Synthesis of Rottlerone Analogues and Evaluation of Their α-Glucosidase and DPP-4 Dual Inhibitory and Glucose Consumption-Promoting Activity.

Our previous study found that desmethylxanthohumol (1) inhibited α-glucosidase in vitro. Recently, further investigations revealed that dehydrocyclodesmethylxanthohumol (2) and its dimer analogue rottlerone (3) exhibited more potent α-glucosidase inhibitory activity than 1. The aim of this study was to synthesize a series of rottlerone analogues and evaluate their α-glucosidase and DPP-4 dual inhibitory activity. The results showed that compounds 4d and 5d irreversibly and potently inhibited α-glucosidase (IC50 = 0.22 and 0.12 µM) and moderately inhibited DPP-4 (IC50 = 23.59 and 26.19 µM), respectively. In addition, compounds 4d and 5d significantly promoted glucose consumption, with the activity of 5d at 0.2 µM being comparable to that of metformin at a concentration of 1 mM.

Synthesis of tetracyclic oxindoles and evaluation of their α-glucosidase inhibitory and glucose consumption-promoting activity.

A series of tetracyclic oxindole derivatives was synthesized by asymmetric 1, 3-dipole reaction in 2-4 steps in 57-86% overall yields. These compounds were evaluated for α-glucosidase inhibitory and glucose consumption-promoting activity in vitro. Compound 4l competitively and reversibly inhibited α-glucosidase (IC50 = 3.64 µM) with activity 14-fold higher than that of acarbose. Docking analysis substantiated these findings. In addition, compound 4l exhibited significant glucose consumption promoting activity at 1 µM.

Rhodium-catalyzed iminoiodane-mediated oxyamidation studies of 5-vinyluracil derivatives using aryl and alkyl sulfamates.

The dirhodium tetraacetate-catalyzed iminoiodane-mediated reaction of 1,3-dimethyl-5-vinyluracil with phenyl sulfamate provided a high yield of 5-(1-acetyl-2-phenylsulfamoyl)ethyluracil via regioselective nucleophilic ring opening by acetate anion of the transiently formed 5-(1,2)-N-phenylsulfonylaziridine intermediate. This 1,2-oxyamidation reaction was found to be general for a variety of aryl- and alkylsulfamates as well as for various 1,3-dialkyl-5-vinyluracil derivatives. Addition of an alcohol to the reaction mixture allowed formation of the corresponding 1-alkoxy products. A selection of the substituted uracil derivatives prepared by this procedure was evaluated for cytotoxic activities in HCT-116 and HepG2 cancer cell lines and showed either no or modest activities. Further evaluation for α-glucosidase inhibition revealed that compounds 15ca and 15da were more active than acarbose, the reference inhibitor. This methodology thus allows efficient preparation of highly functionalized uracil derivatives thereby providing a synthetic route to novel compounds with potentially useful biological activities.

Ketenimines Generated from Ynamides: Versatile Building Blocks for Nitrogen-Containing Scaffolds.

Using ynamides as readily available starting materials, a single step can generate highly reactive ketenimines, which can then undergo a variety of transformations. The choice of the method for generating the ketenimine dictates the outcome of the reaction that can, moreover, be precisely steered through minor variations of the starting material. This Concept gives an overview of the different existing methodologies for this objective, showcasing the diverse nitrogen-containing frameworks that can be obtained by this highly versatile strategy.

Iodine(III)-mediated halogenations of acyclic monoterpenoids.

Five different halofunctionalizations of acyclic monoterpenoids were performed using a combination of a hypervalent iodine(III) reagent and a halide salt. In this manner, the dibromination, the bromo(trifluoro)acetoxylation, the bromohydroxylation, the iodo(trifluoro)acetoxylation or the ene-type chlorination of the distal trisubstituted double bond occurred with excellent selectivity and moderate to good yields.

Base-Mediated Generation of Ketenimines from Ynamides: Direct Access to Azetidinimines by an Imino-Staudinger Synthesis.

Ynamides were used as precursors for the in situ generation of highly reactive ketenimines that could be trapped with imines in a [2+2] cycloaddition. This imino-Staudinger synthesis led to a variety of imino-analogs of ß-lactams, namely azetidinimines (20 examples), that could be further functionalized through a broad range of transformations.

