I have a presentation for a class tomorrow and need to know how to pronouce the following chemical:
(3R,4R)-4-[3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)-3-oxo-propyl]-1-[3-(2,3,5-triflouro-phenyl)-prop-2-ynyl]-piperidine-3-carboxylic acid.
Do I pronouce the numbers with the chemical names, or just the names? For the most part I feel I can pronouce the names themselves, I mostly just want verification and also, as said, need to know if I pronouce the numbers.
What value is there in attempting to read out the name of this compound?
Pronounce the numbers too.
“Three R four R, four three six mee thoxy kwin o leen four isle three oxo pro pile one three two three five try floor o fee nile prope two ine isle pip errideen three carbocks illic acid”.
However, I would put the structure on the board and call it “Compound A” or “the organic acid” or similar 
(3R,4R)-4-[3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)-3-oxo-propyl]-1-[3-(2,3,5-triflouro-phenyl)-prop-2-ynyl]-piperidine-3-carboxylic acid is a novel activator of the *human ether-a-go-go-*related gene (HERG) cardiac K[sup]+[/sup] channel. Which, as I’m sure you already know, controls the rapid portion of the delayed inward recitifying current (I[sub]Kr[/sub]) that is responsible for the repolarization of cardiac myoscytes.
Duh.
Yeah, I’ve got the structure on a slide, as well as the shortened form of the name (RPR260243,) but I figured it might be good to know how to pronouce it anyway.
I’m not sure all of my pronunciation would be quite the way you have it but Colophon is definitely right about finding a label for it. A common name would be good or even a commercial name might do. Otherwise, call it “A” or “1” or whatever is appropriate for its place in your presentation.
Sorry, I may have slid into floccinaucinihilipilification. Why not just show a diagram?
Well, the paper I’m doing a presentation on is ALL about thius chemical. It’s not just a passing reference to it, the talk is basically about how this one chemical affects heart cells. Liek I said, I only need to pronouce it once when I first start my talk, after that, it’s getting called RPR260243.
Question: If the various brackets/parentheses in (3R,4R)-4-[3-(6-methoxyquinolin-4-yl)-3-oxo-propyl]-1-[3-(2,3,5-triflouro-phenyl)-prop-2-ynyl]-piperidine-3-carboxylic acid signify anything about the structure of this molecule, which I assume they do, wouldn’t you have to indicate them in speech? If you just pronounce the words and numbers won’t you get the structure wrong or something?
I still wouldn’t say it out loud. If there’s a commercial name, that would be fine for background, and you say you have the structure. However, in the interest of fighting even trivial cases of ignorance, below are my attempts at phonetic representation:
methoxyquinolin = meh-THOX-ee-KWIN[short i]-o-leen
propyl = PRO-peel
trifluoro (note spelling) = tri-FLOR-o
phenyl = FEN-nel
prop = (long o)
ynyl = en-EEL
piperidene = PIP-er-i-deen
Or ‘Pie-peer-ah-deen’
Webster’s agrees. The Brits probably pronounce it with a ‘pip’.
Add another vote for “why bother?” Seriously… there’s a reason that everybody still uses common names. Do you use the full IUPAC name every time you start talking about some other ungainly molecule with a biological role? Once you pass a certain level of complexity, it’s really only there for reference. Put it up on a slide, and say something like “and here’s the full name of the compound, which I will be referring to as ”.
The numbers and brackets do indicate the structure of the molecule (and the 3R, 4R indicates the stereochemistry, that is, the 3-D orientation of particular bonds) - if someone were perfectly fluent in IUPAC nomenclature they could draw the molecule based on it’s formal name. The fact is, very few people ever bother to learn much more than the basics of IUPAC’s naming system, because it is fairly complicated and detailed. So simply reading it out as was mentioned above is fine (though I second the people who say ‘why bother?’) because no one is going to be trying to draw this thing out, they only need to know that this is the molecule being discussed.
I’ve been to many talks in the nearly 6 years I’ve been in the research biz, and I’ve never heard someone read out the IUPAC name of a molecule like that. There’s really no need to recite it, and the PhDs are likely to roll their eyes if you do. I would use the common name, and label the structure with the common name. The interest of your audience is going to be on what the molecule does, and you will impress them more by focusing on the molecule than with being able to recite the IUPAC name.
Vlad/Igor
Alright, advice taken, I won’t bother saying the IUPAC name.
I gave what I believe is the correct pronunciation in British English, but American pronunciation does differ somewhat. For example, the standard American pronunciation of “phenyl” is approximately like “fennel”, whereas we Brits say “FEE-nile”. Similarly we say “EE-thile” rather than “Ethel” for “ethyl”.
Of course it does seem to vary from person to person. One of my org. chem. tutors tended to use more Americanised pronunciations, despite being from Scotland.
Anyway, bouv, wise decision not to attempt the pronunciation.
The target compound in my final year organic chemistry project was a huge chiral multidentate ligand which was supposed to form a complex with europium ions. I worked out the IUPAC name for it, but when it came to giving the presentation I didn’t try to pronounce it. I had a Powerpoint slide with the structure and IUPAC name on it, and referred to it as “the ligand” from that point.
Since we’re in GQ and I have your attention… what IS the common name of the compound? Is this an endogenous compound or some experimental drug? What use would a K-channel agonist have medically?
RPR260243. Catchy, huh?
It’s an experimental compound:
Shut up! What a fun name. What does it mean?
Goin to a go-go
Wake me up before you go-go
The gene HERG is related to th efruit fly gene Ether-a-go-go. WHen hit with ether (the anethesizing drug) the little flies would fall over and their legs would twitch. I guess this was similar to go-go dancing.
Drosophila geneticsts are notorious for creating clever and witty gene names. Fly geneticists love them, many other geneticists look down their probosci at them.
I love fruit fly gene names, personally…