Inhibitors of HCV NS5B polymerase: synthesis and structure-activity relationships of unsymmetrical 1-hydroxy-4,4-dialkyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydronaphthalene benzothiadiazine derivatives

Substituted 1-hydroxy-4,4-dialkyl-3-oxo-3,4-dihydronaphthalene benzothiadiazine derivatives were investigated as inhibitors of genotype 1 HCV polymerase. Structure-activity relationship patterns for this class of compounds are discussed. It was found that the saturated alkane dialkyl units provided the most active analogs.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of cryptophycin analogs with substitution at C-6 (fragment C region)

Analogs of the antitumor agents cryptophycins 1 and 8 with dialkyl substitution at C-6 (fragment C) were synthesized and evaluated for in vitro cytotoxicity against human leukemia cells (CCRF-CEM). The activity of these analogs decreased as the size of the substituents at C-6 increased. The C-6 spirocylopropyl compound (2g) was highly potent in vitro and showed excellent antitumor activity in animal models.     

Comparison of conformation and antimicrobial activity of synthetic analogs of gramicidin S: Stereochemical consideration of the role of D-phenylalanine in the antibiotic.

In order to study the role of D -amino acid residues in keeping the stable β-sheet conformation and in the antimicrobial activity of gramicidin S (GS), the four analogs of GS containing D -Ala, L -Ala, Gly, and Aib (α-aminoisobutyric acid) in place of D -Phe were synthesized. D -Ala-and Gly-containing analogs showed antimicrobial activity, while those containing L -Ala and Aib showed no activity. Conformation of these analogs and their derivatives were studied by comparison of ORD and CD spectra and by slective methylation method. It is concluded that the biologically active analogs have β-sheet conformation while inactive analogs have a much different conformation from that of GS. This indicates that D -Ala-Pro and Gly-Pro sequences favor taking a β-bend form but L -Ala-Pro and Aib-Pro sequences do not because the presence of L -side methyl group on the α-carbon atom of L Ala and Aib residues destabilizes the β-bend form. This would explain why the inactive analogs which take a different conformation from that of the active ones result in the loss of activity.     

Inosine analogs. Their metabolism in mouse L cells and in Leishmania donovani

The growth of Leishmania donovani promastigotes and mouse L cells is differentially inhibited by several inosine analogs with modifications in the imidazole ring. The protozoal and mammalian cells also demonstrate differential metabolism of these analogs. 7-Deazainosine, 7-thia-7,9-dideazainosine, and formycin B were converted to their respective ATP analogs by both cell types. 8-Azainosine was converted to a GTP analog by mouse L cells; L. donovani did not metabolize this nucleoside. 9-Deazainosine and allopurinol riboside were metabolized only to their respective IMP analogs by L cells. L. donovani metabolized 9-deazainosine and allopurinol riboside to their ATP analogs and also metabolized 9-deazainosine to its GTP analog. All nucleosides studied were resistant to cleavage by either organism. From metabolism studies in the presence of a specific enzyme inhibitor, it was deduced that allopurinol riboside, formycin B, and 9-deazainosine were phosphorylated by at least two different routes in the mouse L cells. The metabolism of formycin B was inhibited 65% by the adenosine kinase inhibitor, 5-iodotubercidin, whereas the metabolism of allopurinol riboside (14% inhibition) and 9-deazainosine (0% inhibition) was only slightly affected by this inhibitor. The metabolism of allopurinol riboside and 9-deazainosine by L. donovani was not affected by 5-iodotubercidin. In contrast to the results of L cells, the metabolism of formycin B by L. donovani was also not affected by 5-iodotubercidin. The abilities of mouse L cells and L. donovani to metabolize these inosine analogs to the corresponding nucleotide analogs of ATP or GTP may be considered to be an activating step and correlates well with the respective cytotoxic effects of these compounds.     