Synthesis of 6-hydroxyaurone analogues and evaluation of their α-glucosidase inhibitory and glucose consumption-promoting activity: Development of highly active 5,6-disubstituted derivatives.

A series of 6-hydroxyaurones and their analogues have been synthesized and evaluated for their in vitro α-glucosidase inhibitory and glucose consumption-promoting activity. These compounds exhibited varying degrees of α-glucosidase inhibitory activity, 11 of them showing higher potency than that of the control standard acarbose (IC50=50.30µM). Surprisingly, analogues devoid of a substituent at C-2 but having an aryl group at C-5 were found to be highly active (e.g., 7f, IC50=9.88µM). Docking analysis substantiated these findings. The kinetic analysis of compound 7f, the most potent α-glucosidase inhibitor of this study, revealed that it inhibited α-glucosidase in an irreversible and mixed competitive mode. In addition, compounds 7f and 10c exhibited significant glucose consumption promoting activity at 1µM.

A direct label-free MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry based assay for the characterization of inhibitors of protein lysine methyltransferases.

Histone lysine methylation is associated with essential biological functions like transcription activation or repression, depending on the position and the degree of methylation. This post-translational modification is introduced by protein lysine methyltransferases (KMTs) which catalyze the transfer of one to three methyl groups from the methyl donor S-adenosyl-L-methionine (AdoMet) to the amino group on the side chain of lysines. The regulation of protein lysine methylation plays a primary role not only in the basic functioning of normal cells but also in various pathologies and KMT deregulation is associated with diseases including cancer. These enzymes are therefore attractive targets for the development of new antitumor agents, and there is still a need for direct methodology to screen, identify, and characterize KMT inhibitors. We report here a simple and robust in vitro assay to quantify the enzymatic methylation of KMT by MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry. Following this protocol, we can monitor the methylation events over time on a peptide substrate. We detect in the same spectrum the modified and unmodified substrates, and the ratios of both signals are used to quantify the amount of methylated substrate. We first demonstrated the validity of the assay by determining inhibition parameters of two known inhibitors of the KMT SET7/9 ((R)-PFI-2 and sinefungin). Next, based on structural comparison with these inhibitors, we selected 42 compounds from a chemical library. We applied the MALDI-TOF assay to screen their activity as inhibitors of the KMT SET7/9. This study allowed us to determine inhibition constants as well as kinetic parameters of a series of SET7/9 inhibitors and to initiate a structure activity discussion with this family of compounds. This assay is versatile and can be easily adapted to other KMT substrates and enzymes as well as automatized.

Design and synthesis of calindol derivatives as potent and selective calcium sensing receptor agonists.

We report the first comprehensive structure-activity study of calindol (4, (R)-N-[(1H-indol-2-yl)methyl]-1-(1-naphthyl)ethanamine), a positive allosteric modulator, or calcimimetic, of the calcium sensing receptor (CaSR). While replacement of the naphthyl moiety of calindol by other aromatic groups (phenyl, biphenyl) was largely detrimental to calcimimetic activity, incorporation of substituents on the 4, 5 or 7 position of the indole portion of calindol was found to provide either equipotent derivatives compared to calindol (e.g., 4-phenyl, 4-hydroxy, 5-hydroxycalindol 44, 52, 53) or, in the case of 7-nitrocalindol (51), a 6-fold more active calcimimetic displaying an EC50 of 20nM. Unlike calindol, the more active CaSR calcimimetics were shown not to act as antagonists of the closely related GPRC6A receptor, suggesting a more selective profile for these new analogues.

Iodine(III)-Mediated Diazidation and Azido-oxyamination of Enamides.

In this study we demonstrate that the combination of bis(tert-butylcarbonyloxy)iodobenzene and lithium azide in acetonitrile allows the diazidation of various enamide substrates. The azido-oxyamination of the same substrates can be carried out in the presence of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine N-oxide (TEMPO). Control experiments strongly suggest that this latter process occurs through a shift in nature of the in situ generated electrophilic species from a radical to a cation. Finally, the versatility of the novel compounds synthesized was also assessed by running various selective reactions on them.

Halocyclization of Unsaturated Guanidines Mediated by Koser's Reagent and Lithium Halides.

