"Clicktophycin-52": a bioactive cryptophycin-52 triazole analogue

Growing Impact of Intramolecular Click Chemistry in Organic Synthesis

Click Chemistry, a modular, rapid, and one of the most reliable tool for the regioselective 1,2,3-triazole forming [3+2] reaction of organic azide and terimal alkyne is widely explored in various emerging domains of research ranging from chemical biology to catalysis and medicinal chemistry to material science. This regioselective reaction from a diverse range of azido-alkyne scaffolds has been well performed in both intermolecular as well as intramolecular fashions. In comparison to the intermolecular metal (Cu/Ru/Ni) variant of 'Click Chemistry', the intramolecular click tool is little addressed. The intramolecular click chemistry is exemplified as a mordern tool of cyclization which involves metal-catalyzed (CuAAC/RuAAC) cyclization, organo-catalyzed cyclization, and thermal-induced topochemical reaction. Thus, we report herein the recent approaches on intramolecular azide-alkyne cycloaddition 'Click Chemistry' with their wide-spread emerging applications in the developement of a diverse range of molecules including fused-heterocycles, well-defined peptidomemics, and macrocyclic architectures of various notable features.

1-Aminoalkylphosphonium Derivatives: Smart Synthetic Equivalents of N-Acyliminium-Type Cations, and Maybe Something More: A Review

N-acyliminium-type cations are examples of highly reactive intermediates that are willingly used in organic synthesis in intra- or intermolecular α-amidoalkylation reactions. They are usually generated in situ from their corresponding precursors in the presence of acidic catalysts (Brønsted or Lewis acids). In this context, 1-aminoalkyltriarylphosphonium derivatives deserve particular attention. The positively charged phosphonium moiety located in the immediate vicinity of the N-acyl group significantly facilitates Cα-P+ bond breaking, even without the use of catalyst. Moreover, minor structural modifications of 1-aminoalkyltriarylphosphonium derivatives make it possible to modulate their reactivity in a simple way. Therefore, these types of compounds can be considered as smart synthetic equivalents of N-acyliminium-type cations. This review intends to familiarize a wide audience with the unique properties of 1-aminoalkyltriarylphosphonium derivatives and encourage their wider use in organic synthesis. Hence, the most important methods for the preparation of 1-aminoalkyltriarylphosphonium salts, as well as the area of their potential synthetic utilization, are demonstrated. In particular, the structure-reactivity correlations for the phosphonium salts are discussed. It was shown that 1-aminoalkyltriarylphosphonium salts are not only an interesting alternative to other α-amidoalkylating agents but also can be used in such important transformations as the Wittig reaction or heterocyclizations. Finally, the prospects and limitations of their further applications in synthesis and medicinal chemistry were considered.

Design of new bis-triazolyl structure for identification of inhibitory activity on COVID-19 main protease by molecular docking approach

In the rapidly growing COVID-19 pandemic, designing of new drugs and evaluating their inhibitory action against main targets of corona virus could be an effective strategy to accelerate the drug discovery process and their efficacy towards corona virus disease. Herein, we design new bis-triazolyl probe for an investigation of inhibitory activity towards COVID-19 main protease by Molecular docking approach. The formulated compound has been thoroughly characterized by elemental analysis, NMR (¹H and ¹³C) and complete structure elucidation was achieved via X-ray crystallography. Docking study reveals that newly synthesized compound confers good inhibitory response to COVID-19 main protease as supported by calculated docking score and binding energy. Strong hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions of the newly synthesized compound with several important amino acids of the main protease also helps to explain the potency of the compound to inhibit the main protease. We hope that the present study would help the researcher in the field of Medicinal chemistry and to develop potential drug against the novel corona virus.

Synthesis, Characterization, Antiproliferative Activity of Galloyl Derivatives and Investigation of Cytotoxic Properties in HepG2/C3A cells

BACKGROUND

Appropriate substituents in the galloyl group could lead to significant biological properties.

OBJECTIVE

Novel galloyl-substituted compounds bearing 2-substituted-1,3,4-oxadiazol-5-yl, 5-substituted-1,2,4-triazol-3-yl, and carboxamide groups were synthesized and evaluated for their antiproliferative activity. Additionally, galloyl hydrazide (2) was evaluated by performing cytotoxicity, membrane integrity, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays in HepG2/C3A cells.

