Efficient Synthesis of 1H-Benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-c][1,3]oxazin-1-one Derivatives Using Ag2CO3/TFA-Catalyzed 6-endo-dig Cyclization: Reaction Scope and Mechanistic Study.

A small library of 1H-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-c][1,3]oxazin-1-one derivatives was prepared in good to excellent yields, involving a Ag2CO3/TFA-catalyzed intramolecular oxacyclization of N-Boc-2-alkynylbenzimidazole substrates. In all experiments, the 6-endo-dig cyclization was exclusively achieved since the possible 5-exo-dig heterocycle was not observed, indicating the high regioselectivity of this process. The scope and limitations of the silver catalyzed 6-endo-dig cyclization of N-Boc-2-alkynylbenzimidazoles as substrates, bearing various substituents, were investigated. While ZnCl2 has shown limits for alkynes with an aromatic substituent, Ag2CO3/TFA demonstrated its effectiveness and compatibility regardless of the nature of the starting alkyne (aliphatic, aromatic or heteroaromatic), providing a practical regioselective access to structurally diverse 1H-benzo[4,5]imidazo[1,2-c][1,3]oxazin-1-ones in good yields. Moreover, the rationalization of oxacyclization selectivity in favor of 6-endo-dig over 5-exo-dig was explained by a complementary computational study.

A Ag2CO3/TFA-catalyzed intramolecular annulation approach to imidazo[1,2-c][1,3]oxazin-5-one derivatives.

A series of 2,7-disubstituted 3-methylimidazo[1,2-c][1,3]oxazin-5-ones were synthesized in good yields via Ag2CO3/TFA-mediated intramolecular annulation of N-Boc-2-alkynyl-4-bromo(alkynyl)-5-methylimidazoles. This methodology was carried out in the presence of a catalytic amount of silver carbonate and trifluoroacetic acid in dichloroethane at 60 °C. In all experiments, only the six-membered ring product was obtained since the possible five-membered compound was not observed, proving the high regioselectivity of this approach. A complementary computational study was performed in order to rationalize the mechanism of 6-endo-dig heterocycle formation. In addition, 2-bromo-3-methyl-7-phenylimidazo[1,2-c][1,3]oxazin-5-one was used as a building block to synthesize a small library of new 2-substituted imidazo[1,2-c][1,3]oxazin-5-one derivatives through the Suzuki, Sonogashira and Heck cross coupling reactions.

A General Strategy to Synthesize ADP-7-Azido-heptose and ADP-Azido-mannoses and Their Heptosyltransferase Binding Properties.

The multistep synthesis of a novel ADP-7-azido-7-deoxy-l-glycero-ß-d-manno-heptopyranoside 2a and several analogues as heptosyltransferase ligands is described. The synthesis of the key intermediate heptoside-1-ß-phosphate 3a involved a ß-stereoselective phosphorylation of lactol 4 employing diallyl chlorophosphate as a phosphorylating reagent. Five deprotected nucleotide sugars were generated by this synthetic sequence and evaluated as heptosyltransferase substrates (KM, kcat).

Efficient microwave-assisted Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction of 3-bromo pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5(4H)-one: towards a new access to 3,5-diarylated 7-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine derivatives.

A convenient and efficient synthetic route to C3-arylated 7-trifluoromethylpyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-one derivatives has been reported starting from 3-bromo-7-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-one through a Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling reaction. The arylation (heteroarylation) strategy can be performed using a wide variety of aryl and heteroaryl boronic acids and requiring a tandem catalyst XPhosPdG2/XPhos to avoid the debromination reaction. These optimized conditions were successfully extended to the synthesis of 7-, 8- and 9-arylated pyrimido[1,2-b]indazol-2-ones from their corresponding brominated starting materials. Furthermore, the second C-5 arylation of C3-arylated pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-ones was achieved under standard Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling conditions, after activating the C-O bond of the lactam function with PyBroP, giving access to a small library of 3,5-diarylated 7-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines in good to excellent yields. The interest of this approach has been highlighted by the synthesis of a known anti-inflammatory agent. Additionally, a preliminary biological evaluation has revealed that a number of derivatives display micromolar IC50 values against monoamine oxidase B, an important target in the field of neurodegenerative disorders.

