New lupane bidesmosides exhibiting strong cytotoxic activities in vitro.

Triterpene bidesmosides are considered as highly cytotoxic saponins, usually less toxic against normal cells than monodesmosides, and less haemolytic. Biological activity of the betulin-type bidesmosides, rarely found in Nature, and seldom prepared due to serious synthetic problems, is poorly recognized. We report herein a protocol for the preparation of disubstituted lupane saponins (betulin bidesmosides) by treatment of their benzoates with potassium carbonate in dichloromethane / methanol solution. Cytotoxicity of all compounds was tested in vitro for a series of cancer cell lines, as well as normal human skin BJ fibroblasts. Presence of l-rhamnose moiety is crucial for cytotoxicity of betulin bidesmosides. On the other hand, l-arabinose fragment connected to lupane C-3 carbon atom significantly decreases activity. Presented results clearly show that betulin bidesmosides have significant clinical potential as anticancer agents.

Biomarker-Based Metabolic Labeling for Redirected and Enhanced Immune Response.

Installation of an antibody-recruiting moiety on the surface of disease-relevant cells can lead to the selective destruction of targets by the immune system. Such an approach can be an alternative strategy to traditional chemotherapeutics in cancer therapy and possibly other diseases. Herein we describe the development of a new strategy to selectively label targets with an antibody-recruiting moiety through its covalent and stable installation, complementing existing methods of employing reversible binding. This is achieved through selective delivery of 1,3,4- O-acetyl- N-azidoacetylmannosamine (Ac3ManNAz) to folate receptor-overexpressing cells using an Ac3ManNAz-folate conjugate via a cleavable linker. As such, Ac3ManNAz is converted to cell surface glycan bearing an azido group, which serves as an anchor to introduce l-rhamnose (Rha), a hapten, via a click reaction with aza-dibenzocyclooctyne (DBCO)-Rha. We tested this method in several cell lines including KB, HEK-293, and MCF7 and were able to demonstrate the following: 1) Rha can be selectively installed to the folate receptor overexpressing cell surface and 2) the Rha installed on the target surface can recruit anti-rhamnose (anti-Rha) antibodies, leading to the destruction of target cells via complement-dependent cytotoxicity (CDC) and antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP).

Synthesis and biological evaluation of acylated oligorhamnoside derivatives structurally related to mezzettiaside-6 with cytotoxic activity.

Two partially acylated oligorhamnoside derivatives 1 and 2 structurally related to the natural product mezzettiaside-6 were synthesized via a '2 + 1 + 1' convergent strategy. The bioassay results showed that the introduction of the acetyl groups to the 2-position of the terminal l-rhamnose was helpful to improve in vitro cytotoxicity. Compound 1 showed both extensive in vitro cytotoxicity in tumor cell lines and potential antimultidrug resistance capability. Preliminary mechanistic studies demonstrated that compound 1 could inhibit cell growth by inducing apoptosis, arresting cell cycle progression at the S phase in K562 cells.

Alternative synthesis and antibacterial evaluation of 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-L-rhamnitol.

A convenient synthesis is described of 5-azido-5-deoxy-2,3-O-isopropylidene-L-rhamnofuranose from L-rhamnose in seven steps and 17% overall yield. A key feature of the synthesis is the selective oxidation of the secondary alcohol in 2,3-O-isopropylidene-L-rhamnofuranose in the presence of the hemiacetal to give the corresponding ketone in good yield using the Parikh-Doering reagent. 5-Azido-5-deoxy-2,3-O-isopropylidene-l-rhamnofuranose is then converted by a literature protocol to 1,5-dideoxy-1,5-imino-L-rhamnitol, which was found to have no significant antimicrobial activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, and Escherichia coli.

Stereoselective synthesis of ß-rhamnopyranosides via gold(I)-catalyzed glycosylation with 2-alkynyl-4-nitro-benzoate donors.

Stereoselective ß-rhamnopyranosylation remains a challenge, due to the unfavorable anomeric effect and steric hindrance of the C2-substituent; herein, this challenge is addressed with a gold(I)-catalyzed SN2-like glycosylation protocol employing α-rhamnopyranosyl 2-alkynyl-4-nitro-benzoates as donors.

Synthesis and evaluation of l-rhamnose 1C-phosphonates as nucleotidylyltransferase inhibitors.

