Lilya U. Dzhemileva

The facile synthesis of the 5Z,9Z-dienoic acids and their topoisomerase I inhibitory activity

An original, effective approach to the synthesis of natural and synthetic 5Z,9Z-dienoic acids in high yields (61-67%) and with high selectivity (>98%) was developed. The approach is based on the use of the new intermolecular catalytic cross cyclomagnesiation of terminal aliphatic and oxygenated 1,2-dienes upon treatment with Grignard reagents in the presence of the Cp2TiCl2 catalyst. High activity of (5Z,9Z)-5,9-eicosadienoic acid as a human topoisomerase I inhibitor at concentrations above 0.1 μM was elucidated.

Autosomal recessive deafness 1A (DFNB1A) in Yakut population isolate in Eastern Siberia: extensive accumulation of the splice site mutation IVS1+1G>A in GJB2 gene as a result of founder effect.

Hereditary forms of hearing impairment (HI) caused by GJB2 (Cx26) mutations are the frequent sensory disorders registered among newborns in various human populations. In this study, we present data on the molecular, audiological and population features of autosomal recessive deafness 1A (DFNB1A) associated with the donor splicing site IVS1+1G>A mutation of GJB2 gene in Yakut population isolate of the Sakha Republic (Yakutia) located in Eastern Siberia (Russian Federation). The Yakut population exhibits high frequency of some Mendelian disorders, which are rare in other populations worldwide. Mutational analysis of GJB2 gene in 86 unrelated Yakut patients with congenital HI without other clinical features has been performed. In this study, we registered a large cohort of Yakut patients homozygous for the IVS1+1G>A mutation (70 unrelated deaf subjects in total). Detailed audiological analysis of 40 deaf subjects with genotype IVS1+1G>A/IVS1+1G>A revealed significant association of this genotype with mostly symmetrical bilateral severe to profound HI (85% severe-to-profound HI versus 15% mild-to-moderate HI, P<0.05). The highest among six investigated Eastern Siberian populations carrier frequency of the IVS1+1G>A mutation (11.7%) has been found in Yakut population. Reconstruction of 140 haplotypes with IVS1+1G>A mutation demonstrates the common origin of all mutant chromosomes found in Yakuts. The age of mutation was estimated to be approximately 800 years. These findings characterize Eastern Siberia as the region with the most extensive accumulation of the IVS1+1G>A mutation in the world as a result of founder effect.

Carrier frequency of GJB2 gene mutations c.35delG, c.235delC and c.167delT among the populations of Eurasia.

Hearing impairment is one of the most common disorders of sensorineural function and the incidence of profound prelingual deafness is about 1 per 1000 at birth. GJB2 gene mutations make the largest contribution to hereditary hearing impairment. The spectrum and prevalence of some GJB2 mutations are known to be dependent on the ethnic origin of the population. This study presents data on the carrier frequencies of major GJB2 mutations, c.35delG, c.167delT and c.235delC, among 2308 healthy persons from 18 various populations of Eurasia: Russians, Bashkirs, Tatars, Chuvashes, Udmurts, Komi-Permyaks and Mordvins (Volga-Ural region of Russia); Belarusians and Ukrainians (East Europe); Abkhazians, Avars, Cherkessians and Ingushes (Caucasus); Kazakhs, Uighurs and Uzbeks (Central Asia); and Yakuts and Altaians (Siberia). The data on c.35delG and c.235delC mutation prevalence in the studied ethnic groups can be used to investigate the prospective founder effect in the origin and prevalence of these mutations in Eurasia and consequently in populations around the world.

Spectrum and Frequency of the GJB2 Gene Pathogenic Variants in a Large Cohort of Patients with Hearing Impairment Living in a Subarctic Region of Russia (the Sakha Republic)

