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[Image: see text] The discovery of new targets for the treatment of malaria, in particular those aimed at the pre-erythrocytic stage in the life cycle, advanced with the demonstration that orally administered inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) could clear infection in a murine model. This enthusiasm was tempered by unsatisfactory safety and/or pharmacokinetic issues found with these chemotypes. To address the urgent need for new scaffolds, this paper presents initial structure–activity relationships in an imidazole scaffold at four positions, representative in vitro ADME, hERG characterization, and cell-based antiparasitic activity. This series of PfPKG inhibitors has good in vitro PfPKG potency, low hERG activity, and cell-based antiparasitic activity against multiple Plasmodium species that appears to be correlated with the in vitro potency.

The discovery of new targets for treatment of malaria and in particular those aimed at the pre-erythrocytic stage in the life cycle, advanced with the demonstration that orally administered inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) could clear infection in a murine model. This enthusiasm was tempered by unsatisfactory safety and/or pharmacokinetic issues found with these chemotypes. To address the urgent need for new scaffolds, this manuscript presents initial structure-activity relationships in an imidazole scaffold at four positions, representative in vitro ADME, hERG characterization and cell-based anti-parasitic activity. This series of PfPKG inhibitors has good in vitro PfPKG potency, low hERG activity and cell-based anti-parasitic activity against multiple Plasmodium species that appears to correlate with in vitro potency.

The discovery of new targets for treatment of malaria advanced with the demonstration that orally administered inhibitors of Plasmodium falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) could clear infection in a murine model. This enthusiasm was tempered by unsatisfactory safety and/or pharmacokinetic issues found with these chemotypes. To address the urgent need for new scaffolds, we recently reported the discovery and optimization of novel, potent isoxazole-based PfPKG inhibitors that lacked any obvious safety warnings. This manuscript presents representative in vitro ADME, hERG characterization and cell-based antiparasitic activity of these PfPKG inhibitors. We also report the discovery and structure-activity relationships of a new series with good potency, low hERG activity and cell-based anti-parasitic activity comparable to a literature standard.

P. falciparum cGMP-dependent protein kinase (PfPKG) is an enticing anti-malarial drug target. Structurally novel isoxazole-based compounds were shown to be ATP competitive inhibitors of PfPKG. Isoxazoles 3 and 5 had Ki values of 0.7 ± 0.2 and 2.3 ± 0.9 nM, respectively, that are comparable to a known standard, 4-[2-(4-fluorophenyl)-5-(1-methylpiperidine-4-yl)-1H pyrrol-3-yl] pyridine (1.4 ± 0.5 nM). They also exhibited excellent selectivity for PfPKG over the human ortholog and the gatekeeper mutant T618Q PfPKG, which mimics the less accessible binding site of the human ortholog. The human ortholog’s larger binding site volume was predicted to explain the selectivity of the inhibitors for the P. falciparum enzyme. Analogs 4 and 6 were at least 20-fold less potent compared to 3 and 5, suggesting that removing the carbonyl group in 3 or altering the diethylamino moiety in 5 reduced affinity.

The cGMP-dependent protein kinase in Plasmodium falciparum (PfPKG) plays multiple roles in the life cycle of the parasite. As a result, this enzyme is a potential target for new antimalarial agents. Existing inhbitors, while potent and active in malaria models are not optimal. This communication describes initial optimization of a structurally distinct class of PfPKG inhibitors.

Conformational restriction is a useful approach for ligand design in organic and medicinal chemistry. This manuscript reports the facile synthesis and in silico conformational analysis of two new diastereomeric [3.2.2]-3-azabicyclic, two new [3.2.1]-3-aza-8-oxy-bicyclic and one new [3.2.1]-3-azabicyclic diamine scaffolds. A conformational analysis of these structures along with calculation of carbon–carbon/carbon–nitrogen bond angles was carried out and compared to those in the flexible 1,3-diaminopropane template upon which they were based. It is of particular importance that these scaffolds have bond lengths and angles that can overlap with low energy conformers of the flexible diamine. Such information is useful for ligand design in organic chemistry and for development of structure activity relationships and in silico screening in medicinal chemistry.

