Probing the Interaction of the Hydroxy Group at C(4) of Lactone‐Type Inhibitors with β‐Glucosidases and β‐Galactosidases

The inhibition of the β‐glucosidases from sweet almonds and from Caldocellum saccharolyticum by the 4‐amino‐4‐deoxy lactam 11 , the 4‐deoxy lactam 12 , and the corresponding imidazoles 13 and 14 was compared to the inhibition by the hydroxy analogues 1 and 3 . Substitution of the OH group at C(4) by an amino group or by hydrogen weakened the inhibition by ΔΔG_diss = + 1.9 to + 3.1 kcal/mol. Similarly, the inhibition of the β‐galactosidase from bovine liver and from E. coli by the 4‐deoxy lactam 12 and the imidazole 14 , as compared to the one by the galacto‐configured lactam 9 and imidazole 10 , is weakened by deoxygenation at C(4) (ΔΔG_diss = + 2.6 and 4.5 kcal/mol, resp.). The effect of these substitutions on the inhibition of the C. saccharolyticum β‐glucosidase is slightly stronger than the one on the sweet almonds β‐glucosidases. The effect is also stronger on the inhibition by the imidazoles than by the lactams, and depends on the flexibility of the inhibitors. The amino and deoxy lactams 11 and 12 were prepared from the galactonolactam‐derived triflate 17 by substitution with azide and hydride, respectively, followed by hydrogenation. Azidation of the galacto‐configured imidazopyridine‐derived triflate 24 and hydrogenation gave the amino‐imidazole 13 . The deoxy lactam 20 was transformed to the manno‐ and gluco‐configured deoxy‐imidazoles 29 and 30 via the thionolactam 28 . Hydrogenolytic deprotection of 30 gave the deoxy‐imidazole 14 .     

Synthesis of Glycaro‐1,5‐lactams and Tetrahydrotetrazolopyridine‐5‐carboxylates: Inhibitors of β‐D‐Glucuronidase and α‐L‐Iduronidase

The known glucaro‐1,5‐lactam 8 , its diastereoisomers 9 – 11 , and the tetrahydrotetrazolopyridine‐5‐carboxylates 12 – 14 were synthesised as potential inhibitors of β‐D ‐glucuronidases and α‐L ‐iduronidases. The known 2,3‐di‐O‐benzyl‐4,6‐O‐benzylidene‐D ‐galactose ( 16 ) was transformed into the D ‐galactaro‐ and L ‐altraro‐1,5‐lactams 9 and 11 via the galactono‐1,5‐lactam 21 in twelve steps and in an overall yield of 13 and 2%, respectively. A divergent strategy, starting from the known tartaric anhydride 41 , led to the D ‐glucaro‐1,5‐lactam 8 , D ‐galactaro‐1,5‐lactam 9 , L ‐idaro‐1,5‐lactam 10 , and L ‐altraro‐1,5‐lactam 11 in ten steps and in an overall yield of 4–20%. The anhydride 41 was transformed into the L ‐threuronate 46 . Olefination of 46 to the (E)‐ or (Z)‐alkene 47 or 48 followed by reagent‐ or substrate‐controlled dihydroxylation, lactonisation, azidation, reduction, and deprotection led to the lactams 8 – 11 . The tetrazoles 12 – 14 were prepared in an overall yield of 61–81% from the lactams 54, 28 , and 67 , respectively, by treatment with Tf₂O and NaN₃, followed by saponification, esterification, and hydrogenolysis. The lactams 8 – 11 and 40 and the tetrazoles 12 – 14 are medium‐to‐strong inhibitors of β‐D ‐glucuronidase from bovine liver. Only the L ‐ido‐configured lactam 10 (K_i = 94 μM ) and the tetrazole 14 (K_i = 1.3 mM ) inhibit human α‐L ‐iduronidase.     

Micro-wilhelmy and related liquid property measurements using constant-diameter nanoneedle-tipped atomic force microscope probes

The micro-Wilhelmy method is a well-established method of determining surface tension by measuring the force of withdrawing a tens of microns to millimeters in diameter cylindrical wire or fiber from a liquid. A comparison of insertion force to retraction force can also be used to determine the contact angle with the fiber. Given the limited availability of atomic force microscope (AFM) probes that have long constant diameter tips, force-distance (F-D) curves using probes with standard tapered tips have been difficult to relate to surface tension. In this report, constant diameter metal alloy nanowires (referred to as "nanoneedles") between 7.2 and 67 microm in length and 108 and 1006 nm in diameter were grown on AFM probes. F-D and Q damping AFM measurements of wetting and drag forces made with the probes were compared against standard macroscopic models of these forces on slender cylinders to estimate surface tension, contact angle, meniscus height, evaporation rate, and viscosity. The surface tensions for several low molecular weight liquids that were measured with these probes were between -4.2% and +8.3% of standard reported values. Also, the F-D curves show well-defined stair-step events on insertion and retraction from partial wetting liquids, compared to the continuously growing attractive force of standard tapered AFM probe tips. In the AFM used, the stair-step feature in F-D curves was repeatably monitored for at least 0.5 h (depending on the volatility of the liquid), and this feature was then used to evaluate evaporation rates (as low as 0.30 nm/s) through changes in the surface height of the liquid. A nanoneedle with a step change in diameter at a known distance from its end produced two steps in the F-D curve from which the meniscus height was determined. The step features enable meniscus height to be determined from distance between the steps, as an alternative to calculating the height corresponding to the AFM measured values of surface tension and contact angle. All but one of the eight measurements agreed to within 13%. The constant diameter of the nanoneedle also is used to relate viscous damping of the vibrating cantilever to a macroscopic model of Stokes drag on a long cylinder. Expected increases in drag force with insertion depth and viscosity are observed for several glycerol-water solutions. However, an additional damping term (associated with drag of the meniscus on the sidewalls of the nanoneedle) limits the sensitivity of the measurement of drag force for low-viscosity solutions, while low values of Q limit the sensitivity for high-viscosity solutions. Overall, reasonable correspondence is found between the macroscopic models and the measurements with the nanoneedle-tipped probes. Tighter environmental control of the AFM and treatments of needles to give them more ideal surfaces are expected to improve repeatability and make more evident subtle features that currently appear to be present on the F-D and Q damping curves.