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A new series of ligands for the estrogen receptor (ER) based on a three-dimensional structural motif consisting of a bridged oxabicyclic core (7-oxabicyclo[2.2.1]heptene or heptadiene) were synthesized and examined for their receptor binding activity and as regulators of transcription through the two ER subtypes, ERα and ERβ. The prototypical ligands also contain a 1,2-diarylethylene motif, common to many nonsteroidal estrogens, as an embellishment on the oxabicyclic core. Thus, these ligands bear peripheral groups typically found in ER ligands, built here upon an overall three-dimensional core topology that is unusual for these targets. Most of these compounds were conveniently synthesized by a Diels−Alder reaction of various 3,4-diarylfurans with a variety of dienophiles, neat and under mild conditions in the absence of catalysts. Some of the synthesized compounds display good binding affinity for the ER, and in transcription assays, the highest affinity compounds are antagonists on both ERs. Molecular modeling studies suggest a structural basis for the antagonist activity of these compounds. These compounds, based on the bicyclo[2.2.1]core system, expand the structural diversity of ligands that can be antagonists for the estrogen receptors.

Estrogen receptor β (ERβ), a less active ER subtype that appears to have a restraining effect on the more active ERα, could be a factor that determines the level of estrogen action in certain estrogen target tissues. ERβ is found in breast cancer, and its levels relative to ERα decline with disease progression. Thus, the independent quantification of ERα and ERβ levels in breast cancer by imaging might be predictive of responses to different hormone therapies. To develop an imaging agent for ERβ, we synthesized a fluoroethyl analogue of DPN (2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propanonitrile), a known ERβ-selective ligand. This analogue, FEDPN (5-fluoro-(2R*,3S*)-2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)pentanenitrile), has an 8.3-fold absolute affinity preference for ERβ. [¹⁸F]Fluoride-labeled FEDPN was prepared from a toluenesulfonate precursor, which provided [¹⁸F]FEDPN with a specific activity greater than 3100 Ci/mmol after HPLC purification. Biodistribution studies in immature female rats using estradiol as a blocking agent revealed specific uptake of [¹⁸F]FEDPN in the uterus and ovaries. Experiments using ERα- and ERβ-knockout mice demonstrated the expected ERα-subtype dependence in the tissue uptake of the known 16α-[¹⁸F]fluoro-17β-estradiol ([¹⁸F]FES), which has a 6.3-fold preference for ERα. The tissue uptake of [¹⁸F]FEDPN in the ER knockout mice showed some evidence of mediation by ERβ, but the levels of specific uptake of this agent were relatively modest. Based on our results, imaging of ERα can be done effectively with [¹⁸F]FES, but imaging of ERβ will likely require agents with more optimized ERβ binding affinity and selectivity than [¹⁸F]FEDNP.

Cyclopentadienyl tricarbonylmetal (CpTM, M = Re, ^94mTc) complexes, some based on a typical nonsteroidal estrogen, were prepared with the aim of developing technetium- and rhenium-labeled imaging agents for estrogen receptor (ER) positive breast tumors. CpT[^94mTc] compounds with simple cyclopentadienyl substituents were first synthesized using a modified double ligand transfer reaction. The in vivo biodistribution of one of these CpT[^94mTc] complexes was determined by tissue dissection and microPET imaging. Novel C-ring substituted analogues of cyclofenil, a nonsteroidal compound known to bind the ER, were also prepared, and their ER binding was measured. Because of their low ER affinity, however, labeling and imaging studies of these compounds were not pursued. It is notable that the highest ER binding analogue, a CpTRe cyclofenil derivative, could be synthesized from the corresponding ferrocenyl cyclofenil analogue by the double ligand transfer reaction. This further demonstrates the versatility of the double ligand transfer reaction and indicates that the synthesis of technetium and rhenium radiolabeled agents for breast tumor imaging and therapy is also likely to be successful.

The estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ, are important pharmaceutical targets. To develop ERβ-selective ligands, we synthesized a series of nonsteroidal compounds having a phenyl-2H-indazole core with different groups at C-3. Several of these show high affinity and good ERβ selectivity, especially those with polar and/or polarizable substituents at this site (halogen, CF3, nitrile); the best compounds have affinities for ERβ comparable to estradiol, with ERβ affinity selectivity >100. This potency and ERβ selectivity is also seen in cell-based transcriptional assays, where several compounds showed ERβ efficacies equivalent to that of estradiol with ERβ potency selectivities of 100. These compounds might prove useful as selective pharmacological probes to study the biological actions of estrogens mediated through ERβ, and they might lead to the development of useful pharmaceuticals. These findings also contribute to an evolving pharmacophore that characterizes certain nonsteroidal ligands having high ERβ subtype affinity and potency selectivity.

