An inhibitor of oxidative phosphorylation exploits cancer vulnerability.

Metabolic reprograming is an emerging hallmark of tumor biology and an actively pursued opportunity in discovery of oncology drugs. Extensive efforts have focused on therapeutic targeting of glycolysis, whereas drugging mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) has remained largely unexplored, partly owing to an incomplete understanding of tumor contexts in which OXPHOS is essential. Here, we report the discovery of IACS-010759, a clinical-grade small-molecule inhibitor of complex I of the mitochondrial electron transport chain. Treatment with IACS-010759 robustly inhibited proliferation and induced apoptosis in models of brain cancer and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) reliant on OXPHOS, likely owing to a combination of energy depletion and reduced aspartate production that leads to impaired nucleotide biosynthesis. In models of brain cancer and AML, tumor growth was potently inhibited in vivo following IACS-010759 treatment at well-tolerated doses. IACS-010759 is currently being evaluated in phase 1 clinical trials in relapsed/refractory AML and solid tumors

Progress toward the synthesis of chrysogenamide A

2011 Summer.Includes bibliographical references.Herein I discuss my efforts toward the elucidation of the biosynthesis of the stephacidins and notoamide family of natural products. Notoamide S has been suggested to be the final common precursor between two different fungal strains, Aspergillus sp. and Aspergillus versicolor, before diverging to form enantiomerically opposite natural products (+) and (-)-stephacidin A and (+) and (-)-notoamide B. The synthesis of notoamide S comes from coupling N-Fmoc proline with a 6-hydroxy-7-prenyl-2-reverse prenyl tryptophan derivative synthesized through a late stage Claisen rearrangement. The oxidation of notoamide S affords an achiral azadiene that leads to an intramolecular Diels-Alder providing a new product, notoamide T, containing the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane ring system with the 6-hydroxy-7-prenyl indole ring of notoamide S. The synthesis of notoamide T is accomplished through a radical addition to the pyran ring of stephacidin A followed by an elimination ring opening event to provide the 6-hydroxy-7-prenyl indole. Chrysogenamide A is the newest member of the marcfortine family of natural products. Herein I discuss the synthesis of 7-prenyl-2-reverse prenyl indole through a thio-Claisen reaction and subsequent Lewis acid mediated sulfide removal. Coupling of a pipecolic acid derivative with the 7-prenyl-2-reverse prenyl tryptophan leads to the dipeptide containing all of the carbons needed in chrysogenamide A. I propose that chrysogenamide A can be synthesized through an unprecedented intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction of a monoketopiperazine by a condensation/tautomerization event leading to the appropriate azadiene for the intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction. A final oxidation of the intramolecular Diels-Alder product would lead to chrysogenamide A and what could be a newly proposed biosynthesis of a monoketopiperazine

Biochemical Characterization of NotB as an FAD-Dependent Oxidase in the Biosynthesis of Notoamide Indole Alkaloids

Notoamides produced by <i>Aspergillus</i> spp. bearing the bicyclo[2.2.2]­diazaoctane core structure with unusual structural diversity represent a compelling system to understand the biosynthesis of fungal prenylated indole alkaloids. Herein, we report the <i>in vitro</i> characterization of NotB, which catalyzes the indole 2,3-oxidation of notoamide E (<b>13</b>), leading to notoamides C (<b>11</b>) and D (<b>12</b>) through an apparent pinacol-like rearrangement. This unique enzymatic reaction with high substrate specificity, together with the information derived from precursor incorporation experiments using [¹³C]₂–[¹⁵N]₂ quadruply labeled notoamide S (<b>10</b>), demonstrates <b>10</b> as a pivotal branching point in notoamide biosynthesis

Enantioselective inhibitory abilities of enantiomers of notoamides against RANKL-induced formation of multinuclear osteoclasts

