Second‐Generation Inhibitors for the Metalloprotease Neprilysin Based on Bicyclic Heteroaromatic Scaffolds: Synthesis,Biological Activity,and X‐Ray Crystal‐Structure Analysis

A new class of nonpeptidic inhibitors of the Zn^II‐dependent metalloprotease neprilysin with IC₅₀ values in the nanomolar activity range (0.034–0.30 μM ) were developed based on structure‐based de novo design (Figs. 1 and 2). The inhibitors feature benzimidazole and imidazo[4,5‐c]pyridine moieties as central scaffolds to undergo H‐bonding to Asn542 and Arg717 and to engage in favorable π‐π stacking interactions with the imidazole ring of His711. The platform is decorated with a thiol vector to coordinate to the Zn^II ion and an aryl residue to occupy the hydrophobic S1′ pocket, but lack a substituent for binding in the S2′ pocket, which remains closed by the side chains of Phe106 and Arg110 when not occupied. The enantioselective syntheses of the active compounds (+)‐ 1 , (+)‐ 2 , (+)‐ 25 , and (+)‐ 26 were accomplished using Evans auxiliaries (Schemes 2, 4, and 5). The inhibitors (+)‐ 2 and (+)‐ 26 with an imidazo[4,5‐c]pyridine core are ca. 8 times more active than those with a benzimidazole core ((+)‐ 1 and (+)‐ 25 ) (Table 1). The predicted binding mode was established by X‐ray analysis of the complex of neprilysin with (+)‐ 2 at 2.25‐Å resolution (Fig. 4 and Table 2). The ligand coordinates with its sulfanyl residue to the Zn^II ion, and the benzyl residue occupies the S1′ pocket. The 1H‐imidazole moiety of the central scaffold forms the required H‐bonds to the side chains of Asn542 and Arg717. The heterobicyclic platform additionally undergoes π‐π stacking with the side chain of His711 as well as edge‐to‐face‐type interactions with the side chain of Trp693. According to the X‐ray analysis, the substantial advantage in biological activity of the imidazo‐pyridine inhibitors over the benzimidazole ligands arises from favorable interactions of the pyridine N‐atom in the former with the side chain of Arg102. Unexpectedly, replacement of the phenyl group pointing into the deep S1′ pocket by a biphenyl group does not enhance the binding affinity for this class of inhibitors.     

NMR studies of solid state—solvent and H/D isotope effects on hydrogen bond geometries of 1:1 complexes of collidine with carboxylic acids

¹H and ¹⁵N NMR spectra of 10 complexes exhibiting strong OHN hydrogen bonds formed by ¹⁵N-labeled collidine and different proton donors, partially deuterated in mobile proton sites, have been observed by low-temperature NMR spectroscopy using a low-freezing CDF₃/CDF₂Cl mixture as polar aprotic solvent. The following proton donors have been used: HCl, formic acid, acetic acid, various substituted benzoic acids and HBF₄. The slow hydrogen bond exchange regime could be reached below 140 K, which allowed us to resolve ¹⁵N signal splittings due to H/D isotopic substitution. The valence bond order model is used to link the observed NMR parameters to hydrogen bond geometries. The results are compared to those obtained previously [Magn. Reson. Chem. 39 (2001) S18] for the same complexes in the organic solids. The increase of the dielectric constant from the organic solids to the solution (30 at 130 K) leads to a change of the hydrogen bond geometries along the geometric correlation line towards the zwitterionic structures, where the proton is partially transferred from oxygen to nitrogen. Whereas the changes of spectroscopic and, hence, geometric parameters are small for the systems which are already zwitterionic in the solid state, large changes are observed for molecular complexes which exhibit almost a full proton transfer from oxygen to nitrogen in the polar liquid solvent.     

Relative retention of the fibroblast growth factors FGF-1 and FGF-2 on strong cation-exchange sorbents

The isocratic retention of two heparin-binding fibroblast growth factors, FGF-1 (acidic FGF) and FGF-2 (basic FGF), was compared on a set of six preparative strong cation-exchange adsorbents. The FGFs comprise a solute pair that are structurally equivalent, yet differ in protein parameters of potential importance in cation-exchange chromatography, such as isoelectric point, net charge, and the number and distribution of basic amino acids. The cation-exchange adsorbents comprise a diverse set of materials in common use for protein purification, with physical and chemical properties that have been characterized and described previously. Isocratic k' values for the two proteins obtained on each adsorbent at several different [NaCl] are compared with one another and with corresponding data for hen egg lysozyme, which is also strongly retained on cation-exchangers. Of the six adsorbents examined, three showed strong retention of both FGFs, with equivalent k' values for FGF-1 and FGF-2. Three others, which showed weaker overall retention for the FGF pair, showed much larger retention differences between FGF-1 and FGF-2. The trends in retention order among the stationary phases are very similar to those seen previously with other unrelated proteins. However, retention differences between the two FGFs, and between the FGFs and lysozyme, do not correlate well with simple charge properties such as net charge, indicating, as in some previous studies, the importance of local regions on the protein surface in determining retention. These observations are interpreted in terms of the structural features of the proteins and the physicochemical properties of the adsorbents.     

