Glutathione transferase activity with a novel substrate mimics the activation of the prodrug azathioprine.

Azathioprine is a prodrug that is widely used clinically as an immunosuppressive agent. The pharmacological action of azathioprine is associated with the release of 6-mercaptopurine by a reaction involving glutathione. This biotransformation of azathioprine is catalyzed by glutathione transferases (GSTs). The nonenzymatic reaction with glutathione is minimal in comparison with the GST-catalyzed process, but azathioprine is still a slow substrate in comparison with the most effective GST substrates. Novel GSTs with higher catalytic efficiency toward azathioprine could be useful in novel therapeutic applications; therefore, directed evolution of GSTs for enhanced activities is desirable. However, screening for variants having higher catalytic activity with azathioprine is a time-consuming process due to the low activity with this substrate. A new chromogenic and faster substrate, 1-methyl-4-nitro-5-(4-nitrophenylthio)-1H-imidazole (NPTI), has been synthesized and characterized by assays with several GSTs. The novel substrate mimicked azathioprine in the reaction with glutathione catalyzed by alpha class GSTs and, therefore, is a valuable surrogate in the screening of large mutant libraries. NPTI may also find use in the elucidation of the exact mechanism of immunosuppression effected by azathioprine where there is evidence that the imidazole moiety of azathioprine, rather than 6-mercaptopurine, is involved.

New crystal structures of human glutathione transferase A1-1 shed light on glutathione binding and the conformation of the C-terminal helix.

Human glutathione transferase A1-1 is a well studied enzyme, but despite a wealth of structural and biochemical data a number of aspects of its catalytic function are still poorly understood. Here, five new crystal structures of this enzyme are described that provide several insights. Firstly, the structure of a complex of the wild-type human enzyme with glutathione was determined for the first time at 2.0 angstroms resolution. This reveals that glutathione binds in the G site in a very similar fashion as the glutathione portion of substrate analogues in other structures and also that glutathione binding alone is sufficient to stabilize the C-terminal helix of the protein. Secondly, we have studied the complex with a decarboxylated glutathione conjugate that is known to dramatically decrease the activity of the enzyme. The T68E mutant of human glutathione transferase A1-1 recovers some of the activity that is lost with the decarboxylated glutathione, but our structures of this mutant show that none of the earlier explanations of this phenomenon are likely to be correct. Thirdly, and serendipitously, the apo structures also reveal the conformation of the crucial C-terminal region that is disordered in all previous apo structures. The C-terminal region can adopt an ordered helix-like structure even in the apo state, but shows a strong tendency to unwind. Different conformations of the C-terminal regions were observed in the apo states of the two monomers, which suggests that cooperativity could play a role in the activity of the enzyme.

Acidity of di- and triprotected hydrazine derivatives in dimethyl sulfoxide and aspects of their alkylation.

The pK(a) values in DMSO for 22 di- and triprotected hydrazine NH acids and two monosubstituted hydrazines have been determined using potentiometric titration. The results of density functional theory calculations at the B3LYP/6-311+G level of gas-phase acidities of a representative selection of mono-, di-, and trisubstituted hydrazines are compared with both the relevant published and novel experimental titration data. In the course of this work, a rough estimation of the pK(a) value of hydrazine in DMSO (ca. 38.0) has been deduced. For typical triprotected compounds of this kind containing moderately electron-withdrawing carbamate and imidodicarbonate or arenesulfonylcarbamate functions the pK(a) values fall in the range 15.1-17.3, whereas for N,N'-diprotected hydrazines with a carbamate and an aromatic sulfonyl group the corresponding values are 12.7-14.5. Several of these triprotected derivatives have recently been applied preparatively in stepwise synthesis of substituted hydrazines using alkyl halides as electrophiles in the presence of a phase transfer catalyst, and a few of them, with varying success, have been examined in model experiments with benzyl alcohol, triphenylphosphine, and diethyl azodicarboxylate in the Mitsunobu reaction. The dependence of the reactivity on the intrinsic acidity of the hydrazines in this reaction is highlighted. Furthermore, the regioselective alkylation of an N,N'-diprotected hydrazine can be rationalized on the basis of the presented data.

Reagent for synthesis of secondary amines by two consecutive N-alkylations and its application to orthogonally protected spermidine.

A novel reagent, tert-butyl 2-naphthalenesulfonylcarbamate, has been designed to allow the stepwise synthesis of secondary aliphatic amines by two consecutive N-alkylations with intermediate Boc-cleavage and final desulfonylation under mild and experimentally convenient conditions. Its application was demonstrated to make an orthogonally protected spermidine derivative, suitable for further selective modification. Each individual step, including the final cleavage of 2-naphthalenesulfonyl to provide the secondary amine nitrogen, took place in high yield.