In our search for novel subtype-selective estrogen receptor (ER) ligands, we have examined various heterocyclic units as core structural elements. Here, we have investigated the fused, bicyclic pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine core, which is a system that allows for analogues to be readily assembled in a library-like fashion. This series of pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine ER ligands provided us with a new pharmacological profile for an ER ligand:  compounds that are passive on both ERs, with a distinct potency selectivity in favor of ERβ. The most distinctive ligand in this series, 2-phenyl-3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-5,7-bis(trifluoromethyl)-pyrazolo[1,5-a]pyrimidine, was 36-fold selective for ERβ in binding. Curiously, on the basis of molecular modeling, the ERβ binding selectivity of compounds in this series appears to be derived from differing orientations that they adapt in the ligand binding pockets of ERα vs ERβ. In transcription assays this pyrazolopyrimidine was fully effective as an ERβ antagonist while exhibiting no significant activity on ERα. Thus, this ligand functions as a potency- and efficacy-selective ERβ antagonist that would abrogate estrogen action through ERβ with minimal effects on its activity through ERα; as such, it could be used to study the biological function of ERβ.

Nuclear receptors (NRs) complexed with agonist ligands activate transcription by recruiting coactivator protein complexes. In principle, one should be able to inhibit the transcriptional activity of the NRs by blocking this transcriptionally critical receptor−coactivator interaction directly, using an appropriately designed coactivator binding inhibitor (CBI). To guide our design of various classes of CBIs, we have used the crystal structure of an agonist-bound estrogen receptor (ER) ligand binding domain (LBD) complexed with a coactivator peptide containing the LXXLL signature motif bound to a hydrophobic groove on the surface of the LBD. One set of CBIs, based on an outside-in design approach, has various heterocyclic cores (triazenes, pyrimidines, trithianes, cyclohexanes) that mimic the tether sites of the three leucines on the peptide helix, onto which are appended leucine residue-like substituents. The other set, based on an inside-out approach, has a naphthalene core that mimics the two most deeply buried leucines, with substituents extending outward to mimic other features of the coactivator helical peptide. A fluorescence anisotropy-based coactivator competition assay was developed to measure the specific binding of these CBIs to the groove site on the ER−agonist complex with which coactivators interact; control ligand-binding assays assured that their interaction was not with the ligand binding pocket. The most effective CBIs were those from the pyrimidine family, the best binding with Ki values of ca. 30 μM. The trithiane- and cyclohexane-based CBIs appear to be poor structural mimics, because of equatorial vs axial conformational constraints, and the triazene-based CBIs are also conformationally constrained by amine-substituent-to-ring resonance overlap, which is not the case with the higher affinity alkyl-substituted pyrimidines. The pyrimidine-based CBIs appear to be the first small molecule inhibitors of NR coactivator binding.

The 3,4-diphenylsalicylaldoxime system 1 is an estrogen receptor (ER) ligand of unusual structure, having a hydrogen-bonded pseudocyclic A‘-ring in place of the paradigmatic phenolic A-ring that is characteristic of most estrogens. We have investigated the role played by the pseudocycle A‘ in binding to the ER by preparing 3,4-diphenylbenzaldoxime (4), a compound that completely lacks this ring but still preserves all of the other features of the original molecule 1, as well as a series of 3,4-diphenylanthranylaldoximes (5a−c) in which the nature of the heteroatom participating in the formation of pseudoring A‘ has been changed from an oxygen (1) to a nitrogen that is either unsubstituted (5a) or substituted with small alkyl groups (a methyl in 5b, or an ethyl in 5c). The importance of hydrogen-bonded pseudocycle A‘ in the binding process was confirmed by the fact that benzaldoxime 4 showed a greatly reduced binding affinity compared to salicylaldoxime 1. Moreover, the binding affinity improved considerably when the A‘-ring contained either an unsubstituted nitrogen (5a) or an N-Me group (5b). On the other hand, the N-Et-substituted anthranyl derivative 5c showed a marked drop in binding affinity. Molecular modeling docking studies on ERα confirmed that compounds 5a and 5b fit nicely in the ligand binding pocket, with an especially comfortable fit for the N-Me group of 5b in a small hydrophobic pocket surrounded by nonpolar residues. The limited size of this pocket does not allow accommodation of N-substituents larger than a methyl group, which is consistent with the low binding affinity of the N-Et compound 5c.

The actions of estrogens are mediated through the two estrogen receptors, ERα and ERβ. Compounds that interact selectively with ERα or ERβ are of interest because they could be used to explore the biological roles of these ER subtypes and they might be interesting estrogen pharmaceuticals. In a new approach to develop ER subtype-selective ligands, we have embellished the 1,1-diarylethylene motif, common to many nonsteroidal estrogens, with various bridged bicyclic or tricyclic cores, including ones based on bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane, bicyclo[2.2.1]heptane, and selected bi- and tricyclic terpenoids. This design leads to three-dimensional ER ligands of unusual structure that we have used to probe the size and shape of the ligand binding pocket of ERα and ERβ. Many of these compounds have high binding affinities, with the best having a bicyclo[3.3.1]nonane core and binding 3−5 times better than estradiol to both ER subtypes. Some of the compounds show significant affinity selectivity in favor of ERβ (4- to 5-fold), and in cell-based assays for transcriptional activity most are partial agonists on ERα and full antagonists on ERβ.

