Candida antarctica lipase B catalyzed enantioselective acylation of pyrimidine acyclonucleoside

Abstract

The influence of solvent and acyl group donor on selectivity of the transesterification reaction of 1-[1′,3′-dihydroxy-2′-propoxymethyl]-5-methyluracil, a structural analogue of ganciclovir was examined. Lipase (EC 3.1.1.3) B from Candida antarctica (CALB) enabled desymmetrization of prochiral hydroxyl groups when 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([Bmim][PF₆]) was used as a reaction medium. It was observed that CALB was up to 2.7–4 times more enantioselective in the ionic liquid [Bmim][PF₆] than in conventional organic solvents.     

A Renaissance Man: In Memoriam of Jon Widom (1955–2011)

Abstract

Assignment of the ¹H and ³¹P resonances of a decamer DNA duplex, d(CGCTTAAGCG)₂ was determined by two-dimensional COSY, NOESY and ¹H- ³¹P Pure Absorption phase Constant time (PAC) heteronuclear correlation spectroscopy. The solution structure of the decamer was calculated by an iterative hybrid relaxation matrix method combined with NOESY-distance restrained molecular dynamics. The distances from the 2D NOESY spectra were calculated from the relaxation rate matrix which were evaluated from a hybrid NOESY volume matrix comprising elements from the experiment and those calculated from an initial structure. The hybrid matrix-derived distances were then used in a restrained molecular dynamics procedure to obtain a new structure that better approximates the NOESY spectra. The resulting partially refined structure was then used to calculate an improved theoretical NOESY volume matrix which is once again merged with the experimental matrix until refinement is complete. J_H3′-P coupling constants for each of the phosphates of the decamer were obtained from ¹H-³¹P J-resolved selective proton flip 2D spectra. By using a modified Karplus relationship the C4′-C3′-03′-P torsional angles (?) were obtained. Comparison of the ³¹P chemical shifts and J_H3′-P coupling constants of this sequence has allowed a greater insight into the various factors responsible for ³¹P chemical shift variations in oligonucleotides. It also provides an important probe of the sequence-dependent structural variation of the deoxyribose phosphate backbone of DNA in solution. These correlations are consistent with the hypothesis that changes in local helical structure perturb the deoxyribose phosphate backbone. The variation of the ³¹P chemical shift, and the degree of this variation from one base step to the next is proposed as a potential probe of local helical conformation within the DNA double helix. The pattern of calculated ? and ζ torsional angles from the restrained molecular dynamics refinement agrees quite well with the measured J_H3′-P coupling constants. Thus, the local helical parameters determine the length of the phosphodiester backbone which in turn constrains the phosphate in various allowed conformations.     

Synthesis of 2′,3′-Dideoxypurinenucleosides via the Palladium Catalyzed Reduction of 9-(2,5-Di-O-acetyl-3-bromo-3-deoxy-β-d-xylofuranosyl)purine Derivatives

Abstract

Practical method to produce 2′,3′-dideoxypurinenucleosides from 9-(2,5-di-O-acetyl-3-bromo-3-deoxy-β-D-xylofuranosyl)purines (1) was developed. High ratio of 2′,3′-dideoxynucleoside to 3′-deoxyribonucleoside was obtained by selecting the reaction conditions (solvent, pH and/or base), or changing 2′-acyloxy leaving group. The reaction mechanism was studied by deuteration experiments of 1a and 1-(3,5-di-O-acety1-2-bromo-2-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosyl)thymine (12).

     

Synthesis,Cytostatic Activity and Inhibition of Ribonucleotide Reductase by 5′-Phosphoramidates and 5′-Diphosphates,of 2′-O-Allyl-arabinofuranosyl Nucleosides

Abstract

The diphosphates of a series of 2′-O-allyl-1-β-D-arabinofuranosyl derivatives, previously obtained by us, have been prepared and tested for their inhibitory activity in an in vitro assay using R1 and R2 subunits of the purified recombinant mouse ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). 2′-O-Allyl-araU diphosphate proved to be inhibitory, with an IC₅₀ of 100 μM. The 5′-phosphoramidate pronucleotide of 2′-O-allyl-araU was also prepared and tested for inhibition of tumor cell proliferation.     

