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Diastereoselective inter- and intramolecular pinacol coupling of aldehydes promoted by monomeric titanocene(II) complex Cp(2)TiPh.

A monomeric titanocene(III) derivative, Cp(2)TiPh, effectively promoted the pinacol coupling of both an aromatic aldehyde, benzaldehyde, and an aliphatic aldehyde, 3-phenylpropionaldehyde. The same reactive complex was successfully generated by a catalytic amount of a precursor, Cp(2)Ti(Ph)Cl, and its stoichiometric amount of Zn. The Cp(2)TiPh-catalyzed pinacol coupling of benzaldehyde derivatives and aliphatic aldehydes afforded the corresponding 1,2-diols in high yields with moderate to good threo-selectivity. On the other hand, Cp(2)TiPh-catalyzed pinacol cyclization of dials gave cyclic 1,2-diols with excellent diastereoselectivity. The extension of this protocol to chiral dials demonstrated that the phenyltitanium complex catalytically transmitted an axial chirality or a central chirality of the starting dials to the central chirality of the resultant 1,2-diols.

Journal Article↗

Rate acceleration of the Baylis-Hillman reaction in polar solvents (water and formamide). Dominant role of hydrogen bonding, not hydrophobic effects, is implicated.

A substantial acceleration of the Baylis-Hillman reaction between cyclohexenone and benzaldehyde has been observed when the reaction is conducted in water. Several different amine catalysts were tested, and as with reactions conducted in the absence of solvent, 3-hydroxyquinuclidine was found to be the optimum catalyst in terms of rate. The reaction has been extended to other aldehyde electrophiles including pivaldehyde. Attempts to extend this work to acrylates was only partially successful as rapid hydrolysis of methyl and ethyl acrylates occurred under the base-catalyzed and water-promoted conditions. However, tert-butyl acrylates were sufficiently stable to couple with relatively reactive electrophiles. Further studies on the use of polar solvents revealed that formamide also provided significant acceleration and the use of 5 equiv of formamide (optimum amount) gave faster rates than reactions conducted in water. Using formamide, further acceleration was achieved in the presence of Yb(OTf)(3) (5 mol %). The scope of the new conditions was tested with a range of Michael acceptors and benzaldehyde and with a range of electrophiles and ethyl acrylate. The origin of the rate acceleration is discussed.

Journal Article↗

Comparison of the electronic structures of imine and hydrazone side-chain functionalities with the aid of 13C and 15N NMR chemical shifts and PM3 calculations. The influence of C=N-substitution on the sensitivity to aromatic substitution.

Benzaldehyde derivatives possessing a C=N double bond in the side-chain of the aromatic ring exhibit a reverse dependence of the (13)C NMR chemical shifts of the C=N carbon on the benzylidenic substituents X. Thus, electron-withdrawing substituents cause shielding (shift is reduced), while electron-donating ones cause deshielding. The origin of this phenomenon, which is in contrast with the idea of the generalized electronic effect, is extensively studied here by comparing the behavior of sets of benzaldehyde derivatives bearing various substitutents Y on the C=N nitrogen (Y-N=CH-C(6)H(4)-X). The effects of substituents X on the C=N unit change when Y is varied. Combination of the influences of the substituents X and Y gives a sensitive balance between the different resonance structures of the compounds. Our graphical treatment, where the rho(I) and rho(R) values observed for substituent X are plotted against the sigma(p)(+) value of substituent Y, is a novel use of Hammett-type substituent parameters. The justification of this method and our conclusions could be verified, for instance, by the fair correlation between the rho(I) or rho(R) values and the atomic charges of the imine carbon of the unsubstitued phenyl derivatives as well as by the correlations of the relevant bond orders and/or bond lengths both with the substituent parameters and with the atomic charges.

Journal Article↗

Reaction profiles and substituent effects for the reduction of carbonyl compounds with monomer and dimer simple metal hydride reagents.

