George Iskander

Design, synthesis, and evaluation of fimbrolide-nitric oxide donor hybrids as antimicrobial agents.

Fimbrolides from marine algae have shown promising activity against quorum sensing (QS), a chief regulatory and communication system in bacteria controlling biofilm formation and virulence factor. Nitric oxide (NO) at sublethal concentration has also been reported to induce dispersal of bacterial biofilms and increase their susceptibility toward standard biocides and antibiotics. Therefore, the combination of QS inhibitors and NO donors has the potential to control the development of biofilm and promote their dispersion via a nonbactericidal mechanism. Inspired by these ideas, novel fimbrolide-NO donor hybrid compounds were designed and synthesized. Fimbrolide-NO hybrids 6b, 6f, and 14a were found to be particularly effective as antimicrobials compared to the nonhybrid natural fimbrolides as revealed by bioluminescent P. aeruginosa QS reporter assays and biofilm inhibition assays. Significantly, these fimbrolide-NO hybrids represent the first dual-action antimicrobial agent based on the baterial QS inhibition and NO signaling.

Synthesis and polymerization of new pyrrolidone-containing methacrylate monomers

Seven new pyrrolidone-containing methacrylate monomers have been synthesised and characterised via n.m.r. and FTi.r. These monomers were polymerized using azobisisobutyronitrile as a thermal initiator at 60°C. Basic solubility tests were performed at room temperature and two of the polymers were found to be water soluble, namely poly(2-pyrrolidone-1-isopropenyl ketone) (PPIK) and poly(2-ethyl-2-pyrrolidone methacrylate) (PEPMA). The lower critical solution (LCST) behaviour of these two polymers was investigated and found to be in a temperature range similar to that reported for poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAM) with onset LCST values (on heating) between 29 and 34°C. The effect was found to be reversible on cooling the solution. A comparison was made with PNIPAAM which seemed to indicate a slightly broader LCST transition for the two new polymers, however no conclusions could be firmly established on this as the molecular weights of the polymers were not measured.

Novel Mechanism of Cytotoxicity for the Selective Selenosemicarbazone, 2-Acetylpyridine 4,4-Dimethyl-3-selenosemicarbazone (Ap44mSe): Lysosomal Membrane Permeabilization

Selenosemicarbazones show marked antitumor activity. However, their mechanism of action remains unknown. We examined the medicinal chemistry of the selenosemicarbazone, 2-acetylpyridine 4,4-dimethyl-3-selenosemicarbazone (Ap44mSe), and its iron and copper complexes to elucidate its mechanisms of action. Ap44mSe demonstrated a pronounced improvement in selectivity toward neoplastic relative to normal cells compared to its parent thiosemicarbazone. It also effectively depleted cellular Fe, resulting in transferrin receptor-1 up-regulation, ferritin down-regulation, and increased expression of the potent metastasis suppressor, N-myc downstream regulated gene-1. Significantly, Ap44mSe limited deleterious methemoglobin formation, highlighting its usefulness in overcoming toxicities of clinically relevant thiosemicarbazones. Furthermore, Cu-Ap44mSe mediated intracellular reactive oxygen species generation, which was attenuated by the antioxidant, N-acetyl-L-cysteine, or Cu sequestration. Notably, Ap44mSe forms redox active Cu complexes that target the lysosome to induce lysosomal membrane permeabilization. This investigation highlights novel structure-activity relationships for future chemotherapeutic design and underlines the potential of Ap44mSe as a selective anticancer/antimetastatic agent.

Quorum sensing inhibitory activities of surface immobilized antibacterial dihydropyrrolones via click chemistry.

Device-related infection remains a major barrier to the use of biomaterial implants as life-saving devices. This study aims to examine the effectiveness and mechanism of action of surface attached dihydropyrrolones (DHPs), a quorum sensing (QS) inhibitor, against bacterial colonization. DHPs were covalently attached on glass surfaces via copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition (CuAAC) click reaction. The covalent attachment of DHP surfaces was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and contact angle measurements, and the antimicrobial efficacy of the DHP coatings was assessed by confocal laser scanning microscopy (CLSM) and image analysis. The results demonstrated that covalently bound DHP compounds are effective in reducing the adhesion by up to 97% (p < 0.05) for both Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, using the green fluorescent protein (Gfp)-based reporter technology, it is demonstrated that surface attached DHPs were able to repress the expression of a lasB-gfp reporter fusion of P. aeruginosa by 72% (p < 0.001) without affecting cell viability. This demonstrates the ability of the covalently bound QS inhibitor to inhibit QS and suggests the existence of a membrane-based pathway(s) for QS inhibition. Hence, strategies based on incorporation of QS inhibitors such as DHPs represent a potential approach for prevention of device-related infections.