Filariasis is a tropical disease caused by the parasitic nematodes Wuchereria bancrofti and Brugia malayi. Known inhibitors of dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) have been previously shown to kill Brugia malayi nematodes and to inhibit Brugia malayi DHFR (BmDHFR) at nanomolar concentrations. These data suggest that BmDHFR is a potential target for the treatment of filariasis. Here, protocols for cloning, expression and purification of Wuchereria bancrofti DHFR (WbDHFR) were developed. The Uniprot entry J9F199-1 predicts a 172 amino acid protein for WbDHFR but alignment of this sequence to the previously described BmDHFR shows that this WbDHFR sequence lacks a crucial, conserved 13 amino acid loop. The presence of the loop in WbDHFR is supported by a noncanonical splicing event and the loop sequence was therefore included in the gene design. Subsequently, the KM for dihydrofolate (3.7 ± 2 μM), kcat (7.4 ± 0.6 s-1), and pH dependence of activity were determined. IC50 values of methotrexate, trimethoprim, pyrimethamine, raltitrexed, aminopterin, (-)-epicatechin gallate, (-)-epicatechin, and vitexin were measured for WbDHFR and BmDHFR. Methotrexate and structurally related aminopterin were found to be effective inhibitors of WbDHFR, with an KI of 1.2 ± 0.2 nM and 2.1 ± 0.5 nM, respectively, suggesting that repurposing of known antifolate compound may be an effective strategy to treating filariasis. Most compounds showed similar inhibition profiles toward both enzymes, suggesting that the two enzymes have important similarities in their active site environments and can be targeted with the same compound, once a successful inhibitor is identified.

Quinolinol-based compounds are a promising starting point for discovery of effective inhibitors of the clostridial neurotoxin, botulinum neurotoxin type A light chain (BoNT/A LC). Insights into the mechanism of inhibition by quinolinol compounds facilitate interpretation of docking data and inhibitor optimization. In this study, a fluorogenic substrate of BoNT/A, SNAPtide, was used to study the mechanism by which two new quinolinol compounds, MSU58 and MSU84, with IC50 values of 3.3 μM and 5.8 μM, respectively, inhibit BoNT/A LC. Kinetic studies and model discrimination analysis showed both compounds to be competitive inhibitors of BoNT/A LC with inhibition constants (KI) 3.2 μM and 6.2 μM for MSU58 and MSU84, respectively. These data indicate that the inhibitors bind in the BoNT/A LC active site and that inhibitor binding is mutually exclusive with the binding of the substrate. This is the first study to report the competitive inhibition of BoNT/A LC by quinolinol compounds. These data help define the inhibitor binding pocket and, along with structure activity relationship studies, provide immediate direction for further compound synthesis.

The synthesis and structure–activity relationships of novel dipeptidyl peptidase IV inhibitors replacing the classical cyanopyrrolidine P1 group with other small nitrogen heterocycles are described. A unique potency enhancement was achieved with β-branched natural and unnatural amino acids, particularly adamantylglycines, linked to a (2S,3R)-2,3-methanopyrrolidine based scaffold.

Phosphodiesterase enzymes convert cyclic GMP and cyclic AMP to the corresponding nucleotide monophosphates. Phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibition is now a widely accepted and efficacious therapeutic option for the treatment of erectile dysfunction in men, as a result of extensive clinical experience with sildenafil and other new PDE5 inhibitors. Research in the field continues at a substantial level to identify new, selective PDE5 inhibitors and to investigate their usefulness and activity in other areas. This review summarizes recent clinical trials with PDE5 inhibitors, advances in medicinal chemistry, and other activities and potential applications of this class of compounds.

International audience; Preventing viral entry into cells is a recognized approach for HIV therapy and has attracted attention for use against the hepatitis C virus (HCV). Recent reports described the activity of (−)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) as an inhibitor of HCV entry with modest potency. EGCG is a polyphenolic natural product with a wide range of biological activity and unfavorable pharmaceutical properties. In an attempt to identify more drug-like EGCG derivatives with improved efficacy as HCV entry inhibitors, we initiated structure–activity investigations using semi-synthetic and synthetic EGCG analogs. The data show that there are multiple regions in the EGCG structure that contribute to activity. The gallate ester portion of the molecule appears to be of particular importance as a 3,4-difluoro analog of EGCG enhanced potency. This derivative and other active compounds were shown not to be cytotoxic in Huh-7 cell culture. These data suggest that more potent, non-cytotoxic EGCG analogs can be prepared in an attempt to identify more drug-like candidates to treat HCV infection by this mechanism.

