Stereoselective reactions. XXXIV. Enantioselective deprotonation of prochiral 4-substituted cyclohexanones using chiral bidentate lithium amides having a bulky group instead of a phenyl group on the chiral carbon.

Using chiral bidentate lithium amides having a bulky group instead of a phenyl group on the chiral carbon, enantioselective deprotonation of prochiral 4-substituted cyclohexanones in the presence of excess trimethylsilyl chloride was examined in THF in the absence and in the presence of HMPA. It is shown that enantioselectivity of the reactions decreases as the substituent on the chiral carbon of the chiral lithium amides and the substituent at the 4-position of cyclohexanones become reasonably bulky. An eight-membered cyclic transition state model is proposed for this deprotonation reaction.

6S,8R-Stereochemistry of the C27- and C29-alkane-6,8-diols isolated from three compositae flowers.

The Deltadelta (deltaS-deltaR) values for the C-1 methyl 1H signals in the 1H-NMR spectroscopy of the bis-MTPA esters of four synthetic stereoisomers of alkane-6,8-diols, viz., bis-MTPA esters of (6S,8R)-C27- (1a) and C29- (3a) (Deltadelta = -0.05 ppm), (6R,8S)-C27- (2a) and C29- (4a) (Deltadelta = +0.05 ppm), (6S,8S)-C27- (5a) (Deltadelta = -0.01 ppm), and (6R,8R)-C27- (6a) (Deltadelta = +0.01 ppm) alkane-6,8-diols, made it possible to differentiate unequivocally among the four stereoisomers. This allowed the determination of the (6S,8R)-stereochemistry (Deltadelta = -0.05 ppm for the bis-MTPA esters) for the natural C27- and C29-alkane-6,8-diols isolated from the flowers of three Compositae plants, Carthamus tinctorius, Cynara cardanclus, and Taraxacum platycarpum.

Design, synthesis and evaluation of transition-state analogue inhibitors of Escherichia coli gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase.

Phosphinic acid-, sulfoximine- and sulfone-based transition-state analogues were synthesized and evaluated as inhibitors of Escherichia coli gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase. These compounds have a carboxyl function at the beta-carbon to the tetrahedral central hetero atom so as to mimic the carboxyl group of the attacking cysteine in the transition state. The phosphinic acid- and the sulfoximine-based compounds were found to be potent ATP-dependent inactivators, both showing a slow-binding kinetics with overall affinities and second-order inactivation rates of one to two orders of magnitude greater than those of L-buthionine (SR)-sulfoximine (L-BSO). The sulfone was a simple reversible inhibitor without causing ATP-dependent enzyme inactivation, but its affinity toward the enzyme was still five times greater than that of L-BSO, indicating that the beta-carboxyl function plays a key role in the recognition of the inhibitors by the enzyme. The sulfoximine with (S)-beta-carbon to the sulfur was synthesized stereoselectively, and the two diastereomers with respect to the chiral sulfur atom were separated as a cyclic sulfoximine derivative. The sulfoximine with R-configuration around the sulfur served as an extremely powerful ATP-dependent inactivator with an overall inhibition constant of 39 nM and an inactivation rate of 6750 M-1 s-1, which correspond to 1260-fold higher affinity and almost 1400-fold greater inactivation rate as compared with L-BSO. The sulfoximine with (S)-sulfur was a simple reversible inhibitor with an inhibition potency comparable to that of the sulfone. The synthesis and inhibition profile of the N-phosphoryl sulfoximine is also described.

A model of antimycin A binding based on structure-activity studies of synthetic antimycin A analogues.

