An Amination-Cyclization Cascade Reaction for Iminosugar Synthesis Using Minimal Protecting Groups

The development of a one-step amination-cyclization cascade reaction for the synthesis of N-substituted iminosugars from iodo-pentoses and hexoses is reported. This novel methodology allows for the stereoselective conversion of easily accessible iodo-aldoses and iodo-ketoses into iminosugars in a single step, in highly efficient yields (63-95%), and in aqueous media. Furthermore, the use of functionalized amines allows for the synthesis of N-functionalized iminosugars without additional steps. To illustrate this methodology, a number of biologically important iminosugars were prepared, including 1-deoxynojirimycin, (3S,4R,5S,6R)-azepane-3,4,5,6-tetraol, and N-functionalized 1-deoxymannojirimycins.

Design and synthesis of novel benzimidazole-iminosugars linked a substituted phenyl group and their inhibitory activities against β-glucosidase

A series of novel benzimidazole-iminosugars linked a (substuituted) phenyl group on benzene ring of benzimidazole 5(a-p) and 6(a-p) have been rationally designed and conveniently synthesized through Suzuki coupling reaction in high yields. All compounds have been evaluated for their inhibitory activities against β-glucosidase (almond). Six compounds 5d, 6d, 6e, 6i, 6n, and 6p showed more significant inhibitory activities with IC₅₀ values in the range of 0.03-0.08 μM, almost 10-fold improved than that of the parent analogue 4, and much higher than that of the positive control castanospermine. The additional phenyl ring and the electron donating groups on it would be beneficial for the activity. Compounds 6d, 6n, and 4 had been chosen to be tested for their inhibition types against β-glucosidase. Interestingly, three compounds have different inhibition types although they had very similar structure. Their K_i values were calculated to be 0.02 ± 0.01 μM, 0.02 ± 0.01 μM, and 0.66 ± 0.14 μM, respectively. The equilibrium dissociation constant (K_D) for 6d, 6n, and 4 and β-glucosidase was 0.04 μM, 0.03 μM and 0.45 μM by the ITC-based assay, respectively. Molecular docking work suggests that such benzimidazole-iminosugars derivatives might bind to the active site of β-glucosidase mainly through hydrogen bonds, the additional phenyl ring towards the solvent-exposed region played an important effect on their inhibitory activity against β-glucosidase.

Switching Electrophile Intermediates to Nucleophiles: Michael and Oxa-Diels-Alder Reactions to Afford Polyoxy-Functionalized Piperidine Derivatives with Tetrasubstituted Carbon

Michael, Michael-annulation, and oxa-Diels-Alder reactions of carbohydrate derivatives that afford polyoxy-functionalized piperidine derivatives bearing tetrasubstituted carbon at the 3-position of the piperidine ring are reported. Iminium ions generated from carbohydrate derivatives with amines were converted to enamines in situ, which acted as nucleophiles. As a result, substituents were introduced at the 3-position or both 2- and 3-positions of the piperidines bearing polyoxy groups. This strategy will be useful in drug discovery efforts.

Stereoselective synthesis of sugar mimetics from simple monosaccharides

A number of bicyclic imino- and carba-sugars (examples are presented in the Scheme) can be obtained from simple monosaccharides (hexoses or pentoses) by various methods.

Mannich Reactions of Carbohydrate Derivatives with Ketones To Afford Polyoxy-Functionalized Piperidines

Mannich reactions of carbohydrate derivatives with ketones that afford polyoxy-functionalized piperidines are reported. Ketone nucleophiles (enamines/enolates) were generated in the presence of the amines used for the formation of the iminium ions of sugar derivatives with or without an additive. Conditions to preferentially generate piperidine derivatives rather than tetrahydrofurans were identified. Products from the reactions of allyl ketones were readily transformed to bicyclic piperidines.