Stereochemical assignment of the unique electron acceptor 5′-hydroxyphylloquinone,a polar analog of vitamin K1 in photosystem I

A unique electron-accepting analog of vitamin K₁ found in photosystem I in several species of oxygenic photosynthetic microorganisms was confirmed to be 5′-hydroxyphylloquinone (1) through stereo-uncontrolled synthesis. Furthermore, the stereochemistry of 1 obtained from Synechococcus sp. PCC 7942 was assigned to be 5′S using proline-catalyzed stereocontrolled reactions.     

Synthesis,In Vitro Anti-HIV Activity,and Biological Stability of 5′-O-Myristoyl Analogue Derivatives of 3′-Fluoro-2′,3′-Dideoxythymidine (FLT) as Potential Bifunctional Prodrugs of FLT

Abstract

A group of 5′-O-myristoyl analogue derivatives of FLT (2) were evaluated as potential anti-HIV agents that were designed to serve as prodrugs to FLT. 3′-Fluoro-2′,3′-dideoxy-5′-O-(12-methoxydodecanoyl)thymidine (4) (EC₅₀ = 3.8 nM) and 3′-fluoro-2′,3′-dideoxy-5′-O-(12-azidododecanoyl)thymidine (8) (EC₅₀ = 2.8 nM) were the most effective anti-HIV-1 agents. There was a linear correlation between Log P and HPLC Log retention time for the 5 ′-O-FLT esters. The in vitro enzymatic hydrolysis half-life (t½), among the group of esters (3–8) in porcine liver esterase, rat plasma and rat brain homogenate was longer for 3′-fluoro-2′,3′-dideoxy-5 ′-O-(myristoyl)thymidine (7), with t½ values of 20.3, 4.6 and 17.5 min, respectively.     

Stereochemistry of Internucleotide Bond Formation by the H-Phosphonate Method. 1. Synthesis and 31P Nmr Analysis of 16 Diribonulceoside (3′-5′)-H-Phosphonates and the Corresponding Phosphorothioates

Sixteen diribonucleoside (3′-5′)-H-phosphonates were synthesized via condensation of the protected ribonucleoside 3′-H-phosphonates with nucleosides, and the influence of a nucleoside sequence on the observed stereoselectivity was analyzed. ₃₁P NMR spectroscopy was used to evaluate a relationship between chemical shift and absolute configuration at the phosphorous center of the H-phosphonate diesters as well as of the corresponding phosphorothioate diesters. Although for the most cases such correlation was found, there was however several exceptions to the rule where the relative positions of resonances arising from R _P and S _P diastereomers were reversed.     

Solvent Effects on the Shape of a Tetramer

Abstract

The solvent effect on the shape of a tetramer with increasing temperature is analyzed. For this purpose models of an isolated chain and a chain immersed in a solvent have been simulated by Molecular Dynamics. A solvent model represented by stochastic forces has been tested against molecular dynamics results. The behaviour of the mean-square end-to-end distance 〈R ²〉 and 〈l ₁ ³ S ²〉 with increasing temperature are shown. where l ₁ is the longest eigenvalue of the moment of inertia tensor and S is the radius of gyration. All the chain models studied show different behaviour of these quantities at low temperature compared to high temperature where the shape of the tetramer is temperature insensitive. The main solvent effect is to pospone the transition to higher temperature. The stochastic solvent model qualitatively agrees with molecular dynamics results.     

SYNTHESIS of 2′-DEOXY-2′-FLUOROGUANYL-(3′,5′)-GUANOSINE

ABSTRACT

The protected analogue of 2-amnio-6-chloropurine arabinoside (3b) was subjected to reaction with diethylaminosulfur trifluoride (DAST) and subsequently treated with NaOAc in Ac₂O/AcOH to give N ²,O ^3′,O ^5′-triacetyl-2′-deoxy-2′-fluoroguanosine (5a). After deacetylation of the sugar moiety and protection of 5′-OH by a 4,4′-dimethoxytrityl group, this nucleoside component was converted to 2′-deoxy-2′-fluoroguanyl-(3′,5′)-guanosine (6c, GfpG).     

Synthesis of Novel 3′-Hydroxymethyl 5′-Deoxythreosyl Phosphonic Acid Nucleoside Analogues as Potent Antiviral Agents

A very efficient synthetic route to novel 3′-hydroxymethyl 5′-deoxythreosyl phosphonic acid nucleosides was described. The discovery of threosyl phosphonate nucleoside (PMDTA, EC₅₀ = 2.53 μM) as a potent antihuman immunodeficiency virus (anti-HIV) agent has led to the synthesis and biological evaluation of 3′-modified 5′-deoxy versions of the threosyl phosphonate nucleosides. 3′-Hydroxymethyl 5 ′-deoxythreosyl phosphonic acid nucleoside analogues 15, 19, 24, and 28 were synthesized from 1,3-dihydroxyacetone and tested for anti-HIV activity as well as cytotoxicity. The adenine analogue 19 exhibits moderate in vitro anti-HIV-1 activity (EC₅₀ = 10.2 μM).     

