The molecular mechanisms mediating mammalian fertilization.

Fertilization is a key biological process in which the egg and sperm must recognize one another and fuse to form a zygote. Although the process is a continuum, mammalian fertilization has been studied as a sequence of steps: sperm bind and penetrate through the zona pellucida of the egg, adhere to the egg plasma membrane and finally fuse with the egg. Following fusion, effective blocks to polyspermy ensure monospermic fertilization. Here, we review how recent advances obtained using genetically modified mouse lines bring new insights into the molecular mechanisms regulating mammalian fertilization. We discuss models for these processes and we include studies showing that these mechanisms may be conserved across different mammalian species.

Amplification of Trichloroisocyanuric Acid (TCCA) Reactivity for Chlorination of Arenes and Heteroarenes via Catalytic Organic Dye Activation.

Heteroarenes and arenes that contain electron-withdrawing groups are chlorinated in good to excellent yields (scalable to gram scale) using trichloroisocyanuric acid (TCCA) and catalytic Brilliant Green (BG). Visible-light activation of BG serves to amplify the electrophilic nature of TCCA, providing a mild alternative approach to acid-promoted chlorination of deactivated (hetero)aromatic substrates. The utility of the TCCA/BG system is demonstrated through comparison to other chlorinating reagents and by the chlorination of pharmaceuticals including caffeine, lidocaine, and phenazone.