We have developed a chemical way of thinking about electron transport in molecules in terms of frontier orbital theory [1-4]. The phase and amplitude of the HOMO and LUMO of πconjugated molecules determine the essential properties of their electron transport. By considering a close relationship between Green’s function and the molecular orbital, we derived an orbital rule that would help our ch...

Mammalian thioredoxin reductase (TrxR) is an NADPH-dependent homodimer with three redox-active centers per subunit: a FAD, an N-terminal domain dithiol (Cys(59)/Cys(64)), and a C-terminal cysteine/selenocysteine motif (Cys(497)/Sec(498)). TrxR has multiple roles in antioxidant defense. Opposing these functions, it may also assume a pro-oxidant role under some conditions. In the absence of its m...

We report here the first catalytic asymmetric thioacetalization of salicylaldehyde and dithiol. Chiral phosphoric acid STRIP C5 is identified as a powerful catalyst for this reaction to afford various chiral dithioacetals in high to excellent yields and enantioselectivities under mild conditions.

We use mass spectrometry analysis and molecular modelling to show the established antimicrobial inhibitor 4,5-dichloro-1,2-dithiol-3-one (HR45) acts by forming a covalent adduct with the target β-ketoacyl-ACP synthase III (FabH). The 5-chloro substituent directs attack of the essential active site thiol (C112) via a Michael-type addition elimination reaction mechanism.