Ch. Raji Reddy

Highly efficient cleavage of epoxides catalyzed by B(C6F5)3

A highly effective protocol for ring opening of epoxides with allyl and propargyl alcohols, aniline and thiophenol in the presence of catalytic amounts of B(C 6 F 5 ) 3 has been developed. Benzyl, tetrahydropyranyl, tert-butyldimethyl silyl protecting groups were stable under the reaction conditions.

Facile and selective cleavage of allyl ethers, amines and esters using polymethylhydrosiloxane–ZnCl 2 /Pd(PPh 3 ) 4

Allyl deprotection to liberate free hydroxy, amino and acid groups from the corresponding allyl ethers, amines and esters is achieved under mild conditions. The reagent combination employed for this transformation is polymethylhydrosiloxane (PMHS), ZnCl2 and Pd(PPh3)4.

A dihydroindolizino indole derivative selectively stabilizes G-quadruplex DNA and down-regulates c-MYC expression in human cancer cells.

BACKGROUND Telomeric and NHE III1, a c-MYC promoter region is abundant in guanine content and readily form G-quadruplex structures. Small molecules that stabilize G-quadruplex DNA were shown to reduce oncoprotein expression, initiate apoptosis and they may function as anticancer molecules. METHODS Electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, spectroscopy, isothermal titration calorimetry, Taq DNA polymerase stop assay, real time PCR and luciferase reporter assay. Cell migration assay to find out the effect of derivatives on normal as well as cancer cell proliferation. RESULTS Among three different dihydroindolizino indole derivatives, 4-cyanophenyl group attached derivative has shown maximum affinity, selective interaction and higher stability towards G-quadruplex DNA over dsDNA. Further, as a potential G-quadruplex DNA stabilizer, 4-cyanophenyl linked dihydroindolizino indole derivative was found to be more efficient in inhibiting in vitro DNA synthesis, c-MYC expression and cancer cell proliferation among human cancer cells. CONCLUSION The present study reveals that dihydroindolizino indole derivative having 4-cyanophenyl group has potential to stabilize G-quadruplex DNA and exhibit anticancer activity. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE These studies are useful in the identification and synthesis of lead derivatives that will selectively stabilize G-quadruplex DNA and function as anticancer agents.

Towards a synthesis of epothilone A: asymmetric synthesis of C(1)-C(6) and C(7)-C(15) fragments

Abstract The asymmetric synthesis of protected C(1)–C(6) and C(7)–C(15) fragments of epothilone A starting from 1,3-cyclohexanedione and methyl l -hydroxy propionate, respectively, is described.

Studies on Non-Covalent Interaction of Coumarin Attached Pyrimidine and 1-Methyl Indole 1,2,3 Triazole Analogues with Intermolecular Telomeric G-Quadruplex DNA Using ESI-MS and Spectroscopy

In the present study, electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) and spectroscopy have been used to evaluate the non-covalent interaction, stoichiometry, and selectivity of two synthetic coumarin-attached nucleoside and non-nucleoside 1,2,3-triazoles, namely, (1-(5-(hydroxymethyl)-4-(4-((2-oxo-2H-chromen-4-yloxy)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-1-yl)tetrahydro-furan-2-yl)5-methyl pyrimidine-2,4(1H,3H)-dione (Tr1) and 4-((1-((-1-methyl-1H-indol-2-yl)methyl)-1H-1,2,3-triazol-4-yl)methoxy)-2H-chromen-2-one (Tr2) with two different human telomeric intermolecular G-quadruplex DNA structures formed by d(T2AG3) and d(T2AG3)2 sequences. ESI-MS studies indicate that Tr1 specifically interacts with four-stranded intermolecular parallel quadruplex complex, whereas Tr2 interacts with two hairpin as well as four-stranded intermolecular parallel quadruplex complexes. UV–Visible spectroscopic studies suggest that Tr1 and Tr2 interact with G-quadruplex structure and unwind them. Job plots show that stoichiometry of ligand:quadruplex DNA is 1:1. Circular dichroism (CD) studies of G-quadruplex DNA and Tr1/Tr2 ligands manifest that they unfold DNA on interaction. Fluorescence studies demonstrate that ligand molecules intercalate between the two stacks of quadruplex DNA and non-radiative energy transfer occurs between the excited ligand molecules (donor) and quadruplex DNA (acceptor), resulting in enhancement of fluorescence emission intensity. Thus, these studies suggest that nucleoside and non-nucleoside ligands efficiently interact with d(T2AG3) and d(T2AG3)2 G-quadruplex DNA but the interaction is not alike with all kinds of quadruplex DNA, this is probably due to the variation in the pharmacophores and structure of the ligand molecules.

Single-step conversion of N-benzyl, N-trityl and N-diphenylmethyl amines to t-butyl carbamates using polymethylhydrosiloxane

t-Butyl carbamates were obtained efficiently in high yields from the corresponding N-benzyl, N-trityl and N-diphenylmethyl precursors in a single-step reductive transformation employing polymethylhydrosiloxane and di-t-butyl dicarbonate under Pd(OH) 2 /C catalysis.