Histone deacetylases (HDACs) have the ability to cleave the acetyl groups of ε-N-acetylated lysine residues in a variety of proteins. Given that human cells contain thousands of different acetylated lysine residues, HDACS may regulate a wide variety of processes including some implicated in conditions such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders. Herein we report the synthesis and in vitro biochemical profiling of a series of compounds, including known inhibitors as well as novel chemotypes, that incorporate putative new zinc binding domains. By evaluating the compound collection against all 11 recombinant human HDACs, we found that the trifluoromethyl ketone functionality provides potent inhibition of all four subclasses of the Zn(2+) -dependent HDACs. Potent inhibition was observed with two different scaffolds, demonstrating the efficiency of the trifluoromethyl ketone moiety as a zinc binding motif. Interestingly, we also identified silanediol as a zinc binding group with potential for future development of non-hydroxamate class I and class IIb HDAC inhibitors.

Iodonium ions have been developed for activating glycosyl bromides in the coupling to glycosyl acceptors. The iodonium ions are generated from N-iodosuccinimide and a protic acid such as camphorsulfonic acid or triflic acid, where the latter gives the most reactive promoter system. The couplings occur with the release of iodine monobromide and the best results are obtained with benzoylated glycosyl donors and acceptors. In this way, disarmed glycosyl bromides can serve as glycosyl donors without the use of heavy metal salts.

We report the synthesis of linear and branched (1→4)-d-galactans. Four tetrasaccharides and one pentasaccharide were accessed by adopting a procedure of regioselective ring opening of a 4,6-O-naphthylidene protecting group followed by glycosylation using phenyl thioglycoside donors. The binding of the linear pentasaccharide with galectin-3 is also investigated by the determination of a co-crystal structure. The binding of the (1→4)-linked galactan to Gal-3 highlights the oligosaccharides of pectic galactan, which is abundant in the human diet, as putative Gal-3 ligands.

The back cover picture shows coordination of a novel silanediol histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor to a Zn 2+ atom in the active site of a human HDAC enzyme. The equilibrium between keto and hydrated forms of a structurally related trifluoromethyl-ketone-containing inhibitor is also shown. The compounds are part of an array of inhibitors, which was synthesized and profiled for their potencies against recombinant human HDACs 1À11. For further details, see the Full Paper by Christian A. Olsen et al. on p. 614 ff.

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