4944
D. P. Power et al. / Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 20 (2010) 4940–4944
19. MacPhillamy, H. B.; Dziemian, R. L.; Lucas, R. A.; Kuehne, M. E. J. Am. Chem. Soc.
1958, 80, 2172.
20. Han, Q.; Dominguez, C.; Stouten, P. F. W.; Park, J. M.; Duffy, D. E.; Galemmo, R.
A.; Rossi, K. A.; Alexander, R. S.; Smallwood, A. M.; Wong, P. C.; Wright, M. M.;
Luetten, J. M.; Knabb, R. M.; Wexler, R. R. J. Med. Chem. 2000, 43, 4398.
of related proteins/protein complexes — in particular the challeng-
ing case of GSK-3.
In summary, we have developed an efficient, easily modified
and concise route to paullone 1 from simple starting materials. A
variant of this synthetic strategy was then used to prepare the
hitherto unreported 9-azapaullone (6), in addition to its N-benzyl
salt 7a and N-oxide derivative 7b. A study to evaluate the inhibi-
tory activity of these compounds against a range of kinases inden-
tified 7b as a selective inhibitor of CDK9/cyclin T. The potential
significance of the function of CDK9/cyclin T in a range of medici-
nally relevant domains such as cell-cycle/transcription regula-
tion,4,8,29 HIV-1 replication30 and cardiovascular disease31 is only
beginning to be understood, thus the development of highly selec-
tive inhibitors of this complex is a goal of considerable interest.
Studies aimed at increasing the potency of 7b and improving its
ability to distinguish between CDK9/cyclin T and other kinases
are underway.
21. Dithiolane 12: In
a three-necked round bottomed flask, oxalyl chloride
(1.28 mL, 15.11 mmol) was added to anhydrous diethyl ether (16 mL) under
an atmosphere of argon. The solution was cooled to 0 °C and indole 11 (1.64 g,
5.87 mmol) was added. The resulting suspension was stirred at ambient
temperature for 3.5 h. The resulting pale yellow precipitate was removed by
filtration, suspended in ethanol and stirred at ambient temperature for 24 h.
The resulting solid was removed by filtration, washed with a mixture of
ethanol and diethyl ether (ca. 1:1) yielding 1.89 g of crude ethyl ester which
was used without further purification. The ethyl ester was then suspended in
ethanol (85 mL) and the suspension saturated with HCl gas. Ethane dithiol
(0.59 mL, 7.04 mmol) was added. The solution was heated overnight at 60 °C
under an argon atmosphere. The resulting (spectroscopically pure) orange
precipitate (1.84 g, 78%) was removed by filtration and used without further
purification. mp 228–230 °C. 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) d = 0.98 (t, J 7.1 Hz,
3H), 3.30 (m, 4H) 3.74 (q, J 7.1 Hz, 2H), 7.06 (app. t, 1H), 7.16 (app. t, 1H), 7.33
(d, J 8.0 Hz, 1H), 7.57 (d, J 7.3 Hz, 1H), 7.75 (m, 2H), 7.82 (app. t, 1H), 8.21 (d, J
8.0 Hz, 1H), 11.51 (br s, 1H). 13C NMR (DMSO-d6, 100 MHz) 13.4, 39.7, 61.6,
67.7, 108.7, 111.3, 118.9, 120.2, 121.3, 124.4, 126.5, 128.2, 130.4, 131.4, 132.9,
133.7, 135.7, 148.5, 170.0. IR (solid)
m
3265, 1688, 1498, 980 cm-1. HRMS (ESI)
calcd for [C20H18N2O4 + Na]+ requires 437.0613. Found 437.0606.
22. Melhado, L. L.; Brodsky, J. L. J. Org. Chem. 1988, 53, 3852.
Acknowledgments
23. Paullone (1): Dithiolane (0.580 g, 1.40 mmol) was dissolved in dioxane (58 mL),
Raney Nickel (wet) was added and the resulting suspension was shaken under
at atmosphere of hydrogen (3 atm) for 24 h. When reduction of both the
dithiolane and nitro functional groups was adjudged to be complete by 1H
NMR spectroscopic analysis, the Raney Nickel was removed by filtration
through celite. The filtrate was then concentrated to approximately 10 mL in
vacuo. Acetic acid (1.60 mL, 28.0 mmol) was added and the solution heated at
60 °C for 48 h. The solvent was then removed under reduced pressure, and the
residue triturated with ethyl acetate/hexane (1:1) to give a white solid which
was isolated by filtration to afford pure 1 (0.189 g, 54%). The spectroscopic data
associated with 1 was identical to those in the literature.24 mp >300 °C (lit.24
>280 °C). 1H NMR (DMSO-d6, 400 MHz) d = 3.50 (s, 2H), 7.08 (app. t, 1H), 7.18
(app. t, 1H), 7.26 (m, 2H), 7.38 (app. t, 1H), 7.44 (d, J 8.4 Hz, 1H), 7.66 (d, J
7.9 Hz, 1H), 7.74 (d, 1H, J 7.7 Hz), 10.11 (s, 1H), 11.61 (s, 1H). 13C NMR (DMSO-
d6, 100 MHz) d = 31.6, 107.5, 111.4, 117.9, 119.1, 122.1, 122.2, 122.8, 123.6,
126.5, 126.8, 127.9, 132.4, 135.4, 137.4, 171.6.
We thank Trinity College Dublin and the HEA PRTLI Cycle 3 for
generous financial support. This research was supported by grants
from the ‘Cancéropole Grand-Ouest’ grant (LM), the ‘Association
France-Alzheimer Finistère’ (LM), ‘Association pour la Recherche
sur le Cancer’ (ARC-1092) (LM) and the ‘Ligue Nationale contre le
Cancer’ (LM).