(-)-Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) is the major flavonoid of green tea and has been widely explored for a range of biological activities including anti-infective, anti-inflammatory, anti-cancer, and neuroprotection. Existing structure-activity data for EGCG has been largely limited to exploration of simple ethers and hydroxyl deletion. EGCG has poor drug-like properties because of multiple phenolic hydroxyl moieties and a metabolically labile ester. This work reports a substantial expansion of structure-activity understanding by exploring a range of semi-synthetic and synthetic derivatives with ester replacements and variously substituted aromatic and alicyclic groups containing more drug-like substituents. Structure-activity relationships for these molecules were obtained for Hsp90 inhibition. The results indicate that amide and sulfonamide linkers are suitable ester replacements. Hydroxylated aromatic rings and the cis-stereochemistry in EGCG are not essential for Hsp90 inhibition. Selected analogs in this series are more potent than EGCG in a luciferase refolding assay for Hsp90 activity.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors with improved PDE isozyme selectivity relative to sildenafil may result in agents for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (MED) with a lower incidence of PDE-associated adverse effects. This paper describes the discovery of 14, a PDE5 inhibitor with improved potency and selectivity in vitro compared to sildenafil. This compound shows activity in a functional assay of erectile function comparable to that of sildenafil.

A series of 3,9 disubstituted [(alkylthio)methyl]- and (alkoxymethyl)-K-252a derivatives was synthesized with the aim of enhancing and separating the neurotrophic properties from the undesirable NGF (trk A kinase) and PKC inhibitory activities of K-252a. Data from this series reveal that substitution in the 3- and 9-positions of K-252a with these groups reduces trk A kinase inhibitory properties approximately 100- to500-fold while maintaining or in certain cases enhancing the neurotrophic activity. From this research, 3,9-bis[(ethylthio)methyl]-K-252a (8) was identified as a potent and selective neurotrophic agent in vitro as measured by enhancement of choline acetyltransferase activity in embryonic rat spinal cord and basal forebrain cultures. Compound 8 was found to have weak kinase inhibitory activity for trk A, protein kinase C1 protein kinase A, and myosin light chain kinase. On the basis of the in vitro profile, 8 was evaluated in in vivo models suggestive of neurological diseases. Compound 8 was active in preventing degeneration of cholinergic neurons of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis (NBM) and reduced developmentally programmed cell death (PCD) of female rat spinal nucleus of the bulbocavernosus motoneurons and embryonic chick lumbar motoneurons.

Boceprevir was the first direct acting agent developed for the treatment of hepatitis C virus infection. Boceprevir functions by targeting NS3 protease, a viral enzyme essential for replication. This peptidomimetic molecule was optimized from a peptide lead to provide a potent, selective and orally bioavailable drug that can be combined with ribavirin and peg interferon to achieve sustained viral response (undetectable HCV RNA levels for 24 weeks after completion of therapy) in patients infected with Genotype 1 of the virus.This article provides a review of the pre-clinical and clinical discovery of boceprevir. This review includes the role and function of its molecular target, NS3 protease, as well as the assays used to measure in vitro efficacy, compound optimization and clinical studies to demonstrate safety and efficacy.As the first direct acting anti-HCV agent, boceprevir represents an important advance in therapy of this widespread chronic disease. Yet, while this therapy is a valuable approach, it does have limitations. Studies have suggested that 30% of patients do not achieve sustained viral response and 11% of patients have developed anemia and/or neutropenia. Current drug discovery and development efforts are underway to develop novel therapeutic options that address these issues.

Notes The authors declare no competing financial interest. Title: Gamma Secretase Modulators Application Number: WO 2013066740A1 Publication date: 10 May 2013 Priority Application: 61/553,384 Priority date: 31 October 2011 Inventors: W. Greenlee, D. Pissarnitski, Z. Zhao, Z. Zhu Assignee Company: Merck Sharpe & Dohme Disease Area: Neurodegeneration Biological Target: Gamma secretase Summary: Gamma secretase is an aspartic protease complex involved in the biosynthesis of Aβ peptide, a potential neurotoxic contributor in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease. Direct inhibition of enzymatic activity introduces potential selectivity issues associated with other biological functions of gamma secretase including Notch and Eph processing. As an alternative approach to gamma secretase inhibition, modulation of enzyme activity using, e.g., NSAIDs is a potentially druggable concept. This patent describes the synthesis and evaluation of a novel chemical series that demonstrates inhibition of gamma secretase activity in vitro and reduction of Aβ42 CSF levels following oral administration of a standard dose of 30 mg/kg. Primary Markush

Pyrrolo[3,4-c]carbazole derivatives were prepared as potential neurotrophic agents. The compounds were assayed for their ability to stimulate choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) activity in embryonic rat spinal cord cultures. These simplified K252a derivatives, although less potent and efficacious, have led to the identification of minimal structural requirements for K252a neurotrophic activity.

