Regioselective quinazoline C2 modifications through the azide-tetrazole tautomeric equilibrium.

2-Chloro-4-sulfonylquinazolines undergo functional group swap when treated with an azide nucleophile: 1) the azide replaces the sulfonyl group at the C4 position; 2) the intrinsic azide-tetrazole tautomeric equilibrium directs the nucleofugal sulfinate from the first step to replace chloride at the C2 position. This transformation is effective with quinazolines bearing electron-rich substituents. Therefore, the title transformations are demonstrated on the 6,7-dimethoxyquinazoline core, which is present in pharmaceutically active substances. The methodology application is showcased by transforming the obtained 4-azido-6,7-dimethoxy-2-sulfonylquinazolines into the α1-adrenoceptor blockers terazosin and prazosin by further C2-selective SNAr reaction and azide reduction.

Synthesis of Fluorescent C-C Bonded Triazole-Purine Conjugates.

A design toward C-C bonded 2,6-bis(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-9H-purine and 2-piperidinyl-6-(1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)-9H-purine derivatives was established using the combination of Mitsunobu, Sonogashira, copper (I) catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition, and SNAr reactions. 11 examples of 2,6-bistriazolylpurine and 14 examples of 2-piperidinyl-6-triazolylpurine intermediates were obtained, in 38-86% and 41-89% yields, respectively. Obtained triazole-purine conjugates expressed good fluorescent properties which were studied in the solution and in the thin layer film for the first time. Quantum yields reached up to 49% in DMSO for bistriazolylpurines and up to 81% in DCM and up to 95% in DMSO for monotriazolylpurines. Performed biological studies in mouse embryo fibroblast, human keratinocyte, and transgenic adenocarcinoma of the mouse prostate cell lines showed that most of obtained triazole-purine conjugates are not cytotoxic. The 50% cytotoxic concentration of the tested derivatives was in the range from 59.6 to 1528.7 µM.

SnAr Reactions of 2,4-Diazidopyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine and Azide-Tetrazole Equilibrium Studies of the Obtained 5-Substituted Tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrido[2,3-e]pyrimidines.

A straightforward method for the synthesis of 5-substituted tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrido[2,3-e]pyrimidines from 2,4-diazidopyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine in SnAr reactions with N-, O-, and S- nucleophiles has been developed. The various N- and S-substituted products were obtained with yields from 47% to 98%, but the substitution with O-nucleophiles gave lower yields (20-32%). Furthermore, the fused tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives can be regarded as 2-azidopyrimidines and functionalized in copper(I)-catalyzed azide-alkyne dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) and Staudinger reactions due to the presence of a sufficient concentration of the reactive azide tautomer in solution. In total, seven products were fully characterized by their single crystal X-ray studies, while five of them were representatives of the tetrazolo[1,5-a]pyrido[2,3-e]pyrimidine heterocyclic system. Equilibrium constants and thermodynamic values were determined using variable temperature 1H NMR and are in agreement of favoring the tetrazole tautomeric form (ΔG298 = -3.33 to -7.52 (kJ/mol), ΔH = -19.92 to -48.02 (kJ/mol) and ΔS = -43.74 to -143.27 (J/mol·K)). The key starting material 2,4-diazidopyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine presents a high degree of tautomerization in different solvents.

Nucleophile-nucleofuge duality of azide and arylthiolate groups in the synthesis of quinazoline and tetrazoloquinazoline derivatives.

5-Arylthio-tetrazolo[1,5-c]quinazolines (tautomers of 2-arylthio-4-azido-quinazolines) undergo facile nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions with amines, alcohols and alkylthiols. This, combined with the recently reported arylsulfanyl group dance, provides straightforward access to 4-azido-2-N-, O-, S-substituted quinazolines and/or their tetrazolo tautomers from commercially available 2,4-dichloroquinazoline. The azidoazomethine-tetrazole tautomeric equilibrium and the electron-withdrawing character of the fused tetrazolo system plays a central role in the developed transformations. 5-Amino-substituted tetrazolo[1,5-c]quinazolines undergo media-controlled tautomeric equilibrium, which permits them to demonstrate the reactivity traditionally associated with the azido substituent. Furthermore, a method for 5-O-substitited tetrazolo[1,5-a]quinazolines from 2,4-diazidoquinazoline was developed during the structural elucidation of the substitution products. The developed methodology will facilitate medicinal chemistry investigations into quinazoline derivatives and the discovered fluorescent properties of some of the products (e.g., 4-(4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-2-(4-methylpiperazin-1-yl)quinazoline: λem. = 461 nm, ΦDCM = 0.89) could serve as a starting point for their further applications in analytical and materials science.

Anticancer Potential of Betulonic Acid Derivatives.

