MTH1 inhibition eradicates cancer by preventing sanitation of the dNTP pool.

Cancers have dysfunctional redox regulation resulting in reactive oxygen species production, damaging both DNA and free dNTPs. The MTH1 protein sanitizes oxidized dNTP pools to prevent incorporation of damaged bases during DNA replication. Although MTH1 is non-essential in normal cells, we show that cancer cells require MTH1 activity to avoid incorporation of oxidized dNTPs, resulting in DNA damage and cell death. We validate MTH1 as an anticancer target in vivo and describe small molecules TH287 and TH588 as first-in-class nudix hydrolase family inhibitors that potently and selectively engage and inhibit the MTH1 protein in cells. Protein co-crystal structures demonstrate that the inhibitors bind in the active site of MTH1. The inhibitors cause incorporation of oxidized dNTPs in cancer cells, leading to DNA damage, cytotoxicity and therapeutic responses in patient-derived mouse xenografts. This study exemplifies the non-oncogene addiction concept for anticancer treatment and validates MTH1 as being cancer phenotypic lethal.

Homologation of boronic esters with lithiated epoxides for the stereocontrolled synthesis of 1,2- and 1,3-diols and 1,2,4-triols.

Lithiated epoxides react stereospecifically with boronic esters to give syn-1,2-diols, a process that can be used iteratively to create triols containing four stereogenic centers.

Asymmetric sulfur ylide reactions with boranes: scope and limitations, mechanism and understanding.

The reactions of aryl-stabilized sulfur ylides with organoboranes has been studied under a variety of conditions. At 5 or -78 degrees C, the reaction with Et3B gave a mixture of the first and second homologation products, but at -100 degrees C, only the first homologation product was obtained even with just 1.1 equiv of Et3B. Under these optimized conditions, the chiral sulfur ylides (derived from camphor sulfonic acid) with different aryl groups were reacted with Et3B to give the corresponding alcohols (95-98% yield, 96-98% ee) and amines (74-77% yield, >98% ee). The origin of the high enantioselectivity is discussed. The use of nonsymmetrical 9-BBN derivatives was also explored. It was found that whereas primary alkyl substituents gave mixtures of products derived from competing migration of the boron substituent and the boracycle, all other groups resulted in either exclusive migration of the boron substituent (Ph, hexenyl, i-Pr) or exclusive migration of the boracycle (hexynyl, cyclopropyl). The factors responsible for the outcome of the reactions involving a hindered (i-Pr) and an unhindered (propynyl) substituent were studied by DFT calculations. This revealed that, in the case of an unhindered substituent, the conformation of the ate complex is the dominant factor whereas, in the case of a hindered substituent, the barriers to interconversion between the conformers of the ate complex and subsequent migration control the outcome of the reaction.

Synthesis and catalytic application of chiral 1,1'-Bi-2-naphthol- and biphenanthrol-based pincer complexes: selective allylation of sulfonimines with allyl stannane and allyl trifluoroborate.

New easily accessible 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol- (BINOL-) and biphenanthrol-based chiral pincer complex catalysts were prepared for selective (up to 85% enantiomeric excess) allylation of sulfonimines. The chiral pincer complexes were prepared by a flexible modular approach allowing an efficient tuning of the selectivity of the catalysts. By employment of the different enantiomeric forms of the catalysts, both enantiomers of the homoallylic amines could be selectively obtained. Both allyl stannanes and allyl trifluoroborates can be employed as allyl sources in the reactions. The biphenanthrol-based complexes gave higher selectivity than the substituted BINOL-based analogues, probably because of the well-shaped chiral pocket generated by employment of the biphenanthrol complexes. The enantioselective allylation of sulfonimines presented in this study has important implications for the mechanism given for the pincer complex-catalyzed allylation reactions, confirming that this process takes place without involvement of palladium(0) species.

Palladium-catalyzed coupling of allylboronic acids with iodobenzenes. Selective formation of the branched allylic product in the absence of directing groups.

Palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions of functionalized allylboronic acids with iodobenzenes were achieved under standard Suzuki-Miyaura coupling conditions. The coupling reactions afforded selectively the branched allylic products in high to excellent yields. In contrast to palladium-catalyzed nucleophilic substitution reactions proceeding via (eta3-allyl)palladium intermediates, this process does not require directing groups in the allyl moiety to achieve substitution at the congested allylic terminus. The regioselectivity of the process was largely unaffected by the substituent effects of the iodobenzenes and the allylic substrates.

Regio- and stereoselective palladium-pincer complex catalyzed allylation of sulfonylimines with trifluoro(allyl)borates and allylstannanes: a combined experimental and theoretical study.

