Site-Selective Incorporation of a Functional Group into Lys175 in the Vicinity of the Active Site of Chymotrypsin by Using Peptidyl α-Aminoalkylphosphonate Diphenyl Ester-Derivatives.

We previously reported that Lys175 in the region of the active site of chymotrypsin (Csin) could be site-selectively modified by using an N-hydroxy succinimide (NHS) ester of the peptidyl derivative containing 1-amino-2-ethylphenylphosphonate diphenyl ester [NHS-Suc-Ala-Ala-PheP(OPh)2]. In this study, the Lys175-selective modification method was expanded to incorporate functional groups into Lys 175 in Csin. Two types of peptidyl phosphonate derivatives with the dansyl group (Dan) as a functional molecule, Dan-ß-Ala-[Asp(NHS) or Glu(NHS)]-Ala-Ala-(R)-PheP(OPh)2 (DanD and DanE, respectively), were synthesized, and their action was evaluated when modifying Lys175 in Csin. Ion-exchange chromatography (IEC), fluorescence spectroscopy, and LC-MS/MS were used to analyze the products from the reaction of Csin with DanD or DanE. By IEC and LC-MS/MS, the results showed that DanE reacted with Csin more effectively than DanD to produce the modified Csin (DanMCsin) bearing Dan at Lys175. DanMCsin exhibited an enzymatic activity corresponding to 1/120 of Csin against Suc-Ala-Ala-Phe-pNA. In addition, an effect of Lys175 modification on the access of the proteinaceous Bowman-Birk inhibitor to the active site of DanMCsin was investigated. In conclusion, by using a peptidyl derivative containing 1-amino-2-ethylphenylphosphonate diphenyl ester, we demonstrated that a functional group could be incorporated into Lys175 in Csin.

Versatile Reactivity of Metalloid-Substituted π-Allylpalladium Species.

π-Allylpalladium complexes can not only serve as electrophilic allylating agents for a broad range of nucleophiles, but also nucleophilic allylating agents for electrophiles depending on their electronic environments. In contrast to these typical reactivities of π-allylpalladium complexes, silylated and borylated π-allylpalladium species show unique reactivities that can allow versatile transformations in addition to simple allylation. Herein, four different types of transformations that are in principle achieved via the inherently reactive silylated and borylated π-allylpalladium species as common intermediates are described. An appropriate selection of ligands of the silylated and borylated π-allylpalladium species can allow control over the reaction pathways.

Synthesis of Chloro-Substituted 6H-Dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one Natural Products, Graphislactone G, and Palmariols A and B.

A palladium-mediated intramolecular aryl-aryl coupling reaction was applied to the total synthesis of the bioactive natural products, graphislactone G (1), and palmariols A (2) and B (3), which possess an unusual chloro-subsutituent on the 6H-dibenzo[b,d]pyran-6-one skeleton. Based on the transition state model of the coupling reaction, the mechanistic aspect for the regioselectivity of the aryl-aryl coupling reaction is also discussed.

Preparation of Isodehydrodigallic Acid Using Ullmann Condensation.

Isodehydrodigallic acid, which is an important component of several ellagitannin compounds, was easily synthesized using a classical Ullmann condensation reaction.

Early identification of promiscuous attributes of aldose reductase inhibitors using a DMSO-perturbation assay.

Aldose reductase (AR) inhibitors are used clinically to treat long-term diabetic complications. Previous studies reported a series of AR inhibitory candidates, but unfortunately the mode of inhibition was poorly described due mainly to the lack of readily available methods for evaluating the specificity. The present study examined the AR inhibitory effects of novel synthetic hydantoins and their structural relatives, some of which were obtained from chemically engineered extracts of natural plants, and discovered several novel AR inhibitors with moderate inhibitory activity. The identified inhibitors were then subjected to a two-step mechanistic characterization using a detergent-addition assay and our novel dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO)-perturbation assay. The detergent-addition assay revealed aggregation-based inhibitors, and the subsequent DMSO-perturbation assay identified nonspecific binding inhibitors. Thus, the present study demonstrates the usefulness of the DMSO-perturbation screen for identifying nonspecific binding characteristics of AR inhibitors.

Trialkylborane-Mediated Propargylation of Aldehydes Using γ-Stannylated Propargyl Acetates.

A transition-metal-free three-component process that combines aldehydes, 3-(tributylstannyl)propargyl acetates formed in situ from readily available propargyl acetates, and trialkylboranes provides access to a range of 1,2,4-trisubstituted homopropargylic alcohols. The addition of diisopropylamine plays a crucial role in the selective formation of homopropargylic alcohols. Importantly, this methodology can be extended to a single-flask reaction sequence starting from propargyl acetates.

DMSO-Perturbing Assay for Identifying Promiscuous Enzyme Inhibitors.

