The present invention provides a process for preparing a diester compound of the following general formula (1), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring, wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represent, independently of each other, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, the process comprising reacting a dimethylcyclobutanone compound of the following general formula (2), wherein R.sup.1 is as defined above, with a phosphonic ester compound of the following general formula (3), wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 represent, independently of each other, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, to produce the diester compound (1), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring.

##STR00001##

The present invention provides a process for preparing a diester compound of the following general formula (1), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring, wherein R.sup.1 and R.sup.2 represent, independently of each other, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, the process comprising reacting a dimethylcyclobutanone compound of the following general formula (2), wherein R.sup.1 is as defined above, with a phosphonic ester compound of the following general formula (3), wherein R.sup.2 and R.sup.3 represent, independently of each other, a monovalent hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms, to produce the diester compound (1), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring.

##STR00001##

The present invention provides a process for preparing a dimethylcyclobutane compound of the following general formula (1A), the process comprising reacting a dimethylcyclobutanone compound of the following general formula (2) with a phosphonic ester compound of the following general formula (3) to produce an unsaturated ester compound of the following general formula (4), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring, and subjecting the unsaturated ester compound (4), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring, to a reduction reaction to produce the dimethylcyclobutane compound (1A).

##STR00001##

The present invention provides a process for preparing a dimethylcyclobutane compound of the following general formula (1A), the process comprising reacting a dimethylcyclobutanone compound of the following general formula (2) with a phosphonic ester compound of the following general formula (3) to produce an unsaturated ester compound of the following general formula (4), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring, and subjecting the unsaturated ester compound (4), having a dimethylcyclobutane ring, to a reduction reaction to produce the dimethylcyclobutane compound (1A).

##STR00001##

Methods for preparing a variety of ladderane precursors, ladderane compounds and ladderane lipids are provided. Also provided are methods of preparing a liposome from the ladderane lipids disclosed herein, and compositions thereof. Aspects of the invention include encapsulated one or more cargo moieties in the liposome or compositions thereof and use of the subject liposome compositions as vehicles in drug delivery, imaging, diagnostics and other medical applications. Aspects of the methods disclosed herein include administering a liposomal composition comprising a pharmaceutical agent to a subject under conditions sufficient to deliver the composition to a site of interest in the subject, and release the pharmaceutical agent from the liposomal composition.

Methods for preparing a variety of ladderane precursors, ladderane compounds and ladderane lipids are provided. Also provided are methods of preparing a liposome from the ladderane lipids disclosed herein, and compositions thereof. Aspects of the invention include encapsulated one or more cargo moieties in the liposome or compositions thereof and use of the subject liposome compositions as vehicles in drug delivery, imaging, diagnostics and other medical applications. Aspects of the methods disclosed herein include administering a liposomal composition comprising a pharmaceutical agent to a subject under conditions sufficient to deliver the composition to a site of interest in the subject, and release the pharmaceutical agent from the liposomal composition.

Compounds and methods are provided for one-step functionalization of disulfide bonds in proteins.

Methods for preparing a variety of ladderane precursors, ladderane compounds and ladderane lipids are provided. Also provided are methods of preparing a liposome from the ladderane lipids disclosed herein, and compositions thereof. Aspects of the invention include encapsulated one or more cargo moieties in the liposome or compositions thereof and use of the subject liposome compositions as vehicles in drug delivery, imaging, diagnostics and other medical applications. Aspects of the methods disclosed herein include administering a liposomal composition comprising a pharmaceutical agent to a subject under conditions sufficient to deliver the composition to a site of interest in the subject, and release the pharmaceutical agent from the liposomal composition.

Methods for preparing a variety of ladderane precursors, ladderane compounds and ladderane lipids are provided. Also provided are methods of preparing a liposome from the ladderane lipids disclosed herein, and compositions thereof. Aspects of the invention include encapsulated one or more cargo moieties in the liposome or compositions thereof and use of the subject liposome compositions as vehicles in drug delivery, imaging, diagnostics and other medical applications. Aspects of the methods disclosed herein include administering a liposomal composition comprising a pharmaceutical agent to a subject under conditions sufficient to deliver the composition to a site of interest in the subject, and release the pharmaceutical agent from the liposomal composition.

A method for detecting phospholipase D (PLD) activity in a cell, comprising: (i) stimulating endogenous PLD in said cell for said PLD to catalyze a transphosphatidylation reaction between phosphatidylcholine or a derivative thereof and an exogenous functionalized alcohol to form a phosphatidyl alcohol, wherein the functionalized alcohol possesses a first functional group that can react with and form a bond to a functionalized detectable label having a second functional group reactive with the first functional group, and said phosphatidyl alcohol contains said first functional group in available form; (ii) reacting said phosphatidyl alcohol with said functionalized detectable label under conditions where said functionalized detectable label reacts, via its second functional group, with the first functional group to form a linkage between said detectable label and said phosphatidyl alcohol so as to form a labeled phosphatidyl alcohol containing said detectable label; and (iii) detecting said labeled phosphatidyl alcohol.