ABSTRACT
In search of therapeutic agents for estrogen-related pathologies, phytoestrogens are being extensively explored. In contrast to naringenin, 8-prenylnaringenin is a potent hop-derived estrogenic compound, highlighting the importance of the prenyl group for hormonal activity. We investigated the effects of substituting the prenyl group at C(8) with alkyl chains of varying lengths and branching patterns on estrogen receptor (ER) subtype ERalpha- and ERbeta-binding affinities and transcriptional activities. In addition, features of the ligand-induced receptor conformations were explored using a set of specific ER-binding peptides. The new 8-alkylnaringenins were found to span an activity spectrum ranging from full agonism to partial agonism to antagonism. Most strikingly, 8-(2,2-dimethylpropyl)naringenin exhibited full agonist character on ERalpha, but pronounced antagonist character on ERbeta. Knowledge on how ER-subtype-selective activities can be designed provides valuable information for future drug or tool compound discovery.
Subject(s)
Estrogen Receptor alpha/agonists , Estrogen Receptor alpha/antagonists & inhibitors , Estrogen Receptor beta/agonists , Estrogen Receptor beta/antagonists & inhibitors , Flavanones/chemical synthesis , Phytoestrogens/chemical synthesis , Binding, Competitive , Cell Line, Tumor , Estrogen Receptor alpha/chemistry , Estrogen Receptor beta/chemistry , Flavanones/chemistry , Flavanones/pharmacology , Humans , Hydrophobic and Hydrophilic Interactions , Models, Molecular , Phytoestrogens/chemistry , Phytoestrogens/pharmacology , Protein Conformation , Radioligand Assay , Structure-Activity Relationship , Transcription, Genetic , Two-Hybrid System TechniquesABSTRACT
Nine new (+/-)-8-alkyl-5,7-dihydroxy-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydrocoumarins have been synthesized from 2,4,6-trimethoxybenzaldehyde via a short, efficient, and regioselective pathway, together with the unsubstituted analogue (+/-)-5,7-dihydroxy-4-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-3,4-dihydrocoumarin. The compounds were tested for estrogenic activity using a yeast-based estrogen screen. Weak estrogenicity was determined for seven members of the series.
Subject(s)
Coumarins/chemical synthesis , Coumarins/pharmacology , Estrogens/pharmacology , Coumarins/chemistry , Molecular Structure , Saccharomyces cerevisiae/drug effects , Structure-Activity RelationshipABSTRACT
The photolysis of hop-derived trans-iso-alpha-acids (2a-c; naturally occurring bitter compounds present in beer) and of trans-tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids (5a-c; semi-synthetic advanced hop products) was investigated at 300 nm in methanol. The complex photoreaction mixtures were separated by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) using diode array detection and the major photoreaction products were identified by HPLC-mass spectroscopy. The main part of the mixture consisted of compounds, which originated from recombination of radicals derived from Norrish Type I photocleavage of the acyloin moiety in both trans-iso-alpha-acids and trans-tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids. The results confirm the intermediacy of radicals that were previously identified by time-resolved electron paramagnetic resonance and they bear relevance to the formation of the lightstruck flavour that is generated when beer is exposed to light. Additionally, new photoproducts were found that are formed by photochemical reactions hitherto undiscovered in hop chemistry, including photoenolization of trans-isohumulone (2a) leading to trans-alloisohumulone (13a) and a retro oxa-di-pi-methane rearrangement in trans-isohumulone (2a) and trans-tetrahydroiso-alpha-acids to humulone (1a) and tetrahydro-alpha-acids (23a-b), respectively.