Efficient Access to 3,5-Disubstituted 7-(Trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines Involving SNAr and Suzuki Cross-Coupling Reactions.

An efficient and original synthesis of various 3,5-disubstituted 7-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidines is reported. A library of compounds diversely substituted in C-3 and C-5 positions was easily prepared from a common starting material, 3-bromo-7-(trifluoromethyl)pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidin-5-one. In C-5 position, a SNAr type reaction was achieved by first activating the C-O bond of the lactam function with PyBroP (Bromotripyrrolidinophosphonium hexafluorophosphate), followed by the addition of amine or thiol giving monosubstituted derivatives, whereas in C-3 position, arylation was performed via Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling using the commercially available aromatic and heteroaromatic boronic acids. Moreover, trifluoromethylated analogues of potent Pim1 kinase inhibitors were designed following our concise synthetic methodology.

Regioselective Synthesis of Difluorinated C-Furanosides Involving a Debenzylative Cycloetherification.

A highly regioselective synthesis of valuable gem-difluorinated C-furanosides from unprotected aldoses via a debenzylative cycloetherification (DBCE) reaction induced by diethylaminosulfur trifluoride is descibed. The scope and limitations of this DBCE reaction are described using a series of commercially available pentoses and hexoses to afford, without selective protection/deprotection sequences, the corresponding gem-difluorinated C-furanosides in moderate to good yields.

Highly ( Z)-Diastereoselective Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated exo-Glycals via Photoredox and Copper Catalysis.

Highly ( Z)-diastereoselective approaches for the synthesis of trifluoromethylated exo-glycals by copper and photoredox catalysis are described. These complementary reactions are applicable to a wide range of methylene exo-glycals generated from the corresponding pyranoses and furanoses and give trifluoromethylated compounds under mild conditions in moderate to good yields. DFT calculations have allowed a rationalization of the observed ( Z)-stereoselectivity.

Efficient and regioselective synthesis of γ-lactone glycosides through a novel debenzylative cyclization reaction.

An efficient and regioselective approach for the construction of synthetically important γ-lactone glycosides is reported from unprotected aldoses through a new debenzylative lactonization (DBL) reaction. The scope and limitations of this DBL reaction are described starting from a series of commercially available hexoses (l-fucose, d-galactose, d-glucose) and pentoses (d-arabinose, d-ribose, d-lyxose, d-xylose) to afford the corresponding γ-lactones in good yields and without concomitant δ-lactone formation.

Synthesis of Unprecedented Sulfonylated Phosphono-exo-Glycals Designed as Inhibitors of the Three Mycobacterial Galactofuranose Processing Enzymes.

This study reports a new methodology to synthesize exo-glycals bearing both a sulfone and a phosphonate. This synthetic strategy provides a way to generate exo-glycals displaying two electron-withdrawing groups and was applied to eight different carbohydrates from the furanose and pyranose series. The Z/E configurations of these tetrasubstituted enol ethers could be ascertained using NMR spectroscopic techniques. Deprotection of an exo-glycal followed by an UMP (uridine monophosphate) coupling generated two new UDP (uridine diphosphate)-galactofuranose analogues. These two Z/E isomers were evaluated as inhibitors of UGM, GlfT1, and GlfT2, the three mycobacterial galactofuranose processing enzymes. Molecule 46-(E) is the first characterized inhibitor of GlfT1 reported to date and was also found to efficiently inhibit UGM in a reversible manner. Interestingly, GlfT2 showed a better affinity for the (Z) isomer. The three enzymes studied in the present work are not only interesting because, mechanistically, they are still the topic of intense investigations, but also because they constitute very important targets for the development of novel antimycobacterial agents.

