Wanda Peczyńska-Czoch

On the use of Trametes versicolor laccase for the conversion of 4-methyl-3-hydroxyanthranilic acid to actinocin chromophore

Laccase isolated from Trametes versicolor was immobilized in polyacrylamide gel and used for the conversion of 4-methyl-3-hydroxyanthranilic acid to 2-amino-4,6-dimethyl-3-phenoxazinone-1,9-carboxylic acid (actinocin) which is a phenoxazinone chromophore occuring in actinomycins. The reaction proceeded successfully in aqueous media and in 60% acetonitrile.

Synthesis, and cytotoxic activity of some novel indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives: DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors.

A series of new 5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives bearing methoxy and methyl groups at C-2 and C-9 was synthesized (according to the modified Graebe-Ullmann reaction). These compounds were evaluated for their antimicrobial and cytotoxic activity and tested as inhibitors of DNA topoisomerase II. Lipophilic and calf thymus DNA binding properties of these compounds were also established. In the SAR studies we used quantum-mechanical methodology to analyze the molecular properties of the drugs. All of the 5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinolines tested were found to inhibit the growth of gram-positive bacteria and pathogenic fungi at MIC ranging between 2.0 and 6.0 microM. They showed also cytotoxic activity in vitro against several human cancer cell lines of different origin (ID50 varied from 0.6 to 1.4 microM), and stimulated the formation of topoisomerase-II-mediated pSP65 DNA cleavage at concentration between 0.2 and 0.5 microM. The most active indolo[2,3-b]quinolines which had the greatest contribution to the increase in the Tm of DNA displayed also the highest DNA binding constants and the highest cytotoxic activity. The differences in DNA binding properties and cytotoxic activity seem to be more related to steric than electrostatic effects.

Catalytic Oxidative Cyclocondensation of o‐Aminophenols to 2‐Amino‐3H‐phenoxazin‐3‐ones

Abstract The catalytic oxidative cyclocondensation of the o‐aminophenols 1a–f was investigated. The oxidants used were air/laccase, H2O2/horseradish peroxidase, H2O2/ebselen (3), and TBHP/diphenyl diselenide 4. The products obtained were 2‐amino‐3H‐phenoxazin‐3‐one—questiomycin A, its derivative 2b, and cinnabarinic acid and actinocin (2c,d). Substrates with methyl groups at 4 and 5 positions of benzene ring were converted to different dihydrophenoxazinones 2g,h. Compounds having chlorine atoms at the same positions underwent oxidation to planar phenoxa-zinones 2e,f with elimination of one hydrochloride molecule.

New derivatives of 11-methyl-6-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-6H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline as cytotoxic DNA topoisomerase II inhibitors.

Novel indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives substituted at N-6 and C-2 or C-9 positions with (dimethylamino)ethyl chains linked to heteroaromatic core by ether, amide or amine bonds, were manufactured and evaluated in vitro for their cytotoxic activity against several cell lines of different origin including multidrug resistant sublines and tested for their ability to influence the cell cycle and inhibit topoisomerase II activity. It was found, that all compounds show cytotoxic activity against cell lines tested, including multidrug resistant LoVo/DX, MES-SA/DX5 and HL-60 sublines. The tested compounds induce the G(2)M phase cell cycle arrest in Jurkat cells, and inhibit topoisomerase II activity.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new amino acid and dipeptide derivatives of neocryptolepine as anticancer agents.

The syntheses of neocryptolepine derivatives containing an amino acid or a dipeptide at the C-9 position and their evaluation for antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo are reported. To establish the influence of an amino acid or a peptide on the physicochemical properties of 5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline (DiMIQ), lipophilic and hemolytic properties were investigated. Most of the compounds displayed a high antiproliferative activity in vitro and strongly inhibited growth of tumor in mice compared to cyclophosphamide. The attachment of the hydrophilic amino acid or the peptide to the hydrophobic DiMIQ increased its hydrophilic properties and decreased its hemolytic activity. The glycylglycine conjugate (7a) was the most promising derivative. It strongly inhibited the growth of the tumor in mice (at dose 50 mg kg(-1) day(-1) it inhibited the tumor growth by 46-63% on days 11-16 and by 29-43% on days 18-23) and significantly decreased hemolytic activity and lowered the in vivo toxicity compared to DiMIQ.

Liposomal Formulation of DIMIQ, Potential Antitumor Indolo(2,3-b)Quinoline Agent and Its Cytotoxicity on Hepatoma Morris 5123 Cells

The cytotoxic and antitumor activity of DIMIQ (5,11-dimethyl-5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline), synthetic analog of neocryptolepine, makes this compound a potential antitumor agent. An attempt to obtain liposomal form of DIMIQ·HCl was undertaken in the present study. Standard experimental conditions were chosen and information on the physicochemical parameters of the liposome dispersion containing studied indoloquinoline agent was collected. The effective and efficient encapsulation of DIMIQ·HCl (66.6%) in conventional liposomes (FAT-MLV, DMPC:DMPG 7:3 w/w at pH 7.0), uniformity of the size of liposomal vesicles, and high stability at pH 6.5 were demonstrated. Hemolysis of sheep erythrocytes induced by free form of DIMIQ·HCl was dramatically decreased after addition of liposome-entrapped DIMIQ·HCl. Treatment of hepatoma Morris 5123 cells for 24 hr with different concentrations of both free and its liposomal formulation of DIMIQ·HCl resulted in significant changes in cell morphology accompanied by reduction of cell viability.