We report the synthesis of a series of phosphonates and ketosephosphonates possessing an L-rhamnose scaffold with varying degrees of fluorination. These compounds were evaluated as potential inhibitors of α-D-glucose 1-phosphate thymidylyltransferase (Cps2L), the first enzyme in Streptococcus pneumoniae L-rhamnose biosynthesis, and a novel antibiotic target. Enzyme-substrate and enzyme-inhibitor binding experiments were performed using water-ligand observed binding via gradient spectroscopy (WaterLOGSY) NMR for known sugar nucleotide substrates and selected phosphonate analogues. IC50 values were measured and Ki values were calculated for inhibitors. New insights were gained into the binding promiscuity of enzymes within the prokaryotic L-rhamnose biosynthetic pathway (Cps2L, RmlB-D) and into the mechanism of inhibition for the most potent inhibitor in the series, L-rhamnose 1C-phosphonate.

Synthesis and immunological evaluation of a MUC1 glycopeptide incorporated into l-rhamnose displaying liposomes.

MUC1 variable number tandem repeats (VNTRs) conjugated to tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens (TACAs) have been shown to break self-tolerance in humanized MUC1 transgenic mice. Therefore, we hypothesize that a MUC1 VNTR TACA-conjugate can be successfully formulated into a liposome-based anticancer vaccine. The immunogenicity of the vaccine should be further augmented by incorporating surface-displayed l-rhamnose (Rha) epitopes onto the liposomes to take advantage of a natural antibody-dependent antigen uptake mechanism. To validate our hypothesis, we synthesized a 20-amino-acid MUC1 glycopeptide containing a GalNAc-O-Thr (Tn) TACA by SPPS and conjugated it to a functionalized Toll-like receptor ligand (TLRL). An l-Rha-cholesterol conjugate was prepared using tetra(ethylene glycol) (TEG) as a linker. The liposome-based anticancer vaccine was formulated by the extrusion method using TLRL-MUC1-Tn conjugate, Rha-TEG-cholesterol, and 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) in a total lipid concentration of 30 mM. The stability, homogeneity, and size characterization of the liposomes was evaluated by SEM and DLS measurements. The formulated liposomes demonstrated positive binding with both anti-Rha and mouse anti-human MUC1 antibodies. Groups of female BALB/c mice were immunized and boosted with a rhamnose-Ficoll (Rha-Ficoll) conjugate formulated with alum as adjuvant to generate the appropriate concentration of anti-Rha antibodies in the mice. Anti-Rha antibody titers were >25-fold higher in the groups of mice immunized with the Rha-Ficoll conjugate than the nonimmunized control groups. The mice were then immunized with the TLRL-MUC1-Tn liposomal vaccine formulated either with or without the surface displaying Rha epitopes. Sera collected from the groups of mice initially immunized with Rha-Ficoll and later vaccinated with the Rha-displaying TLRL-MUC1-Tn liposomes showed a >8-fold increase in both anti-MUC1-Tn and anti-Tn antibody titers in comparison to the groups of mice that did not receive Rha-Ficoll. T-cells from BALB/c mice primed with a MUC1-Tn peptide demonstrated increased proliferation to the Rha-liposomal vaccine in the presence of antibodies isolated from Rha-Ficoll immunized mice compared to nonimmune mice, supporting the proposed effect on antigen presentation. The anti-MUC1-Tn antibodies in the vaccinated mice serum recognized MUC1 on human leukemia U266 cells. Because this vaccine uses separate rhamnose and antigenic epitope components, the vaccine can easily be targeted to different antigens or epitopes by changing the peptide without having to change the other components.

Rhamnosylation: diastereoselectivity of conformationally armed donors.

The α/ß-selectivity of super-armed rhamnosyl donors have been investigated in glycosylation reactions. The solvent was found to have a minor influence, whereas temperature was crucial for the diastereoselectivity. At very low temperature, a modest ß-selectivity could be obtained, and increasing temperature gave excellent α-selectivity. The donors were highly reactive, and activation was observed at temperatures as low as -107 °C. Different promoter systems and leaving groups were investigated, and only activation with a heterogeneous catalyst increased the amount of the ß-anomer significantly. By introducing an electron-withdrawing nonparticipating group, benzyl sulfonyl, on 2-O, an increase in ß-product was observed.

The cephalostatins. 21. Synthesis of bis-steroidal pyrazine rhamnosides (1).

The synthesis of bis-steroidal pyrazines derived from 3-oxo-11,21-dihydroxypregna-4,17(20)-diene (4) and glycosylation of a D-ring side chain with α-L-rhamnose have been summarized. Rearrangement of steroidal pyrazine 10 to 14 was found to occur with boron triflouride etherate. Glycosylation of pyrazine 10 using 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-α-L-rhamnose iodide led to 1,2-orthoester-α-L-rhamnose pyrazine 17b. By use of a persilylated α-L-rhamnose iodide as donor, formation of the orthoester was avoided. Bis-steroidal pyrazine 10 and rhamnosides 17b and 21c were found to significantly inhibit cancer cell growth in a murine and human cancer cell line panel. Pyrazine 9 inhibited growth of the nosocomial pathogen Enterococcus faecalis.

