After chemo-metamorphosis: -menthane monoterpenoids characterize the oil gland secretion of adults of the oribatid mite, .

The oil gland secretion of the oribatid mite is known to show the phenomenon of juvenile-adult polymorphism, i.e., juvenile instars produce secretions predominated by geranial, whereas adults secrete dehydrocineole along with a number of chemically unidentified compounds.

The scent gland chemistry of Gagrellinae (Opiliones, Sclerosomatidae): evidence for sequestration of myrmicacin in a species of .

The scent gland secretion of an undetermined species of from Costa Rica was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and shown to consist of medium-chain carboxylic acids (mainly octanoic acid) and a -hydroxy-carboxylic acid, eventually identified as myrmicacin (= ()-3-hydroxydecanoic acid). While scent gland secretions in harvestmen have traditionally been considered to be products of de novo synthesis, we here provide evidence for the unusual case of sequestration-derived scent gland constituents: at least myrmicacin appears to be sequestered from leaf-cutter ants that constitute a part of the prey of the -species herein investigated. This is the first report on the scent gland chemistry of the sclerosomatid subfamily Gagrellinae as well as on a possible sequestration mechanism in harvestmen.

A Modular Synthesis of Teraryl-Based α-Helix Mimetics, Part 4: Core Fragments with Two Halide Leaving Groups Featuring Side Chains of Proteinogenic Amino Acids.

Teraryl-based α-helix mimetics have proven to be useful compounds for the inhibition of protein-protein interactions (PPI). We have developed a modular and flexible approach for the synthesis of teraryl-based α-helix mimetics using a benzene core unit featuring two halide leaving groups of differentiated reactivity in the Pd-catalyzed cross-coupling used for teraryl assembly. The use of para-bromo iodoarene core fragments resolved the issue of hydrolysis during cross-coupling that was observed when using triflate as a leaving group.

Application of Threonine Aldolases for the Asymmetric Synthesis of α-Quaternary α-Amino Acids.

We report the synthesis of diverse β-hydroxy-α,α-dialkyl-α-amino acids with perfect stereoselectivity for the α-quaternary center through the action of l- and d-specific threonine aldolases. A wide variety of aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes were accepted by the enzymes and conversions up to >80 % were obtained. In the case of d-selective threonine aldolase from sp.