Selective Methylation Research Articles

Selective methylation of one of the two promoters residing in T-DNA inserted in a retroelement of rice

The upstream sequence of pinb previously isolated from rice and confirmed to be a wound-inducible promoter by detecting GUS in T0 transgenic rice transformed via Agrobacterium tumefaciens-mediated procedures. In a transgenic line (pinb-16), the selectable marker hptII driven by CaMV35S promoter was completely silenced in T2 sublines; but the uidA gene driven by pinb promoter was expressed without being affected, though it, together with hptII, exists in the same T-DNA insertion. Analyses of methylation patterns using bisulphite-sequencing in the homozygous T1 and T2 sublines showed that cytosines in CaMV35S were gradually methylated in T1 plants and almost completely methylated in T2 plants. Interestingly, the process of methylation was accompanied by the occurrence of lesion mimic phenotype in rice leaves. The activity of hygromycin-resistance could be reestablished by treatment with 5-azacytidine. Genomic Southern and isolation of the T-DNA flanking sequences indicated that T-DNA was inserted in a retroelement of rice. These results revealed that methylation shows preference for the heterogeneity promoter fragment in the transgenic rice line and may be induced by the retroelement.

Synthesis of 3‐Substituted Bicyclic Imidazo[1,2‐d][1,2,4]thiadiazoles and Tricyclic Benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2‐d][1,2,4]thiadiazoles.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

Selective Methyl Tert-Butyl Ether Synthesis over Metal Exchanged Pillared Clays

Iron and mixed iron aluminium pillared montmorillonites prepared by partial hydrolysis method was subjected to room temperature exchange with transition metals of the first series. The materials exhibit good structural as well as thermal stability. Exchanged metals were found to be present inside the porous network, in the environs of the pillars. Mixed pillaring resulted in the intercalation of Al13 like polymers in which Al is partially substituted by Fe. The acidic structure was followed by temperature programmed desorption of ammonia and cumene cracking test reaction. Weak and medium sites overshadow the strong sites in all systems. However, exchange with metals increases the number of strong sites. The prepared materials are efficient catalysts for gas phase MTBE synthesis. The catalytic activity can be well correlated with the total amount of weak and medium acid sites.

A Leptospira interrogans Enzyme with Similarity to Yeast Ste14p That Methylates the 1-Phosphate Group of Lipid A

Distinct from other spirochetes, cells of Leptospira interrogans contain orthologues of all the Escherichia coli lpx genes required for lipid A biosynthesis, but they synthesize a modified form of lipopolysaccharide that supposedly activates toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) instead of TLR4. The recent determination of the L. interrogans lipid A structure revealed an unprecedented O-methylation of its 1-phosphate group (Que-Gewirth, N. L. S., Ribeiro, A. A., Kalb, S. R., Cotter, R. J., Bulach, D. M., Adler, B., Saint Girons, I., Werts, C., and Raetz, C. R. H. (2004) J. Biol. Chem. 279, 25420-25429). The enzymatic activity responsible for selective 1-phosphate methylation has not been previously explored. A membrane enzyme that catalyzes the transfer of a methyl group from S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) to the 1-phosphate moiety of E. coli Kdo2-[4'-(32)P]lipid A has now been discovered. The gene encoding this enzyme was identified based on the hypothesis that methylation of a phosphate group is chemically analogous to methylation of a carboxylate moiety at a membrane-water interface. Database searching revealed a candidate gene (renamed lmtA) in L. interrogans showing distant homology to the yeast isoprenylcysteine carboxyl methyltransferase, encoded by sterile-14, which methylates the a-type mating factor. Orthologues of lmtA were not present in E. coli, the lipid A of which normally lacks the 1-phosphomethyl group, or in other spirochetes, which do not synthesize lipid A. Expression of the lmtA gene behind the lac promoter on a low copy plasmid resulted in the appearance of SAM-dependent methyltransferase activity in E. coli inner membranes and methylation of about 30% of the endogenous E. coli lipid A. Inactivation of the ABC transporter MsbA did not inhibit methylation of newly synthesized lipid A. Methylated E. coli lipid A was analyzed by mass spectrometry and NMR spectroscopy to confirm the location of the phosphomethyl group at the 1-position. In human cells, engineered to express the individual TLR subtypes, 1-phosphomethyl-lipid A purified from lmtA-expressing E. coli potently activated TLR4 but not TLR2.

