Silver(I)-Catalyzed Route to Pyrroles: Synthesis of Halogenated Pseudilins as Allosteric Inhibitors for Myosin ATPase and X-ray Crystal Structures of the Protein-Inhibitor Complexes

My 50-Plus Years of Academic Research Collaborations with Industry. A Retrospective

A retrospective is presented highlighting the synthesis of selected "first-in-kind" natural products, their synthetic analogues, structure elucidations, and rationally designed bioactive synthetic compounds that were accomplished because of collaborations with past and present pharmaceutical and agrochemical companies. Medicinal chemistry projects involving structure-based design exploiting cocrystal structures of small molecules with biologically relevant enzymes, receptors, and bacterial ribosomes with synthetic small molecules leading to marketed products, clinical candidates, and novel drug prototypes were realized in collaboration. Personal reflections, historical insights, behind the scenes stories from various long-term projects are shared in this retrospective article.

Amide Iridium Complexes As Catalysts for Transfer Hydrogenation Reduction of N-sulfonylimine

Sulfonamide moieties widely exist in natural products, biologically active substance, and pharmaceuticals. Here, an efficient water-soluble amide iridium complexes-catalyzed transfer hydrogenation reduction of N-sulfonylimine is developed, which can be carried out under environmentally friendly conditions, affording a series of sulfonamide compounds in excellent yields (96-98%). In comparison with organic solvents, water is shown to be critical for a high catalytic transfer hydrogenation reduction in which the catalyst loading can be as low as 0.001 mol %. These amide iridium complexes are easy to synthesize, one structure of which was determined by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. This protocol gives an operationally simple, practical, and environmentally friendly strategy for synthesis of sulfonamide compounds.

In vitro and in vivo effects of inhibitors on actin and myosin

The interaction of actin and myosin is essential for cell migration. We have identified kaempferol and pentahalogenated pseudilins as efficient inhibitors of migration of MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma cells. The compounds were studied with respect to possible effects on myosin-2-ATPase activity. The pentahalogenated pseudilins inhibited the enzyme activity in vitro. Flavonoids showed no effect on enzyme activity. The polymerization dynamics of actin was measured to test whether the integrity of F-actin is essential for the migration of MDA-MB-231 cells. Quercetin and kaempferol depolymerized F-actin with similar efficiencies as found for the pentahalogenated pseudilins, whereas epigallocatechin showed the weakest effect. As the inhibitory effect on cell migration may be caused by a toxic effect, we have performed a cytotoxicity test and, furthermore, investigated the influence of the test compounds on cardiac function in eleutheroembryos of medaka (Oryzias latipes). Compared with the pentahalogenated pseudilins, the cytotoxic and cardiotoxic effects of flavonoids on medaka embryos were found to be moderate.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Halogenated 5-(2-Hydroxyphenyl)pyrazoles as Pseudilin Analogues Targeting the Enzyme IspD in the Methylerythritol Phosphate Pathway

This work reports halogenated 5-(2-hydroxyphenyl)pyrazoles as pseudilin analogues with the potential to target the enzyme IspD in the methylerythritol phosphate (MEP) pathway. Such analogues were designed using the bioisosteric replacement of the pseudilin core structure and synthesized via an efficient three-step route. With AtIspD-based screening and pre- and post-emergence herbicidal tests, these compounds were demonstrated to have considerable activities against AtIspD, with IC₅₀ up to 3.27 μM, and against model plants rape and barnyard grass, with moderate to excellent activities. At a rate of 150 g/ha in the greenhouse test, three compounds exhibited higher or comparable herbicidal activities than pseudilin. Molecular docking of representative compounds into the allosteric site of AtIspD revealed a binding mode similar to that of pseudilin. The established bioisosterism and synthesis method in this work may serve as an important tool for the development of new herbicides and antimicrobials targeting IspD in the MEP pathway.

Sequential multicomponent site-selective synthesis of 4-iodo and 5-iodopyrrole-3-carboxaldehydes from a common set of starting materials by tuning the conditions

A simple and straightforward method for the synthesis of 4-iodo and 5-iodopyrrole-3-carboxaldehydes is developed from a common set of starting materials by tuning the reaction conditions. This sequential multicomponent protocol involves I₂-mediated regioselective C4-iodination and aromatization of intermediate dihydropyrrole, generated through proline-catalyzed direct Mannich reaction-cyclization sequence between succinaldehyde and imines, to access 4-iodopyrroles. While aerobic oxidative aromatization of dihydropyrrole to pyrrole followed by NIS-mediated regioselective iodination furnished 5-iodopyrroles in a two-pot fashion. A series of site-selective C4/C5-iodopyrroles have been synthesized in good to high yields (up to 78%) and DFT calculations of these compounds were also performed.