Clinical trials have evidenced that several natural compounds, belonging to the phytochemical classes of alkaloids, terpenes, phenols and flavonoids, are effective for the management of various types of cancer. Latest research has proven that natural products and their semisynthetic variants may serve as a starting point for new drug candidates with a diversity of biological and pharmacological activities, designed to improve bioavailability, overcome cellular resistance, and enhance therapeutic efficacy. This review was designed to bring an update regarding the anticancer potential of betulonic acid and its semisynthetic derivatives. Chemical derivative structures of betulonic acid including amide, thiol, and piperidine groups, exert an amplification of the in vitro anticancer potential of betulonic acid. With the need for more mechanistic and in vivo data, some derivatives of betulonic acids may represent promising anticancer agents.

1,2,3-Triazoles as leaving groups: SNAr reactions of 2,6-bistriazolylpurines with O- and C-nucleophiles.

A new approach was designed for the synthesis of C6-substituted 2-triazolylpurine derivatives. A series of substituted products was obtained in SNAr reactions between 2,6-bistriazolylpurine derivatives and O- and C-nucleophiles under mild conditions. The products were isolated in yields up to 87%. The developed C-O and C-C bond forming reactions clearly show the ability of the 1,2,3-triazolyl ring at the C6 position of purine to act as leaving group.

Metal-free glycosylation with glycosyl fluorides in liquid SO2.

Liquid SO2 is a polar solvent that dissolves both covalent and ionic compounds. Sulfur dioxide possesses also Lewis acid properties, including the ability to covalently bind Lewis basic fluoride ions in a relatively stable fluorosulfite anion (FSO2 -). Herein we report the application of liquid SO2 as a promoting solvent for glycosylation with glycosyl fluorides without any external additive. By using various temperature regimes, the method is applied for both armed and disarmed glucose and mannose-derived glycosyl fluorides in moderate to excellent yields. A series of pivaloyl-protected O- and S-mannosides, as well as one example of a C-mannoside, are synthesized to demonstrate the scope of the glycosyl acceptors. The formation of the fluorosulfite species during the glycosylation with glycosyl fluorides in liquid SO2 is proved by 19F NMR spectroscopy. A sulfur dioxide-assisted glycosylation mechanism that proceeds via solvent separated ion pairs is proposed, whereas the observed α,ß-selectivity is substrate-controlled and depends on the thermodynamic equilibrium.

1,2,3-Triazoles as leaving groups in SNAr-Arbuzov reactions: synthesis of C6-phosphonated purine derivatives.

A new method for C-N bond transformations into C-P bonds was developed using 1,2,3-triazoles as leaving groups in SNAr-Arbuzov reactions. A series of C6-phosphonated 2-triazolylpurine derivatives was synthesized for the first time, with the isolated yields reaching up to 82% in the C-P-bond-forming event. The SNAr-Arbuzov reaction of 2,6-bistriazolylpurines follows the general regioselectivity pattern of the C6-position being more reactive towards substitution, which was unambiguously proved by X-ray analysis of diethyl (9-heptyl-2-(4-phenyl-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)-9H-purin-6-yl)phosphonate.

Metal- and Reagent-Free Electrochemical Synthesis of Alkyl Arylsulfonates in a Multi-Component Reaction.

This work presents the first electrochemical preparation of alkyl arylsulfonates by direct anodic oxidation of electron-rich arenes. The reaction mechanism features a multi-component reaction consisting of electron-rich arenes, an alcohol of choice and excess SO2 in an acetonitrile-HFIP reaction mixture. In-situ formed monoalkyl sulfites are considered as key intermediates with bifunctional purpose. Firstly, this species functions as nucleophile and secondly, excellent conductivity is provided. Several primary and secondary alcohols and electron-rich arenes are implemented in this reaction to form the alkyl arylsulfonates in yields up to 73 % with exquisite selectivity. Boron-doped diamond electrodes (BDD) are employed in divided cells, separated by a simple commercially available glass frit.

Sulfonyl Group Dance: A Tool for the Synthesis of 6-Azido-2-sulfonylpurine Derivatives.

9-Substituted 2-chloro-6-sulfonylpurines provide 6-azido-2-sulfonylpurine derivatives with 61-83% yields when treated with sodium azide. Under optimized reaction conditions, the title compounds are obtained in a one-pot process, which involves a sequential treatment of 2,6-dichloropurines with a selected sodium sulfinate and sodium azide. Such a sulfonyl group dance (functional group swap) results from a cascade of SNAr reactions, which are facilitated by azidoazomethine-tetrazole (azide-tetrazole) tautomeric equilibrium. The formation of Meisenheimer-type intermediates as tetrazolopurine tautomers was supported by various spectroscopic methods, including 15N NMR.

Proof of principle of a purine D-A-D' ligand based ratiometric chemical sensor harnessing complexation induced intermolecular PET.

