Total Synthesis of Neodysiherbaine A via 1,3-Dipolar Cycloaddition of a Chiral Nitrone Template.

The total synthesis of neodysiherbaine A was achieved via 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of a chiral nitrone template with a sugar-derived allyl alcohol in the presence of MgBr2·OEt2. This cycloaddition constructed the C2 and C4 asymmetric centers in a single step. Then reductive cleavage, intramolecular SN2 reaction of the tertiary alcohol, and oxidation of the primary alcohol afforded neodysiherbaine A.

Synthesis of RCAI-172 (C6 epimer of RCAI-147) and its biological activity.

RCAI-147 is one of the hydroxylated analogues of KRN7000 which is known as a ligand for the activation of CD1d mediated invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells) and releases both T helper 1 (Th1) cytokines such as IFN-γ and T helper 2 (Th2) cytokines such as IL-4. KRN7000 has been anticipated as an antitumor drug or an adjuvant for viral infection such as influenza, because of its strong secretion of IFN-γ. In an interesting twist, it has been obvious in our previous paper that RCAI-147 induces much more Th2 cytokines (IL-4) than Th1 cytokines (IFN-γ) from iNKT cells compared to KRN7000, and shows fairly good result in the experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) test. Therefore, synthesis of RCAI-172 (C6-OH epimer of RCAI-147) was attempted to examine the biological activity. As a result, RCAI-172 was synthesized and its biological activity biased to Th2 response largely compared to that of KRN7000. However, this level decreased to approximately 61% compared to that of RCAI-147. And the clinical score of RCAI-172 for EAE suppression was disappointing. There exist seven chiral centers in the aglycon part of RCAI-172, and even though the change of configuration is just one position (C6-OH), the effect on both Th1/Th2 response and EAE test is fairly large.

Synthesis and biological activity of hydroxylated analogues of KRN7000 (α-galactosylceramide).

KRN7000 is one of the α-galactosylceramides, which has a 2-hexacosanoylamino-3,4-dihydroxyoctadecyl group. This compound, known as a ligand for the activation of CD1d mediated invariant natural killer T cells (iNKT cells) which release both T helper 1 (Th1) cytokines such as IFNγ and Th2 cytokines such as IL-4, has been anticipated as an antitumor drug, because of its strong secretion of IFNγ. This time, we focused on the hydroxylated analogues of KRN7000 which could be thought of as increasing hydrophilicity and showing bias to Th2 cytokine (IL-4) secretion. Therefore, they may become the drugs for autoimmune diseases for the following reasons: (i) compound OCH, one of the α-galactosylceramide analogues with a shorter sphingosine chain than KRN7000, increases hydrophilicity relative to KRN7000; and (ii) OCH is known to induce much more Th2 cytokines (IL-4) than Th1 cytokines from iNKT cells compared to KRN7000. Naturally, OCH has become one of the candidate drugs for autoimmune diseases. The more hydroxylated derivatives of KRN7000 are anticipated to induce Th2 bias. Therefore, eight analogues with 1-4 excess hydroxyl groups on the lipid chain of KRN7000 were synthesized to examine if they behave in the same way as OCH. As a result, three out of eight compounds biased largely to IL-4 secretion, and their effectiveness for experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE) was examined. It was recognized that two compounds (†)RCAI-147/-160 showed good suppression of EAE symptoms.

Synthesis and biological activity of ester and ether analogues of alpha-galactosylceramide (KRN7000).

Alpha-Galactosylceramide (alphaGalCer, KRN7000) has been identified as a modulator of immunological processes through its capacity to bind iNKT cells mediated by CD1d molecules. Some analogues in while the amide group in alphaGalCer is replaced with ester or ether groups were synthesized from d-arabinitol or l-ribose to evaluate their ability to activate iNKT cells. Ester analogues 30a, 31a, and 61 showed activity for IFNgamma and IL-4 production of iNKT cells, while ether (31b) and 4-methoxy ester (76) analogues of alpha-galactosylceramide were not active for iNKT cells.

Syntheses of glucose derivatives of E5564-related compounds and their LPS-antagonistic activities.

Glucose analogues 6, 12, 17b, 19a, and 19b of E5564 were synthesized, and their LPS-antagonistic activities were measured. The antagonistic activities (IC(50)) on LPS-induced TNFalpha production of these five compounds toward human whole blood were 72.8, 3.0, 0.9, 7.5, and 1.4nM, respectively. Inhibitory doses (ID(50)) of compounds 12, 17b, 19a, and 19b on TNFalpha production induced by co-injection of galactosamine and LPS in C3H/HeN mice in vivo were measured. The values of these compounds were 0.9, ND (not determined), 1.6, and 0.9mg/kg, respectively.

Syntheses of glucose analogues of E5564 as a highly potent anti-sepsis drug candidate.