The ligand-binding pockets of estrogen receptor alpha and beta (ERα and ERβ) appear to have subpockets of different size and flexibility. To find ligands that will discriminate between the two ER subtypes on the basis of affinity or efficacy, we have prepared compounds of varying size, shape and structure. We have evaluated the binding affinity of these compounds and their potency and efficacy as transcriptional activators through ERα and ERβ. In this manner, we have identified a number of ligands that show pronounced ER subtype selectivity. These studies also highlight the eclectic structure–activity relationships of estrogens and the challenges inherent in developing computational methods for the prediction of estrogenic activity.

Nuclear receptors function as ligand-regulated transcription factors and modulate the expression of sets of genes in response to varying concentrations of ligands. The ligand modulators can be endogenous metabolites that function as hormones, or they can be exogenous substances, such as pharmaceutical agents or environmental substances of natural or man-made origin, which in some cases can cause endocrine disruption. Ligands modulate nuclear receptor activity by binding to their ligand-binding domains and stabilizing conformations that lead either to transcriptional activation or repression. The ligand-binding pocket is somewhat flexible, and binding affinities can be measured over a 10-million-fold range (i.e., with equilibrium dissociation constant values ranging from ca. 0.01 nM to 100 μM). Thus, it is not surprising that by binding a large variety of structures, some nuclear receptors can appear to be promiscuous; however, when affinity is considered, the binding patterns are more restricted. The spectrum of ligands that bind to the estrogen receptor has been most thoroughly investigated. Those from natural sources include natural products in food, such as soy isoflavones and whole grain lignans, as well as microbial products and components from wood. Aside from pharmaceuticals, man-made estrogen ligands can be found in industrial products, such as alkyl phenols from nonionic detergents, bisphenols from plastics, indicator dye impurities, polymer chemicals, and chlorinated aromatics and pesticides. Exogenous ligands are also known for the androgen and progesterone receptors. While it is possible that endocrine disruption can result from exogenous chemicals acting directly as ligands for the nuclear receptors, endocrine disruption needs to be considered in the broader context; thus, compounds also need to be assessed for their effects at other levels, such as on endogenous hormone production, transport, metabolism, and clearance, and at points in signal transduction cascades that are beyond the ligand-receptor interaction.

A tripodal bifunctional chelator for gallium has been prepared with a chelation core consisting of three thiols and a tertiary amine. The synthesis proceeds in 13 steps with an overall yield of 22%. An aromatic amine is available for conjugation to peptides through carbodiimide coupling. Gallium(III) complexes were readily prepared from both the bifunctional chelator and a phenylalanine-conjugated system. These complexes underwent stability evaluation and were found to be stable to ligand exchange and enzymatic hydrolysis. This bifunctional chelator appears to be suitable for conjugation to peptides for the preparation of gallium radiopharmaceuticals.

Cyclopentadienyltricarbonyl rhenium (CpRe(CO)3) systems can be prepared from ferrocenes and perrhenate by a double ligand transfer (DLT) reaction that gives reasonable yields and shows excellent functional group tolerance. We used this reaction for the direct preparation of CpRe(CO)3−phenyltropane conjugates. Such agents, when labeled with technetium-99m, might function as imaging agents for the dopamine transporter (DAT) system that would be useful for assessing the onset and severity of Parkinson's disease. Of the CpRe(CO)3−tropane conjugates prepared by the DLT reaction (as well as other analogues prepared by related methods), those substituted at the N-8 position seem most promising; their affinity for the DAT in all cases was high, and their ferrocene precursors for the DLT reaction can be prepared in a convenient manner. By contrast, the 3β-conjugates were poor DAT binders. The modular nature of these systems offers considerable flexibility that could be used to improve the binding characteristics of these compounds further.

A variety of nonsteroidal systems can function as ligands for the estrogen receptor (ER), in some cases showing selectivity for one of the two ER subtypes, ERα or ERβ. We have prepared a series of heterocycle-based (furans, thiophenes, and pyrroles) ligands for the estrogen receptor and assessed their behavior as ER ligands. An aldehyde enone conjugate addition approach and an enolate alkylation approach were developed to prepare the 1,4-dione systems that were precursors to the trisubstituted and tetrasubstituted systems, respectively. All of the diones were easily converted into the corresponding furans, but formation of the thiophenes and pyrroles from the more highly substituted 1,4-diones was problematical. Of the systems investigated, the tetrasubstituted furans proved to be most interesting. They were ERα binding- and potency-selective agents, with the triphenolic 3-alkyl-2,4,5-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)furans (15a−d) displaying generally higher subtype binding selectivity than the bisphenolic analogues (15f−i). Binding selectivity for ERα was as high as 50−70-fold, and transcriptional activation studies showed that several members of this series were ERα selective agonists, with the best compound [3-ethyl-2,4,5-tris(4-hydroxyphenyl)furan, 15b] having full transcriptional activity on ERα while being inactive on ERβ. Comparative binding affinity analysis and molecular modeling were used to investigate the preferred binding mode adopted by the furan ligands, which appears to have the C(2) phenol mimicking the important role of the A-ring of estradiol. These ligands should be useful in studying the biological roles of both ERα and ERβ, and they might form the basis for the development of novel estrogen pharmaceuticals.

