Optimization of Covalent MKK7 Inhibitors Crude Nanomole-Scale Libraries.

High-throughput nanomole-scale synthesis allows for late-stage functionalization (LSF) of compounds in an efficient and economical manner. Here, we demonstrated that copper-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition could be used for the LSF of covalent kinase inhibitors at the nanoscale, enabling the synthesis of hundreds of compounds that did not require purification for biological assay screening, thus reducing experimental time drastically. We generated crude libraries of inhibitors for the kinase MKK7, derived from two different parental precursors, and analyzed them the high-throughput In-Cell Western assay.

Electrophilic Natural Products as Drug Discovery Tools.

Electrophilic natural products (ENPs) are a rich source of bioactive molecules with tremendous therapeutic potential. While their synthetic complexity may hinder their direct use as therapeutics, they represent tools for elucidation of suitable molecular targets and serve as inspiration for the design of simplified synthetic counterparts. Here, we review the recent use of various activity-based protein profiling methods to uncover molecular targets of ENPs.

Crystallographic and electrophilic fragment screening of the SARS-CoV-2 main protease.

COVID-19, caused by SARS-CoV-2, lacks effective therapeutics. Additionally, no antiviral drugs or vaccines were developed against the closely related coronavirus, SARS-CoV-1 or MERS-CoV, despite previous zoonotic outbreaks. To identify starting points for such therapeutics, we performed a large-scale screen of electrophile and non-covalent fragments through a combined mass spectrometry and X-ray approach against the SARS-CoV-2 main protease, one of two cysteine viral proteases essential for viral replication.

Efficient Targeted Degradation via Reversible and Irreversible Covalent PROTACs.

Proteolysis targeting chimeras (PROTACs) represent an exciting inhibitory modality with many advantages, including substoichiometric degradation of targets. Their scope, though, is still limited to date by the requirement for a sufficiently potent target binder. A solution that proved useful in tackling challenging targets is the use of electrophiles to allow irreversible binding to the target.

Tandem Acyl Substitution/Michael Addition of Thioesters with Vinylmagnesium Bromide.

A tandem reaction of thioesters with vinylmagnesium bromide is reported. The initial acyl substitution provides an α,β-unsaturated ketone which further reacts with the liberated thiolate. This transition-metal-free synthesis of β-sulfanyl ketones takes place under mild reaction conditions, whereas the addition of a second Grignard molecule is almost completely suppressed.

Cross-Coupling of Chloro(hetero)arenes with Thiolates Employing a Ni(0)-Precatalyst.

A general and efficient Ni-catalyzed coupling of challenging aryl chlorides and in situ generated aliphatic and aromatic thiolates is described. The employed on-cycle, air-stable defined Ni precatalysts allow for transformation of a broad scope of substrates. A variety of functional groups and heterocyclic motifs as well as structurally varied thiols are tolerated at unprecedented moderate catalyst loadings and reaction temperatures.

Nickel-Catalyzed Coupling of Arylzinc Halides with Thioesters.

The Pd-catalyzed Fukuyama reaction of thioesters with organozinc reagents is a mild, functional-group-tolerant method for acylation chemistry. Its Ni-catalyzed variant might be a sustainable alternative to expensive catalytic Pd sources. We investigated the reaction of S-ethyl thioesters with aryl zinc halides with hetero- and homotopic Ni precatalysts and several ligands.

Metal-Catalyzed Synthesis and Use of Thioesters: Recent Developments.

While thioesters are common intermediates in biochemical processes, they are much less appreciated in organic synthesis, also compared to other carboxylic acid derivatives. However, their chemistry and reactivity is intriguing and diversified, reaching much further than the acyl substitution and aldol chemistry. Herein, we focus on metal-catalyzed reactions for the synthesis of thioesters as well as their transformations.

Regioselective Thiocarbonylation of Vinyl Arenes.

A palladium-catalyzed thiocarbonylation of styrene derivatives is reported for the first time. The combination of thiols as nucleophiles and a bidentate ligand ensures a unique reaction outcome with high regioselectivity toward the more valuable branched isomer and new reactivity. The ambient reaction conditions (temperature, catalyst loading) and the use of a CO surrogate render this transformation a useful method for the synthesis of thioesters from available feedstock.