Tedanolide and the evolution of polyketide inhibitors of eukaryotic protein synthesis

Development of the Synthesis of Desepoxy-Tedanolide C

We are presenting the development of our route for the total synthesis of desepoxy-tedanolide C. Through the obtained analytical data, the proposed structure of tedanolide C is questioned and a different configuration for this natural product is proposed. Key steps of the synthesis are a Kiyooka aldol reaction that builds up the tertiary alcohol flanked by three oxygenated carbon atoms and two aldol reactions used for fragment couplings. A Julia-Kocienski olefination was used for installation of the side chain. Besides the successful synthesis, the development for the protecting group setup of the southwestern hemisphere is described in detail as well as another retrosynthetic attempt for building up the target molecule.

Mukaiyama aldol reaction: an effective asymmetric approach to access chiral natural products and their derivatives/analogues

The Mukaiyama aldol reaction is generally a Lewis-acid catalyzed cross-aldol reaction between an aldehyde or ketone and silyl enol ether. It was first described by Mukaiyama in 1973, almost 5 decades ago, to achieve the enantioselective synthesis of β-hydroxy carbonyl compounds in high percentage yields. Mukaiyama aldol adducts play a pivotal role in the synthesis of various naturally occurring and medicinally important organic compounds such as polyketides, alkaloids, macrolides, etc. This review highlights the significance of the Mukaiyama aldol reaction towards the asymmetric synthesis of a wide range of biologically active natural products reported recently (since 2020).

An Overview on Antimicrobial Potential of Edible Terrestrial Plants and Marine Macroalgae Rhodophyta and Chlorophyta Extracts

Antibiotics are used to prevent and treat bacterial infections. After a prolonged use of antibiotics, it may happen that bacteria adapt to their presence, developing antibiotic resistance and bringing up health complications. Nowadays, antibiotic resistance is one of the biggest threats to global health and food security; therefore, scientists have been searching for new classes of antibiotic compounds which naturally express antimicrobial activity. In recent decades, research has been focused on the extraction of plant compounds to treat microbial infections. Plants are potential sources of biological compounds that express several biological functions beneficial for our organism, including antimicrobial activity. The high variety of compounds of natural origin makes it possible to have a great bioavailability of antibacterial molecules to prevent different infections. The antimicrobial activity of marine plants, also called seaweeds or macroalgae, for both Gram-positive and Gram-negative, and several other strains infective for humans, has been proven. The present review presents research focused on the extraction of antimicrobial compounds from red and green macroalgae (domain Eukarya, kingdom Plantae). Nevertheless, further research is needed to verify the action of macroalgae compounds against bacteria in vitro and in vivo, to be involved in the production of safe and novel antibiotics.

Natural products targeting the elongation phase of eukaryotic protein biosynthesis

Covering: 2000 to 2020 The translation of mRNA into proteins is a precisely regulated, complex process that can be divided into three main stages, i.e. initiation, elongation, termination, and recycling. This contribution is intended to highlight how natural products interfere with the elongation phase of eukaryotic protein biosynthesis. Cycloheximide, isolated from Streptomyces griseus, has long been the prototype inhibitor of eukaryotic translation elongation. In the last three decades, a variety of natural products from different origins were discovered to also address the elongation step in different manners, including interference with the elongation factors eEF1 and eEF2 as well as binding to A-, P- or E-sites of the ribosome itself. Recent advances in the crystallization of the ribosomal machinery together with natural product inhibitors allowed characterizing similarities as well as differences in their mode of action. Since aberrations in protein synthesis are commonly observed in tumors, and malfunction or overexpression of translation factors can cause cellular transformation, the protein synthesis machinery has been realized as an attractive target for anticancer drugs. The therapeutic use of the first natural products that reached market approval, plitidepsin (Aplidin®) and homoharringtonine (Synribo®), will be introduced. In addition, we will highlight two other potential indications for translation elongation inhibitors, i.e. viral infections and genetic disorders caused by premature termination of translation.

A Quick Guide to Small-Molecule Inhibitors of Eukaryotic Protein Synthesis

Eukaryotic ribosome and cap-dependent translation are attractive targets in the antitumor, antiviral, anti-inflammatory, and antiparasitic therapies. Currently, a broad array of small-molecule drugs is known that specifically inhibit protein synthesis in eukaryotic cells. Many of them are well-studied ribosome-targeting antibiotics that block translocation, the peptidyl transferase center or the polypeptide exit tunnel, modulate the binding of translation machinery components to the ribosome, and induce miscoding, premature termination or stop codon readthrough. Such inhibitors are widely used as anticancer, anthelmintic and antifungal agents in medicine, as well as fungicides in agriculture. Chemicals that affect the accuracy of stop codon recognition are promising drugs for the nonsense suppression therapy of hereditary diseases and restoration of tumor suppressor function in cancer cells. Other compounds inhibit aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases, translation factors, and components of translation-associated signaling pathways, including mTOR kinase. Some of them have antidepressant, immunosuppressive and geroprotective properties. Translation inhibitors are also used in research for gene expression analysis by ribosome profiling, as well as in cell culture techniques. In this article, we review well-studied and less known inhibitors of eukaryotic protein synthesis (with the exception of mitochondrial and plastid translation) classified by their targets and briefly describe the action mechanisms of these compounds. We also present a continuously updated database (http://eupsic.belozersky.msu.ru/) that currently contains information on 370 inhibitors of eukaryotic protein synthesis.

