Cyclic ions in the mass spectra of trimethylsilyl derivatives of substituted o-dihydroxybenzenes

The mass spectra of trimethylsilyl (TMS) ethers/methyl esters of phenolic acids containing o-dihydroxybenzene groups have base peaks at [M?119]⁺ instead of the usual [M?15]⁺ and [M?31]⁺ that are characteristic of TMS/methyl esters of monohydroxyphenolic acids. These ions, formed by the loss of 31+88 u from the parent ion, possess a cyclic moiety as proven by substitution of deuterium atoms for hydrogen atoms in the TMS groups of the methyl esters of 3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic (gallic), 3,4-dihydroxybenzoic (protocatechuic) and β-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)propenoic (caffeic) acids. Although these cyclic ions are the base peaks in TMS-derivatized o-dihydroxyphenolic acid esters, similar ions represent intense peaks but not necessarily the base peak in other derivatized compounds such as 1,2-dihydroxybenzene, 1,2-dihydroxy-3-methyl- and 1,2-dihydroxy-4-methyl-benzenes and flavan-3-ols that possess o-dihydroxybenzene groups. Compounds possession m- or p-dihydroxybenzene groups do not form these cyclic ions; therefore, this procedure for derivatization and interpretation of mass spectra is valuable for the identification of compounds containing o-dihydroxybenzene groups in complex mixtures of isomeric compounds.     

Enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-amabiline

The first total synthesis of (+)-amabiline, an unsaturated pyrrolizidine alkaloid from Cynoglossum amabile, is reported. This convergent, enantioselective synthesis proceeds in 15 steps (10-step longest linear sequence) in 6.2% overall yield and features novel methodology to construct the unsaturated pyrrolizidine or (-)-supinidine core.     

NOVEL PHOTOCLEAVABLE PROTEIN CROSSLINKING REAGENTS AND THEIR USE IN THE PREPARATION OF ANTIBODY-TOXIN CONJUGATES

Abstract— Two photolabile heterobifunctional protein crosslinking reagents have been synthesized and used for the conjugation of a protein toxin to an antibody. o-Nitrobenzyl alcohol derivatives containing protected sulfhydryl groups were converted to o-nitrobenzyloxycarbonyl chlorides and covalently attached to pokeweed antiviral protein (PAP-S) obtained from the seeds of Phytolacca americana. The sulfhydryl groups were deprotected and the modified toxins were reacted with J5 antibody (specific for the common acute lymphoblastic leukemia antigen, CALLA) that had been functionalized with maleimido groups. Antibody-toxin conjugates were formed predominantly in the ratio of 1:1, and were purified from unconjugated antibody and PAP-S. Irradiation of the conjugates with light having a peak intensity at 365 nm effected photolytic fragmentation, and PAP-S was released in fully active form. The methods described here may prove useful for the release of drugs or toxins at sites accessible to light.     

Protease-mediated fragmentation of p-amidobenzyl ethers: a new strategy for the activation of anticancer prodrugs

A new anticancer prodrug activation strategy based on the 1,6-elimination reaction of p-aminobenzyl ethers is described. Model studies were undertaken with the N-protected peptide benzyloxycarbonyl-valine-citrulline (Z-val-cit), which was attached to the amino groups of p-aminobenzyl ether derivatives of 1-naphthol and N-acetylnorephedrine. The amide bond that formed was designed for hydrolysis by cathepsin B, a protease associated with rapidly growing and metastatic carcinomas. Upon treatment with the enzyme, the Z-val-cit-p-amidobenzyl ether of 1-naphthol (2) underwent peptide bond hydrolysis with the rapid release of 1-naphthol. The aliphatic Z-val-cit-p-amidobenzyl ether of N-acetylnorephedrine (5) also underwent amide bond hydrolysis, but without the ensuing elimination of N-acetylnorephedrine. On the basis of these results, the phenolic anticancer drugs etoposide (6) and combretastatin A-4 (7) were attached to the Z-val-cit-p-amidobenzyl alcohol through ether linkages, forming the peptide-drug derivatives 8 and 9, respectively. Both compounds were stable in aqueous buffers and serum and underwent ether fragmentation upon treatment with cathepsin B, resulting in the release of the parent drugs in chemically unmodified forms. The released drugs were 13-50 times more potent than were the prodrug precursors on a panel of cancer cell lines. In contrast, the corresponding carbonate derivative of combretastatin A-4 (13) was unstable in aqueous environments and was as cytotoxic as combretastatin A-4. This result extends the use of the self-immolative p-aminobenzyl group for the fragmentation of aromatic ethers and provides a new strategy for anticancer prodrug development.     

A versatile enantioselective synthesis of azabicyclic ring systems: a concise total synthesis of (+)-grandisine D and unnatural analogues

Closing in on azacines: We have developed a new six step approach for the rapid and enantioselective synthesis of indolizidine, pyrrolo[1,2-a]azepine, and pyrrolo[1,2-a]azocine azabicyclic systems and their respective lactam congeners, which are found in a host of natural products as well as pharmaceutical preparations. This protocol enables a concise enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-grandisine?D in 16.4?% overall yield from commercial materials (see scheme).     

Rapid Synthesis of Aryl Fluorides in Continuous Flow through the Balz–Schiemann Reaction

The Balz–Schiemann reaction remains a highly utilized means for preparing aryl fluorides from anilines. However, the limitations associated with handling aryl diazonium salts often hinder both the substrate scope and scalability of this reaction. To address this, a new continuous flow protocol was developed that eliminates the need to isolate the aryl diazonium salts. The new process has enabled the fluorination of an array of aryl and heteroaryl amines.     

Preliminary investigations of magnetic osmometry

The theory and results of experiments in which an osmometer is placed in a magnetic field are presented. The pressure generated by an osmotic magnetic field of 7600 G is found to be 1.8 cm of H₂O for a 2.0 % w/w solution of bovine serum albumin. The possibility of utilizing this effect to study the magnetic properties of biological macromolecules and for more precise molecular weight determinations is discussed.     

Orthogonal Cysteine Protection Enables Homogeneous Multi-Drug Antibody–Drug Conjugates

A strategy for the preparation of homogeneous antibody–drug conjugates (ADCs) containing multiple payloads has been developed. This approach utilizes sequential unmasking of cysteine residues with orthogonal protection to enable site-specific conjugation of each drug. In addition, because the approach utilizes conjugation to native antibody cysteine residues, it is widely applicable and enables high drug loading for improved ADC potency. To highlight the benefits of ADC dual drug delivery, this strategy was applied to the preparation of ADCs containing two classes of auristatin drug-linkers that have differing physiochemical properties and exert complementary anti-cancer activities. Dual-auristatin ADCs imparted activity in cell line and xenograft models that are refractory to ADCs comprised of the individual auristatin components. This work presents a facile method for construction of potent dual-drug ADCs and demonstrates how delivery of multiple cytotoxic warheads can lead to improved ADC activities. Lastly, we anticipate that the conditions utilized herein for orthogonal cysteine unmasking are not restricted to ADCs and can be broadly utilized for site-specific protein modification.