Discovery and structure-activity relationship studies of novel tetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives as apoptosis initiators for treating bacterial infections

Developing and excavating new agrochemicals with highly active and safe is an important tactic for protecting crop health and food safety.In this paper,to discover the new bactericide candidates,we designed,prepared a new type of1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-β-carboline(THC)derivatives and evaluated the in vitro and in vivo bioactivities against the Xanthomonas oryzae pv.oryzae(Xoo),Xanthomonas axonopodis pv.citri(Xac),and Pseudomonas syringae pv.actinidiae(Psa).The in vitro bioassay results exhibited that most title molecules possessed good activity toward the three plant pathogenic bacteria,the compound A17 showed the most active against Xoo and Xac with EC50 values of 7.27 and 4.89 mg mL^(-1)respectively,and compound A8 exhibited the best inhibitory activity against Psa with EC50value of 4.87 mg mL^(-1).Pot experiments showed that compound A17 exhibited excellent in vivo antibacterial activities to manage rice bacterial leaf blight and citrus bacterial canker,with protective efficiencies of 52.67 and 79.79%at 200 mgmL^(-1),respectively.Meanwhile,compound A8 showed good control efficiency(84.31%)against kiwifruit bacterial canker at 200 mg mL^(-1).Antibacterial mechanism suggested that these compounds could interfere with the balance of the redox system,damage the cell membrane,and induce the apoptosis of Xoo cells.Taken together,our study revealed that tetrahydro-β-carboline derivatives could be a promising candidate model for novel broadspectrum bactericides.

The chemical structures and biological activities of indole diterpenoids

Indole diterpenoids(IDTs)are an essential class of structurally diverse fungal secondary metabolites,that generally appear to be restricted to a limited number of fungi,such as Penicillium,Aspergillus,Claviceps,and Epichloe species,etc.These compounds share a typical core structure consisting of a cyclic diterpene skeleton of geranylgeranyl diphos-phate(GGPP)and an indole ring moiety derived from indole-3-glycerol phosphate(IGP).3-geranylgeranylindole(3-GGI)is the common precursor of all IDTs.On this basis,it is modified by cyclization,oxidation,and prenylation to generate a large class of compounds with complex structures.These compounds exhibit antibacterial,anti-insect,and ion channel inhibitory activities.We summarized 204 compounds of IDTs discovered from various fungi over the past 50 years,these compounds were reclassified,and their biological activities were summarized.This review will help to understand the structural diversity of IDTs and provide help for their physiological activities.

Discovery of prenylated indole alkaloid and natural xanthone from cold-seep sediment derived fungus Talaromyces funiculosus SD-523

A new prenylated indole alkaloid 11,17-epi-mangrovamide A(1),a new natural occurring product,1,7-dihydroxy-6-methyl-8-hydroxymethyl-xanthone(2),two known alkaloids,mangrovamide A(3)and mangrovamide G(4),and four known polyketide derivatives(5–8)were isolated and identified from the cold-seep sediment derived fungal strain Talaromyces funiculosus SD-523.Their structures were elucidated by combination of nuclear magnetic resonance(NMR),high resolution electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy(HRESIMS),quantum chemical electronic circular dichroism(ECD),and DP4+probability analysis as well as by comparison of the data with literature reports.All isolated compounds were tested for antibacterial activities.

Synthesis of Fischer indole derivatives using carboxyl-functionalized ionic liquid as an efficient and recyclable catalyst

Fischer indole cyclization of phenylhydrazine and various ketones using carboxyl-functionalized ionic liquid, 1-carboxymethyl- 3-methylimidazolium tetrafluoroborate （abbreviated as [crnmim] [BF4]） as catalyst was successfully performed. The yields of the target compounds were 80-92%, the purities were 96-98%. The catalyst could be recovered and reused for at least six times without significant loss in activity.

Engineering Terpenoid Indole Alkaloids Biosynthetic Pathway in Catharanthus roseus Hairy Root Cultures by Overexpressing the Geraniol 10-hydroxylase Gene

Catharanthus roseus contains important anti-tumor terpenoid indole alkaloids (TIAs) such as vinblastine and vincristine. Cytochrome P450 enzyme geraniol 10-hydroxylase (G10H) is a putative rate-limiting enzyme involved in the TIAs biosynthetic pathway in C. roseus. In this study the g10h gene driven by the cauliflower mosaic virus 35S (CaMV 35S) promoter was introduced into C. roseus through Agrobacterium-mediated transformation. The integration and overexpression of the target gene (g10h) in hairy root lines were confirmed by polymerase chain reaction and RT-QPCR analysis respectively. Overexpression of g10h in transgenic hairy root lines significantly enhanced the accumulations of monomeric alkaloid ajmalicine and dimeric alkaloids, vincristine and vinblastine. Total TIAs production in hairy roots reached (9.51) mg/g DW, over 3-fold higher than that in the untransformed root lines. This is the first report that engineering of g10h into TIAs-producing plant species results in significant enhancement of TIAs accumulation in cultured hairy roots. This study demonstrates that the putative rate-limiting step catalyzed by G10H is indeed the real rate-limiting step involved in the TIAs biosynthetic pathway in C. roseus, which is one of the key targets for promoting TIAs production by genetic engineering.

