Stereochemical engineering of a peptide macrocycle allosteric inhibitor of phospho-Akt2 controls cell penetration by fine-tuning macrocycle-cell membrane interactions

We report the development of a cell-penetrant cyclic loop biligand that selectively binds, in vitro, to the phosphorylated Ser474 site of Protein Kinase B (p-Akt2) with high affinity (KD = 10 nM). The cyclic loop biligand consists of a linear peptide joined to a macrocycle peptide through triazole linkage, and it was isolated through two iterative in situ screens. This biligand allosterically inhibited kinase activity of Akt2 but it was cell-impermeable, as isolated from the screening process. Since Akt2 is an oncoprotein hyperactivated via phosphorylation at Ser474 in cancers, we sought to visualize p-Akt2 in live cancer cells using the developed biligand. To this end, we matured this biligand into a cell-penetrant reagent through systematic iterations of its chemical structure to promote cell-penetrating properties, while retaining its binding and inhibition for p-Akt2. Two retro-inverso, N-methylated versions of the macrocyclic ligand were developed which were uptaken by live cancer cells, while retaining their high affinities for pAkt2. Interestingly, the stereochemistry of two amino acid residues in the cell-penetrant ligands exhibited strong influence on their extent of cell penetration. This phenomenon of difference in cell penetration was explored through metadynamics simulations of each ligand in the cell membrane. It was found that the ligand uptaken to a greater extent by cells had more intramolecular interactions with itself and had fewer cholesterol molecules associated with it, which aided in its cell-penetration.

Iron-TAML Complexes: A Computational Approach to Improving Stability

<p>Researchers at the Institute for Green Oxidation Chemistry of the Carnegie Mellon University developed a group of catalysts called tetra amido macrocyclic ligand (TAML) activators. The purpose of that research was that TAML activators would breakdown pollutants in the presence of a sacrificial oxidant. Furthermore, the catalyst was designed to decompose on a required timescale, as to not damage the environment by prolonged exposure. Since the initial designs from the 1980’s, the TAML structure has undergone significant changes to increase efficiency or selectivity. Other uses of this group of catalysts have been explored, namely, the oxidation of water to molecular oxygen. This work presents a computational study using Density Functional Theory (DFT) which addresses the issue regarding the stability of certain iron-TAML intermediates in the water oxidation mechanism. Hence, the work seeks to explore how changing certain groups on the TAML ring can affect the stability of the reactive intermediates and the activation energy of the nucleophilic attack within the mechanism. The work highlights the importance of the fluorinated tail of the TAML structure in the accessibility of the desired transition state.</p>

Iron-TAML Complexes: A Computational Approach to Improving Stability

<p>Researchers at the Institute for Green Oxidation Chemistry of the Carnegie Mellon University developed a group of catalysts called tetra amido macrocyclic ligand (TAML) activators. The purpose of that research was that TAML activators would breakdown pollutants in the presence of a sacrificial oxidant. Furthermore, the catalyst was designed to decompose on a required timescale, as to not damage the environment by prolonged exposure. Since the initial designs from the 1980’s, the TAML structure has undergone significant changes to increase efficiency or selectivity. Other uses of this group of catalysts have been explored, namely, the oxidation of water to molecular oxygen. This work presents a computational study using Density Functional Theory (DFT) which addresses the issue regarding the stability of certain iron-TAML intermediates in the water oxidation mechanism. Hence, the work seeks to explore how changing certain groups on the TAML ring can affect the stability of the reactive intermediates and the activation energy of the nucleophilic attack within the mechanism. The work highlights the importance of the fluorinated tail of the TAML structure in the accessibility of the desired transition state.</p>

The Synthesis of a Bis(thiosemicarbazone) Macrocyclic Ligand and the Mn(II), Co(II), Zn(II) and 68Ga(III) Complexes

A 1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane (cyclen) variant bearing two thiosemicarbazone pendant groups has been prepared. The ligand forms complexes with Mn2+, Co2+ and Zn2+. X-ray crystallography of the Mn2+, Co2+ and Zn2+ complexes showed that the ligand provides a six-coordinate environment for the metal ions. The Mn2+ and Zn2+ complexes exist in the solid state as racemic mixtures of the Δ(δ,δ,δ,δ)/Λ(λ,λ,λ,λ) and Δ(λ,λ,λ,λ)/Λ(δ,δ,δ,δ) diastereomers, and the Co2+ complex exists as the Δ(δ,δ,δ,δ)/Λ(λ,λ,λ,λ) and Δ(λ,λ,λ,δ)/Λ(δ,δ,δ,λ) diastereomers. Density functional theory calculations indicated that the relative energies of the diastereomers are within 10 kJ mol−1. Magnetic susceptibility of the complexes indicated that both the Mn2+ and Co2+ ions are high spin. The ligand was radiolabelled with gallium-68, in the interest of developing new positron emission tomography imaging agents, which produced a single species in high radiochemical purity (>95%) at 90 °C for 10 min.

Crystal structure of diaqua(3,14-diethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatricyclo[16.4.0.07,12]docosane)copper(II) (3,14-diethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatricyclo[16.4.0.07,12]docosane)copper(II) tetrabromide dihydrate, [Cu(C22H44N4)(H2O)2][Cu(C22H44N4)]Br4·2H2O

The crystal structure of the new double CuII complex salt, [Cu(L)(H2O)2][Cu(L)]Br4·2H2O (L = 3,14-diethyl-2,6,13,17-tetraazatricyclo[16.4.0.07,12]docosane, C22H44N4) has been determined using synchrotron radiation. The asymmetric unit contains one half of a [Cu(L)(H2O)2]2+ cation, one half of a [Cu(L)]2+ cation (both completed by crystallographic inversion symmetry), two bromide anions and one water solvent molecule. The CuII atom in the first complex exists in a tetragonally distorted octahedral environment with the four N atoms of the macrocyclic ligand in equatorial and two aqua ligands in axial positions, whereas the CuII atom in the second complex exists in a square-planar environment defined by the four nitrogen atoms of the macrocyclic ligand. The two macrocyclic rings adopt the most stable trans-III configuration with normal Cu—N bond lengths from 2.016 (3) to 2.055 (3) Å and an axial Cu—O bond length of 2.658 (4) Å. The crystal structure is stabilized by intermolecular hydrogen bonds involving the macrocycle N—H or C—H groups and the O—H groups of water molecules as donor groups, and the O atoms of water molecules and bromide anions as acceptor groups, giving rise to a one-dimensional network extending parallel to [100].