From Synthetic Simplified Marine Metabolite Analogues to New Selective Allosteric Inhibitor of Aurora B Kinase.

Significant inhibition of Aurora B was achieved by the synthesis of simplified fragments of benzosceptrins and oroidin belonging to the marine pyrrole-2-aminoimidazoles metabolites isolated from sponges. Evaluation of kinase inhibition enabled the discovery of a synthetically accessible rigid acetylenic structural analogue EL-228 (1), whose structure could be optimized into the potent CJ2-150 (37). Here we present the synthesis of new inhibitors of Aurora B kinase, which is an important target for cancer therapy through mitosis regulation. The biologically oriented synthesis yielded several nanomolar inhibitors. The optimized compound CJ2-150 (37) showed a non-ATP competitive allosteric mode of action in a mixed-type inhibition for Aurora B kinase. Molecular docking identified a probable binding mode in the allosteric site "F" and highlighted the key interactions with the protein. We describe the improvement of the inhibitory potency and specificity of the novel scaffold as well as the characterization of the mechanism of action.

Discovery of simplified benzazole fragments derived from the marine benzosceptrin B as necroptosis inhibitors involving the receptor interacting protein Kinase-1.

With the aim to develop new chemical tools based on simplified natural metabolites to help deciphering the molecular mechanism of necroptosis, simplified benzazole fragments including 2-aminobenzimidazole and the 2-aminobenzothiazole analogs were prepared during the synthesis of the marine benzosceptrin B. Conpounds inhibiting the RIPK1 protein kinase were discovered. A library of 54 synthetic analogs were prepared and evaluated through a phenotypic screen using the inhibition of the necrotic cell death induced by TNF-α in human Jurkat T cells deficient for the FADD protein. This article reports the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a series of 2-aminobenzazoles on the necroptotic cell death through the inhibition of RIPK1 protein kinase. The 2-aminobenzimidazole and 2-aminobenzothiazole platforms presented herein can serve as novel chemical tools to study the molecular regulation of necroptosis and further develop lead drug candidates for chronic pathologies involving necroptosis.

Tetrahydrobenzimidazole TMQ0153 triggers apoptosis, autophagy and necroptosis crosstalk in chronic myeloid leukemia.

By comparing imatinib-sensitive and -resistant chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) cell models, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which tetrahydrobenzimidazole derivative TMQ0153 triggered caspase-dependent apoptosis at low concentrations accompanied by loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and increase of cytosolic free Ca2+ levels. Interestingly, at higher concentrations, TMQ0153 induced necroptotic cell death with accumulation of ROS, both preventable by N-acetyl-L-cysteine (NAC) pretreatment. At necroptosis-inducing concentrations, we observed increased ROS and decreased ATP and GSH levels, concomitant with protective autophagy induction. Inhibitors such as bafilomycin A1 (baf-A1) and siRNA against beclin 1 abrogated autophagy, sensitized CML cells against TMQ0153 and enhanced necroptotic cell death. Importantly, TMQ153-induced necrosis led to cell surface exposure of calreticulin (CRT) and ERp57 as well as the release of extracellular ATP and high mobility group box (HMGB1) demonstrating the capacity of this compound to release immunogenic cell death (ICD) markers. We validated the anti-cancer potential of TMQ0153 by in vivo inhibition of K562 microtumor formation in zebrafish. Taken together, our findings provide evidence that cellular stress and redox modulation by TMQ0153 concentration-dependently leads to different cell death modalities including controlled necrosis in CML cell models.

Molecular Iodine-Catalyzed Aerobic α,ß-Diamination of Cyclohexanones with 2-Aminopyrimidine and 2-Aminopyridines.

Molecular iodine is shown to be an excellent catalyst for aerobic oxidative α,ß-diamination of cyclohexanones with 2-aminopyrimidine/2-aminopyridines. This α,ß-C-H functionalization is remarkable for its simplicity in both substrates and conditions, involving one and a half oxygen molecules and releasing three water molecules as the only byproduct. In addition, the functionalized products including protected 2-aminoimidazoles introduced without aromatization can serve as useful building blocks for natural product synthesis and medicinal chemistry.