Permeability properties of unilamellar vesicles containing choline plasmalogens and comparison with other choline glycerophospholipid species

The rates of non-electrolyte and ion diffusion across bilayer membranes consisting of choline plasmologens or of their alkyl and acyl analogs were studied. The influx of [¹⁴C]glucose, ⁸⁶Rb⁺ and ³⁶Cl^? into small unilamellar vesicles made from a semisynthetic choline plasmalogen and from synthetic diacyl, alkylacyl and dialkyl analogs with comparable side chain compositions were measured. Rates of glucose and Rb⁺ diffusion are about equal in alkenylacyl- and diacyl-glycerophosphocholine (GPC) bilayers, but are reduced in dialkyl-GPC membranes; the permeability coefficients correlate with the packing densities of the respective choline glycerophospholipids in monolayers at the air water interface. Rates of chloride diffusion are consistently higher in membranes formed from phospholipids containing alkenyl or alkyl other bonds as compared to the diacyl analogs. Highest rates of Cl^? diffusion are observed with choline plasmalogen vesicles. The phospholipid side chain composition has little influence on Cl^? permeation, but glucose and Rb⁺ diffusion are markedly affected. Incorporation of cholesterol (30 mol%) into choline plasmalogen membranes reduces their solute permeability by approximately 70%. A similar effect is found with the other choline phospholipid analogs. Thus, the choline phospholipid—cholesterol interaction, as far as it is reflected in reduced bilayer permeability, is not influenced by the presence of the alkenylether bond of plasmalogens.     

Intracellular transport of thialysine and selenalysine in CHO cells

The intracellular transport of thialysine and selenalysine in CHO cells has been studied. Data have been obtained indicating that the two lysine analogs can be transported by both the cationic aminoacid transport system and by the L transport system. The affinity of the cationic aminoacid transport system is similar for the two lysine analogs but lower than that for lysine and the affinity of the L transport system for the two lysine analogs is lower than that for leucine.     

Functionalized benzophenone, thiophene, pyridine, and fluorene thiosemicarbazone derivatives as inhibitors of cathepsin L

A series of thiosemicarbazone analogs based on the benzophenone, thiophene, pyridine, and fluorene molecular frameworks has been prepared by chemical synthesis and evaluated as small-molecule inhibitors of the cysteine proteases cathepsin L and cathepsin B. The two most potent inhibitors of cathepsin L in this series (IC(50)<135 nM) are brominated-benzophenone thiosemicarbazone analogs that are further functionalized with a phenolic moiety (2 and 6). In addition, a bromo-benzophenone thiosemicarbazone acetyl derivative (3) is also strongly inhibitory against cathepsin L (IC(50)=150.8 nM). Bromine substitution in the thiophene series results in compounds that demonstrate only moderate inhibition of cathepsin L. The two most active analogs in the benzophenone thiosemicarbazone series are highly selective for their inhibition of cathepsin L versus cathepsin B.     

The interfacial structure of phospholipid bilayers: differential scanning calorimetry and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopic studies of 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphorylcholine and its dialkyl and acyl-alkyl analogs.

The thermotropic phase behavior of aqueous dispersions of dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine (DPPC) and its 1,2-dialkyl, 1-acyl 2-alkyl and 1-alkyl 2-acyl analogs was examined by differential scanning calorimetry, and the organization of these molecules in those hydrated bilayers was studied by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The calorimetric data indicate that substitution of either or both of the acyl chains of DPPC with the corresponding ether-linked hydrocarbon chain results in relatively small increases in the temperature (< 4 degrees C) and enthalpy (< 1 kcal/mol) of the lipid chain-melting phase transition. The spectroscopic data reveal that replacement of one or both of the ester-linked hydrocarbon chains of DPPC with its ether-linked analog causes structural changes in the bilayer assembly, which result in an increase in the polarity of the local environments of the phosphate headgroups and of the ester carbonyl groups at the bilayer polar/apolar interface. The latter observation is unexpected, given that ester linkages are considered to be intrinsically more polar that ether linkages. This finding cannot be satisfactorily rationalized unless the conformation of the glycerol backbones of the analogs containing ether-linked hydrocarbon chains differs significantly from that of diacyl glycerolipids such as DPPC. A comparison of the alpha-methylene scissoring bands and the methylene wagging band progressions of these lipids with the corresponding absorption bands of specifically chain-perdeuterated analogs of DPPC also supports the conclusion that replacement of the ester-linked hydrocarbon chains of DPPC with the corresponding ether-linked analog induces conformational changes in the lipid glycerol backbone. The suggestion that the conformation of glycerol backbones in the alkyl-acyl and dialkyl derivatives of DPPC differs from that of the naturally occurring 1,2-diacyl glycerolipid suggests that mono- and di-alkyl glycerolipids may not be good models of their diacyl analogs. These results, and previously published evidence that DPPC analogs with ether-linked hydrocarbon chains spontaneously form chain-interdigitated gel phases at low temperatures, clearly indicate that the properties of lipid bilayers can be substantially altered by small changes in the chemical structures of their polar/polar interfaces, and highlight the critical role of the interfacial region as a determinant of the structure and organization of lipid assemblies.     