Non-Metal and Enzymatic Catalysts for Hydroperoxide Oxidation of Organic Compounds

Oxidation of different groups of organic compounds, with hydroperoxides catalyzed by non-heavy metal containing low-molecular-weight compounds and enzymes is reviewed. This article is concentrated mainly on the hydrogen peroxide and tert-butyl hydroperoxide, however other less common hydroperoxides are also mentioned. Since hydroperoxides themselves are inactive toward most of the organic substrates, in situ activation of the oxidant is necessary. For this purpose various activators have been applied in stoichiometric or catalytic amounts. The carboxylic acids, nitriles, amides and urea are representative for the first category. The organocatalysts such as � -halo carbonyl compounds, ketones, imines, iminium salts, nitroxyl radicals and polyaminoacids, selenium compounds and enzymes are presented. They are involved in oxygen, and electron transfer processes whose mechanisms are briefly discussed, and their applications in laboratory and industrial synthesis are indicated.

Cytotoxicity and cell cycle effects of novel indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives

Cellular effects of novel indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives were studied. These compounds are synthetic analogs of plant alkaloid neocryptolepine (5-methyl-5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline) present in extracts from Cryptolepis sanguinolenta. They are traditionally used in natural medicine in Central and West Africa. Previous molecular and computational studies indicated that these compounds were DNA intercalators and inhibitors of topoisomerase II. We have extended our studies on their mode of action to the cellular level. Past experiments have shown that these compounds were active in vitro against cell lines derived from solid tumors, so for the present studies we selected leukemic cell lines. Jurkat acute T cell, CCRF-CEM T lymphoblastoid, THP-1 acute monocytic, HL-60 acute promyelocytic leukemias, and HL-60/MX2 subline with reduced expression of topoisomerase II were used. We evaluated the cytotoxicity and cell cycle effects of the indolo[2,3-b]quinoline compounds. We also tested if these compounds were able to induce apoptosis in the cells. Our studies revealed that novel indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives were more cytotoxic to all cell lines than etoposide (used as a reference topoisomerase II inhibitor), and that their cytotoxicity depended on the substituents introduced to the indolo[2,3-b]quinoline core. Surprisingly, our studies have shown that HL-60/MX2 cell line and also THP-1 cell line, resistant to etoposide, were susceptible to methyl- and methoxy-substituted indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives. In parallel to the evaluation of cytotoxicity we studied cell cycle effects of these compounds. Treatment of HL-60 cells with etoposide in subcytotoxic concentrations resulted in a massive accumulation of the cells in the G2/M phase of the cell cycle. When we used subcytotoxic concentrations of our novel indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives the cell cycle progression of HL-60 cells was not affected. Moreover, the cell cycle of HL-60/MX2 cells was not influenced by any of the compounds studied. Indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives induced apoptosis in HL-60 and HL-60/MX2 cells, but only in concentrations close to IC50 determined in cytotoxic assays. Etoposide induced apoptosis in HL-60 parental cell line, but in a very broad range of concentrations. Our results suggest that topoisomerase II may not represent the main cellular target for novel indolo[2,3-b]quinoline derivatives. They show that the cells resistant to topoisomerase II poison, etoposide, were still sensitive to our compounds.

Searching for new derivatives of neocryptolepine: Synthesis, antiproliferative, antimicrobial and antifungal activities

A series of novel amino acid and dipeptide derivatives of neocryptolepine were synthesized and tested for their antimicrobial, antifungal and antiproliferative activity in vitro against cancer cell lines (KB, A549, MCF-7, LoVo) and normal mice fibroblast cells (BALB/3T3). Biological evaluation revealed that almost all of the new compounds displayed high antiproliferative activity against the tested cells and moderate to potent antibacterial activities. Interestingly, these compounds were active against Candida albicans biofilms at doses significantly lower than those required against free-floating planktonic fungal cells. The most promising compounds are derivatives with glycine and L-proline as a substituent both at 2 and at 9 position of 5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline. In general, these new compounds (2a, 3a, 6a and 7a) showed the highest dual action against cancer lines and infectious pathogenic microbes in vitro.

Microbial transformation of azacarbazoles X: Regioselective hydroxylation of 5,11-dimethyl-5H-indolo [2,3-b]quinoline, a novel DNA topoisomerase II inhibitor, by Rhizopus arrhizus

SummaryMicrobial transformation of cytotoxic 5,11-dimethyl-5H-indolo[2,3-b]quinoline (a compound displaying antitumor activity and affecting the activity of calf thymus DNA topoisomerase II) was performed by the Rhizopus arrhizus strain and yielded a 9-hydroxy derivative. The metabolite obtained displayed a stronger cytotoxity against KB cells than the parent compound (ID50=0.001 μmol/mL), and stimulated also the formation of calf thymus topoisomerase II mediated pSP65 DNA cleavage in vitro at the concentration of 3 μM. Being analogous to 9-hydroxyellipticine (which is an antitumor alkaloid), this novel indolo[2,3-b] quinoline derivative can be regarded as a novel potential antitumor agent.