6'-ß-Fluoro-Homoaristeromycin and 6'-Fluoro-Homoneplanocin A Are Potent Inhibitors of Chikungunya Virus Replication through Their Direct Effect on Viral Nonstructural Protein 1.

Alphaviruses are arthropod-borne, positive-stranded RNA viruses capable of causing severe disease with high morbidity. Chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is an alphavirus that causes a febrile illness which can progress into chronic arthralgia. The current lack of vaccines and specific treatment for CHIKV infection underscores the need to develop new therapeutic interventions. To discover new antiviral agents, we performed a compound screen in cell culture-based infection models and identified two carbocyclic adenosine analogues, 6'-ß-fluoro-homoaristeromycin (FHA) and 6'-fluoro-homoneplanocin A (FHNA), that displayed potent activity against CHIKV and Semliki Forest virus (SFV) with 50% effective concentrations in the nanomolar range at nontoxic concentrations. The compounds, designed as inhibitors of the host enzyme S-adenosylhomocysteine (SAH) hydrolase, impeded postentry steps in CHIKV and SFV replication. Selection of FHNA-resistant mutants and reverse genetics studies demonstrated that the combination of mutations G230R and K299E in CHIKV nonstructural protein 1 (nsP1) conferred resistance to the compounds. Enzymatic assays with purified wild-type (wt) SFV nsP1 suggested that an oxidized (3'-keto) form, rather than FHNA itself, directly inhibited the MTase activity, while a mutant protein with the K231R and K299E substitutions was insensitive to the compound. Both wt nsP1 and the resistant mutant were equally sensitive to the inhibitory effect of SAH. Our combined data suggest that FHA and FHNA inhibit CHIKV and SFV replication by directly targeting the MTase activity of nsP1, rather than through an indirect effect on host SAH hydrolase. The high potency and selectivity of these novel alphavirus mRNA capping inhibitors warrant further preclinical investigation of these compounds.

Selenium bioisosteric replacement of adenosine derivatives promoting adiponectin secretion increases the binding affinity to peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor δ.

N6-(3-Iodobenzyl)adenosine-5'-N-methyluronamide (1a, IB-MECA) exhibited polypharmacological characteristics targeting A3 adenosine receptor (AR), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) γ, and PPARδ, simultaneously. The bioisosteric replacement of oxygen in 4'-oxoadenosines with selenium significantly increased the PPARδ-binding activity. 2-Chloro-N6-(3-iodobenzyl)-4'-selenoadenosine-5'-N-methyluronamide (3e) and related 4'-selenoadenosine derivatives significantly enhanced adiponectin biosynthesis during adipogenesis in human bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (hBM-MSCs). The PPARδ-binding affinity, but not the A3 AR binding affinity, of 4'-selenoadenosine derivatives correlated with their adiponectin secretion stimulation. Compared with the sugar ring of 4'-oxoadenosine, that of 4'-selenoadenosine was more favorable in forming the South sugar conformation. In the molecular docking simulation, the South sugar conformation of compound 3e formed additional hydrogen bonds inside the PPARδ ligand-binding pocket compared with the North conformation. Therefore, the sugar conformation of 4'-selenoadenosine PPAR modulators affects the ligand binding affinity against PPARδ.

Pectolinarigenin, an aglycone of pectolinarin, has more potent inhibitory activities on melanogenesis than pectolinarin.

Pectolinarin and pectolinarigenin have been reported to be major compounds in Cirsium setidens. In the present study, we demonstrated inhibitory effects of pectolinarin and pectolinarigenin from C. setidens on melanogenesis. Melanin synthesis was decreased in both pectolinarin- and pectolinarigenin-treated melan-a cells and in a reconstructed human skin model. However, pectolinarigenin treatment showed more potent inhibitory activity of melanin synthesis than did pectolinarin treatment. The concentrations of pectolinarin and pectolinarigenin in C. setidens water extracts were determined by HPLC. Unfortunately, the amount of pectolinarigenin of C. setidens water extract was lower than that of pectolinarin. To increase the pectolinarigenin content in C. setidens water extract, several component conversion methods were studied. Consequently, we identified that microwave irradiation under 1% acetic acid was an optimum sugar elimination method.

Stereoselective Synthesis of 4'-Selenonucleosides via the Seleno-Michael Reaction.