Structural characterization of monoterpene indole alkaloids in ethanolic extracts of Rauwolfia species by liquid chromatography with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry

Rauwolfia species(Apocynaceae) are medicinal plants well known worldwide due to its potent bioactive monoterpene indole alkaloids(MIAs) such as reserpine,ajmalicine,ajmaline,serpentine and yohimbine.Reserpine,ajmalicine and ajmaline are powerful antihypertensive,tranquilizing agents used in hypertension.Yohimbine is an aphrodisiac used in dietary supplements.As there is no report on the comparative and comprehensive phytochemical investigation of the roots of Rauwolfia species,we have developed an efficient and reliable liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry(LC–MS/MS) method for ethanolic root extract of Rauwolfia species to elucidate the fragmentation pathways for dereplication of bioactive MIAs using highperformance liquid chromatography coupled with electrospray ionization quadrupole time-of-flight tandem mass spectrometry(HPLC–ESI–QTOF–MS/MS) in positive ion mode.We identified and established diagnostic fragment ions and fragmentation pathways using reserpine,ajmalicine,ajmaline,serpentine and yohimbine.The MS/MS spectra of reserpine,ajmalicine,and ajmaline showed C-ring-cleavage whereas E-ring cleavage was observed in serpentine via Retro Diels Alder(RDA).A total of 47 bioactive MIAs were identified and characterized on the basis of their molecular formula,exact mass measurements and MS/MS analysis.Reserpine,ajmalicine,ajmaline,serpentine and yohimbine were unambiguously identified by comparison with their authentic standards and other 42 MIAs were tentatively identified and characterized from the roots of Rauwolfia hookeri,Rauwolfia micrantha,Rauwolfia serpentina,Rauwolfia verticillata,Rauwolfia tetraphylla and Rauwolfia vomitoria.Application of LC–MS followed by principal component analysis(PCA) has been successfully used to discriminate among six Rauwolfia species.

Gallium trichloride-catalyzed conjugate addition of indole and pyrrole to α,β-unsaturated ketones in aqueous media

Michael addition of indole and pyrrole to a variety of α, β-unsaturated ketones was efficiently promoted by a catalytic amount of GaCl3 in aqueous media to afford the corresponding products in good to excellent yields.

A new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid from Rauvolfia yunnanensis

One new monoterpenoid indole alkaloid, l l-methoxyburnamine-17-O-3′,4′,5′-trimethoxybenzoate （1）, was isolated from Rauvolfia yunnanensis Tsiang. Its structure was identified by speclroscopic evidences.

The Arabidopsis P450 protein CYP82C2 modulates jasmonateinduced root growth inhibition, defense gene expression and indole glucosinolate biosynthesis

Jasmonic acid （JA） is a fatty acid-derived signaling molecule that regulates a broad range of plant defense responses against herbivores and some microbial pathogens. Molecular genetic studies have established that JA also performs a critical role in several aspects of plant development. Here, we describe the characterization of the Arabidopsis mutantjasmonic acid-hypersensitivel-1 （jah1-1）, which is defective in several aspects of JA responses. Although the mutant exhibits increased sensitivity to JA in root growth inhibition, it shows decreased expression of JA-inducible defense genes and reduced resistance to the necrotrophic fungus Botrytis cinerea. Gene cloning studies indicate that these defects are caused by a mutation in the cytochrome P450 protein CYP82C2. We provide evidence showing that the compromised resistance of thejah1-1 mutant to B. cinerea is accompanied by decreased expression of JA-induced defense genes and reduced accumulation of JA-induced indole glucosinolates （IGs）. Conversely, the enhanced resistance to B. cinerea in CYP82C2-overexpressing plants is accompanied by increased expression of JA-induced defense genes and elevated levels of JA-induced IGs. We demonstrate that CYP82C2 affects JA-induced accumulation of the IG biosynthetic precursor tryptophan （Trp）, but not the JA-induced IAA or pathogen-induced camalexin. Together, our results support a hypothesis that CYP82C2 may act in the metabolism of Trp-derived secondary metabolites under conditions in which JA levels are elevated. Thejah1-1 mutant should thus be important in future studies toward understanding the mechanisms underlying the complexity of JA-mediated differential responses, which are important for plants to adapt their growth to the ever-changing environments.

