Kinase inhibitor scaffolds against neurodegenerative diseases from a southern Australian Ascidian, Didemnum sp.

Screening a library of Southern Australian and Antarctic marine invertebrates and algae for inhibitors of neurodegenerative disease kinase targets casein kinase 1 (CK1d), cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) and glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta (GSK3 beta) identified a Western Australian Didemnum species (CMB-02127) as a high-priority specimen. Chemical fractionation returned the known aromatic alkaloids ningalins BD as the major metabolites, together with six minor metabolites, the new ningalins EG and the known hexacyclic pyrrole alkaloids lamellarins Z, G and A6. All structures were assigned by detailed spectroscopic analysis and literature comparisons, and the structural assignments were supported by biosynthetic considerations. The ningalins showed potent and broad inhibition across the three kinases, while the lamellarins were generally more selective for CDK5. Docking studies using published X-ray crystal structures of CDK5 revealed both scaffolds target the ATP binding pocket

Directed Remote Lateral Metalation: Highly Substituted 2-Naphthols and BINOLs by In Situ Generation of a Directing Group

A general synthesis of highly substituted 2‐naphthols based on a new carbanionic reaction sequence is demonstrated. The reaction exploits the dual nature of lithium bases consisting of consecutive ring opening of readily available coumarins with either LiNEt2 or LiNiPr2 into Z‐cinnamamides, thus generating a directing group in situ and allowing, by conformational freedom, a lateral directed remote metalation for ring closure to give the aryl 2‐naphthols in good to excellent yields. These transformations can be combined to provide a more efficient one‐pot process. Mechanistic insight into the remote lateral metalation step, demonstrating the requirement of Z‐cinnamamide, is described. Application of this methodology to the synthesis of highly substituted 3,3′‐diaryl BINOL ligands is also reported