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IspG (also called GcpE) is an oxygen‐sensitive [4Fe‐4S] enzyme catalyzing the penultimate step of the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway, a validated target for drug development. It converts 2‐C‐methyl‐d‐erythritol‐2,4‐cyclo‐diphosphate (MEcPP) into (E)‐4‐hydroxy‐3‐methyl‐but‐2‐enyl‐1‐diphosphate (HMBPP). The reaction, assimilated to a reductive dehydration, involves redox partners responsible for the formal transfer of two electrons to substrate MEcPP. The 2‐vinyl analogue of MEcPP was designed to generate conjugated species during enzyme catalysis, with the aim of providing new reactive centers to be covalently trapped by neighboring amino acid residues. The synthesized substrate analogue displayed irreversible inhibition towards IspG. Furthermore, we have shown that electron transfer occurs prior to inhibition; this might designate conjugated intermediates as probable affinity tags through covalent interaction at the catalytic site. This is the first report of an irreversible inhibitor of the IspG metalloenzyme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of new fluorine‐containing building blocks and their efficient synthetic access is currently a challenging research field. Herein, the highly regio‐ and stereoselective addition of a large range of aldehydes onto trifluoromethylated benzofulvenes was achieved using a simple La/I2/DIBAL‐Cl system via a selective C−F bond activation process. This versatile methodology provided homodienyl alcohols bearing a terminal CF2‐alkene with potential further applications, as shown by the dehydration to the first benzofulvenes carrying a difluorovinyl group. In addition, for certain electron‐poor aldehydes, unprecedented ipso substitution of the CF3 group in a diene was observed, which, according to DFT studies, is related to the presence of the large, Lewis‐acidic lanthanum metal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitromethylation of nitrones occurred efficiently in CH3NO2 in the presence of tetramethylammonium fluoride or triazabicyclodecene as promoters. The obtained adducts might be conveniently transformed into vicinal diamines. The process was extended to nitroethane and nitropropane affording mixtures of syn and anti stereoisomers with low diastereoselectivity. Comprehensive study of the addition of nitroalkanes to nitrones was conducted. The reaction proved efficient with TMAF or TBD as bases, in the presence of a large excess of R–NO2. Phase‐transfer catalysis gave also acceptable yields. Nitroethane or nitropropane afforded mixtures of isomerisable diastereomers. The reaction was applied to the synthesis of biologically relevant compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal on Lewis acid: The combination of lanthanide metals and AlCl3 has been employed for selective single C−F activation in benzofulvenes comprising an exocyclic CF3 substituent. Intermediate ϵ,ϵ-difluorinated metal-dienyl species react with a large variety of aldehydes in a highly regio- and diastereoselective fashion to afford 1,1-disubstituted indenes bearing a difluorovinyl group. These new building blocks have been further transformed through a hydrogenation-cyclization process into fluorinated heterocyclic spiro compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[4Fe-4S] enzymes, fraudulent substrates, irreversible inhibition, IspG (GcpE), MEP pathway Cover Feature: Irreversible Inhibition of IspG, a Target for the Development of New Antimicrobials, by a 2-Vinyl Analogue of its MEcPP Substrate (Chem. Eur. J. 30/2022) Keywords: [4Fe-4S] enzymes; fraudulent substrates; irreversible inhibition; IspG (GcpE); MEP pathway EN [4Fe-4S] enzymes fraudulent substrates irreversible inhibition IspG (GcpE) MEP pathway 1 1 1 05/27/22 20220525 NES 220525 B The rational design b of a substrate analogue has afforded the first irreversible inhibitor of an IspG enzyme, a target for the development of new drugs to fight antimicrobial resistance. [Extracted from the article]