Effect of Indole 3-Butyric Acid and Media Type on Adventitious Root Formation in Sheanut Tree (<i>Vitellaria paradoxa</i>C. F. Gaertn.) Stem Cuttings

Shea nuts play an important role in food security for rural folks within sub-Sahara Africa, serving as the main source of income for many people living in Northern Ghana. Unfortunately, the full economic potential of the Sheanut tree has not been fully realized due to the difficulty involved in its domestication. This difficulty in vegetatively propagating sheanut trees has greatly hindered its cultivation and the realization of its true economic potential. Two experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of rooting media and varying indole 3-butyric acid (IBA) concentrations on adventitious root formation in cuttings taken from coppiced sheanut trees. Results indicated that 3000 ppm produced significantly (p 0.05) better rooting (57.5%) than 5000 ppm (30%), 7000 ppm (45.0%) and the control (7.5%). Although the levels of soluble sugars (SS) and total free phenols (TFP) in the cutting were significantly (p 0.05) higher at the end of the experiment (after IBA treatment) compared to the start (prior to IBA treatment), the SS and TFP trends observed did not clearly explain the rooting differences found between the IBA levels investigated. Callus formation was significantly (p 0.05) higher (35.0%) in the control (no IBA). Generally, callus formation decreased with increasing IBA concentration. In the rooting media experiment, rooting was significantly (p 0.05) higher in the rice husk medium (35.0%) compared to that in the palm fiber (18.3%), saw dust (14.1%) and top soil (16.7%) media.

Nitrosonium(NO^+) catalyzed Michael addition of indoles to unsaturated enones

An efficient Michael addition of indoles to unsaturated enones, such as chalcones and β-nitrostyrenes, was achieved in the presence of a catalytic amount of nitrosonium tetrafluoroborate in ethyl ether. 2007 Long Min Wu. Published by Elsevier B.V. on behalf of Chinese Chemical Society. All rights reserved.

Reactivity of Indoles through the Eyes of a Charge-Transfer Partitioning Analysis

A global and local charge transfer partitioning model,based on the cornerstone theory developed by Robert G.Parr and Robert G.Pearson,which introduces two charge transfer channels(one for accepting electrons(electrophilic) and another for donating(nucleophilic)),is applied to the reaction of a set of indoles with 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan.The global analysis indicates that the prevalent electron transfer mechanism in the reaction is a nucleophilic one on the indoles,i.e.,the indoles under consideration transfer electrons to 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan.Evaluating the reactivity descriptorswith exchange-correlation functionals including exact exchange(global hybrids) yields slightly better correlations than those obtained with generalized gradient-approximated functionals;however,the trends are preserved.Comparing the trend obtained with the number of electrons donated by the indoles,and predicted by the partitioning model,with that observed experimentally based on the measured rate constants,we propose that the number of electrons transferred through this channel can be used as a nucleophilicity scale to order the reactivity of indoles towards 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan.This approach to obtain reactivity scales has the advantage of depending on the intrinsic properties of the two reacting species;therefore,it opens the possibility that the same group of molecules may show different reactivity trends depending on the species with which they are reacting.The local model allows systematic incorporation of the reactive atoms based on the their decreasing condensed Fukui functions,and the correlations obtained by increasing the number of reactive atoms participating in the local analysis of the transferred nucleophilic charge improve,reaching an optimal correlation,which in the present case indicates keeping three atoms from the indoles and two from 4,6-dinitrobenzofuroxan.The atoms selected by this procedure provide valuable information about the local reactivity of the indoles.We further show that this information about the most reactive atoms on each reactant,combined with the spatial distribution of the nucleophilic and electrophilic Fukui functions of both reactants,allows one to propose non-trivial candidates of starting geometries for the search of the transition state structures present in these reactions.

Indole phytoalexin derivatives induce mitochondrialmediated apoptosis in human colorectal carcinoma cells