Synthesis of novel isoflavene-propranolol hybrids as anti-tumor agents.

Isoflavene-propranolol hybrid molecules were developed as potentially novel anti-tumour agents. Isoflavene itself has potent anti-cancer activity while propranolol can enhance anti-proliferative and anti-angiogenic properties of 5-fluorouracil and paclitaxel. The hybrids were produced via nucleophilic addition of substituted amine groups to a dioxiran intermediate, which was in turn generated from the Williamson-type reaction of isoflavene with (±)-epichlorohydrin. These analogues were tested in anti-cancer cell viability assays against SHEP neuroblastoma and MDA-MB-231 breast adenocarcinoma cell lines, and were found to exhibit potent anti-proliferative activities. These compounds also displayed anti-angiogenic and anti-proliferative effects in HMEC-1 human microvascular endothelial cell lines. Notably, the most potent hybrid molecules synthesized in this work showed enhanced potency against cancer cell lines compared to either isoflavene or propranolol alone, while retaining significant selectivity for cancer cells over MRC-5 normal lung fibroblast cells.

Synthesis and copolymerization of methacryloyl hydroxamic acids

Three methacryloyl hydroxamic acids were prepared and homopolymerized yielding polymers which readily formed complexes with Fe3+. The amount of hydroxamic acid available for complexation was found to be low (29-32% of theoretical). Copolymers of methacryloyl hydroxamic acid with methyl methacrylate were also synthesized. The low amount of free hydroxamic acid functionality in the copolymers was ascribed to transfer reactions in the radical polymerization which resulted in branching and deactivation of the hydroxamic acid functionality. In addition, methacryloyl hydroxamic acid was copolymerized with N-isopropyl acrylamide to yield thermotropic polymers capable of complexing with metal ions. At low concentrations of hydroxamic acid functionality, the lower critical solution temperature of the copolymers remained similar to that reported for poly(N-isopropyl acrylamide)

Design and Synthesis of Lactams Derived from Mucochloric and Mucobromic Acids as Pseudomonas aeruginosa Quorum Sensing Inhibitors

Bacterial infections, particularly hospital-acquired infections caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa, have become a global threat with a high mortality rate. Gram-negative bacteria including P. aeruginosa employ N-acyl homoserine lactones (AHLs) as chemical signals to regulate the expression of pathogenic phenotypes through a mechanism called quorum sensing (QS). Recently, strategies targeting bacterial behaviour or QS have received great attention due to their ability to disarm rather than kill pathogenic bacteria, which lowers the evolutionary burden on bacteria and the risk of resistance development. In the present study, we report the design and synthesis of N-alkyl- and N-aryl 3,4 dichloro- and 3,4-dibromopyrrole-2-one derivatives through the reductive amination of mucochloric and mucobromic acid with aliphatic and aromatic amines. The quorum sensing inhibition (QSI) activity of the synthesized compounds was determined against a P. aeruginosa MH602 reporter strain. The phenolic compounds exhibited the best activity with 80% and 75% QSI at 250 µM and were comparable in activity to the positive control compound Fu-30. Computational docking studies performed using the LasR receptor protein of P. aeruginosa suggested the importance of hydrogen bonding and hydrophobic interactions for QSI.

Alkyne-Substituted Fimbrolide Analogues as Novel Bacterial Quorum-Sensing Inhibitors

Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa use furanosyl diesters as autoinducers for quorum sensing (QS), a major regulatory and cell-to-cell communication system for social adaptation, virulence factor production, biofilm formation, and antibiotic resistance. A range of natural and synthetic brominated furanones, i.e. fimbrolide derivatives, have been found to act as inhibitors of QS-dependent bacterial phenotypes, complementing the bactericidal ability of traditional antibiotics. In this work, several novel acetylene analogues of fimbrolides were synthesised in moderate to high yields via Sonogashira coupling reactions of brominated furanones 4-bromo-5-(bromomethylene)furan-2(5H)-one 4 and 5-(dibromomethylene)-3-ethylfuran-2(5H)-one 5. The Sonogashira reaction of acetylenes on 4-bromo-5-(bromomethylene)furan-2(5H)-one 4 was favoured at the C5 methylene bromide over the C4 bromide substituent. On biological testing, the most potent compounds 13 and 14 showed 82 and 98 % bacterial quorum-sensing inhibitory (QSI) activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa reporter strain respectively.