Molecular orbital studies on nucleoside antibiotics,VII. Conformation of 2′-amino- 2′-deoxyguanosine

Conformational properties of the nucleoside antibiotic 2-amino-2-deoxyguanosine have been investigated by the PCILO method along with those of its parent nucleoside, guanosine. This antibiotic, formed by replacement of the 2-hydroxyl group by an amino group in guanosine, shows anti-tumor activity and also inhibits RNA and protein syntheses. Both C(2)-endo and C(3)-endo sugar conformations have been considered in the computations. The results indicate striking similarity between the conformations of the antibiotic and the parent nucleoside, particularly in simulated aqueous environment. The biological implication of this result in terms of the antibiotic activity is discussed.     

Synthetic Nucleosides and Nucleotides. XX1. Synthesis of Various 1-β-D-Xylofuranosyl-5-Alkyluracils and Related Nucleosides

Abstract

Treatment of D-xylose (1) with 0.5% methanolic hydrogen chloride under controlled conditions followed by benzoylation and acetolysis afforded crystalline 1-O-acetyl-2, 3, 5-tri-O-benzoyl-α-D-xylofuranose (4) in good yield. Coupling of 4 with 2, 4-bis-trimethylsilyl derivatives of 5-alkyluracils (methyl, ethyl, propyl and butyl) (5a-5d), 5-fluorouracil (5e) and uracil (5f) in acetonitrile in the presence of stannic chloride gave 1-(2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-xylofuranosyl)-nucleosides (6a-6f). Saponification of 6 with sodium methoxide afforded 1-β-D-xylofuranosyl-5-substituted uracils (7a-7f). Condensation of 4 with free adenine in similar fashion and deblocking gave carcinostatic 9-β-D-xylofuranosyladenine (7g).     

Synthesis of the disaccharides methyl 4-O-(2′/3′-O-sulfo-β-d-glucopyranosyluronic acid)-2-amino-2-deoxy-α-d-glucopyranoside disodium salts,related to heparin biosynthesis

The synthesis of the disaccharides methyl 4-O-(2/3-O-sulfo--d-glucopyranosyluronic acid)-2-amino-2-deoxy--d-glucopyranoside3 and4 as, disodium salts is described. Allyl 4,6-O-benzylidene--d-glucopyranoside6 was converted to trichloroacetimidate20 Glycosylation of20 with5 promoted by BF₃·OEt₂ gave disaccharide21. Deacetylation of21 followed by monoacetylation of the resultant diol22 afforded the two monoacetylated disaccharides23 and24. Sulfation and deprotection of each disaccharide gave the desired sulfated compounds3 and4.     

Synthesis of novel 3-amino and 29-hydroxamic acid derivatives of glycyrrhetinic acid as selective 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 2 inhibitors

Glycyrrhetinic acid, the metabolite of the natural product glycyrrhizin, is a well known nonselective inhibitor of 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11β-HSD) type 1 and type 2. Whereas inhibition of 11β-HSD1 is currently under consideration for treatment of metabolic diseases, such as obesity and diabetes, 11β-HSD2 inhibitors may find therapeutic applications in chronic inflammatory diseases and certain forms of cancer. So far, no selective 11β-HSD2 inhibitor has been developed and neither animal studies nor clinical trials have been reported based on 11β-HSD2 inhibition. Starting from the lead compound glycyrrhetinic acid, novel triterpene type derivatives were synthesized and analyzed for their biological activity against overexpressed human 11β-HSD1 and 11β-HSD2 in cell lysates. Several hydroxamic acid derivatives showed high selectivity for 11β-HSD2. The most potent and selective compound is active against human 11β-HSD2 in the low nanomolar range with a 350-fold selectivity over human 11β-HSD1.     

Synthesis,biological evaluation and SAR studies of ursolic acid 3β-ester derivatives as novel CETP inhibitors

Cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) is an attractive therapeutic target for the prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases by lowering low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels as well as raising high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels in human plasma. Herein, a series of ursolic acid 3β-ester derivatives were designed, synthesized and evaluated for the CETP inhibiting activities. Among these compounds, the most active compound is U12 with an IC₅₀ value of 2.4 μM in enzymatic assay. The docking studies showed that the possible hydrogen bond interactions between the carboxyl groups at both ends of the molecule skeleton and several polar residues (such as Ser191, Cys13 and Ser230) in the active site region of CETP could significantly enhance the inhibition activity. This study provides structural insight of the interactions between these pentacyclic triterpenoid 3β-ester derivatives and CETP protein for the further modification and optimization.     