Reaction profiles and energetics for the reactions of substituted benzaldehydes with a series of different simple metal hydrides (BH(3), BMeH(2), BMe(2)H, AlH(3), and AlMe(2)H) are examined computationally. B3LYP/6-31G optimizations and MP2/6-311G single point energy calculations revealed that the Al reagents are more reactive than B reagents. Replacement of H with Me on BH(3) or AlH(3) makes the reduction transition state (TS) less stable. Accordingly the overall reactivity is in the order AlH(3) > AlMe(2)H > BH(3) > BMe(2)H. The Hammett rho value for substituted benzaldehydes (BAs) is negative for the initial complex formation and positive for the hydride-transfer step. The size and the sign of the apparent rho value depend on the relative stabilities of the separated reactants and the complex. The TS structures vary according to the Hammond postulate for substituted BAs and the variation is reflected in carbonyl-carbon and aldehyde-deuterium isotope effects. Comparison of the reaction profiles of the monomer and dimer reagents reveals that the real reacting species is the monomer in the gas phase for BH(3) but the dimer for BMe(2)H.

Journal Article↗

Asymmetric synthesis of tetrahydropalmatine via tandem 1,2-addition/cyclization.

[Reaction: see text]. The enantioselective synthesis of both enantiomers of tetrahydropalmatine (2) (ee = 98%), a natural alkaloid belonging to the tetrahydroprotoberberine family, is described. The key step of this total synthesis is based on our tandem 1,2-addition/ring-closure methodology employing lithiated methylbenzamide and benzaldehyde SAMP or RAMP hydrazones as substrates. An initial route was investigated for the formation of N- and 3-substituted dihydroisoquinolones starting from 2-substituted benzaldehyde SAMP hydrazones, but although high diastereoselectivity was achieved, only disappointing yields were obtained. In our subsequent synthetic strategy, 2,3-dimethoxy-6-methylbenzamide 6 and 3,4-dimethoxybenzaldehyde SAMP or RAMP hydrazone 19 gave the dihydroisoquinolones 20 in high diastereomeric purity (de > or = 96%) and reasonable yield (54-55%), taking into account the complex functionalities established in one step. Cleavage of the N-N bond of the chiral auxiliary and reduction of the carbonyl group of the amide moiety were performed in the same step, and the resulting tetrahydroisoquinolines 22 (ee = 99%) were N-functionalized by treatment with various electrophiles to investigate the ring closure by Pummerer, Friedel-Crafts, and Pomeranz-Fritsch reactions. The Pummerer cyclization led to the formation of (S)-(-)-2 with slight racemization (ee = 89%), whereas the Friedel-Crafts reaction proved to be unsuccessful. Finally, Pomeranz-Fritsch-type cyclization afforded the desired title compound (R)-(+)-2 in excellent enantioselectivity in 9% overall yield over seven steps and after optimization of the last step (S)-(-)-2 in 17% overall yield.

Alkaloids↗

A Novel Oxidizing Reagent Based on Potassium Ferrate(VI)(1).

A new, efficient preparation has been devised for potassium ferrate(VI) (K(2)FeO(4)). The ability of this high-valent iron salt for oxidizing organic substrates in nonaqueous media was studied. Using benzyl alcohol as a model, the catalytic activity of a wide range of microporous adsorbents was ascertained. Among numerous solid supports of the aluminosilicate type, the K10 montmorillonite clay was found to be best at achieving quantitative formation of benzaldehyde, without any overoxidation to benzoic acid. The roles of the various parameters (reaction time and temperature, nature of the solvent, method of preparation of the solid reagent) were investigated. The evidence points to a polar reaction mechanism. The ensuing procedure was applied successfully, at room temperature, to oxidation of a series of alcohols to aldehydes and ketones, to oxidative coupling of thiols to disulfides, and to oxidation of nitrogen derivatives. At 75 degrees C, the reagent has the capability of oxidizing both activated and nonactivated hydrocarbons. Toluene is turned into benzyl alcohol (and benzaldehyde). Cycloalkanes are also oxidized, in significant (30-40%) yields, to the respective cycloalkanols (and cycloalkanones). Thus, potassium ferrate, used in conjunction with an appropriate heterogeneous catalyst, is a strong and environmentally friendly oxidant.

