Nucleophilic additions of alpha-mercaptoalkanoate esters and beta-mercaptoalkanoate acids to benzoquinone diimines, followed by cyclization with trifluoroacetic acid or 1,3-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (DCC), provide novel, high-yielding syntheses of 2H-1,4-benzothiazin-3(4H)-ones (3a-f) and 2,3-dihydro-1,5-benzothiazepin-4(5H)-ones (5a-c), respectively.

No abstract

Citrullination of proteins plays an important role in protein function and it has recently become clear that citrullinated proteins play a role in immune responses. In this study we examined how citrullinated collagen, an extracellular matrix protein, affects T-cell function during the development of autoimmune arthritis. Using an HLA-DR1 transgenic mouse model of rheumatoid arthritis, mice were treated intraperitoneally with either native type I collagen (CI), citrullinated CI (cit-CI), or phosphate buffered saline (PBS) prior to induction of autoimmune arthritis. While the mice given native CI had significantly less severe arthritis than controls administered PBS, mice receiving cit-CI had no decrease in the severity of autoimmune arthritis. Using Jurkat cells expressing the inhibitory receptor leukocyte-associated immunoglobulin-like receptor-1 (LAIR-1), Western blot analysis indicated that while CI and cit-CI bound to LAIR-1 with similar affinity, only CI induced phosphorylation of the LAIR ITIM tyrosines; cit-CI was ineffective. These data suggest that cit-CI acts as an antagonist of LAIR-1 signaling, and that the severity of autoimmune arthritis can effectively be altered by targeting T cells with citrullinated collagen.

No abstract

Various 2-alkylthio-5-amino- and 2,5-diamino-1,4-phenylenediamines were prepared by treatment of N-(1,3-dimethylbutyl)- N′-phenyl-1,4-quinonediimine with thiols and amines using air as an oxidizing agent. Key 2-alkylthio-1, 4-benzoquinone diimines were prepared via Ag2O oxidation of the corresponding 1,4-phenylenediamines.