Novel Synthesis of 4′C-Aryl-Branched Acyclic Nucleoside Using [3,3]-Sigmatropic Rearrangement

Abstract

A very efficient synthetic route for preparing a novel 4′-C-aryl branched-1′,2′-seco-2′,3′-dideoxy-2′,3′-didehydro-nucleoside is described. Mesylate 7 was successfully synthesized via a Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons reaction and a [3,3]-sigmatropic rearrangement, with which an adenine base was coupled by nucleophilic substitution conditions (K₂CO₃, 18-Crown-6, DMF) to give the target nucleoside 9.     

An Alternative Synthetic Method for 4′-C-Ethynylstavudine by Means of Nucleophilic Substitution of 4′-Benzoyloxythymine Nucleoside

For the synthesis of 2′,3′ -didehydro-3′ -deoxy-4′ -C-ethynylthymidine (8: 4′ -Ed4T), a recently reported promising anti-HIV agent, a new approach was developed. Since treatment of 1-(2,5-dideoxy-β-l-glycero-pent-4-enofuranosyl)thymine with Pb(OBz)₄ allowed the introduction of a 4′-benzoyloxy leaving group, nucleophilic substitution at the 4′ -position became feasible for the first time. Thus, reaction between the 4′-benzoyloxy derivative (11) and Me₃SiC ≡ CAl(Et)Cl as a nucleophile led to the isolation of the desired 4′-“down”-ethynyl derivative (15) stereoselectively in 62% yield.     

Chemical-Enzymatic Synthesis of 3′-Amino-2′, 3′-dideoxy-β-D-ribofuranosides of Natural Heterocyclic Bases and Their 5′-Monophosphates

Abstract

Treatment of O², 3′-anhydro-5′-O-trityl derivatives of thymidine (1) and 2′-deoxyuridine (2) with lithium azide in dimethylformamide at 150 °C resulted in the formation of the corresponding isomeric 3′-azido-2′, 3′-dideoxy-5′-O-trityl-β-D-ribofuranosyl N¹- (the major products) and N³-nucleosides (3/4 and 5/6). 3′-Amino-2′, 3′-dideoxy-β-D-ribofuranosides of thymidine [Thd(3′NH₂)], uridine [dUrd(3′NH₂)], and cytidine [dCyd(3′NH₂)] were synthesized from the corresponding 3′-azido derivatives. The Thd(3′NH₂) and dUrd(3′NH₂) were used as donors of carbohydrate moiety in the reaction of enzymatic transglycosylation of adenine and guanine to afford dAdo(3′NH₂) and dGuo(3′NH₂). The substrate activity of dN(3′NH₂) vs. nucleoside phosphotransferase of the whole cells of Erwinia herbicola was studied.     

Modeling of the phase equilibria of polystyrene in methylcyclohexane with semi-empirical quantum mechanical methods I

A method for calculating interaction parameters traditionally used in phase-equilibrium computations in low-molecular systems has been extended for the prediction of solvent activities of aromatic polymer solutions (polystyrene+methylcyclohexane). Using ethylbenzene as a model compound for the repeating unit of the polymer, the intermolecular interaction energies between the solvent molecule and the polymer were simulated. The semiempirical quantum chemical method AM1, and a method for sampling relevant internal orientations for a pair of molecules developed previously were used. Interaction energies are determined for three molecular pairs, the solvent and the model molecule, two solvent molecules and two model molecules, and used to calculated UNIQUAC interaction parameters, a _ij and a _ji . Using these parameters, the solvent activities of the polystyrene 90,000 amu+methylcyclohexane system, and the total vapor pressures of the methylcyclohexane+ethylbenzene system were calculated. The latter system was compared to experimental data, giving qualitative agreement. Figure Solvent activities for the methylcylcohexane(1)+polystyrene(2) system at 316 K. Parameters a _ij (blue line) obtained with the AM1 method; parameters a _ij (pink line) from VLE data for the ethylbenzene+methylcyclohexane system. The abscissa is the polymer weight fraction defined as ₂(x ₁)=(1–x ₁)M ₂/[x ₁ M ₁+(1–x ₁)M ₂], where x ₁ is the solvent mole fraction and M _i are the molecular weights of the components.An erratum to this article can be found at     

