Crystal and molecular structure of 1′,2:4,6-di-O-isopropyl-idenesucrose tetra-acetate: a unique example of a d-fructofuranosyl ring in a sucrose derivative puckered at oxygen

Crystals of the title compound are monoclinic, space group P2₁, with cell dimensions: a = 11.260(5), b = 8.841(7), c = 15.605(6) Å, β = 102.25(7)°, and Z = 2; 2888 independent reflections, measured on a diffractometer, have been refined to R = 0.055 in the molecule, the pyranosyl ring has the expected ⁴C₁ conformation. However, the conformation of the d-fructofuranosyl ring is unexpected [P = 277.1°] with O-2′ exo to C-6′ furthest from the ring plane. The reason for this conformation, previously unknown in sucrose-related molecules, is not readily apparent from the crystal structure the eight-membered ring, however, has the expected boat-chair conformation.     

Modification of the furan ring of salvinorin A: Identification of a selective partial agonist at the kappa opioid receptor

In an effort to find novel agents which selectively target the kappa opioid receptor (KOPR), we modified the furan ring of the highly potent and selective KOPR agonist salvinorin A. Introduction of small substituents at C-16 was well tolerated. 12-epi-Salvinorin A, synthesized in four steps from salvinorin A, was a selective partial agonist at the KOPR. No clear SAR patterns were observed for C-13 aryl ketones. Introducing a hydroxymethylene group between C-12 and the furan ring was tolerated. Small C-13 esters and ethers gave weak KOPR agonists, while all C-13 amides were inactive. Finally, substitution of oxadiazoles for the furan ring abolished affinity for the KOPR. None of the compounds displayed any KOPR antagonism or any affinity for mu or delta opioid receptors.     

Optimisation of estrogen receptor subtype-selectivity of a 4-Aryl-4H-chromene scaffold previously identified by virtual screening

4-Aryl-4H-Chromene derivatives have been previously shown to exhibit anti-proliferative, apoptotic and anti-angiogenic activity in a variety of tumor models in vitro and in vivo generally via activation of caspases through inhibition of tubulin polymerisation. We have previously identified by Virtual Screening (VS) a 4-aryl-4H-chromene scaffold, of which two examples were shown to bind Estrogen Receptor α and β with low nanomolar affinity and <20-fold selectivity for α over β and low micromolar anti-proliferative activity in the MCF-7 cell line. Thus, using the 4-aryl-4H-chromene scaffold as a starting point, a series of compounds with a range of basic arylethers at C-4 and modifications at the C3-ester substituent of the benzopyran ring were synthesised, producing some potent ER antagonists in the MCF-7 cell line which were highly selective for ERα (compound 35; 350-fold selectivity) or ERβ (compound 42; 170-fold selectivity).     

Triaryl (Z)-olefins suitable for radiolabeling with iodine-124 or fluorine-18 radionuclides for positron emission tomography imaging of estrogen positive breast tumors

A group of (Z)-1,2-diphenyl-1-[4-[2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)ethoxy]phenyl]but-1-enes were synthesized using methodologies that will allow incorporation of a [¹²⁴I]iodine substituent at the para-position of either the C-1 phenyl ring or the C-2 phenyl ring, or a [¹⁸F]OCH₂CH₂F substituent at the para-position of the C-2 phenyl ring. These [¹²⁴I] and [¹⁸F] radiotracers are designed as potential radiopharmaceuticals to image estrogen positive breast tumors using positron emission tomography (PET).     

Catabolisme des steroides chez les Nocardia

Nocardia restrictus and N. corallina oxidize the A ring of 4-hydroxy-4-cholesten-3-one and a 3,5-seco-4-nor-3-keto-5-oic acid is formed. The enzymes necessary to this reaction are induced and their biosynthesis is suppressed by chloramphenicol. The catabolism of the aliphatic side chain at C-17 involves a cleavage between C-24 and C-25 and the liberation of propionic acid.     

Incorporation of shikimate and 4-(2′-carboxyphenyl)-4-oxobutyrate into phylloquinone

The patterns of incorporation of d-[G-¹⁴C]shikimate and variously labelled ¹⁴C-4-(2′-carboxy-phenyl)-4-oxobutyrate into the naphthoquinone nucleus of phylloquinone by maize shoots have been investigated. The results show that (a) the alicyclic ring and C-7 of shikimate give rise to Ring A and either C-1 or C-4, and (b) the phenyl ring, 2′-carboxy and C-4, and C-2 and -3 of 4-(2′-carboxyphenyl)-4-oxobutyrate give rise to Ring A, C-1 and -4 and C-2 and -3. Radioactivity from α-[1-¹⁴C]naphthol, 1,4-[1,4-¹⁴C]naphthoquinone and [Me-¹⁴C]menadione is not incorporated into phylloquinone to any significant extent.     