Journal Article↗

Metal- and Ligand-Accelerated Catalysis of the Baylis-Hillman Reaction.

The Baylis-Hillman reaction, the coupling of an unsaturated carbonyl compound/nitrile with aldehydes, is a valuable reaction but is limited in its practicality by poor reaction rates. We have endeavored to accelerate the reaction using Lewis acids and found that while conventional Lewis acids gave reduced rates group III, and lanthanide triflates (5 mol %) gave increased rates. The optimum metal salts were La(OTf)(3) and Sm(OTf)(3), which gave rate accelerations (k(rel)) of approximately 4.7 and 4.9, respectively, in reactions between tert-butyl acrylate and benzaldehyde when using stoichiometric amounts of DABCO. At low loadings of DABCO (up to 10 mol %), no reaction occurred due to association of DABCO with the metal. Use of additional ligands to displace the DABCO from the metal was studied, and the rate of reaction was found to increase further in most cases. Of the ligands tested, at 5 mol %, (+)-binol gave one of the largest rate accelerations (3.4-fold) and was studied in more detail. It was found that reactions occurred even at low DABCO concentration so that here the Lewis base and Lewis acid were able to promote the reaction without interference from each other. While the (+)-binol (and other chiral ligands) failed to provide any significant asymmetric induction, a substantial nonlinear effect was observed with binol. Thus, use of racemic binol gave no effect on the rate. In seeking to maximize the rate attainable, more soluble (liquid) ligands were studied. Diethyl tartrate and triethanolamine gave rate enhancements of 5.2x and 3.5x at 50 mol %, respectively, versus 1.5x and 2.3x at 5 mol %. The best protocol was to use 100 mol % DABCO, 50 mol % triethanolamine, and 5 mol % La(OTf)(3). This gave overall rate accelerations of between 23-fold and 40-fold depending on the acrylate and approximately 5-fold for acrylonitrile. A simple acid wash removed the reagents, leaving the product in the organic phase. While triethanolamine accelerated the reaction without the lanthanum triflate (18-22-fold at 80 mol %), the reaction in the presence of the metal salt was faster. The system was tested synthetically on various substrates and found to give good rate accelerations with both activated (benzaldehyde and p-nitrobenzaldehyde) and less activated aldehydes (anisaldehyde and cyclohexanecarboxaldehyde) with acrylates. The limited amount of dimerized acrylate in the latter reactions is noteworthy and should extend the range of substrates that can be made by the Baylis-Hillman reaction using our optimum conditions.

Journal Article↗

A Superior, Readily Available Enantiopure Ligand for the Catalytic Enantioselective Addition of Diethylzinc to alpha-Substituted Aldehydes.

The lithium perchlorate-induced ring opening of (S)-triphenylethylene oxide (3) with secondary amines (piperidine (a), N-methylpiperazine (b), N-phenylpiperazine (c) and morpholine (d)) takes place in a stereospecific and completely regioselective manner to afford (R)-2-(dialkylamino)-1,1,2-triphenylethanols (4a-d). These amino alcohols catalytically induce the addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde with high enantioselectivity at 0 degrees C and at room temperature. Ligand 4a, which provides the highest enantioselectivity at 0 degrees C, has been studied in the addition of Et(2)Zn to a family of 20 representative aliphatic and aromatic aldehydes 5a-t. For a 17-membered set of alpha-substituted substrates (5a-m,q-t), including ortho-, meta-, and para-substituted benzaldehydes, the naphthaldehydes, alpha,beta-unsaturated and aliphatic (cyclic and acyclic) aldehydes, the mean enantiomeric excess of the resulting alcohols 6a-m,q-t is 97%, whereas for three alpha-unsubstituted specimens (5n-p) the addition takes place with an enantioselectivity of 92-93%.