Ophiobolin A [1], 3-anhydroophiobolin A [2], ophiobolin B [3], and ophiobolin L [4] were isolated from fermentation broths of Cochliobolus heterostrophus. Preliminary screening showed that a number of organisms were capable of metabolizing the sesterterpene ophiobolin A [1]. Large-scale transformations of ophiobolin A [1] with Polyangium cellulosum produced 6 and 7 while Pseudomonas aeruginosa produced 8. Resting-cell preparations of Penicillium patulum afforded 9 and 10. The structures of these metabolites were established by spectroscopic methods and by comparison of the spectral data with those of the starting material. The antimicrobial activity of the ophiobolins was also evaluated.

The first synthesis of stereospecific 3,4,5-trisubstituted γ-butyrolactone phospholipids has been achieved by a ten-step sequence starting fromN,N-dimethylacetamide (9). Alkylation of 9 with 1-bromohexane gaveN,N-dimethyloctanamide (11), which was subjected to aldol condensation with acrolein and afforded theerythro-N,N-dimethyl-3-hydroxy-2-hexyl-4-pentenamide (6) and itsthreo isomer 7, both of which were subsequently converted to the corresponding 3-oxy(hexanoyl) esters 15 and 16. Stereospecific cyclization of diastereomeric allylic amides (6,7,15 and 16)via iodolactonization gave 3,4,5-trisubstituted γ-butyrolactones (19–25) in satisfactory yields (68–89%) and with high stereoselectivity (at least 6∶1), except for thethreo amide 16 (2∶1). Conversion of the 6-iodo-group of the major iodolactones 23 and 24 to the corresponding 6-hydroxy lactones 31 and 32 through a wet Prevost reaction also resulted in 4-hydroxy lactones 30 and 33, and a mechanism for this reaction is proposed. Further phosphorylation of 4- or 6-hydroxy lactones 30, 31 and 32 with diphenyl chlorophosphate gave the corresponding diphenyl phosphoric acid lactone esters 34, 35 and 36, whereas 33 underwent an elimination reaction under formation of a C(3)−C(4) double bond. Hydrogenolysis of the diphenyl groups of esters 34, 35 and 36 over Adams' catalyst [platinum(IV) oxide] yielded the corresponding phosphoric acid lactone esters 38, 39 and 40, which were finally treated with choline tetraphenylborate to afford the desired lactone phospholipids 41, 42 and 43 in overall yields of 9, 30 and 18%, respectively. The structures of all new compounds were unambiguously assigned by analysis of their1H and13C one-dimensional and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra obtained on a 300 MHz NMR spectrometer, and the structures were confirmed by low or high resolution mass spectrometry as well as elemental analysis. The stereoisomeric purity of the final products (98.2, 99.0 and 98.5% for 41, 42 and 43, respectively) was determined by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A series of α-mono and dialkyl-β-oxygenated (hydroxyl and alkyl ester) tertiary amides were subjected to iodolactonization and it was observed that with only 1 exception, (threo 11b), all of the compounds cyclized with useful levels of stereoselection (at least 3:1). While the origin of this effect is obscure, these results suggest that in such amide substrates with at least one substituent larger than methyl α to the amide, iodolactonization is a viable strategy for the stereocontrolled preparation of highly substituted γ-butyrolactones

The stereoselective reduction of bromomethyl ketones derived from leucine, phenylalanine, alanine and valine is described using borohydride reagents. The Boc-amino alcohol product has erythro stereochemistry at the carbinol center as deduced by conversion to Boc-amino epoxides. These oxiranes are useful for the preparation of hydroxyethylene peptide isosteres.

Phosphodiesterase type 5 (PDE5) inhibitors with improved PDE isozyme selectivity relative to sildenafil may result in agents for the treatment of male erectile dysfunction (MED) with a lower incidence of PDE-associated adverse effects. This paper describes the discovery of 14, a PDE5 inhibitor with improved potency and selectivity in vitro compared to sildenafil. This compound shows activity in a functional assay of erectile function comparable to that of sildenafil.

