Beta-Ketoadipate enol-lactone hydrolase catalyzes a common step in the utilization of protocatechuate and cis,cis-muconate by bacteria. Either of the two compounds elicits the synthesize of an enol-lactone hydrolase in Acinetobacter. The enol-lactone hydrolase that is induced by each compound was purified, and the properties of the proteins were compared. Both enzymes appear to be dimers with m...

The green odor of plants is characterized by green leaf volatiles (GLVs) composed of C6 compounds. GLVs are biosynthesized from polyunsaturated fatty acids in thylakoid membranes by a series of enzymes. A representative member of GLVs (E)-2-hexenal, known as the leaf aldehyde, has been assumed to be produced by isomerization from (Z)-3-hexenal in the biosynthesis pathway; however, the enzyme ha...

Mushroom tyrosinase, which is known to convert a variety of o-diphenols into o-benzoquinones, has been shown to catalyse an unusual oxidative decarboxylation of 3,4-dihydroxymandelic acid to 3,4-dihydroxybenzaldehyde [Sugumaran (1986) Biochemistry 25, 4489-4492]. The mechanism of this reaction was re-investigated. Although visible-region spectral studies of the reaction mixture containing 3,4-d...

Investigation of tautomerism and transition states in a derivative of 1,3,4-oxadiazole (A, B, C and D) in the gas phase and in solution and in a micro hydrated environment with 1-3 water molecules was performed by calculations at the DFT-B3LYP/6-311++G(d,p) level of theory. The solvent effect is taken into account via the self-consistent reaction field (SCRF) method. The geometries of four poss...

[reaction: see text] The chiral disphosphines with tunable dihedral angles (TunaPhos) have been used for asymmetric hydrogenation of enol acetates and dihedral-angle-dependent enantioselectivities were observed. C2-TunaPhos has been proved to be effective for Ru-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of electron-deficient and other enol acetates.

[reaction: see text] Monodentate phosphoramidites, in particular PipPhos and its octahydro analogue, are excellent ligands for the rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric hydrogenation of aromatic enol acetates, enol carbamates, and 2-dienol carbamates up to 98% ee. These latter substrates were hydrogenated selectively to the carbamates of the allyl alcohol.

Efficient conversion of ketones into kinetic enol phosphates under mild and accessible conditions has been realised using the developed methods with di-tert-butylmagnesium and bismesitylmagnesium. Optimisation of the quench protocol resulted in high yields of enol phosphates from a range of cyclohexanones and aryl methyl ketones, with tolerance of a range of additional functional units.

The behavior of electron-rich alkenes in rhodium-catalyzed C-H activation/annulation reactions is investigated. Vinyl acetate emerges as a convenient acetylene equivalent, facilitating the synthesis of sixteen 3,4-unsubstituted isoquinolones, as well as select heteroaryl-fused pyridones. The complementary regiochemical preferences of enol ethers versus enol esters/enamides is discussed.

The rhodium(III)-catalyzed mild and site-selective C-H allylation of enol carbamates with 4-vinyl-1,3-dioxolan-2-one and allylic carbonates affords allylic alcohols and terminal allylated products, respectively. The assistance of the carbamoyl directing group provides a straightforward preparation of biologically and synthetically important allylated enol carbamates.