Synthesis of Desepoxy-Tedanolide C

The synthesis of desepoxy‐tedanolide C was accomplished and provided experimental evidence on the configuration of tedanolide C. The reported chemical shifts and coupling constants point to a configuration different from the published structure and analogous to the structures of the other members of this family of natural products. The key step is a Kiyooka aldol protocol for the stereoselective synthesis of the tertiary alcohol flanked by three additional oxygenated carbon atoms. Furthermore, two additional aldol reactions and a Julia–Kocienski olefination were used to assemble the carbon framework.

From Ocean to Medicine: Pharmaceutical Applications of Metabolites from Marine Bacteria

Oceans cover seventy percent of the planet's surface and besides being an immense reservoir of biological life, they serve as vital sources for human sustenance, tourism, transport and commerce. Yet, it is estimated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) that eighty percent of the oceans remain unexplored. The untapped biological resources present in oceans may be fundamental in solving several of the world's public health crises of the 21st century, which span from the rise of antibiotic resistance in bacteria, pathogenic fungi and parasites, to the rise of cancer incidence and viral infection outbreaks. In this review, health risks as well as how marine bacterial derived natural products may be tools to fight them will be discussed. Moreover, an overview will be made of the research pipeline of novel molecules, from identification of bioactive bacterial crude extracts to the isolation and chemical characterization of the molecules within the framework of the One Health approach. This review highlights information that has been published since 2014, showing the current relevance of marine bacteria for the discovery of novel natural products.

Investigations on the mode of action of gephyronic acid, an inhibitor of eukaryotic protein translation from myxobacteria

The identification of inhibitors of eukaryotic protein biosynthesis, which are targeting single translation factors, is highly demanded. Here we report on a small molecule inhibitor, gephyronic acid, isolated from the myxobacterium Archangium gephyra that inhibits growth of transformed mammalian cell lines in the nM range. In direct comparison, primary human fibroblasts were shown to be less sensitive to toxic effects of gephyronic acid than cancer-derived cells. Gephyronic acid is targeting the protein translation system. Experiments with IRES dual luciferase reporter assays identified it as an inhibitor of the translation initiation. DARTs approaches, co-localization studies and pull-down assays indicate that the binding partner could be the eukaryotic initiation factor 2 subunit alpha (eIF2α). Gephyronic acid seems to have a different mode of action than the structurally related polyketides tedanolide, myriaporone, and pederin and is a valuable tool for investigating the eukaryotic translation system. Because cancer derived cells were found to be especially sensitive, gephyronic acid could potentially find use as a drug candidate.

Natural products chemistry: The emerging trends and prospective goals

The role and contributions of natural products chemistry in advancements of the physical and biological sciences, its interdisciplinary domains, and emerging of new avenues by providing novel applications, constructive inputs, thrust, comprehensive understanding, broad perspective, and a new vision for future is outlined. The developmental prospects in bio-medical, health, nutrition, and other interrelated sciences along with some of the emerging trends in the subject area are also discussed as part of the current review of the basic and core developments, innovation in techniques, advances in methodology, and possible applications with their effects on the sciences in general and natural products chemistry in particular. The overview of the progress and ongoing developments in broader areas of the natural products chemistry discipline, its role and concurrent economic and scientific implications, contemporary objectives, future prospects as well as impending goals are also outlined. A look at the natural products chemistry in providing scientific progress in various disciplines is deliberated upon.

Studies towards the synthesis of tedanolide C. Construction of the C13-epi C1–C15 fragment

An advanced intermediate on route towards tedanolide C has been synthesized using highly stereoselective substrate-controlled titanium-mediated aldol reactions.

The synthesis and biological evaluation of desepoxyisotedanolide and a comparison with desepoxytedanolide

The tedanolides are biologically active polyketides that exhibit a macrolactone constructed from a primary alcohol. Since polyketidal transformations only generate secondary alcohols, it has been hypothesized by Taylor that this unique lactone could arise from a postketidal transesterification. In order to probe this hypothesis and to investigate the biological profile of the putative precursor of all members of the tedanolide family, we embarked on the synthesis of desepoxyisotedanolide and its biological evaluation in comparison to desepoxytedanolide. The biological experiments unraveled a second target for desepoxytedanolide and provided evidence that the proposed transesterification indeed provides a survival advantage for the producing microorganism.