References and notes
1. Hartwell, L. H.; Weinert, T. A. Science 1989, 246, 629.
2. Kastan, M. B.; Bartek, J. Nature 2004, 432, 316.
3. Malumbres, M.; Harlow, E.; Hunt, T.; Hunter, T.; Lahti, J. M.; Manning, G.;
Morgan, D. O.; Tsai, L. H.; Wolgemuth, D. J. Nat. Cell Biol. 2009, 11, 1275.
4. Malumbres, M.; Barbacid, M. Nat. Rev. Cancer 2009, 9, 153.
5. Malumbres, M.; Barbacid, M. Nat. Rev. Cancer 2001, 1, 222.
6. Shapiro, G. I. J. Clin. Oncol. 2006, 24, 1770.
7. Fischer, P. M.; Gianella-Borradori, A. Expert Opin. Investig. Drugs 2005, 14, 457.
8. McInnes, C. Drug Discov. Today 2008, 13, 875.
9. Knockaert, M.; Greengard, P.; Meijer, L. Trends Pharmacol. Sci. 2002, 23, 417.
10. Zaharevitz, D. W.; Gussio, R.; Leost, M.; Senderowicz, A. M.; Lahusen, T.; Kunick,
C.; Meijer, L.; Sausville, E. A. Cancer Res. 1999, 59, 2566.
24. Our cyclisation conditions are based on those originally developed by Opatz,
who reported a similar cyclisation strategy via the ring closure of in situ
generated 12a. In the Opatz synthesis the generation of 12a via a 5-exo-trig
cyclisation reaction involving a deprotonated
a-aminonitrile requires more
steps and furnishes 1 in lower yield: Opatz, T.; Ferenc, D. Synthesis 2008, 3941.
25
25. For alternative strategies for the synthesis of paullone see Ref.
and: (a)
Baudoin, O.; Cesario, M.; Guenard, D.; Gueritte, F. J. Org. Chem 2002, 67, 1199;
(b) Joucla, L.; Popowycz, F.; Lozach, O.; Meijer, L.; Joseph, B. Helv. Chim. Acta
2007, 90, 753; (c) Bremner, J. B.; Sengpracha, W. Tetrahedron 2005, 61, 5489;
(d) Henry, N.; Blu, J.; Beneteau, V.; Merour, J.-Y. Synthesis 2006, 3895.
26. Choi-Sledeski, Y. M.; Kearner, R.; Poli, G.; Pauls, H.; Gardner, C.; Gong, Y.;
Becker, M.; Davis, R.; Spada, A.; Liang, G.; Chu, V.; Brown, K.; Collussi, D.;
Leadley, R.; Rebello, S.; Moxey, P.; Morgan, S.; Bentley, R.; Kasiewski, C.;
Maignan, S.; Guilloteau, J. –P.; Mikol, V. J. Med. Chem. 2003, 46, 681.
27. This type of reaction will also proceed (although sluggishly in our hands) in the
presence of CuI alone, see: Xu, L.; Lewis, I. R.; Davidsen, S. K.; Summers, J. B.
Tetrahedron Lett. 1998, 39, 5159.
11. Kunick, C. Arch. Pharm. 1992, 325, 297.
12. (a) Schultz, C.; Link, A.; Leost, M.; Zaharevitz, D. W.; Gussio, R.; Sausville, E. A.;
Meijer, L.; Kunick, C. J. Med. Chem. 1999, 42, 2909; (b) Kunick, C.; Lauenroth, K.;
Wieking, K.; Xie, X.; Schultz, C.; Gussio, R.; Zaharevitz, D.; Leost, M.; Meijer, L.;
Weber, A.; Jørgensen, F. S.; Lemcke, T. J. Med. Chem. 2004, 47, 22; (c) Pies, T.;
Schaper, K.-J.; Leost, M.; Zaharevitz, D. W.; Gussio, R.; Meijer, L.; Kunick, C. Arch.
Pharm. 2004, 337, 486.
13. Kunick, C.; Zeng, Z.; Gussio, R.; Zaharevitz, D.; Leost, M.; Totzke, F.; Schaechtele,
C.; Kubbutat, M. H. G.; Meijer, L.; Lemcke, T. ChemBioChem 2005, 6, 541.
14. Ali, A.; Hoeflich, K. P.; Woodgett, J. R. Chem. Rev. 2001, 101, 2527.
15. Doble, B. W.; Woodgett, J. R. J. Cell Sci. 2003, 116, 1175.
16. Frame, S.; Cohen, P. Biochem. J. 2001, 359, 1.
28. Bettayeb, K.; Oumata, N.; Echalier, A.; Ferandin, Y.; Endicott, J. A.; Galons, H.;
Meijer, L. Oncogene 2008, 27, 5797.
29. Romano, G.; Giordano, A. Cell Cycle 2008, 7, 3664.
17. Stukenbrock, H.; Mussmann, R.; Geese, M.; Ferandin, Y.; Lozach, O.; Lemcke, T.;
Kegel, S.; Lomow, A.; Burk, U.; Dohrmann, C.; Meijer, L.; Austen, M.; Kunick, C. J.
Med. Chem. 2008, 51, 2196.
30. Salerno, D.; Hasham, M. G.; Marshall, Renée.; Garriga, J.; Tsygankov, A. Y.;
Graña, X. Gene 2007, 405, 65.
31. Espinoza-Derout, J.; Wagner, M.; Shahmiri, K.; Mascareno, E.; Chaqour, B.;
Siddiqui, M. A. Q. Cardiovas. Res. 2007, 75, 129.
18. (a) Robinson, B. Chem. Rev. 1963, 63, 373.