Elements as Direct Feedstocks for Organic Synthesis: Fe/I2/O2 for Diamination of 2-Cyclohexenones with 2-Aminopyrimidine and 2-Aminopyridines.

Elements as feedstocks for organic synthesis, the trio of metallic iron, molecular iodine, and dioxygen, were found to be an excellent tool for oxidative regioselective diamination of conjugated enones with 2-aminopyrimidine (a guanidine surrogate) and 2-aminopyridines leading to unaromatized coupled products in moderate to good yields.

Concise Access to 2-Aroylbenzothiazoles by Redox Condensation Reaction between o-Halonitrobenzenes, Acetophenones, and Elemental Sulfur.

A wide range of 2-aroylbenzothiazoles 3 including some pharmacologically relevant derivatives can be obtained in high yields by simply heating o-halonitrobenzenes 1, acetophenones 2, elemental sulfur, and N-methylmorpholine. This three-component nitro methyl coupling was found to occur in an excellent atom-, step-, and redox-efficient manner in which elemental sulfur played the role of nucleophile building block and redox moderating agent to fulfill electronic requirements of the global reaction.

Elemental sulfur disproportionation in the redox condensation reaction between o-halonitrobenzenes and benzylamines.

The disproportionation of elemental sulfur at moderate temperatures is investigated in the redox condensation involving o-halonitrobenzenes 1 and benzylamines 2. As a redox moderator, elemental sulfur plays the dual role of both electron donor and acceptor, generating its lowest and highest oxidation states: S(-2) (sulfide equivalent) in benzothiazole 3 and S(+6) (sulfate equivalent) in sulfamate 4, and filling the electron gap of the global redox condensation process. Along with this process, a cascade of reactions of reduction of the nitro group of 1, oxidation of the aminomethyl group of 2, metal-free aromatic halogen substitution, and condensation finally led to 2-arylbenzothiazoles 3.

Concise synthesis of didebromohamacanthin A and demethylaplysinopsine: addition of ethylenediamine and guanidine derivatives to the pyrrole-amino acid diketopiperazines in oxidative conditions.

Oxidative nucleophilic addition of ethylenediamine and guanidine derivatives to pyrrole-amino acid diketopiperazines was shown to provide substituted 5,6-dihydro-2(1H)-piperazinones, quinoxalinones, and 2-aminoimidazolones. On the basis of this methodology, a concise approach to natural products didebromohamacanthin A and demethylaplysinopsine has been demonstrated.

Reaction of quinones and guanidine derivatives: simple access to bis-2-aminobenzimidazole moiety of benzosceptrin and other benzazole motifs.

A new strategy for the synthesis of 2-aminobenzimidazol-6-ols via a reaction of quinones with guanidine derivatives is reported. Sequential application of this methodology provided a simple access to the first benzosceptrin analogue bearing a bis-2-aminoimidazole moiety. A concomitant addition of two guanidines to the naphtho[1',2':4,5]imidazo[1,2-a]pyrimidine-5,6-dione, which includes the redox neutral debenzylation and guanidine-assisted cleavage of the 2-aminopyrimidine part resulted in the synthesis of the free challenging contiguous bis-2-aminoimidazole moiety of benzosceprins in one step.

Three-component reaction between alkynes, elemental sulfur, and aliphatic amines: a general, straightforward, and atom economical approach to thioamides.

A general, straightforward, and atom-economical three-component synthesis of thioamides from alkynes, elemental sulfur, and aliphatic amines has been developed.

Cobalt- and iron-catalyzed redox condensation of o-substituted nitrobenzenes with alkylamines: a step- and redox-economical synthesis of diazaheterocycles.

A wide variety of functionalized 2-aryl benzimidazoles can be prepared by a solvent-free cobalt- or iron-catalyzed redox condensation of 2-nitroanilines and benzylamines. The cascade including benzylamine oxidation, nitro reduction, condensation, and aromatization occurs without any added reducing or oxidizing agent. The method can be extended to other alkylamines as reducing components or 2-nitrobenzamides as oxidizing components when using an iron/sulfur catalyst to afford various diazaheterocycles.

