Functionalized Homologues and Positional Isomers of Rabbit 15- Lipoxygenase RS75091 Inhibitor.

Background: RS75091 is a cinnamic acid derivative that has been used for the crystallization of the rabbit ALOX15-inhibitor complex. The atomic coordinates of the resolved ALOX15- inhibitor complex were later on used to define the binding sites of other mammalian lipoxygenase orthologs, for which no direct structural data with ligand has been reported so far.

Introduction: The putative binding pocket of the human ALOX5 was reconstructed on the basis of its structural alignment with rabbit ALOX15-RS75091 inhibitor. However, considering the possible conformational changes the enzyme may undergo in solution, it remains unclear whether the existing models adequately mirror the architecture of ALOX5 active site.

Methods: In this study, we prepared a series of RS75091 derivatives using a Sonogashira coupling reaction of regioisomeric bromocinnamates with protected acetylenic alcohols and tested their inhibitory properties on rabbit ALOX15.

Results: A bulky pentafluorophenyl moiety linked to either ortho- or metha-ethynylcinnamates via aliphatic spacer does not significantly impair the inhibitory properties of RS75091.

Conclusion: Hydroxylated 2- and 3-alkynylcinnamates may be suitable candidates for incorporation of an aromatic linker group like tetrafluorophenylazides for photoaffinity labeling assays.