In search for enzyme inhibitors, we often encounter "promiscuous" enzyme inhibitors exhibiting nonspecific binding property toward enzyme active site. Therefore, inhibitory candidates should be mechanistically characterized as early as possible in discovery processes. However, there remains a lack of highly reliable and readily available methodology to evaluate specificity of initial hits inhibitors. The present study developed and established a novel DMSO-perturbing assay to identify promiscuous enzyme inhibitors. The assay successfully identified nonspecific binding inhibitors with a broad scope, typically by the attenuation of inhibitory activity by the influence of DMSO-addition. This attenuation would be attributed to the nonspecific binding property of inhibitors toward both productive and nonproductive (nondenatured) states of enzymes in perturbation solution. This working hypothesis was supported by spectroscopic analyses of enzyme conformations and analyses of solvent effects on perturbation. Overall, these results provided a novel concept of the DMSO-perturbing assay.

Trialkylborane-Mediated Multicomponent Reaction for the Diastereoselective Synthesis of Anti-δ,δ-Disubstituted Homoallylic Alcohols.

The trialkylborane/O2-mediated reaction of propargyl acetates having a tributylstannyl group at an alkyne terminus with aldehydes in a THF-H2O solvent system gave anti-δ,δ-disubstituted homoallylic alcohols with good to high diastereoselectivity. Intriguingly, two alkyl groups derived from trialkylborane were embedded into the reaction product. The trialkylborane plays a key role not only as a radical initiator but also as a source of alkyl radicals.

Improved Synthesis of Nigricanin.

An ellagic acid-related natural product, nigricanin (1), was synthesized via the Ullmann coupling reaction of 2-bromo-3,4-dialkoxybenzaldehyde (4) followed by the Cannizzaro reaction for desymmetrization of the symmetric biaryl compound (5). Compared to our previously reported study, the presented synthesis improved the sequence step number.

Controllable Stereoselective Synthesis of (Z)- and (E)-Homoallylic Alcohols Using a Palladium-Catalyzed Three-Component Reaction.

Diastereoselective synthesis of (Z)- and (E)-homoallylic alcohols using a Pd-catalyzed three-component reaction of 3-(pinacolatoboryl)allyl benzoates, aldehydes, and aryl stannanes was developed, which provides an alternative method for the allylboration of aldehydes using α,γ-diaryl-substituted allylboronates. Both sets of reaction conditions enable access to either (Z)- or (E)-homoallylic alcohols with good to high alkene stereocontrol. The present method showed good functional group compatibility and generality. Efficient chirality transfer reactions to afford enantioenriched (Z)- and (E)-homoallylic alcohols were also achieved.

Synthesis of Potent and Selective Inhibitors of Aldo-Keto Reductase 1B10 and Their Efficacy against Proliferation, Metastasis, and Cisplatin Resistance of Lung Cancer Cells.

Aldo-keto reductase 1B10 (AKR1B10) is overexpressed in several extraintestinal cancers, particularly in non-small-cell lung cancer, where AKR1B10 is a potential diagnostic marker and therapeutic target. Selective AKR1B10 inhibitors are required because compounds should not inhibit the highly related aldose reductase that is involved in monosaccharide and prostaglandin metabolism. Currently, 7-hydroxy-2-(4-methoxyphenylimino)-2H-chromene-3-carboxylic acid benzylamide (HMPC) is known to be the most potent competitive inhibitor of AKR1B10, but it is nonselective. In this study, derivatives of HMPC were synthesized by removing the 4-methoxyphenylimino moiety and replacing the benzylamide with phenylpropylamide. Among them, 4c and 4e showed higher AKR1B10 inhibitory potency (IC50 4.2 and 3.5 nM, respectively) and selectivity than HMPC. The treatments with the two compounds significantly suppressed not only migration, proliferation, and metastasis of lung cancer A549 cells but also metastatic and invasive potentials of cisplatin-resistant A549 cells.

A novel serine racemase inhibitor suppresses neuronal over-activation in vivo.

Serine racemase (SRR) is an enzyme that produces d-serine from l-serine. d-Serine acts as an endogenous coagonist of NMDA-type glutamate receptors (NMDARs), which regulate many physiological functions. Over-activation of NMDARs induces excitotoxicity, which is observed in many neurodegenerative disorders and epilepsy states. In our previous works on the generation of SRR gene knockout (Srr-KO) mice and its protective effects against NMDA- and Aß peptide-induced neurodegeneration, we hypothesized that the regulation of NMDARs' over-activation by inhibition of SRR activity is one such therapeutic strategy to combat these disease states. In the previous study, we performed in silico screening to identify four compounds with inhibitory activities against recombinant SRR. Here, we synthesized 21 derivatives of candidate 1, one of four hit compounds, and performed screening by in vitro evaluations. The derivative 13J showed a significantly lower IC50 value in vitro, and suppressed neuronal over-activation in vivo.

Site-selective chemical modification of chymotrypsin using peptidyl derivatives bearing optically active diphenyl 1-amino-2-phenylethylphosphonate: Stereochemical effect of the diphenyl phosphonate moiety.