Glucose analogues 5 and 9 of E5564 were synthesized, and their LPS-antagonistic activities were measured. The inhibitory activities (IC50) on LPS-induced TNFalpha production of these two compounds towards human whole blood cells were 0.06 and 0.83 nM, respectively. Inhibitory doses (ID50) of compounds 5 and 9 on TNFalpha production induced by coinjection of galactosamine and LPS in C3H/HeN mice in vivo were measured and were 0.55 and <0.20 mg/kg, respectively. And also C3H/HeN mice preinjected with compounds 5 and 9 were protected from lethality induced by coinjection of galactosamine and LPS; out of eight mice preinjected with 1 mg/kg of the compounds, one-six and three of eight mice were protected, respectively.

Molecular basis for lipopolysaccharide mimetic action of Taxol and flavolipin.

We previously reported that Taxol, which mimics the action of LPS on murine macrophages, induces signals via mouse TLR4/MD-2, but not via human TLR4/MD-2. Here we investigated the molecular basis for this species-specific action of Taxol. Expression of mouse MD-2 conferred both LPS and Taxol responsiveness on HEK293 cells expressing mouse TLR4, whereas expression of human MD-2 conferred LPS responsiveness alone, suggesting that MD-2 is responsible for the species-specificity of Taxol responsiveness. Furthermore, mouse MD-2 mutants, in which Gln-22 was changed to other amino acids, showed dramatically reduced ability to confer Taxol responsiveness, although their ability to confer LPS responsiveness was not affected. These results indicated that Gln-22 of mouse MD-2 is essential for Taxol signaling, but not for LPS signaling. In this study, we also found that the TLR4/MD-2 complex, together with CD14, mediated signal transduction induced by flavolipin, an amino acid-containing lipid unique to Flavobacterium meningosepticum.

Synthesis of lipid A type carboxymethyl derivatives with ether chains instead of ester chains and their LPS-antagonistic activities.

Synthesis of lipid A type carboxymethyl derivatives having ether chains at both the C-3 and C-3' positions and their LPS-antagonistic activities toward human U937 cells are described.

Syntheses of hydantocidin and C-2-thioxohydantocidin.

Hydantocidin (12), a naturally occurring strong herbicide, was synthesized in 35.2% overall yield, with accompanying 5-epi-hydantocidin (12') in 9.6% overall yield via isothiocyanate (13) and spiro-hydantoin (10) from 2,3-O-isopropylidene-D-ribono-1,4-lactone (1). C-2-thioxo-hydantocidin (24) was also synthesized in 16.5% overall yield with accompanying 5-epi-C-2-thioxohydantocidin (24', 9.2% yield) via isothiocyanate (22).

Synthesis of ceramidated GLA-60 derivatives.

Ceramidated GLA-60 derivatives 11 and 11' were synthesized from 1 via glycosidation of ceramide derivative 12 as a glycosyl acceptor with GLA-60 derivative 5 as a glycosyl donor, and successive conversion. Compound 11' showed only weak LPS-antagonistic activity without showing any LPS-agonistic activity.

Toll-like receptor 4-MD-2 complex mediates the signal transduction induced by flavolipin, an amino acid-containing lipid unique to Flavobacterium meningosepticum.

Flavolipin, an amino acid-containing lipid isolated from Flavobacterium meningosepticum, induces many immune responses. It has been shown that flavolipin does not induce an immune response of macrophages derived from C3H/HeJ mice, which possess a point mutation in Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4). To determine whether TLR4 or the molecular complex of TLR4 and TLR4 association molecule MD-2 mediates the flavolipin signal, flavolipin responsiveness was examined by measuring NF-kappaB activation in Ba/F3 cells and Ba/F3 transfectants expressing TLR4 or both TLR4 and MD-2. Flavolipin-induced NF-kappaB activation was detected in the cells expressing both TLR4 and MD-2, but not in the other cells. Expression of CD14 in the transfectant expressing both TLR4 and MD-2 increased the sensitivity to flavolipin. Furthermore, flavolipin stereoisomers were chemically synthesized, and their abilities to induce NF-kappaB activation were examined. (R)-Flavolipin, in which the configuration of the lipid moiety is R, induced NF-kappaB activation via the TLR4-MD-2 complex, but (S)-flavolipin did not. In this study, we demonstrated the involvement of TLR4-MD-2 and CD14 in flavolipin signaling and the importance of the (R)-configuration of the flavolipin lipid moiety for the induction of an immune response via TLR4-MD-2.

Practical stereoselective synthesis of alpha-linked C-glucosamine propionic acid esters: conversion to GLA-60 derivatives.

Radical C-glycosylation of glucosamine derivatives by acrylic acid esters gave the corresponding 3-(alpha-C-glucosyl)-propionate derivatives in moderate yields. One of them was used as a versatile synthon for GLA-60 derivatives. However, the biological activity of these compounds as LPS-antagonists was disappointing.