Contribution of Cage-Shaped Structure of Physalins to Their Mode of Action in Inhibition of NF-κB Activation.

A library of oxygenated natural steroids, including physalins, withanolides, and perulactones, coupled with the synthetic cage-shaped right-side structure of type B physalins, was constructed. SAR studies for inhibition of NF-κB activation showed the importance of both the B-ring and the oxygenated right-side partial structure. The 5ß,6ß-epoxy derivatives of both physalins and withanolides showed similar profiles of inhibition of NF-κB activation and appeared to act on NF-κB signaling via inhibition of phosphorylation and degradation of IκBα. In contrast, type B physalins with C5-C6 olefin functionality inhibited nuclear translocation and DNA binding of RelA/p50 protein dimer, which lie downstream of IκBα degradation, although withanolides having the same AB-ring functionality did not. These results indicated that the right-side partial structure of these steroids influences their mode of action.

Mimicking an antimicrobial peptide polymyxin B by use of cyclodextrin.

Cyclodextrin derivatives prepared to mimic a membrane active antibacterial peptide polymyxin B strongly permeabilized bacterial membrane and inhibited bacterial proliferation.

Chiral recognition in cucurbituril cavities.

For the first time, achiral cucurbiturils (CBs) were endowed with significant enantiomeric and distereomeric discrimination by incorporating a strong chiral binder. Calorimetric, nuclear magnetic, light-scattering, and mass spectral studies revealed that (S)-2-methylbutylamine (as a strong binder) can be discriminated by two enantiomeric supramolecular hosts, composed of CB[6] and (R)- or (S)-2-methylpiperazine, with an unprecedented 95% enantioselectivity in aqueous NaCl solution. This is the highest enantioselectivity ever reported for a supramolecular system derived from an achiral host. Similarly, CB[7], with a larger cavity, exhibited diastereoselectivities up to 8 times higher for diastereomeric dipeptides, as demonstrated for L-Phe-L-Leu-NH3+ versus L-Phe-D-Leu-NH3+.

Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry determined regioisomeric structures of disubstituted beta-cyclodextrin derivatives.

Electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry was applied to the analysis of regiospecifically disubstituted beta-cyclodextrins. Each disubstituted regioisomer showed unique fragmentation, distinguishing each of them unambiguously. These results demonstrate that mass spectrometry is the most straightforward method among those reported in the assignment of regioisomeric structures of these oligosaccharides.

Sequential formation of a ternary complex among dihexylammonium, cucurbit[6]uril, and cyclodextrin with positive cooperativity.

A unique ternary 1:1:1 cucurbit[6]uril (CB[6])-cyclodextrin (CD)-dihexylammonium (DHA) complex was designed and noncovalently synthesized in stepwise fashion: first, CB[6] interacts strongly with DHA to form a 1:1 complex; second, addition of CD into the solution of the 1:1 complex leads to the exclusive formation of the 1:1:1 ternary complex. The ternary complex was characterized by various experimental techniques including ITC, NMR, and ESI-MS.

CD spectral study of Dnp derivatives of amino acids and peptides for their configurational and conformational analysis.

Rules relating the stereochemistry of N-Dnp (Dnp: 2,4-dinitrophenyl) derivatives of alpha-amino acids and peptides and the sign of the Cotton effects at the longest wavelength band (ca. 400 nm) are surveyed. Some new data and insights concerning the CD spectra of Dnp-alpha-amino acids are included: i.e., the spectra of Dnp derivatives as the composite of the corresponding o-nitrophenyl and p-nitrophenyl derivatives; the crystal structure of Dnp-I-phenylalanine and its solid-state CD spectra; the CD spectra of Dnp-alpha-amino acids containing sulfur atom on their side chains; and the theoretical approach to the CD spectra using molecular orbital method-based calculation. Conformational analyses of cyclic and linear peptides by the CD spectra of their Dnp derivatives are also discussed.

Factors controlling the complex architecture of native and modified cyclodextrins with dipeptide (Z-Glu-Tyr) studied by microcalorimetry and NMR spectroscopy: critical effects of peripheral bis-trimethylamination and cavity size.

