Hedgehog signaling is essential for tissue development and stemness, and its deregulation has been observed in many tumors. Aberrant activation of Hedgehog signaling is the result of genetic mutations of pathway components or other Smo-dependent or independent mechanisms, all triggering the downstream effector Gli1. For this reason, understanding the poorly elucidated mechanism of Gli1-mediated transcription allows to identify novel molecules blocking the pathway at a downstream level, representing a critical goal in tumor biology. Here, we clarify the structural requirements of the pathway effector Gli1 for binding to DNA and identify Glabrescione B as the first small molecule binding to Gli1 zinc finger and impairing Gli1 activity by interfering with its interaction with DNA. Remarkably, as a consequence of its robust inhibitory effect on Gli1 activity, Glabrescione B inhibited the growth of Hedgehog-dependent tumor cells in vitro and in vivo as well as the self-renewal ability and clonogenicity of tumor-derived stem cells. The identification of the structural requirements of Gli1/DNA interaction highlights their relevance for pharmacologic interference of Gli signaling.

Treatment of (E)-2,4-dimethoxycinnamic acid methyl ester with BF3.Et2O in CHCl3 at room temperature afforded in 75% yield two stereoisomeric C-alkylcalix[4]resorcinarenes, which were shown to be in the 1,2-alternate and flattened-cone configurations

Caracasanamide, one of the hypotensive agents isolated from Verbesina caracasana, is a mixture of (Z)-1a and (E)-1b forms of 1-[(3,4-dimethoxycinnamoyl)amino]-4- [(3-methyl-2-butenyl)-guanidino]butane. The structure of (E)-caracasanamide (1b) was confirmed by high-yielding synthesis starting from N,N'-bis(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-S-methylisothiourea. The water-soluble Z-form of 1a, assayed by i.v. route in anesthetized rats at doses ranging from 50 to 1600 micrograms/kg body weight, was found to decrease blood pressure, to increase cardiac inotropism, respiratory frequency, and tidal volume, and to induce a very slight and not significant tachycardia. Higher doses determined respiratory depression and, in some cases, consequent cardiac arrest. The compound was shown to affect cardiovascular function by acting at the vascular level in inducing arterial vasodilation, by determining sympathetic hypotone through central neurogenic mechanisms, and by interacting with the cardiac beta 1-adrenoreceptors. The respiratory effects were independent of the cardiovascular ones. In lowering blood pressure, the compound was more potent than guanethidine and not less potent than reserpine and papaverine. (Z)-Caracasanamide may therefore be useful in the treatment of arterial hypertension of moderate degree.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase B (PtpB) is one of the virulence factors secreted into the host cell by Mycobacterium tuberculosis. PtpB attenuates host immune defenses by interfering with signal transduction pathways in macrophages and, therefore, it is considered a promising target for the development of novel anti-tuberculosis drugs. Here we report the discovery of natural compound inhibitors of PtpB among an in house library of more than 800 natural substances by means of a multidisciplinary approach, mixing in silico screening with enzymatic and kinetics studies and MS assays. Six natural compounds proved to inhibit PtpB at low micromolar concentrations (< 30 µM) with Kuwanol E being the most potent with K i = 1.6 ± 0.1 µM. To the best of our knowledge, Kuwanol E is the most potent natural compound PtpB inhibitor reported so far, as well as it is the first non-peptidic PtpB inhibitor discovered from natural sources. Compounds herein identified may inspire the design of novel specific PtpB inhibitors.

Gas-phase proton-bound complexes between a chiral resorcin[4]arene and some representative amino acids, that is, L- and D-alanine or L- and D-serine, were generated in the source of a Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometer. Gas-phase exchange of the amino acid from the diastereomeric complexes with the enantiomers of 2-butylamine exhibits a significant enantioselectivity, which depends not only upon the configuration of the leaving guest but also on that of the incoming amine. These findings, coupled with molecular dynamic calculations, point to the observed gas-phase enantioselectivity as determined by the effects of the resorcin[4]arene chiral cavity upon the diastereomeric exchange transition structures.

Podophyllotoxin derivatives like etoposide 7a, etophos 7b, and teniposide 7c are used clinically as potent chemotherapeutic agents for a variety of tumors including small cell lung carcinoma, testicular cancer, and malignant lymphoma. These compounds derived from a series of modifications which converted podophyllotoxin 1a from an entity that interacted with tubulin and blocks mitosis to one that induced a block in late S or early G2 by interacting with topoisomerase II. Synthetic studies on podophyllotoxin derivatives can be divided in four general approaches (the oxo-ester route, the digydroxy acid route, the tandem conjugate addition route and the Diels-Alder route). Albeit a number of synthetic sequences afforded products with excellent enantiopurities, the low overall yields still disqualify synthesis as an alternative for naturally produced materials. An alternative route based on the enzyme-catalyzed cyclization of synthetic intermediates to analogues of the podophyllotoxin family is being explored. Synthetic dibenzylbutanolides, which were revealed by biosynthetic studies to be the precursors of aryltetralin lignans, have been treated with enzymes derived from cell cultures of Podophyllum peltatum, Catharanthus roseus, Nicotiana sylvestris and Cassia didymobotrya. The ciclyzation process afforded however compounds with a different stereochemistry in the C ring. The obtainment of a novel compound with a bynzylidenebenzylbutirolactone structure still leaves considerable scope for exploring biotransformations in order to obtain podophyllotoxin analogues via a combination of synthetic chemistry and biotechnological methods.

Molecular recognition of representative amino acids (A) by a chiral amido[4]resorcinarene receptor (1(L)) was investigated in the gas phase by ESI-FT-ICR mass spectrometry. The ligand displacement reaction between noncovalent diastereomeric [1(L).H.A](+) complexes and the 2-aminobutane enantiomers (B) exhibits a distinct enantioselectivity with regard to both the leaving amino acid A and the amine reactant B. The emerging selectivity picture, discussed in the light of molecular mechanics and molecular dynamics calculations, points to chiral recognition by 1(L), as determined by the effects of the host asymmetric frame on the structure, stability, and rearrangement dynamics of the diastereomeric [1(L).H.A](+) complexes and the orientation of the amine reactant B in encounters with [1(L).H.A](+). The results contribute to the development of a dynamic model of chiral recognition of biomolecules by enzyme mimics in the unsolvated state.

A versatile route to a series of C-alkylcalix[4]resorcinarenes has been developed, using 2,4-dimethoxycinnamates as starting materials under carefully controlled reaction conditions employing BF3 as a Lewis acid catalyst. Depending on the reaction conditions and the nature of the ester side chain in the cinnamates, the calixarenes can adopt 1,2-alternate, 1,3-alternate, or flattened-cone conformational states. An extensive study, relating to the influence of the Lewis acid, temperature, and reaction time, has provided information on the relative ratios of the different conformations and their interconversion. Structural assignments are based on detailed spectroscopic analyses including X-ray analyses. The latter provide evidence of their molecular structure and shape in the solid state. A detailed molecular modeling study has been completed and is described. From the data obtained, good agreement with NMR data, X-ray analyses and experimental results is observed