Enzymatic removal of carboxyl protecting groups. 2. Cleavage of the benzyl and methyl moieties

Enzymes are versatile reagents for the efficient removal of methyl and benzyl protecting groups. An esterase from Bacillus subtilis (BS2) and a lipase from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) allow a mild and selective removal of these moieties in high yields without affecting other functional groups. © 2005 American Chemical Society

Enzymatic removal of carboxyl protecting groups. 1. Cleavage of the tert-butyl moiety

(Chemical Equation Presented) A recent discovery that a certain amino acid motif (GGG-(A)X-motif) in lipases and esterases determines their activity toward tertiary alcohols prompted us to investigate the use of these biocatalysts in the mild and selective removal of tert-butyl protecting groups in amino acid derivatives and related compounds. An esterase from Bacillus subtilis (BsubpNBE) and lipase A from Candida antarctica (CAL-A) were identified as the most active enzymes, which hydrolyzed a range of tert-butyl esters of protected amino acids (e.g., Boc-Tyr-OtBu, Z-GABA-OtBu, Fmoc-GABA-O tBu) in good to high yields and left Boc, Z, and Fmoc-protecting groups intact. © 2005 American Chemical Society

Changes in the cellular fatty acid profile drive the proteasomal degradation of α-synuclein and enhance neuronal survival

Parkinson's disease is biochemically characterized by the deposition of aberrant aggregated α-synuclein in the affected neurons. The aggregation properties of α-synuclein greatly depend on its affinity to bind cellular membranes via a dynamic interaction with specific lipid moieties. In particular, α-synuclein can interact with arachidonic acid (AA), a polyunsaturated fatty acid, in a manner that promotes the formation of α-helix enriched assemblies. In a cellular context, AA is released from membrane phospholipids by phospholipase A2 (PLA2). To investigate the impact of PLA2 activity on α-synuclein aggregation, we have applied selective PLA2 inhibitors to a SH-SY5Y cellular model where the expression of human wild-type α-synuclein is correlated with a gradual accumulation of soluble oligomers and subsequent cell death. We have found that pharmacological and genetic inhibition of GIVA cPLA2 resulted in a dramatic decrease of intracellular oligomeric and monomeric α-synuclein significantly promoting cell survival. Our data suggest that alterations in the levels of free fatty acids, and especially AA and adrenic acid, promote the formation of α-synuclein conformers which are more susceptible to proteasomal degradation. This mechanism is active only in living cells and is generic since it does not depend on the absolute quantity of α-synuclein, the presence of disease-linked point mutations, the expression system or the type of cells. Our findings indicate that the α-synuclein-fatty acid interaction can be a critical determinant of the conformation and fate of α-synuclein in the cell interior and, as such, cPLA2 inhibitors could serve to alleviate the intracellular, potentially pathological, α-synuclein burden. © 2020 Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biolog

Inhibition of group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2by thiazolyl ketones in vitro, ex vivo, and in vivo

Group IVA cytosolic phospholipase A2(GIVA cPLA2) is the rate-limiting provider of pro-inflammatory mediators in many tissues and is thus an attractive target for the development of novel anti-inflammatory agents. In this work, we present the synthesis of new thiazolyl ketones and the study of their activities in vitro, in cells, and in vivo. Within this series of compounds, methyl 2-(2-(4-octylphenoxy)acetyl)thiazole-4-carboxylate (GK470) was found to be the most potent inhibitor of GIVA cPLA2, exhibiting an XI(50) value of 0.011 mole fraction in a mixed micelle assay and an IC50of 300 nM in a vesicle assay. In a cellular assay using SW982 fibroblast-like synoviocytes, it suppressed the release of arachidonic acid with an IC50value of 0.6 μM. In a prophylactic collagen-induced arthritis model, it exhibited an anti-inflammatory effect comparable to the reference drug methotrexate, whereas in a therapeutic model, it showed results comparable to those of the reference drug Enbrel. In both models, it significantly reduced plasma PGE2levels. © 2014 American Chemical Society

Development of Potent and Selective Inhibitors for Group VIA Calcium-Independent Phospholipase A2 Guided by Molecular Dynamics and StructureActivity Relationships

The development of inhibitors for phospholipases A(2) (PLA(2)s) is important in elucidating their implication in various biological pathways. PLA(2) enzymes are an important pharmacological target implicated in various inflammatory diseases. Computational chemistry, organic synthesis and in vitro assays were employed to develop potent and selective inhibitors for Group VIA calcium-independent PLA(2). A set of fluoroketone inhibitors, were studied for their binding mode with two human cytosolic PLA(2) enzymes: Group IVA cPLA(2) and Group VIA iPLA(2). New compounds were synthesized and tested against three major PLA(2) enzyme. This study led to the development of four potent and selective thioether fluoroketone inhibitors as well as a thioether keto-1,2,4-oxadiazole inhibitor for GVIA iPLA(2), which will serve as lead compounds for future development and studies. The keto-1,2,4-oxadiazole functionality with a thioether is a novel structure and it will be used as a lead to develop inhibitors with higher potency and selectivity towards GVIA iPLA(2)