Straightforward synthesis of triazoloacyclonucleotide phosphonates as potential HCV inhibitors

Preparation of several triazoloacyclic nucleoside phosphonates is described. The key step of the synthesis involves a copper(I)-catalysed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between azidoalkylphosphonates and propargylated nucleobases. The antiviral properties of these new analogues have been evaluated and revealed interesting potencies.     

Concise Synthesis of Triazole-Linked 5′-Peptide-Oligonucleotide Conjugates by Click Chemistry

A concise synthesis of oligonucleotide 5′-peptide-conjugates via copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition in aqueous solution is described. Synthesis of reagents was accomplished by on-column derivatization of corresponding peptides and oligonucleotides. This method is well suited for the preparation of peptide–oligonucleotide conjugates containing 1,2,3-triazole linkage between the 5′-position of an oligonucleotide and the N-terminus of a peptide.     

Carbohydrate and protein immobilization onto solid surfaces by sequential Diels-Alder and azide-alkyne cycloadditions

We demonstrate the applicability of sequential Diels-Alder and azide-alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions (click chemistry) for the immobilization of carbohydrates and proteins onto a solid surface. An alpha,omega-poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) linker carrying alkyne and cyclodiene terminal groups was synthesized and immobilized onto an N-(epsilon-maleimidocaproyl) (EMC)-functionalized glass slide via an aqueous Diels-Alder reaction. In the process, an alkyne-terminated PEGylated surface was provided for the conjugation of azide-containing biomolecules via click chemistry, which proceeded to completion at low temperature and in aqueous solvent. As anticipated, alkyne, azide, cyclodiene, and EMC are independently stable and do not react with common organic reagents nor functional groups in biomolecules. Given an appropriate PEG linker, sequential Diels-Alder and azide-alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition reactions provide an effective strategy for the immobilization of a wide range of functionally complex substances onto solid surfaces.     

'Click' synthesis of a triazole-based inhibitor of Met functions in cancer cells

The use of Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition permitted the synthesis of a new compound that is able to inhibit the HGF-induced scattering of MDCK (epithelial cells) and in vitro tumorigenesis of H1437 (non-small-cell lung cancer) and GTL-16 (human gastric carcinoma). In agreement with biochemical and biological results, docking studies within the ATP binding site of Met suggested for the new synthesized compound a binding mode similar to that of the active compound Triflorcas previously reported.     

Synthesis of glycoconjugate carbonic anhydrase inhibitors by ruthenium-catalysed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

Carbonic anhydrase IX (CA IX) is a recently validated target for the development of new cancer therapies. In this Letter we describe the synthesis and CA inhibition of a novel series of carbohydrate-based 1,5-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole benzenesulfonamides. The key step of our synthesis is the regioselective Huisgen's 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction (1,3-DCR) from carbohydrate azide substrates and 4-ethynylbenzenesulfonamide using a ruthenium-catalysed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (RuAAC). Our findings identified a number of triazole inhibitors (compounds 18, 19, 21-23, and 26) that block CA IX activity with inhibition constants less than 10 nM. One inhibitor (compound 17) possessed very good selectivity for CA IX over off-target CAs. These CA inhibitors have developmental potential to selectively target cancer cells, leading to cell death.     

Synthetic glycoconjugates inhibitors of tumor-related galectin-3: an update

Galectin-3 is associated with the development and malignancy of several types of tumor, mediating important tumor-related functions, such as tumorigenesis, neoplastic transformation, tumor cell survival, angiogenesis, tumor metastasis and regulation of apoptosis. Therefore, synthetic galectin-3 inhibitors are of utmost importance for development of new antitumor therapeutic strategies. In this review we present an updated selection of synthetic glycoconjugates inhibitors of tumor-related galectin-3, properly addressed as monosaccharide- and disaccharide-based inhibitors, and multivalent-based inhibitors, disclosuring relevant methods for their synthesis along with their inhibitory activities towards galectin-3. In general, Cu(I)-assisted 1,3-dipolar azide-alkyne cycloaddition (CuAAC) reactions were predominantly applied for the synthesis of the described inhibitors, which had their inhibitory activities against galectin-3 evaluated by fluorescence polarization, surface plasmon resonance (SPR), hemagglutination, ELISA and cell imaging assays. Overall, the presented synthetic glycoconjugates represent frontline galectin-3 inhibitors, finding important biomedical applications in cancer.     

