Digitization and validation of a chemical synthesis literature database in the ChemPU.

Despite huge potential, automation of synthetic chemistry has only made incremental progress over the past few decades. We present an automatically executable chemical reaction database of 100 molecules representative of the range of reactions found in contemporary organic synthesis. These reactions include transition metal-catalyzed coupling reactions, heterocycle formations, functional group interconversions, and multicomponent reactions. The chemical reaction codes or χDLs for the reactions have been stored in a database for version control, validation, collaboration, and data mining. Of these syntheses, more than 50 entries from the database have been downloaded and robotically run in seven modular chemputers with yields and purities comparable to those achieved by an expert chemist. We also demonstrate the automatic purification of a range of compounds using a chromatography module seamlessly coupled to the platform and programmed with the same language.

Identification of Small Molecules Blocking the Pseudomonas aeruginosa type III Secretion System Protein PcrV.

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic bacterial pathogen that employs its type III secretion system (T3SS) during the acute phase of infection to translocate cytotoxins into the host cell cytoplasm to evade the immune system. The PcrV protein is located at the tip of the T3SS, facilitates the integration of pore-forming proteins into the eukaryotic cell membrane, and is required for translocation of cytotoxins into the host cell. In this study, we used surface plasmon resonance screening to identify small molecule binders of PcrV. A follow-up structure-activity relationship analysis resulted in PcrV binders that protect macrophages in a P. aeruginosa cell-based infection assay. Treatment of P. aeruginosa infections is challenging due to acquired, intrinsic, and adaptive resistance in addition to a broad arsenal of virulence systems such as the T3SS. Virulence blocking molecules targeting PcrV constitute valuable starting points for development of next generation antibacterials to treat infections caused by P. aeruginosa.

Antiviral Activity of Benzavir-2 against Emerging Flaviviruses.

Most flaviviruses are arthropod-borne viruses, transmitted by either ticks or mosquitoes, and cause morbidity and mortality worldwide. They are endemic in many countries and have recently emerged in new regions, such as the Zika virus (ZIKV) in South-and Central America, the West Nile virus (WNV) in North America, and the Yellow fever virus (YFV) in Brazil and many African countries, highlighting the need for preparedness. Currently, there are no antiviral drugs available to treat flavivirus infections. We have previously discovered a broad-spectrum antiviral compound, benzavir-2, with potent antiviral activity against both DNA- and RNA-viruses. Our purpose was to investigate the inhibitory activity of benzavir-2 against flaviviruses. We used a ZIKV ZsGreen-expressing vector, two lineages of wild-type ZIKV, and other medically important flaviviruses. Benzavir-2 inhibited ZIKV derived reporter gene expression with an EC50 value of 0.8 ± 0.1 µM. Furthermore, ZIKV plaque formation, progeny virus production, and viral RNA expression were strongly inhibited. In addition, 2.5 µM of benzavir-2 reduced infection in vitro in three to five orders of magnitude for five other flaviviruses: WNV, YFV, the tick-borne encephalitis virus, Japanese encephalitis virus, and dengue virus. In conclusion, benzavir-2 was a potent inhibitor of flavivirus infection, which supported the broad-spectrum antiviral activity of benzavir-2.

Development, Optimization, and Validation of a High Throughput Screening Assay for Identification of Tat and Type II Secretion Inhibitors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Antibiotics are becoming less effective in treatment of infections caused by multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Antimicrobial therapies based on the inhibition of specific virulence-related traits, as opposed to growth inhibitors, constitute an innovative and appealing approach to tackle the threat of P. aeruginosa infections. The twin-arginine translocation (Tat) pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of P. aeruginosa, and constitutes a promising target for the development of anti-pseudomonal drugs. In this study we developed and optimized a whole-cell, one-well assay, based on native phospholipase C activity, to identify compounds active against the Tat system. Statistical robustness, sensitivity and consequently suitability for high-throughput screening (HTS) were confirmed by a dry run/pre-screening test scoring a Z' of 0.82 and a signal-to-noise ratio of 49. Using this assay, we evaluated ca. 40,000 molecules and identified 59 initial hits as possible Tat inhibitors. Since phospholipase C is exported into the periplasm by Tat, and subsequently translocated across the outer membrane by the type II secretion system (T2SS), our assay could also identify T2SS inhibitors. To validate our hits and discriminate between compounds that inhibited either Tat or T2SS, two separate counter assays were developed and optimized. Finally, three Tat inhibitors and one T2SS inhibitor were confirmed by means of dose-response analysis and additional counter and confirming assays. Although none of the identified inhibitors was suitable as a lead compound for drug development, this study validates our assay as a simple, efficient, and HTS compatible method for the identification of Tat and T2SS inhibitors.