METHOD

General procedure was used for the synthesis of galloyl-substituted (3-9, 11) and characterized by their spectroscopic data (1H and 13C NMR). The antiproliferative activity of all novel galloyl derivatives was evaluated against nine human tumors and one nontumoral cell line. Three response parameters (GI50, TGI, and LC50) were calculated. The cytotoxicity test was performed for the resazurin assay. The membrane integrity, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays were performed by flow cytometry.

RESULTS

The substitution of the methoxy group of the galloyl ring system for a carboxamide group (3, 4, 5, and 6) produced compounds with moderate antitumoral activity, particularly 6, against six human cancer cell lines, K-562, PC-3, NCI-ADR/RES, OVCAR, 786-0 and NCI-H460, with GI50 values ≤ 9.45 µg/mL. Triazole derivatives 7 and 8 exhibited higher antitumoral activity toward OVCAR, MCF-7 and leukemia K-562 cell lines, exhibiting GI50 values less than 10 µg/mL. Compound 11 displayed significant activity against PC-3 (GI50 = 4.31 µg/mL), OVCAR (GI50 = 8.84 µg/mL) and K-562 (GI50 = 8.80 µg/mL) cell lines. Galloyl hydrazide (2) had cytotoxic activity in HepG2/C3A cells (IC50 = 153.7 µg/mL). In membrane permeability, cell count, cell cycle, and apoptosis assays, as determined using the IC50 of compound (2) in HepG2/C3A cells, increased membrane permeability, decreased cell count, altered cell cycle, and initial apoptosis was observed compared to the control group.

CONCLUSION

Thus, our results showed for the first time the synthesis, antiproliferative activity, and cytotoxicity of galloyl-substituted compounds. Galloyl-substitution does not have a very strong synergistic effect in the inhibition of cancer cell proliferation compared with galloyl hydrazide (2). Compound 2 demonstrated promising activity in HepG2/C3A hepatocarcinoma cells.

CDATA[Recent Advances in the Development of 1,2,3-Triazole-containing Derivatives as Potential Antifungal Agents and Inhibitors of Lanoster ol 14α-Demethylase

1,2,3-Triazole, a five-membered heterocyclic nucleus, is widely recognized as a key chromophore of great value in medicinal chemistry for delivering compounds possessing innumerable biological activities, including antimicrobial, antitubercular, antidiabetic, antiviral, antitumor, antioxidants, and anti-inflammatory activities. Mainly, in the past years, diverse conjugates carrying this biologically valuable core have been reported due to their attractive fungicidal potential and potent effects on various infective targets. Hence, hybridization of 1,2,3-triazole with other antimicrobial pharmacophores appears to be a judicious strategy to develop new effective anti-fungal candidates to combat the emergence of drug-sensitive and drug-resistant infectious diseases. Thus, the current review highlights the recent advances of this promising category of 1,2,3-triazole-containing hybrids incorporating diverse varieties of bioactive heterocycles such as conozole, coumarin, imidazole, benzimidazole, pyrazole, indole, oxindole, chromene, pyrane, quinazoline, chalcone, isoflavone, carbohydrates, and amides. It underlies their inhibition behavior against a wide array of infectious fungal species during 2015-2020.

Urea-Peptide Hybrids as VEGF-A165/NRP-1 Complex Inhibitors with Improved Receptor Affinity and Biological Properties

Neuropilin-1 (NRP-1), the major co-receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2), may also independently act with VEGF-A₁₆₅ to stimulate tumour growth and metastasis. Therefore, there is great interest in compounds that can block VEGF-A165/NRP-1 interaction. Peptidomimetic type inhibitors represent a promising strategy in the treatment of NRP-1-related disorders. Here, we present the synthesis, affinity, enzymatic stability, molecular modeling and in vitro binding evaluation of the branched urea–peptide hybrids, based on our previously reported Lys(hArg)-Dab-Oic-Arg active sequence, where the Lys(hArg) branching has been modified by introducing urea units to replace the peptide bond at various positions. One of the resulting hybrids increased the affinity of the compound for NRP-1 more than 10-fold, while simultaneously improving resistance for proteolytic stability in serum. In addition, ligand binding to NRP-1 induced rapid protein stock exocytotic trafficking to the plasma membrane in breast cancer cells. Examined properties characterize this compound as a good candidate for further development of VEGF₁₆₅/NRP-1 inhibitors.

