Chemical Genetics Reveals a Role of dCTP Pyrophosphatase 1 in Wnt Signaling.

Cell-based screening is a powerful approach to identify novel chemical modulators and biological components of relevant biological processes. The canonical Wnt pathway is essential for normal embryonic development and tissue homeostasis, and its deregulation plays a crucial role in carcinogenesis. Therefore, the identification of new pathway members and regulators is of significant interest. By means of a cell-based assay monitoring Wnt signaling we identified the pyrrolocoumarin Pyrcoumin as inhibitor of canonical Wnt signaling. Target identification and validation revealed that Pyrcoumin is a competitive inhibitor of dCTP pyrophosphatase 1 (dCTPP1). We demonstrate a yet unknown interaction of dCTPP1 with ubiquitin carboxyl-terminal hydrolase (USP7) that is counteracted by dCTPP1 inhibitors. These findings indicate that dCTPP1 plays a role in regulation of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling most likely through a direct interaction with USP7.

Highly enantioselective intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition: a route to piperidino-pyrrolizidines.

Enantioselective catalytic intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions are powerful methods for the synthesis of heterocycles. In contrast, intramolecular enantioselective 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions are virtually unexplored. A highly enantioselective synthesis of natural-product-inspired pyrrolidino-piperidines by means of an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with azomethine ylides is now reported. The method has a wide scope and yields the desired cycloadducts with four tertiary stereogenic centers with up to 99% ee. Combining the enantioselective catalytic intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition with a subsequent diastereoselective intermolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition yielded complex piperidino-pyrrolizidines with very high stereoselectivity in a one-pot tandem reaction.

Methyl glycosides are identified as glycosyl donors for the synthesis of glycosides, disaccharides and oligosaccharides.

Stable methyl glycosides are identified as glycosyl donors in the presence of AuBr(3) in acetonitrile; a panel of aglycones comprising aliphatic, alicyclic, steroidal and sugar alcohols are examined successfully for the glycosylation reaction and methyl glycosides of di- and tri- saccharides are converted to corresponding tri- and tetra-saccharides exploiting salient features of our novel activation protocol.

Orthogonal activation of propargyl and n-pentenyl glycosides and 1,2-orthoesters.

An orthogonal activation strategy with propargyl and n-pentenyl glycosides has been identified. According to this methodology, n-pentenyl glycosides can be selectively activated with NIS/TMSOTf in the presence of either armed or disarmed propargyl O-glycosides. In addition, we report herein that propargyl 1,2-orthoesters can be selectively activated with AuBr(3) in CH(2)Cl(2) at room temperature in the presence of n-pentenyl glycosides. Similarly, pentenyl 1,2-orthoesters can be selectively activated with NIS/Yb(OTf)(3) in the presence of propargyl glycosides.

Propargyl/methyl furanosides as potential glycosyl donors.

Transfuranosylations are not well studied though many similar studies exist for transpyranosylation; herein, we report that propargyl/methyl D-ribf- and D-lyxf- give only 1,2-trans glycosides whereas D-araf- and D-xylf- result in a mixture of 1,2-trans and 1,2-cis glycosides; observed facts are rationalised by computational studies.

Lewis acid-catalyzed stereoselective lactonization and subsequent glycosidation of 2-C-malonyl carbohydrates.

Gold(III) bromide is a suitable catalyst for the stereoselective cyclization of 2-C-malonyl carbohydrates to the anomeric center under retention of one ester group. Reopening of the lactones with alcohols in the presence of TMSOTf affords allyl, propargyl and benzyl glycosides with high α-selectivity.