Effect of 1-amino-4-sulphonate-β-naphthol on the oil content and fatty acid composition of peanut

Exogenously applied 1-amino-4-sulphonate-β-naphthol increased the oil content and altered the fatty acid composition of the semispreading variety C-501 of peanut. The content of oleic acid decreased while that oflinoleic acid increased in the kernels of treated plants.     

Synthesis and evaluation of the cell cycle arrest and CT DNA interaction properties of 4β-amino-4′-O-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxins

A series of 4β-amino-4′-O-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin derivatives were synthesized, and their cytotoxicities against several human cancer cell lines, including HepG2, A549, HeLa and HCT-8 cells, evaluated. Some of these compounds exhibited higher levels of cytotoxicity than the anticancer drug etoposide. 4β-N-(4-Nitrophenyl piperazinyl)-4′-O-demethyl-4-deoxypodophyllotoxin (11) was found to be the most potent synthesized compound in the current study, and induced cell cycle arrest in the G2/M phase in HeLa cells, which was accompanied by apoptosis. Furthermore, this compound activated the expression of cdc2, cyclin B1, p53 and caspase-3 in HeLa cells, leading to changes in the conformation of calf thymus DNA from the B-form to a more compact C-form.     

Synthetic studies on selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonists. Part II: Synthesis and structure–activity relationships of novel benzofuran derivatives

Based on the previously reported lead compound, a series of benzofuran derivatives were prepared to study their antagonistic activities to A_2A receptor. The replacement of the phenyl group at the 4-position with a heterocyclic ring improved the PK profile and aqueous solubility. From these studies, we discovered a potent new A_2A antagonist, 12a, which has both a good oral bioavailability and in vivo efficacy on motor disability in MPTP-treated common marmosets.     

Synthetic studies on selective adenosine A2A receptor antagonists: Synthesis and structure–activity relationships of novel benzofuran derivatives

A series of benzofuran derivatives were prepared to study their antagonistic activities to the A_2A receptor. Replacement of the ester group of the lead compound 1 with phenyl ring improved the PK profile, while modifications of the amide moiety showed enhanced antagonistic activity. From these studies, compounds 13c, 13f, and 24a showed good potency in vitro and were identified as novel A_2A receptor antagonists suitable for oral activity evaluation in animal models of catalepsy.     

Theoretical studies on the interaction of proteins and nucleic acid: II. The binding of α-helix to B-DNA

Interactions between B-DNA and homopolymeric α-helices of glycine, alanine, serine, asparagine and aspartic acid have been studied theoretically. The complexation energy has been minimised taking into account the interactions between DNA and the polypeptides as well as the internal energy of the α-helix and the interaction energy of counterions with the complex. The results obtained indicate the important role of strong hydrogen bonds between the peptide side chains and nucleic acid phosphate groups, these bonds being much stronger than specific interactions with the base-pairs. The formation of these structural bonds depends on the size of the α-helix, which in turn determines whether bridging across the major groove is possible. The steric role of the methyl group of thymine in orienting the peptide helix and the role of DNA screening cations in complex stabilization are also significant.     

Studies on the carbohydrate moiety of α1-acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid) by using alkaline hydrolysis and deamination by nitrous acid

Alkaline hydrolysis followed by deamination with nitrous acid was applied for the first time to a glycoprotein, human plasma alpha(1)-acid glycoprotein (orosomucoid). This procedure, which specifically cleaves the glycosaminidic bonds, yielded well-defined oligosaccharides. The trisaccharides, which were obtained from the native protein, consisted of a sialic acid derivative, galactose and 2,5-anhydromannose. The linkage between galactose and 2,5-anhydromannose is most probably a (1-->4)-glycosidic bond. A hitherto unknown linkage between N-acetylneuraminic acid and galactose was also established, namely a (2-->2)-linkage. The three linkages between sialic acid and galactose described in this paper appear to be about equally resistant to mild acid hydrolysis. The disaccharide that was derived from the desialized glycoprotein consisted of galactose and 2,5-anhydromannose. Evidence was obtained for the presence of a new terminal sialyl-->N-acetylglucosamine disaccharide accounting for approximately 1mol/mol of protein. The presence of this disaccharide may explain the relatively severe requirements for the complete acid hydrolysis of the sialyl residues. The present study indicates that alkaline hydrolysis followed by nitrous acid deamination in conjunction with gas-liquid chromatography will afford relatively rapid determination of the partial structure of the complex carbohydrate moiety of glycoproteins.     