Diphenyl (α-aminoalkyl)phosphonates act as mechanism-based inhibitors against serine proteases by forming a covalent bond with the hydroxy group of the active center Ser residue. Because the covalent bond was found to be broken and replaced by 2-pyridinaldoxime methiodide (2PAM), we employed a peptidyl derivative bearing diphenyl 1-amino-2-phenylethylphosphonate moiety (Phe(p) (OPh)2 ) to target the active site of chymotrypsin and to selectively anchor to Lys175 in the vicinity of the active site. Previously, it was reported that the configuration of the α-carbon of phosphorus in diphenyl (α-aminoalkyl)phosphonates affects the inactivation reaction of serine proteases, i.e., the (R)-enantiomeric diphenyl phosphonate is comparable to l-amino acids and it effectively reacts with serine proteases, whereas the (S)-enantiomeric form does not. In this study, we evaluated the stereochemical effect of the phosphonate moiety on the selective chemical modification. Epimeric dipeptidyl derivatives, Ala-(R or S)-Phe(p) (OPh)2 , were prepared by separation with RP-HPLC. A tripeptidyl (R)-epimer (Ala-Ala-(R)-Phe(p) (OPh)2 ) exhibited a more potent inactivation ability against chymotrypsin than the (S)-epimer. The enzyme inactivated by the (R)-epimer was more effectively reactivated with 2PAM than the enzyme inactivated by the (S)-epimer. Finally, N-succinimidyl (NHS) active ester derivatives, NHS-Suc-Ala-Ala- (R or S)-Phe(p) (OPh)2 , were prepared, and we evaluated their action when modifying Lys175 in chymotrypsin. We demonstrated that the epimeric NHS derivative that possessed the diphenyl phosphonate moiety with the (R)-configuration effectively modified Lys175 in chymotrypsin, whereas that with the (S)-configuration did not. These results demonstrate the utility of peptidyl derivatives that bear an optically active diphenyl phosphonate moiety as affinity labeling probes in protein bioconjugation. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers (Pept Sci) 106: 521-530, 2016.

Pd-Catalyzed Three-Component Reaction of 3-(Pinacolatoboryl)ally Acetates, Aldehydes, and Organoboranes: A New Entry to Stereoselective Synthesis of (Z)-anti-Homoallylic Alcohols.

The Pd-catalyzed three-component reaction of 3-(pinacolatoboryl)allyl acetates, aldehydes, and organoboranes is described. The reaction is initiated by the formation of an allylic gem-palladium/boryl intermediate, which then undergoes allylation of aldehydes by allylboronates followed by a coupling reaction of in situ generated (Z)-vinylpalladium acetates with organoboranes to provide the (Z)-anti-homoallylic alcohols with high levels of diastereoselectivity and alkene stereocontrol.

Practical and convenient synthesis of 1,6-di- or 1,2,5,6-tetra-arylhexa-1,3,5-trienes by the dimerization of Pd(0)-complexed alkenylcarbenes generated from π-allylpalladium intermediates.

Pd(0)-complexed 3-aryl or 2,3-diaryl propenylcarbenes generated from α-silyl-, α-germyl-, or α-boryl-σ-allylpalladium intermediates undergo self-dimerization to provide 1,6-di- or 1,2,5,6-tetraarylhexa-1,3,5-trienes in good to high yields. This method allows the use of a π-allylpalladium intermediate for a carbenoid precursor. Furthermore, the obtained 1,2,5,6-tetraarylhexa-1,3,5-trienes exhibit aggregation-induced emission enhancement property.

Facile preparation of dehydrodigallic acid and its derivative for the synthesis of ellagitannins.

A facile method for the synthesis of dehydrodigallic acid, which is a fundamental structure of ellagitannins, was developed. A classical Ullmann condition was effective for the formation of the highly hindered biaryl ether structure, and we clarified that the suitable protection of the phenolic hydroxy groups was crucial in this reaction. In this way, the synthesis of dehydrodigallic acid and its derivative was successfully performed. The described method would provide a synthetic utility toward ellagitannins.

Au(I)-Catalyzed cycloisomerizations terminated by sp(3) C-H bond insertion.

The gold(I)-catalyzed cycloisomerization of 1,5-enynes and 1,4-allylallenes to tetracyclododecane and tetracyclotridecane derivatives, respectively, is reported. Complexation of the cationic gold(I) complex to either the alkyne or allene moiety induces an intramolecular addition of the alkene, leading to a gold(I)-stabilized carbenoid intermediate. This intermediate undergoes a formal sp(3) C-H insertion to generate the tetracyclic adduct. A series of deuterium labeling experiments showed that the C-H functionalization step proceeds with an inverse kinetic isotope effect.

Gold-catalyzed intermolecular addition of alcohols toward the allenic bond of 4-vinylidene-2-oxazolidinones.

Gold catalyzed intermolecular addition of alcohols toward the proximal allenic double bond of 4-vinylidene-2-oxazolidinones gives hydroalkoxylation products, which can be easily converted into the corresponding novel spiro dihydrofuran or dihydropyran derivatives in high yield.