Enantioconvergent Cu-catalysed N-alkylation of aliphatic amines.

Chiral amines are commonly used in the pharmaceutical and agrochemical industries1. The strong demand for unnatural chiral amines has driven the development of catalytic asymmetric methods1,2. Although the N-alkylation of aliphatic amines with alkyl halides has been widely adopted for over 100 years, catalyst poisoning and unfettered reactivity have been preventing the development of a catalyst-controlled enantioselective version3-5. Here we report the use of chiral tridentate anionic ligands to enable the copper-catalysed chemoselective and enantioconvergent N-alkylation of aliphatic amines with α-carbonyl alkyl chlorides. This method can directly convert feedstock chemicals, including ammonia and pharmaceutically relevant amines, into unnatural chiral α-amino amides under mild and robust conditions. Excellent enantioselectivity and functional-group tolerance were observed. The power of the method is demonstrated in a number of complex settings, including late-stage functionalization and in the expedited synthesis of diverse amine drug molecules. The current method indicates that multidentate anionic ligands are a general solution for overcoming transition-metal-catalyst poisoning.

The kinase Jnk2 promotes stress-induced mitophagy by targeting the small mitochondrial form of the tumor suppressor ARF for degradation.

Mitophagy is essential for cellular homeostasis, but how mitophagy is regulated is largely unknown. Here we found that the kinase Jnk2 was required for stress-induced mitophagy. Jnk2 promoted ubiquitination and proteasomal degradation of the small mitochondrial form of the tumor suppressor ARF (smARF). Loss of Jnk2 led to the accumulation of smARF, which induced excessive autophagy that resulted in lysosomal degradation of the mitophagy adaptor p62 at steady state. Depletion of p62 prevented Jnk2-deficient cells from mounting mitophagy upon stress. Jnk2-deficient mice displayed defective mitophagy, which resulted in tissue damage under hypoxic stress, as well as hyperactivation of inflammasomes and increased mortality in sepsis. Our findings define a unique mechanism of maintaining immunological homeostasis that protects the host from tissue damage and mortality.

Rewiring of uric acid metabolism in the intestine promotes high-altitude hypoxia adaptation in humans.

Adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia is characterized by systemic and organ-specific metabolic changes. This study investigates whether intestinal metabolic rewiring is a contributing factor to hypoxia adaptation. We conducted a longitudinal analysis over 108 days, with seven timepoints, examining fecal metabolomics data from a cohort of 46 healthy male adults traveling from Chongqing (a.s.l. 243 m) to Lhasa (a.s.l. 3658 m) and back. Our findings reveal that short-term hypoxia exposure significantly alters intestinal metabolic pathways, particularly those involving purines, pyrimidines, and amino acids. A notable observation was the significantly reduced level of intestinal uric acid (UA), the end product of purine metabolism, during acclimatization (also called acclimation) and in additional two long-term exposed cohorts (Han Chinese and Tibetans) residing in Shigatse, Xizang (a.s.l. 4700 m), suggesting that low intestinal UA levels facilitate adaptation to high-altitude hypoxia. Integrative analyses with gut metagenomic data showed consistent trends in intestinal UA levels and the abundance of key UA-degrading bacteria, predominantly from the Lachnospiraceae family. The sustained high abundance of these bacteria in the long-term resident cohorts underscores their essential role in maintaining low intestinal UA levels. Collectively, these findings suggest that the rewiring of intestinal UA metabolism, potentially orchestrated by gut bacteria, is crucial for enhancing human resilience and adaptability in extreme environments.

Maize requires Embryo defective27 for embryogenesis and seedling development.

