Amphotericin B (AmB) is a prototypical small molecule natural product that can form ion channels in living eukaryotic cells and has remained refractory to microbial resistance despite extensive clinical utilization in the treatment of life-threatening fungal infections for more than half a century. It is now widely accepted that AmB kills yeast primarily via channel-mediated membrane permeabilization. Enabled by the iterative cross-coupling-based synthesis of a functional group deficient derivative of this natural product, we have discovered that channel formation is not required for potent fungicidal activity. Alternatively, AmB primarily kills yeast by simply binding ergosterol, a lipid that is vital for many aspects of yeast cell physiology. Membrane permeabilization via channel formation represents a second complementary mechanism that further increases drug potency and the rate of yeast killing. Collectively, these findings (i) reveal that the binding of a physiologically important microbial lipid is a powerful and clinically validated antimicrobial strategy that may be inherently refractory to resistance, (ii) illuminate a more straightforward path to an improved therapeutic index for this clinically vital but also highly toxic antifungal agent, and (iii) suggest that the capacity for AmB to form proteinlike ion channels might be separable from its cytocidal effects.small molecules | protein-like functions | N-methyliminodiacetic acid boronates

Amphotericin has remained the powerful but highly toxic last line of defense in treating life-threatening fungal infections in humans for over 50 years with minimal development of microbial resistance. Understanding how this small molecule kills yeast is thus critical for guiding development of derivatives with an improved therapeutic index and other resistance-refractory antimicrobial agents. In the widely accepted ion channel model for its mechanism of cytocidal action, amphotericin forms aggregates inside lipid bilayers that permeabilize and kill cells. In contrast, we report that amphotericin exists primarily in the form of large, extramembranous aggregates that kill yeast by extracting ergosterol from lipid bilayers. These findings reveal that extraction of a polyfunctional lipid underlies the resistance-refractory antimicrobial action of amphotericin and suggests a roadmap for separating its cytocidal and membrane-permeabilizing activities. This new mechanistic understanding is also guiding development of the first derivatives of amphotericin that kill yeast but not human cells.

Amphotericin B (AmB) is a clinically vital anti-mycotic but is limited by its severe toxicity. Binding ergosterol, independent of channel formation, is the primary mechanism by which AmB kills yeast, and binding cholesterol may primarily account for toxicity to human cells. The leading structural model predicts that the C2′ hydroxyl group on the mycosamine appendage is critical for binding both sterols. To test this, the C2′ hydroxyl group was synthetically deleted and the sterol binding capacity of the resulting derivative, C2′deOAmB, was directly characterized via isothermal titration calorimetry. Surprisingly, C2′deOAmB binds ergosterol and, within the limits of detection of this experiment, does not bind cholesterol. Moreover, C2′deOAmB is nearly equipotent to AmB against yeast but, within the limits of detection of our assays, is non-toxic to human cells in vitro. Thus, the leading structural model for AmB/sterol binding interactions is incorrect, and C2′deOAmB is an exceptionally promising new antifungal agent.

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The influence of hard-segment structure on the properties of segmented polyhydroxy­urethane (PHU) was investigated using three bis-carbonate molecules: divinyl­benzene dicyclo­carbonate (DVBDCC), Bisphenol A dicarbonate (BPADC), and resorcinol bis-carbonate (RBC). These carbonates were formulated with poly­(tetramethylene oxide) (PTMO)-based and polybutadiene-co-acrylonitrile (PBN)-based soft segments at 40 wt % hard-segment content, resulting in non-isocyanate polyurethanes (NIPUs). Small-angle X-ray scattering, dynamic mechanical analysis, and tensile testing reveal that hard-segment and soft-segment structures may cooperatively influence segmented PHU properties. With PTMO-based soft segment, BPADC yields phase-mixed PHU because of strong intersegmental hydrogen bonding from the hard-segment hydroxyl groups to the soft segment; in contrast, because of moderate intersegmental hydrogen bonding to the PTMO-based soft segment, DVBDCC and RBC lead to nanophase-separated PHUs with 15–17 nm interdomain spacings with substantial, broad interphase regions and low tensile strengths of ∼0.40 MPa for DVBDCC and ∼0.27 MPa for RBC. By suppressing intersegmental hydrogen bonding via the use of PBN-based soft segment, formulations with all three carbonate molecules lead to nanophase-separated PHUs with interdomain spacings of 11–16 nm, narrow interfaces, and improved tensile strengths ranging from 1.6 to 0.5 MPa in the order DVBDCC > BPADC > RBC. All PBN-based PHUs exhibit reversibility of extension with hysteresis similar to that found in thermoplastic polyurethane elastomers.

based soft segments, with divinyl benzene dicyclocarbonate and Dytek-A as hard segment and chain extender, respectively. These NIPU polymers were characterized by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS), atomic force microscopy (AFM), dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and tensile testing. SAXS reveals that the NIPUs with 30-40 wt% hard segment are nanophase separated with interdomain spacings of 9-16 nm. DMA reveals that PTMO-based PHUs have broad interphases with a range of local compositions and glass transition temperatures (T g s), with tan δ ≥ 0.3 over temperature ranges exceeding 70 °C in breadth. In contrast, PBN-based PHUs have sharper interphases, evidenced by narrow tan δ peaks near soft-segment and hard-segment T g s as well as by DSC and AFM data. FTIR shows that the ratio of hydrogen-bonded carbonyl to free carbonyl

Site-selective functionalizations of complex small molecules can generate targeted derivatives with exceptional step-efficiency, but general strategies for maximizing selectivity in this context are rare. Here we report that site-selectivity can be tuned by simply modifying the electronic nature of the reagents. A Hammett analysis is consistent with linking of this phenomenon to the Hammond postulate: electronic tuning to a more product-like transition state amplifies site-discriminating interactions between a reagent and its substrate. This strategy transformed a minimally site-selective acylation reaction into a highly selective and thus preparatively useful one. Electronic tuning of both an acylpyridinium donor and its carboxylate counterion further promoted site-divergent functionalizations. With these advances, a range of modifications to just one of the many hydroxyl groups appended to the ion channel-forming natural product amphotericin B was achieved. Thus, electronic tuning of reagents represents an effective strategy for discovering and optimizing site-selective functionalization reactions.

A research program to discover solubilizing prodrugs of the HCV NS5A inhibitor pibrentasvir (PIB) identified phosphomethyl analog 2 and trimethyl-lock (TML) prodrug 9. The prodrug moiety is attached to a benzimidazole nitrogen atom via an oxymethyl linkage to allow for rapid and complete release of the drug for absorption following phosphate removal by intestinal alkaline phosphatase. These prodrugs have good hydrolytic stability properties and improved solubility compared to PIB, both in aqueous buffer (pH 7) and FESSIF (pH 5). TML prodrug 9 provided superior in vivo performance, delivering high plasma concentrations of PIB in PK studies conducted in mice, dogs, and monkeys. The improved dissolution properties of these phosphate prodrugs provide them the potential to simplify drug dosage forms for PIB-containing HCV therapy.