Synthesis of Southern (C1'-C11') and Eastern (C8-C18) Fragments of Pamamycin-607, an Aerial Mycelium-inducing Substance of Streptomyces alboniger

Synthesis of the southern C1'-C11' and eastern C8-C18 fragments of pamamycin-607, an aerial mycelium-inducing substance of Streptomyces alboniger, was achieved. The southern fragment was synthesized by using the Evans aldol reaction and cis-selective iodoetherification as the key steps in a 9.6% overall yield (7 steps). The eastern fragment was constructed via the Julia coupling reaction and cis-selective iodoetherification in a 3.0% overall yield (8 steps from the known epoxide).     

Synthetic studies of polyene macrolide antibiotics. 1. Synthesis of C1-C6- and C7-C12 fragments of amphotericin B from carbohydrate precursors

Strategy of synthesis of polyene macrolide antibiotic amphotericin B using carbohydrates as starting material is discussed. The C1-C6 and C7-C12 fragments of amphotericin B are synthesized.     

Synthesis of (6Z,9Z,11E)-octadecatrienoic and (8Z,11Z,13E)-eicosatrienoic acids and their [1-(14)C]-radiolabeled analogs

In order to study the metabolic pathway and the physiological effects of 9c,11t-18:2 (major isomer of conjugated linoleic acid) and its C(18:3) and C(20:3) metabolites, 6c,9c,11t-18:3 and 8c,11c,13t-20:3 and their [1-(14)C]-radiolabeled analogs were prepared stereoselectively by total synthesis. The 8c,11c,13t-20:3 was obtained in 11 steps. The synthesis involves a highly stereoselective Wittig reaction between 3-(t-butyldiphenylsilyloxy)propanal and the ylide of 7-(2-tetrahydropyranyloxy)heptanylphosphonium salt which gave (3Z)-1-(t-butyldiphenylsilyloxy)-10-(2-tetrahydropyranyloxy)dec-3-ene in a first step. Then the t-butyldiphenylsilyl derivative was deprotected selectively and the resulting alcohol function was converted via a bromide into a phosphonium salt. The second stereoselective Wittig condensation between the phosphonium salt and commercial (2E)-non-2-enal under cis-olefinic conditions using Lithium hexamethyldisilazide as base afforded the (7Z,10Z,12E)-1-(2-tetrahydropyranyloxy)nonadeca-7,10,12-triene in a very good isomeric purity. The intermediate product was brominated and transformed by reaction with magnesium into Grignard reagent, which was one-carbon elongated by unlabeled or labeled carbon dioxide to obtain the 8c,11c,13t-20:3 in good isomeric purity (95%) and high radiochemical purity for its [1-(14)C]-radiolabeled analog (99%). 6c,9c,11t-18:3 was synthesized in a similar way by using 5-(2-tetrahydropyranyloxy)pentanylphosphonium salt in place of 7-(2-tetrahydropyranyloxy)heptanylphosphonium salt in a first step. Other reactions were unchanged and products were obtained in similar yields. Similar to 8c,11c,13t-20:3, the 6c,9c,11t-18:3 was obtained in a very good isomeric purity (95%) and its [1-(14)C]-radiolabeled analog in a high radiochemical purity (95%).     

Synthesis of 11C-labeled retinoic acid, [11C]ATRA,via an alkenylboron precursor by Pd(0)-mediated rapid C-[11C]methylation

Retinoids are a class of chemical compounds which include both natural dietary vitamin A (retinol) metabolites and active synthetic analogs. Both experimental and clinical studies have revealed that retinoids regulate a wide variety of essential biological processes. In this study, we synthesized ¹¹C-labeled all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), the most potent biologically active metabolite of retinol and used in the treatment of acute promyelocytic leukemia. The synthesis of ¹¹C-labeled ATRA was accomplished by a combination of rapid Pd(0)-mediated C-[¹¹C]methylation of the corresponding pinacol borate precursor prepared by 8 steps and hydrolysis. [¹¹C]ATRA will prove useful as a PET imaging agent, particularly for elucidating the improved therapeutic activity of ATRA (natural retinoid) for acute promyelocytic leukemia by comparing with the corresponding PET probe [¹¹C]Tamibarotene (artificial retinoid).     