The essential role of plastid translation in embryogenesis has been established in many plants, but a retrograde signal triggered by defective plastid translation machinery that may leads to embryogenesis arrest remains unknown. In this study, we characterized an embryo defective27 (emb27) mutant in maize (Zea mays), and cloning indicates that Emb27 encodes the plastid ribosomal protein S13. The null mutant emb27-1 conditions an emb phenotype with arrested embryogenesis; however, the leaky mutant emb27-2 exhibits normal embryogenesis but an albino seedling-lethal phenotype. The emb27-1/emb27-2 trans-heterozygotes display varying phenotypes from emb to normal seeds but albino seedlings. Analysis of the Emb27 transcription levels in these mutants revealed that the Emb27 expression level in the embryo corresponds with the phenotypic expression of the emb27 mutants. In the W22 genetic background, an Emb27 transcription level higher than 6% of the wild-type level renders normal embryogenesis, whereas lower than that arrests embryogenesis. Mutation of Emb27 reduces the level of plastid 16S rRNA and the accumulation of the plastid-encoded proteins. As a secondary effect, splicing of several plastid introns was impaired in emb27-1 and 2 other plastid translation-defective mutants, emb15 and emb16, suggesting that plastome-encoded factors are required for the splicing of these introns, such as Maturase K (MatK). Our results indicate that EMB27 is essential for plastid protein translation, embryogenesis, and seedling development in maize and reveal an expression threshold of Emb27 for maize embryogenesis.

GRP23 plays a core role in E-type editosomes via interacting with MORFs and atypical PPR-DYWs in Arabidopsis mitochondria.

Identifying the PPR-E+-NUWA-DYW2 editosome improves our understanding of the C-to-U RNA editing in plant organelles. However, the mechanism of RNA editing remains to be elucidated. Here, we report that GLUTAMINE-RICH PROTEIN23 (GRP23), a previously identified nuclear transcription regulator, plays an essential role in mitochondrial RNA editing through interacting with MORF (multiple organellar RNA-editing factor) proteins and atypical DYW-type pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins. GRP23 is targeted to mitochondria, plastids, and nuclei. Analysis of the grp23 mutants rescued by embryo-specific complementation shows decreased editing efficiency at 352 sites in mitochondria and 6 sites in plastids, with a predominant specificity for sites edited by the PPR-E and PPR-DYW proteins. GRP23 interacts with atypical PPR-DYW proteins (MEF8, MEF8S, DYW2, and DYW4) and MORF proteins (MORF1 and MORF8), whereas the four PPR-DYWs interact with the two MORFs. These interactions may increase the stability of the GRP23-MORF-atypical PPR-DYW complex. Furthermore, analysis of mef8N△64aamef8s double mutants shows that MEF8/MEF8S are required for the editing of the PPR-E protein-targeted sites in mitochondria. GRP23 could enhance the interaction between PPR-E and MEF8/MEF8S and form a homodimer or heterodimer with NUWA. Genetic complementation analysis shows that the C-terminal domains of GRP23 and NUWA possess a similar function, probably in the interaction with the MORFs. NUWA also interacts with atypical PPR-DYWs in yeast. Both GRP23 and NUWA interact with the atypical PPR-DYWs, suggesting that the PPR-E proteins recruit MEF8/MEF8S, whereas the PPR-E+ proteins specifically recruit DYW2 as the trans deaminase, and then GRP23, NUWA, and MORFs facilitate and/or stabilize the E or E+-type editosome formation.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Radical N-Alkylation of Diverse (Hetero)aromatic Amines.

The 3d transition metal-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical cross-coupling provides a powerful tool for chiral molecule synthesis. In the classic mechanism, the bond formation relies on the interaction between nucleophile-sequestered metal complexes and radicals, limiting the nucleophile scope to sterically uncongested ones. The coupling of sterically congested nucleophiles poses a significant challenge due to difficulties in transmetalation, restricting the reaction generality. Here, we describe a probable outer-sphere nucleophilic attack mechanism that circumvents the challenging transmetalation associated with sterically congested nucleophiles. This strategy enables a general copper-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical N-alkylation of aromatic amines with secondary/tertiary alkyl halides and exhibits catalyst-controlled stereoselectivity. It accommodates diverse aromatic amines, especially bulky secondary and primary ones to deliver value-added chiral amines (>110 examples). It is expected to inspire the coupling of more nucleophiles, particularly challenging sterically congested ones, and accelerate reaction generality.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioselective C(sp3 )-SCF3 Coupling of Carbon-Centered Benzyl Radicals with (Me4 N)SCF3.