Journal Article↗

Preparation of gamma-Heterosubstituted Allylindium and Diindium Reagents and Their Reactions with Carbonyl Compounds.

Various gamma-heteroatom-substituted allylindium reagents were prepared, and their reactions with carbonyl compounds were examined. The reaction of 1,3-dibromopropene with metallic indium gave two types of organoindium species, gamma-bromoallylindium and allylic diindium reagents. While the former gave 2-phenyl-3-vinyloxirane upon the coupling with benzaldehyde, the latter gave 1-phenylbut-3-en-1-ol. 1-Iodo-3-bromopropene gave the homoallylic alcohol exclusively. gamma-Alkoxyallylindium reagents were prepared by treating the corresponding gamma-alkoxyallyllithium with indium trichloride and reacted with benzaldehyde to give vic-diol mono ethers in high yields with good syn selectivity. gamma-(Trimethylsilyl)allylindium and alpha,gamma-disubstituted allylindium reagents were also prepared via transmetalation with the corresponding allyllithium.

Journal Article↗

Samarium Ion-Promoted Cross-Aldol Reactions and Tandem Aldol/Evans-Tishchenko Reactions.

Cross-aldol reactions of carbonyl compounds were achieved by the catalysis of SmI(2) or SmI(3), together with molecular sieves, at ambient temperature. 1,3-Dichloroacetone and 1-chloroacetone can be used as acceptor substrates in the cross-aldol reactions with donor substrates such as acetone, cyclopentanone, and cyclohexanone. The cross-aldol reactions with (R)-glyceraldehyde acetonide gave optically pure compounds 25-32, the stereochemistry of which was in agreement with a chairlike chelate transition state of dipolar mode. SmI(2)-molecular sieves or SmI(3)-molecular sieves also functioned as effective Lewis acids to catalyze tandem aldol/Evans-Tishchenko reactions. The aldol/Evans-Tishchenko reactions of methyl ketones with aldehydes occurred at 0 degrees C to give alpha,gamma-anti diol monoesters 53a-59a. When the reactions were conducted at room temperature, a certain degree of transesterification took place. The aldol/Evans-Tishchenko reactions of ethyl or benzyl ketones with aldehydes yielded alpha,beta-anti-alpha,gamma-anti diol monoesters 60a-65a. However, the aldol/Evans-Tishchenko reactions of cyclic ketones with benzaldehyde occurred with a different stereoselectivity to give alpha,beta-syn-alpha,gamma-anti diol monoesters 66a-76a. The structures of products were determined by chemical and spectroscopic methods including an X-ray diffraction analysis of 72a derived from the reaction of 4-tert-butylcyclohexanone and benzaldehyde. A reaction mechanism involving dissociation-recombination of aldols followed by intramolecular stereoselective hydride shift is proposed, based on some experimental evidence, to explain the dichotomous stereoselectivity using acyclic or cyclic ketones as the reaction substrates.

Journal Article↗

Pinane-Type Tridentate Reagents for Enantioselective Reactions: Reduction of Ketones and Addition of Diethylzinc to Aldehydes.

The reduction of aryl and alkenyl methyl ketones using lithium aluminum hydride modified with (1R,2S,3S,5R)-(+)-10-anilino-3-ethoxy-2-hydroxypinane (10b) afforded chiral secondary alcohols in 83-96% chemical yields and 50-91% ee with dominance of R enantiomers. The reduction of acetophenone in the presence of lithium iodide gave the alcohol product with higher ee. On the other hand, the addition reaction of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde using the pinane-based diols 5-9 as promoters gave 1-phenylpropanol in favor of the S enantiomer up to 88% ee. Using the pinane-based alcohols 10a-e as promoters, the R enantiomer was obtained as the major product. The addition reactions of diethylzinc to various substituted benzaldehydes, employing the diol ligands 5c and 8e, afforded predominantly the corresponding (S)-alcohols. The chiral modifiers 5-10 were prepared from (1R)-(-)-myrtenol and were readily recovered (>90%) after the asymmetric reactions. In this study, LAH reduction and Et(2)Zn addition are complementary methods for the preparation of optically active secondary alcohols. The ligand 10-butylanilino-2,3-dihydroxypinane 5c promoted the Et(2)Zn additions effectively, whereas the modifier 10-anilino-3-ethoxy-2-hydroxypinane 10binduced the LAH reductions in a highly enantioselective manner.