Regio- and stereoselective palladium-pincer complex catalyzed allylation of sulfonylimines has been performed by using substituted trifluoro(allyl)borates and trimethylallylstannanes. The reactions provide the corresponding branched allylic products with excellent regioselectivity. The stereoselectivity of these processes is very high when trifluoro(cinnamyl)borate and trimethyl cinnamyl stannane are employed as allylic precursors; however, the reaction with trifluoro(crotyl)borate results in poor stereoselectivity. The major diastereomer formed in these reactions was the syn isomer, while the (previously reported) reactions with aldehyde electrophiles afforded the anti products, indicating that the mechanism of the stereoselection is dependent on the applied electrophile. Therefore, we have studied the mechanistic aspects of the allylation reactions by experimental studies and DFT modeling. The experimental mechanistic studies have clearly shown that potassium trifluoro(allyl)borate undergoes transmetallation with palladium-pincer complex 1 a affording an eta(1)-allylpalladium-pincer complex (1 e). The mechanism of the transfer of the allyl moiety from palladium to the sulfonylimine substrate was studied by DFT calculations at the B3PW91/LANL2DZ+P level of theory. These calculations have shown that the electrophilic substitution of sulfonylimines proceeds in a one-step process with a relatively low activation energy. The topology of the potential energy surface in the vicinity of the transition-state structure proved to be rather complicated as nine different geometries with similar energies were located as first order saddle points. Our studies have also shown that the high stereoselectivity with cinnamyl metal reagents stems from steric interactions in the TS structure of the allylation reaction. In addition, these studies have revealed that the mechanism of the stereoselection in the allylation of aldehydes and sulfonylimines is fundamentally different.

Employment of palladium pincer-complexes in phenylselenylation of organohalides.

[Reaction: see text]. Palladium pincer-complex-catalyzed selenylation of propargyl-, allyl-, benzyl-, and benzoyl halides could be achieved under mild reaction conditions employing trimethylstannylphenylselenide as selenylating agent. This reaction has a high functional group tolerance as carbmethoxy, tosylamino, nitro, aryl bromide, and unprotected hydroxy groups are tolerated. Mechanistic studies indicate that the catalytic cycle is initiated by formation of a selenium-coordinated palladium pincer-complex, which subsequently reacts with the electrophilic substrate. DFT calculations were performed to explore the mechanism of the transfer of the organoselenium group from palladium to the substrate. These modeling studies revealed some interesting differences between the mechanism of the organoselenium group transfer and (the previously published) organostannane transfer reactions.

Palladium pincer complex catalyzed cross-coupling of vinyl epoxides and aziridines with organoboronic acids.

Palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling of vinyl epoxides and aziridines with organoboronic acids was performed by using 0.5-2.5 mol % pincer-complex catalyst. The reactions proceed under mild conditions affording allyl alcohols and amines with high regioselectivity and in good to excellent yields. Under the applied reaction conditions aromatic chloro-, bromo- and iodo substituents are tolerated. Our results indicate that the mechanism of the pincer complex catalyzed and the corresponding palladium(0) catalyzed process is substantially different. It was concluded that the transformations proceed via transmetalation of the organoboronic acids to the pincer-complex catalyst followed by an S(N)2'-type opening of the vinyl epoxide or aziridine substrate. In this process the palladium atom is kept in oxidation state +2 under the entire catalytic process, and therefore oxidative side reactions can be avoided.

Palladium pincer-complex catalyzed allylation of tosylimines by potassium trifluoro(allyl)borates.

Palladium pincer complex 1 catalyzes the reaction of trifluoro(allyl)borate 2 with a wide range of tosylimines (3) under mild and neutral reaction conditions. This catalytic transformation affords homoallylic amines (4) in good to excellent yield. Mechanistic studies suggest that a transmetalation reaction between complex 1 and the borate salt 2 provides an eta(1)-allylpalladium complex, which subsequently reacts with the imine substrate. [Reaction: see text]

Palladium pincer complex-catalyzed allylic stannylation with hexaalkylditin reagents.

Palladium pincer complex (1)-catalyzed stannylation of allyl chloride, phosphonate, and epoxide substrates (4a-h) could be performed with hexaalkylditin reagents (3) under mild neutral reaction conditions. This catalytic reaction proceeds via palladium(II) intermediates without involvement of allyl-palladium complexes, and therefore the allylstannane product does not interfere with the palladium catalyst. Use of a combined catalytic system (1 + 2) allowed the development of an effective one-pot procedure for allylation of aldehyde and imine electrophiles. [reaction: see text]

Origin of the regio- and stereoselectivity in palladium-catalyzed electrophilic substitution via bis(allyl)palladium complexes.

Palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution of aryl allyl chlorides with aromatic and heteroaromatic aldehydes was performed in the presence of hexamethylditin. This procedure involves palladium-catalyzed formation of transient allylstannanes followed by generation of a bis(allyl)palladium intermediate, which subsequently reacts with the aldehyde electrophile. The catalytic substitution reaction proceeds with high regio- and stereoselectivity. The stereoselectivity is affected by the steric and electronic properties of the allylic substituents. Various functionalities including NO(2), COCH(3), Br, and F groups are tolerated under the applied catalytic conditions. Density functional calculations at the B3PW91/DZ+P level of theory were applied to study the steric and electronic effects controlling the regio- and stereoselectivity of the electrophilic addition. The development of the selectivity was studied by modeling the various bis(allyl)palladium species occurring in the palladium-catalyzed substitution of cinnamyl chloride with benzaldehyde. It was found that the electrophilic attack proceeds via a six-membered cyclic transition state, which has a pronounced chair conformation. The regioselectivity of the reaction is controlled by the location of the phenyl group on the eta(1)-allyl moiety of the complex. The stereoselectivity of the addition process is determined by the relative configuration of the phenyl substituents across the developing carbon-carbon bond. The lowest energy path corresponds to the formation of the branched allylic isomer with the phenyl groups in anti configuration, which is in excellent agreement with the experimental findings.

Palladium-catalyzed coupling of allyl acetates with aldehyde and imine electrophiles in the presence of Bis(pinacolato)diboron.

[reaction: see text] An efficient one-pot procedure was developed for palladium-catalyzed electrophilic substitution of allyl acetates (2a-h) in the presence of bis(pinacolato)diboron (1). These reactions proceed with an excellent regioselectivity and with a remarkably high stereoselectivity. The catalytic transformations take place via palladium-catalyzed formation of allyl boronates, which subsequently react with aldehyde (3) and sulfon-imine (4) electrophiles to afford homoallylic alcohols (5a-h) and amines (6a-d), respectively. A particularly interesting mechanistic feature is that the allylic substitution of the transient allyl boronate with sulfon-imine requires palladium catalysis. This finding indicates that the formation of the homoallylic amine derivatives (6a-d) involves bis-allylpalladium intermediates.

Palladium-catalyzed electrophilic substitution of allyl chlorides and acetates via bis-allylpalladium intermediates.

Palladium-catalyzed electrophilic allylic substitution of functionalized allyl chlorides and allyl acetates can be achieved in the presence of hexamethylditin under mild and neutral reaction conditions. This efficient one-pot procedure involves palladium-catalyzed formation of transient allylstannanes followed by generation of a bis-allylpalladium intermediate, which subsequently reacts with electrophiles. Using this catalytic transformation, various aldehydes and imines can be allylated providing highly functionalized homoallyl alcohols and amines. Furthermore, tandem bis-allylation reactions could be performed by employing tosyl isocyanate and benzylidenemalonitrile as substrates. A particularly interesting mechanistic feature of this reaction is that palladium catalyzes up to three different transformations in each catalytic cycle. Various allylic functionalities, including COOEt, CONH(2), COCH(3), CN, Ph, and CH(3), are tolerated in the catalytic reactions due to the application of neutral and mild reaction conditions. The substitution reaction occurs with very high regioselectivity at the branched allylic terminus. Moreover, in several reactions, a high stereoselectivity was observed indicating that this new catalytic process has a high potential for stereoselective synthesis. The regioselectivity of the reaction can be explained on the basis of DFT calculations. These studies indicate that the allylic substituent prefers the gamma-position of the eta(1)-allyl moiety of the reaction intermediate.

Regioselective palladium-catalyzed electrophilic allylic substitution in the presence of hexamethylditin.

[reaction: see text]. Palladium-catalyzed electrophilic allylic substitution of functionalized allyl chlorides and allyl acetates can be achieved in the presence of hexamethylditin under mild reaction conditions. The substitution reaction occurs with very high regioselectivity at the branched allylic terminus. Regioselective tandem bisallylation reaction could be performed by employing benzylidenemalonitrile as substrate. The reaction mechanism can be explained by involvement of a bisallylpalladium intermediate. A particularly interesting mechanistic feature of this reaction is that palladium catalyzes up to three different transformations in the same catalytic cycle. DFT calculations indicate that the regioselectivity is determined by the location of the allylic substituent in the eta1-allyl moiety of the reaction intermediate.