Mechanisms of Action of Novel Influenza A/M2 Viroporin Inhibitors Derived from Hexamethylene Amiloride.

The increasing prevalence of influenza viruses with resistance to approved antivirals highlights the need for new anti-influenza therapeutics. Here we describe the functional properties of hexamethylene amiloride (HMA)-derived compounds that inhibit the wild-type and adamantane-resistant forms of the influenza A M2 ion channel. For example, 6-(azepan-1-yl)-N-carbamimidoylnicotinamide ( 9: ) inhibits amantadine-sensitive M2 currents with 3- to 6-fold greater potency than amantadine or HMA (IC50 = 0.2 vs. 0.6 and 1.3 µM, respectively). Compound 9: competes with amantadine for M2 inhibition, and molecular docking simulations suggest that 9: binds at site(s) that overlap with amantadine binding. In addition, tert-butyl 4'-(carbamimidoylcarbamoyl)-2',3-dinitro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-carboxylate ( 27: ) acts both on adamantane-sensitive and a resistant M2 variant encoding a serine to asparagine 31 mutation (S31N) with improved efficacy over amantadine and HMA (IC50 = 0.6 µM and 4.4 µM, respectively). Whereas 9: inhibited in vitro replication of influenza virus encoding wild-type M2 (EC50 = 2.3 µM), both 27: and tert-butyl 4'-(carbamimidoylcarbamoyl)-2',3-dinitro-[1,1'-biphenyl]-4-carboxylate ( 26: ) preferentially inhibited viruses encoding M2(S31N) (respective EC50 = 18.0 and 1.5 µM). This finding indicates that HMA derivatives can be designed to inhibit viruses with resistance to amantadine. Our study highlights the potential of HMA derivatives as inhibitors of drug-resistant influenza M2 ion channels.

Use of conformationally restricted pyridinium alpha-D-N-acetylneuraminides to probe specificity in bacterial and viral sialidases.

Investigations into subtle changes in the catalytic activity of sialidases have been performed using enzymes from several different origins, and their results have been compared. This work highlights the potential pitfalls encountered when extending conclusions derived from mechanistic studies on a single enzyme even to those with high-sequence homology. Specifically, a panel of 5 pyridinium N-acetylneuraminides were used as substrates in a study that revealed subtle differences in the catalytic mechanisms used by 4 different sialidase enzymes. The lowest reactivity towards the artificial (pyridinium) substrates was displayed by the Newcastle disease virus hemagglutinin-neuraminidase. Moreover, in reactions involving aryl N-acetylneuraminides, the activity of the Newcastle enzyme was competitively inhibited by the 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrano[3,2-c]pyridinium compound with a Ki = 58 micromol/L. Alternatively, the 3 bacterial enzymes tested, from Salmonella typhimurium, Clostridium perfringens, and Vibrio cholerae, were catalytically active against all members of the panel of substrates. Based on the observed effect of leaving-group ability, it is proposed that the rate-determining step for kcat (and likely for kcat/Km as well) with each bacterial enzyme is as follows: sialylation, which is concerted with conformational change for V. cholerae; and conformational change for S. typhimurium and C. perfringens.

A solid-phase, library synthesis of natural-product-like derivatives from an enantiomerically pure tetrahydroquinoline scaffold.

With the goal of developing a library synthesis of tetrahydroquinoline-derived natural-product-like small molecules, a practical synthesis of enantiomerically pure tetrahydroquinoline scaffold was achieved. An asymmetric aminohydroxylation reaction was the key step in this strategy. This scaffold was further immobilized onto the solid support for the library generation. The library was obtained from three diversity sites: (i) acylation of the hydroxyl group (R(1)), (ii) coupling of the Fmoc-protected amino acid to the amino group (R(2)), and (iii) amidation of the N-terminal amine group (R(3)).

Toward high-throughput synthesis of complex natural product-like compounds in the genomics and proteomics age.

In the age of high-throughput biology, novel genes and proteins are emerging quickly. The need for developing organic synthesis-derived methods that allow rapid access to polyfunctional, complex natural product-like compounds is growing constantly, largely because these small-molecule-based compounds serve as smart, powerful tools both in understanding the roles and functions of emerging biological targets and in validating their biological responses. Developing asymmetric synthesis-derived organic reactions on solid phase allows the synthesis of complex natural product-like compounds in a high-throughput manner. Solid phase organic synthesis is now commonly utilized in the library synthesis of rather simple compounds (i.e., compounds with no multiple stereogenic centers). With few exceptions, the synthesis of complex natural product-like derivatives is still in its infancy. Some recent efforts made in this area indicate opportunities yet to be explored.

Rearrangement of a Homoallylic Alcohol via an Acid-Catalyzed 1,4-Hydride Shift Yields a Saturated Ketone.

The homoallylically substituted alcohols (1-OH and 3-OH) of the sterically congested alkene adamanylideneadamantane (1-H) react with acid catalysis in a solvent of 50% v/v acetic acid:50% v/v aqueous sulfuric acid at 110 degrees C to give a saturated ketone 5, the structure of which has been characterized by (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy and by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. Isotopic labeling studies demonstrate that the reaction involves a stereospecific protonation of the double bond and an intramolecular 1,4-hydride transfer from the secondary alcohol C-H to the other carbon of the olefin. The rearrangement reaction exhibits a kinetic isotope effect (KIE) of 2.34 +/- 0.17 for the intramolecular hydride transfer reaction and a competitive isotope effect of 1.2 for protonation of the olefin. These results are consistent with a two-step reaction in which the protonation of the double bond, a potentially reversible process, is followed by the rate-determining, intramolecular 1,4-hydride transfer.