Synthesis of new carolacton derivatives and their activity against biofilms of oral bacteria

Carolacton, a secondary metabolite isolated from the extracts ofSorangium cellulosum, causes membrane damage and cell death in biofilms of different oral bacteria.

The first polymer-assisted solution-phase synthesis of deoxyglycosides

[reaction--see text] A glycosylation protocol for the synthesis of 2-deoxyglycosides has been developed which is based on the use of polymer-bound reagents. Glycals are transformed into 2-iodoglycosyl acetates using polymer-bound bis(acetoxy)iodate(I) complex (1). Activation of the anomeric center is achieved by employing polymer-bound silyl triflate (2). In the presence of different glycosyl acceptors, 2-deoxy-2-iodoglycosides are generated in very good yields. Furthermore, it is shown that this method can be embedded in multistep sequences toward glycosylated testosterone and rhodinosyl-olivosyl-olivoside.

(Chemo)enzymatic synthesis of dTDP-activated 2,6-dideoxysugars as building blocks of polyketide antibiotics

The flexible substrate spectrum of the recombinant enzymes from the biosynthetic pathway of dTDP-beta-L-rhamnose in Salmonella enterica, serovar typhimurium (LT2), was exploited for the chemoenzymatic synthesis of deoxythymidine diphosphate- (dTDP-) activated 2,6-dideoxyhexoses. The enzymatic synthesis strategy yielded dTDP-2-deoxy-alpha-D-glucose and dTDP-2,6-dideoxy-4-keto-alpha-D-glucose (13) in a 40-60 mg scale. The nucleotide deoxysugar 13 was further used for the enzymatic synthesis of dTDP-2,6-dideoxy-beta-L-arabino-hexose (dTDP-beta-L-olivose) (15) in a 30-mg scale. The chemical reduction of 13 gave dTDP-2,6-dideoxy-alpha-D-arabino-hexose (dTDP-alpha-D-olivose) (1) as the main isomer after product isolation in a 10-mg scale. With 13 as an important key intermediate, the in vitro characterization of enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of dTDP-activated 2,6-dideoxy-, 2,3,6-trideoxy-D- and L-hexoses can now be addressed. Most importantly, compounds 1 and 15 are donor substrates for the in vitro characterization of glycosyltransferases involved in the biosynthesis of polyketides and other antibiotic/antitumor drugs. Their synthetic access may contribute to the evaluation of the glycosylation potential of bacterial glycosyltransferases to generate hybrid antibiotics.

The "resin-capture-release" hybrid technique: a merger between solid- and solution-phase synthesis

A polymer-assisted organic synthesis that combines the concept of solid-phase synthesis with the idea of polymer-supported scavenging reagents has recently appeared on the chemistry scene. This technique has frequently been termed the "resin-capture-release" methodology and is initiated by the immobilization of a small molecule on a polymeric support. This intermediate is subjected to a second transformation by adding a new reaction partner in solution. This reactant plays two roles: a) the chemical alteration of the polymer-bound intermediate and b) the simultaneous release of this reaction product from the resin back into solution. This new concept is presented and future prospects are discussed.

The NDP-sugar co-substrate concentration and the enzyme expression level influence the substrate specificity of glycosyltransferases: cloning and characterization of deoxysugar biosynthetic genes of the urdamycin biosynthetic gene cluster

BACKGROUND

Streptomyces fradiae is the principal producer of urdamycin A. The antibiotic consists of a polyketide-derived aglycone, which is glycosylated with four sugar components, 2x D-olivose (first and last sugar of a C-glycosidically bound trisaccharide chain at the 9-position), and 2x L-rhodinose (in the middle of the trisaccharide chain and at the 12b-position). Limited information is available about both the biosynthesis of D-olivose and L-rhodinose and the influence of the concentration of both sugars on urdamycin biosynthesis.

