Isolation and characterization of new allosamidins

Discovery of Octahydroisoindolone as a Scaffold for the Selective Inhibition of Chitinase B1 from Aspergillus fumigatus: In Silico Drug Design Studies

Chitinases represent an alternative therapeutic target for opportunistic invasive mycosis since they are necessary for fungal cell wall remodeling. This study presents the design of new chitinase inhibitors from a known hydrolysis intermediate. Firstly, a bioinformatic analysis of Aspergillus fumigatus chitinase B1 (AfChiB1) and chitotriosidase (CHIT1) by length and conservation was done to obtain consensus sequences, and molecular homology models of fungi and human chitinases were built to determine their structural differences. We explored the octahydroisoindolone scaffold as a potential new antifungal series by means of its structural and electronic features. Therefore, we evaluated several synthesis-safe octahydroisoindolone derivatives by molecular docking and evaluated their AfChiB1 interaction profile. Additionally, compounds with the best interaction profile (1–5) were docked within the CHIT1 catalytic site to evaluate their selectivity over AfChiB1. Furthermore, we considered the interaction energy (MolDock score) and a lipophilic parameter (aLogP) for the selection of the best candidates. Based on these descriptors, we constructed a mathematical model for the IC₅₀ prediction of our candidates (60–200 μM), using experimental known inhibitors of AfChiB1. As a final step, ADME characteristics were obtained for all the candidates, showing that 5 is our best designed hit, which possesses the best pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic character.

Making natural products from renewable feedstocks: back to the roots?

This review highlights the utilization of biomass-derived building blocks in the total synthesis of natural products.

Human Chitinases: Structure, Function, and Inhibitor Discovery

Chitinases are glycosyl hydrolases that hydrolyze the β-(1-4)-linkage of N-acetyl-D-glucosamine units present in chitin polymers. Chitinases are widely distributed enzymes and are present in a wide range of organisms including insects, plants, bacteria, fungi, and mammals. These enzymes play key roles in immunity, nutrition, pathogenicity, and arthropod molting. Humans express two chitinases, chitotriosidase 1 (CHIT1) and acid mammalian chitinase (AMCase) along with several chitinase-like proteins (CLPs). Human chitinases are reported to play a protective role against chitin-containing pathogens through their capability to degrade chitin present in the cell wall of pathogens. Now, human chitinases are gaining attention as the key players in innate immune response. Although the exact mechanism of their role in immune response is not known, studies in recent years begin to relate chitin recognition and degradation with the activation of signaling pathways involved in inflammation. The roles of both CHIT1 and AMCase in the development of various diseases have been revealed and several classes of inhibitors have been developed. However, a clear understanding could not be established due to complexities in the design of the right experiment for studying the role of human chitinase in various diseases. In this chapter, we will first outline the structural features of CHIT1 and AMcase. We will then review the progress in understanding the role of human chitinases in the development of various diseases. Finally, we will summarize the inhibitor discovery efforts targeting both CHIT1 and AMCase.

A comprehensive review of glycosylated bacterial natural products

A systematic analysis of all naturally-occurring glycosylated bacterial secondary metabolites reported in the scientific literature up through early 2013 is presented. This comprehensive analysis of 15 940 bacterial natural products revealed 3426 glycosides containing 344 distinct appended carbohydrates and highlights a range of unique opportunities for future biosynthetic study and glycodiversification efforts.

Novel biological activities of allosamidins

Allosamidins, which are secondary metabolites of the Streptomyces species, have chitin-mimic pseudotrisaccharide structures. They bind to catalytic centers of all family 18 chitinases and inhibit their enzymatic activity. Allosamidins have been used as chitinase inhibitors to investigate the physiological roles of chitinases in a variety of organisms. Two prominent biological activities of allosamidins were discovered, where one has anti-asthmatic activity in mammals, while the other has the chitinase-production- promoting activity in allosamidin-producing Streptomyces. In this article, recent studies on the novel biological activities of allosamidins are reviewed.