18F]azadibenzocyclooctyne ([18F]ADIBO): a biocompatible radioactive labeling synthon for peptides using catalyst free [3+2] cycloaddition

N-Terminally azido-modified peptides were labeled with the novel prosthetic labeling synthon [(18)F]azadibenzocyclooctyne ([(18)F]ADIBO) using copper-free azide-alkyne [3+2]-dipolar cycloaddition in high radiochemical yields (RCYs). (18)F-Labeled [(18)F]ADIBO was prepared by nucleophilic substitution of the corresponding tosylate in 21% overall RCY (EOB) in a fully automated synthesis unit within 55 min. [(18)F]ADIBO was incubated with azide-containing peptides at room temperature in the absence of toxic metal catalysts and the formation of the triazole conjugate was confirmed. Finally, the azide-alkyne [3+2]-dipolar cycloaddition was shown to proceed with 95% radiochemical yield in ethanol within 30 min, allowing for a development of a kit-like peptide labeling approach with [(18)F]ADIBO.     

Preventing thiol-yne addition improves the specificity of strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of azides with ring-strained alkynes is one of the few bioorthogonal reactions suitable for specific biomolecule labeling in complex biological systems. Nevertheless, azide-independent labeling of proteins by strained alkynes can occur to a varying extent, thereby limiting the sensitivity of assays based on strain-promoted azide-alkyne cycloaddition (SPAAC). In this study, a subset of three cyclooctynes, dibenzocyclooctyne (DIBO), azadibenzocyclooctyne (DIBAC), and bicyclo[6.1.0]nonyne (BCN), was used to evaluate the azide-independent labeling of proteins in vitro. For all three cyclooctynes, we show that thiol-yne addition with reduced peptidylcysteines is responsible for most of the azide-independent polypeptide labeling. The identity of the reaction product was confirmed by LC-MS and NMR analysis. Moreover, we show that undesired thiol-yne reactions can be prevented by alkylating peptidylcysteine thiols with iodoacetamide (IAM). Since IAM is compatible with SPAAC, a more specific azide-dependent labeling is achieved by preincubating proteins containing reduced cysteines with IAM.     

Synthesis of stable and selective inhibitors of human galectins-1 and -3

The syntheses of glycolytically stable galactosides and lactosides have been made toward the selective inhibition of human galectins-1 and -3. Transition metal-catalyzed cross-coupling reactions were used to create carbon-carbon bond formation (Sonogashira, Suzuki, Heck, Glaser). Additionally, Hantzsch condensation was used to create novel 2-aminothiazoles which reacted with a panel of acylating and sulfonylating reagents. Moreover, dimeric galactosides and lactosides bearing triazoles, regiospecifically prepared using copper-catalyzed Huisgen azide-alkyne [1,3]-dipolar cycloaddition, provided efficient galectins-1 and -3 inhibitors. Best monovalent inhibitor among the tested series was (E)-methyl 2-phenyl-4-(beta-D-galactopyranosyl)-but-2-enoate 15 with inhibitory potency of 313 microM against galectin-1 and best dimers were bis-lactoside 68 and 75 having both inhibitory properties of 160 microM against Galectin-3.     

Syntheses of 1,2,3-triazolyl salicylamides with inhibitory activity on lipopolysaccharide-induced nitric oxide production

A 28-membered 1,2,3-triazolyl salicylamide library was synthesized via a Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition and evaluated for their abilities to inhibit NO production in LPS-activated RAW264.7 macrophage cells. Among 28 analogues, 29g showed a significant inhibitory activity (IC₅₀ = 12.8 μM). The inhibitory effects of 29g on LPS-mediated NO production in macrophage cells appeared to be associated with the suppression of iNOS expression.     