A comprehensive photophysical study of a series of purines, doubly decorated at C2 and C6 positions with identical fragments ranging from electron acceptor to donor groups of different strengths, is presented. The asymmetry of substitutions creates a unique molecular D-A-D' structure possessing two independent electronic charge transfer (CT) systems attributed to each fragment and exhibiting dual-band fluorescence. Moreover, the inherent property of coordination of metal ions by purines was enriched due to a presence of nearby triazoles used as spacers for donor or acceptor fragments. New molecules present a bidentate coordination mode, which makes the assembly of several ligands with one metal cation possible. This property was exploited to create a new concept of a ratiometric chemical fluorescence sensor involving the photoinduced electron transfer between branches of different ligands as a mechanism of fluorescence modulation.

Synthesis and fluorescent properties of N(9)-alkylated 2-amino-6-triazolylpurines and 7-deazapurines.

The synthesis of novel fluorescent N(9)-alkylated 2-amino-6-triazolylpurine and 7-deazapurine derivatives is described. A new C(2)-regioselectivity in the nucleophilic aromatic substitution reactions of 9-alkylated-2,6-diazidopurines and 7-deazapurines with secondary amines has been disclosed. The obtained intermediates, 9-alkylated-2-amino-6-azido-(7-deaza)purines, were transformed into the title compounds by CuAAC reaction. The designed compounds belong to the push-pull systems and possess promising fluorescence properties with quantum yields in the range from 28% to 60% in acetonitrile solution. Due to electron-withdrawing properties of purine and 7-deazapurine heterocycles, which were additionally extended by triazole moieties, the compounds with electron-donating groups showed intramolecular charge transfer character (ICT/TICT) of the excited states which was proved by solvatochromic dynamics and supported by DFT calculations. In the 7-deazapurine series this led to increased fluorescence quantum yield (74%) in THF solution. The compounds exhibit low cytotoxicity and as such are useful for the cell labelling studies in the future.

Synthesis and Applications of Silyl 2-Methylprop-2-ene-1-sulfinates in Preparative Silylation and GC-Derivatization Reactions of Polyols and Carbohydrates.

Trimethylsilyl, triethylsilyl, tert-butyldimethylsilyl, and triisopropylsilyl 2-methylprop-2-ene-1-sulfinates were prepared through (CuOTf)2⋅C6H6-catalyzed sila-ene reactions of the corresponding methallylsilanes with SO2 at 50 °C. Sterically hindered, epimerizable, and base-sensitive alcohols gave the corresponding silyl ethers in high yields and purities at room temperature and under neutral conditions. As the byproducts of the silylation reaction (SO2 +isobutylene) are volatile, the workup was simplified to solvent evaporation. The developed method can be employed for the chemo- and regioselective semiprotection of polyols and glycosides and for the silylation of unstable aldols. The high reactivity of the developed reagents is shown by the synthesis of sterically hindered per-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-α-D-glucopyranose, the X-ray crystallographic analysis of which is the first for a per-O-silylated hexopyranose. The per-O-silylation of polyols, hydroxy carboxylic acids, and carbohydrates with trimethylsilyl 2-methylprop-2-ene-1-sulfinate was coupled with the GC analysis of nonvolatile polyhydroxy compounds both qualitatively and quantitatively.

The isolation and synthesis of neodolastane diterpenoids.

The neodolastane diterpenoids comprise a group of 44 compounds including guanacastepenes, heptemerones, plicatilisins, radianspenes, 2,15-epoxy-5,13-dihydroxyneodolast-3-en-14-one and sphaerostanol. These fungal and marine natural products are characterized by a tricyclic neodolastane skeleton that consists of fused five-, seven- and six-membered rings. Their reported antibiotic activities against antibiotic-resistant bacteria together with strong antifungal and anticancer activities and their novel structures render these compounds interesting synthetic targets. The aim of this account is to summarise the progress in the isolation, characterisation and synthesis of these diterpenoids as well as to review their biogenetic origins and diverse biological activities since their discovery in 2000.

Discovery and structure-activity relationship studies of irreversible benzisothiazolinone-based inhibitors against Staphylococcus aureus sortase A transpeptidase.

Gram-positive bacteria, in general, and staphylococci, in particular, are the widespread cause of nosocomial and community-acquired infections. The rapid evolvement of strains resistant to antibiotics currently in use is a serious challenge. Novel antimicrobial compounds have to be developed to fight these resistant bacteria, and sortase A, a bacterial cell wall enzyme, is a promising target for novel therapies. As a transpeptidase that covalently attaches various virulence factors to the cell surface, this enzyme plays a crucial role in the ability of bacteria to invade the host's tissues and to escape the immune response. In this study we have screened a small molecule library against recombinant Staphylococcus aureus sortase A using an in vitro FRET-based assay. The selected hits were validated by NMR methods in order to exclude false positives and to analyze the reversibility of inhibition. Further structural and functional analysis of the best hit allowed the identification of a novel class of benzisothiazolinone-based compounds as potent and promising sortase inhibitors.