Mechanistic Insight into Heptosyltransferase Inhibition by using Kdo Multivalent Glycoclusters.

The synthesis of unprecedented multimeric Kdo glycoclusters based on fullerene and calix[4]arene central scaffolds is reported. The compounds were used to study the mechanism and scope of multivalent glycosyltransferase inhibition. Multimeric mannosides based on porphyrin and pillar[5]arenes were also generated in a controlled manner. Twelve glycoclusters and their monomeric ligands were thus assayed against heptosyltransferase WaaC, which is an important bacterial glycosyltransferase that is involved in lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis. It was first found that all the multimers interact solely with the acceptor binding site of the enzyme even when the multimeric ligands mimic the heptose donor. Second, the novel Kdo glycofullerenes displayed very potent inhibition (Ki =0.14 µm for the best inhibitor); an inhibition level rarely observed with glycosyltransferases. Although the observed "multivalent effects" (i.e., the enhancement of affinity of a ligand when presented in a multimeric fashion) were in general modest, a dramatic effect of the central scaffold on the inhibition level was evidenced: the fullerene and the porphyrin scaffolds being by far superior to the calix- and pillar-arenes. We could also show, by dynamic light scattering analysis, that the best inhibitor had the propensity to form aggregates with the heptosyltransferase. This aggregative property may contribute to the global multivalent enzyme inhibition, but probably do not constitute the main origin of inhibition.

Multigram-scale synthesis of l,d-heptoside using a Fleming-Tamao oxidation promoted by mercuric trifluoroacetate.

An efficient multigram-scale synthesis of methyl 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-benzyl-l-glycero-α-d-manno-heptopyranoside from methyl 2,3,4-tri-O-benzyl-α-d-mannopyranoside is reported. It involves a sequence of Swern oxidation, Grignard addition and Fleming-Tamao reactions. The resulting scaffold was used as a precursor to design a small library of clickable l-heptosides. This study shows that the use of mercuric bistrifluoroacetate is required both to accelerate and to cleanly perform the Fleming-Tamao oxidation, without side-reactions.

Debenzylative Cycloetherification: An Overlooked Key Strategy for Complex Tetrahydrofuran Synthesis.

Tetrahydrofuran (THF) is a major structural feature found in many synthetic and natural products displaying a variety of biological properties. This review summarizes the main synthetic approaches that have been developed to construct tetrahydrofuran moieties involving debenzylative cycloetherification reactions (DBCE). Interestingly, this reaction is regio- and stereoselective without the requirement of a selective protection/deprotection strategy. Many applications of this process have been reported, including carbafuranoside synthesis, regioselective deprotection of the benzyl group positioned γ to an alkene, and total synthesis of natural products. The stereochemical outcome and the mechanism of these interesting transformations are also discussed.

Identification of a cytotoxic molecule in heat-modified citrus pectin.

Modified forms of citrus pectin possess anticancer properties. However, their mechanism of action and the structural features involved remain unclear. Here, we showed that citrus pectin modified by heat treatment displayed cytotoxic effects in cancer cells. A fractionation approach was used aiming to identify active molecules. Dialysis and ethanol precipitation followed by HPLC analysis evidenced that most of the activity was related to molecules with molecular weight corresponding to low degree of polymerization oligogalacturonic acid. Heat-treatment of galacturonic acid also generated cytotoxic molecules. Furthermore, heat-modified galacturonic acid and heat-fragmented pectin contained the same molecule that induced cell death when isolated by HPLC separation. Mass spectrometry analyses revealed that 4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one was one cytotoxic molecule present in heat-treated pectin. Finally, we synthesized the enantiopure (4R,5R)-4,5-dihydroxy-2-cyclopenten-1-one and demonstrated that this molecule was cytotoxic and induced a similar pattern of apoptotic-like features than heat-modified pectin.