Journal Article↗

Flash vacuum pyrolysis of methoxy-substituted lignin model compounds.

The flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of methoxy-substituted beta-O-4 lignin model compounds has been studied at 500 degrees C to provide mechanistic insight into the primary reaction pathways that occur under conditions of fast pyrolysis. FVP of PhCH(2)CH(2)OPh (PPE), a model of the dominant beta-O-4 linkage in lignin, proceeds by C-O and C-C cleavage, in a 37:1 ratio, to produce styrene plus phenol as the dominant products and minor amounts of toluene, bibenzyl, and benzaldehyde. From the deuterium isotope effect in the FVP of PhCD(2)CH(2)OPh, it was shown that C-O cleavage occurs by homolysis and by 1,2-elimination in a ratio of 1.4:1, respectively. Methoxy substituents enhance the homolysis of the beta-O-4 linkage, relative to PPE, in o-CH(3)O-C(6)H(4)OCH(2)CH(2)Ph (o-CH(3)O-PPE) and (o-CH(3)O)(2)-C(6)H(3)OCH(2)CH(2)Ph ((o-CH(3)O)(2)-PPE) by a factor of 7.4 and 21, respectively. The methoxy-substituted phenoxy radicals undergo a complex series of reactions, which are dominated by 1,5-, 1,6-, and 1,4-intramolecular hydrogen abstraction, rearrangement, and beta-scission reactions. In the FVP of o-CH(3)O-PPE, the dominant product, salicylaldehyde, forms from the methoxyphenoxy radical by a 1,5-hydrogen shift to form 2-hydroxyphenoxymethyl radical, 1,2-phenyl shift, and beta-scission of a hydrogen atom. The 2-hydroxyphenoxymethyl radical can also cleave to form formaldehyde and phenol in which the ratio of 1, 2-phenyl shift to beta-scission is ca. 4:1. In the FVP of o-CH(3)O-PPE and (o-CH(3)O)(2)-PPE, products (ca. 20 mol %) are also formed by C-O homolysis of the methoxy group. The resulting phenoxy radicals undergo 1,5- and 1,6-hydrogen shifts in a ratio of ca. 2:1 to the aliphatic or benzylic carbon, respectively, of the phenethyl chain. In the FVP of (o-CH(3)O)(2)-PPE, o-cresol was the dominant product. It was formed by decomposition of 2-hydroxy-3-hydroxymethylbenzaldehyde and 2-hydroxybenzyl alcohol, which are formed from a complex series of reactions from the 2, 6-dimethoxyphenoxy radical. The key step in this reaction sequence was the rapid 1,5-hydrogen shift from 2-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzyloxy radical to 2-hydroxymethyl-6-methoxyphenoxy radical before beta-scission of a hydrogen atom to give the substituted benzaldehyde. The 2-hydroxybenzyl alcohols rapidly decompose under the reaction conditions to o-benzoquinone methide and pick up hydrogen from the reactor walls to form o-cresol.

Biopolymers↗

Selective reduction of 2-

[formula: see text] NaBH4 reduction of 2,5-bis[(4'-(n-alkoxy)benzoyl)oxy]benzaldehydes produces primarily the rearranged phenol, which does not generate liquid crystalline phases when laterally attached to a polymer backbone. Rearrangement is prevented by quenching the intermediate benzyl alkoxide with a weak acid. For example, 2,5-bis[(4'-(methoxy)benzoyl)oxy]benzaldehyde is selectively reduced to 2,5-bis[(4'-(methoxy)benzoyl)oxy]-benzyl alcohol with less than 5% intramolecular transesterification using 2-3 equiv of NaBH4 in the presence of 20-30 equiv of acetic acid (1:10 NaBH4/AcOH).