Michaelis-Arbuzov-Type Reaction of 1-Imidoalkyltriarylphosphonium Salts with Selected Phosphorus Nucleophiles

In this study, Michaelis-Arbuzov-type reaction of 1-imidoalkyltriarylphosphonium salts with phosphites, phosphonites, and phosphinites was used in the synthesis of a wide range of phosphorus analogs of α-amino acids such as 1-imidoalkylphosphonates, 1-imidoalkylphosphinates, and 1-imidoalkylphosphine oxides. Large differences were observed in the reactivity of substrates depending on their structure, especially on the type of phosphonium moiety and N-protecting group. The conditions under which the expected products can be obtained in good to excellent yields have been developed. Mechanistic aspects of the transformation have been provided.

Urea moiety as amide bond mimetic in peptide-like inhibitors of VEGF-A165/NRP-1 complex

NRP-1 is an important co-receptor of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-2 (VEGFR-2). Many reports suggested that NRP-1 might also serve as a separate receptor for VEGF-A₁₆₅ causing stimulation of tumour growth and metastasis. Therefore, compounds interfering with VEGF-A₁₆₅/NRP-1 complex triggered interest in the design of new molecules, including peptides, as anti-angiogenic and anti-tumour drugs. Here, we report the synthesis, affinity and stability evaluation of the urea-peptide hybrids, based on general Lys(hArg)-AA²-AA³-Arg sequence, where hArg residue was substituted by Arg urea unit. Such substitution does not substantially affected affinity of compounds for NRP-1 but significantly increased their proteolytic stability in plasma.

Heteroaryl Rings in Peptide Macrocycles

This Review is devoted to the chemistry of macrocyclic peptides having heterocyclic fragments in their structure. These motifs are present in many natural products and synthetic macrocycles designed against a particular biochemical target. Thiazole and oxazole are particularly common constituents of naturally occurring macrocyclic peptide molecules. This frequency of occurrence is because the thiazole and oxazole rings originate from cysteine, serine, and threonine residues. Whereas other heteroaryl groups are found less frequently, they offer many insightful lessons that range from conformational control to receptor/ligand interactions. Many options to develop new and improved technologies to prepare natural products have appeared in recent years, and the synthetic community has been pursuing synthetic macrocycles that have no precedent in nature. This Review attempts to summarize progress in this area.

Octreotide Conjugates for Tumor Targeting and Imaging

Tumor targeting has emerged as an advantageous approach to improving the efficacy and safety of cytotoxic agents or radiolabeled ligands that do not preferentially accumulate in the tumor tissue. The somatostatin receptors (SSTRs) belong to the G-protein-coupled receptor superfamily and they are overexpressed in many neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). SSTRs can be efficiently targeted with octreotide, a cyclic octapeptide that is derived from native somatostatin. The conjugation of cargoes to octreotide represents an attractive approach for effective tumor targeting. In this study, we conjugated octreotide to cryptophycin, which is a highly cytotoxic depsipeptide, through the protease cleavable Val-Cit dipeptide linker using two different self-immolative moieties. The biological activity was investigated in vitro and the self-immolative part largely influenced the stability of the conjugates. Replacement of cryptophycin by the infrared cyanine dye Cy5.5 was exploited to elucidate the tumor targeting properties of the conjugates in vitro and in vivo. The compound efficiently and selectively internalized in cells overexpressing SSTR2 and accumulated in xenografts for a prolonged time. Our results on the in vivo properties indicate that octreotide may serve as an efficient delivery vehicle for tumor targeting.