Comprehensive investigation of marine Actinobacteria associated with the sponge Halichondria panicea

Representatives of Actinobacteria were isolated from the marine sponge Halichondria panicea collected from the Baltic Sea (Germany). For the first time, a comprehensive investigation was performed with regard to phylogenetic strain identification, secondary metabolite profiling, bioactivity determination, and genetic exploration of biosynthetic genes, especially concerning the relationships of the abundance of biosynthesis gene fragments to the number and diversity of produced secondary metabolites. All strains were phylogenetically identified by 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses and were found to belong to the genera Actinoalloteichus, Micrococcus, Micromonospora, Nocardiopsis, and Streptomyces. Secondary metabolite profiles of 46 actinobacterial strains were evaluated, 122 different substances were identified, and 88 so far unidentified compounds were detected. The extracts from most of the cultures showed biological activities. In addition, the presence of biosynthesis genes encoding polyketide synthases (PKSs) and nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) in 30 strains was established. It was shown that strains in which either PKS or NRPS genes were identified produced a significantly higher number of metabolites and exhibited a larger number of unidentified, possibly new metabolites than other strains. Therefore, the presence of PKS and NRPS genes is a good indicator for the selection of strains to isolate new natural products.

The biology of the Gaucher cell: the cradle of human chitinases

Gaucher disease (GD) is the most common lysosomal storage disorder and is caused by inherited deficiencies of glucocerebrosidase, the enzyme responsible for the lysosomal breakdown of the lipid glucosylceramide. GD is characterized by the accumulation of pathological, lipid laden macrophages, so-called Gaucher cells. Following the development of enzyme replacement therapy for GD, the search for suitable surrogate disease markers resulted in the identification of a thousand-fold increased chitinase activity in plasma from symptomatic Gaucher patients and that decreases upon successful therapeutic intervention. Biochemical investigations identified a single enzyme, named chitotriosidase, to be responsible for this activity. Chitotriosidase was found to be an excellent marker for lipid laden macrophages in Gaucher patients and is now widely used to assist clinical management of patients. In the wake of the identification of chitotriosidase, the presence of other members of the chitinase family in mammals was discovered. Amongst these is AMCase, an enzyme recently implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. Chitinases are omnipresent throughout nature and are also produced by vertebrates in which they play important roles in defence against chitin-containing pathogens and in food processing.

Structure-based exploration of cyclic dipeptide chitinase inhibitors

Family 18 chitinases play an essential role in a range of pathogens and pests. Several inhibitors are known, including the potent inhibitors argadin and allosamidin, and the structures of these in complex with chitinases have been elucidated. Recent structural analysis has revealed that CI-4 [cyclo-(L-Arg-D-Pro)] inhibits family 18 chitinases by mimicking the structure of the proposed reaction intermediate. Here we report the high-resolution structures of four new CI-4 derivatives, cyclo-(L-Arg-L-Pro), cyclo-(Gly-L-Pro), cyclo-(L-His-L-Pro), and cyclo-(L-Tyr-L-Pro), in complex with a family 18 chitinase. In addition, details of enzyme inhibition and in vivo activity against Saccharomyces cerevisiae are presented. The structures reveal that the common cyclo-(Gly-Pro) substructure is sufficient for binding, allowing modification of the side chain of the nonproline residue. This suggests that design of cyclic dipeptides with a view to increasing inhibition of family 18 chitinases should be possible through relatively accessible chemistry. The derivatives presented here in complex with chitinase B from Serratia marcescens provide further insight into the mechanism of inhibition of chitinases by cyclic dipeptides as well as providing a new scaffold for chitinase inhibitor design.