保幼激素类似物对烟蚜茧蜂生长发育、寄生率和蜕皮相关酶活性的影响

【目的】烟蚜Myzus persicae是烟草上重要的害虫之一,烟蚜茧蜂Aphidius gifuensis是烟蚜的一种优势寄生蜂。本研究旨在筛选出可延迟烟蚜茧蜂羽化时间的最佳保幼激素,解决规模化繁殖过程中出现的烟蚜茧蜂羽化不一致、不整齐,生产上急需烟蚜茧蜂防控烟蚜时所需烟蚜茧蜂数量不足而影响防蚜效果等严重问题。【方法】利用液浸法测定了不同浓度(5 000, 1 000, 200, 40和8 ng/μL)的5种保幼激素类似物包括稀虫乙酯(ZR-512)、稀虫炔酯(ZR-777)、稀虫酯(ZR-515)、苯氧威［(对苯氧乙基)氨基甲酸乙酯)］和保幼激素Ⅲ(2,6-壬二烯酸)处理后对烟蚜茧蜂羽化率、羽化时间、成蜂寿命、雌蜂比例和寄生率的影响;通过生物化学方法测定1 000 ng/μL这5种保幼激素类似物处理后烟蚜茧蜂蛹内与蜕皮相关酶含量和活性,筛选能延迟烟蚜茧蜂羽化时间的最佳保幼激素类似物。【结果】测试的不同浓 度的5种保幼激素类似物中200 ng/μL ZR-777和1 000 ng/μL ZR-512处理后能显著延迟烟蚜茧蜂羽化时间,分别比对照(10%丙酮处理)延迟了44.00和56.00 h;不同浓度的ZR-515和苯氧威处理后烟蚜茧蜂羽化率较对照组显著降低。与对照组相比,测试的不同浓度的5种保幼激素类似物对成蜂寿命均没有显著影响;1 000和40 ng/μL ZR-777处理显著降低了雌蜂比例。200 ng/μL ZR-777, 1 000 ng/μL ZR-512和5 000 ng/μL ZR-512处理对烟蚜茧蜂的寄生率无显著影响。5种保幼激素类似物以1 000 ng/μL浓度处理时,ZR-512处理组中烟蚜茧蜂蛹内酚氧化酶含量和活性以及几丁质酶活性均最低。【结论】生产上可用1 000 ng/μL ZR-512和200 ng/μL ZR-777处理烟蚜茧蜂,以达到调控烟蚜茧蜂羽化时间,取得足量、一致的烟蚜茧蜂。结果为烟蚜茧蜂规模化繁殖提供了理论依据。     

Inhibition by Dications of in vitro growth of Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica: causative agents of old world cutaneous leishmaniasis

Old World cutaneous leishmaniasis is caused by infection with Leishmania major and Leishmania tropica. Pentamidine and related dications exhibit broad spectrum antiprotozoal activity. Based on the previously reported efficacy of these compounds against related organisms, 18 structural analogs of pentamidine were evaluated for in vitro antileishmanial activity, using pentamidine as the standard reference drug for comparison. Furan analogs and reversed amidine compounds were examined for activity against L. major and L. tropica promastigotes. The most active compounds against both Leishmania species were in the reversed amidine series. DB745 and DB746 exhibited the highest activity against L. major and DB745 was the most active compound against L. tropica. Both of these compounds exhibited 50% inhibitory concentrations (IC50) below 1 nM for L. major. Ten reversed amidines were also tested for their ability to inhibit growth in an axenic amastigote model. Nine of 10 reversed amidine analogs were active at concentrations below 1 nM. These results justify further study of dicationic compounds as potential new agents for treating cutaneous leishmaniasis.     

Phosphorus-containing pesticide breakdown products: quantitative utilization as phosphorus sources by bacteria.

