Functional multidrug resistance protein (MRP1) lacking the N-terminal transmembrane domain

The human multidrug resistance protein (MRP1) causes drug resistance by extruding drugs from tumor cells. In addition to an MDR-like core, MRP1 contains an N-terminal membrane-bound region (TMD0) connected to the core by a cytoplasmic linker (L0). We have studied truncated MRP1 versions containing either the MDR-like core alone or the core plus linker L0, produced in the baculovirus-insect (Sf9) cell system. Their function was examined in isolated membrane vesicles. Full-length MRP1 showed ATP-dependent, vanadate-sensitive accumulation of leukotriene C4 and N-ethylmaleimide glutathione. In addition, leukotriene C4-stimulated, vanadate-dependent nucleotide occlusion was detected. The MDR-like core was virtually inactive. Co-expression of the core with the N-terminal region including L0 fully restored MRP1 function. Unexpectedly, a truncated MRP1 mutant lacking the entire TMD0 region but still containing L0 behaved like wild-type MRP1 in vesicle uptake and nucleotide trapping experiments. We also expressed the MRP1 constructs in polarized canine kidney derived MDCKII cells. Like wild-type MRP1, the MRP1 protein without the TMD0 region was routed to the lateral plasma membrane and transported dinitrophenyl glutathione and daunorubicin. The TMD0L0 and the MRP1 minus TMD0L0 remained in an intracellular compartment. Taken together, these experiments strongly suggest that the TMD0 region is neither required for the transport function of MRP1 nor for its proper routing to the plasma membrane.

Pincer Complex-Catalyzed Allylation of Aldehyde and Imine Substrates via Nucleophilic η1-Allyl Palladium Intermediates

Electrophilic allylic substitution of allylstannanes with aldehyde and imine substrates could be achieved by employment of palladium pincer complex catalysts. It was found that the catalytic activity of the pincer complexes is highly dependent on the ligand effects. The best results were obtained by employment of PCP pincer complexes with weakly coordinating counterions. In contrast to previous applications for electrophilic allylic substitutions via bisallylpalladium complexes, the presented reactions involve monoallylpalladium intermediates. Thus, employment of pincer complex catalysts extends the synthetic scope of the palladium-catalyzed allylic substitution reactions. Moreover, use of these catalysts eliminates the side reactions occurring in transformations via bisallylpalladium intermediates. The key intermediate of the electrophilic substitution reaction was observed by (1)H NMR spectroscopy. This intermediate was characterized as an eta(1)-allyl-coordinated pincer complex. Density functional theory (DFT) modeling shows that the electrophilic attack can be accomplished with a low activation barrier at the gamma-position of the eta(1)-allyl moiety. According to the DFT calculations, this reaction takes place via a six-membered cyclic transition-state (TS) structure, in which the tridentate coordination state of the pincer ligand is preserved. The stereoselectivity of the reaction could be explained on the basis of the six-membered cyclic TS model.

Mild silver-mediated geminal difluorination of styrenes using an air- and moisture-stable fluoroiodane reagent

An air- and moisture-stable fluoroiodane in the presence of AgBF4 is suitable for selective geminal difluorination of styrenes under mild reaction conditions. One of the CF bonds is formed by transfer of electrophilic fluorine from the hypervalent iodine reagent, while the other one arises from the tetrafluoroborate counterion of silver. Deuterium-isotope-labelling experiments and rearrangement of methyl styrene substrates suggest that the reaction proceeds through a phenonium ion intermediate.

Palladium Pincer Complex Catalyzed Substitution of Vinyl Cyclopropanes, Vinyl Aziridines, and Allyl Acetates with Tetrahydroxydiboron. An Efficient Route to Functionalized Allylboronic Acids and Potassium Trifluoro(allyl)borates

Palladium-catalyzed boronation of vinyl cyclopropane, vinyl aziridine, and allyl acetate substrates could be accomplished using tetrahydroxydiboron reagent in the presence of SeCSe pincer complex catalyst 1a. These reactions result in allyl boronic acids, which were converted to synthetically useful trifluoro(allyl)borates or allyl boronates. The catalytic transformations proceed under mild and neutral conditions, and therefore many functionalities Br, COOEt, ArSO2(NH), OAc, and SiRMe2 are tolerated. The selectivity of the presented processes is very high, affording the linear products incorporating a trans double bond.