The structural factors of antimycin A molecule required for inhibitory action were studied using newly synthesized antimycin A derivatives with bovine heart submitochondrial particles, in order to probe the interaction between antimycin A and its binding site. In particular, we focused upon the roles of the amide bond bridge, which connects the salicylic acid and dilactone ring moieties, and the 3-formylamino group in the salicylic acid moiety. The lack of formation of an intramolecular hydrogen-bond between phenolic OH and amide carbonyl groups resulted in a remarkable loss of the activity (by four orders of magnitude), indicating that this hydrogen-bond is essential for the inhibition. This result suggested that both the phenolic OH and the carbonyl groups form a hydrogen-bond with some residues at a fixed conformation. In addition, the inhibitory potency was remarkably decreased by N-methylation of the amide bond moiety, indicating that the NH group might function in hydrogen-bond interaction with the binding site. The N-methylation of 3-formylamino group also resulted in a decrease in the activity, probably due to a loss of the rotational freedom of this functional group. Molecular orbital calculation studies with respect to the conformation of the 3-formylamino group indicated that this group takes an active conformation when the formyl carbonyl projects to the opposite side of the phenolic OH group. Based upon a series of structure-activity studies of synthetic antimycin A analogues, we propose a tentative model for antimycin A binding in its binding cavity.

Structural factors of antimycin A molecule required for inhibitory action.

A series of antimycin A analogues was synthesized by modifying the salicylic acid moiety, whereas the portion of the molecule corresponding to the natural dilactone-ring moiety was fixed as di-n-octyl L-glutamate. To probe the structure of the antimycin A binding site, the structural factors of the salicylic acid moiety required for inhibitory action were examined by means of structure-activity studies with intact rat-liver mitochondria and the cytochrome bc1 complex isolated from bovine heart mitochondria. As suggested earlier (Rieske, J.S. (1976) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 456, 195-247), the phenolic OH was very important for inhibition. For the derivatives which do not possess a formylamino group in the 3-position (ortho to the phenolic OH), the inhibitory activity tended to increase as the electron-withdrawing property of the substituent increased, i.e., as the acidity of the phenolic OH group increased. This indicates that the acidity of the phenolic OH is an important factor governing inhibition. While the electron-withdrawing property of the formylamino group itself is rather poor, 3-formylamino derivatives elicited potent activity. The conformation of the 3-formylamino group was also found to be a very important factor in establishing inhibitory activity. In addition, the bulkier the moiety corresponding to the 3-formylamino group, the lower the activity. These results demonstrate that the presence of the 3-formylamino group, and its proper conformation, are needed for a close fitting of antimycin A to its binding domain. Although the inhibitors that lack a 3-formylamino group retained fairly potent activity, their effects on the reduction of cytochromes b and c1 were somewhat different from those of natural antimycin A, indicating that the 3-formylamino group is essential for inhibitor binding to the cytochrome bc1 complex in the same manner as natural antimycin A. It is concluded that both the 3-formylamino group and the phenolic OH of antimycin A make important contributions to specific interactions with the amino acid residues of the cytochrome b.

Analysis of revertants from respiratory deficient mutants within the center N of cytochrome b in Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

Four modified cytochrome b's carrying mononucleotide substitutions affecting center N residues were analysed. The mutant carrying a G33D change does not incorporate heme into the apocytochrome b and fails to grow on non-fermentable carbon sources. Out of 85 genetically independent revertants derived from this mutant, 82 were true back-mutants restoring the wild type sequence (D33G). The remaining three replaced the aspartic acid by an alanine (D33A) indicating that small size residues are best tolerated at this position which is consistent with the perfect conservation of the G33 during evolution. This glycine may be of crucial importance for helix packing around the hemes. The replacement of methionine at position 221 by lysine (M221K) produced a non-functional cytochrome b [(1993) J. Biol. Chem. 268, 15626-15632]. Non-native revertants replacing the lysine 221 by glutamic acid (K221E) or glutamine (K221Q) expressed a selective resistance to antimycin and antimycin derivatives having a modified dilactone ring moiety. Cytochrome b residues in 33 and in 221 seemed to contribute to the quinone reduction (QN) site of the cytochrome bc1 complex. Possible intramolecular interactions between the N-terminal region and the loop connecting helices IV and V of cytochrome b are proposed.

Inhibition of electron transport of rat-liver mitochondria by synthesized antimycin A analogs.