To investigate the mechanism of the antiproliferative effect of synthetic indole phytoalexin derivatives on human colorectal cancer cell lines. METHODSChanges in cell proliferation and the cytotoxic effect of the tested compounds on human colorectal cancer cell lines and human fibroblasts were evaluated using MTS and BrdU assay, allowing us to choose the most potent substance. Cell cycle alterations were analyzed using flow cytometric analysis. The apoptosis-inducing effect of compound K-453 on the HCT116 cell line was examined with annexin V/PI double staining using flow cytometry, as well as acridine orange/propidium iodide (AO/PI) staining. The flow cytometry method also allowed us to measure changes in levels or activation states of other factors associated with apoptosis, such as poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP), caspase-3 and -9, cytochrome c, Bcl-2 family proteins, and also the integrity of the mitochondrial membrane. To evaluate activity of the transcription factors and proteins involved in signaling pathways we used Western blot analysis together with flow cytometry. RESULTSAmong the ten tested compounds, compound K-453 {(±)-trans-1,2-dimethoxy-2’-(3,5-bis-trifluoromethylphenylamino)spiro{indoline-3,5’[4’,5’]dihydrothiazol} exhibited the most potent activity with IC50 = 32.22 ± 1.14 μmol/L in human colorectal HCT116 cells and was thus selected for further studies. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a K-453-induced increase in the population of cells with sub-G1 DNA content, which is considered as a marker of apoptotic cell death. The apoptosis-inducing effect of compound K453 was also confirmed by annexin V/PI double staining and AO/PI staining. The apoptosis was associated with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, PARP cleavage, caspase-3 and caspase-9 activation, release of cytochrome c, as well as changes in the levels of Bcl-2 family members. Moreover, flow cytometry showed that compound K-453 stimulates phosphorylation of p38 MAPK but decreases phosphorylation of Akt and Erk 1/2. Activation of p38 MAPK was also confirmed using Western blot analysis. This analysis also revealed down-regulation of NF-κB1 (p50) and RelA (p65) proteins and the loss of their anti-apoptotic activity. CONCLUSIONIn our study compound K-453 exhibited an antiproliferative effect by induction of intrinsic apoptosis as well as modulation of several signaling pathways.

Indole Alkaloids Inhibiting Neural Stem Cell from Uncaria rhynchophylla

Uncaria rhynchophylla is commonly recognized as a traditional treatment for dizziness,cerebrovascular diseases,and nervous disorders in China.Previously,the neuro-protective activities of the alkaloids from U.rhynchophylla were intensively reported.In current work,three new indole alkaloids(1–3),identified as geissoschizic acid(1),geissoschizic acid N4-oxide(2),and 3b-sitsirikine N4-oxide(3),as well as 26 known analogues were isolated from U.rhynchophylla.However,in the neural stem cells(NSCs)proliferation assay for all isolated compounds,geissoschizic acid(1),geissoschizic acid N4-oxide(2),isocorynoxeine(6),isorhynchophylline(7),(4S)-akuammigine N-oxide(8),and(4S)-rhynchophylline N-oxide(10)showed unexpected inhibitory activities at 10 μM.Unlike previous neuro-protective reports,as a warning or caution,our finding showcased a clue for possible NSCs toxicity and the neural lesions risk of U.rhynchophylla,while the structure–activity relationships of the isolated compounds were discussed also.

Synthesis of Novel 1-Alkyl-2-chloro(alkoxy)-1H-indole 3-Carbaldehyde Oximes and Oxime-ethers(esters) Derivatives

A convenient synthesis of 1-alkyl-2-chloro-1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde oximes（5a―5d） and 1-alkyl-2-phenoxy-1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde oximes（6a―6d） from 2-indolone was completed via the Vilsmeier-Haack reac-tion,with N-alkylation and oximation as the key steps.An improved one-pot method for the synthesis of 1-alkyl-2-alkoxy-1H-indole-3-carbaldehyde oximes（7a―7h） from 1-alkyl-2-chloro-1H-indole-3-carbaldehydes（3a―3d） was described.The Williamson reactions and esterification reactions were performed and the oxime-ethers and oxime-esters were synthesized,respectively.The new synthesized compounds（3a―11d） were characterized by 1H NMR,IR,MS,and elemental analysis.

Four new indole alkaloids from Plantago asiatica

Four new indole alkaloids,plasiaticines A-D(1-4),together with two known ones,were isolated from the seeds of Plantago asiatica.The structures of the new compounds were elucidated on the basis of comprehensive analysis of spectroscopic data.All compounds were tested for their cytotoxic activity,and all compounds except 4 were tested for their acetylcholinesterase(AChE)inhibitory activities.

High Activity and Selectivity of Cu/SiO_2 Catalyst for the Direct Synthesis of Indole

Copper supported over silica exhibited very high activity and selectivity for the direct synthesis of indole at atmospheric pressure. Under the reaction temperature of 325C,the yield of indole could obtain 88%.

Design,synthesis and antiproliferative activities of novel 5H-pyridazino[4,5-b]indoles

A novel series of 5H-pyridazino[4,5-b]indoles were designed and synthesized in order to find novel potent anticancer compounds. The structures were confirmed by ^1H NMR and MS. Their antiproliferative activities against two cancer cell lines were tested by the MTT method in vitro. Three of compounds （1e, 1g, and 1h） exhibited potent antiproliferative activities, especially compound lh （with IC50 values of 5.2 μmol/L and 1.9 μmol/L against Bel-7402 and HT-1080, respectively）. The preliminary structure-activity relationships of 5H-pyridazino[4,5-b]indole derivatives were discussed.