Phospholipids are essential components of biological membranes and are involved in cell signalization, in several enzymatic reactions, and in energy metabolism. In addition, phospholipids represent an evolutionary and non-negligible step in life emergence. Progress in the past decades has led to a deeper understanding of these unique hydrophobic molecules and their most pertinent functions in cell biology. Today, a growing interest in “prebiotic lipidomics” calls for a new assessment of these relevant biomolecules.

Compounds possessing a thioamide function play a crucial role in organic synthesis, serving as key building blocks. They are also important in the pharmaceutical chemistry and drug design, owing to their ability to mimic the amide function in biomolecules while retaining or developing biological activity. From the synthetic viewpoint, several methods have been developed for preparing thioamides using sulfuration agents. The purpose of this review is to give an update of the last decade of contributions focusing on the formation of thioamides employing different sulfur sources. When appropriate, the cleanness and practicality of the new methods are highlighted.

N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) are small signaling molecules used by many Gram-negative bacteria for coordinating their behavior as a function of their population density. This process, based on the biosynthesis and the sensing of such molecular signals, and referred to as Quorum Sensing (QS), regulates various gene expressions, including growth, virulence, biofilms formation, and toxin production. Considering the role of QS in bacterial pathogenicity, its modulation appears as a possible complementary approach in antibacterial strategies. Analogues and mimics of AHLs are therefore biologically relevant targets, including several families in which heterocyclic chemistry provides a strategic contribution in the molecular design and the synthetic approach. AHLs consist of three main sections, the homoserine lactone ring, the central amide group, and the side chain, which can vary in length and level of oxygenation. The purpose of this review is to summarize the contribution of heterocyclic chemistry in the design of AHLs analogues, insisting on the way heterocyclic building blocks can serve as replacements of the lactone moiety, as a bioisostere for the amide group, or as an additional pattern appended to the side chain. A few non-AHL-related heterocyclic compounds with AHL-like QS activity are also mentioned.

Meroterpenes are compounds of mixed biogenesis, isolated from plants, microorganisms and marine invertebrates. We have previously isolated and determined the structure for a series of meroterpenes extracted from the ascidian Aplidium aff. densum. Here, we demonstrate the chemical synthesis of three of them and their derivatives, and evaluate their biological activity on two bacterial strains, on sea urchin eggs, and on cancerous and healthy human cells.