1,4-Disubstituted 1H-1,2,3-Triazole Containing Peptidotriazolamers: A New Class of Peptidomimetics With Interesting Foldamer Properties

Peptidotriazolamers are hybrid foldamers with features of peptides and triazolamers, containing alternation of amide bonds and 1,4-disubstituted 1H-1,2,3-triazoles with conservation of the amino acid side chains. We report on the synthesis of a new class of peptidomimetics, containing 1,4-disubstituted 1H-1,2,3-triazoles in alternation with amide bonds and the elucidation of their conformational properties in solution. Based on enantiomerically pure propargylamines bearing the stereogenic center in the propargylic position and α-azido esters, building blocks were obtained by copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition. With these building blocks the peptidotriazolamers were readily available by solution phase synthesis. A panel of homo- and heterochiral tetramers, hexamers, and heptamers was synthesized and the heptamer Boc-Ala-Val-Ψ[4Tz]Phe-LeuΨ[4Tz]Phe-LeuΨ[4Tz]Val-OAll as well as an heterochiral and a Gly-containing equivalent were structurally characterized by NMR-based molecular dynamics simulations using a specifically tailored force field to determine their conformational and solvation properties. All three variants adopt a compact folded conformation in DMSO as well as in water. In addition to the heptamers we predicted the conformational behavior of similar longer oligomers i.e., Boc-Ala-(AlaΨ[4Tz]Ala)₆-OAll as well as Boc-Ala-(d-AlaΨ[4Tz]Ala)₆-OAll and Boc-Ala-(GlyΨ[4Tz]Ala)₆-OAll. Our calculations predict a clear secondary structure of the first two molecules in DMSO that collapses in water due to the hydrophobic character of the side chains. The homochiral compound folds into a regular helical structure and the heterochiral one shows a twisted “S”-shape, while the Gly variant exhibits no clear secondary structure.

How are 1,2,3-triazoles accommodated in helical secondary structures?

1,4-Disubstituted-1,2,3-triazole (Tz) is widely used in peptides as a trans-amide bond mimic, despite having hazardous effects on the native peptide activity. The impact of amide bond substitution by Tz on peptide secondary structures is scarcely documented. We performed a Tz scan, by systematically replacing peptide bonds following the Aib residues with Tz on two model peptaibols: alamethicin F50/5 and bergofungin D, which adopt stable α- and 310 helices, respectively. We observed that the Tz insertion, whatever its position in the peptide sequences, abolished their antimicrobial activity. The structural consequences of this insertion were further investigated using CD, NMR and X-ray diffraction. Importantly, five crystal structures that were incorporated with Tz were solved, showing various degrees of alteration of the helical structures, from minor structural perturbation of the helix to partial disorder. Together, these results showed that Tz insertions impair helical secondary structures.

pDobz/pDobb protected diaminodiacid as a novel building block for peptide disulfide-bond mimic synthesis

The diaminodiacid strategy has been widely studied in the chemical synthesis of peptide disulfide bond mimics. Diaminodiacid building blocks, which are key intermediates, are currently under the spotlight. However, one technical bottleneck inherent in existing building blocks is the contamination problem caused by the heavy metal reagents during the deprotection process, which makes the peptides less suitable for pharmaceutical use. Herein, we describe the successful development of a p-dihydroxyborylbenzyloxycarbonyl pinacol ester (pDobz)- and p-dihydroxyborylbenzyl pinacol ester (pDobb)-based novel diaminodiacid building block that can be easily deprotected via mild treatment with amine oxide. Its efficiency and practicability were also confirmed by the total synthesis of contryphan-Vn disulfide bond mimic. The results suggested that this novel diaminodiacid building block has satisfactory Fmoc SPPS compatibility, yet only required a facile, rapid, and metal-free deprotection process. We believe this novel diaminodiacid building block could promote further development of the diaminodiacid strategy.

The total synthesis of a contryphan-Vn disulfide bond mimic utilizing a novel pDobz/pDobb based diaminodiacid building block via the diaminodiacid strategy.