In contrast with the well-established C(sp2 )-SCF3 cross-coupling to forge the Ar-SCF3 bond, the corresponding enantioselective coupling of readily available alkyl electrophiles to forge chiral C(sp3 )-SCF3 bond has remained largely unexplored. We herein disclose a copper-catalyzed enantioselective radical C(sp3 )-SCF3 coupling of a range of secondary/tertiary benzyl radicals with the easily available (Me4 N)SCF3 reagent. The key to the success lies in the utilization of chiral phosphino-oxazoline-derived anionic N,N,P-ligands through tuning electronic and steric effects for the simultaneous control of the reaction initiation and enantioselectivity. This strategy can successfully realize two types of asymmetric radical reactions, including enantioconvergent C(sp3 )-SCF3 cross-coupling of racemic benzyl halides and three-component 1,2-carbotrifluoromethylthiolation of arylated alkenes under mild reaction conditions. It therefore provides a highly flexible platform for the rapid assembly of an array of enantioenriched SCF3 -containing molecules of interest in organic synthesis and medicinal chemistry.

Cu(I)-Catalyzed Chemo- and Enantioselective Desymmetrizing C-O Bond Coupling of Acyl Radicals.

Transition-metal-catalyzed enantioselective functionalization of acyl radicals has so far not been realized, probably due to their relatively high reactivity, which renders the chemo- and stereocontrol challenging. Herein, we describe Cu(I)-catalyzed enantioselective desymmetrizing C-O bond coupling of acyl radicals. This reaction is compatible with (hetero)aryl and alkyl aldehydes and, more importantly, displays a very broad scope of challenging alcohol substrates, such as 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-diols, 2-substituted-2-chloro-1,3-diols, 2-substituted 1,2,3-triols, 2-substituted serinols, and meso primary 1,4-diols, providing enantioenriched esters characterized by challenging acyclic tetrasubstituted carbon stereocenters. Partnered by one- or two-step follow-up transformations, this reaction provides a convenient and practical strategy for the rapid preparation of chiral C3 building blocks from readily available alcohols, particularly the industrially relevant glycerol. Mechanistic studies supported the proposed C-O bond coupling of acyl radicals.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Radical C(sp3)-N Cross-Coupling of Activated Racemic Alkyl Halides with (Hetero)aromatic Amines under Ambient Conditions.

The enantioconvergent C(sp3)-N cross-coupling of racemic alkyl halides with (hetero)aromatic amines represents an ideal means to afford enantioenriched N-alkyl (hetero)aromatic amines yet has remained unexplored due to the catalyst poisoning specifically for strong-coordinating heteroaromatic amines. Here, we demonstrate a copper-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical C(sp3)-N cross-coupling of activated racemic alkyl halides with (hetero)aromatic amines under ambient conditions. The key to success is the judicious selection of appropriate multidentate anionic ligands through readily fine-tuning both electronic and steric properties for the formation of a stable and rigid chelating Cu complex. Thus, this kind of ligand could not only enhance the reducing capability of a copper catalyst to provide an enantioconvergent radical pathway but also avoid the coordination with other coordinating heteroatoms, thereby overcoming catalyst poisoning and/or chiral ligand displacement. This protocol covers a wide range of coupling partners (89 examples for activated racemic secondary/tertiary alkyl bromides/chlorides and (hetero)aromatic amines) with high functional group compatibility. When allied with follow-up transformations, it provides a highly flexible platform to access synthetically useful enantioenriched amine building blocks.

Potent antitumor efficacy of human dental pulp stem cells armed with YSCH-01 oncolytic adenovirus.