Nitro-methyl redox coupling: efficient approach to 2-hetarylbenzothiazoles from 2-halonitroarene, methylhetarene, and elemental sulfur.

A simple, straightforward, and atom economic approach to 2-hetarylbenzothiazoles starting from 2-halonitroarene, methylhetarene, and elemental sulfur under mild conditions is described. The method is highlighted by the direct redox nitro-methyl reaction for carbon-nitrogen bond formation without an added oxidizing or reducing agent.

Unprecedented biomimetic homodimerization of oroidin and clathrodin marine metabolites in the presence of HMPA or phosphonate salt tweezers.

The first biomimetic homodimerization of oroidin and clathrodin was effected in the presence HMPA and diphosphonate salts, strong guanidinium and amide chelating agents. The intermolecular associations probably interfere with the entropically and kinetically favored intramolecular cyclizations. Use of oroidin·(1)/2HCl salt or clathrodin·(1)/2HCl was indicative in the presence of the ambident nucleophilic and electrophilic tautomers of the 2-aminoimidazolic oroidin and clathrodin precursors. Surprisingly, the homodimerization of oroidin led to the nagelamide D skeleton, while the homodimerization of clathrodin gave the benzene para-symmetrical structure 19. The common process was rationalized from tautomeric precursors I and III.

Iron sulfide catalyzed redox/condensation cascade reaction between 2-amino/hydroxy nitrobenzenes and activated methyl groups: a straightforward atom economical approach to 2-hetaryl-benzimidazoles and -benzoxazoles.

Iron sulfide generated in situ from elemental sulfur and iron was found to be highly efficient in catalyzing a redox/condensation cascade reaction between 2-amino/hydroxy nitrobenzenes and activated methyl groups. This method represents a straightforward and highly atom economical approach to 2-hetaryl-benzimidazoles and -benzoxazoles.

Benzazoles from aliphatic amines and o-amino/mercaptan/hydroxyanilines: elemental sulfur as a highly efficient and traceless oxidizing agent.

A novel remarkably simple solvent-free and catalyst-free synthesis of benzazoles from alkylamines and o-hydroxy/amino/mercaptan anilines using elemental sulfur as traceless oxidizing agent has been developed.

Efficient and selective multicomponent oxidative coupling of two different aliphatic primary amines into thioamides by elemental sulfur.

An efficient and selective multicomponent oxidative coupling of two different aliphatic primary amines into thioamides by elemental sulfur under solvent-free conditions has been developed.

Boric acid: a highly efficient catalyst for transamidation of carboxamides with amines.

A novel method of transamidation of carboxamides with amines using catalytic amounts of readily available boric acid under solvent-free conditions has been developed. The scope of the methodology has been demonstrated with (i) primary, secondary, and tertiary amides and phthalimide and (ii) aliphatic, aromatic, cyclic, acyclic, primary, and secondary amines.

Agelastatin E, agelastatin F, and benzosceptrin C from the marine sponge Agelas dendromorpha.

The study of the n-butanol extract of the New Caledonian sponge Agelas dendromorpha led to the isolation and identification of three new pyrrole-2-aminoimidazole (P-2-AI) alkaloids, named agelastatins E (3) and F (4) and benzosceptrin C (5), together with 10 known metabolites, agelastatin A (1), agelastatin D (2), sceptrin (6), manzacidin A, tauroacidin A, taurodispacamide A, nortopsentin D, thymine, longamide, and 4,5-dibromopyrrole-2-carboxamide. Their structures were assigned by spectroscopic data interpretation. All the compounds were tested for cytotoxic activity.

Axiphenylalaninium and axityrosinium, modified amino acids from the Mediterranean marine sponge Axinella polypoides.

Two new modified amino acids, axiphenylalaninium (1) and axityrosinium (2), along with four known metabolites, C2-alpha-D-mannosylpyranosyl-L-tryptophan (3), N3,5'-cycloxanthosine (4), palythine (5), and taurine, were isolated from the marine sponge Axinella polypoides collected in the Mediterranean Sea. The structures were determined by spectroscopic studies and confirmed by X-ray analysis and chemical modifications.