Glycoside Mimics from Glycosylamines: Recent Progress

Glycosylamines are valuable sugar derivatives that have attracted much attention as synthetic intermediates en route to iminosugar-C-glycosyl compounds. Iminosugars are among the most important glycomimetics reported to date due to their powerful activities as inhibitors of a wide variety of glycosidases and glycosyltransferases, as well as for their use as pharmacological chaperones. As they provide ready access to these important glycoside mimics, we have reviewed the most significant glycosylamine-based methodologies developed to date, with a special emphasis on the literature reported after 2006. The groups of substrates covered include N-alkyl- and N-benzyl-glycosylamines, N-glycosylhydroxylamines, N-(alkoxycarbonyl)-, and N-tert-butanesulfinyl-glycosylamines.

Iminosugar C-Nitromethyl Glycoside: Stereoselective Synthesis of Isoxazoline and Isoxazole-Fused Bicyclic Iminosugars

A simple and efficient method for the stereoselective synthesis of isoxazoline/isoxazole-fused iminosugar derivatives has been developed using intramolecular nitrile oxide cycloaddition (INOC) as a key step. Iminosugar C-nitromethyl glycosides, derived from simple carbohydrates, served as excellent nitrile oxide precursors in 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reactions. N-Alkenyl iminosugar C-nitromethyl glycosides afforded novel isoxazoline-fused indolizidine-, pyrrolizidine-, and quinolizidine-based iminosugars in excellent yields with a high degree of stereoselectivity, whereas N-alkynyl iminosugar C-nitromethyl glycosides furnished the corresponding isoxazole containing tricyclic iminosugars in very good yields.

Regio- and Stereoselective Iron-Catalyzed Oxyazidation of Enamides Using a Hypervalent Iodine Reagent

A novel regio- and diastereoselective iron-catalyzed intermolecular oxyazidation of enamides using various azidobenziodoxolone (ABX) derivatives is presented. A variety of α-N₃ amino derivatives and of α-N₃ piperidines were synthesized in good yields and under mild reaction conditions. The reaction involves a radical process using cheap FeCl₂ as the initiator.

Glycomimetic-based pharmacological chaperones for lysosomal storage disorders: lessons from Gaucher, GM1-gangliosidosis and Fabry diseases

Lysosomal storage disorders (LSDs) are often caused by mutations that destabilize native folding and impair the trafficking of enzymes, leading to premature endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-associated degradation, deficiencies of specific hydrolytic functions and aberrant storage of metabolites in the lysosomes. Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) and substrate reduction therapy (SRT) are available for a few of these conditions, but most remain orphan. A main difficulty is that virtually all LSDs involve neurological decline and neither proteins nor the current SRT drugs can cross the blood-brain barrier. Twenty years ago a new therapeutic paradigm better suited for neuropathic LSDs was launched, namely pharmacological chaperone (PC) therapy. PCs are small molecules capable of binding to the mutant protein at the ER, inducing proper folding, restoring trafficking and increasing enzyme activity and substrate processing in the lysosome. In many LSDs the mutated protein is a glycosidase and the accumulated substrate is an oligo- or polysaccharide or a glycoconjugate, e.g. a glycosphingolipid. Although it might appear counterintuitive, substrate analogues (glycomimetics) behaving as competitive glycosidase inhibitors are good candidates to perform PC tasks. The advancements in the knowledge of the molecular basis of LSDs, including enzyme structures, binding modes, trafficking pathways and substrate processing mechanisms, have been put forward to optimize PC selectivity and efficacy. Moreover, the chemical versatility of glycomimetics and the variety of structures at hand allow simultaneous optimization of chaperone and pharmacokinetic properties. In this Feature Article we review the advancements made in this field in the last few years and the future outlook through the lessons taught by three archetypical LSDs: Gaucher disease, GM1-gangliosidosis and Fabry disease.

Identification of Novel Human Breast Carcinoma (MDA-MB-231) Cell Growth Modulators from a Carbohydrate-Based Diversity Oriented Synthesis Library

The application of a cell-based growth inhibition on a library of skeletally different glycomimetics allowed for the selection of a hexahydro-2H-furo[3,2-b][1,4]oxazine compound as candidate inhibitors of MDA-MB-231 cell growth. Subsequent synthesis of analogue compounds and preliminary biological studies validated the selection of a valuable hit compound with a novel polyhydroxylated structure for the modulation of the breast carcinoma cell cycle mechanism.