A dihydroquinolinone moiety was found to be a potent serotonin reuptake inhibitor pharmacophore when combined with certain amines. This fragment was coupled with selected D2 ligands to prepare a series of dual acting compounds with attractive in vitro profiles as dopamine D2 partial agonists and serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Structure–activity studies revealed that the linker plays a key role in contributing to D2 affinity, function, and SRI activity.

The preclinical characterization of WS-50030 [7-{4-[3-(1H-inden-3-yl)propyl]piperazin-1-yl}-1,3-benzoxazol-2(3H)-one] is described. In vitro binding and functional studies revealed highest affinity to the D(2) receptor (D(2L) K(i), 4.0 nM) and serotonin transporter (K(i), 7.1 nM), potent D(2) partial agonist activity (EC(50), 0.38 nM; E(max), 30%), and complete block of the serotonin transporter (IC(50), 56.4 nM). Consistent with this in vitro profile, WS-50030 (10 mg/kg/day, 21 days) significantly increased extracellular 5-HT in the rat medial prefrontal cortex, short-term WS-50030 treatment blocked apomorphine-induced climbing (ID(50), 0.51 mg/kg) in a dose range that produced minimal catalepsy in mice and induced low levels of contralateral rotation in rats with unilateral substantia nigra 6-hydroxydopamine lesions (10 mg/kg i.p.), a behavioral profile similar to that of the D(2) partial agonist aripiprazole. In a rat model predictive of antipsychotic-like activity, WS-50030 and aripiprazole reduced conditioned avoidance responding by 42 and 55% at 10 mg/kg, respectively. Despite aripiprazole's reported lack of effect on serotonin transporters, long-term treatment with aripiprazole or WS-50030 reversed olfactory bulbectomy-induced hyperactivity at doses that did not reduce activity in sham-operated rats, indicating antidepressant-like activity for both compounds. Despite possessing serotonin reuptake inhibitory activity in addition to D(2) receptor partial agonism, WS-50030 displays activity in preclinical models predictive of antipsychotic- and antidepressant efficacy similar to aripiprazole, suggesting potential efficacy of WS-50030 versus positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, comorbid mood symptoms, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, and treatment-resistant depression. Furthermore, WS-50030 provides a tool to further explore how combining these mechanisms might differentiate from other antipsychotics or antidepressants.

A 5-fluoro-tetrahydrocarbazole serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SRI) building block was combined with a variety of linkers and dopamine D2 receptor ligands in an attempt to identify potent D2 partial agonist/SRI molecules for treatment of schizophrenia. This approach has the potential to treat a broader range of symptoms compared to existing therapies. Selected compounds in this series demonstrate high affinity for both targets and D2 partial agonism in cell-based and in vivo assays.

The marine sesquiterpene (±)-dactylol was prepared from 2,5-dimethyl-7-(3-methyl-4-pentenyl)tropone in six steps. Salient features of the synthesis include: (1) a stereo- and regioselective intramolecular tropone-alkene [6π+2π] photocyclization to furnish the dactylol carbocyclic skeleton, (2) a regioselective Baeyer-Villiger oxidation of a bisneopentyl ketone, and (3) a chemoselective 1,4-reduction of a cyclocta-1,3-diene moiety

Publisher Summary Phosphodiesterases (PDEs) inhibition, which leads to an increase in cyclic nucleotide concentration, represents a means by which cellular signaling pathways can be influenced for therapeutic benefit. The detection of PDE enzymes in the central nervous system (CNS) has stimulated interest in exploring potential applications of PDE inhibitors for treating CNS disorders such as Alzheimer's disease and other cognitive malfunctions, depression, anxiety, and schizophrenia. This chapter focuses on these therapeutic opportunities and new developments in the medicinal chemistry and biology associated with selected members of the PDE family, in particular PDEs 2, 4, 9, and 10. PDE2 is a mixed specificity PDE that is expressed in the CNS in the hippocampus, cortex, and striatum. This expression pattern stimulated the study of PDE2 inhibitors for treatment of cognitive disorders. One of the most recent and thoroughly explored compounds is Bay 60-7550. MEM1414 is a PDE4 inhibitor from Memory Pharmaceuticals that is in clinical development for potential use in Alzheimer's disease. Thienopyrimidinones are claimed to be potent PDE9 inhibitors with excellent selectivity versus PDE5 (4800-fold). PDE10 inhibitors is reported to have a PDE10 IC50 (inhibitory concentration 50) value of approximately 1nM. Quinoline 14 is representative of a family of PDE10 inhibitors derived ultimately from papaverine.