Rhodium-Catalyzed Geminal Oxyfluorination and Oxytrifluoro-Methylation of Diazocarbonyl Compounds

A new reaction for the rhodium-catalyzed geminal-difunctionalization-based fluorination is presented. The substrates are aromatic and aliphatic diazocarbonyl compounds. As the fluorine source a stable and easily accessible benziodoxole reagent was used. A variety of alcohol, phenol, and carboxylic acid reagents were employed to introduce the second functionality. The reaction was extended to trifluoromethylation using a benziodoxolon reagent. The fluorination and trifluoromethylation reactions probably proceed by a rhodium-containing onium ylide type intermediate, which is trapped by either the F or CF3 electrophiles.

Synthesis and Catalytic Application of Chiral 1,1‘-Bi-2-naphthol- and Biphenanthrol-Based Pincer Complexes: Selective Allylation of Sulfonimines with Allyl Stannane and Allyl Trifluoroborate

New easily accessible 1,1'-bi-2-naphthol- (BINOL-) and biphenanthrol-based chiral pincer complex catalysts were prepared for selective (up to 85% enantiomeric excess) allylation of sulfonimines. The chiral pincer complexes were prepared by a flexible modular approach allowing an efficient tuning of the selectivity of the catalysts. By employment of the different enantiomeric forms of the catalysts, both enantiomers of the homoallylic amines could be selectively obtained. Both allyl stannanes and allyl trifluoroborates can be employed as allyl sources in the reactions. The biphenanthrol-based complexes gave higher selectivity than the substituted BINOL-based analogues, probably because of the well-shaped chiral pocket generated by employment of the biphenanthrol complexes. The enantioselective allylation of sulfonimines presented in this study has important implications for the mechanism given for the pincer complex-catalyzed allylation reactions, confirming that this process takes place without involvement of palladium(0) species.

A comprehensive investigation on the distribution of circulating follicular T helper cells and B cell subsets in primary Sjögren's syndrome and systemic lupus erythematosus

Follicular T helper (Tfh) cells have a crucial role in regulating immune responses within secondary lymphoid follicles by directing B cell differentiation towards memory B cells and plasma cells. Because abnormal humoral responses are key features in both primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), the aim of this study was to profile the pathological connection between peripheral Tfh cells and B cells in the two diseases. Twenty-five pSS patients, 25 SLE patients and 21 healthy controls were enrolled into the study. We determined the ratio of circulating Tfh-like cells, their interleukin (IL)-21 production and different B cell subsets by flow cytometry. We observed higher percentages of naive B cells in both diseases, while non-switched and switched memory B cells showed decreased frequencies. The proportions of double-negative B cells and plasmablasts were elevated in SLE and decreased in pSS. The percentages of transitional B cells and mature-naive B cells were higher in SLE. Patients with more severe disease course had an elevated ratio of TFH-like cells and increased IL-21 production. Moreover, expansion of Tfh-like cells correlated positively with parameters related to antibody secretion, including serum immunoglobulin (Ig)G, immune complexes (ICs) and autoantibodies. Correlation analysis between Tfh-like cells and certain B cell subsets revealed possible defects during B cell selection. In conclusion, our observations on the profound expansion of circulating Tfh-like cells and their IL-21 production, along with the characteristic aberrant peripheral B cell distribution in both pSS and SLE, indicate the prominent role of Tfh cell in the regulation of B cell selection.

Palladium Pincer-Complex Catalyzed Allylation of Tosylimines by Potassium Trifluoro(allyl)borates

Palladium pincer complex 1 catalyzes the reaction of trifluoro(allyl)borate 2 with a wide range of tosylimines (3) under mild and neutral reaction conditions. This catalytic transformation affords homoallylic amines (4) in good to excellent yield. Mechanistic studies suggest that a transmetalation reaction between complex 1 and the borate salt 2 provides an eta(1)-allylpalladium complex, which subsequently reacts with the imine substrate. [Reaction: see text]

Catalytic Intramolecular Aminofluorination, Oxyfluorination, and Carbofluorination with a Stable and Versatile Hypervalent Fluoroiodine Reagent

Application of a fluoroiodine analogue of the Togni reagent was studied in fluorocyclization reactions. In the presence of a transition-metal catalyst the applied fluoroiodine reagent can be used for aminofluorination, oxyfluorination, and carbofluorination reactions. The described procedure has a very broad synthetic scope for preparation of functionalized hetero- and isocyclic compounds having a tertiary fluorine substituent.