Journal Article↗

Immobilization of chiral ligands on polymer fibers by electron beam induced grafting and applications in enantioselective catalysis.

[reaction: see text] Styrenic TADDOL and L-prolinol-derived monomers were immobilized on polyethylene fibers by electron beam induced preirradiation grafting using styrene as comonomer. The polymer-supported chiral ligands were utilized as catalysts in the asymmetric addition of diethylzinc to benzaldehyde. Fiber-bound titanium TADDOLate gave a quantitative conversion of benzaldehyde to 1-phenylpropan-1-ol in a 97:3 S/R enantiomeric ratio. The catalyst was successfully regenerated and employed in subsequent reactions with retention of high enantioselectivities.

Journal Article↗

Stereoselective Stobbe condensation of ethyl methyl diphenylmethylenesuccinate with aromatic aldehydes.

The E configuration of benzylidene(diphenylmethylene)succinic anhydride (R = H), obtained by the Stobbe condensation of ethyl methyl diphenylmethylenesuccinate with benzaldehyde, was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Noncovalent pi stacking interaction between two stacked phenyl groups is suggested as a stabilizing energy for the highly crowded molecule. The nature and the position of substituents (R) on the aromatic rings of substituted benzaldehydes showed no effect on the E stereoselectivity in the condensation. [structure: see text]

Journal Article↗

Cytotoxicity and bioactivation mechanism of benzyl 2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl sulfide and benzyl 1,2,3,4,4-pentachlorobuta-1,3-dienyl sulfide.

The metabolism and cytotoxicity of benzyl 1,2,3,4,4-pentachlorobuta-1,3-dienyl sulfide (1) and benzyl 2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl sulfide (2) were studied as an alternative test of the hypothesis that the toxicity of the cysteine S-conjugates S-(pentachlorobutadienyl)-L-cysteine and S-(2-chloro-1,1,2-trifluoroethyl)-L-cysteine is associated with their metabolism to unstable thiols; the expectation was that the benzyl sulfides 1 and 2 would undergo cytochrome P-450 dependent benzylic hydroxylation and that the intermediate hemimercaptals would eliminate unstable, cytotoxic thiols. This expectation was realized: 1 and 2 were cytotoxic in isolated rat hepatocytes. The cytotoxicity of 1 was greater in hepatocytes from phenobarbital-treated rats compared with control rats and in male than in female rats and was inhibited by carbon monoxide and 2-(N,N-diethylamino)ethyl 2,2-diphenylvalerate HCl (SKF 525-A). Benzyl sulfides 1 and 2 were metabolized to benzaldehyde by rat hepatic microsomal fractions and by a purified, reconstituted cytochrome P-450PB-B system. Benzaldehyde was not cytotoxic. These results provide support for the hypothesis that benzyl sulfides 1 and 2 and the corresponding cysteine S-conjugates yield unstable thiols, which may give rise to acylating agents or to stable, but toxic, terminal products that are responsible for the cytotoxic effects of the benzyl sulfides and cysteine S-conjugates.

Animals↗

Fate of free radicals generated during one-electron reductions of 4-alkyl-1,4-peroxyquinols by cytochrome P-450.