A structure-activity relationship study of the amine portion of the calcilytic compound NPS-2143 resulted in the discovery of substituted 2-benzylpyrrolidines as replacements for the 1,1-dimethyl-2-naphthalen-2-yl-ethylamine. When compared to NPS-2143, a newly discovered compound, 3h, exhibited similar potency as a calcium-sensing receptor (CaR) antagonist and a superior human ether-a-go-go related gene (hERG) profile.

A previous report from these laboratories identified the N-3-benzylimidazoquinazolinone nucleus as a more selective PDE5 inhibitor template compared to the pyrazolopyrimidine of sildenafil. This paper describes in detail the structure-activity relationships of a set of sulfonamide analogues, several of which are both more potent and more selective PDE5 inhibitors in vitro than sildenafil. The synthesis, in vitro enzyme activity and selectivity, and in vitro functional and preclinical pharmacokinetic assessment of molecules in this series are described.

(-)-Epigallocatechin 3-O-gallate (EGCG) a molecule found in green tea and known for a plethora of bioactive properties is an inhibitor of heat shock protein 90 (HSP90), a protein of interest as a target for cancer and neuroprotection. Determination of the spectral properties of EGCG fluorescence in environments similar to those of binding sites found in proteins provides an important tool to directly study protein-EGCG interactions. The goal of this study is to examine the spectral properties of EGCG fluorescence in an aqueous buffer (AB) at pH=7.0, acetonitrile (AN) (a polar aprotic solvent), dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) (a polar aprotic solvent), and ethanol (EtOH) (a polar protic solvent). We demonstrate that EGCG is a highly fluorescent molecule when excited at approximately 275 nm with emission maxima between 350 and 400 nm depending on solvent. Another smaller excitation peak was found when EGCG is excited at approximately 235 nm with maximum emission between 340 and 400 nm. We found that the fluorescence intensity (FI) of EGCG in AB at pH=7.0 is significantly quenched, and that it is about 85 times higher in an aprotic solvent DMSO. The Stokes shifts of EGCG fluorescence were determined by solvent polarity. In addition, while the emission maxima of EGCG fluorescence in AB, DMSO, and EtOH follow the Lippert-Mataga equation, its fluorescence in AN points to non-specific solvent effects on EGCG fluorescence. We conclude that significant solvent-dependent changes in both fluorescence intensity and fluorescence emission shifts can be effectively used to distinguish EGCG in aqueous solutions from EGCG in environments of different polarity, and, thus, can be used to study specific EGCG binding to protein binding sites where the environment is often different from aqueous in terms of polarity.

The Alzheimer's disease amyloid peptide Abeta has a heterogeneous COOH terminus, as variants 40 and 42 residues long are found in neuritic plaques and are secreted constitutively by cultured cells. The proteolytic activity that liberates the Abeta COOH terminus from the beta-amyloid precursor protein is called gamma-secretase. It could be one protease with dual specificity or two distinct enzymes. By using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays selective for Abeta40 or Abeta42, we have measured Abeta secretion by a HeLa cell line, and we have examined the dose responses for a panel of five structurally diverse gamma-secretase inhibitors. The inhibitors lowered Abeta and p3 secretion and increased levels of the COOH-terminal 99-residue beta-amyloid precursor protein derivative that is the precursor for Abeta but did not alter secretion of beta-amyloid precursor protein derivatives generated by other secretases, indicating that the inhibitors blocked the gamma-secretase processing step. The dose-dependent inhibition of Abeta42 was unusual, as the compounds elevated Abeta42 secretion at sub-inhibitory doses and then inhibited secretion at higher doses. A compound was identified that elevated Abeta42 secretion at a low concentration without inhibiting Abeta42 or Abeta40 at high concentrations, demonstrating that these phenomena are separable pharmacologically. Using either of two methods, IC50 values for inhibition of Abeta42 and Abeta40 were found to have the same rank-order and fall on a trend line with near-unit slope. These results favor the hypothesis that Abeta variants ending at residue 40 or 42 are generated by a single gamma-secretase.