Total Synthesis of (+)‐Peloruside A.

A total synthesis of (+)-peloruside A has been successfully achieved. The strategy was highlighted by a late stage aldol coupling of two complex fragments followed by an intramolecular hemi-ketal cyclization, a MOM group participated epoxide ring fragmentation reaction, and a highly selective methylation. This convergent route allows access to rationally designed analogues.

Synthesis of 3-Substituted Bicyclic Imidazo[1,2-d][1,2,4]thiadiazoles and Tricyclic Benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-d][1,2,4]thiadiazoles

A versatile synthetic route to potentially useful fused-ring [1,2,4]thiadiazole scaffolds (e.g., 7a and 10b) via exchange reactions of the precursor [1,2,4]thiadiazol-3-(2H)one derivatives (e.g., 6 and 9) with appropriately substituted nitriles (e.g., cyanogen bromide or p-toluenesulfonyl cyanide) under mild conditions is described. For example, the tricyclic 3-bromo [1,2,4]THD derivative (7a) underwent S(N)Ar substitution with a variety of nucleophiles, which included amines, malonate esters and alcohols. Likewise, the bicyclic 3-p-tosyl [1,2,4]THD (10b) was employed as a template in reaction with diamines, and the resulting substituted diamines (e.g., 12a or 12e) were further selectively derivatized at the N1 and/or N2 positions in a linear fashion. The X-ray crystal structure of the 3-methyl bicyclic [1,2,4]THD (21) was obtained, and selective methylation at the N1 position via a protection-alkylation-deprotection protocol, as illustrated in Scheme 6, was confirmed. Alternatively, a short convergent synthesis of N1-functionalized derivatives from the reaction of 10b with appropriately substituted secondary amines was also developed. Hence, these synthetic strategies were advantageously exploited to provide access to a variety of diversely derivatized 3-substituted fused-ring [1,2,4]thiadiazole derivatives.

Probing the Watson−Crick, Wobble, and Sugar-Edge Hydrogen Bond Sites of Uracil and Thymine

The nucleobases uracil (U) and thymine (T) offer three hydrogen-bonding sites for double H-bond formation via neighboring N-H and C=O groups, giving rise to the Watson-Crick, wobble and sugar-edge hydrogen bond isomers. We probe the hydrogen bond properties of all three sites by forming hydrogen bonded dimers of U, 1-methyluracil (1MU), 3-methyluracil (3MU), and T with 2-pyridone (2PY). The mass- and isomer-specific S1 <-- S0 vibronic spectra of 2PY.U, 2PY.3MU, 2PY.1MU, and 2PY.T were measured using UV laser resonant two-photon ionization (R2PI). The spectra of the Watson-Crick and wobble isomers of 2PY.1MU were separated using UV-UV spectral hole-burning. We identify the different isomers by combining three different diagnostic tools: (1) Selective methylation of the uracil N3-H group, which allows formation of the sugar-edge isomer only, and methylation of the N1-H group, which leads to formation of the Watson-Crick and wobble isomers. (2) The experimental S1 <-- S0 origins exhibit large spectral blue shifts relative to the 2PY monomer. Ab initio CIS calculations of the spectral shifts of the different hydrogen-bonded dimers show a linear correlation with experiment. This correlation allows us to identify the R2PI spectra of the weakly populated Watson-Crick and wobble isomers of both 2PY.U and 2PY.T. (3) PW91 density functional calculation of the ground-state binding and dissociation energies De and D0 are in agreement with the assignment of the dominant hydrogen bond isomers of 2PY.U, 2PY.3MU and 2PY.T as the sugar-edge form. For 2PY.U, 2PY.T and 2PY.1MU the measured wobble:Watson-Crick:sugar-edge isomer ratios are in good agreement with the calculated ratios, based on the ab initio dissociation energies and gas-phase statistical mechanics. The Watson-Crick and wobble isomers are thereby determined to be several kcal/mol less strongly bound than the sugar-edge isomers. The 36 observed intermolecular frequencies of the nine different H-bonded isomers give detailed insight into the intermolecular force field.

