A structural insight into the P1S1 binding mode of diaminoethylphosphonic and phosphinic acids, selective inhibitors of alanine aminopeptidases

Access to 2-Fluorinated Aziridine-2-phosphonates from α,α-Halofluorinated β-Iminophosphonates-Spectroscopic and Theoretical Studies

The efficient one-pot halofluorination of a β-enaminophosphonate/β-iminophosphonate tautomeric mixture resulting in α,α-halofluorinated β-iminophosphonates is reported. Subsequent imine reduction gave the corresponding β-aminophosphonates as a racemic mixture or with high diastereoselectivity. The proposed protocol is the first example of a synthesis of N-inactivated aziridines substituted by a fluorine and phosphonate moiety on the same carbon atom. Based on spectroscopic and theoretical studies, we determined the cis/trans geometry of the resulting fluorinated aziridine-2-phosphonate. Our procedure, involving the reduction of cis/trans-fluoroaziridine mixture 24, allows us to isolate chiral trans-aziridines 24 as well as cis-aziridines 27 that do not contain a fluorine atom. We also investigated the influence of the fluorine atom on the reactivity of aziridine through an acid-catalyzed regioselective ring-opening reaction. The results of DFT calculations, at the PCM/ωB97x-D/def2-TZVPD level of theory, are in good agreement with the experiments. The transition states of the S_N2 intramolecular cyclization of vicinal haloamines have been modeled.

The Hydrolysis of Phosphinates and Phosphonates: A Review

Phosphinic and phosphonic acids are useful intermediates and biologically active compounds which may be prepared from their esters, phosphinates and phosphonates, respectively, by hydrolysis or dealkylation. The hydrolysis may take place both under acidic and basic conditions, but the C-O bond may also be cleaved by trimethylsilyl halides. The hydrolysis of P-esters is a challenging task because, in most cases, the optimized reaction conditions have not yet been explored. Despite the importance of the hydrolysis of P-esters, this field has not yet been fully surveyed. In order to fill this gap, examples of acidic and alkaline hydrolysis, as well as the dealkylation of phosphinates and phosphonates, are summarized in this review.

Synthesis and Inhibitory Studies of Phosphonic Acid Analogues of Homophenylalanine and Phenylalanine towards Alanyl Aminopeptidases

A library of novel phosphonic acid analogues of homophenylalanine and phenylalanine, containing fluorine and bromine atoms in the phenyl ring, have been synthesized. Their inhibitory properties against two important alanine aminopeptidases, of human (hAPN, CD13) and porcine (pAPN) origin, were evaluated. Enzymatic studies and comparison with literature data indicated the higher inhibitory potential of the homophenylalanine over phenylalanine derivatives towards both enzymes. Their inhibition constants were in the submicromolar range for hAPN and the micromolar range for pAPN, with 1-amino-3-(3-fluorophenyl) propylphosphonic acid (compound 15c) being one of the best low-molecular inhibitors of both enzymes. To the best of our knowledge, P1 homophenylalanine analogues are the most active inhibitors of the APN among phosphonic and phosphinic derivatives described in the literature. Therefore, they constitute interesting building blocks for the further design of chemically more complex inhibitors. Based on molecular modeling simulations and SAR (structure-activity relationship) analysis, the optimal architecture of enzyme-inhibitor complexes for hAPN and pAPN were determined.

Phosphonic Acid Analogs of Fluorophenylalanines as Inhibitors of Human and Porcine Aminopeptidases N: Validation of the Importance of the Substitution of the Aromatic Ring

A library of phosphonic acid analogs of phenylalanine substituted with fluorine, chlorine and trifluoromethyl moieties on the aromatic ring was synthesized and evaluated for inhibitory activity against human (hAPN) and porcine (pAPN) aminopeptidases. Fluorogenic screening indicated that these analogs are micromolar or submicromolar inhibitors, both enzymes being more active against hAPN. In order to better understand the mode of the action of the most active compounds, molecular modeling was used. It confirmed that aminophosphonic portion of the enzyme is bound nearly identically in the case of all the studied compounds, whereas the difference in activity results from the placement of aromatic side chain of an inhibitor. Interestingly, both enantiomers of the individual compounds are usually bound quite similarly.

