Synthesis of a photoactivatable 9-Z-oleic acid for protein kinase C labeling

Total Synthesis of Isoxeniolide A

Isoxeniolide A is a highly strained xenicane diterpenoid of marine origin. This natural product is representative for a subfamily of xenicanes incorporating an allylic hydroxy group in the nine-membered ring; members of this xenicane subfamily so far have not been targeted by total synthesis. Herein, we describe the first asymmetric total synthesis of isoxeniolide A. Key to forming the challenging E-configured cyclononene ring was a diastereoselective intramolecular Nozaki-Hiyama-Kishi reaction. Other important transformations include an enzymatic desymmetrization for absolute stereocontrol, a diastereoselective cuprate addition and the use of a bifunctional vinyl silane building block. Our strategy also permits access to the enantiomer of the natural product and holds potential to access a multitude of xenicane natural products and analogs for structure-activity relationship studies.

Trifluoromethylphenylcarbenes. Carbene-Carbene Interconversion on the Singlet Energy Surface and Rearrangement to Trifluorobenzocyclobutene, Trifluorostyrene, and Trifluoromethylfulvenallenes

The four isomeric α-, ortho-, meta-, and para-trifluoromethylphenylcarbenes were generated by photolysis of the corresponding 3-phenyl-3-trifluoromethyldiazirene 1 or the four isomeric trifluoromethylphenyldiazomethanes 2 and 4–6. The four corresponding triplet trifluoromethylphenylcarbenes 3 and 7–9 were observed by electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy in Ar matrices at 14 K. The α- and ortho-carbenes 3 and 7 and the ortho- and para-carbenes 7 and 9 interconvert partially when generated by short-wavelength photolysis (350 nm) before intersystem crossing to the triplet states. The triplet states do not undergo further Carbene-Carbene interconversion. The interconversions are assumed to take place via the meta-trifluoromethylphenylcarbene 8. When the ortho- and para-carbenes are generated by long-wavelength photolysis (>450 nm), the discrete, non-interconverting triplet carbenes are observed in the ESR spectra. Flash vacuum thermolysis of the diazirene 1 at 500°C afforded a mixture of bis(trifluoromethyl)heptafulvalenes 11, bis(trifluoromethyl)stilbenes 12, and bis(trifluoromethyl)anthracenes 13, and the presence of their likely precursor(s), trifluoromethylcycloheptatetraene(s), was confirmed by a peak at 1830 cm–1 in the Ar matrix IR spectrum. In addition, at 700°C, four monomeric carbene rearrangement products were isolated and characterised, viz. 1,1,2-trifluorobenzocyclobutene 14, 1′,2′,2′-trifluorostyrene 15, and 1- and 2-trifluoromethylfulvenallenes 16 and 17.

3-Azidodifluoromethyl-3H-diazirin-3-yl group as an all-in-one functional group for radioisotope-free photoaffinity labeling

The 3-azidodifluoromethyl-3H-diazirin-3-yl group was designed and synthesized as an all-in-one functional group for radioisotope-free photoaffinity labeling.

Development and application of diazirines in biological and synthetic macromolecular systems

Many different reagents and methodologies have been utilised for the modification of synthetic and biological macromolecular systems. In addition, an area of intense research at present is the construction of hybrid biosynthetic polymers, comprised of biologically active species immobilised or complexed with synthetic polymers. One of the most useful and widely applicable techniques available for functionalisation of macromolecular systems involves indiscriminate carbene insertion processes. The highly reactive and non-specific nature of carbenes has enabled a multitude of macromolecular structures to be functionalised without the need for specialised reagents or additives. The use of diazirines as stable carbene precursors has increased dramatically over the past twenty years and these reagents are fast becoming the most popular photophors for photoaffinity labelling and biological applications in which covalent modification of macromolecular structures is the basis to understanding structure-activity relationships. This review reports the synthesis and application of a diverse range of diazirines in macromolecular systems.

Efficient synthesis of 3-trifluoromethylphenyldiazirinyl oleic acid derivatives and their biological activity for protein kinase C

3-trifluoromethylphenyldiazirine based oleic acids derivatives are synthesized to elucidate the functions of specific activation of protein kinase C (PKC) with oleic acid. The synthetic route is based on the alkylation of phenolic derivative with oleic acid equivalent and the post-functionalization of the compound to achieve radiolabeling. Several compounds have biological activity for PKC with similar efficacy with that of oleic acid. The results indicated that the diaizinyl oleic acid derivatives should be useful to study the specific functions of oleic acid for PKC.