Functionality map analysis of the active site cleft of human thrombin

Summary The Multiple Copy Simultaneous Search methodology has been used to construct functionality maps for an extended region of human thrombin, including the active site. This method allows the determination of energetically favorable positions and orientations for functional groups defined by the user on the three-dimensional surface of a protein. The positions of 10 functional group sites are compared with those of corresponding groups of four thrombin-inhibitor complexes. Many, but not all features, of known thrombin inhibitors are reproduced by the method. The results indicate that certain aspects of the binding modes of these inhibitors are not optimal. In addition, suggestions are made for improving binding by interaction with functional group sites on the thrombin surface that are not used by the thrombin inhibitors. Abbreviations: MCSS, multiple copy simultaneous search; PPACK, d-phenylalanyl-l-propyl-l-arginine chloromethane; NAPAP, N -(2-naphthylsulfonylglycyl)-d-para-amidinophenylalanylpiperidine; argatroban, (2R,4R)-4-methyl-1-[N -(3-methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-8-quinolinylsulfonyl)-l-arginyl]-2-piperidine carboxylic acid; rms, root mean square. The thrombin residues are numbered according to the chymotrypsin-based numbering by Bode et al. [8]. P1, P2, P3, etc., denote the peptide inhibitor residues on the amino-terminal side of the scissile peptide bond, and S1, S2, S3, etc., the corresponding subsites of thrombin     

P840-Reaction Centers from Chlorobium tepidum–Quinone Analysis and Functional Reconstitution into Lipid Vesicles

Membranes of Chlorobium tepidum contain about 35, 45 and2–10 molecules of menaquinone-7, chlorobium quinone (1′-oxo-menaquinone-7) and of the polar menaquinone (probably 1′-OH-menaquinone-7) per reaction center, respectively. None of these quinones was retained during the isolation of P840-reaction centers beyond the detection limit of about 0.2 quinones per reaction center, neither in the core complex nor in functionally intact reaction center preparations. The latter is shown to catalyze the formation of an electrochemical proton gradient in the presence of ascorbate and phenazinium methosulfate, when it is incorporated into lipid vesicles.     

Chromatographische Trennung und Identifizierung diastereomerer Carotinoide mit grossem räumlichem Abstand der chiralen Zentren

Chroma to graphic Separation and Identification of Diastereomeric Carotinoids with Distant Chiral Centers The high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of diastereomeric C₄₀-carotinoids is described possessing chiral centers which are separated by 18 C-atoms (nonaene system). The method is applied to the separation of the two diastereomers of 6,6′-dihydrorhodoxanthin 1a and 1b (ε,ε-carotene-3,3′-dione) and the six diastereomers of tunaxanlhin (ε,ε-carotene-3,3′-diol; 2a–2f ). Conditions for the separation of lutein [(3R, 3′R, 6′R)-β,ε-carotene-3.3′-diol, 3a ], 3′-epi-lutein [(3R,3′S,6′R)-β, ε-carotene-3,3′-diol, 3b ] and its 13′-cis- ( 3c ) and 13-cis-stereo-isomers( 3d ) are also reported. Identification of the different chromatographic fractions was possible by use of authentic synthetic samples or by ¹H-NMR. spectroscopy.     

Reaktionen von o-Chinonen mit Aminen und Proteinen. 4. Mitteilung. 7a-Methyl-5,6-dioxo-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydroindol-Derivate aus 4-Methylbrenzcatechin und Enaminen

Reactions of o-Quinones with Amines and Proteins. 7a-Methyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahysroindole Derivatives from 4-Methylcatechol and Enamines Methyl l-[2′-(methoxycarbonyl)ethyl]-7a-methyl-5,6-dioxo-5.6.7,7a-tetrahydro-indole-3-carboxylate ( 1 ) was isolated after the oxidation of 4-methylcatechol with silver ( 1 ) oxide in the presence of b?-alanine methyl ester in glacial acetic acid. The formation of 1 requires in situ dehydrogenation of the b?-aminocarboxylate and addition of the resulting enamine to 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone. Reaction of ethyl 3-(phenylamino)crotonate with 4-methyl-1,2-benzoquinone afforded ethyl 2,7a-dimethyl-5,6-dioxo-1-phenyl-5,6,7,7a-tetrahydroindole-3-carboxylate ( 6 ). Despite the fact that the yields are low, the addition of enamines to o-quinones represents an interesting novel extension of the Nenitzescu-reaction which is well known in the p-quinone series. Compound 1 may be considered as a novel model for the crosslinking of proteins by o-quinones. Formation of 1 was, however, not observed under physiological conditions.     

Aminoalkoholester von Hydroxyboranen,IX Salicylamid-Bor-Mannichbasen als potentielle Antitumorwirkstoffe

A synthesis of new boron containingMannich bases of salicylamide by reaction of salicylamide, formaldehyde and boron-heterocycles is reported.

VIII. Mitteilung:Stump, R. K., Zimmerman jr., H. K., Schleppnik, A. A., Gutsche, C. D., Liebigs Ann. Chem.667, 18 (1963).