Photosynthesis of F(1) Hybrids between C(4) and C(3)-C(4) Species of Flaveria

Photosynthetic characteristics were studied in several F₁ hybrids between C₄ and C₃-C₄ species of Flaveria. Stable carbon isotope ratios, O₂ inhibition of apparent photosynthesis, and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities in the hybrids were similar to the means for the parents. Values of CO₂ compensation concentrations were nearer to those of the C₄ parent and apparent photosynthesis was below that of both parents, being only 60 and 74% of that of the lowest (C₃-C₄) parent in two experiments. Reductions of CO₂ compensation concentration and O₂ inhibition of apparent photosynthesis as well as increases in carbon isotope ratios and phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activities compared to values in C₃-C₄ species suggest transfer of a limited degree of C₄ photosynthesis to the F₁ hybrids. However, the lower apparent photosynthesis of the hybrids suggests that transfer of C₄ characteristics to non-C₄ species is detrimental unless characteristics associated with C₄ photosynthesis are fully developed. There was a highly significant negative correlation (r = −0.90) between CO₂ compensation concentration and the logarithm of phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase activity in the parents and hybrids, suggesting involvement of this enzyme in controlling the CO₂ compensation concentration. Although bundle-sheath cells were more developed in leaves of hybrids than in C₃-C₄ parents, they appeared to contain lower quantities of organelles than those of the C₄ parent. Reduced quantities of organelles in bundle-sheath cells could indicate incomplete compartmentation of partial pathways of the C₄ cycle in the hybrids. This may mean that the reduction of CO₂ compensation and O₂ inhibition of apparent photosynthesis relative to the C₃-C₄ parents is less dependent on fully developed Kranz anatomy than is increased apparent photosynthesis.     

Novel C2-C3' N-peptide linked macrocyclic taxoids. Part 1: Synthesis and biological activities of docetaxel analogues with a peptide side chain at C3'

A series of novel docetaxel analogues possessing a peptide side chain at the C3'-N position was synthesized. These compounds were designed to mimic a region of the alpha-tubulin loop that is equivalent to the paclitaxel binding pocket in beta-tubulin. Eight new peptidic taxoids were obtained and evaluated as inhibitors of microtubule disassembly, as well as for their cytotoxicity.     

Synthesis and utilization of 13C(8)-enriched purines

A new and more efficient method is presented for the synthesis of 13C(8)-enriched adenine. In addition, we present for the first time the synthesis of 13C(8)-enriched 2-aminopurine and purine. All three analogues have been converted to the corresponding ribonucleosides. The adenine analogue has been further converted to the 2'-deoxy-nucleoside and incorporated into a synthetic oligonucleotide. Data is presented demonstrating the utility of 13C-enrichment in heteronuclear isotope-edited NMR spectra.     

Temperature and pressure dependent equilibrium studies of 1, 4, 8, 11-tetramethyl-1, 4, 8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane nickel(ii) in coordinating solvents

In coordinating solvents, the complex 1, 4, 8, 11- tetramethyl-1, 4, 8, 11-tetraazacyclotetradecane nickel(II) bisperchlorate exists as an equilibrium mixture involving four coordinate R,S,R,S-[Ni(tmc)]²⁺ and five coordinate R,S,R,S-[Ni(tmc)(solvent)]²⁺ species. Spectrophotometric measurements of this equilibrium in a number of solvents have been conducted over a range of temperatures and pressures. The stability order for the five coordinate complex in the solvents investigated is CH₃CN>DMF>DMSO>C₆H₅CN> H₂O>ClCH₂CN at 25 °C. Differences in stability are considered in terms of the measured thermodynamic parameters ΔH° and ΔS°. Both steric and electronic factors were found to influence solvent coordination with the macrocyclic complex.For the equilibrium in CH₃CN, C₆H₅CN, DMF and H₂O, reaction volumes, ΔV°, of −3.2±0.5, −4.2±0.5, −0.2±0.5 and −0.5±0.5 cm³ mol⁻¹ respectively have been determined. Each is significantly smaller than the corresponding solvent molar volume. The ΔV° for the equilibrium in CH₃CN is comparable with the previously determined activation volume for exchange of this solvent on R, S, R, S- [Ni(tmc)(CH₃CN)]²⁺. The equilibrium and measured volume parameters are discussed in relation to the mechanism for solvent exchange.     

Synthesis of 8-(2"-hydroxyethoxy)adenosine-5',2"-phosphate derivative

Reaction of 8-bromo-2',3'-O-isopropylidene-5'-O-(tetrahydropyran-2-yl) adenosine (Ib) with lithium 2-(tetrahydropyran-2-yloxy) ethoxide, followed by removal of the tetrahydropyran-2-yl groups, afforded 8-(2'-hydroxyethoxy)-2',3'-O-isopropylideneadenosine (II). Successive treatment of II with n-butyllithium and with methyl dichlorophosphate provided the 5',2'-(methyl phosphate) derivative (IIIa and IIIb).     

