Etsuko Kawashima

N1-aminopropylagmatine, a new polyamine produced as a key intermediate in polyamine biosynthesis of an extreme thermophile, Thermus thermophilus.

In the extreme thermophile Thermus thermophilus, a disruption mutant of a gene homologous to speB (coding for agmatinase = agmatine ureohydrolase) accumulated N1-aminopropylagmatine (N8-amidino-1,8-diamino-4-azaoctane, N8-amidinospermidine), a new compound, whereas all other polyamines produced by the wild-type strain were absent from the cells. Double disruption of speB and speE (polyamine aminopropyltransferase) resulted in the disappearance of N1-aminopropylagmatine and the accumulation of agmatine. These results suggested the following. 1) N1-Aminopropylagmatine is produced from agmatine by the action of an enzyme coded by speE. 2) N1-Aminopropylagmatine is a metabolic intermediate in the biosynthesis of unique polyamines found in the thermophile. 3) N1-Aminopropylagmatine is a substrate of the SpeB homolog. They further suggest a new biosynthetic pathway in T. thermophilus, by which polyamines are formed from agmatine via N1-aminopropylagmatine. To confirm our speculation, we purified the expression product of the speB homolog and confirmed that the enzyme hydrolyzes N1-aminopropylagmatine to spermidine but does not act on agmatine.

Total Synthesis of Marine Eicosanoid (−)‐Hybridalactone

(-)-Hybridalactone (1) is a marine eicosanoid isolated from the red alga Laurencia hybrida. This natural product contains cyclopropane, cyclopentane, 13-membered macrolactone and epoxide ring systems incorporating seven stereogenic centers. Moreover, this compound has an acid-labile skipped Z,Z-diene motif. In this paper, we report on the total synthesis of (-)-hybridalactone (1). The unique eicosanoid (-)-hybridalactone (1) was synthesized starting from optically active γ-butyrolactone 2 in a linear sequence comprising 21 steps with an overall yield of 21.9%. A key step in the synthesis of (-)-hybridalactone (1) is the methyl phenylsulfonylacetate-mediated one-pot synthesis of the cis-cyclopropane-γ-lactone derivative. This reaction provided an efficient and stereoselective access to cis-cyclopropane-γ-lactone 12. Further elaboration of the latter compounds through desulfonylation, epoxidation, oxidation, Wittig olefination and Shiina macrolactonization afforded (-)-hybridalactone.

C5′ Methylene Proton Signal Assignment of DNA/RNA Oligomers Labeled with C5′-Monodeuterated Nucleosides by 1H–31P HSQC Spectroscopy

A new strategy for assigning the methylene protons attached to the C5′ of nucleic acids is described for a DNA dodecamer duplex, d(CGCGAATTCGCG)2. It employs 2D 1H–31P HSQC spectroscopy for DNA composed of deoxyribonucleotides, having one deuteron at their C5′ positions. Due to the lack of scalar as well as dipolar coupling between the C5′ methylene proton pair, the cross peaks for the residual H5′/H5″ protons and the 31P nuclei (at the 5′‐terminal side) appear as much narrower signals, as compared to those of the intact proton pairs in the unlabeled dodecamer. The overall resolution and sensitivity of the 1H–31P HSQC cross peaks for the residual signals of the deuterated C5′‐methylenes have thus been drastically improved over those for the unlabeled oligomer. All of the H5′/H5″ signals of the dodecamer are clearly observed, except for the unphosphorylated 5′‐terminus, and each has been assigned. Most of the diastereotopic proton pairs at C5′ showed different relative peak intensities, which may be related to the fact that the present C5′ monodeuteration procedures proceed slightly stereoselectively, namely 60–70% 2H at H5′ (pro‐S) and 40–30% 2H at H5″ (pro‐R), respectively. The possibility of correlating these peak intensity difference with the stereospecific assignment is discussed.

Highly Diastereoselective Synthesis of (2′S)-[2′-2H]-2′-Deoxyribonucleosides from the Corresponding Ribonucleosides

Abstract The four (2′S)-[2′-2H]-2′-deoxynucleosides (>90 atom % 2H), were synthesized from the corresponding ribonucleosides involving six steps of reactions, i.e., oxidation of their 2′-hydroxyl group, stereoselective reductive deuteration of the resulting 2′-ketonucleoside intermediates with NaB2H4 in EtOH-H2O or EtOH, triflation, bromination with LiBr, highly stereoselective Bu3SnH-Et3B reduction of the resulting bromide, and, finally, unmasking.

Total Synthesis and Absolute Configuration of the Marine Norditerpenoid Xestenone

Xestenone is a marine norditerpenoid found in the northeastern Pacific sponge Xestospongia vanilla. The relative configuration of C-3 and C-7 in xestenone was determined by NOESY spectral analysis. However the relative configuration of C-12 and the absolute configuration of this compound were not determined. The authors have now achieved the total synthesis of xestenone using their developed one-pot synthesis of cyclopentane derivatives employing allyl phenyl sulfone and an epoxy iodide as a key step. The relative and absolute configurations of xestenone were thus successfully determined by this synthesis.

SYNTHESIS OF MARINE OXYLIPIN AGARDHILACTONE AND ITS ANALOGUES : A STRUCTURAL REVISION

Synthesis of four analogues of the marine oxylipin agardhilactone was carried out. The relative configuration of agardhilactone was determined by comparison with agardhilactone acetate and four analogues. Furthermore, synthesis of agardhilactone was achieved. The absolute configuration of agardhilactone was successfully determined by this synthesis.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Pyrrole Polyamide- 2′-Deoxyguanosine 5′-Phosphate Hybrid

Pyrrole polyamide-2′-deoxyguanosine 5′-phosphate hybrid (Hybrid 4) was synthesized and evaluated in terms of the inhibition of mouse mammary carcinoma FM3A cell growth. Hybrid 4 was found to exhibit dose-dependent inhibition of cell growth.

Synthesis of Phenol Derivatives from Cyclohex-2-enones Bearing an Alkyne through Lewis Acid-Catalyzed Enolization and Intramolecular Alder–Rickert Reaction

A cationic rhodium(I) complex- or In(OTf)(3)-catalyzed synthesis of phenol derivatives from cyclohex-2-enone having an ethoxycarbonyl-substituted alkyne has been achieved. This reaction proceeds via enolization and an intramolecular Alder-Rickert reaction.

Synthesis and evaluation of oligonucleotide-conjugated pyrrole polyamide-2'-deoxyguanosine hybrids as novel gene expression control compounds.

DNA oligonucleotide-conjugated pyrrole polyamide-2′-deoxyguanosine hybrids were synthesized and examined as novel gene expression control compounds. The Tm values and circular dichroism spectral analyses showed that the oligonucleotide-conjugated hybrids possess high DNA recognition and a very high binding affinity for DNA that includes the pyrrole polyamide binding sequence.

Design, synthesis, and analysis of minor groove binder pyrrolepolyamide-2'-deoxyguanosine hybrids.

Pyrrolepolyamide-2′-deoxyguanosine hybrids (Hybrid 2 and Hybrid 3) incorporating the 3-aminopropionyl or 3-aminopropyl linker were designed and synthesized on the basis of previously reported results of a pyrrolepolyamide-adenosine hybrid (Hybrid 1). Evaluation of the DNA binding sequence selectivity of pyrrolepolyamide-2′-deoxyguanosine hybrids was performed by CD spectral and Tm analyses. It was shown that Hybrid 3 possessed greater binding specificity than distamycin A, Hybrid 1 and Hybrid 2.