activities of CI, CII, CIII, CIV, and CV. This potentially contributes to the maintenance of oxidative phosphorylation originating from mitochondria. In addition, the high activity of S-nitrosoglutathione reductase (GSNOR) in the combined treatment of SNP and GSH possibly mediates the conversion of NO and GSH to S-nitrosoglutathione. Our study revealed that the combined treatment with NO and GSH to synergistically improve the cold tolerance of cucumber seedlings under prolonged low-temperature stress.

Enantioselective Construction of Carbocyclic and Heterocyclic Tertiary Boronic Esters by Conjunctive Cross-Coupling Reaction.

Synthesis of stereodefined carbocyclic and heterocyclic tertiary boronic esters is accomplished by performing a conjunctive cross-coupling reaction on preformed cyclic boron ate complexes. Boronates bearing spirocyclic and aryl bicyclic skeletons can be synthesized enantioselectively using a chiral PHOX-ligated Pd catalyst with achiral starting material, while substrates bearing continuous stereogenic centers can be generated diastereoselectively. A variety of aryl and alkenyl electrophiles are incorporated.

Palladium-Catalyzed Conjunctive Cross-Coupling with Electronically Asymmetric Ligands.

Palladium-catalyzed conjunctive cross-coupling can be accomplished with the use of chiral phosphine-oxazoline based ligand structures. Of note, the reaction can be conducted on Grignard-based boron ate complexes and operates without the use of halide-scavenging additives, which are required for other catalyst systems.

Stereoselective Synthesis of Trisubstituted Alkenylboron Reagents by Boron-Wittig Reaction of Ketones.

Application of the boron-Wittig reaction to ketone electrophiles provides a straightforward route to trisubstituted alkenylboronic esters. With either a pentamethyldiethylenetriamine or trimethyl-1,4,7-triazacyclononane additive, the olefination can occur with very high levels of stereocontrol and in good chemical yield.

Vinylidenation of Organoboronic Esters Enabled by a Pd-Catalyzed Metallate Shift.

Organoboron "ate" complexes undergo a net vinyl insertion reaction to give 1,1-disubstituted alkenyl boronic esters when treated with stoichiometric allyl acetate and a palladium catalyst. Reactions that employ vinyllithium afforded good to excellent yields after one hour, while reactions that employ vinylmagnesium chloride furnished modest to good yields after 18 hours.