BACKGROUND: Systemic administration of oncolytic adenovirus for cancer therapy is still a challenge. Mesenchymal stem cells as cell carriers have gained increasing attention in drug delivery due to their excellent tumor tropism, immunosuppressive modulatory effects, and paracrine effects. However, the potential of human dental pulp stem cells (hDPSCs) loaded with oncolytic adenovirus for cancer biotherapy has not been investigated yet. METHODS: The stemness of hDPSCs was characterized by FACS analysis and Alizarin red staining, Oil Red O staining, and immunofluorescence assays. The biological fitness of hDPSCs loaded with oncolytic adenovirus YSCH-01 was confirmed by virus infection with different dosages and cell viability CCK-8 assays. Additionally, the expression of CAR receptor in hDPSCs was detected by qPCR assay. Tumor tropism of hDPSC loaded with YSCH-01 in vitro and in vivo was investigated by Transwell assays and living tumor-bearing mice imaging technology and immunohistochemistry, Panoramic scanning of frozen section slices assay analysis. Furthermore, the antitumor efficacy was observed through the different routes of YSCH-01/hPDSCs administration in SW780 and SCC152 xenograft models. The direct tumor cell-killing effect of YSCH-01/hDPSCs in the co-culture system was studied, and the supernatant of YSCH-01/hDPSCs inhibited cell growth was further analyzed by CCK-8 assays. RESULTS: hDPSCs were found to be susceptible to infection by a novel oncolytic adenovirus named YSCH-01 and were capable of transporting this virus to tumor sites at 1000 VP/cell infectious dosage in vitro and in vivo. Moreover, it was discovered that intraperitoneal injection of hDPSCs loaded with oncolytic adenovirus YSCH-01 exhibited potential anti-tumor effects in both SW780 and SCC152 xenograft models. The crucial role played by the supernatant secretome derived from hDPSCs loaded with YSCH-01 significantly exerted a specific anti-tumor effect without toxicity for normal cells, in both an active oncolytic virus and an exogenous protein-independent manner. Furthermore, the use of hDPSCs as a cell carrier significantly reduced the required dosage of virus delivery in vivo compared to other methods. CONCLUSIONS: These findings highlight the promising clinical potential of hDPSCs as a novel cell carrier in the field of oncolytic virus-based anti-cancer therapy.

The DEAD-box RNA helicase ZmRH48 is required for the splicing of multiple mitochondrial introns, mitochondrial complex biosynthesis, and seed development in maize.

RNA helicases participate in nearly all aspects of RNA metabolism by rearranging RNAs or RNA-protein complexes in an adenosine triphosphate-dependent manner. Due to the large RNA helicase families in plants, the precise roles of many RNA helicases in plant physiology and development remain to be clarified. Here, we show that mutations in maize (Zea mays) DEAD-box RNA helicase 48 (ZmRH48) impair the splicing of mitochondrial introns, mitochondrial complex biosynthesis, and seed development. Loss of ZmRH48 function severely arrested embryogenesis and endosperm development, leading to defective kernel formation. ZmRH48 is targeted to mitochondria, where its deficiency dramatically reduced the splicing efficiency of five cis-introns (nad5 intron 1; nad7 introns 1, 2, and 3; and ccmFc intron 1) and one trans-intron (nad2 intron 2), leading to lower levels of mitochondrial complexes I and III. ZmRH48 interacts with two unique pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) proteins, PPR-SMR1 and SPR2, which are required for the splicing of over half of all mitochondrial introns. PPR-SMR1 interacts with SPR2, and both proteins interact with P-type PPR proteins and Zm-mCSF1 to facilitate intron splicing. These results suggest that ZmRH48 is likely a component of a splicing complex and is critical for mitochondrial complex biosynthesis and seed development.

Copper-Catalyzed Chemo- and Enantioselective Radical 1,2-Carbophosphonylation of Styrenes.

The copper-catalyzed enantioselective radical difunctionalization of alkenes from readily available alkyl halides and organophosphorus reagents possessing a P-H bond provides an appealing approach for the synthesis of α-chiral alkyl phosphorus compounds. The major challenge arises from the easy generation of a P-centered radical from the P-H-type reagent and its facile addition to the terminal side of alkenes, leading to reverse chemoselectivity. We herein disclose a radical 1,2-carbophosphonylation of styrenes in a highly chemo- and enantioselective manner. The key to the success lies in not only the implementation of dialkyl phosphites with a strong bond dissociation energy to promote the desired chemoselectivity but also the utilization of an anionic chiral N,N,N-ligand to forge the chiral C(sp3 )-P bond. The developed Cu/N,N,N-ligand catalyst has enriched our library of single-electron transfer catalysts in the enantioselective radical transformations.

Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Radical C(sp3 )-N Cross-Coupling: Access to α,α-Disubstituted Amino Acids.

