Amino acid motifs in natural products: synthesis of O-acylated derivatives of (2S,3S)-3-hydroxyleucine

(2S,3S)-3-Hydroxyleucine can be found in an increasing number of bioactive natural products. Within the context of our work regarding the total synthesis of muraymycin nucleoside antibiotics, we have developed a synthetic approach towards (2S,3S)-3-hydroxyleucine building blocks. Application of different protecting group patterns led to building blocks suitable for C- or N-terminal derivatization as well as for solid-phase peptide synthesis. With respect to according motifs occurring in natural products, we have converted these building blocks into 3-O-acylated structures. Utilizing an esterification and cross-metathesis protocol, (2S,3S)-3-hydroxyleucine derivatives were synthesized, thus opening up an excellent approach for the synthesis of bioactive natural products and derivatives thereof for structure activity relationship (SAR) studies.

Structure-based gene targeting discovery of sphaerimicin, a bacterial translocase I inhibitor

Rise and shine: Using a gene-targeting approach aimed at identifying potential L-threonine:uridine-5'-transaldolases that catalyze the formation of (5'S,6'S)-C-glycyluridine, a new bacterial translocase I inhibitor was discovered from an actinomycete following fermentation optimization.

Amalgamation of nucleosides and amino acids in antibiotic biosynthesis: discovery of an L-threonine:uridine-5'-aldehyde transaldolase

The lipopeptidyl nucleoside antibiotics represented by A-90289, caprazamycin, and muraymycin are structurally highlighted by a nucleoside core that contains a nonproteinogenic β-hydroxy-α-amino acid named 5'-C-glycyluridine (GlyU). Bioinformatic analysis of the biosynthetic gene clusters revealed a shared open reading frame encoding a protein with sequence similarity to serine hydroxymethyltransferases, resulting in the proposal that this shared enzyme catalyzes an aldol-type condensation with glycine and uridine-5'-aldehyde to furnish GlyU. Using LipK involved in A-90289 biosynthesis as a model, we now functionally assign and characterize the enzyme responsible for the C-C bond-forming event during GlyU biosynthesis as an l-threonine:uridine-5'-aldehyde transaldolase. Biochemical analysis revealed this transformation is dependent upon pyridoxal-5'-phosphate, the enzyme has no activity with alternative amino acids, such as glycine or serine, as aldol donors, and acetaldehyde is a coproduct. Structural characterization of the enzyme product is consistent with stereochemical assignment as the threo diastereomer (5'S,6'S)-GlyU. Thus this enzyme orchestrates C-C bond breaking and formation with concomitant installation of two stereocenters to make a new l-α-amino acid with a nucleoside side chain.

Stereoselective synthesis of uridine-derived nucleosyl amino acids

Novel hybrid structures of 5'-deoxyuridine and glycine were conceived and synthesized. Such nucleosyl amino acids (NAAs) represent simplified analogues of the core structure of muraymycin nucleoside antibiotics, making them useful synthetic building blocks for structure-activity relationship (SAR) studies. The key step of the developed synthetic route was the efficient and highly diastereoselective asymmetric hydrogenation of didehydro amino acid precursors toward protected NAAs. It was anticipated that the synthesis of unprotected muraymycin derivatives via this route would require a suitable intermediate protecting group at the N-3 of the uracil base. After initial attempts using PMB- and BOM-N-3 protection, both of which resulted in problematic deprotection steps, an N-3 protecting group-free route was envisaged. In spite of the pronounced acidity of the uracil-3-NH, this route worked equally efficient and with identical stereoselectivities as the initial strategies involving N-3 protection. The obtained NAA building blocks were employed for the synthesis of truncated 5'-deoxymuraymycin analogues.

Novel 5'-deoxy nucleosyl amino acid scaffolds for the synthesis of muraymycin analogues

Naturally occurring nucleoside antibiotics such as muraymycins represent promising lead structures for the development of novel antibacterial agents. A concise synthesis of 5'-deoxy muraymycin derivatives has been developed. The key step was the highly stereoselective asymmetric hydrogenation of suitable didehydro amino acid precursors, providing unique nucleosyl amino acid structures.

Carboxymethylproline synthase catalysed syntheses of functionalised N-heterocycles

The utility of wild-type and variant carboxymethylproline synthases for biocatalysis was demonstrated by preparing functionalised 5-, 6- and 7-membered N-heterocycles from amino acid aldehydes and (alkylated) malonyl-coenzyme A derivatives; the N-heterocycles produced were converted to the corresponding bicyclic beta-lactams by a carbapenem synthetase.

Synthesis of regio- and stereoselectively deuterium-labelled derivatives of L-glutamate semialdehyde for studies on carbapenem biosynthesis

L-glutamate semialdehyde (L-GSA) is an intermediate in biosynthetic pathways including those leading to the carbapenem antibiotics. We describe studies on asymmetric deuteration or hydrogenation of appropriate didehydro-amino acid precursors for the stereoselective synthesis of C-2- and/or C-3-[2H]-labelled L-GSA suitable for use in mechanistic studies. Regioselective deuterium incorporation into the 5-position of L-GSA was achieved using a labelled form of the Schwartz reagent (Cp2Zr2HCl). 4,4-Dideuterated and fully backbone deuterated L-GSAs were prepared. The application of the labelled L-GSA derivatives to biosynthetic studies was exemplified by the chemo-enzymatic preparation of selectively deuterated trans-carboxymethylprolines using two different carboxymethylproline synthases (CarB and ThnE), enzymes that catalyse early steps in the biosynthesis of two carbapenems: (5R)-carbapenem-3-carboxylate and thienamycin, respectively.