Synthesis of the beta-rhamnopyranosides and the 6-deoxy-beta-mannoheptopyranosides.

A review is presented of the development of methods for the synthesis of beta-rhamnopyranosides and the related 6-deoxy-beta-mannoheptopyranosides based on the 4,6-O-alkylidene directed synthesis of mannopyranosides and their 6-thia derivatives followed by selective reduction at the 6-position. Applications to total synthesis of complex bacterial oligosaccharides containing the title moieties are presented.

The spirocyclopropyl moiety as a methyl surrogate in the structure of l-fucosidase and l-rhamnosidase inhibitors.

Nitrogen-in-the-ring analogues of l-fucose and l-rhamnose were prepared, which feature a spirocyclopropyl moiety in place of the methyl group of the natural sugar. The synthetic route involved a titanium-mediated aminocyclopropanation of a glycononitrile as the key step. Four new spirocyclopropyl iminosugar analogues were generated, which displayed some activity towards l-fucosidase and l-rhamnosidase.

Stereocontrolled synthesis of D- and L-beta-rhamnopyranosides with 4-O-6-S-alpha-cyanobenzylidene-protected 6-thiorhamnopyranosyl thioglycosides.

The synthesis of both enantiomers of a 4-O-6-S-alpha-cyanobenzylidene-protected 6-thiorhamnopyranosyl thioglycoside is described starting from D-mannnose and L-arabinose derivatives for the D- and L-series, respectively. This donor is effective in the preparation of the corresponding beta-glycosides using the 1-benzenesulfinyl piperidine/trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride protocol. Following desulfurization and concomitant debenzylation with Raney nickel, the so-formed 6-thio-beta-mannosides are converted in high yield to the beta-rhamnopyranosides.

Synthesis of carbasugar C-1 phosphates via Pd-catalyzed cyclopropanol ring opening.

The stereoselective syntheses of 2,3-dideoxy-4-oxo-5a-carba-alpha- d-rhamnopyanose 1-phosphate, 2,3-dideoxy-5a-carba-alpha- d-rhamnopyranose 1-phosphate, 5a-carba-alpha- d-rhamnopyranose 1-phosphate, 5a-carba-beta- d-digitoxopyranose 1-phosphate, and 5a-carba-alpha- l-rhamnopyranose 1-phosphate have been achieved from d-quinic acid. The routes rely upon a Simmons-Smith cyclopropanation and diastereospecific ring opening of cyclopropanol under Pd/C hydrogenation condition to set up the alpha-methyl ketone. A sequence of diastereoselective reduction, dihydroxylation, and/or Myers' reductive 1,3-rearrangement were used to install the desired stereochemistry.

Stereoselective synthesis of beta-L-rhamnopyranosides.

Stereoselective construction of 1,2-cis-beta-L-rhamnopyranoside was achieved by our effective methodology using naphthylmethyl (NAP) ether-mediated intramolecular aglycon delivery (IAD). The complete stereoselective synthesis of the bacterial extracellular polysaccharide, alpha-L-Rhap-(1-->3)-beta-L-Rhap-(1-->4)Glcp from Sphaerotilus natans, was successfully accomplished, clearly demonstrating that the NAP-IAD methodology is highly versatile.

Synthesis and glycosylation of a series of 6-mono-, di-, and trifluoro S-phenyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-thiorhamnopyranosides. Effect of the fluorine substituents on glycosylation stereoselectivity.

A series of 6-mono-, di-, and trifluoro analogs of S-phenyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-D- or L-thiorhamnopyranoside has been synthesized and used as donors in glycosylation reactions, with activation by the 1-benzenesulfinyl piperidine/triflic anhydride system. The stereochemical outcome of the glycosylation reactions was found to depend on the electron-withdrawing capability of the disarming substituent at the 6-position, i.e., on the number of fluorine atoms present. The results are explained with regard to the increased stability of the glycosyl triflates, shown to be intermediates in the reaction by low-temperature 1H NMR experiments, with increased fluorine content.

Structural basis for the activity of the RSK-specific inhibitor, SL0101.