Transition-metal catalyzed enantioconvergent cross-coupling of tertiary alkyl halides with ammonia offers a rapid avenue to chiral unnatural α,α-disubstituted amino acids. However, the construction of chiral C-N bonds between tertiary-carbon electrophiles and nitrogen nucleophiles presented a great challenge owing to steric congestion. We report a copper-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical C-N cross-coupling of alkyl halides with sulfoximines (as ammonia surrogates) under mild conditions by employing a chiral anionic N,N,N-ligand with a long spreading side arm. An array of α,α-disubstituted amino acid derivatives were obtained with good efficiency and enantioselectivity. The synthetic utility of the strategy has been showcased by the elaboration of the coupling products into different chiral α-fully substituted amine building blocks.

Synthesis of α-Quaternary ß-Lactams via Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Radical C(sp3 )-C(sp2 ) Cross-Coupling with Organoboronate Esters.

The copper-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical C(sp3 )-C(sp2 ) cross-coupling of tertiary α-bromo-ß-lactams with organoboronate esters could provide the synthetically valuable α-quaternary ß-lactams. The challenge arises mainly from the construction of sterically congested quaternary stereocenters between the tertiary alkyl radicals and chiral copper(II) species. Herein, we describe our success in achieving such transformations through the utilization of a copper/hemilabile N,N,N-ligand catalyst to forge the sterically congested chiral C(sp3 )-C(sp2 ) bond via a single-electron reduction/transmetalation/bond formation catalytic cycle. The synthetic potential of this approach is shown in the straightforward conversion of the corresponding products into many valuable building blocks. We hope that the developed catalytic cycle would open up new vistas for more enantioconvergent cross-coupling reactions.

Ligand Development for Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Radical Cross-Coupling of Racemic Alkyl Halides.

The enantioconvergent cross-coupling of racemic alkyl halides represents a powerful tool for the synthesis of enantioenriched molecules. In this regard, the first-row transition metal catalysis provides a suitable mechanism for stereoconvergence by converting racemic alkyl halides to prochiral radical intermediates owing to their good single-electron transfer ability. In contrast to the noble development of chiral nickel catalyst, copper-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical cross-coupling of alkyl halides is less studied. Besides the enantiocontrol issue, the major challenge arises from the weak reducing capability of copper that slows the reaction initiation. Recently, significant efforts have been dedicated to basic research aimed at developing chiral ligands for copper-catalyzed enantioconvergent radical cross-coupling of racemic alkyl halides. This perspective will discuss the advances in this burgeoning area with particular emphasis on the strategic chiral anionic ligand design to tune the reducing capability of copper for the reaction initiation under thermal conditions from our research group.

A Counterion/Ligand-Tuned Chemo- and Enantioselective Copper-Catalyzed Intermolecular Radical 1,2-Carboamination of Alkenes.

The copper-catalyzed enantioselective intermolecular radical 1,2-carboamination of alkenes with readily accessible alkyl halides is an appealing strategy for producing chiral amine scaffolds. The challenge arises from the easily occurring atom transfer radical addition between alkyl halides and alkenes and the issue of enantiocontrol. We herein describe a radical alkene 1,2-carboamination with sulfoximines in a highly chemo- and enantioselective manner. The key to the success of this process is the conceptual design of a counterion/highly sterically demanded ligand coeffect to promote the ligand exchange of copper(I) with sulfoximines and forge chiral C-N bonds between alkyl radicals and the chiral copper(II) complex. The reaction covers alkenes bearing distinct electronic properties, such as aryl-, heteroaryl-, carbonyl-, and aminocarbonyl-substituted ones, and various radical precursors, including alkyl chlorides, bromides, iodides, and the CF3 source. Facile transformations deliver many chiral amine building blocks of interest in organic synthesis and related areas.

Design of Hemilabile N,N,N-Ligands in Copper-Catalyzed Enantioconvergent Radical Cross-Coupling of Benzyl/Propargyl Halides with Alkenylboronate Esters.

