Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP, ADCYAP1: adenylate cyclaseactivating polypeptide 1), a neuropeptide with neurotransmission modulating activity, is a promising schizophrenia candidate gene. Here, we provide evidence that genetic variants of the genes encoding PACAP and its receptor, PAC1, are associated with schizophrenia. We studied the effects of the associated polymorphism in the PACAP gene on neurobiological traits related to risk for schizophrenia. This allele of the PACAP gene, which is overrepresented in schizophrenia patients, was associated with reduced hippocampal volume and poorer memory performance. Abnormal behaviors in PACAP knockout mice, including elevated locomotor activity and deficits in prepulse inhibition of the startle response, were reversed by treatment with an atypical antipsychotic, risperidone. These convergent data suggest that alterations in PACAP signaling might contribute to the pathogenesis of schizophrenia.

The growth process of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) of thiophene on Au(111) surfaces was revealed by Fourier-transform infrared reflection absorption spectroscopy (FT-IR-RAS). Thiophene spontaneously adsorbs from an ethanol solution onto the gold surface, and forms well-ordered SAM. FT-IR-RAS measurements and Langmuir adsorption isotherms revealed that thiophene SAMs possess two phases with different molecular orientations during SAM growth. In the primary phase, thiophene orients parallel to the gold surface. In the final phase, the molecular orientation changes from parallel to upright configurations with respect to the surface. This suggests that even molecules without alkyl-chain moiety can reorient during SAM growth. A transition of the molecular orientation is caused by a balance between thiophene-thiophene and thiophene-gold interactions.

By extending our oxidative phenol-coupling reactions using a hypervalent iodine(III) reagent, a versatile synthetic procedure for the galanthamine-type Amaryllidaceae alkaloids was accomplished. The first total synthesis of (±)-sanguinine and the total syntheses of (±)-galanthamine, (±)-narwedine, (±)-lycoramine, and (±)-norgalanthamine were also successfully carried out.

A novel hypervalent iodine(III)-induced direct intramolecular cyclization of alpha-(aryl)alkyl-beta-dicarbonyl compounds has been described. Both meta- and para-substituted phenol ether derivatives containing acyclic or cyclic 1,3-dicarbonyl moieties at the side chain undergo this reaction in a facile manner. The reactions afford benzannulated and spirobenzannulated compounds that are of biological importance. The reaction is found to be general, mild, and high yielding. The mechanism of the reaction has been shown to involve a cation radical intermediate.

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