Bacteria were isolated that could utilize representatives of the following ionic phosphorus-containing breakdown products of organophosphorus pesticides as sole phosphorus sources: dialkyl phosphates, dialkyl phosphorothioates, dialkyl phosphorodithioates, alkyl arylphosphonates, alkyl arylphosphonothioates, and alkyl alkylphosphonates. Utilization of each organophosphorus compound, which was complete for 7 of 12 compounds studied, was confirmed by determination of protein yield from the amount of phosphorus source consumed. This is the first report of the utilization of an ionic dialkyl thiophosphate or dithiophosphate by microorganisms.     

Modifications of ribosomes from rat liver with alkylating derivatives of tRNA]

Alkylating analogs of peptidyl-tRNA: N-chloroambucilyl-14C-phenylanalyl-tRNA (1), N-iodoacetyl-14C-phenylalanyl-tRNA (2) and N-bromo-acetyl-14C-phenlalanyl-tRNA (3) were applied for the modification of the peptidyl-transferase center of the 80S ribosomes from rat liver. These analogs, being in the teronary complex poly-U: ribosome : tRNA analog, modified ribosomal proteins and ribosomal RNA. The modification is directed to large ribosomal subunit. It is found, that (1) modifies ribosomal proteins L5, L25, L31 and L32 and (2) modifies ribosomal proteins L4, L6, L10+L11, L13 and L30.     

Stimulation of nonspecific resistance by thymopentin and its analogs against Leishmania donovani infection in hamsters

Thymopentin and its analogs have been synthesized by the solution phase method of peptide synthesis and evaluated for their prophylactic efficacy against L. donovani infection in hamsters. Thymopentin and some of the analogs were found to stimulate nonspecific resistance of the host against Leishmania donovani infection in hamsters.     

Synthesis and Biological Activity of Some Juvenile Hormone Analogs Lacking the Alkyl Substituents at C-7 or Both at C-3 and at C-7

Two groups of juvenile hormone analogs were synthesized. One lacks the alkyl substituent at C?7. The other possesses the alkyl substituents neither at C?3 nor at C?7. These analogs were almost inactive on Bombyx mori L. Some of them with the alkyl substituent at C?3, however, were active on Tenebrio molitor L. This indicates the very narrow sensitivity of Bombyx mori L. to juvenile hormone analogs.     

绿盲蝽对性信息素类似物和植物挥发物的触角电位反应

为了更好地利用性信息素类似物与植物挥发物对绿盲蝽Lygus lucorum进行监测和生物防治, 本研究采用电生理学方法测试了绿盲蝽成虫对9种性信息素类似物和12种植物挥发性物质的触角电位(electroantennogram, EAG)反应。结果表明: 在测试的这21种化合物中, 绿盲蝽对丁酸酯类化合物和绿叶气味物质的EAG反应较强; 雄虫对性信息素类似物比雌虫更敏感, 而雌虫对植物挥发物更敏感。其中性信息素类似物中, 绿盲蝽对反-2-丁酸己烯酯的EAG反应最强; 植物挥发物中, 绿盲蝽对反-2-己烯醛的EAG反应最强, 雌虫对反-2-己烯醇、反-2-己烯醛、顺-3-己烯醇等绿叶气味物质的EAG反应相对高于萜类化合物的反应。剂量反应曲线表明, 在测定的浓度范围内, 雄虫对反-2-丁酸己烯酯的反应比雌虫显著高, 而对β 蒎烯的反应则比雌虫显著低。绿盲蝽成虫对性信息素类似物和植物挥发物的EAG反应存在的两性差异具有生态适应意义: 雄虫对性信息素类似物更敏感将更有利于其寻找交配对象, 而雌虫对绿叶气味物质更敏感将更有利于其寻找产卵寄主。     

Potential of ribozymes against deoxycytidine kinase to confer drug resistance to cytosine nucleoside analogs

Hematopoietic toxicity is the dose-limiting side effect produced in cancer chemotherapy with deoxycytidine nucleoside analogs. Deletion of the deoxycytidine kinase (dCK), results in a drug resistance phenotype to these analogs. An interesting gene therapy strategy to confer drug resistance to cytosine nucleoside analogs would be to specifically inactivate the dCK in normal hematopoietic stem cell. In this study, we designed hammerhead ribozymes that can specifically cut and downregulate the murine dCK mRNA. Three different ribozymes were identified and shown to cleave in vitro the dCK RNA. After introduction of ribozyme cDNA into murine L1210 leukemic cells by retroviral transfer, two of the ribozymes showed some capacity in reducing dCK activity. However, analysis of transduced L1210 clones showed that the significant reduction in the dCK mRNA was not sufficient to confer drug resistance to cytosine arabinoside. Nevertheless, these results provide a new avenue of modulating the dCK enzyme activity and with improved modifications may have the potential for use in gene therapy to confer drug resistance to deoxycytidine analogs.     

