A new strategy for the synthesis of taurine derivatives using the ‘safety-catch’ principle for the protection of sulfonic acids

Self-Immolative Carbamate Linkers for CD19-Budesonide Antibody-Drug Conjugates

Antibody-drug conjugates consist of potent small-molecule payloads linked to a targeting antibody. Payloads must possess a viable functional group by which a linker for conjugation can be attached. Linker-attachment options remain limited for the connection to payloads via hydroxyl groups. A releasing group based on 2-aminopyridine was developed to enable stable attachment of para-aminobenzyl carbamate (PABC) linkers to the C21-hydroxyl group of budesonide, a glucocorticoid receptor agonist. Payload release involves a cascade of two self-immolative events that are initiated by the protease-mediated cleavage of the dipeptide-PABC bond. Budesonide release rates were determined for a series of payload-linker intermediates in buffered solution at pH 7.4 and 5.4, leading to the identification of 2-aminopyridine as the preferred releasing group. Addition of a poly(ethylene glycol) group improved linker hydrophilicity, thereby providing CD19-budesonide ADCs with suitable properties. ADC23 demonstrated targeted delivery of budesonide to CD19-expressing cells and inhibited B-cell activation in mice.

New synthetic strategies for acyclic and cyclic pyrimidinethione nucleosides and their analogues

Pyrimidinethione nucleosides are effective compounds and have significant and pivotal effects in several fields. New synthetic strategies for many pyrimidinethione nucleosides including acyclic and cyclic derivatives have been reported.

Chemical synthesis of the 5-taurinomethyl(-2-thio)uridine modified anticodon arm of the human mitochondrial tRNA(Leu(UUR)) and tRNA(Lys)

5-Taurinomethyluridine (τm(5)U) and 5-taurinomethyl-2-thiouridine (τm(5)s(2)U) are located at the wobble position of human mitochondrial (hmt) tRNA(Leu(UUR)) and tRNA(Lys), respectively. Both hypermodified units restrict decoding of the third codon letter to A and G. Pathogenic mutations in the genes encoding hmt-tRNA(Leu(UUR)) and hmt-tRNA(Lys) are responsible for the loss of the discussed modifications and, as a consequence, for the occurrence of severe mitochondrial dysfunctions (MELAS, MERRF). Synthetic oligoribonucleotides bearing modified nucleosides are a versatile tool for studying mechanisms of genetic message translation and accompanying pathologies at nucleoside resolution. In this paper, we present site-specific chemical incorporation of τm(5)U and τm(5)s(2)U into 17-mers related to the sequence of the anticodon arms hmt-tRNA(Leu(UUR)) and hmt-tRNA(Lys), respectively employing phosphoramidite chemistry on CPG support. Selected protecting groups for the sulfonic acid (4-(tert-butyldiphenylsilanyloxy)-2,2-dimethylbutyl) and the exoamine function (-C(O)CF3) are compatible with the blockage of the canonical monomeric units. The synthesis of τm(5)s(2)U-modified RNA fragment was performed under conditions eliminating the formation of side products of 2-thiocarbonyl group oxidation and/or oxidative desulphurization. The structure of the final oligomers was confirmed by mass spectroscopy and enzymatic cleavage data.

Synthesis of meta and para-substituted aromatic sulfonate derivatives of polydentate phenylazaphosphinate ligands: enhancement of the water solubility of emissive europium(iii) EuroTracker® dyes

The use of a trifluoroethyl ester group to protect sulfonic acid moieties is used in the synthesis of a short series of water-soluble, very bright europium(iii) complexes.

A trifluoroacetic acid-labile sulfonate protecting group and its use in the synthesis of a near-IR fluorophore

Sulfonated molecules exhibit high water solubility, a property that is valuable for many biological applications but often complicates their synthesis and purification. Here we report a sulfonate protecting group that is resistant to nucleophilic attack but readily removed with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). The use of this protecting group improved the synthesis of a sulfonated near-IR fluorophore and the mild deprotection conditions allowed isolation of the product without requiring chromatography.

Designed to dissolve: suppression of colloidal aggregation of Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probes in aqueous buffer and in-gel detection of a metallochaperone

Due to the lipophilicity of the metal-ion receptor, previously reported Cu(I)-selective fluorescent probes form colloidal aggregates, as revealed by dynamic light scattering. To address this problem, we have developed a hydrophilic triarylpyrazoline-based fluorescent probe, CTAP-2, that dissolves directly in water and shows a rapid, reversible, and highly selective 65-fold fluorescence turn-on response to Cu(I) in aqueous solution. CTAP-2 proved to be sufficiently sensitive for direct in-gel detection of Cu(I) bound to the metallochaperone Atox1, demonstrating the potential for cation-selective fluorescent probes to serve as tools in metalloproteomics for identifying proteins with readily accessible metal-binding sites.

Design and application of esterase-labile sulfonate protecting groups

Three esterase-labile, but chemically-stable sulfonate protecting groups have been designed and synthesized. One of these sulfonate esters allowed the cytoplasmic delivery and unmasking of a sulfonated dye in live cells.

Profiling sulfonate ester stability: identification of complementary protecting groups for sulfonates

Sulfonation is prized for its ability to impart water-solubility to hydrophobic molecules such as dyes. This modification is usually performed as a final step, since sulfonated molecules are poorly soluble in most organic solvents, which complicates their synthesis and purification. This work compares the intrinsic lability of different sulfonate esters, identifying new sulfonate protecting groups and mild, selective cleavage conditions.

Trichloroethyl group as a protecting group for sulfonates and its application to the synthesis of a disulfonate analog of the tyrosine sulfated PSGL-1(43-50) peptide

The trichloroethyl (TCE) group is shown to be a viable protecting group for sulfonates. TCE-protected sulfonates were found to be particularly stable to acid, a key characteristic that led to a straightforward enantioselective synthesis of l-FmocPhe(p-CH(2)SO(3)TCE)OH. This was used as a building block for the solid phase synthesis of an octapeptide corresponding to P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 residues 43-50 (PSGL-1(43-50)) in which sulfotyrosine residues 46 and 48 were replaced with (sulfonomethyl)phenylalanine (SmP), an important hydrolytically stable sulfotyrosine mimic.