The phenolic “A-ring” of natural and synthetic estrogen receptor (ER) ligands was effectively replaced by a planar six-member ring formed through an intramolecular hydrogen bond within a salicylaldoxime. Thus, oxime 1, a structural analogue of a triarylethylene estrogen, showed a significant binding affinity for the ER. The OH of the oxime function appears to mimic the phenolic OH present in more “classical” ER ligands because the binding reduced when the oxime OH is methylated (2) or absent (3).

Through an effort to develop novel ligands that have subtype selectivity for the estrogen receptors alpha (ERα) and beta (ERβ), we have found that 2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propionitrile (DPN) acts as an agonist on both ER subtypes, but has a 70-fold higher relative binding affinity and 170-fold higher relative potency in transcription assays with ERβ than with ERα. To investigate the ERβ affinity- and potency-selective character of this DPN further, we prepared a series of DPN analogues in which both the ligand core and the aromatic rings were modified by the repositioning of phenolic hydroxy groups and by the addition of alkyl substituents and nitrile groups. We also prepared other series of DPN analogues in which the nitrile functionality was replaced with acetylene groups or polar functions, to mimic the linear geometry or polarity of the nitrile, respectively. To varying degrees, all of the analogues show preferential binding affinity for ERβ (i.e., they are ERβ affinity-selective), and many, but not all of them, are also more potent in activating transcription through ERβ than through ERα (i.e., they are ERβ potency-selective). meso-2,3-Bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)succinonitrile and dl-2,3-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)succinonitrile are among the highest ERβ affinity-selective ligands, and they have an ERβ potency selectivity that is equivalent to that of DPN. The acetylene analogues have higher binding affinities but somewhat lower selectivities than their nitrile counterparts. The polar analogues have lower affinities, and only the fluorinated polar analogues have substantial affinity selectivities. This study suggests that, in this series of ligands, the nitrile functionality is critical to ERβ selectivity because it provides the optimal combination of linear geometry and polarity. Furthermore, the addition of a second nitrile group β to the nitrile in DPN or the addition of a methyl substitutent at an ortho position on the β-aromatic ring increases the affinity and selectivity of these compounds for ERβ. These ERβ-selective compounds may prove to be valuable tools in understanding the differences in structure and biological function of ERα and ERβ.

The peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ), a primary regulator of lipid metabolism, is present in many tumor cell lines and animal tumor systems and, in some cases, can mediate effective antitumor therapy with potent synthetic ligands. In an approach to image tumors with positron-emission tomography (PET) based on their content of PPARγ, we have synthesized two fluorine-substituted analogues of a high affinity ligand from the phenylpropanoic acid class. The analogue having the highest affinity for PPARγ was labeled with the positron-emitting radionuclide fluorine-18. In tissue distribution studies in normal rats and in SCID mice bearing human breast tumor xenografts, this compound did not show evidence of receptor-mediated uptake. The prospects for using PPARγ as a target for imaging tumors may be limited by the low receptor concentrations in tumors and by the pharmacokinetic behavior of this class of ligands, which appears to be more favorable for therapy than for imaging.

We have found that certain tetrasubstituted pyrazoles are high-affinity ligands for the estrogen receptor (ER) (Fink et al. Chem. Biol. 1999, 6, 205−219) and that one pyrazole is considerably more potent as an agonist on the ERα than on the ERβ subtype (Sun et al. Endocrinology 1999, 140, 800−804). To investigate what substituent pattern provides optimal ER binding affinity and the greatest enhancement of potency as an ERα-selective agonist, we prepared a number of tetrasubstituted pyrazole analogues with defined variations at certain substituent positions. Analysis of their binding affinity pattern shows that a C(4)-propyl substituent is optimal and that a p-hydroxyl group on the N(1)-phenyl group also enhances affinity and selectivity for ERα. The best compound in this series, a propylpyrazole triol (PPT, compound 4g), binds to ERα with high affinity (ca. 50% that of estradiol), and it has a 410-fold binding affinity preference for ERα. It also activates gene transcription only through ERα. Thus, this compound represents the first ERα-specific agonist. We investigated the molecular basis for the exceptional ERα binding affinity and potency selectivity of pyrazole 4g by a further study of structure−affinity relationships in this series and by molecular modeling. These investigations suggest that the pyrazole triols prefer to bind to ERα with their C(3)-phenol in the estradiol A-ring binding pocket and that binding selectivity results from differences in the interaction of the pyrazole core and C(4)-propyl group with portions of the receptor where ERα has a smaller residue than ERβ. These ER subtype-specific interactions and the ER subtype-selective ligands that can be derived from them should prove useful in defining those biological activities in estrogen target cells that can be selectively activated through ERα.