Pathogenic variants in the GJB2 gene, encoding connexin 26, are known to be a major cause of hearing impairment (HI). More than 300 allelic variants have been identified in the GJB2 gene. Spectrum and allelic frequencies of the GJB2 gene vary significantly among different ethnic groups worldwide. Until now, the spectrum and frequency of the pathogenic variants in exon 1, exon 2 and the flanking intronic regions of the GJB2 gene have not been described thoroughly in the Sakha Republic (Yakutia), which is located in a subarctic region in Russia. The complete sequencing of the non-coding and coding regions of the GJB2 gene was performed in 393 patients with HI (Yakuts—296, Russians—51, mixed and other ethnicities—46) and in 187 normal hearing individuals of Yakut (n = 107) and Russian (n = 80) populations. In the total sample (n = 580), we revealed 12 allelic variants of the GJB2 gene, 8 of which were recessive pathogenic variants. Ten genotypes with biallelic recessive pathogenic variants in the GJB2 gene (in a homozygous or a compound heterozygous state) were found in 192 out of 393 patients (48.85%). We found that the most frequent GJB2 pathogenic variant in the Yakut patients was c.-23+1G>A (51.82%) and that the second most frequent was c.109G>A (2.37%), followed by c.35delG (1.64%). Pathogenic variants с.35delG (22.34%), c.-23+1G>A (5.31%), and c.313_326del14 (2.12%) were found to be the most frequent among the Russian patients. The carrier frequencies of the c.-23+1G>A and с.109G>A pathogenic variants in the Yakut control group were 10.20% and 2.80%, respectively. The carrier frequencies of с.35delG and c.101T>C were identical (2.5%) in the Russian control group. We found that the contribution of the GJB2 gene pathogenic variants in HI in the population of the Sakha Republic (48.85%) was the highest among all of the previously studied regions of Asia. We suggest that extensive accumulation of the c.-23+1G>A pathogenic variant in the indigenous Yakut population (92.20% of all mutant chromosomes in patients) and an extremely high (10.20%) carrier frequency in the control group may indicate a possible selective advantage for the c.-23+1G>A carriers living in subarctic climate.

Catalytic cyclometallation in steroid chemistry III: Synthesis of steroidal derivatives of 5Z,9Z-dienoic acid and investigation of its human topoisomerase I inhibitory activity

Two approaches to stereoselective synthesis of steroid 5Z,9Z-dienoic acids were developed, the first one being based on the cross-cyclomagnesiation of 2-(hepta-5,6-dien-1-yloxy)tetrahydro-2H-pyran and 1,2-diene cholesterol derivatives on treatment with EtMgBr catalyzed by Cp2TiCl2, while the other involving the synthesis of esters of hydroxy steroids with (5Z,9Z)-tetradeca-5,9-dienedioic acid, prepared in two steps using homo-cyclomagnesiation of 2-(hepta-5,6-dien-1-yloxy)tetrahydro-2H-pyran as the key step. High inhibitory activity of the synthesized acids against human topoisomerase I (hTop1) was found.

Frequency of the 35delG Mutation of the Connexin 26 Gene (GJB2) in Patients with Non-Syndromic Recessive Deafness from Bashkortostan and in Ethnic Groups of the Volga–Ural Region

Congenital deafness is a relatively common human disorder, occurring in one per 1000 newborns on average. Deafness is genetically determined in about half of patients. Of all cases of non-syndromic deafness, 75% are autosomal recessive, 10–15% autosomal dominant, and 10–15% X-linked [1–3]. Non-syndromic autosomal recessive deafness (DFNB1) is the most common form of inherited hearing loss, is clinically polymorphic and genetically heterogeneous. This is a neurosensory disorder with distorted acoustic sense [4]. The most common cause is a mutation in the GJB2 gene, which codes for gap junction protein connexin 26 and is in region q11–q13 of chromosome 13 [5–9]. Connexin 26 is a transmembrane protein involved in formation of connexon, which consists of six subunits. The 35delG mutation in GJB2 results in a stop codon and prevents synthesis of the functional protein in hair cells of the internal ear. This impairs the formation of connexons, which are essential for intercellular transport of K + from endolymph to hair and other cells of the internal ear. As a consequence, the action potential is not generated in hair cells, and the nervous impulse is not transmitted to the relevant brain structures. Mutations of GJB2 may cause recessive (DFNA1) or dominant (DFNA3) deafness, and their spectrum and frequencies vary with population. The 35delG mutation accounts for about 20% of hereditary deafness cases [12] and occurs in heterozygote in one of every 33 people of the West European population [8, 9]. Two other known mutations are 167delT, which is widespread in Ashkenazi Jews [13], and 235delC, which is characteristic of Asian populations [14–16]. Certain GJB2 mutations lead to dominant deafness [17, 18]. To optimize the DNA diagnostics of non-syndromic recessive deafness, it is necessary to analyze GJB2 in patients from various regions and ethnic groups. The Volga–Ural region, which is at the boundary between Europe and Asia, is of particular interest, because its ethnic populations mostly belong to the Turk, Finno-Ugric, and Slavonic linguistic groups; have complex ethnogenesis and specific features of the gene pool and genetic structure; and combine the Caucasian and Mongoloid components in various proportions [19].

