Crystal structure of diaminopimelate epimerase from Arabidopsis thaliana, an amino acid racemase critical for L-lysine biosynthesis.

Diaminopimelate (DAP) epimerase is a key enzyme for the biosynthesis of lysine in plants. Lysine is an essential dietary nutrient for mammals. In both plants and bacteria, DAP epimerase catalyzes the interconversion of LL-DAP and DL(meso)-DAP.

Dynamics of catalysis revealed from the crystal structures of mutants of diaminopimelate epimerase.

Diaminopimelate (DAP) epimerase catalyzes the stereoinversion of ll-DAP to meso-DAP, a precursor of l-lysine and an essential component of the bacterial peptidoglycan. This function is vital to bacteria and the enzyme therefore represents an attractive target for the design of novel anti-bacterials. DAP epimerase belongs to the group of PLP-independent amino acid racemases that function through a rather unusual mechanism involving two cysteines acting in concert as a base (thiolate) and an acid (thiol).

Structural insights into stereochemical inversion by diaminopimelate epimerase: an antibacterial drug target.

D-amino acids are much less common than their L-isomers but are widely distributed in most organisms. Many D-amino acids, including those necessary for bacterial cell wall formation, are synthesized from the corresponding L-isomers by alpha-amino acid racemases. The important class of pyridoxal phosphate-independent racemases function by an unusual mechanism whose details have been poorly understood.

The stereoselective synthesis of aziridine analogues of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) and their interaction with dap epimerase.

Aziridine analogues of diaminopimelic acid (DAP) have been prepared stereoselectively for the first time and evaluated as inhibitors of DAP epimerase. (2R,3S,3'S)-3-(3'-Aminopropane)aziridine-2,3'-dicarboxylate was synthesised and shown to be a reversible inhibitor of DAP epimerase with an IC(50) value of 2.88 mM.

A total synthesis of (+/-)-phomactin A.

A total synthesis of the PAF antagonist phomactin A (1), isolated from the marine fungus Phoma sp. is described. The synthesis is based on a Cr(II)/Ni(II) macrocyclisation from the aldehyde vinyl iodide 14, leading to the key phomactatrienol intermediate 16a, followed by elaboration of 16a to the epoxyketone 21, which undergoes spontaneous pyran and hemiacetal ring formation to 1 on deprotection with DDQ.

Traceless solid phase synthesis of 2-substituted pyrimidines using an 'off-the-shelf' chlorogermane-functionalised resin.

The parallel solid phase synthesis of an 18-member library of 2-substituted pyrimidines is described using a chlorogermane-functionalised resin. The success of the key Pinner-type condensations between a resin-bound enaminone and an array of amidine hydrochlorides highlights the stability of arylgermane linkers (cf. arylsilanes) towards strongly basic/nucleophilic conditions.