Synthetic studies on mitotic kinesin Eg5 inhibitors: Synthesis and structure–activity relationships of novel 2,4,5-substituted-1,3,4-thiadiazoline derivatives

The 2,4,5-substituted-1,3,4-thiadiazoline derivative 1a has been identified as a new class of mitotic kinesin Eg5 inhibitor. With the aim of enhancement of the mitotic phase accumulation activity, structure optimization of side chains at the 2-, 4-, and 5-positions of the 1,3,4-thiadiazoline ring of 1a was performed. The introduction of sulfonylamino group at the side chain at the 5-position and bulky acyl group at the 2- and 4-position contributed to a significant increase in the mitotic phase accumulation activity and Eg5 inhibitory activity. As a result, a series of optically active compounds exhibited an increased antitumor activity in a human ovarian cancer xenograft mouse model that was induced by oral administration.     

Synthesis, antiproliferative activity in cancer cells and theoretical studies of novel 6α,7β-dihydroxyvouacapan-17β-oic acid Mannich base derivatives

Natural products are great prototypes for the design of new anticancer agents. The plant-derived natural product 6α,7β-dihydroxyvouacapan-17β-oic acid (1) is promising for the development of more potent antiproliferative agents against human cancer cells. Indeed, its lactone derivative 6α-hydroxyvouacapan-7β,17β-lactone (2), a non-natural furanoditerpene, exhibited higher anticancer activity than compound 1. Herein, we describe the synthesis and antiproliferative activity of six new Mannich derivatives of compound 2 against nine cancer cell lines. Overall, our results revealed that Mannich derivatives 3-8 were more potent than compound 2 in inhibiting the proliferation of cancer cells. Theoretical studies also supported our findings, revealing the nucleophilic character of furan ring as an important feature for antiproliferative activity of the studied Mannich derivatives.     

Hydroxy-1,2,5-oxadiazolyl moiety as bioisoster of the carboxy function. A computational study on γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) related compounds

Recently, our research group has proposed the hydroxyfurazanyl (4-hydroxy-1,2,5-oxadiazole-3-yl) moiety as a new non-classical isoster of the carboxy function in the design of γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analogues. Some compounds showed significant activity at the GABA_A receptor, representing the only examples of pentatomic heterocycles bearing an ω-aminoalkyl flexible side chain in the position vicinal to the hydroxy group displaying agonist activity at this receptor subtype. In this work, an ab initio analysis of the structural and electronic features of furazan-3-ol is presented, in order to provide a theoretical basis to the claimed bioisosterism with the carboxy function. An ab initio conformational study with the C-PCM implicit solvent model was carried out to elucidate the reasons of the peculiar behaviour of the furazan models. Alongside, another conformational search through molecular dynamics in explicit solvent was accomplished, in order to validate the first method. The electronic features of the 4-hydroxy-1,2,5-oxadiazole-3-yl substructure seem to account for a marked stabilising effect of the putative bioactive conformation at the GABA_A receptor subtype. The 1,2,5-thiadiazole analogue, which shares the same conformational preference of its oxygenated counterpart, was identified as a potential candidate for synthesis and pharmacological testing. Figure 4-(ω-aminoalkyl)-1,2,5-oxadiazole-3-ol analogues of GABA Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorised users.     

Nucleosides and Nucleotides. 232. Synthesis of 2′-C-Methyl-4′-thiocytidine: Unexpected Anomerization of the 2′-Keto-4′-thionucleoside Precursor

The synthesis of 2′-C-methyl-4′-thiocytidine (16) is described. Since the 2′-keto-4′-thiocytidine derivative 2β unexpectedly isomerized to 2α and the methylation of 2β proceeded predominantly from the less hindered α-face to give 7, the desired product 16 was synthesized via the Pummerer reaction of the sulfoxide 14 and N ⁴ -benzoylcytosine.     

Synthesis and olfactory activity of unnatural, sulfated 5β-bile acid derivatives in the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus)

A variety of unnatural bile acid derivatives (9a-9f) was synthesized and used to examine the specificity with which the sea lamprey (Petromyzon marinus) olfactory system detects these compounds. These compounds are analogs of petromyzonol sulfate (PS, 1), a component of the sea lamprey migratory pheromone. Both the stereochemical configuration at C5 (i.e., 5α vs. 5β) and the extent and sites of oxygenation (hydroxylation or ketonization) of the bile acid derived steroid skeleton were evaluated by screening the compounds for olfactory activity using electro-olfactogram recording. 5β-Petromyzonol sulfate (9a) elicited a considerable olfactory response at sub-nanomolar concentration. In addition, less oxygenated systems (i.e., 9b-9e) elicited olfactory responses, albeit with less potency. The sea lamprey sex pheromone mimic 9f (5β-3-ketopetromyzonol sulfate) was also examined and found to produce a much lower olfactory response. Mixture studies conducted with 9a and PS (1) suggest that stimulation is occurring via similar modes of activation, demonstrating a relative lack of specificity for recognition of the allo-configuration (i.e., 5α) in sea lamprey olfaction. This attribute could facilitate design of pheromone analogs to control this invasive species.     

