No abstract

The synthesis and anticancer evaluation of new series of nucleosides constructed on 5/6-azidoglycosyl or glucuronamide moieties and containing an O- or an N-dodecyl chain, respectively, are disclosed. Based on our previous results, their structures were planned to preclude them to act via a similar metabolic pathway than that of clinically used nucleoside antimetabolites, against which cancer cells frequently acquire resistance. Xylo and gluco-configured 5/6-azido-1,2-di-O-acetyl furanosyl and pyranosyl donors containing a 3-O-dodecyl group were synthesized from diacetone-d-glucose and were subsequently coupled with silylated uracil or 2-acetamido-6-chloropurine. N-Dodecyl glucuronamide-based nucleosides were accessed from acetonide-protected glucofuranurono-6,3-lactone, which was converted in few steps into O-benzylated 1,2-di-O-acetyl furanuronamide or pyranuronamide derivatives to undergo further N-glycosylation. Both types of nucleosides demonstrated notorious antiproliferative effects in chronic myeloid leukemia (K562) and in breast cancer (MCF-7) cells. The most potent molecules were a 6ʹ-azidoglucopyranosyl N7-linked purine nucleoside and glucofuranuronamide derivatives comprising N1-linked uracil and N7-linked purine units with activities in the single-digit micromolar order of concentration against both cell lines. Their GI50 values in MCF-7 cells were similar or ca. 3-fold lower than that of the standard drug 5-fluorouracil. Cell cycle studies and immunoblotting analysis of apoptosis-associated proteins in treated K562 cells indicated that the antiproliferative effect of the most effective nucleosides is based on apoptosis induction.

The first examples of amino acid (Ser/Thr)-sp(2)-iminosugar glycomimetic conjugates featuring an α-O-linked pseudoanomeric linkage are reported. The key synthetic step involves the completely diastereoselective α-glycosylation of Ser/Thr due to strong stereoelectronic and conformational bias imposed by the bicyclic sp(2)-iminosugar scaffold. Mucin-related glycopeptides incorporating these motifs were recognized by the monoclonal antibody (mAb) scFv-SM3, with activities depending on both the hydroxylation pattern (Glc/Gal/GlcNAc/GalNAc) of the sp(2)-iminosugar and the peptide aglycone structure (Ser/Thr).

A systematic study of the suitability of α,α'-dibromo-o-xylene as a reagent for cyclic o-xylylene protection of vic-diols in different monosaccharide substrates is reported. The installation of this protecting group, formally equivalent to a di-O-benzylation reaction, proceeds with good regioselectivity toward 1,2-trans-diequatorial diol systems in pyranose and furanose rings. Initially, the benzyl ether-type derivative of the more acidic hydroxyl is preferentially formed. Subsequent intramolecular etherification toward the equatorial-oriented vicinal OH is kinetically favored. The methodology has been implemented for the simultaneous protection of the secondary O-2 and O-3 positions of a single d-glucopyranosyl unit in cyclic oligosaccharides of the cyclodextrin (CD) family (cyclomaltohexa-, -hepta-, and -octaose; α, β, and γCD).

The synthesis of novel types of furanosyl nucleoside analogues, namely N‐(benzyltriazolyl)methyl glucuronamide derivatives, N‐dodecyl glucuronamide‐based phenyltriazole nucleosides, and theobromine xylosyl 5′‐isonucleosides, as potential cholinesterase inhibitors is described herein. O‐Substituted and partially O‐substituted N‐propargyl glucuronamides, accessed from glucofuranurono‐6,3‐lactone, were engaged in CuI‐catalyzed cycloaddition with benzyl azide, whereas their N‐dodecyl uronamide counterparts were converted in three steps into glycosyl azides, which were subjected to cycloaddition with phenylacetylene. A xylofuranose derivative having a free 5‐OH group was coupled with theobromine by Mitsunobu reaction and the obtained isonucleoside was functionalized at C‐1′ with a sulfonamide moiety, leading to a prospective nucleotide mimetic. Five compounds displayed selective inhibition of acetylcholinesterase in the micromolar concentration range, with an α‐glycosyl triazole (Ki = 3.53 µm) and its 1‐azido‐uronamide precursor (Ki = 1.73 µm) being the most active. Docking studies were performed to give insights into the different inhibitory behavior within glycosyl azide anomers. Two of the best inhibitors showed low toxicity in both a neural cell line and human fibroblasts, rendering them promising lead compounds and supporting further investigations.

