Covalent inhibition of pro-apoptotic BAX.

BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX) is a promising therapeutic target for activating or restraining apoptosis in diseases of pathologic cell survival or cell death, respectively. In response to cellular stress, BAX transforms from a quiescent cytosolic monomer into a toxic oligomer that permeabilizes the mitochondria, releasing key apoptogenic factors. The mitochondrial lipid trans-2-hexadecenal (t-2-hex) sensitizes BAX activation by covalent derivatization of cysteine 126 (C126).

Homogeneous Oligomers of Pro-apoptotic BAX Reveal Structural Determinants of Mitochondrial Membrane Permeabilization.

BAX is a pro-apoptotic protein that transforms from a cytosolic monomer into a toxic oligomer that permeabilizes the mitochondrial outer membrane. How BAX monomers assemble into a higher-order conformation, and the structural determinants essential to membrane permeabilization, remain a mechanistic mystery. A key hurdle has been the inability to generate a homogeneous BAX oligomer (BAX) for analysis.

Identification of a Covalent Molecular Inhibitor of Anti-apoptotic BFL-1 by Disulfide Tethering.

The BCL-2 family is composed of anti- and pro-apoptotic members that respectively protect or disrupt mitochondrial integrity. Anti-apoptotic overexpression can promote oncogenesis by trapping the BCL-2 homology 3 (BH3) "killer domains" of pro-apoptotic proteins in a surface groove, blocking apoptosis. Groove inhibitors, such as the relatively large BCL-2 drug venetoclax (868 Da), have emerged as cancer therapies.

Site-Dependent Cysteine Lipidation Potentiates the Activation of Proapoptotic BAX.

BCL-2 family proteins converge at the mitochondrial outer membrane to regulate apoptosis and maintain the critical balance between cellular life and death. This physiologic process is essential to organism homeostasis and relies on protein-protein and protein-lipid interactions among BCL-2 family proteins in the mitochondrial lipid environment. Here, we find that trans-2-hexadecenal (t-2-hex), previously implicated in regulating BAX-mediated apoptosis, does so by direct covalent reaction with C126, which is located on the surface of BAX at the junction of its α5/α6 core hydrophobic hairpin.

A chemoselective strategy for late-stage functionalization of complex small molecules with polypeptides and proteins.

Conjugates between proteins and small molecules enable access to a vast chemical space that is not achievable with either type of molecule alone; however, the paucity of specific reactions capable of functionalizing proteins and natural products presents a formidable challenge for preparing conjugates. Here we report a strategy for conjugating electron-rich (hetero)arenes to polypeptides and proteins. Our bioconjugation technique exploits the electrophilic reactivity of an oxidized selenocysteine residue in polypeptides and proteins, and the electron-rich character of certain small molecules to provide bioconjugates in excellent yields under mild conditions.

Amide-forming chemical ligation via -acyl hydroxamic acids.

The facile rearrangement of "-acyl isopeptides" to native peptide bonds via ,-acyl shift is central to the success of native chemical ligation, the widely used approach for protein total synthesis. Proximity-driven amide bond formation via acyl transfer reactions in other contexts has proven generally less effective. Here, we show that under neutral aqueous conditions, "-acyl isopeptides" derived from hydroxy-asparagine [aspartic acid-β-hydroxamic acid; Asp(β-HA)] rearrange to form native peptide bonds via an ,-acyl shift.

Allosteric sensitization of proapoptotic BAX.

BCL-2-associated X protein (BAX) is a critical apoptotic regulator that can be transformed from a cytosolic monomer into a lethal mitochondrial oligomer, yet drug strategies to modulate it are underdeveloped due to longstanding difficulties in conducting screens on this aggregation-prone protein. Here, we overcame prior challenges and performed an NMR-based fragment screen of full-length human BAX. We identified a compound that sensitizes BAX activation by binding to a pocket formed by the junction of the α3-α4 and α5-α6 hairpins.

A Carbene Catalysis Strategy for the Synthesis of Protoilludane Natural Products.

