[(3)H]metyrapol and 4-[(131)i]iodometomidate label overlapping, but not identical, binding sites on rat adrenal membranes.

Metyrapone, metyrapol, and etomidate are competitive inhibitors of 11-deoxycorticosterone hydroxylation by 11ß-hydroxylase. [(3)H]Metyrapol and 4-[(131)I]iodometomidate bind with high affinity to membranes prepared from bovine and rat adrenals. Here we report inhibitory potencies of several compounds structurally related to one or both of these adrenostatic drugs, against the binding of both radioligands to rat adrenal membranes. While derivatives of etomidate inhibited the binding of both radioligands with similar potencies, derivatives of metyrapone inhibited the binding of 4-[(131)I]iodometomidate about 10 times weaker than the binding of [(3)H]metyrapol. By X-ray structure analysis the absolute configuration of (+)-1-(2-fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-2-(pyridin-3-yl)-1-propanol [(+)-11, a derivative of metyrapol] was established as (R). We introduce 1-(2-fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-2-(pyridin-3-yl)-1-propanone (9; Ki = 6 nM), 2-(1-imidazolyl)-2-methyl-1-phenyl-1-propanone (13; 2 nM), and (R)-(+)-[1-(4-iodophenyl)ethyl]-1H-imidazole (34; 4 nM) as new high affinity ligands for the metyrapol binding site on 11ß-hydroxylase and discuss our results in relation to a proposed active site model of 11ß-hydroxylase.

On the transformation of (S)-2-hydroxypropylphosphonic acid into fosfomycin in Streptomyces fradiae--a unique method of epoxide ring formation.

(1S,2S)- and (1R,2S)-2-hydroxy-[1-D(1)]propylphosphonic acid were synthesised from (1S,2S)-2-benzyloxy-[1-D(1)]propanol, which was obtained by horse liver alcohol dehydrogenase catalysed reduction of the corresponding aldehyde. When (1S,2S)-2-hydroxy-[1-D(1)]propylphosphonic acid was fed to Streptomyces fradiae, the deuterium was retained to the same extent in fosfomycin (cis-epoxide) and its co-metabolite trans-epoxide. Removal of the hydrogen (deuterium) atom from the C-1 atom of deuterated 2-hydroxypropylphosphonic acids is a stereospecific process (the hydrogen atom of (S)-2-hydroxypropylphosphonic acid is pro-R). The formation of the O--C-1 bond of fosfomycin occurs with net inversion of configuration, the formation of the O--C-1 bond of the trans-epoxide with net retention.