A novel approach for obtaining α,β-diaminophosphonates bearing structurally diverse side chains and their interactions with transition metal ions studied by ITC

Aminophosphonates are an important group of building blocks in medicinal and pharmaceutical chemistry. Novel representatives of this class of compounds containing nontypical side chains are still needed. The aza-Michael-type addition of amines to phosphonodehydroalanine derivatives provides a simple and effective approach for synthesizing N′-substituted α,β-diaminoethylphosphonates and thus affords general access to aminophosphonates bearing structurally diverse side chains. Thermodynamic analysis of the chosen aminophosphonates at physiological pH proves that they serve as potent chelators for copper(ii) ions and moderate chelators for nickel(ii) ions.

A convenient and general reaction is presented for the preparation of diaminophosphonates further evaluated as chelators of metal ions.

Phosphonic Acid Analogues of Phenylglycine as Inhibitors of Aminopeptidases: Comparison of Porcine Aminopeptidase N, Bovine Leucine Aminopeptidase, Tomato Acidic Leucine Aminopeptidase and Aminopeptidase from Barley Seeds

The inhibitory activity of 14 racemic phosphonic acid analogs of phenylglycine, substituted in aromatic rings, towards porcine aminopeptidase N (pAPN) and barley seed aminopeptidase was determined experimentally. The obtained patterns of the inhibitory activity against the two enzymes were similar. The obtained data served as a basis for studying the binding modes of these inhibitors by pAPN using molecular modeling. It was found that their aminophosphonate fragments were bound in a highly uniform manner and that the difference in their affinities most likely resulted from the mode of substitution of their phenyl rings. The obtained binding modes towards pAPN were compared, with these predicted for bovine lens leucine aminopeptidase (blLAP) and tomato acidic leucine aminopeptidase (tLAPA). The performed studies indicated that the binding manner of the phenylglycine analogs to biLAP and tLAPA are significantly similar and differ slightly from that predicted for pAPN.

Synthesis, Characterization and Evaluation of Cytotoxic Activities of Novel Aziridinyl Phosphonic Acid Derivatives

New aziridine 2-phosphonic acids were prepared by monohydrolysis of the aziridine 2-phosphonates that were obtained by the modified Gabriel-Cromwell reaction of vinyl phosphonate or α-tosylvinyl phosphonate with a primary amine or a chiral amine. The cellular cytotoxicity of these compounds was tested against the HCT-116 colorectal cancer cell lines and the CCD-18Co normal colon fibroblast lines using the MTT assay. Three of the synthesized phosphonic acid derivatives 2e (ethyl hydrogen {(2S)-1-[(1S)-1-(naphthalen-2-yl)ethyl]aziridin-2-yl}phosphonate), 2h (ethyl hydrogen (1-benzylaziridin-2-yl)phosphonate), and 2i (ethyl hydrogen (1-cyclohexylaziridin-2-yl)phosphonate) showed higher cytotoxicity than the reference cancer treatment agent etoposide. Cell death was through a robust induction of apoptosis even more effectively than etoposide, a well-known apoptosis inducing agent.

Recent developments in the synthesis and applications of phosphinic peptide analogs

Synthetic pseudopeptides that fit well with the active site architecture allow the most effective binding to enzymes, similar to native substrates in high-energy transition states. Phosphinic acid peptide analogs that comprise the tetrahedral phosphorus moiety introduced to replace an internal amide bond exert such an isosteric or isoelectronic resemblance, combined with providing other advantageous features, for example, metal complexing properties. Accordingly, they are capable of inhibiting metal-dependent enzymes involved in biological functions in eukaryotic and prokaryotic cells. These enzymes are associated with notorious human diseases, such as cancer, e.g., matrix metalloproteinases, or are etiological factors of protozoal and bacterial infections, e.g., metalloaminopeptidases. The affinity and selectivity of these compounds can be conveniently adjusted, either by structural modification of dedicated side chains or by backbone elongation to enhance specific interactions with the corresponding binding pockets. Recent approaches to the synthesis of these compounds are illustrated by examples of the preparation of rationally designed structures of inhibitors of particular enzymes. Activity against appealing enzymatic targets is presented, along with the molecular mechanisms of action and therapeutic implications. Innovative aspects of phosphinic peptide application, e.g., as activity-based probes, and ligands of complexes of radioisotopes for nuclear medicine are also outlined.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of cyanoaziridine phosphine oxides and phosphonates with antiproliferative activity