RESULTS

To further investigate urdamycin biosynthesis, a 5.4 kb section of the urdamycin biosynthetic gene cluster was sequenced. Five new open reading frames (ORFs) (urdZ3, urdQ, urdR, urdS, urdT) could be identified each one showing significant homology to deoxysugar biosynthetic genes. We inactivated four of these newly allocated ORFs (urdZ3, urdQ, urdR, urdS) as well as urdZ1, a previously found putative deoxysugar biosynthetic gene. Inactivation of urdZ3, urdQ and urdZ1 prevented the mutant strains from producing L-rhodinose resulting in the accumulation of mainly urdamycinone B. Inactivation of urdR led to the formation of the novel urdamycin M, which carries a C-glycosidically attached D-rhodinose at the 9-position. The novel urdamycins N and O were detected after overexpression of urdGT1c in two different chromosomal urdGT1c deletion mutants. The mutants lacking urdS and urdQ accumulated various known diketopiperazines.

CONCLUSIONS

Analysis of deoxysugar biosynthetic genes of the urdamycin biosynthetic gene cluster revealed a widely common biosynthetic pathway leading to D-olivose and L-rhodinose. Several enzymes responsible for specific steps of this pathway could be assigned. The pathway had to be modified compared to earlier suggestions. Two glycosyltransferases normally involved in the C-glycosyltransfer of D-olivose at the 9-position (UrdGT2) and in conversion of 100-2 to urdamycin G (UrdGT1c) show relaxed substrate specificity for their activated deoxysugar co-substrate and their alcohol substrate, respectively. They can transfer activated D-rhodinose (instead of D-olivose) to the 9-position, and attach L-rhodinose to the 4A-position normally occupied by a D-olivose unit, respectively.

Syntheses and biological evaluation of new glyco-modified angucyclin-antibiotics

The synthesis of novel aquayamycin-derived angucycline antibiotics 13a-d has been achieved. Glycosylation of aquayamycin (6) using 2-selenoglycosyl acetate 7 as glycosyl donor proceeded in excellent yield but attempts to reductively remove the selenyl group led to rearrangement or further aromatization of the aglycon. As a consequence of these results, it became possible to prepare urdamycinone B (10) starting from aquayamycin (6). In addition, silyl protected D-olivals 12a,b were attached to the C-glycoside domain of aquayamycin (6) under protic conditions. As expected, the hydroxy and phenol groups of the benz[a]anthracene framework of 6 did not react under the glycosylation conditions employed. Stepwise removal of the silyl protecting group starting with tetrabutyl ammonium fluoride followed by use of the HF/pyridine complex suppressed a possible rearrangement of the aglycon and successfully terminated the sequence. The new angucycline-antibiotics 13a and 13b are some of the most potent xanthine oxidase inhibitors known and show cytotoxic activity with ED50-values in the range of 12.6-2.9x 10(-6) M.

Stable Polymer-Bound Iodine Azide

1,2-Azido-iodination of a wide range of alkenes under very mild conditions can be achieved by using a novel iodate(I) reagent, a stable and storable polymer-bound iodine azide, which is available in two steps (see scheme). Simple work-up and convenient use in automated parallel synthesis are important features of this polymer-bound reagent.

Cloning of an avilamycin biosynthetic gene cluster from Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü57

A 65-kb region of DNA from Streptomyces viridochromogenes Tü57, containing genes encoding proteins involved in the biosynthesis of avilamycins, was isolated. The DNA sequence of a 6.4-kb fragment from this region revealed four open reading frames (ORF1 to ORF4), three of which are fully contained within the sequenced fragment. The deduced amino acid sequence of AviM, encoded by ORF2, shows 37% identity to a 6-methylsalicylic acid synthase from Penicillium patulum. Cultures of S. lividans TK24 and S. coelicolor CH999 containing plasmids with ORF2 on a 5.5-kb PstI fragment were able to produce orsellinic acid, an unreduced version of 6-methylsalicylic acid. The amino acid sequence encoded by ORF3 (AviD) is 62% identical to that of StrD, a dTDP-glucose synthase from S. griseus. The deduced amino acid sequence of AviE, encoded by ORF4, shows 55% identity to a dTDP-glucose dehydratase (StrE) from S. griseus. Gene insertional inactivation experiments of aviE abolished avilamycin production, indicating the involvement of aviE in the biosynthesis of avilamycins.