Influence of the configurational pattern of sp(2)-iminosugar pseudo N-, S-, O- and C-glycosides on their glycoside inhibitory and antitumor properties

The synthesis of a complete series of cyclic carbamate-type sp(2)-iminosugar N-, S-, O- and C-octyl pseudoglycosides related to nojirimycin, mannojirimycin and galactonojirimycin, all having the α-pseudoanomeric configuration, is reported. The gem-diamine-type N-pseudoglycosides can be accessed directly from the corresponding reducing sp(2)-imisosugar precursors by reaction with octylamine in methanol, whereas per-O-acetyl or 1-fluoro derivatives were used as pseudoglycosyl donors for the preparation of S-pseudoglycosides or O- and C-pseudoglycosides, respectively. Evaluation of their inhibitory properties against a panel of glycosidases evidenced selectivity profiles that strongly depend on the configurational pattern and the nature of the glycosidic linkage. On the contrary, the antiproliferative activity determined against a panel of tumor cell lines was largely independent of the relative orientation of the hydroxyl groups in the sp(2)-iminosugar moiety. Indeed, sp(2)-iminosugar representatives exhibiting significant growth inhibition potencies were identified in all three configurationally different types of compounds studied, namely α-d-gluco, α-d-manno and α-d-galacto glycoside analogs. Interestingly, none of the compounds affected viability and mortality of normal cells at the used concentrations. Altogether, the results strongly suggest that the anticancer activity of amphiphilic sp(2)-iminosugar glycosides might be unrelated, or not solely related, to their glycosidase inhibitory activity.

An efficient lactamisation/N-acyliminium Pictet–Spengler domino strategy for the diasteroselective synthesis of polyhydroxylated quinoxalinone, β-carboline and quinazolinone derivatives

A novel Pictet–Spengler cascade sequence has been developed. It involves a lactamisation/N-acyliminium key step and gives a diverse set of sugar-derived fused polycyclic heterocycles diastereoselectively and efficiently.

Conformationally-locked C-glycosides: tuning aglycone interactions for optimal chaperone behaviour in Gaucher fibroblasts

A series of conformationally locked C-glycosides based on the 3-aminopyrano[3,2-b]pyrrol-2(1H)-one (APP) scaffold has been synthesized.

Carbohydrates in diversity-oriented synthesis: challenges and opportunities

Carbohydrates are attractive building blocks for diversity-oriented synthesis due to their stereochemical diversity and high density of polar functional groups.

[1,4]-sigmatropic rearrangement of chiral nitrones and their utilization in the synthesis of new iminosugars

A new mechanism of nitrone epimerization via [1,4]-sigmatropic rearrangement was proposed and a set of epimeric iminosugars was synthesized.

Efficient stereoselective synthesis of 2-acetamido-1,2-dideoxyallonojirimycin (DAJNAc) and sp(2)-iminosugar conjugates: Novel hexosaminidase inhibitors with discrimination capabilities between the mature and precursor forms of the enzyme

Due to their capacity to inhibit hexosaminidases, 2-acetamido-1,2-dideoxy-iminosugars have been widely studied as potential therapeutic agents for various diseases. An efficient stereoselective synthesis of 2-acetamido-1,2-dideoxyallonojirimycin (DAJNAc), the most potent inhibitor of human placenta β-N-acetylglucosaminidase (β-hexosaminidase) among the epimeric series, is here described. This novel procedure can be easily scaled up, providing enough material for structural modifications and further biological tests. Thus, two series of sp(2)-iminosugar conjugates derived from DAJNAc have been prepared, namely monocyclic DAJNAc-thioureas and bicyclic 2-iminothiazolidines, and their glycosidase inhibitory activity evaluated. The data evidence the utmost importance of developing diversity-oriented synthetic strategies allowing optimization of electrostatic and hydrophobic interactions to achieve high inhibitory potencies and selectivities among isoenzymes. Notably, strong differences in the inhibition potency of the compounds towards β-hexosaminidase from human placenta (mature) or cultured fibroblasts (precursor form) were encountered. The ensemble of data suggests that the ratio between them, and not the inhibition potency towards the placenta enzyme, is a good indication of the chaperoning potential of TaySachs disease-associated mutant hexosaminidase.