Thiophenes are a class of heterocyclic aromatic compounds based on a five-membered ring made up of one sulfur and four carbon atoms. The thiophene nucleus is well established as an interesting moiety, with numerous applications in a variety of different research areas. Naturally occurring thiophenes are characteristic secondary metabolites derived from plants belonging to the family Asteraceae, such as Tagetes, Echinops, Artemisia, Balsamorhiza, Blumea, Pluchea, Porophyllum and Eclipta. Furthermore, naturally occurring thiophenes are generally composed of one to five thiophene rings that are coupled together through their a-carbons, and carry alkyl chains on their free ortho-positions. Thiophene-containing compounds possess a wide range of biological properties, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, HIV-1 protease inhibitor, antileishmanial, nematicidal, insecticidal, phototoxic and anticancer activities. This review focuses on naturally occurring thiophene derivatives; their sources, physical and spectral data, and biological activities.

Thiophenes are a class of heterocyclic aromatic compounds based on a five-membered ring made up of one sulfur and four carbon atoms. The thiophene nucleus is well established as an interesting moiety, with numerous applications in a variety of different research areas. Naturally occurring thiophenes are characteristic secondary metabolites derived from plants belonging to the family Asteraceae, such as Tagetes, Echinops, Artemisia, Balsamorhiza, Blumea, Pluchea, Porophyllum and Eclipta. Furthermore, naturally occurring thiophenes are generally composed of one to five thiophene rings that are coupled together through their a-carbons, and carry alkyl chains on their free ortho-positions. Thiophene-containing compounds possess a wide range of biological properties, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, HIV-1 protease inhibitor, antileishmanial, nematicidal, insecticidal, phototoxic and anticancer activities. This review focuses on naturally occurring thiophene derivatives; their sources, physical and spectral data, and biological activities.

2-(2-Phenylethyl) chromone (PEC), an uncommon class of chromones, possesses a phenylethyl substituent at the C2 position. They have been isolated from a few plant species. They have promising biological activities such as neuro-protective, cytotoxic, acetylcholinesterase inhibitory, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory. This review focuses on the naturally occurring PEC derivatives, their sources, physical and spectral data, as well as biological activities.

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Several new 4(3H)-1,2,3-benzotriazinone derivatives were synthesized and tested for their anti-inflammatory activity and ulcerogenic effect. A docking study on the COX-2 binding pocket has been carried out for the target compounds to rationalize the possible selectivity. Among the tested compounds, the benzotriazinones linked to either thiadiazole (8) or oxadiazole (9) evoked the highest anti-inflammatory activity as well as the best binding profiles into the COX-2 binding site.

A photo-controlled version of the engrailed homeodomain (zENG) was created by inserting the homeodomain into a surface loop of a circularly permuted version of the photoactive yellow protein (cPYP). The two proteins fold independently as judged by NMR and fluorescence denaturation measurements. In the dark, the affinity of the zENG domain for its cognate DNA is inhibited >100-fold compared to wild-type zENG. Blue-light irradiation of the hybrid protein leads to enhanced conformational dynamics of the cPYP portion and a two-fold enhancement of the DNA binding affinity of the zENG domain. These results suggest that insertion into a surface loop of cPYP can be a general approach for conferring an initial level of photo-control on a given target protein. Focussed mutation/selection strategies may then be used to enhance the degree of photo-control.

DNA binding by bZIP-type coiled-coil proteins can be inhibited by dominant negative versions of the proteins in which the Nterminalbasic region is replaced by an acidic extension. Photocontrolof bZIP function can be achieved by introducing intramolecularazobenzene-based crosslinkers into dominant negatives. We show that the largest degree of photocontrol is achieved when the crosslinker is introduced into the zipper region of the dominant negative between Cys residues placed at f sites in the heptad segment showing the highest intrinsic helical propensity. The overall affinity of the dominant negative can then be tuned by varying the length of the acidic extension