Effect of integrin beta 2 subunit truncations on LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) assembly, surface expression, and function

LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and Mac-1 (CD11b/CD18) are members of the beta2 integrins involved in leukocyte function during immune and inflammatory responses. We aimed to determine a minimized beta2 subunit that forms functional LFA-1 and Mac-1. Using a series of truncated beta2 variants, we showed that the subregion Q23-D300 of the beta2 subunit is sufficient to combine with the alphaL and alphaM subunits intracellularly. However, only the beta2 variants terminating after Q444 promote cell surface expression of LFA-1 and Mac-1. Thus, the major cysteine-rich region and the three highly conserved cysteine residues at positions 445, 447, and 449 of the beta2 subunit are not required for LFA-1 and Mac-1 surface expression. The surface-expressed LFA-1 variants are constitutively active with respect to ICAM-1 adhesion and these variants express the activation reporter epitope of the mAb 24. In contrast, surface-expressed Mac-1, both the wild type and variants, require 0. 5 mM MnCl2 for adhesion to denatured BSA. These results suggest that the role of the beta2 subunit in LFA-1- and Mac-1-mediated adhesion may be different.     

Ly6C induces clustering of LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) and is involved in subtype-specific adhesion of CD8 T cells

Ly6C is a hemopoietic cell differentiation Ag found on a subset of CD8 T cells in the periphery. It is involved in target cell killing by CTLs, augments TCR-mediated activation of IL-2 and IFN-gamma production in CD8 T cells, and regulates CD8 T cell homing in vivo. In this study, we show that cross-linking of Ly6C causes clustering of LFA-1 (CD11a/CD18) on the surface of CD8 T cells via a mechanism dependent on reorganization of actin cytoskeleton and intracellular protease, calpain, but not the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase pathway. In the capillary flow-adhesion assay, Ly6C cross-linking significantly augments lymphocyte adhesion to endothelium, and this is inhibited by an Ab that blocks LFA-1 function. Furthermore, upon in vitro cross-linking and during in vivo homing into lymph nodes, Ly6C is transiently lost from cell surface but becomes re-expressed on lymph node-resident CD8 T cells. The abilities of Ly6C to induce LFA-1 clustering and to be re-expressed after signaling-associated down-regulation may be important in regulating the homing of CD8 T cells into lymph nodes and in subsequent steps of CD8 T cell activation and effector function that again involve LFA-1.     

Synthesis of the fragments A1-8, A1-7, A9-15 and A8-15 of the chicken insulin A chain (author's transl)

By coupling the peptide derivatives H-Cys(SBut)-Cys(SBut)-His-OMe(6-8 b) and H-Cys(SBut)-Cys(SBut)-OH(6-7b) respectively with Trt-Gly-Ile-Val-Glu(OBut)-Gln-OH(1-5a) the N-terminal sequences A1-8 and A1-7 of the chicken insulin A chain have been prepared. The sequence of A9-15 has been obtained by connecting Bpoc-Asn-Thr(But)-Cys(SBut)-OH (9-11c) and H-Ser(But)-Leu-Try(But)-Gln-OH (12-15). Acylation of the aminopeptidderivative 9-15b with Bpoc-N2H3 yielded fragment A8-15 (8-15).     

MRP8, ATP-binding cassette C11 (ABCC11), is a cyclic nucleotide efflux pump and a resistance factor for fluoropyrimidines 2',3'-dideoxycytidine and 9'-(2'-phosphonylmethoxyethyl)adenine

MRP8 (ABCC11) is a recently identified cDNA that has been assigned to the multidrug resistance-associated protein (MRP) family of ATP-binding cassette transporters, but its functional characteristics have not been determined. Here we examine the functional properties of the protein using transfected LLC-PK1 cells. It is shown that ectopic expression of MRP8 reduces basal intracellular levels of cAMP and cGMP and enhances cellular extrusion of cyclic nucleotides in the presence or absence of stimulation with forskolin or SIN-1A. Analysis of the sensitivity of MRP8-overexpressing cells revealed that they are resistant to a range of clinically relevant nucleotide analogs, including the anticancer fluoropyrimidines 5'-fluorouracil (approximately 3-fold), 5'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (approximately 5-fold), and 5'-fluoro-5'-deoxyuridine (approximately 3-fold), the anti-human immunodeficiency virus agent 2',3'-dideoxycytidine (approximately 6-fold) and the anti-hepatitis B agent 9'-(2'-phosphonylmethoxynyl)adenine (PMEA) (approximately 5-fold). By contrast, increased resistance was not observed for several natural product chemotherapeutic agents. In accord with the notion that MRP8 functions as a drug efflux pump for nucleotide analogs, MRP8-transfected cells exhibited reduced accumulation and increased efflux of radiolabeled PMEA. In addition, it is shown by the use of in vitro transport assays that MRP8 is able to confer resistance to fluoropyrimidines by mediating the MgATP-dependent transport of 5'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine monophosphate, the cytotoxic intracellular metabolite of this class of agents, but not of 5'-fluorouracil or 5'-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine. We conclude that MRP8 is an amphipathic anion transporter that is able to efflux cAMP and cGMP and to function as a resistance factor for commonly employed purine and pyrimidine nucleotide analogs.     