Free radicals resulting from the one-electron reduction and subsequent homolytic cleavage of oxygen-oxygen bonds by heme proteins are likely to be responsible for some aspects of the toxicity of organic hydroperoxides. In the present work, effects of the 4-alkyl substituent of 2,6-di-tert-butyl-4-alkyl-4-hydroperoxycytohexa-2,5-dienones (1,4-peroxyquinols) on radical production were investigated with microsomal cytochrome P-450 from rat liver. Quinoxy radicals from homolysis of the peroxyquinols underwent beta-scission to produce a quinone and an alkyl radical, and this process occurred with increasing frequency as the stability of the alkyl radical increased. The fate of benzyl and 2-phenylethyl radicals generated from the appropriately substituted peroxyquinols was investigated also. The former was converted to benzyl alcohol, benzaldehyde, and toluene and the latter to 2-phenylethanol, phenylacetaldehyde, ethylbenzene, styrene, and benzaldehyde. Oxygen-18 labeling studies demonstrated that 80-85% of the benzyl alcohol incorporated oxygen from the hydroperoxide and the balance from molecular oxygen. This indicates that the predominant reaction pathway involved recombination between the benzyl radical and the iron-bound hydroxyl radical of the P-450 intermediate complex. By contrast, about 50% of 2-phenylethanol from the 2-phenylethyl radical incorporated oxygen from water and the balance from O2. Two alternative mechanisms are proposed to explain the formation of 2-phenylethanol that contained oxygen from water and the concurrent formation of styrene: (a) oxygen exchange of the P-450 intermediate with water, followed by hydrogen abstraction and radical recombination reactions with the P-450 complex, or (b) oxidation of the radical to the 2-phenylethyl cation followed by proton elimination and hydration.

Alkylation↗

N-Nitrosobenzylmethylamine hydroxylation and coumarin 7-hydroxylation: catalysis by rat esophageal microsomes and cytochrome P450 2A3 and 2A6 enzymes.

N-Nitrosobenzylmethylamine (NBzMA) is a potent and selective esophageal carcinogen in the rat and may be a causative agent for human esophageal cancer. This nitrosamine, like most, must be metabolically activated to exert its carcinogenic potential. NBzMA may be metabolized by P450-catalyzed methyl or methylene hydroxylation; the latter is believed to be the activation pathway. The sensitivity of the esophagus to NBzMA-induced tumorigenesis is believed to be due, at least in part, to the presence of efficient P450 catalysts in this tissue. However, while it was reported almost 20 years ago that the rat esophagus catalyzes the methylene hydroxylation of NBzMA, the P450 that catalyzes this reaction has yet to be identified. We report here that human P450 2A6 and the closely related extrahepatic rat enzyme P450 2A3 both efficiently catalyze NBzMA methylene hydroxylation, characterized as benzaldehyde formation. The catalytic efficiency of P450 2A3 in this reaction was 3-fold greater than that of P450 2A6, 7.6 (K(m) = 0.63 +/- 0.18 microM and the V(max) = 4.8 nmol min(-)(1) nmol of P450(-)(1)) versus 2.3 (K(m) = 6.7 +/- 2.9 microM and the V(max) = 15.7 nmol min(-)(1) nmol of P450(-)(1)), respectively. Both enzymes catalyzed methylene hydroxylation at least 4-fold more efficiently than methyl hydroxylation. In addition, P450 2A6, but not P450 2A3, catalyzed benzyl ring hydroxylation, generating N-(p-hydroxybenzyl)methylamine. The identity of this metabolite was confirmed by synthesis of a standard and LC/MS and LC/MS/MS analysis. P450 2A6 is an efficient coumarin 7-hydroxylase, and we report here that P450 2A3 is an equally good catalyst of this reaction (K(m) = 1. 7 +/- 0.41 microM and V(max) = 1.7 +/- 0.08 nmol min(-)(1) nmol of P450(-)(1)). Rat esophageal microsomes (REM), like P450 2A3, were efficient catalysts of NBzMA methylene hydroxylation. However, in contrast to P450 2A3, the major product of this reaction was the product of benzaldehyde oxidation, benzoic acid. Antibody to the closely related mouse P450, 2A5, did not inhibit REM-catalyzed NBzMA metabolism, and most importantly, REM did not catalyze the 7-hydroxylation of coumarin. Therefore, P450 2A3 does not appear to be the P450 in the rat esophagus responsible for catalyzing the methylene hydroxylation of NBzMA.

Animals↗