Biosynthesis of withanolides in Acnistus breviflorus

Administration of [2?¹⁴C]mevalonolactone to excised leaves of Acnistus breviflorus produced labelled withaferin A and jaborosalactone A. The former was degraded leading to the isolation of glyceric acid from C-25–C-27 of the withanolide. These carbons represented only 2 % of the total radioactivity of withaferin A. The relative radioactivity of these carbons indicated that C-26 is directly derived from C-2 of mevalonolactone suggesting that the 25-pro-R-methyl group of cholesterol or any other sterol intermediate had been oxidized to form the lactone ring of the withanolide. The total radioactivity value found for C-25–C-27 was much lower than the expected 20 % of the total value for the withanolide indicating that the side chain of the sterol precursor had been partially cleaved during the biosynthetic process.     

Monoclonal antibody recognition of abscisic Acid analogs

Specificities of three monoclonal antibodies (15-I-C5, DBPA 1, and MAC 62) raised against the plant hormone (S)-(+)-abscisic acid (ABA) have been compared. Immunological cross-reactivities against fifteen biologically active analogs of ABA were measured. The ABA analogs were altered at one or more of four positions: the double bonds in the ring, at C-2 C-3 and at C-4 C-5, and in the oxidation level at C-1. Several analogs were optically active with chiral centers at C-1′ and C-2′. For cross-reactivity, all three monoclonal antibodies required the carboxylic acid group, and the cis configuration of the double bond at C-2 C-3 of the ABA molecule. Monoclonals 15-I-C5 and DBPA 1 required the entire ABA sidechain from the C-1 to C-1′, but these monoclonals did cross-react with analogs with the ring double bond reduced and the C-2′ methyl cis to the sidechain. Only MAC 62 recognized analogs containing an acetylene at C-4 C-5. MAC 62 had more strict requirements for the ring double bond, but gave some cross-reactivity with acetylenic analogs having a saturated ring. All three monoclonals had higher specificity for analogs having the same absolute configuration at C-1′ as (S)-(+)-ABA. This work provides new information about the spatial regions of the ABA molecule that elicit immunological recognition, and serves as a basis for future investigations of the ABA receptor using ABA analogs and anti-idiotypic antibodies.     

Carcinogenic liver fluke Opisthorchis viverrini oxysterols detected by LC–MS/MS survey of soluble fraction parasite extract

Liquid chromatography in tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) has emerged as an informative tool to investigate oxysterols (oxidized derivatives of cholesterol) in helminth parasite associated cancers. Here, we used LC–MS/MS to investigate in soluble extracts of the adult developmental stage of Opisthorchis viverrini from experimentally infected hamsters. Using comparisons with known bile acids and the metabolites of estrogens, the LC–MS data indicated the existence of novel oxysterol derivatives in O. viverrini. Most of these derivatives were ramified at C-17, in similar fashion to bile acids and their conjugated salts. Several were compatible with the presence of an estrogen core, and/or hydroxylation of the steroid aromatic ring A, hydroxylation of both C-2 and C-3 of the steroid ring and further oxidation into an estradiol-2,3-quinone.     

Triaryl (Z)-olefins suitable for radiolabeling with carbon-11 or fluorine-18 radionuclides for positron emission tomography imaging of cyclooxygenase-2 expression in pathological disease

A group of (Z)-1,1-diphenyl-2-(4-methylsulfonylphenyl)alk-1-enes were synthesized using methodologies that will allow incorporation of a [¹¹C]OCH₃ substituent at the para-position of the C-1 phenyl ring, a [¹¹C]SO₂CH₃ substituent at the para-position of the C-2 phenyl ring, a [¹⁸F]OCH₂CH₂F substituent at the para-position of the C-1 phenyl ring, and a [¹⁸F]CH₂CH₂F substituent at the C-2 position of the olefinic bond. The [¹¹C] and [¹⁸F] radiotracers are designed as potential radiopharmaceuticals to image cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in any organ where COX-2 is upregulated. The COX-1/COX-2 inhibition data acquired suggest that compounds having a [¹¹C]OMe or [¹⁸F]OCH₂CH₂F substituent at the para-position of the C-1 phenyl ring may be more suitable for imaging COX-2 expression in view of their ability to exclusively inhibit the COX-2 isozyme.     