Compounds with neuroprotective activity from the medicinal plant Machilus thunbergii

The dichloromethane fraction of the bark of Machilus thunbergii Sieb. et Zucc. (Lauraceae) significantly protected primary cultures of rat cortical cells exposed to the excitotoxic amino acid, L-glutamate. Through the activity-guided isolation from the CH₂Cl₂ fraction, (+)-9′-hydroxygalbelgin (1), isogalcatin B (2), (7S,8S,8′R)-3′,4′-dimethoxy-3,4,-methylenedioxylignan-7-ol (3), 1-hydroxy-7-hydroxymethyl-6-methoxyxanthone (4), 5,7-dimethoxy-3′,4′-methylenedioxyflavan-3-ol (5), (+)-(3S,4S,6R)-3,6-dihydroxypiperitone (6), protocatechuic acid methyl ester (7) and tyrosol (8) were obtained. All of them had significant neuroprotective activities against glutamate-induced neurotoxicity in primary cultures of rat cortical cells at concentrations ranging from 0.1 μM to 10.0 μM and were comparable to MK-801, a well-known inhibitor of glutamate receptor.     

Chemical Synthesis of RNA-Fragment Analogues That Have Phosphorothioate Linkages of Identical Configuration

Abstract

Oligouridine all-Rp-phosphorothioates were synthesized using the H-phosphonate approach followed by sulfurisation with S₈ and treatment with nuclease P1. The degree of stereoselection in the couplings is reported for different 2′-O-silyl protecting groups. The influence of the heterocyclic base was also investigated.     

The J-coupling Restrained Molecular Mechanics (JrMM) Protocol - An Efficient Alternative for Deriving DNA Endocyclic Torsion Angle Constraints Part I: Correlation of Endocyclic Torsion Angles and Vicinal Torsion Angle φ1′2′

Abstract

An efficient alternative which makes use of the reliable ³J_1′2′. value to derive the endocyclic torsion angle constraints is proposed in this study. Based on the information embedded in the two plots, (i) the vicinal proton-proton J-couplings, ³J_1′2′., ³J_1′2″., ³J_2′3′., ³J_2”3′ and ³J_3′4′ against the pseudorotation phase angle, and (ii) ³J_1′2″, ³J_2′3′., ³J_2″3′ and ³J_3′4′ against ³J_1′2′; using the calculated J-couplings obtained for a range of sugar geometries of deoxyribose ring in nucleosides and nucleotides encountered along the pseudorotation itinerary [J. van Wijk, B.D. Huckriede, J.H. Ippel and C. Altona, Methods Enzymol. 211, 286–306 (1992)], it is suggested that the vicinal ³J_1′2′ possesses structural information other than the vicinal torsion angle φ_1′2′. This study is divided into two parts. In Part I, a correlation diagram between the endocyclic torsion angles v_i (i=0,1,2,3,4) and the restrained vicinal torsion angle φ_1′2′ is obtained through the use of the J-coupling restrained molecular mechanics (JrMM) protocol. The established φ_1′2′.-v_i correlation shows v_i can be deduced from the reliable ³J_1′2′. value and it forms the basis for developing an alternative protocol to derive endocyclic torsion angle constraints. In Part II of this series, extensive testing demonstrating the validity of the JrMM protocol to derive V_i for defining the sugar geometry of solution DNA molecules is presented.     

Studies on Synthesis and Structure of O-β-D-Ribofuranosyl(1″→2′)-ribonucleosides and Oligonucleotides♣

Abstract

Minor nucleosides found in several eukaryotic initiator tRNAs_i ^Met, O-β-D-ribofuranosyl(1″→2′)adenosine and -guanosine (Ar and Gr), as well as their pyrimidine analogues, were obtained from N-protected 3′,5′-O-(1,1,3,3-tetraisopropyldisiloxane-1,3-diyl)ribonucleosides and 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranose in the presence of tin tetrachloride in 1,2-dichloroethane. A crystal structure has been solved for 2′-O-ribosyluridine. The 3′-phosphoramidites of protected 2′-O-ribosylribonucleosides were prepared as the reagents for 2′-O-ribofuranosyloligonucleotides synthesis. O-β-D-Ribofuranosyl(1″→2′)adenylyl(3′→5′)guanosine (ArpG) was obtained and its structure was analysed by NMR spectroscopy.