Cobalt-Catalyzed [6 + 2] Cycloaddition of Alkynes with 1,3,5,7-Cyclooctatetraene as a Key Element in the Direct Construction of Substituted Bicyclo[4.3.1]decanes

A new, effective catalytic system based on Co(acac)2 has been developed for [6 + 2] cycloaddition of terminal alkynes to 1,3,5,7-cyclooctatetraene to give substituted bicyclo[4.2.2]deca-2,4,7,9-tetraenes in high yields (68-85%). The electrophilic activation of double bonds in the bicyclic products with m-CPBA is an efficient method for the synthesis of substituted bicyclo[4.3.1]deca-2,4,8-triene-7,10-diols, which form the key structural moieties of numerous natural biologically active compounds. The structures of the obtained compounds were reliably proven by modern spectral methods and X-ray diffraction. The mechanism of the discovered rearrangement was studied both using deuterium-labeled bicyclo[4.2.2]deca-2,4,7,9-tetraenes and utilizing quantum chemical calculations. The obtained substituted bicyclo[4.3.1]deca-2,4,8-triene-7,10-diols and their keto derivatives showed high antitumor activity in vitro against Hek293, Jurkat, K562, and A549 tumor cell lines.

Short Route to the Total Synthesis of Natural Muricadienin and Investigation of Its Cytotoxic Properties

An original synthesis of the acetogenin muricadienin, the bioprecursor of solamin, has been developed. The key step in the five-step 41% overall yield synthesis is the catalytic cross-cyclomagnesiation reaction of functionally substituted 1,2-dienes with EtMgBr in the presence of Cp2TiCl2 and magnesium metal. It has been demonstrated for the first time that muricadienin exhibits a moderate in vitro inhibitory activity against topoisomerases I and IIα, key cell cycle enzymes. Using flow cytometry, muricadienin was shown to have high cytotoxicity toward the HEK293 kidney cancer cells (IC50 0.39 μM).

Molecular genetic basis of tapetoretinal degeneration

The review considers tapetoretinal degeneration (TD), a severe incurable disease occurring at a frequency of 1 per 3500–5000 people. TD is most commonly caused by mutations of the genes for rhodopsin (RHO), peripherin (RDS), and retinol acetyltransferase (RPE65). Since pigmentary degeneration strongly correlates with mutations of these genes, it is possible to develop approaches to DNA diagnosis of hereditary retinal dystrophies, which are common in practical ophthalmology, and to exactly, rather than probabilistically, evaluate its risk. Molecular analysis of the TD-associated changes in the genes that ensure the proper function of photoreceptors and the retinal pigment epithelium will provide for a better understanding of the physiological and pathological processes occurring in the retina, as well as for the development of pathogenetic therapy in TD.

Advances in the Chemistry of Natural and Semisynthetic Topoisomerase I/II Inhibitors

Abstract The search for new, effective, and low-toxic anticancer agents is one of the most important tasks of modern medicinal chemistry. In general, the solution to this problem comes down to finding new compounds that would act on molecular targets, the targets that play an important role in carcinogenesis. Numerous studies in this field have shown that topoisomerases I and II are one of the main molecular targets in the development of modern anticancer agents. A large number of compounds belonging to different classes are known as capable of inhibiting topoisomerases, including the ones isolated from the natural objects; for example, camptothecin, podophyllotoxin, anthracyclines, polyene acids, and many others. However, along with their efficacy, some of these compounds have a number of substantial disadvantages; chief among these are high toxicity and low solubility, low selectivity of action against malignant tumors, and development of multidrug resistance. The way of overcoming these shortcomings is to create anticancer drugs with improved properties and to study the mechanism of their action within the cell. Therefore numerous groups of researchers carry out an intensive search and selection of natural topoisomerase inhibitors, as well as work on the creation of new synthetic analogs and semisynthetic derivatives of known anticancer compounds capable of altering catalytic activity of ferment by stabilizing the covalent DNA-protein complexes. The present review summarizes the achievements of the past 5–10 years in finding new natural compounds, effective topoisomerase inhibitors, their modification aimed at improving the properties, the study of mechanisms of action, and antitumor activity.