Pyrrolomycins Are Potent Natural Protonophores

The escalating burden of antibiotic drug resistance necessitates research into novel classes of antibiotics and their mechanism of action. Pyrrolomycins are a family of potent natural product antibiotics with nanomolar activity against Gram-positive bacteria, yet with an elusive mechanism of action. In this work, we dissect the apparent Gram-positive specific activity of pyrrolomycins and show that Gram-negative bacteria are equally sensitive to pyrrolomycins when drug efflux transporters are removed and that albumin in medium plays a large role in pyrrolomycin activity. The selection of resistant mutants allowed for the characterization and validation of a number of mechanisms of resistance to pyrrolomycins in both Staphylococcus aureus and an Escherichia coli ΔtolC mutant, all of which appear to affect compound penetration rather than being target associated. Imaging of the impact of pyrrolomycin on the E. coli ΔtolC mutant using scanning electron microscopy showed blebbing of the bacterial cell wall often at the site of bacterial division. Using potentiometric probes and an electrophysiological technique with an artificial bilayer lipid membrane, it was demonstrated that pyrrolomycins C and D are very potent membrane-depolarizing agents, an order of magnitude more active than conventional carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone (CCCP), specifically disturbing the proton gradient and uncoupling oxidative phosphorylation via protonophoric action. This work clearly unveils the until-now-elusive mechanism of action of pyrrolomycins and explains their antibiotic activity as well as mechanisms of innate and acquired drug resistance in bacteria.

Pentachloropseudilin Impairs Angiogenesis by Disrupting the Actin Cytoskeleton, Integrin Trafficking and the Cell Cycle

Class 1 myosins (Myo1s) were the first unconventional myosins identified and humans have eight known Myo1 isoforms. The Myo1 family is involved in the regulation of gene expression, cytoskeletal rearrangements, delivery of proteins to the cell surface, cell migration and spreading. Thus, the important role of Myo1s in different biological processes is evident. In this study, we have investigated the effects of pentachloropseudilin (PClP), a reversible and allosteric potent inhibitor of Myo1s, on angiogenesis. We demonstrated that treatment of cells with PClP promoted a decrease in the number of vessels. The observed inhibition of angiogenesis is likely to be related to the inhibition of cell proliferation, migration and adhesion, as well as to alteration of the actin cytoskeleton pattern, as shown on a PClP-treated HUVEC cell line. Moreover, we also demonstrated that PClP treatment partially prevented the delivery of integrins to the plasma membrane. Finally, we showed that PClP caused DNA strand breaks, which are probably repaired during the cell cycle arrest in the G1 phase. Taken together, our results suggest that Myo1s participate directly in the angiogenesis process.

Pentabromopseudilin: a myosin V inhibitor suppresses TGF-β activity by recruiting the type II TGF-β receptor to lysosomal degradation

Pentabromopseudilin (PBrP) is a marine antibiotic isolated from the marine bacteria Pseudomonas bromoutilis and Alteromonas luteoviolaceus. PBrP exhibits antimicrobial, anti-tumour, and phytotoxic activities. In mammalian cells, PBrP is known to act as a reversible and allosteric inhibitor of myosin Va (MyoVa). In this study, we report that PBrP is a potent inhibitor of transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) activity. PBrP inhibits TGF-β-stimulated Smad2/3 phosphorylation, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) protein production and blocks TGF-β-induced epithelial–mesenchymal transition in epithelial cells. PBrP inhibits TGF-β signalling by reducing the cell-surface expression of type II TGF-β receptor (TβRII) and promotes receptor degradation. Gene silencing approaches suggest that MyoVa plays a crucial role in PBrP-induced TβRII turnover and the subsequent reduction of TGF-β signalling. Because, TGF-β signalling is crucial in the regulation of diverse pathophysiological processes such as tissue fibrosis and cancer development, PBrP should be further explored for its therapeutic role in treating fibrotic diseases and cancer.

Cu(OAc)2 /TEMPO Cooperative Promoted Hydroamination Cyclization and Oxidative Dehydrogenation Cascade Reaction of Homopropargylic Amines

A novel and efficient Cu(OAc)₂ -catalyzed hydroamination cyclization and 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine-1-oxyl (TEMPO)-mediated oxidative dehydrogenation cascade reaction of homopropargylic amines has been developed. A library of 1,2-disubstituted pyrrole derivatives were obtained in good-to-high yields in one pot with no step-by-step feeding process. This reaction involved TEMPO playing dual roles as both an oxidative dehydrogenation reagent and a ligand. An insight into the reaction mechanism was obtained by using several analytical determination methods.

A room-temperature protocol to access isoquinolines through Ag(i) catalysed annulation of o-(1-alkynyl)arylaldehydes and ketones with NH4OAc: elaboration to berberine and palmatine

A silver catalysed protocol for the synthesis of a wide range of isoquinolines from o-(1-alkynyl)arylaldehydes has been developed under mild conditions and elaborated to the synthesis of berberine and palmatine.