A series of antimycin A analogs was synthesized by replacement of a dilactone-ring moiety of natural antimycin A by various alkyl, substituted phenyl, substituted diphenyl ether, or amino acid ester groups. The structure-inhibitory activity relationship was studied with rat-liver mitochondria to identify roles of the dilactone-ring moiety in the inhibitor binding to a Qi reaction center of cytochrome bc1 complex. All derivatives caused further reduction of cytochrome b reduced by succinate and the oxidant-induced reduction, showing that the derivatives inhibited electron transport by interacting with a Qi reaction center. The inhibition tended to increase as the hydrophobicity of the inhibitor increased. The mode of binding of inhibitor molecules to a Qi center, which was reflected in, for example, a sigmoidal titration curve for respiratory inhibition and a time-dependent change in inhibitory activity, varied depending on structure. These results suggested that the role of the dilactone-ring moiety of antimycin A may be not only to support hydrophobic interaction with the binding domain by increasing the hydrophobicity of the molecule, as proposed earlier, but also to regulate close fitting of the salicylic acid moiety to the binding domain.

Effects of Phenolic Respiration Inhibitors on Cytochrome bc1 Complex of Rat-liver Mitochondria.

The respiration inhibitory effects of the inhibitory uncouplers, 2,6-diiodo-4-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)phenol and 2,6-dimethoxy-4-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)phenol, the binding site of which is cytochrome bc1 (cyt. bc1) complex, were studied with rat-liver mitochondria. The inhibitory potency of 2,6-diiodo-4-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)phenol and of 2,6-dimethoxy-4-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)phenol was increased and decreased, respectively, by steep dissipation of the transmembrane electrical potential after adding the potent uncoupler, fluazinam, the uncoupling activity of which disappears with time. Changes in the inhibitory potency may have been due to variation of the binding affinity of these compounds to cyt. bc1 complex. Furthermore, the enhancement to the binding affinity of 2,6-diiodo-4-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)phenol was governed by the degree of reduction in the transmembrane electrical potential. These results suggest that the extent of conformational changes of cyt. bc1 complex, which resulted in an enhanced interaction between 2,6-diiodo-4-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)phenol and its binding niche, increased with decreasing transmembrane electrical potential. From examinations of the reduction of cyt. b, it is suggested that the action site of 2,6-diiodo-4-(2,2-dicyanovinyl)phenol may be close to or partially overlapping that of antimycin A.

Electron transport inhibition of the cytochrome bc1 complex of rat-liver mitochondria by phenolic uncouplers.

The respiration inhibition of rat-liver mitochondria by a series of substituted phenolic uncouplers was studied. The inhibitory effects were classified into three types, I-III, depending on the pattern of the changes in inhibitory potency observed when the potent uncoupler SF6847 was simultaneously applied. The extent of inhibition by type I phenols did not change as the transmembrane potential was dissipated by SF6847, but the extent of inhibition by type II and III phenols was decreased and increased, respectively. With the addition of another potent uncoupler, fluazinam, the uncoupling activity of which disappears with time, the inhibitory potency of type II phenols was decreased, but increased reversibly with the disappearance of the uncoupling effect of fluazinam. However, the inhibitory potency of type III phenols increased by fluazinam was not reduced. The inhibitory site of the phenols studied here was the cytochrome bc1 complex. This complex undergoes conformational changes when the transmembrane potential changes. The findings suggested that inhibition by substituted phenolic uncouplers depends partially on conformational changes of the cytochrome bc1 complex that accompany variations in the transmembrane potential.

Quantitative analysis of uncoupling activity of substituted phenols with a physicochemical substituent and molecular parameters.

The uncoupling potency of a series of substituted phenols with rat-liver mitochondria was analyzed quantitatively with physicochemical substituent and molecular parameters such as log P, P being the partition coefficient in a phosphatidylcholine liposome/water system, log KA, KA being the acid dissociation constant, and the Taft-Kutter-Hansch steric constant, Es, for ortho-substituents. The potency evaluated from the concentration in the medium required for a defined response was analyzed, showing that the incorporation of compounds in terms of log P, a certain balance between neutral and ionized forms expressible by a parabolic function of log KA and the steric shielding effect of the ortho-substituents on the negatively charged center of ionized form are highly significant factors governing the variations in potency. The potency was also quantitatively separated into the intrinsic potency as the protonophore inside the inner mitochondrial membrane and the incorporation factor in terms of log P. Some phenols found as outliers from the correlations and some others distorting the quality of the correlations were shown to have inhibitory effects on the respiratory chain by specific and non-specific modes of action, respectively, besides uncoupling activity.