ß-Stereoselective phosphorylations applied to the synthesis of ADP- and polyprenyl-ß-mannopyranosides.

An efficient and convenient synthetic route to glycosyl 1-ß-phosphates has been developed using diallyl chlorophosphate as a phosphorylating agent with 4-N,N-dimethylaminopyridine under mild conditions. Diallyl-glycosyl 1-ß-phosphate triesters of D-manno, L-glycero-D-manno-hepto-, D-gluco-, D-galacto-, and L-fuco-pyranose as well as lactose have been obtained by this strategy in good yields and excellent ß-selectivities. Furthermore, the diallyl 6-azido-mannosyl 1-ß-phosphate 2 was deprotected under mild conditions and converted into potentially clickable analogues of ß-mannosyl phosphoisoprenoids I and ADP-heptose II.

Selectfluor and NFSI exo-glycal fluorination strategies applied to the enhancement of the binding affinity of galactofuranosyltransferase GlfT2 inhibitors.

Two complementary methods for the synthesis of fluorinated exo-glycals have been developed, for which previously no general reaction had been available. First, a Selectfluor-mediated fluorination was optimized after detailed analysis of all the reaction parameters. A dramatic effect of molecular sieves on the course of the reaction was observed. The reaction was generalized with a set of biologically relevant furanosides and pyranosides. A second direct approach involving carbanionic chemistry and the use of N-fluorobenzenesulfonimide (NFSI) was performed and this method gave better diastereoselectivities. Assignment of the Z/E configuration of all the fluorinated exo-glycals was achieved based on the results of HOESY experiments. Furthermore, fluorinated exo-glycal analogues of UDP-galactofuranose were prepared and assayed against GlfT2, which is a key enzyme involved in the cell-wall biosynthesis of major pathogens. The fluorinated exo-glycals proved to be potent inhibitors as compared with a series of C-glycosidic analogues of UDP-Galf, thus demonstrating the double beneficial effect of the exocyclic enol ether functionality and the fluorine atom.

Synthesis and optimization of an original V-shaped collection of 4-7-disubstituted pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines as CDK5 and DYRK1A inhibitors.

We here report the synthesis and biological evaluation of an original collection of 4,7-disubstituted pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines designed as potential kinase inhibitors. The collection was generated from a single starting material, 4,7-dichloropyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine, which afforded the final compounds after two steps: a sequential or one-pot sequence including selective cross coupling reactions in C-4, followed by the second cross-coupling in C-7. In position C-4, a Suzuki-Miyaura type reaction led to monosubstituted derivatives whereas in position C-7, synthesis was achieved via a Suzuki or a Buchwald type reaction using commercially available or undescribed boron derivatives. The biological activity of the V-shaped family was measured in protein kinase assays. The structure activity relationship (SAR) revealed that some compounds selectively inhibited DYRK1A and CDK5 without affecting GSK3. Docking studies furnished possible explanations that correlate with the SAR data. The most active compound on the two biological targets was 27 which exhibited the following IC50: 110 nM for CDK5, 24 nM for DYRK1A and only 1.2 µM for GSK3. In the C-7 amino subfamily, the best derivative was indubitably compound 48 which led to a near selective action on DYRK1A and a remarkable IC50 of 60 nM.

Synthesis of a novel UDP-carbasugar as UDP-galactopyranose mutase inhibitor.

The multistep synthesis of a novel UDP-C-cyclohexene, designed as a high energy intermediate analogue of the UDP-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) catalyzed isomerization reaction, is reported. The synthesis of the central carbasugar involved the preparation of a galactitol derivative bearing two olefins necessary for the construction of the cyclohexene ring by a ring-closing metathesis as a key step. Further successive phosphonylation, deprotection, and UMP coupling provided the target molecule. The final molecule was assayed against UGM and compared with UDP-C-Galf, the C-glycosidic UGM substrate analogue.