The synthesis of halogenated cyclic guanidines through iodine(III)-mediated umpolung of halide salts is described. Cyclic guanidines of various sizes can be obtained with generally excellent regioselectivities through either a chloro- or a bromocyclization, using Koser's reagent and the corresponding lithium salt.

Diastereoselective three-component vinylogous Mannich reaction of nitrogen heterocycles, acyl/sulfonyl chlorides, and silyloxyfurans/pyrroles.

A one-step, 3-component vinylogous Mannich reaction of trimethylsilyloxyfuran or N-protected tert-butyldimethylsilyloxypyrrole with a variety of nitrogen-containing heterocycles in the presence of diverse electrophiles is described. The reaction products were generally obtained in high yields and as a single diastereoisomer having the (R*,R*) relative configuration based on crystallographic studies of several derivatives. Several azaheterocycles were successfully used for this reaction, such as isoquinolines, quinoline, phenanthridine, quinazoline, phthalazine, and ß-carboline, and electrophiles included acetyl chloride, methyl chloroformate, methyl chloromalonate, 2-bromobutanoyl chloride, and arylsulfonyl chlorides. The products of the vinylogous Mannich reactions were subjected to further transformations, leading to highly functionalized and stereochemically defined tetracyclic derivatives that are valuable building blocks for the preparation of natural products or medicinal agents.

Bioluminescent properties of obelin and aequorin with novel coelenterazine analogues.

The main analytical use of Ca(2+)-regulated photoproteins from luminous coelenterates is for real-time non-invasive visualization of intracellular calcium concentration ([Ca(2+)]i) dynamics in cells and whole organisms. A limitation of this approach for in vivo deep tissue imaging is the fact that blue light emitted by the photoprotein is highly absorbed by tissue. Seven novel coelenterazine analogues were synthesized and their effects on the bioluminescent properties of recombinant obelin from Obelia longissima and aequorin from Aequorea victoria were evaluated. Only analogues having electron-donating groups (m-OCH3 and m-OH) on the C6 phenol moiety or an extended resonance system at the C8 position (1-naphthyl and α-styryl analogues) showed a significant red shift of light emission. Of these, only the α-styryl analogue displayed a sufficiently high light intensity to allow eventual tissue penetration. The possible suitability of this compound for in vivo assays was corroborated by studies with aequorin which allowed the monitoring of [Ca(2+)]i dynamics in cultured CHO cells and in hippocampal brain slices. Thus, the α-styryl coelenterazine analogue might be potentially useful for non-invasive, in vivo bioluminescence imaging in deep tissues of small animals.

Transition-metal-free tunable chemoselective N functionalization of indoles with ynamides.

Two unprecedented N functionalizations of indoles with ynamides are described. By varying the electron-withdrawing group on the ynamide nitrogen atom, either Z-indolo-etheneamides or indolo-amidines can be selectively obtained under the same metal-free reaction conditions. The scope and synthetic potential of these reactions, as well as some mechanistic insights provided by DFT calculations, are reported.

EGCG-like non-competitive inhibitor of DYRK1A rescues cognitive defect in a down syndrome model.

Overexpression of the chromosome 21 DYRK1A gene induces morphological defects and cognitive impairments in individuals with Down syndrome (DS) and in DS mice models. Aging neurons of specific brain regions of patients with Alzheimer's disease, DS and Pick's disease have increased DYRK1A immunoreactivity suggesting a possible association of DYRK1A with neurofibrillary tangle pathology. Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) displays appreciable inhibition of DYRK1A activity and, contrary to all other published inhibitors, EGCG is a non-competitive inhibitor of DYRK1A. Prenatal exposure to green tea polyphenols containing EGCG protects from brain defects induced by overexpression of DYRK1A. In order to produce more robust and possibly more active analogues of the natural compound EGCG, here we synthetized new EGCG-like molecules with several structural modifications to the EGCG skeleton. We replaced the ester boun of EGCG with a more resistant amide bond. We also replaced the oxygen ring by a methylene group. And finally, we positioned a nitrogen atom within this ring. The selected compound was shown to maintain the non-competitive property of EGCG and to correct biochemical and behavioral defects present in a DS mouse model. In addition it showed high stability and specificity.

Rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular formation of N-sulfamoyl 2,3-aziridino-γ-lactones and their use for the enantiospecific synthesis of α,ß-diamino acid derivatives.

4-Hydroxymethylbutenolide 4 was transformed into its sulfamoyl derivative 5, which upon treatment with iodosobenzene diacetate and magnesium oxide in the presence of a rhodium catalyst afforded the product of intramolecular aziridination 6. Reaction of 6 with primary or secondary amines in DMA led to regioselective opening of the aziridine ring at C2 to give the corresponding bicyclic derivatives 7a-7g in good to excellent yields. Methanolysis of the lactone ring of the N-benzyl-N-methyl derivative 7c followed by protection of the resulting secondary hydroxy group and treatment of the product with Boc anhydride provided the activated cyclic sulfamates 13 and 14. The latter then reacted with a second nucleophile (azide or thiophenol) to give the corresponding difunctionalized α,ß-diamino methyl esters 15-18, 20.

Azetidinimines as a novel series of non-covalent broad-spectrum inhibitors of ß-lactamases with submicromolar activities against carbapenemases KPC-2 (class A), NDM-1 (class B) and OXA-48 (class D).

The occurrence of resistances in Gram negative bacteria is steadily increasing to reach extremely worrying levels and one of the main causes of resistance is the massive spread of very efficient ß-lactamases which render most ß-lactam antibiotics useless. Herein, we report the development of a series of imino-analogues of ß-lactams (namely azetidinimines) as efficient non-covalent inhibitors of ß-lactamases. Despite the structural and mechanistic differences between serine-ß-lactamases KPC-2 and OXA-48 and metallo-ß-lactamase NDM-1, all three enzymes can be inhibited at a submicromolar level by compound 7dfm, which can also repotentiate imipenem against a resistant strain of Escherichia coli expressing NDM-1. We show that 7dfm can efficiently inhibit not only the three main clinically-relevant carbapenemases of Ambler classes A (KPC-2), B (NDM-1) and D (OXA-48) with Ki's below 0.3 µM, but also the cephalosporinase CMY-2 (class C, 86% inhibition at 10 µM). Our results pave the way for the development of a new structurally original family of non-covalent broad-spectrum inhibitors of ß-lactamases.

Design and synthesis of cyclic sulfonamides and sulfamates as new calcium sensing receptor agonists.

The design, synthesis and calcimimetic properties of various cyclic sulfonamides and sulfamates are described. The latter were prepared from the corresponding o-alkenylarenesulfonamides via copper- or rhodium-catalyzed intramolecular aziridination. The size of the cyclic sulfonamide rings as well as the position of the crucial (R)-naphthylethylamine substituent significantly affected calcimimetic activity. The most active compounds were the six- and seven-membered sulfonamides 30a and 31a and sulfamate 34a.

Total synthesis and absolute configuration of the natural amino acid tetrahydrolathyrine.

The natural product tetrahydrolathyrine has been synthesized through an iminoiodane-mediated aziridination of a (2S)-allylglycinol derivative, which provided a 2:3 mixture of diastereoisomers. One of these diastereoisomers was converted to the natural product and the other to its C-4 epimer. The C-4 configuration was established from NOESY NMR analysis and X-ray structure of compounds derived from the non-natural diastereoisomer. Thus, tetrahydrolathyrine was shown to have the (2S,4R) absolute configuration.

Synthesis and GABA(A) receptor activity of 2,19-sulfamoyl analogues of allopregnanolone.

The synthesis of new analogues of allopregnanolone with a bridged sulfamidate ring over the beta-face of ring A has been achieved from easily available precursors, using an intramolecular aziridination strategy. The methodology also allows the synthesis of 3alpha-substituted analogues such as the 3alpha-fluoro derivative. GABA(A) receptor activity of the synthetic analogues was evaluated by assaying their effect on the binding of [(3)H]flunitrazepam and [(3)H]muscimol. The 3alpha-hydroxy-2,19-sulfamoyl analogue and its N-benzyl derivative were more active than allopregnanolone for stimulating binding of [(3)H]flunitrazepam. For the binding of [(3)H]muscimol, both synthetic analogues and allopregnanolone stimulated binding to a similar extent, with the N-benzyl derivative exhibiting a higher EC(50). The 3alpha-fluoro derivative was inactive in both assays.