5'-Homo-4'-selenonucleosides, a class of next-generation nucleosides, are synthesized from D-ribose via a 4-selenosugar intermediate. The key step in synthesizing this intermediate is a seleno-Michael reaction. 5'-Homo-4'-selenouridine and -adenosine are prepared using Pummerer-type and Vorbrüggen condensation, respectively. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Structure-activity relationships of 2'-modified-4'-selenoarabinofuranosyl-pyrimidines as anticancer agents.

Based on the potent anticancer activity of the D-arabino-configured cytosine nucleoside ara-C, novel 2'-substituted-4'-selenoarabinofuranosyl pyrimidines 3a-3u, comprising azido, fluoro, and hydroxyl substituents at C-2' were designed, synthesized, and evaluated for anticancer activity. The 2'-azido group was stereoselectively introduced by the Mitsunobu reaction using diphenylphosphoryl azide (DPPA), and the 2'-fluoro group was stereoselectively introduced through the double inversions of stereochemistry via the episelenium intermediate, which was formed by the participation of the selenium atom. Among the compounds tested, the 2'-fluoro derivative 3t (X = NH2, Y = H, R = F) was found to be the most potent anticancer agent and showed more potent anticancer activity than the control, ara-C in all tested human cancer cell lines (HCT116, A549, SNU638, T47D, and PC-3) except the leukemia cell lines (K562). The anticancer activity of the 2'-substituted-4'-selenonucleosides is in the following order: 2'-F > 2'-OH > 2'-N3.

Design and synthesis of novel 2',3'-dideoxy-4'-selenonucleosides as potential antiviral agents.

On the basis of potent anti-HIV activity of 2',3'-dideoxynucleosides (ddNs), their bioisosteric analogues, 2',3'-dideoxy-4'-selenonucleosides (4'-seleno-ddNs) were first synthesized from a chiral template, d-glutamic acid using stereoselective ring-closure reaction of the dimesylate with Se(2-) and Pummerer type condensation of the selenoxide with nucleobases as key steps. X-ray crystallographic analysis indicated that 4'-seleno-ddNs adopted the same C2'-endo/C3'-exo (South) conformation as anti-HIV active ddNs, but did not show anti-HIV activity, indicating that RT seems to prefer the C2'-exo/C3'-endo (North) conformation on binding with their triphosphates.

Stereoselective synthesis and conformational study of novel 2',3'-Didehydro-2',3'-dideoxy-4'-selenonucleosides.

Stereoselective synthesis of novel 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxy-4'-selenonucleosides (4'-seleno-d4Ns) 4a- c was accomplished via 4'-selenoribofuranosyl pyrimidines 11a- c, as key intermediates. 4'-Selenoribofuranosyl pyrimidines 11a- c were efficiently synthesized from d-ribose or d-gulonic gamma-lactone using a Pummerer-type condensation as a key step. Introduction of 2',3'-double bond was achieved by treating cyclic 2',3'-thiocarbonate with 1,3-dimethyl-2-phenyl-1,3,2-diazaphospholidine.

Structure-activity relationships of 2-chloro-N6-substituted-4'-thioadenosine-5'-uronamides as highly potent and selective agonists at the human A3 adenosine receptor.

We have established structure-activity relationships of novel 4'-thionucleoside analogues as the A(3) adenosine receptor (AR) agonists. Binding affinity, selectivity toward other AR subtypes, and efficacy in inhibition of adenylate cyclase were studied. From this study, 2-chloro-N(6)-methyl-4'-thioadenosine-5'-methyluronamide (36a) emerged as the most potent and selective agonist at the human A(3) AR. We have also revealed that, similar to 4'-oxoadenosine analogues, at least one hydrogen on the 5'-uronamide moiety was necessary for high-affinity binding at the human A(3) AR, presumably to allow this group to donate a H bond within the binding site. Furthermore, bulky substituents on the 5'-uronamide reduced binding affinity, but in some cases large 5'-uronamide substituents, such as substituted benzyl and 2-phenylethyl groups, maintained moderate affinity with reduced efficacy, leading to A(3) AR partial agonists or antagonists. In several cases for which the corresponding 4'-oxonucleosides have been studied, the 4'-thionucleosides showed higher binding affinity to the A(3) AR.