Cyclopropylmethyl Protection of Phenols: Total Synthesis of the Resveratrol Dimers Anigopreissin†A and Resveratrol-Piceatannol Hybrid.

We demonstrate the versatile use of the cyclopropylmethyl group to protect phenols through the total synthesis of two benzofuran-based natural products, that is, anigopreissin A and the resveratrol-piceatannol hybrid. This protecting group is a good alternative to the conventional methyl group, owing to the feasibility of introduction, stability under a variety of conditions, and its relative ease of removal under different acidic conditions.

Synthesis of Indole-, Benzo[ b]thiophene-, and Benzo[ b]selenophene-Based Analogues of the Resveratrol Dimers Viniferifuran and (±)-Dehydroampelopsin B.

A convenient synthetic strategy to obtain viniferifuran and (±)-dehydroampelopsin B analogues based on the heterocyclic cores of indole, benzo[ b]thiophene, and benzo[ b]selenophene is presented. The key transformations utilized in the described syntheses include Sonogashira couplings, Cacchi and alkyne electrophilic cyclizations, Horner-Wadsworth-Emmons (HWE) reaction, chemoselective Suzuki-Miyaura couplings, and acid-promoted intramolecular cyclization to form the seven-membered ring of (±)-dehydroampelopsin B.

Anti-Rift Valley fever virus activity in vitro, pre-clinical pharmacokinetics and oral bioavailability of benzavir-2, a broad-acting antiviral compound.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-borne hemorrhagic fever virus affecting both humans and animals with severe morbidity and mortality and is classified as a potential bioterror agent due to the possible aerosol transmission. At present there is no human vaccine or antiviral therapy available. Thus, there is a great need to develop new antivirals for treatment of RVFV infections. Benzavir-2 was previously identified as potent inhibitor of human adenovirus, herpes simplex virus type 1, and type 2. Here we assess the anti-RVFV activity of benzavir-2 together with four structural analogs and determine pre-clinical pharmacokinetic parameters of benzavir-2. In vitro, benzavir-2 efficiently inhibited RVFV infection, viral RNA production and production of progeny viruses. In vitro, benzavir-2 displayed satisfactory solubility, good permeability and metabolic stability. In mice, benzavir-2 displayed oral bioavailability with adequate maximum serum concentration. Oral administration of benzavir-2 formulated in peanut butter pellets gave high systemic exposure without any observed toxicity in mice. To summarize, our data demonstrated potent anti-RVFV activity of benzavir-2 in vitro together with a promising pre-clinical pharmacokinetic profile. This data support further exploration of the antiviral activity of benzavir-2 in in vivo efficacy models that may lead to further drug development for human use.

Natural product inspired library synthesis - Identification of 2,3-diarylbenzofuran and 2,3-dihydrobenzofuran based inhibitors of Chlamydia trachomatis.

A natural product inspired library was synthesized based on 2,3-diarylbenzofuran and 2,3-diaryl-2,3-dihydrobenzofuran scaffolds. The library of forty-eight compounds was prepared by utilizing Pd-catalyzed one-pot multicomponent reactions and ruthenium-catalyzed intramolecular carbenoid C-H insertions. The compounds were evaluated for antibacterial activity in a panel of test systems including phenotypic, biochemical and image-based screening assays. We identified several potent inhibitors that block intracellular replication of pathogenic Chlamydia trachomatis with IC50 ≤ 3 µM. These new C. trachomatis inhibitors can serve as starting points for the development of specific treatments that reduces the global burden of C. trachomatis infections.

Structure-activity relationships for inhibitors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa exoenzyme S ADP-ribosyltransferase activity.