Regiocontrolled ring opening of monoprotected 2,3-epoxy-1,4-diols using alkynyl aluminum reagents. Synthesis of differentially monoprotected alkynyl triol derivatives

The regioselectivity of the epoxide ring opening reaction of cis and trans TIPS-monoprotected 2,3-epoxy-1,4-diols with diethylalkynyl aluminum reagents was studied. Alane and alanate conditions in toluene or dichloromethane were explored. The alkynyl attack at the C2 epoxide carbon was favored for both, the alane and alanate conditions in toluene, while in dichloromethane the C3 attack was preferred. The best regioselectivities were obtained using the alanate conditions in toluene. This methodology provides access to differentially monoprotected alkynyl triols with high diastereoselectivity. These compounds are useful building bocks for polypropionate synthesis and are precursors for the introduction of the hydroxymethyl moiety found in some polyketide systems.

Elucidation of gephyronic acid biosynthetic pathway revealed unexpected SAM-dependent methylations

Gephyronic acid, a cytostatic polyketide produced by the myxobacterium Cystobacter violaceus Cb vi76, exhibits potent and selective eukaryotic protein synthesis inhibition. Next-generation sequencing of the C. violaceus genome revealed five type I polyketide synthases and post-PKS tailoring enzymes including an O-methyltransferase and a cytochrome P450 monooxygenase. Seven methyltransferase (MT) domains embedded within the PKS subunits were found to install the methyl branches throughout the gephyronic acid skeleton. A rare loading domain from the GNAT superfamily also contains an embedded MT domain that catalyzes the in situ production of an isobutyryl starter unit. Phylogenetic analysis identified new motifs that distinguish MT domains located in PKS pathways with in cis acyltransferase (AT) domains from MT domains located in PKS pathways with trans AT enzymes. The identification of the gene cluster sets the stage for the generation of a heterologous expression system, which will allow further investigation of selective eukaryotic protein synthesis inhibitors through the generation of gephyronic acid analogues.

Lessons from the past and charting the future of marine natural products drug discovery and chemical biology

Marine life forms are an important source of structurally diverse and biologically active secondary metabolites, several of which have inspired the development of new classes of therapeutic agents. These success stories have had to overcome difficulties inherent to natural products-derived drugs, such as adequate sourcing of the agent and issues related to structural complexity. Nevertheless, several marine-derived agents are now approved, most as "first-in-class" drugs, with five of seven appearing in the past few years. Additionally, there is a rich pipeline of clinical and preclinical marine compounds to suggest their continued application in human medicine. Understanding of how these agents are biosynthetically assembled has accelerated in recent years, especially through interdisciplinary approaches, and innovative manipulations and re-engineering of some of these gene clusters are yielding novel agents of enhanced pharmaceutical properties compared with the natural product.

Stereochemically versatile synthesis of the C1-C12 fragment of tedanolide C

A flexible synthesis of the C1-C12 fragment of Tedanolide C has been accomplished in eight steps from 2-methyl-2,4-pentadienal. Asymmetric hydroformylation of a 1,3-diene allows for the late-stage generation of either C10 epimer with complete catalyst control. Diastereoselective addition of an isobutyryl β-ketoester dianion to an α,β-disubstituted chiral aldehyde sets the C5 stereochemistry while installing the geminal dimethyl unit. Differential protection of a syn-1,3-diol is performed as a highly efficient single-pot operation.

A Kiyooka aldol approach for the synthesis of the C(14)-C(23) segment of the diastereomeric analog of tedanolide C

The challenging synthesis of a quaternary center within the highly oxygenated setting of tedanolide C can be performed via a Kiyooka aldol reaction. Here, the diastereomeric analog of tedanolide C with the configurations between C10 and C20 opposite compared to the proposed structure was chosen as the synthetic target. The tetra-substituted silyl ketene acetal provides the southern hemisphere of tedanolide C in useful selectivities, and the absolute configuration of the newly generated quaternary center was determined by NOE experiments of the corresponding acetonide.

Cyclodepsipeptides from marine sponges: natural agents for drug research

A number of natural products from marine sponges, such as cyclodepsipeptides, have been identified. The structural characteristics of this family of cyclic peptides include various unusual amino acid residues and unique N-terminal polyketide-derived moieties. Papuamides are representatives of a class of marine sponge derived cyclic depsipeptides, including callipeltin A, celebesides A and B, homophymine A, mirabamides, microspinosamide, neamphamide A and theopapuamides. They are thought to have cytoprotective activity against HIV-1 in vitro by inhibiting viral entry. Jasplakinolide, a representative member of marine sponge-derived cyclodepsipeptides that include arenastatin A, geodiamolides, homophymines, spongidepsin and theopapuamides, is a potent inducer of actin polymerization in vitro. Although actin dynamics is essential for tumor metasasis, no actin targeting drugs have been used in clinical trials due to their severe cytotoxicity. Nonetheless, the actin cytoskeleton remains a potential target for anti-cancer drug development. These features imply the use of cyclodepsipeptides as molecular models in drug research.