Inappropriate activity of p90 ribosomal S6 kinase (RSK) has been implicated in various human cancers as well as other pathologies. We previously reported the isolation, characterization, and synthesis of the natural product kaempferol 3-O-(3'',4''-di-O-acetyl-alpha-l-rhamnopyranoside), termed SL0101 [Smith, J. A.; Poteet-Smith, C. E.; Xu, Y.; Errington, T. M.; Hecht, S. M.; Lannigan, D. A. Cancer Res., 2005, 65, 1027-1034: Xu, Y.-M; Smith, J. A.; Lannigan, D. A.; Hecht, S. M. Bioorg. Med. Chem., 2006, 14, 3974-3977: Maloney, D. J.; Hecht, S. M. Org. Lett., 2005, 7, 1097-1099]. SL0101 is a potent and specific inhibitor of RSK; therefore, we performed an analysis of the structural basis for the inhibitory activity of this lead compound. In in vitro kinase assays we found that acylation of the rhamnose moiety and the 4', 5, and 7-hydroxyl groups are responsible for maintaining a high affinity interaction of RSK with SL0101. It is likely that the hydroxyl groups facilitate RSK binding through their ability to form hydrogen bonds. To determine whether the SL0101 derivatives were specific for inhibition of RSK we analyzed their ability to preferentially inhibit the growth of the human breast cancer line, MCF-7, compared to the normal human breast line, MCF-10A. We have previously validated this differential growth assay as a convenient readout for analyzing the specificity of RSK inhibitors [Smith, J. A.; Maloney, D. J.; Clark, D. E.; Xu, Y.-M.; Hecht, S. M.; Lannigan, D. A. Bioorg. Med. Chem., 2006, 14, 6034-6042]. We found that acylation of the rhamnose moiety was essential for maintaining the selectivity for RSK inhibition in intact cells. Further, the efficacy of SL0101 in intact cells is limited by cellular uptake as well as possible hydrolysis of the acetyl groups on the rhamnose moiety by ubiquitous intracellular esterases. These studies should facilitate the development of a RSK inhibitor, based on the SL0101 pharmacophore, as an anti-cancer chemotherapeutic agent.

4,6-O-benzylidene-directed beta-mannopyranosylation and alpha-glucopyranosylation: the 2-deoxy-2-fluoro and 3-deoxy-3-fluoro series of donors and the importance of the O2-C2-C3-O3 interaction.

A series of 4,6-O-benzylidene-protected 2-O-benzyl-3-deoxy-3-fluoro- and 3-O-benzyl-2-deoxy-2-fluorogluco- and mannopyranosyl thioglycosides were synthesized and their coupling reactions with a series of alcohols, on preactivation with 1-benzenesulfinylpiperidine and trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride, investigated. In all cases, the selectivities were lower than those observed with the corresponding simple 4,6-O-benzylidene 2,3-di-O-benzylgluco- and mannopyranosyl thioglycosides. This leads to the conclusion that the high beta-selectivity observed with 4,6-O-benzylidene 2,3-di-O-benzylmannopyranosyl donors under the same conditions is in large part derived from the compression of the O2-C2-C3-O3 torsion angle on going from the intermediate covalent glycosyl triflate to the oxacarbenium ion, as compared to the relaxation of this torsion angle in the gluco series.

4-O-Acetyl-3-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-L-rhamnal: a building block in the stereoselective synthesis of 2-deoxy-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides.

The stereoselective synthesis of 2-deoxy-alpha-L-glycosides by addition of various acceptors to 4-O-acetyl-3-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-L-rhamnal promoted by triphenylphosphine-hydrogen bromide is developed.

Stereocontrolled synthesis of the D- and L-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosides and their 6-deoxy analogues. Synthesis of methyl alpha-l-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1-->3)-D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosyl- (1-->3)-6-deoxy-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-L- rhamno-pyranoside, a tetrasaccharide subunit of the lipopolysaccharide from Plesimonas shigelloides.

The synthesis of d- and l-glycero-alpha-manno-thioheptopyranosides, protected with 4,6-O-alkylidene-type acetals is described. In glycosylations carried out with preactivation with the 1-benzenesulfinylpiperidine/trifluoromethanesulfonic anhydride couple, both the D- and L-glycero series exhibit excellent beta-selectivity with a range of glycosyl acceptors. In contrast, a 4,7-O-alkylidene acetal was found not to afford beta-selectivity. With a 4,6-O-[1-cyano-2-(2-iodophenyl)ethylidene] acetal protected thioglycoside, excellent beta-selectivity was obtained in glycosylation reactions, and subsequent treatment with tributyltin hydride and azoisobutyronitrile brought about clean fragmentation to the 6-deoxy-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosides. This chemistry was applied to the stereocontrolled synthesis of methyl alpha-L-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1-->3)-D-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosyl-(1-->3)-6-deoxy-glycero-beta-D-manno-heptopyranosyl-(1-->4)-alpha-L-rhamno-pyranoside, a component of the lipopolysaccharide from Plesimonas shigelloides.