Search

A series of analogues of the protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitory natural product balanol which bear modified benzophenone subunits are described. The analogues were designed with the goal of uncovering structure-activity features that could be used in the development of PKC inhibitors with a reduced polar character compared to balanol itself. The results of these studies suggest that most of the benzophenone features found in the natural product are important for obtaining potent PKC inhibitory compounds. However, several modifications were found to lead to selective inhibitors of the related enzyme protein kinase A (PKA), and several specific modifications to the polar structural elements of the benzophenone were found to provide potent PKC inhibitors. In particular, it was found that replacement of the benzophenone carboxylate with bioisosteric equivalents could lead to potent analogues. Further, a tolerance for lipophilic substituents on the terminal benzophenone ring was uncovered. These results are discussed in light of recently available structural information for PKA.

Balanol is a potent protein kinase C (PKC) inhibitor that is structurally composed of a benzophenone diacid, a 4-hydroxybenzamide, and a perhydroazepine ring. A number of balanol analogs in which the perhydroazepine moiety is replaced have been synthesized and their biological activities evaluated against both PKC and cAMP-dependent kinase (PKA). The results suggested that the activity and the isozyme/kinase selectivity of these compounds are largely related to the conformation about this nonaromatic structural element of the molecules.

Taxol 2'-acetate, an analog of the antitumor drug taxol, displays no significant in vitro microtubule polymerization activity, thus underscoring the importance of a free 2'-OH group to the biological activity of taxol. Previous work had suggested that the inactivity of taxol 2'-acetate is not due to steric interference by the acetyl group. The present study examined the conformations of taxol 2'-acetate in deuteriochloroform and (2)H2O-deuteriodimethyl sulfoxide solutions and found them to be essentially the same as the respective conformations adopted by taxol itself. Thus, neither destabilization of an active taxol conformation by the acetyl group nor the formation of an important taxol conformation determining role for the 2'-OH group appears likely. The implication of these findings is that the taxol 2'-OH group interacts directly with a protein residue in the taxol-microtubule complex, perhaps as a hydrogen bond donor.

Taxol is a structurally novel and clinically effective antitumor drug, which, unlike other antimitotic agents, induces the assembly of tubulin into microtubules. To characterize the binding site(s) of taxol on the microtubule, taxol-based photoaffinity reagents 1 and 2 bearing photoreactive groups on the A-ring side chain were prepared and evaluated. Taxol analogue 1 exhibits better microtubule assembly activity, greater cytotoxicity toward J774.2 cells, and more specific and efficient photolabeling of the beta-subunit of tubulin than does analogue 2. Therefore, it would appear that 1 is the better candidate for further studies aimed at the characterization of the taxol binding site on the microtubule.

Taxol possesses an unusual chemical structure, a unique mechanism of action, and demonstrated activity in human malignancies. It is the only antitumor agent that has a binding site on the microtubule polymer. The interaction of Taxol with the microtubule polymer results in the formation of stable bundles of cellular microtubules that are resistant to depolymerization. Although it has become evident that the microtubule, specifically beta-tubulin, is the target for Taxol, no information is available on the binding site for the drug. In this report, we demonstrate that 3'-(p-azidobenzamido)taxol, an analogue with similar biological activities as Taxol, covalently binds to the N-terminal domain of beta-tubulin after irradiation of the microtubule-drug complex. Taxol competes with [3H]3'-(p-azidobenzamido)-taxol binding, suggesting that the photoaffinity analog and Taxol are binding at the same or overlapping sites. Formic acid cleavage of [3H]3'-(p-azidobenzamido)-taxol-photolabeled beta-tubulin and subsequent protein sequence and mass analyses have identified the N-terminal 31 amino acids as the major site for [3H]3'-(p-azidobenzamido)taxol photoincorporation.