Novel unit B cryptophycin analogues as payloads for targeted therapy

Cryptophycins are naturally occurring cytotoxins with great potential for chemotherapy. Since targeted therapy provides new perspectives for treatment of cancer, new potent analogues of cytotoxic agents containing functional groups for conjugation to homing devices are required. We describe the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of three new unit B cryptophycin analogues. The O-methyl group of the unit B D-tyrosine analogue was replaced by an O-(allyloxyethyl) moiety, an O-(hydroxyethyl) group, or an O-(((azidoethoxy)ethoxy)ethoyxethyl) substituent. While the former two maintain cytotoxicity in the subnanomolar range, the attachment of the triethylene glycol spacer with a terminal azide results in a complete loss of activity. Docking studies of the novel cryptophycin analogues to β-tubulin provided a rationale for the observed cytotoxicities.

Amber-Compatible Parametrization Procedure for Peptide-like Compounds: Application to 1,4- and 1,5-Substituted Triazole-Based Peptidomimetics

Peptidomimetics are molecules of particular interest in the context of drug design and development. They are proteolytically and metabolically more stable than their natural peptide counterparts but still offer high specificity toward their biological targets. In recent years, 1,4- and 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazole-based peptidomimetics have emerged as promising lead compounds for the design of various inhibitory and tumor-targeting molecules as well as for the synthesis of peptide analogues. The growing popularity of triazole-based peptidomimetics and a constantly broadening range of their application generated a demand for elaborate theoretical investigations by classical molecular dynamics simulations and molecular docking. Despite this rising interest, accurate and coherent force field parameters for triazole-based peptidomimetics are still lacking. Here, we report the first complete set of parameters dedicated to this group of compounds, named TZLff. This parametrization is compatible with the latest version of the AMBER force field (ff14SB) and can be readily applied for the modeling of pure triazole-based peptidomimetics as well as natural peptide sequences containing one or more triazole-based modifications in their backbone. The parameters were optimized to reproduce HF/6-31G* electrostatic potentials as well as MP2/cc-pVTZ equilibrium Hessian matrices and conformational potential energy surfaces through the use of a genetic algorithm-based search and least-squares fitting. Following the standards of AMBER, we introduce residue building units, thus allowing the user to define any given sequence of triazole-based peptidomimetics. Validation of the parameter set against ab initio- and NMR-based reference systems shows that we obtain fairly accurate results, which properly capture the conformational features of triazole-based peptidomimetics. The successful and efficient parametrization strategy developed in this work is general enough to be applied in a straightforward manner for parametrization of other peptidomimetics and, potentially, any polymeric assemblies.

1,5-Disubstituted 1,2,3-Triazole-Containing Peptidotriazolamers: Design Principles for a Class of Versatile Peptidomimetics

Peptidotriazolamers are hybrid foldamers combining features of peptides and triazolamers-repetitive peptidomimetic structures with triazoles replacing peptide bonds. We report on the synthesis of a new class of peptidomimetics, containing 1,5-disubstituted 1,2,3-triazoles in an alternating fashion with amide bonds and the analysis of their conformation in solid state and solution. Homo- or heterochiral peptidotriazolamers were obtained from enantiomerically pure propargylamines with stereogenic centers in the propargylic position and α-azido esters by ruthenium-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition (RuAAC) under microwave conditions in high yields. With such building blocks the peptidotriazolamers are readily available by solution phase synthesis. While the conformation of the homochiral peptidotriazolamer Boc-Ala[5Tz]Phe-Val[5Tz]Ala-Leu[5Tz]Val-OBzl resembles that of a β VIa1 turn, the heterochiral peptidotriazolamer Boc-d-Ala[5Tz]Phe-d-Val[5Tz]Ala-d-Leu[5Tz]Val-OBzl adopts a polyproline-like repetitive structure.

Asymmetric synthesis of propargylamines as amino acid surrogates in peptidomimetics