Synthesis of the Benzo‐β‐Carboline Isoneocryptolepine: The Missing Indoloquinoline Isomer in the Alkaloid Series Cryptolepine, Neocryptolepine and Isocryptolepine.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

Ortho Lithiation of N‐Pivaloylfluoroanilines as a Useful Tool for Either Selective Methylation or Benzoxazole Synthesis.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

Total Synthesis of (+)-Peloruside A

[reaction: see text] A total synthesis of (+)-peloruside A has been successfully achieved. The strategy was highlighted by a late stage aldol coupling of two complex fragments followed by an intramolecular hemi-ketal cyclization, a MOM group participated epoxide ring fragmentation reaction, and a highly selective methylation. This convergent route allows access to rationally designed analogues.

Deletion, Methylation, and Expression of the NKX3.1 Suppressor Gene in Primary Human Prostate Cancer

NKX3.1 is a prostate-specific homeoprotein and tumor suppressor that is affected by the loss of 8p21 in prostate cancer. In mice, Nkx3.1 haploinsufficiency results in prostatic dysplasia and complements cancer formation induced by loss of other suppressor genes. However, NKX3.1 expression can be immunohistochemically detected in most primary prostate cancers. We examined the relationship between suppressor gene haploinsufficiency, methylation, and quantitative NKX3.1 expression levels in primary prostate cancer. NKX3.1 gene copy number was assessed by microsatellite analysis, fluorescence in situ hybridization, and quantitative PCR. NKX3.1 gene methylation was determined in prostate cancer cell lines and we thereby identified potential CpG methylation sites for methylation-specific PCR analysis in tissues. We validated and then applied an internally controlled fluorescence immunomicroscopic assay for NKX3.1 protein expression in 48 primary prostate cancer specimens from radical prostatectomies. NKX3.1 loss of heterozygosity was found in 27 of 43 tissues tested. Classic CpG island methylation of the NKX3.1 gene was not found in either prostate cancer cell lines or tissues. However, in 33 of 40 samples tested, CpG sites at -921, -903, and -47 were methylated to a greater degree in malignant than in adjacent normal cells. In 43 of 48 samples, NKX3.1 protein expression was reduced from 0.34 to 0.90 compared with adjacent normal luminal epithelium (mean of all samples, 0.68; 95% confidence interval, 0.05). In 12 cases that also had high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, NKX3.1 expression levels were similar in preinvasive and invasive cancer cells and significantly lower than adjacent normal cells. Even in the presence of allelic loss, NKX3.1 expression is reduced over a wide range in prostate cancer at the time of prostatectomy, suggesting that diverse factors influence expression. Samples with protein expression below the median level in cancer cells had both NKX3.1 deletion and selective CpG methylation.

Synthesis of the benzo-β-carboline isoneocryptolepine: the missing indoloquinoline isomer in the alkaloid series cryptolepine, neocryptolepine and isocryptolepine

7 H-Indolo[2,3- c]quinoline has been synthesized in two steps via a new approach starting from commercially available 3-bromoquinoline and 2-bromoaniline. The new methodology consists of two consecutive palladium-catalyzed reactions: a selective Buchwald/Hartwig amination followed by an intramolecular Heck-type reaction. Alternatively, the same skeleton has also been prepared via the combination of a Suzuki arylation with an intramolecular nitrene insertion starting from 4-chloroquinoline and {2-[(2,2-dimethylpropanoyl)amino]phenyl}boronic acid. Selective methylation of 7 H-indolo[2,3- c]quinoline yielded 5-methyl-5 H-indolo[2,3- c]quinoline (Isoneocryptolepine) which is an interesting new lead compound in the search for new antiplasmodial drugs.

Ortho Lithiation of N-Pivaloylfluoroanilines as a Useful Tool for Either Selective Methylation or Benzoxazole Synthesis

Lithiation of N-pivaloyl-3,4-difluoroaniline (1a) with a slight excess of 2 mole equiv of n-butyllithium followed by methylation was studied. The reaction was found to be useful for either the selective methylation of 3,4-difluoroaniline or the synthesis of benzoxazole derivatives, depending on the reaction temperature. In the reaction of N-pivaloyl-3-chloro-4-fluoroaniline (1b) and N-pivaloyl-3-fluoroaniline (1c), the reaction proceeded rather sluggishly but benzoxazole formation predominated.

