2-Oxoglutarate (2OG) oxygenases are validated agrochemical and human drug targets. The potential for modulating their activity with 2OG derivatives has not been explored, possibly due to concerns ...regarding selectivity. We report proof-of-principle studies demonstrating selective enhancement or inhibition of 2OG oxygenase activity by 2-oxo acids. The human 2OG oxygenases studied, factor inhibiting hypoxia-inducible transcription factor HIF-α (FIH) and aspartate/asparagine-β-hydroxylase (AspH), catalyze C3 hydroxylations of Asp/Asn-residues. Of 35 tested 2OG derivatives, 10 enhance and 17 inhibit FIH activity. Comparison with results for AspH reveals that 2OG derivatives selectively enhance or inhibit FIH or AspH. Comparison of FIH structures complexed with 2OG derivatives to those for AspH provides insight into the basis of the observed selectivity. 2-Oxo acid derivatives have potential as drugs, for use in biomimetic catalysis, and in functional studies. The results suggest that the in vivo activity of 2OG oxygenases may be regulated by natural 2-oxo acids other than 2OG.
The human 2-oxoglutarate dependent oxygenase aspartate/asparagine-β-hydroxylase (AspH) catalyses the hydroxylation of Asp/Asn-residues in epidermal growth factor-like domains (EGFDs). AspH is ...upregulated on the surface of malign cancer cells; increased AspH levels correlate with tumour invasiveness. Due to a lack of efficient assays to monitor the activity of isolated AspH, there are few reports of studies aimed at identifying small-molecule AspH inhibitors. Recently, it was reported that AspH substrates have a non-canonical EGFD disulfide pattern. Here we report that a stable synthetic thioether mimic of AspH substrates can be employed in solid phase extraction mass spectrometry based high-throughput AspH inhibition assays which are of excellent robustness, as indicated by high Z'-factors and good signal-to-noise/background ratios. The AspH inhibition assay was applied to screen approximately 1500 bioactive small-molecules, including natural products and active pharmaceutical ingredients of approved human therapeutics. Potent AspH inhibitors were identified from both compound classes. Our AspH inhibition assay should enable the development of potent and selective small-molecule AspH inhibitors and contribute towards the development of safer inhibitors for other 2OG oxygenases, e.g. screens of the hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl-hydroxylase inhibitors revealed that vadadustat inhibits AspH with moderate potency.
A concise and largely catalysis‐based approach to the potent algal toxin polycavernoside A (1) is described that intercepts a late‐stage intermediate of a previous total synthesis; from there on, ...this challenging target can be reached in a small number of steps. Key to success was a sequence of a molybdenum‐catalyzed ring‐closing alkyne metathesis (RCAM) reaction to forge the macrocyclic frame, followed by a gold‐catalyzed and strictly regioselective transannular hydroalkoxylation of the resulting cycloalkyne that allows the intricate oxygenation pattern of the macrolactone ring of 1 to be properly set. The required cyclization precursor 5 was assembled by the arguably most advanced fragment coupling process based on an Evans–Tishchenko redox esterification known to date, which was optimized to the extent that the precious coupling partners could be used in an almost equimolar ratio (6/7 1:1.3). The preparation of these building blocks features, inter alia, the power of the Sc(OTf)3‐catalyzed Leighton crotylation as well as the superb selectivities of alkene cross metathesis, asymmetric keto‐ester hydrogenation, and the Jacobsen epoxidation/epoxide resolution technologies.
Panopticum: A host of early and late transition‐metal catalysts enabled a new entry into the potent algal toxin polycavernoside A. The chosen route features the arguably most advanced Evans–Tishchenko fragment‐coupling process known to date, as well as a striking example of a ring‐closing alkyne metathesis reaction in combination with a gold‐catalyzed transannular hydroalkoxylation step.
The synthesis of (2R,3S)‐3,4,4,4‐tetrafluorovaline, a fluorinated derivative of the canonical α‐amino acid l‐valine, is reported for the first time. A highly enantio‐ and diastereoselective direct ...catalytic asymmetric Mannich‐type reaction was applied as the key C–C bond‐forming step to afford gram quantities of a central synthetic intermediate. The conformation of the novel fluorinated α‐amino acid was analyzed by X‐ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and computational methods, which, together with its calculated and experimental physicochemical properties, indicated that the fluorinated valine is a bioisostere of l‐isoleucine.
A fluorinated valine derivative was designed and synthesized using an asymmetric catalytic C–C bond forming reaction as the key synthetic step. Its conformations and physicochemical properties were studied by a combination of experimental and computational methods.