Autocrine TGFbeta signaling mediates vitamin D3 analog-induced growth inhibition in breast cells

In this study, we address whether TGFbeta signaling mediates vitamin D3 analog-induced growth inhibition in nonmalignant and malignant breast cells. Normal mammary epithelial cells (184), immortalized nonmalignant mammary epithelial cells (184A1 and MCF10A), and breast cancer cells (early passage MCF7: MCF7E) were sensitive to the inhibitory effects of vitamin D3 analogs (EB1089 and MC1288) while late passage MCF7 breast cancer (MCF7L) cells were relatively resistant. A similar pattern of sensitivity to TGFbeta was observed with these cells. Thus, the sensitivity to the vitamin D3 analogs correlated with the sensitivity to TGFbeta. MCF7L TGFbetaRII-transfected cells, which have autocrine TGFbeta activity, were more sensitive to EB1089 than MCF7L cells. TGFbeta neutralizing antibody was found to block the inhibitory effects of these analogs. These results are consistent with the idea that autocrine TGFbeta signaling mediates the anti-proliferative effects of the vitamin D3 analogs in these cells. The expression of TGFbeta isoforms and/or TGFbeta receptors was induced by the analogs in the vitamin D3 and TGFbeta sensitive cells. Vitamin D3 analogs did not induce TGFbeta or TGFbeta receptor expression in the resistant MCF7L cells. Therefore, EB1089 induces autocrine TGFbeta activity through increasing expression of TGFbeta isoforms and/or TGFbeta receptors. In addition, EB1089 induced nuclear VDR protein levels in the sensitive 184A1 cells but not in the resistant MCF7L cells. 184A1 cells were more sensitive to EB1089-induced VDR-dependent transactivation than MCF7L cells as measured by a luciferase reporter construct containing the VDRE, indicating a defect of VDR signaling in MCF7L cells. Smad3, a TGFbeta signaling mediator, coactivated VDR-dependent transactivation in 184A1 cells but not in MCF7L cells. These results indicate that Smad3 coactivates VDR to further enhance TGFbeta signaling and vitamin D3 signaling in the sensitive 184A1 cells. The results also indicate that Smad3 is not of itself sufficient to coactivate VDR in TGFbeta/vitamin D3 resistant MCF7L cells and other factors are required. We found that the PI 3-kinase pathway inhibitor LY29004 inhibited the synergy of TGFbeta and EB1089 on VDR-dependent transactivation activity. This indicates that the crosstalk between TGFbeta and vitamin D signaling is also PI 3-kinase pathway dependent.     

Effect of 2',6'-dimethyl-L-tyrosine (Dmt) on pharmacological activity of cyclic endomorphin-2 and morphiceptin analogs

This study reports the synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of new side-chain-to-side-chain cyclized endomorphin-2 (EM-2) and morphiceptin analogs of a general structure Tyr-c(Xaa-Phe-Phe-Yaa)NH(2) or Tyr-c(Xaa-Phe-D-Pro-Yaa)NH(2), respectively, where Xaa and Yaa were L/D Asp or L/D Lys. Further modification of these analogs was achieved by introduction of 2',6'-dimethyl-L-tyrosine (Dmt) instead of Tyr in position 1. Peptides were synthesized by solid phase method and cleaved from the resin by a microwave-assisted procedure. Dmt(1)-substituted analogs displayed high affinity at the μ-opioid receptors, remained intact after incubation with the rat brain homogenate and showed remarkable, long-lasting μ-opioid receptor-mediated antinociceptive activity after central, but not peripheral administration. Our results demonstrate that cyclization is a promising strategy in the development of new opioid analgesics, but further modifications are necessary to enhance the blood-brain barrier permeability.