Halophenols are among the many varied types of halogenated organic compounds occurring in the ecosystem. Primarily because of pollution research, the chlorophenols found in most environmental samples are believed to be the result of man-related activities. However, several of the halophenols also have a natural origin. Since environmental investigation of halogenated pollutants usually leads to the ultimate source(s) of these substances, careful assessment must be made regarding the presence, causes and effects of halophenols found in the biosphere. The emerging picture strongly indicates that many organisms contain haloperoxidase enzymes which catalyze the formation of a carbon-halogen covalent bond leading to the formation of halogenated natural products. In this study, the authors employed a fungal enzyme, chloroperoxidase (CPO) obtained from Caldariomyces fumago. Chloroperoxidase has been well utilized as a model in the study of biological halogenation. Their intent was to use the enzyme as a means to predict potential halogenation of phenols in the ecosystem.

Synthesis and antileukemic activity in vivo of the four diastereomeric 1-hydroxy-3,4-diaminocyclohexane-Cl2PtII complexes (Cl2PtII-3a-d) are described. Respective bis(phenylmethyl) (1 alpha,2 alpha,4 beta)-, (1 alpha,2 alpha,4 alpha)-, (1 alpha,2 beta,4 beta)-, and (1 alpha,2 beta,4 alpha)-(4-hydroxy-1,2-cyclohexanediyl)bis(carbamates) (5a, 5b, 7a, 7b) were prepared by hydroboration-oxidation of the bis(carbobenzoxyamino) derivatives (4,5) of cis- and trans-4,5-diaminocyclohexene. The relative stereochemistry of intermediates 5a and 5b was established by correlation with the alcohol obtained by NaBH4 reduction of bis(phenylmethyl) (1 alpha,2 alpha,3 alpha,4 alpha)-(3,4-epoxy-1,2-cyclohexanediyl)bis(carbamate) (8), the all-cis stereochemistry of which was unambiguously determined by X-ray crystallographic analysis. In the P-388 murine leukemia model these monohydroxycyclohexanediamine-PtII complexes were more effective than the PtII complexes of the related diol diamines 1a-e but were less active than the cisplatin positive control.

Stereochemical control during the epoxidation of cis -1-[N-Cbz]-2-[hydroxymethyl]-cyclohex-4-enes with MCPBA is dependent on hydroxyl functionalization which apparently determines ring conformation. Unprotected or acetate-derivatized compounds afford exclusively syn epoxide products. Silyl ether protected analogs furnish predominantly products derived from anti delivery of oxygen. Respective 2-carbomethoxy and benzyl carbamate-protected aminomethyl derivatives show stereospecificity similar to the free hydroxyl and acetate-protected substrates.

Stereocontrolled syntheses for the six diastereomeric 1,2-dihydroxy-4,5-diaminocyclohexanes 3a-f from cyclohexene diamines cis-4 and trans-5 are described. Cbz-protected species cis-9 and trans-11, respectively, served as a source of stable Cbz-protected precursors to these cyclohexanediol diamines (CDD), which were liberated upon catalytic (H2, Pd/C) hydrogenation. Catalytic osmylation of 9 afforded a mixture of diastereomeric diols 13 and 14, which served as precursors to cis-anti-cis CDD 3b and cis-syn-cis CDD 3a, respectively, whereas osmylation of 11 yielded the expected single product 12, the precursor to cis-anti-trans CDD 3d. Epoxidation of olefins 9 and 11 afforded oxiranes 15 and 17, respectively, which upon acid-catalyzed hydrolysis produced the corresponding Cbz-protected diols 16 and 18, which served as precursors to CDD trans-anti-cis 3c, and trans-anti-trans 3e. Formation of diol 18 from oxirane 17 was accompanied by formation of 2-oxa-4-azabicyclo[3.3.1]nonan-3-one 19. CDD trans-syn-trans 3f was prepared from diol 12 via regioselective monoacetylation, yielding 22, followed by oxidation to afford ketone 24. Sodium borohydride reduction and acetylation produced diacetate precursor 26. PtIICl2 complexes of five of the diamines (3a-d,f) are described, and their activities were compared with cisplatin (1) by employing P-388 leukemia implanted CDF1 mice. The data indicate that stereochemistry of the amino groups on the cyclohexanediamine ligand modulate the expression of toxic effects, and depending upon hydroxyl and amino group stereochemistry, there is a marked effect on complex formation (e.g., Cl2PtII-3e) and solubility characteristics (e.g., Cl2PtII-3c). Acetylation of the hydroxyl functions in selected isomers (28a-c) rendered the PtII complexes inactive. A single-crystal X-ray structure of compound 3a was determined at room temperature and indicated the cis-syn-cis arrangement of the OH and NH2 groups.