The amide moiety of peptides can be replaced for example by a triazole moiety, which is considered to be bioisosteric. Therefore, the carbonyl moiety of an amino acid has to be replaced by an alkyne in order to provide a precursor of such peptidomimetics. As most amino acids have a chiral center at Cα, such amide bond surrogates need a chiral moiety. Here the asymmetric synthesis of a set of 24 N-sulfinyl propargylamines is presented. The condensation of various aldehydes with Ellman's chiral sulfinamide provides chiral N-sulfinylimines, which were reacted with (trimethylsilyl)ethynyllithium to afford diastereomerically pure N-sulfinyl propargylamines. Diverse functional groups present in the propargylic position resemble the side chain present at the Cα of amino acids. Whereas propargylamines with (cyclo)alkyl substituents can be prepared in a direct manner, residues with polar functional groups require suitable protective groups. The presence of particular functional groups in the side chain in some cases leads to remarkable side reactions of the alkyne moiety. Thus, electron-withdrawing substituents in the Cα-position facilitate a base induced rearrangement to α,β-unsaturated imines, while azide-substituted propargylamines form triazoles under surprisingly mild conditions. A panel of propargylamines bearing fluoro or chloro substituents, polar functional groups, or basic and acidic functional groups is accessible for the use as precursors of peptidomimetics.

Exploring the Sponge Consortium Plakortis symbiotica-Xestospongia deweerdtae as a Potential Source of Antimicrobial Compounds and Probing the Pharmacophore for Antituberculosis Activity of Smenothiazole A by Diverted Total Synthesis

Fractionation of the bioactive CHCl₃-MeOH (1:1) extracts obtained from two collections of the sponge consortium Plakortis symbiotica-Xestospongia deweerdtae from Puerto Rico provided two new plakinidone analogues, designated as plakinidone B (2) and plakinidone C (3), as well as the known plakinidone (1), plakortolide F (4), and smenothiazole A (5). The structures of 1-5 were characterized on the basis of 1D and 2D NMR spectroscopic, IR, UV, and HRMS analysis. The absolute configurations of plakinidones 2 and 3 were established through chemical correlation methods, VCD/ECD experiments, and spectroscopic data comparisons. When assayed in vitro against Mycobacterium tuberculosis H₃₇Rv, none of the plakinidones 1-3 displayed significant activity, whereas smenothiazole A (5) was the most active compound, exhibiting an MIC value of 4.1 μg/mL. Synthesis and subsequent biological screening of 8, a dechlorinated version of smenothiazole A, revealed that the chlorine atom in 5 is indispensable for anti-TB activity.

Tubulin Inhibitor-Based Antibody-Drug Conjugates for Cancer Therapy

Antibody-drug conjugates (ADCs) are a class of highly potent biopharmaceutical drugs generated by conjugating cytotoxic drugs with specific monoclonal antibodies through appropriate linkers. Specific antibodies used to guide potent warheads to tumor tissues can effectively reduce undesired side effects of the cytotoxic drugs. An in-depth understanding of antibodies, linkers, conjugation strategies, cytotoxic drugs, and their molecular targets has led to the successful development of several approved ADCs. These ADCs are powerful therapeutics for cancer treatment, enabling wider therapeutic windows, improved pharmacokinetic/pharmacodynamic properties, and enhanced efficacy. Since tubulin inhibitors are one of the most successful cytotoxic drugs in the ADC armamentarium, this review focuses on the progress in tubulin inhibitor-based ADCs, as well as lessons learned from the unsuccessful ADCs containing tubulin inhibitors. This review should be helpful to facilitate future development of new generations of tubulin inhibitor-based ADCs for cancer therapy.

The 1,2,3-triazole ring as a bioisostere in medicinal chemistry

1,2,3-Triazole is a well-known scaffold that has a widespread occurrence in different compounds characterized by several bioactivities, such as antimicrobial, antiviral, and antitumor effects. Moreover, the structural features of 1,2,3-triazole enable it to mimic different functional groups, justifying its wide use as a bioisostere for the synthesis of new active molecules. Here, we provide an overview of the 1,2,3-triazole ring as a bioisostere for the design of drug analogs, highlighting relevant recent examples.