Glycolipid mimetics consisting of a bicyclic polyhydroxypiperidine-cyclic carbamate core and a pseudoanomeric hydrophobic tail, termed sp 2 -iminosugar glycolipids (sp 2 -IGLs), target microglia during neuroinflammatory processes. Here we have synthesized and investigated new variants of sp 2 -IGLs for their ability to suppress the activation of human monocyte-derived dendritic cells (DCs) by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) signaling through Toll-like receptor 4. We report that the best lead was (1R)-1dodecylsulfonyl-5N,6O-oxomethylidenenojirimycin (DSO 2 -ONJ), able to inhibit LPS-induced TNFa production and maturation of DCs. Immunovisualization experiments, using a mannoside glycolipid conjugate (MGC) that also suppress LPS-mediated DC activation as control, evidenced a distinct mode of action for the sp 2 -IGLs: unlike MGCs, DSO 2 -ONJ did not elicit internalization of the LPS co-receptor CD14 or induce its co-localization with the Toll-like receptor 4. In a mouse model of LPS-induced acute inflammation, DSO 2 -ONJ demonstrated anti-inflammatory activity by inhibiting the production of the pro-inflammatory interleukin-6. The ensemble of the data highlights sp 2 -IGLs as a promising new class of molecules against inflammation by interfering in Toll-like receptor intracellular signaling.

The synthesis and biological evaluation of novel guanidino sugars as isonucleoside analogs is described. 5‐Guanidino xylofuranoses containing 3‐O‐saturated/unsaturated hydrocarbon or aromatic‐containing moieties were accessed from 5‐azido xylofuranoses via reduction followed by guanidinylation with N,N′‐bis(tert‐butoxycarbonyl)‐N′′‐triflylguanidine. Molecules comprising novel types of isonucleosidic structures including 5‐guanidino 3‐O‐methyl‐branched N‐benzyltriazole isonucleosides and a guanidinomethyltriazole 3′‐O‐dodecyl xylofuranos‐5′‐yl isonucleoside were accessed. The guanidinomethyltriazole derivative and a 3‐O‐dodecyl (N‐Boc)guanidino xylofuranose were revealed as selective inhibitors of acetylcholinesterase (Ki=22.87 and 7.49 μM, respectively). The latter also showed moderate antiproliferative effects in chronic myeloid leukemia (K562) and breast cancer (MCF‐7) cells. An aminomethyltriazole 5’‐isonucleoside was the most potent molecule with low micromolar GI50 values in both cells (GI50=6.33 μM, 8.45 μM), similar to that of the drug 5‐fluorouracil in MCF‐7 cells. Moreover, the most bioactive compounds showed low toxicity in human fibroblasts, further indicating their interest as promising lead molecules.

New xylofuranosyl and glucopyranosyl nucleoside phosphoramidates were synthesized as potential mimetics of nucleoside 5′-monophosphates. Their access involved N-glycosylation of uracil and 2-acetamido-6-chloropurine with 5′/6′-azido-1,2-di-O-acetyl glycosyl donors and subsequent Staudinger-phosphite reaction of the resulting azido nucleosides. The coupling of the purine derivative with the pyranosyl donor furnished N9- and N7-linked nucleosides in 1:1 ratio, whereas with the furanosyl donor, the N9-nucleoside was the major regioisomer formed. When using uracil, only 5′/6′-azido N1-linked nucleosides were obtained. The purine 5′/6′-azido nucleosides were converted into corresponding phosphoramidates in good yields. The antiproliferative effects of the nucleoside phosphoramidates and those of the azido counterparts on cancer cells were evaluated. While the nucleoside phosphoramidates did not show significant activities, the purine 5′/6′-azido nucleosides displayed potent effects against K562, MCF-7 and BT474 cell lines. The 5′-azidofuranosyl N9 and N7-linked purine nucleosides exhibited highest activity towards the chronic myeloid leukemia cell line (K562) with GI50 values of 13.6 and 9.7 μM, respectively. Among pyranosyl nucleosides, the N7-linked nucleoside was the most active compound with efficacy towards all cell lines assayed and a highest effect on K562 cells (GI50=6.8 μM). Cell cycle analysis of K562 and MCF-7 cells showed that the most active compounds cause G2/M arrest.