Comparative genomic analysis of azasugar biosynthesis.

Azasugars are monosaccharide analogs in which the ring oxygen is replaced with a nitrogen atom. These well-known glycosidase inhibitors are of interest as therapeutics, yet several aspects of azasugars remain unknown including their distribution, structural diversity, and chemical ecology. The hallmark signature of bacterial azasugar biosynthesis is a three gene cluster (3GC) coding for aminotransferase, phosphatase, and dehydrogenase enzymes.

One-Step Conversion of Potassium Organotrifluoroborates to Metal Organoborohydrides.

This letter describes the one-step conversion of heteroatom-substituted potassium organotrifluoroborates (KRBF) to metal monoorganoborohydrides (MRBH) using alkali metal aluminum hydrides. The method tolerates a variety of functional groups, expanding MRBH diversity. Hydride removal with MeSiCl in the presence of dimethylaminopyridine (DMAP) affords the organoborane·DMAP (RBH·DMAP) adducts.