Structure of human chitotriosidase. Implications for specific inhibitor design and function of mammalian chitinase-like lectins

Chitin hydrolases have been identified in a variety of organisms ranging from bacteria to eukaryotes. They have been proposed to be possible targets for the design of novel chemotherapeutics against human pathogens such as fungi and protozoan parasites as mammals were not thought to possess chitin-processing enzymes. Recently, a human chitotriosidase was described as a marker for Gaucher disease with plasma levels of the enzyme elevated up to 2 orders of magnitude. The chitotriosidase was shown to be active against colloidal chitin and is inhibited by the family 18 chitinase inhibitor allosamidin. Here, the crystal structure of the human chitotriosidase and complexes with a chitooligosaccharide and allosamidin are described. The structures reveal an elongated active site cleft, compatible with the binding of long chitin polymers, and explain the inactivation of the enzyme through an inherited genetic deficiency. Comparison with YM1 and HCgp-39 shows how the chitinase has evolved into these mammalian lectins by the mutation of key residues in the active site, tuning the substrate binding specificity. The soaking experiments with allosamidin and chitooligosaccharides give insight into ligand binding properties and allow the evaluation of differential binding and design of species-selective chitinase inhibitors.

Asymmetric Induction of Conduritols via AAA Reactions: Synthesis of the Aminocyclohexitol of Hygromycin A

Two synthetic routes towards the construction of the aminocyclohexitol moiety of hygromycin A have been developed based on palladium-catalyzed asymmetric alkylation of conduritol derivatives. A protocol has been established whereby this biologically relevant molecule is formed from benzoquinone. A conduritol A derivative is synthesized in eight steps from benzoquinone and is then subjected to the palladium reaction. From this flexible intermediate, four epimers of the aminocyclitol, including the natural one, can be obtained with complete stereoselectivity. Racemic conduritol B derivatives are available in four steps from benzoquinone, and these are then made enantiomerically pure by a palladium-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution. From the chiral conduritol B, the aminocyclitol is available in six steps. Excellent levels of enantio- and diastereoselectivity highlight these strategies.

Chitinolytic activity in viable spores of Encephalitozoon species

By employing 4-methylumbelliferyl-beta-D-NN',N"-triacetylchitotriose substrate in a semi quantitative assay, chitinolytic activity in viable spores of Encephalitozoon cuniculi and E. intestinalis was detected and dependence on reaction time, spore concentration, concentration of substrate and temperature were demonstrated. It was possible to block the chitinolytic activity by chitin hydrolysate. By incubation at 80 degrees C for 10 min or at 55 degrees C for 20 min the spores were loosing the chitinolytic activity. Incubation of the spores in trypsin reduced the chitinolytic activity. Cellulase activity could not be detected.

Inhibitors of chitinases

In this review we describe inhibition of chitinases from bacteria, fungi, plants and animals by allosamidin and its derivatives, cyclic peptides, styloguanidin and divalent cations. Most information is available for allosamidin, whose important structural features necessary for inhibition are known. At least one N-acetylallosamine sugar must be present, and the spatial arrangement of the allosamizoline moiety are important for inhibition. Less complex compounds are therefore possible as lead structures for the development of agents interfering with chitinase. There is a pronounced species specificity in chitinase inhibition by allosamidin: half-maximal values are often in the range of 0.1-1 microM (e.g. in all arthropods), being lower in nematodes (0.048, 0.0002 microM, respectively) and amoeba (0.002-0.01 microM) and quite divergent in fungi (0.01-70 microM). These differences cannot be caused by the catalytic centers of family 18 and 19 chitinases.

Synthesis of aminocyclopentitols from chromium carbene complex derived aminocyclobutanones

Functionalized cyclopentenones were synthesized by the diazomethane ring expansion of cyclobutanones, produced by the photochemical reaction of vinyl oxazolidinones with chromium carbene complexes.

The X-ray structure of a chitinase from the pathogenic fungus Coccidioides immitis

The X-ray structure of chitinase from the fungal pathogen Coccidioides immitis has been solved to 2.2 A resolution. Like other members of the class 18 hydrolase family, this 427 residue protein is an eight-stranded beta/alpha-barrel. Although lacking an N-terminal chitin anchoring domain, the enzyme closely resembles the chitinase from Serratia marcescens. Among the conserved features are three cis peptide bonds, all involving conserved active site residues. The active site is formed from conserved residues such as tryptophans 47, 131, 315, 378, tyrosines 239 and 293, and arginines 52 and 295. Glu171 is the catalytic acid in the hydrolytic mechanism; it was mutated to a Gln, and activity was abolished. Allosamidin is a substrate analog that strongly inhibits the class 18 enzymes. Its binding to the chitinase hevamine has been observed, and we used conserved structural features of the two enzymes to predict the inhibitors binding to the fungal enzyme.