The marine-derived Aspergillus protuberus MF297-2 and the terrestrial A. amoenus NRRL 35600 produce enantiomeric prenylated indole alkaloids. Investigation of biological activities of the natural and synthetic derivatives revealed that (−)-enantiomers of notoamides A and B, 6-epi-notoamide T, and stephacidin A inhibited receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) ligand (RANKL)–induced osteoclastogenic differentiation of murine RAW264 cells more strongly than their respective (+)-enantiomers. Among them, (−)-6-epi-notoamide T was the most potent inhibitor with an IC50 value of 1.7 μM

Synthesis and Bioconversions of Notoamide T: A Biosynthetic Precursor to Stephacidin A and Notoamide B

In an effort to further elucidate the biogenesis of the stephacidin and notoamide families of natural products, notoamide T has been identified as the likely precursor to stephacidin A. The total synthesis of notoamide T is described along with it is C-6-epimer, 6-<i>epi</i>-notoamide T. The chemical conversion of stephacidin A to notoamide T by reductive ring opening is described as well as the oxidative conversion of notoamide T to stephacidin A. Furthermore, [¹³C]₂-notoamide T was synthesized and provided to <i>Aspergillus versicolor</i> and <i>Aspergillus</i> sp. MF297-2, in which significant incorporation was observed in the advanced metabolite, notoamide B

Fungal indole alkaloid biogenesis through evolution of a bifunctional reductase/Diels–Alderase

Prenylated indole alkaloids such as the calmodulin-inhibitory malbrancheamides and anthelmintic paraherquamides possess great structural diversity and pharmaceutical utility. Here, we report complete elucidation of the malbrancheamide biosynthetic pathway accomplished through complementary approaches. These include a biomimetic total synthesis to access the natural alkaloid and biosynthetic intermediates in racemic form and in vitro enzymatic reconstitution to provide access to the natural antipode (+)-malbrancheamide. Reductive cleavage of an L-Pro-L-Trp dipeptide from the MalG non-ribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) followed by reverse prenylation and a cascade of post-NRPS reactions culminates in an intramolecular [4+2] hetero-Diels-Alder (IMDA) cyclization to furnish the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane scaffold. Enzymatic assembly of optically pure (+)-premalbrancheamide involves an unexpected zwitterionic intermediate where MalC catalyses enantioselective cycloaddition as a bifunctional NADPH-dependent reductase/Diels-Alderase. The crystal structures of substrate and product complexes together with site-directed mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrate how MalC and PhqE (its homologue from the paraherquamide pathway) catalyse diastereo- and enantioselective cyclization in the construction of this important class of secondary metabolites

Fungal Indole Alkaloid Biogenesis Through Evolution of a Bifunctional Reductase/Diels-Alderase

Prenylated indole alkaloids isolated from various fungi possess great structural diversity and pharmaceutical utility. Among them are the calmodulin inhibitory malbrancheamides and paraherquamides, used as anthelmintics in animal health. Herein, we report complete elucidation of the malbrancheamide biosynthetic pathway accomplished through complementary approaches. These include a biomimetic total synthesis to access the natural alkaloid and biosynthetic intermediates in racemic form, and in vitro enzymatic reconstitution that provides access to the natural antipode (+)-malbrancheamide. Reductive cleavage of a L-Pro-L-Trp dipeptide from the MalG nonribosomal peptide synthetase (NRPS) followed by reverse prenylation and a cascade of post-NRPS reactions culminates in an intramolecular [4+2] hetero-Diels-Alder (IMDA) cyclization to furnish the bicyclo[2.2.2]diazaoctane scaffold. Enzymatic assembly of optically pure (+)-premalbrancheamide involves an unexpected zwitterionic intermediate where MalC catalyzes enantioselective cycloaddition as a bifunctional NADPH-dependent reductase/Diels-Alderase. Crystal structures of substrate and product complexes together with site-directed mutagenesis and molecular dynamics simulations demonstrated how MalC and PhqE, its homolog from the paraherquamide pathway, catalyze diastereo- and enantioselective cyclization in the construction of this important class of secondary metabolites