Bis-cycloSal-d4T-monophosphates: drugs that deliver two molecules of bioactive nucleotides

Bis-cycloSal-d4T-monophosphates have been synthesized as potentially anti-HIV active "dimeric" prodrugs of 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine monophosphate (d4TMP). These pronucleotides display a mask-drug ratio of 1:2, a novelty in the field of pronucleotides. Both bis-cycloSal-d4TMP 6 and bis-5-methyl-cycloSal-d4TMP 7 showed increased hydrolytic stability as compared to their "monomeric" counterparts and a completely selective hydrolytic release of d4TMP. The hydrolysis pathway was investigated via 31P NMR spectroscopy. Moreover, due to the steric bulkiness, compound 6 already displayed strongly reduced inhibitor potency toward human butyrylcholinesterase (BChE), while compound 7 turned out to be devoid of any inhibitory activity against BChE. Partial separation of the diastereomeric mixture of 6 revealed strong dependence of the pronucleotides' properties on the stereochemistry at the phosphorus centers. Both 6 and 7 showed good activity against HIV-1 and HIV-2 in wild-type CEM cells in vitro. These compounds were significantly more potent than the parent nucleoside d4T 1 in HIV-2-infected TK-deficient CEM cells, indicating an efficient TK-bypass.

Novel cyclosal nucleotides with reduced inhibitory potency toward human butyrylcholinesterase

Two novel cycloSal-d4T monophosphates (d4TMPs) with increased steric demand have been synthesized via a new synthetic route. While 3-cyclohexyl-cycloSal d4TMP did not show a significantly reduced inhibitory potency toward human butyrylcholinesterase, the opposite was the case for the second novel pronucleotide, bis-(cycloSal-d4TMP).

Interaction of cycloSal-pronucleotides with cholinesterases from different origins. A structure-activity relationship

A large number of cycloSal-nucleotide triesters 1-49 have been studied concerning their ability to inhibit cholinesterases of different origins as well as to inhibit HIV replication in cell culture. It was shown that none of the triesters showed inhibitory effects against human acetylcholinesterase (AChE; isolated enzyme) as well as against AChE from beef erythrocytes and calf serum. In contrast, inhibition of butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) has been observed for some triesters in human and mouse serum. cycloSal pronucleotides showed strong competitive inhibition with respect to the substrate acetylcholine chloride (K(i)/K(m): approximately 2 x 10(-5)) and acted by time-dependent irreversible inhibition of the human serum BChE. Detailed studies demonstrated that the inhibitory effect against BChE is dependent on the nucleoside analogue, the substitution pattern of the cycloSal-moiety, and particularly on the stereochemistry at the phosphorus atom. Structural requirements to avoid the inhibition of BChE by cycloSal-nucleotide triesters have been elucidated in the reported study.

Non-inhibition of acetylcholinesterase by cycloSal nucleotides

An acetylcholinesterase (AChE) assay based on the Rappaport method was established to investigate the behaviour of several cycloSal nucleotides against AChE from electrophorus electricus and human sources (purified enzymes). AChE is a physiologically essential enzyme as it catalyzes the hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter acetylcholine. No inhibition was observed in any of the cases.

cycloSal-d4TMP pronucleotides structural variations, mechanistic insights and antiviral activity

Pronucleotides represent a promising alternative to improve the biological activity of nucleoside analogues against different viral diseases. The basic idea is to achieve nucleotide delivery into cells, bypassing limitations with intracellular formation of nucleotides from their nucleoside precursors. The cycloSal-concept is one of several pronucleotide systems reported so far. For the nucleoside analogue d4T, the cycloSal-approach improved antiviral potency. The basic idea, chemistry, different structural modifications and their effects on the antiviral potency of the cycloSal-d4TMP triesters have been discussed in this review.

Aryl-substituted and benzo-annulated cyc/osal-derivatives of 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine monophosphate--correlation of structure, hydrolysis properties and anti-HIV activity

The synthesis of phenyl-substituted and benzoannulated cycloSal phosphate triesters of the nucleoside analogue 2',3'-dideoxy-2',3'-didehydrothymidine (d4T, Zerit) as lipophilic, membrane-soluble pronucleotides is described. The cycloSal moiety was introduced by using cyclic chlorophosphite agents prepared from phenyl-substituted saligenin derivatives and ortho-hydroxymethylated naphthols, respectively. Hydrolysis studies (HPLC analysis) of the triesters 2, 3 showed a range of hydrolytic stability from 1.4 h up to 5.1 h and the stability could be correlated with the substitution pattern in the cycloSal moiety. A slight decrease of their stability was observed, if phenyl-substituted derivatives were hydrolyzed in human CEM/O cell extracts. D4T and thymine, possible products of enzymatic cleavage of the pronucleotides, were not detected in the cell extracts. A further investigation of the hydrolysis process was performed by 31P-NMR spectroscopy. This technique allowed a precise monitoring of the degradation products and the exact determination of the product ratio. Finally, the newly synthesized compounds were tested concerning their antiviral activity against HIV in vitro. A strong correlation of the hydrolysis properties and the antiviral activity was found. 3-phenyl-cycloSal-d4TMP showed a threefold increase in its anti-HIV-1 activity and retained full activity in thymidine kinase (TK) deficient cells, indicative of a successful TK-bypass.

Benzyl-functionalized cycloSal-d4T monophosphates

Synthetic routes to benzyl-functionalized cycloSal-d4T monophosphates (7CH2X-cycloSal-d4TMP) have been developed. Their hydrolytic behavior in basic aqueous solution (pH = 7.3) was studied and their hydrolysis half-lives were determined. It turned out that two different degradation pathways are leading to different products: beside the formation of the expected d4TMP and a styrene type derivative, a phenyl-d4T-phosphodiester was obtained as well. The product distribution was specified.