Biosynthesis of radiolabeled curacin A and its rapid and apparently irreversible binding to the colchicine site of tubulin.

Curacin A is a potent competitive inhibitor of colchicine binding to tubulin, and it inhibits the growth of tumor cells. We prepared [(14)C]curacin A biosynthetically to investigate its interaction with tubulin. Binding was rapid, even at 0 degrees C, with a minimum k(f) of 4.4 x 10(3) M(-1) s(-1). We were unable to demonstrate any dissociation of the [(14)C]curacin A from tubulin. Consistent with these observations, the K(a) value was so high that an accurate determination by Scatchard analysis was not possible. The [(14)C]curacin A was released from tubulin following urea treatment, indicating that covalent bond formation does not occur. We concluded that curacin A binds more tightly to tubulin than does colchicine. Besides high-affinity binding to the colchicine site, we observed significant superstoichiometric amounts of the [(14)C]curacin A bound to tubulin, and Scatchard analysis confirmed the presence of two binding sites of relatively low affinity with a K(a) of 3.2 x 10(-5) M(-1).

Absolute stereochemistry of neohalicholactone from the brown alga Laminaria sinclairii.

Phytochemical analysis of an extract from the brown alga Laminaria sinclairii led to the isolation of neohalicholactone, a cyclopropyl-containing oxylipin previously isolated from a marine sponge, Halichondria okadai. Unequivocal stereochemical analysis of the C-15 hydroxyl group showed this isolate to be of opposite overall absolute stereochemistry compared to that proposed for halicholactone, a related compound from the sponge, and by our inference, sponge-derived neohalicholactone. Comparison of chiroptical data for all three compounds indicates the absolute stereochemistry of the sponge compounds is most probably opposite to that previously proposed.