A vinylogous Pictet−Spengler cyclization has been carried out using activated aldehydes, ketones, and alkynes to prepare a variety of substituted hexahydrobenzo[f]isoquinolines. A unique set of conditions was utilized to effect efficient cyclization with acid-sensitive electrophiles.

Cystic fibrosis (CF) is an autosomal genetic disease associated with impaired epithelial ion transport. Mutations in the CF gene alter the primary sequence of the CF transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR). Several therapeutic modalities have been proposed for CF patients, including the phytoestrogen genistein. Experiments were completed in cellular and subcellular systems to evaluate the impact of naturally occurring and synthetic estrogens on epithelial ion transport, and specifically on the CF protein CFTR. 17beta-Estradiol, a naturally occurring estrogen, caused a rapid and reversible inhibition of forskolin-stimulated chloride secretion across T84 epithelial cell monolayers with a K(i) of 8 microM. In addition, 17alpha-estradiol, a stereoisomer that fails to bind and activate nuclear estrogen receptors was equipotent with 17beta-estradiol, arguing against a genomic-mediated mechanism of action. Synthetic estrogens, including diethylstilbesterol and the antiestrogen tamoxifen likewise inhibited forskolin-stimulated ion transport. Aldosterone, dexamethasone, and cholesterol were without effect at the highest concentrations tested (>/=1 mM). Studies indicated that diethylstilbesterol and other synthetic estrogens that inhibited anion secretion in intact monolayers likewise inhibited CFTR chloride channel activity with similar concentration dependencies in excised membrane patches. Experiments with radioactive photoactivatable estrogen derivatives demonstrated that these compounds bind directly to CFTR expressed in insect cells. Taken together, the data suggest that estrogens can interact directly with CFTR to alter anion transport.

A regioselective synthesis of 4-alkyl-1,3,5-triarylpyrazoles has been developed for the preparation of unsymmetrically substituted systems of interest as ligands for the estrogen receptor.

Most ligands for the estrogen receptor (ER) are not well suited for synthesis by combinatorial means, because their construction involves a series of carbon−carbon bond forming reactions that are not uniformly high yielding. In previous work directed to overcoming this limitation, we surveyed various phenol-substituted five-membered heterocycles, hoping to find a system that would afford both high ER binding affinity and whose synthesis could be adapted to solid-phase methods (Fink et al. Chem. Biol. 1999, 6, 206−219.) In this report, we have developed a reliable and efficient solid-phase method to prepare the best of these heterocycles, the tetrasubstituted pyrazoles, and we have used this methodology to produce small, discrete libraries of these novel ER ligands. We used a combination of FT-IR and nanoprobe ¹H NMR-MAS to characterize intermediates leading up to the final pyrazole products directly on the bead. We also developed a scavenging resin, which enabled us to obtain products free from inorganic contaminants. We prepared a 12-member test library, and then a 96-member library, and in both cases we determined product purity and ER binding affinity of all of the library members. Several interesting binding affinity patterns have emerged from these studies, and they have provided us with new directions for further exploration, which has led to pyrazoles having high affinity and potency as agonists and antagonists toward the ERα subtype.

We have recently reported that racemic 5,11-cis-diethyl-5,6,11,12-tetrahydrochrysene-2,8-diol (THC, rac-2b) acts as an agonist on estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) and as a complete antagonist on estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) (Sun et al. Endocrinology 1999, 140, 800−804). To further investigate this novel ER subtype-selective estrogenic activity, we have synthesized a series of cis- and trans-dialkyl THCs. cis-Dimethyl, -diethyl, and -dipropyl THCs 2a−c were prepared in a highly enantio- and diastereoselective manner by the acyloin condensation of enantiomerically pure α-alkyl-β-arylpropionic esters, followed by a Lewis acid-mediated double cyclization under conditions of minimal epimerization. ERα and ERβ binding affinity of both cis and trans isomers of dimethyl, diethyl, and dipropyl THCs was determined in competitive binding assays, and their transcriptional activity was determined in reporter gene assays in mammalian cells. Nearly all THCs examined were found to be affinity-selective for ERβ. All these THCs are agonists on ERα, and THCs with small substituents are agonists on both ERα and ERβ. As substituent size was increased, ERβ-selective antagonism developed first in the (R,R)-cis enantiomer series and finally in the trans diastereomer and (S,S)-cis enantiomer series. The most potent and selective ligand was identified as (R,R)-cis-diethyl THC 2b, which mimicked the ERβ-selective antagonist character of racemic cis-diethyl THC 2b. This study illustrates that the antagonist character in THC ligands for ERβ depends in a progressive way on the size and geometric disposition of substituent groups and suggests that the induction of an antagonist conformation in ERβ can be achieved with these ligands with less steric perturbation than in ERα. Furthermore, antagonists that are selectively effective on ERβ can have structures that are very different from the typical antiestrogens tamoxifen and raloxifene, which are antagonists on both ERα and ERβ.