Synthesis, characterization, and biological properties of small branched RNA fragments containing chiral (Rp and Sp) 2',5'-phosphorothioate linkages

Synthetic branched RNA fragments were prepared to examine the stereochemical requirements for hydrolysis of RNA lariats by the yeast debranching enzyme (yDBR). Specifically, two branched trinucleoside diphosphates and a tetranucleoside triphosphate containing a 2',5'-linked phosphorothioate linkage of defined stereochemistry, namely Rp-A(2'ps5'G)pC, Sp-A(2'ps5'G)pC and Sp-ApA(2'ps5'G)pC, were prepared via solution-phase methods. Unlike the all-phosphodiester control, A(2'p5'G)pC, the Rp-thioated trimer was not cleaved by yDBR, demonstrating that changing the pro-Rp oxygen at the 2',5' phosphodiester bond averts hydrolysis by the enzyme. In contrast, the Sp branched compounds (trimer and tetramer) were cleaved yDBR, albeit with reduced efficiency relative to the corresponding all-phosphodiester branched compounds. Furthermore, the small branched RNAs (5 nt) were not cleaved as efficiently as a 18-nt bRNA, suggesting that the enzyme appears to have a stronger preference for larger bRNA substrates. The non-hydrolyzable branched RNA fragments prepared during these studies may be promising candidates for the future co-crystallization and X-ray analyses of DBR:bRNA complexes.     

Synthesis and biodistribution of [(11)C]R116301, a promising PET ligand for central NK(1) receptors

N1-(2,6-Dimethylphenyl)-2-(4-{(2R,4S)-2-benzyl-1-[3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)[carbonyl-(11)C]benzoyl]hexahydro-4-pyridinyl}piperazino)acetamide ([(11)C]R116301) was prepared and evaluated as a potential positron emission tomography (PET) ligand for investigation of central neurokinin(1) (NK(1)) receptors. 1-Bromo-3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)benzene was converted in three steps into 3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)[carbonyl-(11)C]benzoyl chloride, which was reacted with N1-(2,6-dimethylphenyl)-2-{4-[(2R,4S)-2-benzylhexahydro-4-pyridinyl]piperazino}acetamide providing [(11)C]R116301 in 45-57% decay-corrected radiochemical yield. The total synthesis time, from end of bombardment (EOB) to the formulated product, was 35 min. Specific activity (SA) was 82-172 GBq/micromol (n=10) at the end of synthesis. N1-([4-(3)H]-2,6-Dimethylphenyl)-2-(4-{(2R,4S)-2-benzyl-1-[3,5-di(trifluoromethyl)benzoyl]hexahydro-4-pyridinyl}piperazino)acetamide ([(3)H]R116301) was also synthesized (SA: 467 GBq/mmol). The B(max) for [(3)H]R116301 measured in vitro on Chinese hamster ovary cell membranes stably transfected with the human NK(1) receptor was 19.10+/-1.02 pmol/mg protein with an apparent dissociation constant of 0.08+/-0.01 nM. Ex vivo, in vivo and in vitro autoradiography studies with [(3)H]R116301 in gerbils demonstrated a preferential accumulation of the radioactivity in the striatum, olfactory tubercule, olfactory bulb and locus coeruleus. In vivo, the biodistribution of [(11)C]R116301 in gerbils revealed that the highest initial uptake is in the lung, followed by the liver and kidney. In the brain, maximum accumulation was found in the olfactory tubercules (1.10+/-0.08 injected dose (ID)/g 20 min post injection (p.i.)) and the nucleus accumbens (1.00+/-0.12ID/g 10 min p.i.). Tissue/cerebellum concentration ratios for striatum and nucleus accumbens increased with time due to rapid uptake followed by a slow wash out (1.29 and 1.64, respectively, 30 min p.i.). A tissue to cerebellum ratio of 1.33 and 1.62 was also observed for olfactory bulb and olfactory tubercules, respectively (20 min p.i.). In summary, [(11)C]R116301 appears to be a promising radioligand suitable for the visualization of NK(1) receptors in vivo using PET.