A new strategy for selective targeting of progesterone receptor with passive antagonists.

Currently available progesterone (P4) receptor (PR) antagonists, such as mifepristone (RU486), lack specificity and display partial agonist properties, leading to potential drawbacks in their clinical use. Recent x-ray crystallographic studies have identified key contacts involved in the binding of agonists and antagonists with PR opening the way for a new rational strategy for inactivating PR. We report here the synthesis and characterization of a novel class of PR antagonists (APRn) designed from such studies. The lead molecule, the homosteroid APR19, displays in vivo endometrial anti-P4 activity. APR19 inhibits P4-induced PR recruitment and transactivation from synthetic and endogenous gene promoters. Importantly, it exhibits high PR selectivity with respect to other steroid hormone receptors and is devoid of any partial agonist activity on PR target gene transcription. Two-hybrid and immunostaining experiments reveal that APR19-bound PR is unable to interact with either steroid receptor coactivators 1 and 2 (SRC1 and SCR2) or nuclear receptor corepressor (NcoR) and silencing mediator of retinoid acid and thyroid hormone receptor (SMRT), in contrast to RU486-PR complexes. APR19 also inhibits agonist-induced phosphorylation of serine 294 regulating PR transcriptional activity and turnover kinetics. In silico docking studies based on the crystal structure of the PR ligand-binding domain show that, in contrast to P4, APR19 does not establish stabilizing hydrogen bonds with the ligand-binding cavity, resulting in an unstable ligand-receptor complex. Altogether, these properties highly distinguish APR19 from RU486 and likely its derivatives, suggesting that it belongs to a new class of pure antiprogestins that inactivate PR by a passive mechanism. These specific PR antagonists open new perspectives for long-term hormonal therapy.

Systematic synthesis of inhibitors of the two first enzymes of the bacterial heptose biosynthetic pathway: towards antivirulence molecules targeting lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis.

L-Heptoses (L-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranoses) are constituents of the inner core of lipolysaccharide (LPS), a molecule playing key roles in the mortality of many infectious diseases as well as in the virulence of many human pathogens. The inhibition of the first enzymes of the bacterial heptose biosynthetic pathway is an almost unexplored field to date although it appears to be a very novel way for the development of antivirulence drugs. We report the synthesis of a series of D-glycero-D-manno-heptopyranose 7-phosphate (H7P) analogues and their inhibition properties against the isomerase GmhA and the the kinase HldE, the two first enzymes of the bacterial heptose biosynthetic pathway. The heptose structures have been modified at the 1-, 2-, 6- and 7-positions to probe the importance of the key structural features of H7P that allow a tight binding to the target enzymes; H7P being the product of GmhA and the substrate of HldE, the second objective was to find structures that could simultaneously inhibit both enzymes. We found that GmhA and HldE were extremely sensitive to structural modifications at the 6- and 7- positions of the heptose scaffold. To our surprise, the epimeric analogue of H7P displaying a D-glucopyranose configuration was found to be the best inhibitor of both enzymes but also the only molecule of this series that could inhibit GmhA (IC(50)=34 µM) and HldE (IC(50)=9.4 µM) in the low micromolar range. Noteworthy, this study describes the first inhibitors of GmhA ever reported, and paves the way to the design of a second generation of molecules targeting the bacterial virulence.

Efficient one-pot synthesis of 2,4-di(het)aryl and 2,4-diamino pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines involving regioselective S(N)Ar and palladium-catalyzed reactions.

An efficient and original synthesis of various 2,4-disubstituted pyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidines is reported. One-pot di(het)arylation and diamination approaches were used to obtain highly functionalized products in very good yields. The two one-pot processes were compared to their step-by-step related synthesis. Both routes started from 2,4-dichloropyrido[3,2-d]pyrimidine and included a chlorine discrimination during the first reaction.