Effective agents to treat coronavirus infection are urgently required, not only to treat COVID-19, but to prepare for future outbreaks. Repurposed anti-virals such as remdesivir and human ...anti-inflammatories such as barcitinib have received emergency approval but their overall benefits remain unclear. Vaccines are the most promising prospect for COVID-19, but will need to be redeveloped for any future coronavirus outbreak. Protecting against future outbreaks requires the identification of targets that are conserved between coronavirus strains and amenable to drug discovery. Two such targets are the main protease (Mpro) and the papain-like protease (PLpro) which are essential for the coronavirus replication cycle. We describe the discovery of two non-antiviral therapeutic agents, the caspase-1 inhibitor SDZ 224015 and Tarloxotinib that target Mpro and PLpro, respectively. These were identified through extensive experimental screens of the drug repurposing ReFRAME library of 12,000 therapeutic agents. The caspase-1 inhibitor SDZ 224015, was found to be a potent irreversible inhibitor of Mpro (IC50 30 nM) while Tarloxotinib, a clinical stage epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor, is a sub micromolar inhibitor of PLpro (IC50 300 nM, Ki 200 nM) and is the first reported PLpro inhibitor with drug-like properties. SDZ 224015 and Tarloxotinib have both undergone safety evaluation in humans and hence are candidates for COVID-19 clinical evaluation.
Extracellular matrix (ECM) stiffening with downstream activation of mechanosensitive pathways is strongly implicated in fibrosis. We previously reported that altered collagen nanoarchitecture is a ...key determinant of pathogenetic ECM structure-function in human fibrosis (Jones et al., 2018). Here, through human tissue, bioinformatic and ex vivo studies we provide evidence that hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) pathway activation is a critical pathway for this process regardless of the oxygen status (pseudohypoxia). Whilst TGFβ increased the rate of fibrillar collagen synthesis, HIF pathway activation was required to dysregulate post-translational modification of fibrillar collagen, promoting pyridinoline cross-linking, altering collagen nanostructure, and increasing tissue stiffness. In vitro, knockdown of Factor Inhibiting HIF (FIH), which modulates HIF activity, or oxidative stress caused pseudohypoxic HIF activation in the normal fibroblasts. By contrast, endogenous FIH activity was reduced in fibroblasts from patients with lung fibrosis in association with significantly increased normoxic HIF pathway activation. In human lung fibrosis tissue, HIF-mediated signalling was increased at sites of active fibrogenesis whilst subpopulations of human lung fibrosis mesenchymal cells had increases in both HIF and oxidative stress scores. Our data demonstrate that oxidative stress can drive pseudohypoxic HIF pathway activation which is a critical regulator of pathogenetic collagen structure-function in fibrosis.
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•Chiral fluorinated α-isopropylbenzylamines were synthesized using a direct catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction.•The novel fluorinated compounds were incorporated in known ...bioactive molecules to demonstrate their utility for SAR-studies.•Conformational analysis (NMR, X-ray) of the fluorinated bioactive molecules revealed a fluorine gauche effect.
The first protocol for the asymmetric synthesis of 2,3,3,3-tetrafluoro-2-methyl-1-arylpropan-1-amines which function as fluorinated surrogates for α-isopropylbenzylamines in SAR-studies is presented herein. Crucial for the successful synthesis was the application of a recently developed direct catalytic asymmetric Mannich-type reaction of fluorinated amide for the key bond-forming step. The utility of this versatile protocol was demonstrated by the synthesis of fluorinated analogues of a T-type selective Ca2+ channel blocker and a prolylcarboxypeptidase inhibitor. The predominant conformation of their fluorinated analogues was investigated by X-ray crystallography and NMR spectroscopy which revealed a strong influence of a fluorine mediated gauche effect.
Direct enolate formation coupled with subsequent enantioselective C–C bond formation remains a topic of intense interest in asymmetric catalysis. This methodology is achieved even with low acidic ...amides without an electron-withdrawing group at the α-position in the context of a Mannich-type reaction. Acetate-, propionate-, and butyrate-type 7-azaindoline amides served as enolate precursors to afford the desired Mannich adducts with high stereoselectivity, and ligand-enabled diastereo-divergency provided access to both anti/syn diastereomers. The facile transformation of the amide moiety ensures the synthetic utility of the Mannich adducts.
AspH is an endoplasmic reticulum (ER) membrane-anchored 2-oxoglutarate oxygenase whose C-terminal oxygenase and tetratricopeptide repeat (TPR) domains present in the ER lumen. AspH catalyses ...hydroxylation of asparaginyl- and aspartyl-residues in epidermal growth factor-like domains (EGFDs). Here we report crystal structures of human AspH, with and without substrate, that reveal substantial conformational changes of the oxygenase and TPR domains during substrate binding. Fe(II)-binding by AspH is unusual, employing only two Fe(II)-binding ligands (His679/His725). Most EGFD structures adopt an established fold with a conserved Cys1-3, 2-4, 5-6 disulfide bonding pattern; an unexpected Cys3-4 disulfide bonding pattern is observed in AspH-EGFD substrate complexes, the catalytic relevance of which is supported by studies involving stable cyclic peptide substrate analogues and by effects of Ca(II) ions on activity. The results have implications for EGFD disulfide pattern processing in the ER and will enable medicinal chemistry efforts targeting human 2OG oxygenases.
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