A novel mitochondria-targeting DHODH inhibitor induces robust ferroptosis and alleviates immune suppression.

Dihydroorotate dehydrogenase (DHODH)-mediated ferroptosis defense is a targetable vulnerability in cancer. Currently, only a few DHODH inhibitors have been utilized in clinical practice. To further enhance DHODH targeting, we introduced the mitochondrial targeting group triphenylphosphine (TPP) to brequinar (BRQ), a robust DHODH inhibitor, resulting in the creation of active molecule B2. This compound exhibits heightened anticancer activity, effectively inhibiting proliferation in various cancer cells, and restraining tumor growth in melanoma xenografts in mice. B2 achieves these effects by targeting DHODH, triggering the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), promoting mitochondrial lipid peroxidation, and inducing ferroptosis in B16F10 and A375 cells. Surprisingly, B2 significantly downregulates PD-L1 and alleviates immune suppression. Importantly, B2 exhibits no apparent adverse effects in mice. Collectively, these findings highlight that enhancing the mitochondrial targeting capability of the DHODH inhibitor is a promising therapeutic approach for melanoma treatment.

Computational Design of Enhanced Enantioselectivity in Chiral Phosphoric Acid-Catalyzed Oxidative Desymmetrization of 1,3-Diol Acetals.

A general method for the highly enantioselective desymmetrization of 2-alkyl-substituted 1,3-diols is presented. A combination of computational and experimental studies has been utilized to understand the origin of the stereocontrol of oxidative desymmetrization of 1,3-diol benzylideneacetals. DFT calculations demonstrate that the acetal protecting group is highly influential for high enantioselectivity, and a simple but effective new protecting group has been designed. The desymmetrization reactions proceed with high enantioselectivity for a variety of substrates. Moreover, the reaction conditions are also shown to be effective for desymmetrization of 2,2-dialkyl-substituted 1,3-diols, which provides chiral products bearing acyclic all-carbon quaternary stereocenters. The method has been applied to the formal synthesis of indoline alkaloids.

Chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed highly enantioselective desymmetrization of 2-substituted and 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-diols via oxidative cleavage of benzylidene acetals.

A highly enantioselective catalytic protocol for the desymmetrization of a wide variety of 2-substituted and 2,2-disubstituted 1,3-diols is reported. This reaction proceeds through the formation of an "ortho ester" intermediate via oxidation of 1,3-diol benzylidene acetal by dimethyldioxirane (DMDO) and the subsequent proton transfer catalyzed by chiral phosphoric acid (CPA). The mechanism and origins of enantioselectivity of this reaction are identified using DFT calculations. The oxidation by DMDO is rate-determining, and the phosphoric acid significantly accelerates the proton transfer; the attractive interactions between the benzylidene part of the substrate and the 2,4,6-triisopropyl group of CPA are the key to high enantioselectivity.

P(III)-Promoted Reductive Coupling of Aromatic and Aliphatic Nitro Compounds with Grignard Reagents.

A phosphine-promoted reductive coupling of nitro compounds with Grignard reagents is described. Polyfunctional and pharmaceutically relevant diarylamines were generated by this reaction in moderate to high yields. Aliphatic nitro compounds that are highly challenging substrates undergo a combination of α-arylation and reductive coupling to afford the α-arylated arylamines efficiently. A series of valuable biaryl compounds with polyfluorinated and heteroaryl rings are co-generated in 56-94% yields.

Dibrominated addition and substitution of alkenes catalyzed by Mn2(CO)10.

A practical method for the dibromination of alkenes without using molecular bromine is consistently appealing in organic synthesis. Herein, we report Mn-catalyzed dibrominated addition and substitution of alkenes only with N-bromosuccinimide, producing a variety of synthetically valuable dibrominated compounds in moderate to high yields.

Organocatalytic enantioselective SN1-type dehydrative nucleophilic substitution: access to bis(indolyl)methanes bearing quaternary carbon stereocenters.

A highly general and straightforward approach to access chiral bis(indolyl)methanes (BIMs) bearing quaternary stereocenters has been realized via enantioconvergent dehydrative nucleophilic substitution. A broad range of 3,3'-, 3,2'- and 3,1'-BIMs were obtained under mild conditions with excellent efficiency and enantioselectivity (80 examples, up to 98% yield and >99 : 1 er). By utilizing racemic 3-indolyl tertiary alcohols as precursors of alkyl electrophiles and indoles as C-H nucleophiles, this organocatalytic strategy avoids pre-activation of substrates and produces water as the only by-product. Mechanistic studies suggest a formal SN1-type pathway enabled by chiral phosphoric acid catalysis. The practicability of the obtained enantioenriched BIMs was further demonstrated by versatile transformation and high antimicrobial activities (3al, MIC: 1 µg mL-1).

Chiral Phosphoric-Acid-Catalyzed Regioselective and Enantioselective C7-Friedel-Crafts Alkylation of 4-Aminoindoles with Trifluoromethyl Ketones.

A highly regioselective and enantioselective C7-Friedel-Crafts alkylation of 4-aminoindoles with trifluoromethyl ketones promoted by a spirocyclic phosphoric acid was developed. This strategy was applicable to various substituted trifluoromethyl ketones and 4-aminoindole derivatives, affording the corresponding C7-functionalized indole derivatives, bearing a pharmaceutically interesting trifluoromethylated tertiary alcohol scaffold, in 21%-98% yields with up to >99% enantiomeric excess (ee).

Catalytically Enantioselective Synthesis of Acyclic α-Tertiary Amines through Desymmetrization of 2-Substituted 2-Nitro-1,3-diols.

Highly enantioselective synthesis of acyclic α-tertiary amines through asymmetric desymmetrization is reported. This approach is based on chiral phosphoric acid mediated, enantioselective, oxidative desymmetrization of 2-substituted 2-nitro-1,3-diolbenzylidine acetals in the presence of DMDO as an oxidant. The method allows for the formation of a wide variety of chiral 2-nitro-1,3-diols in high enantioselectivity, which could be transformed into optically pure, unnatural α-alkyl series. The synthetic utility of this method has been further demonstrated by the expedient construction of the core structure of natural products manzacidins enantioselectively.

B(C6F5)3 catalyzed direct nucleophilic substitution of benzylic alcohols: an effective method of constructing C-O, C-S and C-C bonds from benzylic alcohols.

An efficient and general method of nucleophilic substitution of benzylic alcohols catalyzed by non-metallic Lewis acid B(C6F5)3 was developed. The reaction could be carried out under mild conditions and more than 35 examples of ethers, thioethers and triarylmethanes were constructed in high yields. Some bioactive organic molecules were synthesized directly using the methods.

Regio and Enantioselective Organocatalytic Friedel-Crafts Alkylation of 4-Aminoindoles at the C7-Position.

A chiral phosphoric acid catalyzed highly regio- and enantioselective Friedel-Crafts alkylation at the indole C7-position was developed via the introduction of an alkylamine moiety at the C4-position of the indole ring. The methodology is applicable to a wide range of 4-aminoindoles and ß,γ-unsaturated α-ketimino esters to furnish the corresponding C7-position functionalized chiral indole derivatives in high yields with moderate to excellent enantioselectivities. Furthermore, the α-ketimino ester moiety in the products is a versatile building block and enables many further transformations.