Fluorine-containing heterocycles continue to receive considerable attention due to their unique properties. In medicinal chemistry, the incorporation of fluorine in small molecules imparts a significant enhancement their biological activities compared to non-fluorinated molecules. In this short review, we will highlight the importance of incorporating fluorine as a basic appendage in benzothiazole and benzimidazole skeletons. The chemistry and pharmacological activities of heterocycles containing fluorine during the past years are compiled and discussed.

Ras GTPases are key players in cellular signalling because they act as binary switches. These states manifest through toggling between an active (GTP-loaded) and an inactive (GDP-loaded) form. The hydrolysis and replenishing of GTP is controlled by two additional protein classes: GAP (GTPase-activating)-and GEF (Guanine nucleotide exchange factors)-proteins. The complex interplay of the proteins is known as the GTPase-cycle. Several point mutations of the Ras protein deregulate this cycle. Mutations in Ras are associated with up to one-third of human cancers. The three isoforms of Ras (H, N, K) exhibit high sequence similarity and mainly differ in a region called HVR (hypervariable region). The HVR governs the differential action and cellular distribution of the three isoforms. Rheb is a Ras-like GTPase that is conserved from yeast to mammals. Rheb is mainly involved in activation of cell growth through stimulation of mTORC1 activity. In this review, we summarise multidimensional NMR studies on Rheb and Ras carried out to characterise their structure-function relationship and explain how the activity of these small GTPases can be modulated by low molecular weight compounds. These might help to design GTPaseselective antagonists for treatment of cancer and brain disease.

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Abstract:To design new compounds suitable as starting points for anticancer drug development, we have synthesized a novel series of benzoxazoles with pharmaceutically advantageous piperazine and fluorine moieties attached to them. The newly synthesized benzoxazoles and their corresponding precursors were evaluated for cytotoxicity on human A-549 lung carcinoma cells and non-cancer HepaRG hepatocyes. Some of these new benzoxazoles show potential anticancer activity, while two of the intermediates show lung cancer selective properties at low concentrations where healthy cells are unaffected, indicating a selectivity window for anticancer compounds.

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The design and synthesis of new, safe and potent molecules to apply against soil-borne pathogens is a critical goal for organic and bio-medicinal chemists. Herein, we designed and synthesized a series of benzimidazole-based carbamate derivatives (7a–f), as soil-borne anti-fungals. The derivatives 7a–f were all synthesized in multi-step reactions with acceptable yields. The structures of 7a–f were all identified and characterized using 1H-NMR, IR, HRMS, and melting point calculations. The final compounds were tested on five soil-borne pathogens. The results of various bio-assays showed that compounds 7a-3, 7a-2, 7b-2, 7a-1 and 7b-1 significantly affected the growth of Pythium aphanidermatum, a serious pathogen affecting vegetable crops worldwide. Compounds 7a-1 and 7b-1 were the most efficacious, which resulted in a 96% growth inhibition in Pythium at 100 mg L−1. In conclusion, we reported the potent carbamate derivatives as soil-borne anti-fungals, and believe that the synthesis of more derivatives related to the current scaffold would be beneficial.

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