Two novel series of allocolchicinoids with modified seven membered B-rings: design, synthesis, inhibition of tubulin assembly and cytotoxicity

Two new attractive series of allocolchicinoids were designed as inhibitors of tubulin assembly using the potent ketone 4 and the tetracyclic, pyrazole annulated NCME variant 7 (NCME = N-acetyl colchinol-O-methylether (2)) as lead structures. The first group of inhibitors of type 6 with novel oxepine and azepine B-ring structures belongs to the NCME-series and was synthesized via a multistep total synthesis starting from simple and cheap 3-methoxybenzaldehyde (12) and 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzaldehyde (13). Biaryl-coupling of the starting materials 12 and 13 was accomplished via Ziegler-Ullmann-reaction to furnish the biphenyl 11 equipped with two carbaldehyde functions. The subsequent Cannizzaro reaction of this dicarbaldehyde 11 proceeded with high regioselectivity to yield almost exclusively the key compound, the hydroxymethyl carboxylic acid 9. Ring closure to the o,o'-bridged biphenyls was accomplished by two routes: on the one hand, treatment of 9 with aqueous hydrochloric acid yielded the lactone 15. On the other hand, a four step sequence starting from the isomeric mixture 9/10 furnished the constitutionally isomeric lactams 23 and 24; these could be converted to the corresponding thiolactams 25 and 26 and to the tetrazole annulated NCME-type derivatives 27 and 28. The second series of bioactive compounds are congeners of allocolchicine (3). The well known desacetyl allocolchicine (29) was easily oxidized to the oxime 30, which was further transformed to the corresponding ketone 31. This served as key precursor for the syntheses of various tetracyclic allocolchicine modifications 33-36 annulated with a pyrazole, isoxazole, pyrimidine or 2-aminopyrimidine heterocycle, respectively. Unexpectedly, all the NCME-variants with a substituent in position 7 like in NCME (2) inhibited the tubulin assembly only moderately. In contrast, the new series of allocolchicine modifications proved to be highly potent antimicrotubule agents. Inhibition of tubulin assembly occurred at lower concentrations compared to those measured for the reference colchicine (1). Surprisingly, these promising results could not be confirmed in the cytotoxicity tests against the human MCF-7 breast cancer cell line, where an unexpected loss of effectiveness compared to the corresponding NCME-derivatives was observed.     

Combining ontogenetic and evolutionary scales of morphological disparity: a study of early Jurassic ammonites

Two major research themes in Evolutionary Developmental Biology and in Paleobiology, respectively, have each become central for the analysis and interpretation of morphological changes in evolution: the study of ontogeny/phylogeny connections, mainly within the widespread and controversial framework of heterochrony; and the study of morphological disparity, the morphological signal of biodiversity, describing secular changes in morphospace occupation during the history of any given clade. Although enriching in their respective fields, these two themes have remained rather isolated to date, despite the potential value of integrating them as some recent studies begin to suggest. Here, we explore the recent notion of developmental morphospace-morphospace carrying ontogenetic information-as a potential tool for bridging the gap between disparity dynamics and developmental dynamics. We elaborate this approach with a case study of Early Jurassic ammonite family Hildoceratidae (Mollusca, Cephalopoda). Morphometric analyses of the shell shape of 20 species spanning the morphological spectrum of the family are used to quantify and contrast juvenile and adult disparity levels. Adult disparity is significantly greater than juvenile disparity at the family level; yet, some subclades also display different patterns. In addition, comparisons of ontogenetic trajectories underline the prevalence of heterochrony-based evolutionary modifications within subfamilies (via ontogenetic scaling); they also point to the probable existence of pervasive developmental constraints structuring inhomogeneous morphospace occupation.     

P190-B Rho GTPase-activating protein overexpression disrupts ductal morphogenesis and induces hyperplastic lesions in the developing mammary gland

p190-B Rho GTPase activating protein is essential for mammary gland development because p190-B deficiency prevents ductal morphogenesis. To investigate the role of p190-B during distinct stages of mammary gland development, tetracycline-regulatable p190-B-overexpressing mice were generated. Short-term induction of p190-B in the developing mammary gland results in abnormal terminal end buds (TEBs) that exhibit aberrant budding off the neck, histological anomalies, and a markedly thickened stroma. Overexpression of p190-B throughout postnatal development results in increased branching, delayed ductal elongation, and disorganization of the ductal tree. Interestingly, overexpression of p190-B during pregnancy results in hyperplastic lesions. Several cellular and molecular alterations detected within the aberrant TEBs may contribute to these phenotypes. Signaling through the IGF pathway is altered, and the myoepithelial cell layer is discontinuous at sites of aberrant budding. An increase in collagen and extensive infiltration of macrophages, which have recently been implicated in branching morphogenesis, is observed in the stroma surrounding the p190-B-overexpressing TEBs. We propose that the stromal response, disruption of the myoepithelial layer, and alterations in IGF signaling in the p190-B-overexpressing mice impact the TEB architecture, leading to disorganization and increased branching of the ductal tree. Moreover, we suggest that alterations in tissue architecture and the adjacent stroma as a consequence of p190-B overexpression during pregnancy leads to loss of growth control and the formation of hyperplasia. These data demonstrate that precise control of p190-B Rho GTPase-activating protein activity is critical for normal branching morphogenesis during mammary gland development.