Electrostatic Interactions and the Folding of the Four-way DNA Junction: Analysis by Selective Methyl Phosphonate Substitution

The structure and dynamics of the four-way (Holliday) junction are strongly dependent on the presence of metal ions. In this study, the importance of phosphate charge in and around the point of strand exchange has been explored by selective replacement with electrically neutral methyl phosphonate groups, guided by crystal structures of the junction in the folded, stacked X conformation. Junction conformation has been analysed by comparative gel electrophoresis and fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET). Three of sets of phosphate groups on the exchanging strands have been analysed; those at the point of strand exchange and those to their 3' and 5' sides. The exchanging and 3' phosphate groups form a box of negatively charged groups on the minor groove face of the junction, while the 5' phosphate groups face each other on the major groove side, with their proR oxygen atoms directed at one another. The largest effects are observed on substitution of the exchanging phosphate groups; replacement of both groups leads to the loss of the requirement for addition of metal ions to allow junction folding. When the equivalent phosphate groups on the continuous strands were substituted, a proportion of the junction folded into the alternative conformer so as to bring these phosphate groups onto the exchanging strands. These species did not interconvert, and thus this is likely to result from the alternative diasteromeric forms of the methyl phosphonate group. This shows that some of the conformational effects result from more than purely electrostatic interactions. Smaller but significant effects were observed on substitution of the flanking phosphate groups. All methyl phosphonate substitutions at these positions allowed folding to proceed at a reduced concentration of magnesium ions, with double substitutions more effective than single substitutions. Substitution of 5' phosphates resulted in a greater degree of folding at a given ionic concentration compared to the corresponding 3' phosphate substitutions. These results show that the phosphate groups at the point of strand exchange exert the largest electrostatic effect on junction folding, but a number of phosphate groups in the vicinity of the exchange region contribute to the overall effects.

The Yeast Phospholipid N-Methyltransferases Catalyzing the Synthesis of Phosphatidylcholine Preferentially Convert Di-C16:1 Substrates Both in Vivo and in Vitro

Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is an important and abundant structural component of the membranes of eukaryotic cells. In the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the primary route for the biosynthesis of PC consists of three consecutive methylation steps of phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) catalyzed by the phospholipid N-methyltransferases Cho2p and Opi3p. To investigate how these biosynthetic enzymes contribute to the composition of the PC species profile, the precursor-product relationships between PE and newly synthesized PC were determined at the level of the molecular species by using electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry and stable isotope labeling. In vivo labeling of yeast cells for 10 min with [methyl-D3]methionine revealed the preferential methylation of di-C16:1 PE over a range of PE species compositions. A similar preferential conversion of di-C16:1 PE to PC was found in vitro upon incubating isolated microsomes with S-adenosyl[methyl-D3]methionine. Yeast opi3 and cho2 deletion strains were used to distinguish between the substrate selectivities of Cho2p and Opi3p, respectively. Both biosynthetic enzymes were found to participate in the speciesselective methylation with Cho2p contributing the most. The combined results indicate that the selective methylation of PE species by the methyltransferases plays an important role in shaping the steady-state profile of PC molecular species in yeast.

Ortho‐selective vapour phase methylation of phenol over nanocrystalline ferrospinels of varying Zn2+/Mn2+ ionic composition

AbstractOrtho‐selective vapour phase methylation of phenol with methanol has been carried out over Zn(1−x)MnxFe2O4 (x = 0, 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, 1.0) in the temperature range 423–698K in a fixed‐bed, down‐flow reactor. o‐Cresol and 2,6‐xylenol were found to be the major products. Reaction parameters were optimized over MnFe2O4 (MF). Maximum yields of 68.3% and 14% with selectivities of 81% and 17% were obtained for 2,6‐xylenol and o‐cresol respectively, giving a total selectivity of 98% over MnFe2O4 at 598K, methanol to phenol molar ratio 6, and 0.4 h−1 weight hour space velocity. It was found that the product selectivity is greatly influenced by the acido‐basic properties of the catalysts. o‐Cresol formation is favoured over catalysts with weak acid sites whereas formation of 2,6‐xylenol occurs in the presence of stronger acid sites. Catalyst characterization has been carried out by X‐ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy and ammonia desorption methods. X‐ray diffractograms were used to determine the unit cell length and correlated with the acidity and catalytic activity of the spinel systems. IR absorption bands observed around 700 cm−1 and 500 cm−1 are respectively attributed to the tetrahedral and octahedral metal‐oxygen stretching mode of the spinel. Shifting of bands towards lower wave numbers is correlated with composition and acidity of the spinel systems. The results are discussed on the basis of the Zn2+ and Mn2+ composition and acidity of the spinel systems. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry

Selective Methylation of the Ninhydrin‐Phenol Adducts with I2 in MeOH.

AbstractFor Abstract see ChemInform Abstract in Full Text.

A mechanistic approach to phenol methylation on Cu 1− xCo xFe 2O 4: FTIR study

The interaction of phenol, methanol, and possible reaction products of phenol methylation with the Cu 1− x Co x Fe 2O 4 system has been studied by FTIR spectroscopy in the temperature range between 373 and 623 K. The spectra obtained from the chemisorption of methanol onto Cu 1− x Co x Fe 2O 4 above 373 K indicate progressive oxidation to formate and/or dioxymethylene and then to CO, CO 2, and H 2. Phenol is predominantly adsorbed as phenolate species by the dissociative adsorption on an acid–base site and the phenyl ring of phenol is perpendicular to the catalyst surface, facilitating selective ortho methylation by methyl cations. Characteristic ν C O bands observed for ortho-methylated phenols on the catalyst surface allow the identification of the same from the reaction mixture adsorbed on catalysts at 473 K, well below the optimum reaction temperature of 623 K, on Cu-containing catalysts. However, CoFe 2O 4 shows little interaction of phenol with MeOH, when they are coadsorbed, and might be a limiting factor to the overall reaction. Coadsorption of acidity probes with phenol and methanol indicates that the same acid–base sites are responsible for the reaction. Methylated phenols show a weak interaction with the surface compared to phenol and are susceptible to desorption at reaction temperatures and thus facilitate efficient methylation.

Selective methyl group dissociation by chemical and electrochemical reactions in ruthenium(II) complexes

In [Ru(bpy)2(CO)X]n-type complexes (bpy=2,2′-bipyridine, X=CH3 or COCH3), chemical reactions with a proton and one-electron oxidation behavior have been described. In the present work, selective methyl group dissociation in the Ru–X moieties was exhibited.

Continuous chemoselective methylation of functionalized amines and diols with supercritical methanol over solid acid and acid-base bifunctional catalysts.

The selective N-methylation of bifunctionalized amines with supercritical methanol (scCH(3)OH) promoted by the conventional solid acids (H-mordenite, beta-zeolite, amorphous silica-alumina) and acid-base bifunctional catalysts (Cs-P-Si mixed oxide and gamma-alumina) was investigated in a continuous-flow, fixed-bed reactor. The use of scCH(3)OH in the reaction of 2-aminoethanol with methanol (amine/CH(3)OH = 1/10.8) over the solid catalysts led to a significant improvement in the chemoselectivity of the N-methylation. Among the catalysts examined, the Cs-P-Si mixed oxide provided the most efficient catalyst performance in terms of selectivity and reactivity at 300 degrees C and 8.2 MPa; the N-methylation selectivity in the products reaching up to 94% at 86% conversion. The present selective methylation was successfully applied to the synthesis of N-methylated amino alcohols and diamines as well as O-methylated ethylene glycol. Noticeably, ethoxyethylamine was less reactive, suggesting that the hydroxy group of the amino alcohols is a crucial structural factor in determining high reactivity and selectivity, possibly because of the tethering effect of another terminus, a hydroxo group, to the catalyst surface. The magic-angle-spinning NMR spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis of the Cs-P-Si mixed oxide catalyst revealed that the acidic and basic sites originate from P(2)O(5)/SiO(2) and Cs/SiO(2), respectively, and the weak acid-base paired sites are attributed to three kinds of cesium phosphates on SiO(2). The weak acid-base sites on the catalyst surface might be responsible for the selective dehydrative methylation.