We have investigated the scope and mechanism of the “three-component” synthesis of substituted CpRe(CO)3 complexes which involves the reaction of nucleophiles with diazocyclopentadiene (C5H4N2) and a fac-Re(CO)3⁺ species. We found that only moderately strong nucleophiles (halogen, carboxylates, boronic acids) are suitable for this transformation and that it shows a great sensitivity to the steric and electronic features of the nucleophile. A Hammett-type ρσ analysis of the effect of para-substituents on the relative rate of this reaction with several benzoates showed that the reaction is accelerated by electron-donating substituents. A mechanistic analysis, based on structure/reactivity relationships and NMR experiments, indicated that the nucleophile initially reacts with the rhenium precursor. Then, in the rate-determining step, the resulting preassociated rhenium−nucleophile intermediate reacts with C5H4N2 via a concerted SN2-like transition state. The same general mechanistic pathway seems to be followed by two very different classes of nucleophiles, carboxylates and boronic acids, in the synthesis of acyloxy- and carbon-substituted CpRe(CO)3 complexes, respectively. In particular, the lack of reactivity of boronic esters can be explained by the necessary preassociation step between the rhenium and a deprotonated hydroxy group of the nucleophile, which is possible only with free boronic acids.

The diagnosis and staging of breast cancer could be improved by the development of imaging radiopharmaceuticals that provide a noninvasive determination of the estrogen receptor (ER) status of tumor cells. Toward this goal, we have synthesized a number of integrated “3+1” oxorhenium(V) complexes designed to mimic estradiol and a class of nonsteroidal estrogens, the tetrahydrochrysenes (THC). The monodentate component of the estradiol mimic is a p-hydroxyphenethyl thiol ligand with ethyl substituents at the benzylic and homobenzylic positions. Model complexes of this ligand were easily made, but steric hindrance of the secondary thiol prevented the formation of the complex with the disubstituted ligand. The three “3+1” oxorhenium(V) complexes prepared to mimic the THC class mimics represent the first pyridinedithiol rhenium complexes of their kind to be made. These complexes are quite stable to air and moisture. The target tridentate ligand was prepared from chelidamic acid, and the VT NMR of the rhenium complex displays interesting fluxional behavior. The binding affinities of these complexes for the estrogen receptor are low, and their lipophilicities are rather high. Nevertheless, our findings provide a further refinement of our understanding of ligand structure-binding affinity correlations for the estrogen receptor.

We have used a motif-based structural search method to identify structural homologs of the hormone binding domains of the nuclear receptors from among a set of known protein structures and have found the closest similarity with members of the subtilisin-like serine proteases. These proteins consist of an open twisted sheet of parallel beta-strands flanked on both sides by alpha-helices. The alignment with the protease scaffold was refined by using multiple sequence prealignment of different sets of nuclear receptors, and alternative model structures were screened by considering their consistency with the results of biochemical experiments defining the ligand binding pocket. In the most favored model, nearly all of the residues thought to be involved in ligand binding map to a pocket of appropriate dimensions where the subtilisin-like proteases have their active site. The three-dimensional model that we propose for the hormone binding domains of the nuclear receptors provides a framework for the design of experiments to further investigate nuclear receptor structure and function.

The Mitchells Plain Disability Survey was undertaken primarily to expand a community-based rehabilitation programme in an underprivileged South African urban community. This descriptive survey used a proportional stratified random cluster sampling strategy (sample size 2424), with stratification by suburb and clusters consisting of 15 adjacent plots. A household screening questionnaire (based on the WHO disability questionnaire), identified people who reported health problems affecting their functional ability, while a second follow-up interview confirmed disablement status and obtained a medical, disablement and demographic profile of the disabled and ascertained their needs. This paper discusses different methodological issues related to the survey design and emphasizes the need for standardization of methods in the disablement field. Sampling issues include sample loss in a multi-staged data collection strategy as well as the non-independence of observations when sampling entire households. The trade-off between studying disability across diagnostic, disablement and age categories, and wide confidence intervals for specific prevalence rates, is discussed. Because of the prohibitive costs validation of disablement status is often omitted in a low-budget project (as this one was), weakening the design of such studies. Even if the 'disabled' are correctly identified, the criteria for identifying respondents determine what type of disablement prevalence will be obtained. Different diagnoses reported on screening yielded different positive predictive values of disability — the most debilitating conditions yielding the highest proportion of disabled people. The quality of the data — evaluated through comparisons of initial and repeat screening interviews, and proxy and self-reporting — is described. There is a need for disability research to continue developing suitable methods for a wide range of purposes. One such is a 'good-enough' survey design which can be implemented rapidly, at relatively low cost, to yield useful results at local level.