Palladium-catalyzed synthesis and isolation of functionalized allylboronic acids: selective, direct allylboration of ketones

Textbook revision: allylboronic acids, which are easily prepared from allylic alcohols, react readily and selectively with ketones without Lewis acid catalysts.

Catalytic performance of symmetrical and unsymmetrical sulfur-containing pincer complexes: synthesis and tandem catalytic activity of the first PCS-pincer palladium complex

The synthesis and catalytic applications of a new aryl-based unsymmetrical PCS-pincer complex are reported. Preparation of the robust air- and moisture-stable PCS-pincer palladium complex 5[X] started from the symmetrical alpha,alpha'-dibromo-meta-xylene and involved the selective substitution of one bromide by PPh(2)(BH(3)), followed by substitution of the second bromide by SPh and subsequent introduction of the palladium. The new PCS complexes (5[X]) were employed as catalysts in two important organic transformations. Firstly, complex 5[Cl] displays high catalytic activity in aldol reactions but enters the catalytic cycle as a precatalyst. Secondly, complex 5[BF(4)] displays tandem catalytic activity in the coupling of allyl chlorides with aldehydes and imines in the presence of hexamethylditin. In these tandem catalytic reactions the first process is the conversion of allyl chlorides into trimethylallyltin (and trimethyltin chloride) with Sn(2)Me(6), which is followed by catalytic allylation of aldehyde and sulfonimine substrates. In addition, we present a new catalytic process for the one-pot allylation of 4-nitrobenzaldehyde with vinyloxirane. The catalytic performance of the novel PCS-pincer palladium complex was compared to those of its symmetrical PCP- and SCS-pincer complex analogues. It was concluded that the unsymmetrical PCS complex advantageously unifies the attractive catalytic features of the corresponding symmetrical pincer complexes including both (pi-) electron-withdrawing (such as phosphorus) or (sigma-) electron-donating (such as sulfur and nitrogen) heteroatoms. Thus, in the aldol reaction the PCS-pincer palladium complex 5[X] provides a high turnover frequency, while in the tandem process both reactions are catalysed with sufficiently high activity.

Fluorinative ring-opening of cyclopropanes by hypervalent iodine reagents. An efficient method for 1,3-oxyfluorination and 1,3-difluorination

A new method is presented for 1,3-difluorination and 1,3-oxyfluorination reactions. The process is based on iodonium mediated opening of 1,1-disubstituted cyclopropanes. The reaction proceeds with high chemo- and regioselectivity under mild reaction conditions typically at room temperature in a couple of hours. The reaction probably occurs via electrophilic ring-opening of cyclopropanes.

Interaction of the P-glycoprotein multidrug transporter (MDR1) with high affinity peptide chemosensitizers in isolated membranes, reconstituted systems, and intact cells

P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance can be reversed by the action of a group of compounds known as chemosensitizers. The interactions with P-glycoprotein of two novel hydrophobic peptide chemosensitizers (reversins 121 and 205) have been studied in model systems in vitro, and in a variety of MDR1-expressing intact tumor cells. The reversins bound to purified P-glycoprotein with high affinity (77-154 nM), as assessed by a quenching assay using fluorescently labeled purified protein. The peptides modulated P-glycoprotein ATPase activity in Sf9 insect cell membranes expressing human MDR1, plasma membrane vesicles from multidrug-resistant cells, and reconstituted proteoliposomes. Both peptides induced a large stimulation of ATPase activity; however, higher concentrations, especially of reversin 205, led to inhibition. This pattern was different from that of simple linear peptides, and resembled that of chemosensitizers such as verapamil. In both membrane vesicles and reconstituted proteoliposomes, 1-2 microM reversins were more effective than cyclosporin A at blocking colchicine transport. Reversin 121 and reversin 205 restored the uptake of [3H]daunorubicin and rhodamine 123 in MDR1-expressing cells to the level observed in the drug-sensitive parent cell lines, and also effectively inhibited the extrusion of calcein acetoxymethyl ester from intact cells. In cytotoxicity assays, reversin 121 and reversin 205 eliminated the resistance of MDR1-expressing tumor cells against MDR1-substrate anticancer drugs, and they had no toxic effects in MDR1-negative control cells. We suggest that peptides of the reversin type interact with the MDR1 protein with high affinity and specificity, and thus they may be good candidates for the development of MDR1-modulating agents to sensitize drug resistance in cancer.