A novel matrix metalloproteinase-2 inhibitor triazolylmethyl aziridine reduces melanoma cell invasion, angiogenesis and targets ERK1/2 phosphorylation.

A novel matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) inhibitor JaZ-30, which belongs to the class of C(2)-monosubstituted aziridine - aryl-1,2,3-triazole conjugates, was developed. MTT and crystal violet assays were used to determine cytotoxicity- IC(50) values of compound JaZ-30 on melanoma cell line B16 4A5. Our study proves the anti-cancer properties of JaZ-30 with a wide spectrum of activities. JaZ-30 was revealed as selective inhibitor of matrix metalloproteinase-2. JaZ-30-mediated decrease of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) secretion results in inhibition of angiogenesis, performed with the human umbilical vein endothelial cell line (HUVEC-2) on Matrigel. A novel inhibitor decreases invasive properties of melanoma cells measured in Matrigel chambers assay. JaZ-30 downregulates phosphorylation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 (ERK1/2) in melanoma cells stimulated by phorbol-12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA). Our findings propose a novel MMP-2 inhibitor JaZ-30 as an attractive potential agent for melanoma treatment.

{(3aR,5S,6R,6aR)-5-[(R)-1,2-Di-hydroxy-eth-yl]-2,2-di-methyl-tetra-hydro-furo[2,3-d][1,3]dioxol-6-yl}methyl methane-sulfonate.

In the title compound, C11H20O8S, the furan-ose ring has a pseudorotation phase angle equal to 31.3° and assumes a (3) T 4 conformation, with deviations of 0.297 (4) and -0.152 (4) Šfor the corresponding C atoms. The dioxolane ring adopts an envelope conformation. One of the O atoms is at the flap and deviates from the least-squares plane formed by the other four ring atoms by 0.405 (2) Å. The dihedral angle between the planar fragments of the rings is 63.53 (8)°. In the crystal, mol-ecules are associated into sheets perpendiculer to the b axis by means of O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds. A few weak C-H⋯O inter-actions are also observed.

2,6-Di-chloro-9-(2',3',5'-tri-O-acetyl-ß-d-ribo-furanos-yl)-9H-purine.

The title synthetic analog of purine nucleosides, C16H16Cl2N4O7, has its acetyl-ated ß-furan-ose ring in a 3'ß-envelope conformation, with the corresponding C atom deviating by 0.602 (5) Šfrom the rest of the ring. The planar part of the furan-ose ring forms a dihedral angle of 65.0 (1)° with the mean plane of the purine bicycle. In the crystal, mol-ecules form a three-dimensional network through multiple C-H⋯O and C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds and C-H⋯π interactions.

Betulin 3,28-di-O-tosyl-ate.

The title compound, C44H62O6S2 {systematic name: (1R,3aS,5aR,5bR,7aR,9S,11aR,11bR,13aR,13bR)-5a,5b,8,8,11a-penta-methyl-1-(prop-1-en-2-yl)-3a-[(tos-yloxy)meth-yl]icosa-hydro-1H-cyclo-penta-[a]chrysen-9-yl 4-methyl-benzene-sulfonate}, was obtained by tosyl-ation of naturally occurring betulin. All the cyclo-hexane rings adopt chair conformations and the cyclo-pentane ring adopts a twisted envelope conformation, with the C atom bearing the tosyl-methyl substituent forming the flap. In the crystal, mol-ecules form a three-dimensional network through multiple weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds.

An Update on Pentacyclic Triterpenoids Ursolic and Oleanolic Acids and Related Derivatives as Anticancer Candidates.

Cancer is a global health problem, with the incidence rate estimated to reach 40% of the population by 2030. Although there are currently several therapeutic methods, none of them guarantee complete healing. Plant-derived natural products show high therapeutic potential in the management of various types of cancer, with some of them already being used in current practice. Among different classes of phytocompounds, pentacyclic triterpenoids have been in the spotlight of research on this topic. Ursolic acid (UA) and its structural isomer, oleanolic acid (OA), represent compounds intensively studied and tested in vitro and in vivo for their anticancer and chemopreventive properties. Since natural compounds can rarely be used in practice as such due to their characteristic physico-chemical properties, to tackle this problem, their derivatization has been attempted, obtaining compounds with improved solubility, absorption, stability, effectiveness, and reduced toxicity. This review presents various UA and OA derivatives that have been synthesized and evaluated in recent studies for their anticancer potential. It can be observed that the most frequent structural transformations were carried out at the C-3, C-28, or both positions simultaneously. It has been demonstrated that conjugation with heterocycles or cinnamic acid, derivatization as hydrazide, or transforming OH groups into esters or amides increases anticancer efficacy.