The enantioconvergent radical C(sp3)-C(sp2) cross-coupling of alkyl halides with alkenylboronate esters is an appealing tool in the assembly of synthetically valuable enantioenriched alkenes owing to the ready availability, low toxicity, and air/moisture stability of alkenylboronate esters. Here, we report a copper/chiral N,N,N-ligand catalytic system for the enantioconvergent cross-coupling of benzyl/propargyl halides with alkenylboronate esters (>80 examples) with good functional group tolerance. The key to the success is the rational design of hemilabile N,N,N-ligands by mounting steric hindrance at the ortho position of one coordinating quinoline ring. Thus, the newly designed ligand could not only promote the radical cross-coupling process in the tridentate form but also deliver enantiocontrol over highly reactive alkyl radicals in the bidentate form. Facile follow-up transformations highlight its potential utility in the synthesis of various enantioenriched building blocks as well as in the late-stage functionalization for drug discovery.

Combined oncolytic adenovirus carrying MnSOD and mK5 genes both regulated by survivin promoter has a synergistic inhibitory effect on gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the major causes of cancer-related mortality. The use of oncolytic virus for cancer gene-virotherapy is a new approach for the treatment of human cancers. In this study, a novel Survivin promoter-driven recombinant oncolytic adenovirus carrying mK5 or MnSOD gene was constructed, which was modified after deletion of the E1B gene. Human plasminogen Kringle 5 mutant (mK5) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD) are both potential tumor suppressor genes. By constructing Ad-Surp-mK5 and Ad-Surp-MnSOD oncolytic adenoviruses, we hypothesized that the combination of the two viruses would enhance the therapeutic efficacy of GC as compared to the one virus alone. The results of the in vitro experiments revealed that the combination of adenovirus carrying mK5 and MnSOD gene exhibited stronger cytotoxicity to GC cell lines as compared to the virus alone. Additionally, the virus could selectively kill cancer cells and human somatic cells. Cell staining, flow cytometry, and western blot analysis showed that the combination of two adenoviruses containing therapeutic genes could promote the apoptosis of cancer cells. In vivo experiments further verified that Ad-Surp-mK5 in combination with Ad-Surp-MnSOD exhibited a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of GC tumor xenograft as compared to the virus alone, and no significant difference was observed in the bodyweight of treatment and the normal mice. In conclusion, the combination of our two newly constructed recombinant oncolytic adenoviruses containing mK5 or MnSOD therapeutic genes could significantly inhibit gastric cancer growth by inducing apoptosis, suggestive of its potential for GC therapy.

Empty Pericarp21 encodes a novel PPR-DYW protein that is required for mitochondrial RNA editing at multiple sites, complexes I and V biogenesis, and seed development in maize.

C-to-U editing is an important event in post-transcriptional RNA processing, which converts a specific cytidine (C)-to-uridine (U) in transcripts of mitochondria and plastids. Typically, the pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) protein, which specifies the target C residue by binding to its upstream sequence, is involved in the editing of one or a few sites. Here we report a novel PPR-DYW protein EMP21 that is associated with editing of 81 sites in maize. EMP21 is localized in mitochondria and loss of the EMP21 function severely inhibits the embryogenesis and endosperm development in maize. From a scan of 35 mitochondrial transcripts produced by the Emp21 loss-of-function mutant, the C-to-U editing was found to be abolished at five sites (nad7-77, atp1-1292, atp8-437, nad3-275 and rps4-870), while reduced at 76 sites in 21 transcripts. In most cases, the failure to editing resulted in the translation of an incorrect residue. In consequence, the mutant became deficient with respect to the assembly and activity of mitochondrial complexes I and V. As six of the decreased editing sites in emp21 overlap with the affected editing sites in emp5-1, and the editing efficiency at rpl16-458 showed a substantial reduction in the emp21-1 emp5-4 double mutant compared with the emp21-1 and emp5-4 single mutants, we explored their interaction. A yeast two hybrid assay suggested that EMP21 does not interact with EMP5, but both EMP21 and EMP5 interact with ZmMORF8. Together, these results indicate that EMP21 is a novel PPR-DYW protein required for the editing of ~17% of mitochondrial target Cs, and the editing process may involve an interaction between EMP21 and ZmMORF8 (and probably other proteins).