This work reports an efficient diastereoselective synthetic methodology for the preparation of phosphorus substituted cyanoaziridines through the nucleophilic addition of TMSCN, as cyanide source, to the C-N double bond of 2H-azirine derivatives. The aziridine ring, in these novel cyanoaziridines, can be activated by simple N-tosylation or N-acylation. In addition, the cytotoxic effect on cell lines derived from human lung adenocarcinoma (A549) and human embryonic kidney (HEK293) was also screened. N-H and N-Substituted cyanoaziridines showed excellent activity against the A549 cell line in vitro. Moreover, selectivity towards cancer cell (A549) over (HEK293), and non-malignant cells (MCR-5) has been observed.

Aminobenzosuberone Scaffold as a Modular Chemical Tool for the Inhibition of Therapeutically Relevant M1 Aminopeptidases

The synthesis of racemic substituted 7-amino-5,7,8,9-tetrahydrobenzocyclohepten-6-one hydrochlorides was optimized to enhance reproducibility and increase the overall yield. In order to investigate their specificity, series of enzyme inhibition assays were carried out against a diversity of proteases, covering representative members of aspartic, cysteine, metallo and serine endopeptidases and including eight members of the monometallic M1 family of aminopeptidases as well as two members of the bimetallic M17 and M28 aminopeptidase families. This aminobenzosuberone scaffold indeed demonstrated selective inhibition of M1 aminopeptidases to the exclusion of other tested protease families; it was particularly potent against mammalian APN and its bacterial/parasitic orthologues EcPepN and PfAM1.

Neutral metalloaminopeptidases APN and MetAP2 as newly discovered anticancer molecular targets of actinomycin D and its simple analogs

The potent transcription inhibitor Actinomycin D is used with several cancers. Here, we report the discovery that this naturally occurring antibiotic inhibits two human neutral aminopeptidases, the cell-surface alanine aminopeptidase and intracellular methionine aminopeptidase type 2. These metallo-containing exopeptidases participate in tumor cell expansion and motility and are targets for anticancer therapies. We show that the peptide portions of Actinomycin D and Actinomycin X₂ are not required for effective inhibition, but the loss of these regions changes the mechanism of interaction. Two structurally less complex Actinomycin D analogs containing the phenoxazone chromophores, Questiomycin A and Actinocin, appear to be competitive inhibitors of both aminopeptidases, with potencies similar to the non-competitive macrocyclic parent compound (K_i in the micromolar range). The mode of action for all four compounds and both enzymes was demonstrated by molecular modeling and docking in the corresponding active sites. This knowledge gives new perspectives to Actinomycin D's action on tumors and suggests new avenues and molecules for medical applications.

Phosphonic acid: preparation and applications

The phosphonic acid functional group, which is characterized by a phosphorus atom bonded to three oxygen atoms (two hydroxy groups and one P=O double bond) and one carbon atom, is employed for many applications due to its structural analogy with the phosphate moiety or to its coordination or supramolecular properties. Phosphonic acids were used for their bioactive properties (drug, pro-drug), for bone targeting, for the design of supramolecular or hybrid materials, for the functionalization of surfaces, for analytical purposes, for medical imaging or as phosphoantigen. These applications are covering a large panel of research fields including chemistry, biology and physics thus making the synthesis of phosphonic acids a determinant question for numerous research projects. This review gives, first, an overview of the different fields of application of phosphonic acids that are illustrated with studies mainly selected over the last 20 years. Further, this review reports the different methods that can be used for the synthesis of phosphonic acids from dialkyl or diaryl phosphonate, from dichlorophosphine or dichlorophosphine oxide, from phosphonodiamide, or by oxidation of phosphinic acid. Direct methods that make use of phosphorous acid (H3PO3) and that produce a phosphonic acid functional group simultaneously to the formation of the P-C bond, are also surveyed. Among all these methods, the dealkylation of dialkyl phosphonates under either acidic conditions (HCl) or using the McKenna procedure (a two-step reaction that makes use of bromotrimethylsilane followed by methanolysis) constitute the best methods to prepare phosphonic acids.

