Exploring natural product chemistry and biology with multicomponent reactions. 5. Discovery of a novel tubulin-targeting scaffold derived from the rigidin family of marine alkaloids.

ABSTRACT: We developed synthetic chemistry to access the marine alkaloid rigidins and over 40 synthetic analogues based on the 7-deazaxanthine, 7-deazaadenine, 7-deazapurine, and 7-deazahypoxanthine skeletons. Analogues based on the 7-deazahypoxanthine skeleton exhibited nanomolar potencies against cell lines representing cancers with dismal prognoses, tumor metastases, and multidrug resistant cells. Studies aimed at elucidating the mode(s) of action of the 7-deazahypoxanthines in cancer cells revealed that they inhibited in vitro tubulin polymerization and disorganized microtubules in live HeLa cells. Experiments evaluating the effects of the 7-deazahypoxanthines on the binding of [(3)H]colchicine to tubulin identified the colchicine site on tubulin as the most likely target for these compounds in cancer cells. Because many microtubule-targeting compounds are successfully used to fight cancer in the clinic, we believe the new chemical class of antitubulin agents represented by the 7-deazahypoxanthine rigidin analogues have significant potential as new anticancer agents.

SUBMITTER: Frolova LV 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3915529 | biostudies-literature | 2013 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature