Discovery of new inhibitors of nuclease MRE11.

MRE11 nuclease is a central player in signaling and processing DNA damage, and in resolving stalled replication forks. Here, we describe the identification and characterization of new MRE11 inhibitors MU147 and MU1409. Both compounds inhibit MRE11 nuclease more specifically and effectively than the relatively weak state-of-the-art inhibitor mirin.

Prins cyclization: new strategy for the stereoselective total synthesis of Polyrhacitide A.

A highly stereoselective total synthesis of polyrhacitide A, a polyketide natural product, has been accomplished by means of Prins cyclisation. The key precursor i.e.

Substitution dependent stereoselective construction of bicyclic lactones and its application to the total synthesis of pyranopyran, tetraketide and polyrhacitide A.

A novel bicyclization strategy has been developed for the stereoselective synthesis of bicyclic lactones, i.e. 7-aryl or alkyl-2,6-dioxabicyclo[3.