Discovery of novel non-competitive inhibitors of mammalian neutral M1 aminopeptidase (APN)

Neutral metallo-aminopeptidase (APN) catalyzes the cleavage of neutral and basic amino acids from the N-terminus of protein or peptide substrates. APN expression is dysregulated in inflammatory diseases as well as in several types of cancer. Therefore, inhibitors of APN may be effective against cancer and inflammation. By virtual screening and enzymatic assays, we identified three non-competitive inhibitors (α > 1) of the porcine and human APN with K_i values in the μM range. These non-peptidic compounds lack the classical zinc-binding groups (ZBG) present in most of the APN inhibitors. Molecular docking simulations suggested the novel inhibitors suppress APN activity by an alternative mechanism to Zn coordination: they interacted with residues comprising the S1 and S5′ subsites of APN. Of note, these compounds also inhibited the porcine aminopeptidase A (pAPA) using a competitive inhibition mode. This indicated differences in the binding mode of these compounds with APN and APA. Based on sequence and structural analyses, we predicted the significance of targeting human APN residues: Ala-351, Arg-442, Ala-474, Phe-896 and Asn-900 for improving the selectivity of the identified compounds. Remarkably, the intraperitoneal injection of compounds BTB07018 and JFD00064 inhibited APN activity in rat brain, liver and kidney indicating good bio-distribution of these inhibitors in vivo. These data reinforce the idea of designing novel APN inhibitors based on lead compounds without ZBG.

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We identified three non-competitive inhibitors of the human and porcine APN.

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These compounds lack the classical zinc-binding groups of the APN inhibitors.

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We proposed these molecules block APN by an alternative mechanism to Zn chelation.

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All the inhibitors interact with APN residues comprising the S1 and S5′ subsites.

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Two compounds blocked the APN activity in the brain, liver and kidney of rats.

M1 aminopeptidases as drug targets: broad applications or therapeutic niche?

M1 aminopeptidase enzymes are a diverse family of metalloenzymes characterized by conserved structure and reaction specificity. Excluding viruses, M1 aminopeptidases are distributed throughout all phyla, and have been implicated in a wide range of functions including cell maintenance, growth and development, and defense. The structure and catalytic mechanism of M1 aminopeptidases are well understood, and make them ideal candidates for the design of small‐molecule inhibitors. As a result, many research groups have assessed their utility as therapeutic targets for both infectious and chronic diseases of humans, and many inhibitors with a range of target specificities and potential therapeutic applications have been developed. Herein, we have aimed to address these studies, to determine whether the family of M1 aminopeptidases does in fact present a universal target for the treatment of a diverse range of human diseases. Our analysis indicates that early validation of M1 aminopeptidases as therapeutic targets is often overlooked, which prevents the enzymes from being confirmed as drug targets. This validation cannot be neglected, and needs to include a thorough characterization of enzymes’ specific roles within complex physiological pathways. Furthermore, any chemical probes used in target validation must be carefully designed to ensure that specificity over the closely related enzymes has been achieved. While many drug discovery programs that target M1 aminopeptidases remain in their infancy, certain inhibitors have shown promise for the treatment of a range of conditions including malaria, hypertension, and cancer.

Discovery of potent and selective inhibitors of human aminopeptidases ERAP1 and ERAP2 by screening libraries of phosphorus-containing amino acid and dipeptide analogues

A collection of fifty phosphonic and phosphinic acids was screened for inhibition of ERAP1 and ERAP2, the human endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidases. The cooperative action of these enzymes is manifested by trimming a variety of antigenic precursors to be presented on the cell surface by major histocompatibility class I. The SAR studies revealed several potent compounds, particularly among the phosphinic dipeptide analogues, that were strong inhibitors of ERAP2 (Ki=100-350nM). A wide structural diversity of the applied organophosphorus compounds, predominantly non-proteinogenic analogues, allowed identification of representatives selective toward only one form of ERAP. For example, N'-substituted α,β-diaminophosphonates and phosphinates exhibited potency only toward ERAP2, which is in agreement with the P1 basic substrate-oriented specificity. Such discriminating ligands are invaluable tools for elucidating the precise role of a particular aminopeptidase in the concerted function of antigen processing and in human diseases.