Infrared-spectral characteristics of some acetylated,anomeric glycosides

Barker and co-workers had described the C-1-H deformation bands in the ranges 844 ±8 cm^?1 and 891 ±7 cm^?1 as characteristic bands for the α and β anomers, respectively, of hexo- and pento-pyranoses and -pyranosides, and their derivatives. Later, Audichya and co-workers reported the presence of the 844 ±8-cm^?1 band for both anomers of some aryl d-glucoside derivatives, making the applicability of the earlier findings doubtful. Examination by us of the i.r. spectra of some aryl glycoside derivatives suggested that the origin of the band at 844 ±8 cm^?1 for the β anomers of the p-substituted-aryl glycoside derivatives studied by Audichya et al. could be a CH, out-of-plane deformation-mode of the substituted aromatic ring. Also, their further claim of a characteristic band in the region 961-957 cm^?1 for α anomers is shown to be of little diagnostic value. The relative intensities of bands in the COC stretching region, 1100-1000 cm^?1, and a band near 300 cm^?1 in the COC deformation region, found only for the β anomers, are shown to be helpful in differentiating the anomers of some peracetylated alkyl and aryl glycosides.     

Six new melampolides from Tetragonotheca helianthoides

Chemical analysis of Tetragonotheca helianthoides L. yielded six new melampolide-type sesquiterpene lactones, tetrahelins A–F. All new compounds have the same medium ring skeleton and differ by the ester moieties at C-8 and C-9. Tetrahelin A and B contain the side chain 2-methyl-2,3-diacetoxybutanoate and tetrahelin E 3-hydroxy-3-methylbutanoate. Both ester side chains have previously not been found in sesquiterpene lactones.     

Crystal structure of methyl 2,6-dichloro-2,6-dideoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-α-D-altropyranoside. A pyranoside system close to a skew-boat conformation

The crystal structure of methyl 2,6-dichloro-2,6-dideoxy-3,4-O-isopropylidene-α-D-altropyranoside (1) has been determined by X-ray diffraction. The compound crystallizes in the orthorhombic system, space group P2₁2₁2₁, with unit-cell dimensions a  7.932, b  8.133, and c  20.447 Å. The structure was solved by the heavy-atom method and refined by the least-squares technique to an R value of 0.047 by using 736 intensities measured on a diffractometer. The pyranoside ring is close to a skew-boat conformation, with C-2 and C-5 being maximally displaced from the least-squares plane through the remaining four atoms. The H-1H-2 dihedral angle of  158° is in agreement with the J_1,2 value of 4.5 Hz. Thus the solid-state conformation appears to correspond with the conformation in solution. The dioxolane ring is in a twist form, with O-4 and, C-8 puckered on opposite sides of the plane of the other ring atoms. The pyranose-ring substituents are in equatorial and pseudoequatorial orientations. The hydrogen atoms at C-3 and C-4 are in a cis arrangement. The orientations of both the methoxyl group and the chloromethyl group with respect to the ring are gauche—trans. The exocyclic anomeric C-1O-1 bond-distance (1.39 Å) is the shortest CO bond in the structure. The intracyclic CO bonds are significantly different, C-1O-5 being less than C-5O-5.     

Effects of carbohydrate-structure changes on induced shifts in differential isotope-shift 13C-N.M.R.

Deuterium-induced, ¹³C-isotope shifts are shown to vary considerably from the initially predicted values calculated for ordinary pyranose and furanose sugars, when minor structural changes are introduced into the carbohydrate ring. Both substitution of C-OH groups or reduction of C-OH to CH₂ permitted the evaluation of γ effects of OD without the contribution of β-OD-induced shifting. The observed γ-shift values for these modified structures were twice as large as those previously noted. This difference is most probably due to favored salvation. Substitution of OH at C-6 led to the predicted loss of differential isotope-shift (d.i.s.) at C-6 because of its isolation from all β and γ OD groups. The ³¹P resonances of d-glucose 6-phosphate show downfield deuterium shifts. Based on d.i.s. values, new ¹³C-shift assignments are proposed for isomaltose and 2-amino-2-deoxy-α-d-glucose. A study of acidic carbohydrates has demonstrated that isotope shifts are somewhat larger for sp²-hybridized carbon atoms whose OH groups are acidic. Relaxation times for sp² carbon atoms isolated from dipolar interaction with protons were very long in D₂O relative to their relaxation time in the H₂O environment.     