We have isolated two bisphenolic compounds (4 and 5) that have a marked effect on K⁺ and Na⁺ concentrations in human cells from commercial preparations of the pH indicator dye phenol red (phenolsulfonphthalein). We used a bioassay to identify active chromatographic fractions from the lipophilic impurities present in phenol red, and we determined the structure of two active components (4 and 5) by ¹H and ¹³C NMR and mass spectrometry. When added to human fibroblasts in serum-free medium, the bisphenol fluorene derivative 9,9-bis(4‘-hydroxyphenyl)-3-hydroxyfluorene (5) produced a rapid loss of K⁺ and a gain of Na⁺, at low concentrations, with an EC50 between 30 and 60 ng/mL (80−160 nM). The 2- and 4-hydroxy isomers of the fluorene 5 (i.e., compounds 6 and 7), prepared by synthesis, had similar activity, although compound 6 was somewhat less potent. The bisphenol xanthene derivative 9,9-bis(4‘-hydroxyphenyl)xanthene (4) elicited a similar biological response but was less potent than 5−7; it also had a strong effect on cell adhesion, causing release of cells from the plastic substrate at concentrations as low as 2−5 μg/mL (5.5−14 μΜ). The structures of xanthene (4) and fluorene (5) bisphenols have been confirmed by synthesis from xanthone and hydroxyfluorenone, respectively, by Friedel-Crafts alkylation with phenol. In the latter case, the desired 3-hydroxyfluorene isomer was formed in situ by rearrangement of the 1-hydroxy isomer.

Three ellipticine−estradiol conjugates were synthesized in an effort to target the cytotoxicity of ellipticine to estrogen-receptor positive cells. The three conjugates were prepared with linker chains extending from the 17α position of the estradiol to N-2 (compound 3), N-6 (compound 4), and C-9 (compound 5) positions of ellipticine. The ellipticine−estradiol conjugates were evaluated for their abilities to bind to estrogen receptors, to inhibit topoisomerase II, and for their cytotoxicities in human cancer cell lines. Conjugates 3 and 5 displayed weak binding affinities of 0.132 and 0.303 for the estrogen receptor (relative to estradiol = 100), while conjugate 4 did not show any detectable binding to the estrogen receptor. Compound 3 was a moderate inhibitor of topoisomerase II (IC50 24.1 μM), while 4 and 5 were inactive. Conjugate 3 was consistently more cytotoxic (GI50 values 1−10 μM) than compounds 4 and 5 (GI50 values 10−100 μM) in a variety of human cancer cell lines. None of the compounds displayed any selectivity for estrogen-receptor positive cell lines, which probably reflects their weak affinities for estrogen receptors.

Radiosequence analysis of peptide fragments of the estrogen receptor (ER) from MCF-7 human breast cancer cells has been used to identify cysteine 530 as the site of covalent attachment of an estrogenic affinity label, ketononestrol aziridine (KNA), and an antiestrogenic affinity label, tamoxifen aziridine (TAZ). ER from MCF-7 cells was covalently labeled with [3H]TAZ or [3H]KNA and purified to >95% homogeneity by immunoadsorbent chromatography. Limit digest peptide fragments, generated by prolonged exposure of the labeled receptor to trypsin, cyanogen bromide, or Staphylococcus aureusV8 protease, were purified to homogeneity by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and the position of the labeled residue was determined by sequential Edman degradation. With both aziridines, the labeled residue was at position 1 in the tryptic peptide, position 2 in the cyanogen bromide peptide, and position 7 in the V8 protease peptide. This localizes the site of labeling to a single cysteine at position 530 in the receptor sequence. The identity of cysteine as the site of labeling was confirmed by HPLC comparison of the TAZ-labeled amino acid (as the phenylthiohydantoin and phenylthiocarbamyl derivatives) and the KNA-labeled amino acid (as the phenylthiocarbamyl derivative) with authentic standards prepared by total synthesis. Cysteine 530 is located in the hormone binding domain of the receptor, near its carboxyl terminus. This location is consistent with earlier studies using sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis to analyze the size of the proteolytic fragments containing the covalent labeling sites for TAZ and KNA and the antigen recognition sites for monoclonal antibodies. The fact that both the estrogenic and antiestrogenic affinity labeling agents react covalently with the same cysteine indicates that differences in receptor-agonist and receptorantagonist complexes do not result in differential covalent labeling of amino acid residues in the hormone binding domain.

A unique double ligand-transfer reaction is described for the preparation of substituted cyclopentadienyltricarbonylrhenium complexes. In the reaction, potassium perrhenate(VII) is reduced and carbonylated by treatment with chromium trichloride and chromium hexacarbonyl to provide a proposed alkoxy carbonyl rhenium(I) intermediate. It is believed that this intermediate then undergoes a Cp ligand-transfer reaction with an acyl-substituted ferrocene to provide the corresponding (acyl-cyclopentadienyl)tricarbonylrhenium complex. A strongly coordinating solvent such as methanol is necessary to promote the reduction of perrhenate, and a carbonyl substituent conjugated to the Cp ring is necessary to activate it for transfer from iron to rhenium. This method has potential value for the synthesis of rhenium and technetium organometallic radiopharmaceuticals.

