Investigations into Simplified Analogues of the Herbicidal Natural Product (+)-Cornexistin.

We report the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of simplified analogues of the herbicidal natural product (+)-cornexistin. Guided by an X-Ray co-crystal structure of cornexistin bound to transketolase from Zea mays, we attempted to identify the key interactions that are necessary for cornexistin to maintain its herbicidal profile. This resulted in the preparation of three novel analogues investigating the importance of substituents that are located on the nine-membered ring of cornexistin.

Synthesis of (S)-(-)-N-acetylcolchinol using intramolecular biaryl oxidative coupling.

An asymmetric synthesis of the tubulin polymerisation inhibitor (S)-(-)-N-acetylcolchinol is reported based on an intramolecular biaryl oxidative coupling of a 1,3-diarylpropyl acetamide intermediate using phenyliodonium bis(trifluoroacetate) as the final step. Three syntheses of the penultimate 1,3-diarylpropyl acetamide intermediate (S)-(-)-N-[1-[3-(tert-butyldimethylsilyloxy)phenyl)]-3-(3,4,5-trimethoxyphenyl)propyl] acetamide are described which differ in the means by which the stereogenic centre was introduced.

Activation of group III metabotropic glutamate receptors inhibits the production of RANTES in glial cell cultures.

The chemokine RANTES is critically involved in neuroinflammation and has been implicated in the pathophysiology of multiple sclerosis. We examined the possibility that activation of G-protein-coupled metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptors regulates the formation of RANTES in glial cells. A 15 hr exposure of cultured astrocytes to tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interferon-gamma induced a substantial increase in both RANTES mRNA and extracellular RANTES levels.