The Armillaria and Lactarius genera of fungi produce the antimicrobial and cytotoxic mellolide, protoilludane, and marasmane sesquiterpenoids. We report a unified synthetic strategy to access the protoilludane, mellolide, and marasmane families of natural products. The key features of these syntheses are 1) the organocatalytic, enantioselective construction of key chiral intermediates from a simple achiral precursor, 2) the utility of a key 1,2-cyclobutanediol intermediate to serve as a precursor to each natural product class, and 3) a direct chemical conversion of a protoilludane to a marasmane through serendipitous ring contraction, which provides experimental support for their proposed biosynthetic relationships.

Catalytic, Enantioselective β-Protonation through a Cooperative Activation Strategy.

The NHC-catalyzed transformation of unsaturated aldehydes into saturated esters through an organocatalytic homoenolate process has been thoroughly studied. Leveraging a unique "Umpolung"-mediated β-protonation, this process has evolved from a test bed for homoenolate reactivity to a broader platform for asymmetric catalysis. Inspired by our success in using the β-protonation process to generate enals from ynals with good E/Z selectivity, our early studies found that an asymmetric variation of this reaction was not only feasible, but also adaptable to a kinetic resolution of secondary alcohols through NHC-catalyzed acylation.

Allosteric inhibition of antiapoptotic MCL-1.

MCL-1 is an antiapoptotic BCL-2 family protein that has emerged as a major pathogenic factor in human cancer. Like BCL-2, MCL-1 bears a surface groove whose function is to sequester the BH3 killer domains of proapoptotic BCL-2 family members, a mechanism harnessed by cancer cells to establish formidable apoptotic blockades. Although drugging the BH3-binding groove has been achieved for BCL-2, translating this approach to MCL-1 has been challenging.

An Umpolung Approach for the Chemoselective Arylation of Selenocysteine in Unprotected Peptides.

Herein we report an umpolung strategy for the bioconjugation of selenocysteine in unprotected peptides. This mild and operationally simple approach takes advantage of the electrophilic character of an oxidized selenocysteine (Se-S bond) to react with a nucleophilic arylboronic acid to provide the arylated selenocysteine within hours. This reaction is amenable to a wide range of boronic acids with different biorelevant functional groups and is unique to selenocysteine.

Enantioselective β-Protonation by a Cooperative Catalysis Strategy.

An enantioselective N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed β-protonation through the orchestration of three distinct organocatalysts has been developed. This cooperative catalyst system enhances both yield and selectivity, compared to only the NHC-catalyzed process. This new method allows for the efficient conversion of a large scope of aryl-oxobutenoates to highly enantioenriched succinate derivatives and demonstrates the benefits of combining different activation modes in organocatalysis.

Functionalized cyclopentenes through a tandem NHC-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution and ambient temperature decarboxylation: mechanistic insight and synthetic application.

An unusual room temperature β-lactone decarboxylation facilitated a five-step enantioselective formal synthesis of the cyclopentane core of an estrogen receptor β-agonist. A computational study probed the underlying factors facilitating unprecedented, rapid decarboxylation. Aryl substitution promotes faster reaction in the retro-[2+2] as a result of conjugative stabilization with the forming olefin.

Mild palladium-catalyzed cyanation of (hetero)aryl halides and triflates in aqueous media.

A mild, efficient, and low-temperature palladium-catalyzed cyanation of (hetero)aryl halides and triflates is reported. Previous palladium-catalyzed cyanations of (hetero)aryl halides have required higher temperatures to achieve good catalytic activity. This current reaction allows the cyanation of a general scope of (hetero)aryl halides and triflates at 2-5 mol % catalyst loadings with temperatures ranging from rt to 40 °C.

Catalytic Kinetic Resolution of a Dynamic Racemate: Highly Stereoselective β-Lactone Formation by -Heterocyclic Carbene Catalysis.

This study describes the combined experimental and computational elucidation of the mechanism and origins of stereoselectivities in the NHC-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution (DKR) of α-substituted-β-ketoesters. Density functional theory computations reveal that the NHC-catalyzed DKR proceeds by two mechanisms, depending on the stereochemistry around the forming bond: 1) a concerted, asynchronous formal (2+2) aldol-lactonization process, or 2) a stepwise spiro-lactonization mechanism where the alkoxide is trapped by the NHC-catalyst. These mechanisms contrast significantly from mechanisms found and postulated in other related transformations.