Complex stability constant (K), standard free energy (DeltaG degrees ), reaction enthalpy (DeltaH degrees ), and entropy change (TDeltaS degrees ) for 1:1 inclusion complexation of the diastereomeric dipeptides Z-d/l-Glu-l-Tyr (Z = benzyloxycarbonyl) and its component amino acids (Z-d/l-Glu and N-Ac-Tyr) with native alpha-, beta-, and gamma-cyclodextrins (CDs) and A,X-modified bis(6-trimethylammonio-6-deoxy)-beta-CDs (AX-TMA(2)-beta-CDs) were determined in buffer solution (pH 6.9) at T = 298.15 K by isothermal titration microcalorimetry. Concurrent NMR spectral examinations revealed that the penetration mode and the resulting complex architecture are dramatically altered by the peripheral modification and also by the CD's cavity size. Upon complexation of the ditopic Z-Glu-Tyr guest, native alpha- and beta-CDs preferentially bind the Z's phenyl group, whereas AX-TMA(2)-beta-CDs predominantly include the Tyr's phenol moiety. In contrast, native gamma-CD includes both of the aromatic moieties simultaneously in the same cavity. Furthermore, for isomeric AB-, AC, and AD-TMA(2)-beta-CDs, an inversion of enantioselectivity and a switching of the penetration mode were observed, critically depending on the position of TMA substituents.

Extra amino group-containing gramicidin S analogs possessing outer membrane-permeabilizing activity.

Novel (2S,4R)- and (2S,4S)-4-aminoproline residue-containing analogs of the cyclic decapeptide antibiotic gramicidin S were synthesized, which exhibited marked permeabilizing activity on the outer membrane of gram-negative bacteria.

Complexation and chiral recognition thermodynamics of gamma-cyclodextrin with N-acetyl- and N-carbobenzyloxy-dipeptides possessing two aromatic rings.

The stability constants (K) and the standard free energy (deltaG degrees ), enthalpy (deltaH degrees ), and entropy changes (deltaS degrees ) for the complexation of gamma-cyclodextrin with 34 enantiomeric and diastereomeric N-acetyl- and N-carbobenzyloxy-d/l-dipeptides with two aromatic moieties were determined in aqueous buffer solution at 298.15 K by titration microcalorimetry. Chiral recognition of the enantiomeric dipeptide pairs by gamma-cyclodextrin was found to be fairly poor, exhibiting only small percentage differences in K, while the diastereomeric dipeptides were discriminated to much greater extent with affinity differences of up to 6-7 times. The complex structures of several selected pairs were elucidated by NMR techniques. Combining the microcalorimetric and NMR data, the complexation and chiral recognition behavior of gamma-cyclodextrin is discussed in particular in terms of the length, bulkiness, and flexibility of the tether connecting the two aromatic moieties in a guest.

Stereochemistry of protected ornithine side chains of gramicidin S derivatives: X-ray crystal structure of the bis-Boc-tetra-N-methyl derivative of gramicidin S.

An X-ray crystallographic analysis of the bis-Ndelta-Boc-tetra-Nalpha-methyl derivative of gramicidin S, cyclo(-Val-MeOrn(Boc)-Leu-d-MePhe-Pro-)2, was undertaken successfully (R-factor = 0.088). As expected, the main chain adopts an antiparallel pleated beta-sheet conformation, but the pleated sheet is slightly twisted, and the sense of twisting is opposite to that found in the reported crystal structures of the gramicidin S-urea complex and the bis-Ndelta-(trichloroacetyl) and bis-Ndelta-(m-bromobenzoyl) derivatives of gramicidin S. In agreement with the observed resistance toward N-methylation, the urethane NH groups of the protected Orn side chains are hydrogen bonded to the carbonyl groups of the d-Phe residues. However, the side-chain-main-chain hydrogen bonding is in the i --> i - 3 mode, although hydrogen bonding in the i --> i + 2 mode was deduced from a 1H NMR study of protected gramicidin S derivatives and was actually found in the crystal structures of the diacylated gramicidin S.

Preparation of gamma-Heterosubstituted Allylindium and Diindium Reagents and Their Reactions with Carbonyl Compounds.

Various gamma-heteroatom-substituted allylindium reagents were prepared, and their reactions with carbonyl compounds were examined. The reaction of 1,3-dibromopropene with metallic indium gave two types of organoindium species, gamma-bromoallylindium and allylic diindium reagents. While the former gave 2-phenyl-3-vinyloxirane upon the coupling with benzaldehyde, the latter gave 1-phenylbut-3-en-1-ol. 1-Iodo-3-bromopropene gave the homoallylic alcohol exclusively. gamma-Alkoxyallylindium reagents were prepared by treating the corresponding gamma-alkoxyallyllithium with indium trichloride and reacted with benzaldehyde to give vic-diol mono ethers in high yields with good syn selectivity. gamma-(Trimethylsilyl)allylindium and alpha,gamma-disubstituted allylindium reagents were also prepared via transmetalation with the corresponding allyllithium.