Why is CMP-ketodeoxyoctonate highly unstable?

CMP-ketodeoxyoctonate (CMP-KDO) and analogs, including CMP-5-deoxy-5-fluoro-KDO, CMP-5-deoxy-KDO, and CMP-5-epi-KDO, were prepared from CTP and the corresponding KDO sugars catalyzed by CMP-KDO synthetase. These analogs were found to be much more stable than CMP-KDO (t1/2 = 0.57 h) yet less stable than CMP-sialic acid (t1/2 = 151 h). Fluorination at the 5-position of CMP-KDO has a 200-fold enhanced stability compared to the 156-fold enhancement for the 3R-fluoro analog, probably due to the loss of H-bonding interactions (for the 5-F derivative) and the cause of remote inductive effect (for the 3- and the 5-F analogs) on the glycosidic cleavage. Hydrolysis of CMP-KDO is perhaps facilitated by an intramolecular hydrogen bond from the 5-OH group with the phosphate oxygen as demonstrated by the 3-5-fold enhanced stability of CMP-5-epi-KDO and CMP-5-deoxy-KDO compared to CMP-KDO and by molecular modeling studies of water-solvated CMP-KDO. Hydrolysis of CMP-KDO also was found to be subject to a substantial solvent isotope effect (kH/kD = 2.7), which is significantly different from the reported solvent isotope effect for the hydrolysis of sialyglycosides (kH/kD = 0.86) and dependent on both buffer and magnesium ion concentrations. Considering these results and molecular modeling studies, it is proposed that the hydrolysis of CMP-KDO under neutral conditions proceeds through a glycosidic cleavage which occurs at the electronically favorable twist-boat conformation, facilitated by intramolecular H-bonding interaction of the 4-, 5- and 7- (or 8-) OH groups and the phosphate oxygen and by the leaving group magnesium ion complexation.

Amino hydroxamic acids as potent inhibitors of leukotriene A4 hydrolase.

Leukotriene A4 hydrolase is a zinc-containing enzyme which catalyzes the hydrolysis of LTA4 to LTB4, a proinflammatory mediator. The enzyme also exhibits an aminopeptidase activity. Due to its biological importance, it is of considerable interest to develop selective inhibitors of this enzyme. The design and synthesis of a number of potent beta-amino hydroxylamine and amino hydroxamic acid inhibitors are described here. It was found that having a free amine was essential for high activity. Hydroxylamines were found to be about an order of magnitude less potent than their analogous hydroxamic acids. Our investigation of amino hydroxamic acids as inhibitors of leukotriene A4 hydrolase has led to the development of hydroxamates 16 and 17, which are among the most potent inhibitors found to date. These, compounds were found to be competitive inhibitors with Ki values of 1.6 nM and 3.4 nM respectively, against the peptidase activity. Inhibitor 16 has an IC50 value of < or = 0.15 microM against the epoxide hydrolase activity and is also potent against the production of LTB4 by isolated polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) activated with ionophore A23187 (IC50 approximately 0.3 microM).

Investigation of the inhibition of leukotriene A4 hydrolase.

In an effort to better understand the favorable binding interactions between the reversible picomolar inhibitor 3-(4-benzyloxyphenyl)-2-(R)-amino-1- propanethiol (1) and leukotriene A4 (LTA4) hydrolase (EC 3.3.2.6), we prepared a number of derivatives of 1-L and other related structures, and assayed their inhibition of LTA4 hydrolase-catalyzed hydrolysis of L-alanine-p-nitroanilide. The inhibition data was analyzed using a weighted non-linear least-squares curve fitting computer program developed for this purpose to fit data derived under the non-Michaelis-Menten condition of [I]t < [E]t. The free thiol is necessary for sub-micromolar binding and the enzyme prefers the R enantiomer over the S enantiomer, in contrast to the stereoselectivity displayed towards bestatin, an inhibitor of somewhat similar structure. Substitution of acid moieties around the periphery of the benzyloxyphenyl portion of 1-L leads to substantially decreased binding, suggesting that this group resides within a large hydrophobic pocket when bound to the enzyme. Possible LTA4 binding modes in the active site of LTA4 hydrolase, including a possible direct role for the carboxylic acid of LTA4 in the enzyme-catalyzed hydrolysis of leukotriene A4, are discussed.