Covalent‐Allosteric Inhibitors to Achieve Akt Isoform‐Selectivity

Isoforms of protein kinase Akt are involved in essential processes including cell proliferation, survival, and metabolism. However, their individual roles in health and disease have not been thoroughly evaluated. Thus, there is an urgent need for perturbation studies, preferably mediated by highly selective bioactive small molecules. Herein, we present a structure‐guided approach for the design of structurally diverse and pharmacologically beneficial covalent‐allosteric modifiers, which enabled an investigation of the isoform‐specific preferences and the important residues within the allosteric site of the different isoforms. The biochemical, cellular, and structural evaluations revealed interactions responsible for the selective binding profiles. The isoform‐selective covalent‐allosteric Akt inhibitors that emerged from this approach showed a conclusive structure–activity relationship and broke ground in the development of selective probes to delineate the isoform‐specific functions of Akt kinases.     

Molecular field analysis and 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship study (MFA 3D-QSAR) unveil novel features of bile acid recognition at TGR5

Bile acids regulate nongenomic actions through the activation of TGR5, a membrane receptor that is G protein-coupled to the induction of adenylate cyclase. In this work, a training set of 43 bile acid derivatives is used to develop a molecular interaction field analysis (MFA) and a 3D-quantitative structure-activity relationship study (3D-QSAR) of TGR5 agonists. The predictive ability of the resulting model is evaluated using an external set of compounds with known TGR5 activity, and six bile acid derivatives whose unknown TGR5 activity is herein assessed with in vitro luciferase assay of cAMP formation. The results show a good predictive model and indicate a statistically relevant degree of correlation between the TGR5 activity and the molecular interaction fields produced by discrete positions of the bile acid scaffold. This information is instrumental to extend on a quantitative basis the current structure-activity relationships of bile acids as TGR5 modulators and will be fruitful to design new potent and selective agonists of the receptor.     

The structure of the lanthanide aquo ions in solution as studied by 17O NMR spectroscopy and DFT calculations

The (17)O NMR shifts of aqueous samples of lanthanide triflates were measured and analysed. In these systems the triflate anion does not enter the first coordination sphere. The contact contribution to the shifts showed a break at Eu(III), which reflects a change in the number of water molecules in the first coordination sphere of the Ln(III) ion from 9 for La-Sm to 8 for the heavier lanthanides. This change in hydration number is accompanied by a change in the parameters governing the pseudo-contact shifts. Fitting of the data with tricapped trigonal prism and square antiprismatic geometries obtained by DFT (density function theory) calculations showed that the crystal field parameters for these geometries differ by an order of magnitude. The hyperfine coupling constant for both geometries was determined to be A/(Planck's constant)= -4.2 x 10(6) rad s(-1).     

Molecular analysis of the kirromycin biosynthetic gene cluster revealed beta-alanine as precursor of the pyridone moiety

Kirromycin is a complex linear polyketide that acts as a protein biosynthesis inhibitor by binding to the bacterial elongation factor Tu. The kirromycin biosynthetic gene cluster was isolated from the producer, Streptomyces collinus Tü 365, and confirmed by targeted disruption of essential biosynthesis genes. Kirromycin is synthesized by a large hybrid polyketide synthase (PKS)/nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) encoded by the genes kirAI-kirAVI. This complex involves some very unusual features, including the absence of internal acyltransferase (AT) domains in KirAI-KirAV, multiple split-ups of PKS modules on separate genes, and swapping in the domain organization. Interestingly, one PKS enzyme, KirAVI, contains internal AT domains. Based on in silico analysis, a route to pyridone formation involving PKS and NRPS steps was postulated. This hypothesis was experimentally proven by feeding studies with [U-13C3(15)N]beta-alanine and NMR and MS analyses of the isolated pure kirromycin.     

Taking control of P1, P1' and double bond stereochemistry in the synthesis of Phe-Phe (E)-alkene amide isostere dipeptidomimetics

A protocol for the stereocontrolled independent preparation of both C-2 epimers of Phe-Phe trans-vinyl amide isostere dipeptidomimetics has been devised based on a Wittig-type reaction, in which two chiral building blocks were joined with excellent E-selectivity to give compounds of the type PhePsi[(E)-CH[double bond, length as m-dash]CH]-PheOH.     

Synthesis of functionalized, unsymmetrical 1,3,4,6-tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines

A general and efficient method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical 1,3,4,6-tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketo- piperazines (DKPs) is described. Cyclization of N-amide alkylated dipeptide methyl esters, followed by alkylation, furnished the corresponding tetrasubstituted DKPs in good overall yields. The influence of steric hindrance in the alkylation reactions appeared to be of lesser importance as long as reactive alkylating agents were used. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the use of tetrasubstituted DKPs as a scaffold for further chemical manipulations to produce novel DKPs with desired properties.     

Trapping of peroxidic intermediates with sulfur and phosphorus centered electrophiles

The trapping ability of a new peroxidic trapping agent relative to several well-established trapping agents was measured. Two different methods for this measurement were utilized. It was shown that adamantylidene adamantane reacts under the trapping conditions to give adamantylidene adamantane epoxide via a more complicated process than previously recognized and is consequently an inappropriate system to make this measurement. In contrast, the use of diethyl sulfide is straightforward and gives reliable values. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Heteroatom Chem 9:51–56, 1998     

Synthesis of Tetracyclic Analogues of Calcitriol (1α,25‐Dihydroxyvitamin D3) with Side‐Chain‐Locked Spatial Orientations at C(20)

We present our first results on the synthesis of a new class of conformationally restricted vitamin D analogues bearing an extra five‐membered ring formed by linking C(18) and C(21). Two analogues of calcitriol ( 1 ) with unsaturations at the extra ring and the lateral chain were prepared. The triene system was introduced by the convergent Wittig Horner approach developed by Lythgoe [8] and F. Hoffmann‐La Roche [9]. The key steps in the preparation of the requisite fragments were: i) the long‐distance functionalization of ketal 11 at C(18), ii) the ring closure on 15 through an intramolecular aldol condensation to give the α,β‐unsaturated ketone 10 , and iii) the Pd‐catalyzed installation of the side chains.     

Second generation of primaquine ureas and bis-ureas as potential antimycobacterial agents

Molecular Diversity - Here, we describe design and synthesis of twelve novel compounds bearing primaquine motif and hydroxy- or halogenamine linked by an urea or bis-urea spacer. Preparation of...