Cryptophycins: cytotoxic cyclodepsipeptides with potential for tumor targeting

Cryptophycins are a class of 16-membered highly cytotoxic macrocyclic depsipeptides isolated from cyanobacteria. The biological activity is based on their ability to interact with tubulin. They interfere with microtubule dynamics and prevent microtubules from forming correct mitotic spindles, which causes cell-cycle arrest and apoptosis. Their strong antiproliferative activities with 100-fold to 1000-fold potency compared with those of paclitaxel and vinblastine have been observed. Cryptophycins are highly promising drug candidates, as their biological activity is not negatively affected by P-glycoprotein, a drug efflux system commonly found in multidrug-resistant cancer cell lines and solid tumors. Cryptophycin-52 had been investigated in phase II clinical trials but failed because of its high neurotoxicity. Recently, cryptophycin conjugates with peptides and antibodies have been developed for targeted delivery in tumor therapy. Copyright © 2017 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Medicinal attributes of 1,2,3-triazoles: Current developments

1,2,3-Triazoles are important five-membered heterocyclic scaffold due to their extensive biological activities. This framework can be readily obtained in good to excellent yields on the multigram scale through click chemistry via reaction of aryl/alkyl halides, alkynes and NaN₃ under ambient conditions. It has been an emerging area of interest for many researchers throughout the globe owing to its immense pharmacological scope. The present work aims to summarize the current approaches adopted for the synthesis of the 1,2,3-triazole and medicinal significance of these architectures as a lead structure for the discovery of drug molecules such as COX-1/COX-2 inhibitors (celecoxib, pyrazofurin), HIV protease inhibitors, CB1 cannabinoid receptor antagonist and much more which are in the pipeline of clinical trials. The emphasis has been given on the major advancements in the medicinal prospectus of this pharmacophore for the period during 2008-2016.

Macrocyclic Peptidomimetics Prepared by Ring-Closing Metathesis and Azide–Alkyne Cycloaddition

Macrocycles are finding increasing use as a means to define the backbone geometries of peptides and peptidomimetics. Ring-closing metathesis and CuI-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition are particularly useful for introducing such rings and they do so in high yield and with a good functional group tolerance and compatibility. Here, we present an overview of the use of these two methods, with reference to selected examples and particular reference to β-strand peptidomimetics for use as protease inhibitors.

The click-compatible sugar 6-deoxy-alkynyl glucose metabolically incorporates into Arabidopsis root hair tips and arrests their growth

Plant cell walls are dynamic structures whose polysaccharide components are rearranged and recycled during growth and morphogenesis. Covalent fluorescent tagging of these polysaccharides following a metabolic labeling approach can help elucidate these changes. Herein reported are the synthesis and seedling-incorporation of a plant polysaccharide chemical reporter, 6-deoxy-alkynyl glucose (6dAG), that is modeled on D-glucose. Whereas fucose-alkyne, a previously reported chemical reporter for pectin, incorporates diffusely throughout growing cell walls, 6dAG incorporated specifically into root hair tips. This incorporation occurs in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. 6dAG exposure both induces and colocalizes with callose deposition in this tissue, and arrests both root hair and root growth. These results show that plants can incorporate an additional alkynyl-modified sugar analog into their metabolism, and into a discrete subcellular location.

A diversity-oriented synthesis strategy enabling the combinatorial-type variation of macrocyclic peptidomimetic scaffolds

Macrocyclic peptidomimetics are associated with a broad range of biological activities. However, despite such potentially valuable properties, the macrocyclic peptidomimetic structural class is generally considered as being poorly explored within drug discovery. This has been attributed to the lack of general methods for producing collections of macrocyclic peptidomimetics with high levels of structural, and thus shape, diversity. In particular, there is a lack of scaffold diversity in current macrocyclic peptidomimetic libraries; indeed, the efficient construction of diverse molecular scaffolds presents a formidable general challenge to the synthetic chemist. Herein we describe a new, advanced strategy for the diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) of macrocyclic peptidomimetics that enables the combinatorial variation of molecular scaffolds (core macrocyclic ring architectures). The generality and robustness of this DOS strategy is demonstrated by the step-efficient synthesis of a structurally diverse library of over 200 macrocyclic peptidomimetic compounds, each based around a distinct molecular scaffold and isolated in milligram quantities, from readily available building-blocks. To the best of our knowledge this represents an unprecedented level of scaffold diversity in a synthetically derived library of macrocyclic peptidomimetics. Cheminformatic analysis indicated that the library compounds access regions of chemical space that are distinct from those addressed by top-selling brand-name drugs and macrocyclic natural products, illustrating the value of our DOS approach to sample regions of chemical space underexploited in current drug discovery efforts. An analysis of three-dimensional molecular shapes illustrated that the DOS library has a relatively high level of shape diversity.

