Lothar Hennig

Moenomycin A: The role of the methyl group in the moenuronamide unit and a general discussion of structure-activity relationships

Abstract Two disaccharide analogues 1b and 17a of moenomycin A have been synthesized and their antibiotic and transglycosylase-inhibiting properties have been determined. The results permit for the first time to arrive at a general view of the structural requirements in this class of compounds necessary to elicit antibiotic activity.

Synthesis of a trisaccharide analogue of moenomycin A12 Implications of new moenomycin structure-activity relationships

Abstract A trisaccharide analogue of moenomycin A, 9a, has been synthesized and has found to be antibiotically inactive. This compound differs from an active compound, 9b, solely by the exchange NHAc→OH in unit C. A binding model for moenomycin-type transglycosylase inhibitors at the enzyme penicillin binding protein is proposed.

Relationship between the molecular structure of cyanine dyes and the vibrational fine structure of their electronic absorption spectra.

Electronic absorption spectra of symmetrical cyanine dyes show vibronic sub-bands, attributed to the symmetric C-C valence vibration of the polymethine chain in the electronic excited state. Displacements in the equilibrium configuration between electronic ground and excited states of cyanine dyes lead to longer C-C bonds in the excited state. Additionally, in the electronic ground state, a small degree of bond localisation always remains in the chain depending on the different heterocyclic terminal groups. Our investigations suggest that we can use (3)J(H,H) coupling constants in the polymethine chain to characterise the bond localisation within the chain. Based on these values and the Franck-Condon principle, the intensity distribution among the vibrational sub-bands can be explained.

Glycoside carbamates from benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one detoxification in extracts and exudates of corn roots

Zea mays was incubated with the natural phytotoxin benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one (BOA) to investigate the detoxification process. A hitherto unknown detoxification product, 1-(2-hydroxyphenylamino)-1-deoxy-beta-gentiobioside 1,2-carbamate (3), was isolated and identified. A reinvestigation of known BOA detoxification products by NMR methods led to the finding that the structure of benzoxazolin-2(3H)-one-N-beta-glucoside (1) first reported from Avena sativa has to be revised. In fact, the correct structure is that of the isomeric 1-(2-hydroxyphenylamino)-1-deoxy-beta-glucoside 1,2-carbamate 2, which is structurally related to 3. It was now shown with a synthetic mixture of 1 and 2 that 1 underwent spontaneous isomerization to form 2 in solution. Thus, N-glucosylation of BOA in the plant led finally to the carbamate 2. In contrast to BOA-6-O-glucosylation, BOA-induced N-glucosylation appears first after 6-8 h of incubation. As soon as N-glucosylation is possible, BOA-6-O-glucoside is not further accumulated, whereas the amount of glucoside carbamate increases continuously during the next 40 h. Synthesis of gentiobioside carbamate seems to be a late event in BOA detoxification. All detoxification products are released into the environment via root exudation.

Cannabinoid receptor type 2 (CB2)-selective N-aryl-oxadiazolyl-propionamides: synthesis, radiolabelling, molecular modelling and biological evaluation

Background The endocannabinoid system is involved in many physiological and pathological processes. Two receptors (cannabinoid receptor type 1 (CB1) and type 2 (CB2)) are known so far. Many unwanted psychotic side effects of inhibitors of this system can be addressed to the interaction with CB1. While CB1 is one of the most abundant neuroreceptors, CB2 is expressed in the brain only at very low levels. Thus, highly potent and selective compounds for CB2 are desired. N-aryl-((hetero)aromatic)-oxadiazolyl-propionamides represent a promising class of such selective ligands for the human CB2. Here, a library of various derivatives is studied for suitable routes for labelling with 18F. Such 18F-labelled compounds can then be employed as CB2-selective radiotracers for molecular imaging studies employing positron emission tomography (PET). Results By varying the N-arylamide substructure, we explored the binding pocket of the human CB2 receptor and identified 9-ethyl-9H-carbazole amide as the group with optimal size. Radioligand replacement experiments revealed that the modification of the (hetero)aromatic moiety in 3-position of the 1,2,4-oxadiazoles shows only moderate impact on affinity to CB2 but high impact on selectivity towards CB2 with respect to CB1. Further, we could show by autoradiography studies that the most promising compounds bind selectively on CB2 receptors in mouse spleen tissue. Molecular docking studies based on a novel three-dimensional structural model of the human CB2 receptor in its activated form indicate that the compounds bind with the N-arylamide substructure in the binding pocket. 18F labelling at the (hetero)aromatic moiety at the opposite site of the compounds via radiochemistry was carried out. Conclusions The synthesized CB2-selective compounds have high affinity towards CB2 and good selectivity against CB1. The introduction of labelling groups at the (hetero)aromatic moiety shows only moderate impact on CB2 affinity, indicating the introduction of potential labelling groups at this position as a promising approach to develop CB2-selective ligands suitable for molecular imaging with PET. The high affinity for human CB2 and selectivity against human CB1 of the herein presented compounds renders them as suitable candidates for molecular imaging studies.

Synthesis of peptides containing 5-hydroxytryptophan, oxindolylalanine, N-formylkynurenine and kynurenine

ROS, continuously produced in cells, can reversibly or irreversibly oxidize proteins, lipids, and DNA. At the protein level, cysteine, methionine, tryptophan, and tyrosine residues are particularly prone to oxidation. Here, we describe the solid phase synthesis of peptides containing four different oxidation products of tryptophan residues that can be formed by oxidation in proteins in vitro and in vivo: 5‐HTP, Oia, Kyn, and NFK. First, we synthesized Oia and NFK by selective oxidation of tryptophan and then protected the

Studies on the interaction of the antibiotic moenomycin A with the enzyme penicillin-binding protein 1b

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Synthesis, molecular structure and reactivity of the first secondary carbaboranylbisphosphine 1,2-bis(phenylphosphino)-1,2-dicarba-closo-dodecaborane(12)

‐amino group of both amino acids, and the commercially available 5‐HTP, with Fmoc‐succinimide. High yields of Fmoc‐Kyn were obtained by acid hydrolysis of Fmoc‐NFK. All four Fmoc derivatives were successfully incorporated, at high yields, into three different peptide sequences from skeletal muscle actin, creatin kinase (M‐type), and

Transition metal complexes of quadridentate pyrazolo-based ligands with two thiolato and two imine donor atoms

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Some selective reactions of moenomycin A.

‐enolase. The correct structure of all modified peptides was confirmed by tandem mass spectrometry. Interestingly, isobaric peptides containing 5‐HTP and Oia were always well separated in an acetonitrile gradient with TFA as the ion‐pair reagent on a C18‐phase. Such synthetic peptides should prove useful in future studies to distinguish isobaric oxidation products of tryptophan. Copyright