A neutral pH thermal hydrolysis method for quantification of structured RNAs.

Riboswitch aptamers adopt diverse and complex tertiary structural folds that contain both single-stranded and double-stranded regions. We observe that this high degree of secondary structure leads to an appreciable hypochromicity that is not accounted for in the standard method to calculate extinction coefficients using nearest-neighbor effects, which results in a systematic underestimation of RNA concentrations. Here we present a practical method for quantifying riboswitch RNAs using thermal hydrolysis to generate the corresponding pool of mononucleotides, for which precise extinction coefficients have been measured.

Synthesis, antimicrobial evaluation, and structure-activity relationship of α-pinene derivatives.

Several (+)- and (-)-α-pinene derivatives were synthesized and evaluated for their antimicrobial activity toward Gram-positive bacteria Micrococcus luteus and Staphylococcus aureus, Gram-negative bacterium Escherichia coli, and the unicellular fungus Candida albicans using bioautographic assays. (+)-α-Pinene 1a showed modest activity against the test organisms, whereas (-)-α-pinene 1b showed no activity at the tested concentration. Of all the α-pinene derivatives evaluated, the β-lactam derivatives (10a and 10b) were the most antimicrobial.

A continuum of progress: applications of N-hetereocyclic carbene catalysis in total synthesis.

N-Heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalyzed transformations have emerged as powerful tactics for the construction of complex molecules. Since Stetter's report in 1975 of the total synthesis of cis-jasmon and dihydrojasmon by using carbene catalysis, the use of NHCs in total synthesis has grown rapidly, particularly over the last decade. This renaissance is undoubtedly due to the recent developments in NHC-catalyzed reactions, including new benzoin, Stetter, homoenolate, and aroylation processes.

Catalytic dynamic kinetic resolutions with N-heterocyclic carbenes: asymmetric synthesis of highly substituted β-lactones.

New DKR type: An N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-catalyzed dynamic kinetic resolution of racemic α-substituted β-keto esters has been developed. This method relies on the epimerization of an NHC-enol intermediate before subsequent aldol/acylation events. Highly substituted β-lactones are produced in good yield with good to excellent selectivities (see scheme).

An N-heterocyclic carbene/Lewis acid strategy for the stereoselective synthesis of spirooxindole lactones.

A cooperative catalysis approach for the enantioselective formal [3+2] addition of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes to isatins has been developed. Homoenolate annulations of β-aryl enals catalyzed by an N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC) require the addition of lithium chloride for high levels of enantioselectivity. This NHC-catalyzed annulation has been used for the total synthesis of maremycin B.

Cooperative Lewis acid/-heterocyclic carbene catalysis.

Lewis acid activation with -heterocyclic carbene (NHC) catalysis has presented new opportunities for enantioselective reaction development. Recent findings illustrate that Lewis acids can play an important role in homoenolate annulations by: enhancement of the reactivity, reversal of the diastereo- or regioselectivity, and activation of previously inactive electrophiles. Additionally, the incorporation of a Lewis acid into Brønsted base-catalyzed conjugate addition allowed for an increase in yields.

NHC-catalyzed/titanium(IV)-mediated highly diastereo- and enantioselective dimerization of enals.

An NHC-catalyzed, diastereo- and enantioselective dimerization of enals has been developed. The use of Ti(Oi-Pr)(4) is a key element for the reactivity and selectivity of this process. The cyclopentenes are obtained with high levels of diastereo- and enantioselectivity and their synthetic utility is demonstrated by functionalization of the product alkene.

Uterine smooth-muscle tumors with unusual growth patterns: imaging with pathologic correlation.

Objective: This essay illustrates the salient features of variant smooth-muscle tumors on multiple imaging techniques with correlative pathology. We describe how recognition of these features allows the radiologist to distinguish a uterine leiomyoma variant from the classic fibroid or a leiomyosarcoma. Finally, we highlight the role of the radiologist in triaging these patients to surgical versus medical management and in surgical planning.