The Herpes Simplex Virus 1 Protein ICP4 Acts as both an Activator and a Repressor of Host Genome Transcription during Infection.

Infection by herpes simplex virus 1 (HSV-1) impacts nearly all steps of host cell gene expression. The regulatory mechanisms by which this occurs, and the interplay between host and viral factors, have yet to be fully elucidated. We investigated how the occupancy of RNA polymerase II (Pol II) on the host genome changes during HSV-1 infection and is impacted by the viral immediate early protein ICP4.

Enantioselective Copper(I)-Catalyzed Alkynylation of Oxocarbenium Ions to Set Diaryl Tetrasubstituted Stereocenters.

An enantioselective, copper(I)-catalyzed addition of terminal alkynes to isochroman ketals to set diaryl, tetrasubstituted stereocenters has been developed. The success of this reaction relies on identification of a Cu/PyBox catalyst capable of distinguishing the faces of the diaryl-substituted oxocarbenium ion. This challenging transformation enables efficient conversion of readily available, racemic ketals into high-value enantioenriched isochroman products with fully substituted stereogenic centers.