4-Aryl-Pyrimidin-2-Yl Tosylates as Efficient Reaction Partners: Application to the Synthesis of Pyrimidines Functionalised with Propargyloxy and 1,2,3-Triazolo Groups

The 4-arylated pyrimidin-2-yl tosylate derivatives, easily prepared from cheap commercial materials, reacted efficiently with propargyl alcohol/NaOBut to give the corresponding 4-arylated 2-propargyloxy-pyrimidine derivatives which, in a one-pot reaction catalysed by CuSO4·5H2O/sodium ascorbate, reacted with NaN3 and hexyl or benzyl bromide to give a series of 2-(1-hexyl- or 1-benzyl-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy-pyrimidine derivatives in good yields.

Design and synthesis of anti-cancer cyclopeptides containing triazole skeleton

We describe the design and synthesis of some hypothetical heptapeptides specifically to overcome the neoplastic activity of ras oncogene and their anti-cancer activities were studied. To improve the anti-cancer activity of the synthesized peptides, their structure modifications were done based on a sequential Ugi/Huisgen 1,3-Dipolar cyclization reaction. The cyclopeptides which contained triazole skeleton showed significant anti-cancer activity against cancer cells with mutated ras oncogene such as A549, PC3 and C26 cells. This study clearly shows the importance of triazole skeleton in biological activity of the peptides. It might be possible to overcome the difficulties involved in making complex peptides by employing this elegant chemistry.

Macrocyclic drugs and synthetic methodologies toward macrocycles

Macrocyclic scaffolds are commonly found in bioactive natural products and pharmaceutical molecules. So far, a large number of macrocyclic natural products have been isolated and synthesized. The construction of macrocycles is generally considered as a crucial and challenging step in the synthesis of macrocyclic natural products. Over the last several decades, numerous efforts have been undertaken toward the synthesis of complex naturally occurring macrocycles and great progresses have been made to advance the field of total synthesis. The commonly used synthetic methodologies toward macrocyclization include macrolactonization, macrolactamization, transition metal-catalyzed cross coupling, ring-closing metathesis, and click reaction, among others. Selected recent examples of macrocyclic synthesis of natural products and druglike macrocycles with significant biological relevance are highlighted in each class. The primary goal of this review is to summarize currently used macrocyclic drugs, highlight the therapeutic potential of this underexplored drug class and outline the general synthetic methodologies for the synthesis of macrocycles.

Conjugates of modified cryptophycins and RGD-peptides enter target cells by endocytosis

Tumor targeting anticancer drug conjugates that contain a tumor recognition motif (homing device) are of high current relevance. Cryptophycins, naturally occurring cytotoxic cyclo-depsipeptides, have been modified by total synthesis to provide analogues suitable for conjugation to peptide-based homing devices. An array of functionalized β(2)-amino acids was synthesized and incorporated into cryptophycins. All analogues proved to be highly active in the cytotoxicity assay using the human cervix carcinoma cell line KB-3-1 and its multidrug-resistant subclone KB-V1. Conformational analysis of cryptophycin-52 and two synthetic analogues was performed by NMR and MD methods to obtain information on the influence of the unit C configuration on the overall conformation. An azide-functionalized cryptophycin was connected by CuAAC to an alkyne-containing fluorescently labeled cyclic RGD-peptide as the homing device for internalization studies. Confocal fluorescence microscopy proved integrin-mediated internalization by endocytosis and final lysosomal localization of the cryptophycin prodrug.

Total synthesis and biological evaluation of fluorinated cryptophycins

Cryptophycins are cytotoxic natural products that exhibit considerable activities even against multi-drug-resistant tumor cell lines. As fluorinated pharmaceuticals have become more and more important during the past decades, fluorine-functionalized cryptophycins were synthesized and evaluated in cell-based cytotoxicity assays. The unit A trifluoromethyl-modified cryptophycin proved to be highly active against KB-3-1 cells and exhibited an IC(50) value in the low picomolar range. However, the replacement of the 3-chloro-4-methoxyphenyl-substituent in unit B by a pentafluorophenyl moiety resulted in a significant loss of activity.