Incorporation of cinnamic acid-2-[14C] into tylophorine

Tylophora indica plants have been shown to contain phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids of the tylophorine type. Cinnamic acid-[2-¹⁴C]was incorporated efficiently into these alkaloids supporting the hypothesis that ring A and C-10 and C-6$\text{\$}\text{?}$of tylophorine are derived from phenylalanine.     

Catenulisporidins A and B, 16-membered macrolides of the hygrolidin family produced by the chemically underexplored actinobacterium Catenulispora species

Two new macrolide metabolites of the hygrolidin family, catenulisporidins A and B (1 and 2), together with a known compound hygrolidin (3), were isolated from the culture broth of the rare actinobacterium Catenulispora sp. KCB13F192. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of HRESIMS spectrometric and NMR spectroscopic analyses. Catenulisporidins A and B are the first example of natural hygrolidin and bafilomycin derivatives featuring a modified macrolide ring, and catenulisporidin A possesses a tetrahydrofuran ring through an ether linkage between C-7 and C-10. In cell-based fluorescent imaging and immunoblot assays, the three compounds were shown to inhibit autophagic flux in HeLa cells.     

Cyclic glycolipids from glandular trichome exudates of Cerastium glomeratum

Fourteen cyclic glycolipids, named glomerasides A–N, have been isolated from the glandular trichome exudate of Cerastium glomeratum (Caryophyllaceae). Their structures were determined by spectroscopic analysis of the glycolipids, as well as by application of the Ohrui–Akasaka method to the fatty acid methyl esters derived from the glycolipids and GCMS studies of trimethylsilyl ether derivatives of the methyl esters. The various glomerasides have a glycosidic linkage between the anomeric hydroxy group of the glucose and the C-11, C-10 or C-9 positions of the docosanoyl moiety. They also contained an ester linkage between the C-6 hydroxy group of the glucose ring and the carboxyl group of the oxygenated fatty acid to form their macrocyclic structures. The glucose moiety was optionally acetylated and/or malonylated at the C-2 or C-3 hydroxy groups. Among these compounds, the 1,6′-cyclic ester of 11(R)-(2-O-acetyl-β-d-glucopyranosyloxy)docosanoic acid (glomeraside D) was the most abundant (25%).     

Biosynthesis of hygrine from [5-14c]ornithine via a symmetrical intermediate in Nicandra physaloides1

Radioactive hygrine (2.2% incorporation) was isolated from Nicandra physaloides plants which had been fed Dl-[5-¹⁴C]ornithine. A systematic degradation of the hygrine yielded products whose activity was consistent with the pyrrolidine ring of this alkaloid being labeled equally at the C-2 and C-5 positions. The result does not agree with the previous work of O′Donovan and Keogh, whose publication is critically examined.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of C-2 halogenated analogs of salvinorin A

Salvinorin A (1), the main active ingredient of Salvia divinorum, is a potent and selective κ opioid receptor (KOPR) agonist. Based on the SAR, its C-2 position is one of the key binding sites and has very little space tolerance (3–4 carbons atoms) and limited to only lipophilic groups. In our attempt to prepare PET brain imaging agent for mapping KOPR, a series of C-2 halogenated analogs have been synthesized and screened for binding affinity at κ (KOPR), μ (MOPR), and δ (DOPR). These C-2 halogenated analogs with sequential changes of atomic radius and electron density serve as excellent molecular probes for further investigating the binding pocket at C-2, particularly on the effects of α verses β configuration at C-2 position. The results of KOPR binding and functional studies reveal β isomer in general binds better than α isomer with the exception of iodinated analogs and none of the C-2 halogenated analogs shows any improvement of KOPR binding affinity. Interestingly, functional assay has characterized that 6b is a partial agonist with E_max of 46% of the kappa receptor full agonist U50,488H at 250 nM (K_i). We have also observed that the affinity to the kappa receptor increases with atomic radius (I > Br > Cl > F) which is in good agreement with halogen bonding interactions reported in the literature.     

Biosynthesis of ecdysterone from cholesterol in Taxus baccata

Biosynthesis of ecdysterone from [4-¹⁴C, 3-³H]cholesterol in Taxus baccata does not involve obligatory oxidation at C-3 during the formation of the A/B-cis ring junction.