A new series of estradiol analogs was synthesized in an attempt to improve on the anticancer activity of 2-methoxyestradiol, a naturally occurring mammalian tubulin polymerization inhibitor. The compounds were evaluated as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization and the binding of [³H]colchicine to tubulin, as well as for in vitro cytotoxicity in human cancer cell cultures. Overall, the most potent of the new compounds were 2-(2‘,2‘,2‘-trifluoroethoxy)-6-oximinoestradiol, 2-ethoxy-6-oximinoestradiol, and 2-ethoxy-6-methoximinoestradiol. These agents lacked significant affinity for the estrogen receptor. The cytotoxicities of the compounds correlated in general with their abilities to inhibit tubulin polymerization, thus supporting inhibition of tubulin polymerization as the primary mechanism causing inhibition of cell growth.

A method for labeling proteins and peptides with (methoxycarbonyl cyclopentadienyl)tricarbonyl rhenium and technetium is described. The precursors used for this labeling are conveniently produced from perrhenate and pertechnetate, respectively, using a double ligand transfer reaction. For labeling the lysine residues of the model protein bovine serum albumin, the technetium methyl ester was saponified and then transformed into its N-hydroxysuccinimidyl ester. For the labeling of the model peptides leucine enkephalin, substance P, oxytocin, and the tumor imaging/therapy candidate octreotide, the rhenium methyl ester was saponified and activated using either 1-hydoxybenzotriazole or 1-hydroxy-7-azabenzotriazole. The activation and peptide-coupling reactions were followed using reversed-phase (C18) HPLC and yields averaged approximately 70%.

Haloenol lactones can act as enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitors for alpha-chymotrypsin: acyl transfer to the active site serine releases a halomethyl ketone that remains tethered in the active site during the lifetime of the acyl enzyme, poised to alkylate an accessible nucleophilic residue. To investigate the structural determinants for chymotrypsin suicide inactivation with haloenol lactones, we prepared a series of nine lactones, differing in ring size (6-membered valerolactones and 5-membered butyrolactones) and in the nature of the aromatic substituent (phenyl and alpha-naphthyl), and the halogen (bromine and iodine). The inactivating behavior of these lactones is characterized by a binding constant (Ki) and three rate constants, for inactivation (k2), catalytic hydrolysis (kc), and spontaneous hydrolysis (kh). The six-membered valerolactones were much more potent inactivators than the butyrolactones, having both higher affinity and more rapid inactivation; the alpha-naphthyl-substituted lactones were also more effective, but the nature of the halogen had relatively little effect. The spontaneous rate of hydrolysis of all of these lactones is low. The turnovers per inactivation of these lactones vary from 91-1.7, with some of the alpha-naphthyl-substituted lactones approaching ideal behavior (stoichiometric inactivation). These studies indicate that several haloenol lactones are effective enzyme-activated irreversible inhibitors of chymotrypsin, and that their potency and efficiency depends markedly upon certain structural features of the lactone system.

We have been interested in understanding how the estrogen receptor (ER) binds estrogens and discriminates between different classes of steroids with closely related structures. Using insights from our prior studies on ER and from sequence comparisons of steroid receptors, we identified three residues in the hormone-binding domain of the human ER, Leu345, Thr347, and Glu353, that we considered were likely to be involved in steroid A-ring recognition and therefore estrogen versus androgen discrimination. We then tested the effect on ER activity of mutating these ER residues to the corresponding androgen receptor residues. Specifically, we examined the ability of the mutant receptors to bind and be activated by 17beta-estradiol and three different androgens. No change in receptor activity was observed with the T347N mutation, while the L345S mutation greatly reduced ER activity in response to all ligands. Interestingly, the E353Q substitution behaved as expected, causing a 9-fold reduction in the transactivation potency of estradiol and a concomitant 10-140-fold increase in the transactivation potency of different androgens. These reciprocal changes in the transcriptional effectiveness of estrogens and androgens correlated with a decreased affinity of the E353Q ER for estradiol binding and an increased affinity for androgen binding. Therefore, amino acid Glu353 appears to be playing a significant role in binding the A-ring phenolic group of estradiol and in receptor discrimination between estrogens and the most closely structurally related steroids, androgens. Based on this data and our earlier observations, we propose a model for the orientation of ligand within the binding pocket of ER in which the A-ring 3-phenol of estradiol is hydrogen bonded to Glu353 in helix-3 and the 17beta-hydroxyl of estradiol is hydrogen bonded to His524 in helix-11. Our findings with estrogen and androgen suggest that this orientation of the steroid in the ligand-binding pocket, with the steroid A-ring in contact with helix-3 and the D-ring in contact with helix-11 residues, is likely to be general for all the steroid hormone receptors.