Surface functionalization using catalyst-free azide-alkyne cycloaddition

The utility of catalyst-free azide-alkyne [3 + 2] cycloaddition for the immobilization of a variety of molecules onto a solid surface and microbeads was demonstrated. In this process, the surfaces are derivatized with aza-dibenzocyclooctyne (ADIBO) for the immobilization of azide-tagged substrates via a copper-free click reaction. Alternatively, ADIBO-conjugated molecules are anchored to the azide-derivatized surface. Both immobilization techniques work well in aqueous solutions and show excellent kinetics under ambient conditions. We report an efficient synthesis of aza-dibenzocyclooctyne (ADIBO), thus far the most reactive cyclooctyne in cycloaddition to azides. We also describe convenient methods for the conjugation of ADIBO with a variety of molecules directly or via a PEG linker.     

Preparation of 18F-labeled peptides using the copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition

An optimized procedure for preparing fluorine-18 ((18)F)-labeled peptides by the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cyloaddition (CuAAC) is presented here. The two-step radiosynthesis begins with the microwave-assisted nucleophilic (18)F-fluorination of a precursor containing a terminal p-toluenesulfonyl, terminal azide and polyethylene glycol backbone. The resulting (18)F-fluorinated azide-containing building block is coupled to an alkyne-decorated peptide by the CuAAC. The reaction is accelerated by the copper(I)-stabilizing ligand bathophenanthroline disulfonate and can be performed in either reducing or nonreducing conditions (e.g., to preserve disulfide bonds). After an HPLC purification, (18)F-labeled peptide can be obtained with a 31 ± 6% radiochemical yield (n = 4, decay-corrected from (18)F-fluoride elution) and a specific activity of 39.0 ± 12.4 Ci μmol(-1) within 77 ± 4 min.     

Synthesis of pyrrolizidine alkaloids via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition involving cyclic nitrones and unsaturated lactones

The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of cyclic nitrone derived from tartaric acid and (S)-5-hydroxymethyl-2(5H)-furanone leads to a single adduct which was transformed into 2,6-dihydroxyhastanecine via reaction sequence involving reduction of the lactone moiety, glycolic cleavage of the terminal diol, and the N-O hydrogenolysis followed by the intramolecular alkylation of the nitrogen atom.     

Synthesis and characterization of biodegradable peptide-based polymers prepared by microwave-assisted click chemistry

In this study, the microwave-assisted copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction was used to synthesize peptide triazole-based polymers from two novel peptide-based monomers: azido-phenylalanyl-alanyl-lysyl-propargyl amide (1) and azido-phenylalanyl-alanyl-glycolyl-lysyl-propargyl amide (2). The selected monomers have sites for enzymatic degradation as well as for chemical hydrolysis to render the resulting polymer biodegradable. Depending on the monomer concentration in DMF, the molecular mass of the polymers could be tailored between 4.5 and 13.9 kDa (corresponding with 33-100 amino acid residues per polymer chain). As anticipated, both polymers can be enzymatically degraded by trypsin and chymotrypsin, whereas the ester bond in the polymer of 2 undergoes chemical hydrolysis under physiological conditions, as was shown by a ninhydrin-based colorimetric assay and MALDI-TOF analysis. In conclusion, the microwave-assisted copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction is an effective tool for synthesizing biodegradable peptide polymers, and it opens up new approaches toward the synthesis of (novel) designed biomedical materials.     

Expanding the chemical scope of RNA:methyltransferases to site-specific alkynylation of RNA for click labeling

This work identifies the combination of enzymatic transfer and click labeling as an efficient method for the site-specific tagging of RNA molecules for biophysical studies. A double-activated analog of the ubiquitous co-substrate S-adenosyl-l-methionine was employed to enzymatically transfer a five carbon chain containing a terminal alkynyl moiety onto RNA. The tRNA:methyltransferase Trm1 transferred the extended alkynyl moiety to its natural target, the N2 of guanosine 26 in tRNA(Phe). LC/MS and LC/MS/MS techniques were used to detect and characterize the modified nucleoside as well as its cycloaddition product with a fluorescent azide. The latter resulted from a labeling reaction via Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-cycloaddition click chemistry, producing site-specifically labeled RNA whose suitability for single molecule fluorescence experiments was verified in fluorescence correlation spectroscopy experiments.     