Structure-activity relationships of 2-amino-3-aroyl-4-[(4-arylpiperazin-1-yl)methyl]thiophenes. Part 2: Probing the influence of diverse substituents at the phenyl of the arylpiperazine moiety on allosteric enhancer activity at the A₁ adenosine receptor

In a preliminary article, we reported the potent allosteric enhancer activity at the A(1) adenosine receptor of a small series of 2-amino-3-(4-chlorobenzoyl)-4-[4-(aryl)piperazin-1-yl)methyl]thiophene derivatives bearing electron-withdrawing or electron-releasing groups at the para-position of the phenylpiperazine moiety. In the present study, we report the development of the compounds previously studied by modifying both the number and position of substituents on the phenylpiperazine moiety, aimed at establishing a structure-activity relationship identifying additional compounds with improved activity. The nature and the position of substituents on the phenyl ring tethered to the piperazine seemed to exert a fundamental influence on the allosteric enhancer activity, with the 3,4-difluoro 4i, 3-chloro-4-fluoro 4o, and 4-trifluoromethoxy 4ak derivatives being the most active compounds in binding (saturation and competition experiments) and functional cAMP studies. This study shows that it is also possible to obtain a good separation between allosteric enhancement and antagonistic activity at the A(1) adenosine receptor.     

Pyrazole Related Nucleosides 5.1 Synthesis and Biological Activity of 2′-Deoxy- 2′, 3′-dideoxy- and Acyclo-analogues of 4-Iodo-1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-3-carboxymethyl Pyrazole (IPCAR)

Abstract

Continuing our studies on the structure-activity relationships (SAR) of 4-iodo-1-β-D-ribofuranosyl-3-carboxymethyl pyrazole (IPCAR), the ribofuranosyl moiety has been substituted with acyclic chains, namely 1-[(2-hydroxyethoxy)methyl]- and 1-[(1,3-dihydroxy-2-propoxy)methyl]-pyrazole derivatives (4, 5 and 8, 9 respectively), with the 2′-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosyl group (12 and 13) and finally with the 2′,3′-dideoxy-D-glycero-pentofuranosyl-moiety (16 and 17). None of the new compounds display any interesting biological activity.     

Methoxylation of methyl 3α,7α-dihydroxychol-4-en-24-oate and its 3β-epimer. —a contribution to chenodeoxycholic acid biogenesis

By the conventional methods of gas liquid chromatography (GLC) as well as mass spectrometry, 3β,7α-dihydroxychol-5-en-24-oic acid (Δ⁵-acid), a key intermediate of chenodeoxycholic acid biogenesis and its metabolic by-product, 3α,7α-dihydroxychol-4-en-24-oic acid (Δ⁴-acid) have not yet been identified as such probably due to thermal decomposition. However, taking advantage of the observation that they are readily methoxylated in methanoi containing a trace of acids, their individual methoxy-compounds were easily prepared and proved to be useful for their identification, even though they are present in minimal amounts as was the case with the human or hen bile. The present paper reported physical as well as spectral properties of the methoxy-compounds derived from methyl 3α,7α-dihydroxychol-4-en-24-oate, compared with those of its 3β-epimer     

Synthesis of methyl O-(3-deoxy-3-fluoro-β-d-galactopyranosyl)-(1→6)-O-β-d-galactopyranosyl-(1→6)-3-deoxy-3-fluoro -β-d-galactopyranoside and related n.m.r. studies

Sequential tritylation, benzoylation, and detritylation of methyl 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-β-d-galactopyranoside gave crystalline methyl 2,4-di-O-benzoyl-3-deoxy-3-fluoro-β-d-galactopyranoside (9), which was used as the initial nucleophile in the synthesis of the target oligosaccharide (16). Treatment of 9 with 2,3,4-tri-O-benzoyl-6-O-bromoacetyl-α-d-galactopyranosyl bromide gave the corresponding disaccharide derivative 13, having a selectively removable blocking group at O-6′. Debromoacetylation of 13 afforded the disaccharide nucleophile 14 which, when treated with 2,4,6-tri-O-benzoyl-3-deoxy-3-fluoro-α-d-galactopyranosyl bromide, gave the fully protected trisaccharide 15. Debenzoylation of 15 gave the title glycoside 16. Condensation reactions were performed with silver trifluoromethane-sulfonate as a promoter in the presence of sym-collidine under base-deficient conditions, and gave excellent yields of the desired β-(trans)-products. Analyses of the ¹H- and ¹³C-n.m.r. spectra, as well as determination of the J_CF and J_HF coupling constants, were made by using various one- and two-dimensional n.m.r. techniques.