Development of a selective photoactivatable antagonist for corticotropin-releasing factor receptor, type 2 (CRF2)

A novel photoactivatable analog of antisauvagine-30 (aSvg-30), a specific antagonist for corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) receptor, type 2 (CRF2), has been synthesized and characterized. The N-terminal amino-acid d-Phe in aSvg-30 [d-Phe11,His12]Svg(11-40) was replaced by a phenyldiazirine, the 4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl (ATB) residue. The photoactivatable aSvg-30 analog ATB-[His12]Svg was tested for its ability to displace [125I-Tyr0]oCRF or [125I-Tyr0]Svg from membrane homogenates of human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells stably transfected with cDNA coding for rat CRF receptor, type 1 (rCRF1) or mouse CRF receptor, type 2beta (mCRF2beta). Furthermore, the ability of ATB-[His12]Svg(12-40) to inhibit oCRF- or Svg-stimulated cAMP production of transfected HEK 293 cells expressing either rCRF1 (HEK-rCRF1 cells) or mCRF2beta (HEK-mCRF2beta cells) was determined. Unlike astressin and photo astressin, ATB-[His12]Svg(12-40) showed high selective binding to mCRF2beta (Ki = 3.1 +/- 0.2 nm) but not the rCRF1 receptor (Ki = 142.5 +/- 22.3 nm) and decreased Svg-stimulated cAMP activity in mCRF2beta-expressing cells in a similar fashion as aSvg-30. A 66-kDa protein was identified by SDS/PAGE, when the radioactively iodinated analog of ATB-[His12]Svg(12-40) was covalently linked to mCRF2beta receptor. The specificity of the photoactivatable 125I-labeled CRF2beta antagonist was demonstrated with SDS/PAGE by the finding that this analog could be displaced from the receptor by antisauvagine-30, but not other unrelated peptides such as vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP).

Novel high-affinity photoactivatable antagonists of corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) photoaffinity labeling studies on CRF receptor, type 1 (CRFR1)

Novel photoactivatable antagonists of human/rat corticotropin-releasing factor (h/rCRF) have been synthesized and characterized. The N-terminal amino acid D-phenylalanine in astressin ¿cyclo(30-33) [D-Phe12, Nle21,38, Glu30, Lys33]h/rCRF-(12-41)¿, a potent CRF peptide antagonist, was replaced by a phenyldiazirine, the 4-(1-azi-2,2,2-trifluoroethyl)benzoyl (ATB) residue. Additionally, His32 of astressin was substituted by either alanine or tyrosine for specific radioactive labeling with 125I at either His13 or Tyr32, respectively. The photoactivatable CRF antagonists were tested for their ability to displace 125I-labeled Tyr0 ovine CRF ([125I-labeled Tyr0]oCRF) in binding experiments and to inhibit oCRF-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in human embryonic kidney (HEK) 293 cells, permanently transfected with cDNA coding for rat CRF receptor, type 1 (rCRFR1) or human Y-79 retinoblastoma cells known to carry endogenous functional human CRFR1 (hCRFR1). ATB-cyclo(30-33)[Nle21,38, Glu30, Ala32, Lys33]h/rCRF-(13-41) (compound 1) was found to bind with higher affinity to rat or human CRFR1 when compared with ATB-cyclo(30-33)[Nle21,38, Glu30, Tyr32, Lys33]h/rCRF-(13-41) (compound 2) and exhibited higher inhibition of oCRF-stimulated cAMP accumulation in HEK 293 cells stably transfected with cDNA coding for rCRFR1 (HEK-rCRFR1 cells) or Y-79 cells. A highly glycosylated, 66-kDa protein was identified with SDS/PAGE, when the radioactively iodinated compounds 1 or 2 were covalently linked to rCRFR1. The specificity of the photoactivatable 125I-labeled CRF antagonists was demonstrated with SDS/PAGE by the finding that these analogs could be displaced from the receptor by their corresponding nonlabeled form, but not other unrelated peptides such as vasoactive intestinal peptide. The observed molecular size of the receptor was in agreement with the size of CRFR1 found in rat pituitary (66 kDa), but was significantly larger than the size of CRFR1 found in rat cerebellum and olfactory bulb (53 kDa).