Toward the Selection of Ribozymes for 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition Reactions

In vitro selection from combinatorial RNA libraries has repeatedly been used to study the catalytic and binding potential of nucleic acids. These selections not only led to RNA sequences catalyzing transformations known from metabolic pathways but also generated novel ribozymes for typical organic reactions. We were interested in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions, which are important tools for the formation of heterocyclic systems in organic chemistry and might also be found in the hypothetic RNA world. Here we describe our strategy and experiments to isolate RNA molecules catalyzing a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition between nitrile oxides and an acrylate conjugated to RNA. We used direct selection with linker-coupled reactants, which has previously allowed the generation of true trans-acting catalysts for bimolecular reactions. A photocleavable linker was introduced to provide for a more stringent selection criterion. The 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction was established in aqueous solution using a modified dinucleotide that was tethered to the dipolarophilic substrate. Two selection protocols were established, namely, a low-stringency affinity-based selection protocol, and a high-stringency procedure using the photocleavable moiety. In neither case was an increased activity toward the desired reaction obtained after 15 and 11 selection rounds, respectively. The resulting pools of RNA from several rounds were investigated both in cis and in trans. The limitations of this selection methodology are discussed in comparison with other catalysts for dipolar cycloadditions and, also, with respect to the unconventional substrates used.     

1,3-Dipolar cycloaddition of sugar azides with benzyne: a novel synthesis of 1,2,3-benzotriazolyl glycoconjugates

Glycosyl azides undergo smooth 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with benzyne generated in situ from 2-(trimethylsilyl)phenyltrifluoromethanesulfonate and cesium fluoride under mild conditions to furnish 1,2,3-benzotriazole-linked glycoconjugates in excellent yields and with high stereoselectivity. This method provides a novel class of benzotriazole linked glycoconjugates in a single-step reaction. This is the first example of a fluoride- triggered 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of benzyne with glycosyl azides.     

Synthesis of novel steroidal 17α-triazolyl derivatives via Cu(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, and an evaluation of their cytotoxic activity in vitro

Regioselective Cu(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of steroidal 17α-azides with different terminal alkynes afforded novel 1,4-disubstituted triazolyl derivatives in good yields in both the estrone and the androstane series. The antiproliferative activities of the structurally related triazoles were determined in vitro on three malignant human cell lines (HeLa, MCF7 and A431), with the microculture tetrazolium assay.     

Synthesis and antimicrobial activity of beta-lactam-bile acid conjugates linked via triazole

Synthesis of novel 1,2,3-triazole-linked beta-lactam-bile acid conjugates 17-24 using 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of azido beta-lactam and terminal alkyne of bile acids in the presence of Cu(I) catalyst (click chemistry) have been realized. These molecules were evaluated in vitro for their antifungal and antibacterial activities. Most of the compounds exhibited significant antifungal and moderate antibacterial activity against all the tested strains.     

Design,synthesis, structural characterization and in vitro evaluation of new 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole derivatives against glioblastoma cells

A new series of 1,4-disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole derivatives were synthesized through the copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (Click chemistry) and their inhibitory activities were evaluated against different human glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines, including highly drug-resistant human cell lines GBM02, GBM95. The most effective compounds were 9d, containing the methylenoxy moiety linked to triazole and the tosyl-hydrazone group, and the symmetrical bis-triazole 10a, also containing methylenoxy moiety linked to triazole. Single crystal X-ray diffraction analysis was employed for structural elucidation of compound 9d. In silico analyses of physicochemical, pharmacokinetic, and toxicological properties suggest that compounds 8a, 8b, 8c, 9d, and 10a are potential candidates for central nervous system-acting drugs.