Preparation of biotinylated allosamidins with strong chitinase inhibitory activities

NaIO4 oxidation of allosamidin (1), a strong inhibitor of family 18 chitinases, followed by a coupling with Biotin Hydrazide afforded its mono- and dibiotinylated derivatives, 4 and 6. Reduction of 4 by NaBH4 afforded its reduced form 5. Each of these three biotinylated derivatives maintained strong chitinase inhibitory activity. Especially, 6 inhibited a Trichoderma chitinase as strongly as 1.

Tandem Inter [4 + 2]/Intra [3 + 2] Cycloadditions of Nitroalkenes. Asymmetric Synthesis of Highly Functionalized Aminocyclopentanes Using the Bridged Mode (beta-Tether) Process

An asymmetric, tandem inter [4 + 2]/intra [3 + 2] bridged mode (beta-tether) cycloaddition of nitroalkenes has been developed. This new sequence involves the Lewis acid-promoted [4 + 2] cycloaddition of nitro olefins with enantiopure 1-alkoxy-1,4-dienes. The resulting nitronates, bearing a C(5) tethered dipolarophile, undergo thermal, intramolecular [3 + 2] cycloaddition to afford stable tricyclic nitroso acetals, which can be subsequently reduced to provide interesting aminocyclopentanes. Thus, in three steps, highly functionalized, enantiomerically enriched aminocyclopentanes can be constructed with good yield and high ee. Additionally, the Lewis acid was found to impart a remarkable influence on the stereochemical outcome of the [4 + 2] cycloaddition.

Effect of demethylation on the chitinase inhibitory activity of allosamidin

Removal of a methyl group of the allosamizoline moiety of allosamidin decreases the inhibitory effect on family 18 chitinases from three different species (a bacterium, Serratia marcescens, a crustacean, Artemia salina, and an insect cell line, Chironomus tentans). Loss of a second methyl group weakens enzyme inhibition further. This is in agreement with the highly conserved catalytic centre of these enzymes.

Synthesis of allosamidin analogues

Two new isomers of allosamidin and allosamizoline, and two dimeric allosamidin analogues have been synthesized. The new compounds have been tested for inhibition of insect chitinase and for toxicity to insect larvae.

Synthesis of "Nod"-like chitin oligosaccharides by the Xenopus developmental protein DG42

The Xenopus DG42 gene is expressed only between the late midblastula and neurulation stages of embryonic development. Recent database searches show that DG42 has striking sequence similarity to the Rhizobium NodC protein. NodC catalyzes the synthesis of chitin oligosaccharides which subsequently are transformed into bacterium-plant root signaling molecules. We find that the DG42 protein made in an in vitro coupled transcription-translation system catalyzes the synthesis of an array of chitin oligosaccharides. The result suggests the intriguing possibility that a bacterium-plant type of "Nod" signaling system may operate during early stages of vertebrate embryonic development and raises issues about the use of chitin synthase inhibitors as fungal-specific drugs.

Compounds active against cell walls of medically important fungi

A number of substances that directly or indirectly affect the cell walls of fungi have been identified. Those that actively interfere with the synthesis or degradation of polysaccharide components share the property of being produced by soil microbes as secondary metabolites. Compounds specifically interfering with chitin or beta-glucan synthesis have proven effective in studies of preclinical models of mycoses, though they appear to have a restricted spectrum of coverage. Semisynthetic derivatives of some of the natural products have offered improvements in activity, toxicology, or pharmacokinetic behavior. Compounds which act on the cell wall indirectly or by a secondary mechanism of action, such as the azoles, act against diverse fungi but are usually fungistatic in nature. Overall, these compounds are attractive candidates for further development.