A new inhibitor design strategy for carboxypeptidase A as exemplified by N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-methylphenylalanine

Human constitutive androstane receptor agonist DL5016: A novel sensitizer for cyclophosphamide-based chemotherapies

The DNA alkylating prodrug cyclophosphamide (CPA), alone or in combination with other agents, is one of the most commonly used anti-cancer agents. As a prodrug, CPA is activated by cytochrome P450 2B6 (CYP2B6), which is transcriptionally regulated by the human constitutive androstane receptor (hCAR). Therefore, hCAR agonists represent novel sensitizers for CPA-based therapies. Among known hCAR agonists, compound 6-(4-chlorophenyl)imidazo-[2,1-b]thiazole-5-carbaldehyde-O-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)oxime (CITCO) is the most potent and broadly utilized in biological studies. Through structural modification of CITCO, we have developed a novel compound DL5016 (32), which has an EC₅₀ value of 0.66 μM and E_MAX value of 4.9 when activating hCAR. DL5016 robustly induced the expression of hCAR target gene CYP2B6, at both the mRNA and protein levels, and caused translocation of hCAR from the cytoplasm to the nucleus in human primary hepatocytes. The effects of DL5016 were highlighted by dramatically enhancing the efficacy of CPA-based cytotoxicity to non-Hodgkin lymphoma cells.

Design, Synthesis and Evaluation of 2,5-Diketopiperazines as Inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 Interaction

The transcription factor p53 is the main tumour suppressor in cells and many cancer types have p53 mutations resulting in a loss of its function. In tumours that retain wild-type p53 function, p53 activity is down-regulated by MDM2 (human murine double minute 2) via a direct protein-protein interaction. We have designed and synthesised two series of 2,5-diketopiperazines as inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 interaction. The first set was designed to directly mimic the α-helical region of the p53 peptide, containing key residues in the i, i+4 and i+7 positions of a natural α-helix. Conformational analysis indicated that 1,3,6-trisubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines were able to place substituents in the same spatial orientation as an α-helix template. The key step of the synthesis involved the cyclisation of substituted dipeptides. The other set of tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines were designed based on structure-based docking studies and the Ugi multicomponent reaction was used for the synthesis. This latter set comprised the most potent inhibitors which displayed micromolar IC50-values in a biochemical fluorescence polarisation assay.

Total synthesis and stereochemical reassignment of bisebromoamide

A revised configurational assignment for the thiazoline moiety of the marine peptide bisebromoamide is proposed and validated by total synthesis.

Interference of the noradrenergic neurotoxin DSP4 with neuronal and nonneuronal monoamine transporters

The haloalkylamine DSP4 (N[-2-chloroethyl]-N-ethyl-2-bromobenzylamine) is a noradrenergic neurotoxin, which is used for the chemical denervation of noradrenergic neurons, and it has been proposed to be a selective substrate for the neuronal, Na(+)- and Cl(-)-dependent noradrenaline transporter (NAT). In the present study, we investigated whether DSP4 not only interacts with the human NAT (hNAT) but also with other neuronal monoamine transporters such as the transporters for dopamine (hDAT) and serotonin (hSERT) or with nonneuronal (Na(+)-independent) monoamine transporters also known as organic cation transporters (OCTs), such as hOCT(1), hOCT(2), and hOCT(3). Using human embryonic kidney HEK293 cells heterologously expressing the corresponding transporter, we show that DSP4 irreversibly inhibits the hNAT, hDAT, hSERT, and hOCT(3). However, this inhibition includes a reversible component at the hDAT, hSERT, and hOCT(3) but not at the hNAT. The inhibitory potency of DSP4 at the neuronal transporters was highest at the hNAT (IC(50) about 5 microM), and it was about five and 40 times lower at the hSERT and hDAT, respectively. DSP4 inhibited all three hOCTs with high potency (IC(50) about 1 microM) but in a completely reversible manner at hOCT(1) and hOCT(2). Cytotoxicity by 24-h exposure of hNAT- or hOCT-expressing cells to low DSP4 concentrations (<10 microM) could be observed only in hNAT-expressing cells. Thus, DSP4's high-affinity uptake through the NAT together with its completely irreversible mode of interaction with the NAT may contribute to its selectivity as noradrenergic neurotoxin.

Assessment of a mechanism for reactive inhibition of carboxypeptidase A with QM/MM methods

The mechanism for inhibition of carboxypeptidase A (CPA) by the two enantiomers of a reactive inhibitor, N-(2-chloroethyl)-N-methylphenylalanine, has been investigated using computational methods. Quantum mechanical and molecular mechanical (QM/MM) methods have been employed to find likely enzyme binding conformations by comparison with the observed rates of inactivation of the enzyme. The study has shown that the enzyme active site appears to be flexible enough to allow the nucleophilic deactivation reactions of both the (R) and (S) forms of a model of the inhibitor to be catalysed by the Zn(II) cofactor of CPA.

Omega-halonitriles: domino cyclizations to oxa- and carbocyclic nitriles

t-BuOK-induced deprotonation of omega-haloalkylnitriles generates remarkably stable potassiated nitriles. In situ deprotonation and alkylation of omega-chloroalkylnitriles with aldehyde electrophiles trigger sequential nucleophilic-electrophilic alkylations generating substituted tetrahydrofuranyl and tetrahydropyranyl nitriles. Redirecting the cyclization manifold with 5-iodopentanenitrile and a ketone causes a complementary electrophilic-nucleophilic cyclization to the corresponding carbonitrile. Collectively these cyclizations provide rapid assembly of five- and six-membered oxa- and carbocyclic nitriles demonstrating the utility of omega-halonitriles in domino alkylations.