During infection, the Gram-negative opportunistic pathogen Pseudomonas aeruginosa employs its type III secretion system to translocate the toxin exoenzyme S (ExoS) into the eukaryotic host cell cytoplasm. ExoS is an essential in vivo virulence factor that enables P. aeruginosa to avoid phagocytosis and eventually kill the host cell. ExoS elicits its pathogenicity mainly via ADP-ribosyltransferase (ADPRT) activity. We recently identified a new class of ExoS ADPRT inhibitors with in vitro IC50 of around 20 µM in an enzymatic assay using a recombinant ExoS ADPRT domain. Herein, we report structure-activity relationships of this compound class by comparing a total of 51 compounds based on a thieno [2,3-d]pyrimidin-4(3H)-one and 4-oxo-3,4-dihydroquinazoline scaffolds. Improved inhibitors with in vitro IC50 values of 6 µM were identified. Importantly, we demonstrated that the most potent inhibitors block ADPRT activity of native full-length ExoS secreted by viable P. aeruginosa with an IC50 value of 1.3 µM in an enzymatic assay. This compound class holds promise as starting point for development of novel antibacterial agents.

Identification of Inhibitors of Pseudomonas aeruginosa Exotoxin-S ADP-Ribosyltransferase Activity.

The gram-negative bacterium Pseudomonas aeruginosa is an opportunistic pathogen associated with drug resistance complications and, as such, an important object for drug discovery efforts. One attractive target for development of therapeutics is the ADP-ribosyltransferase Exotoxin-S (ExoS), an early effector of the type III secretion system that is delivered into host cells to affect their transcription pattern and cytoskeletal dynamics. The purpose of this study was to formulate a real-time assay of purified recombinant ExoS activity for high-throughput application. We characterized the turnover kinetics of the fluorescent dinucleotide 1,N(6)-etheno-NAD+ as co-substrate for ExoS. Further, we found that the toxin relied on any of five tested isoforms of human 14-3-3 to modify vH-Ras and the Rho-family GTPases Rac1, -2, and -3 and RhoC. We then used 14-3-3ß-stimulated ExoS modification of vH-Ras to screen a collection of low-molecular-weight compounds selected to target the poly-ADP ribose polymerase family and identified 3-(4-oxo-3,5,6,7-tetrahydro-4H-cyclopenta[4,5]thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidin-2-yl)propanoic acid as an ExoS inhibitor with micromolar potency. Thus, we present an optimized method to screen for inhibitors of ExoS activity that is amenable to high-throughput format and an intermediate affinity inhibitor that can serve both as assay control and as a starting point for further development.

Triazole linker-based trivalent sialic acid inhibitors of adenovirus type 37 infection of human corneal epithelial cells.

Adenovirus type 37 (Ad37) is one of the principal agents responsible for epidemic keratoconjunctivitis (EKC), a severe ocular infection that remains without any available treatment. Recently, a trivalent sialic acid derivative (ME0322, Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2011, 50, 6519) was shown to function as a highly potent inhibitor of Ad37, efficiently preventing the attachment of the virion to the host cells and subsequent infection. Here, new trivalent sialic acid derivatives were designed, synthesized and their inhibitory properties against Ad37 infection of the human corneal epithelial cells were investigated. In comparison to ME0322, the best compound (17a) was found to be over three orders of magnitude more potent in a cell-attachment assay (IC50 = 1.4 nM) and about 140 times more potent in a cell-infection assay (IC50 = 2.9 nM). X-ray crystallographic analysis demonstrated a trivalent binding mode of all compounds to the Ad37 fiber knob. For the most potent compound ophthalmic toxicity in rabbits was investigated and it was concluded that repeated eye administration did not cause any adverse effects.

Prognostic value of troponins in acute nonmassive pulmonary embolism: A meta-analysis.

The objective of our meta-analysis is to update the evidence on the prognostic value of elevated troponin levels in patient with acute normotensive pulmonary embolism (PE). We did a systematic literature review of database, including Pubmed, EMBASE, and Cochrane. Studies were included if those were done on normotensive patients with acute PE and serum troponin assay was done. The primary end point was short term all cause mortality. The secondary end points were short term PE related mortality and serious adverse events. Elevated troponin levels were significantly associated with the increased risk for short term mortality (odds ratio [OR], 4.80; 95% CI, 3.25-7.08, I(2) = 54%), PE related mortality (OR, 3.80; 95% CI, 2.74-5.27, I(2) = 0%) and serious adverse events (OR, 3.65; 95% CI, 2.41-5.53, I(2) = 47%). Our study suggests that elevated levels of troponin identify a subgroup of patients with increased risk for short term mortality and serious adverse events.