Umbelliferone aminoalkyl derivatives, a new class of squalene-hopene cyclase inhibitors

Eur J Med Chem. 2004 Nov;39(11):917-24. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmech.2004.06.010.

Abstract

The synthesis is described of several aminoalkyl derivatives of coumarin, obtained in good yields under microwave or high-intensity ultrasound irradiation. These compounds proved uniformly active as inhibitors of squalene-hopene cyclase (SHC) from Alicyclobacillus acidocaldarius. Their design stemmed from our recent finding that the umbelliferone nucleus acquires inhibitory properties towards SHC when functionalized with a suitable chain such as the omega-epoxyfarnesyl group. Under our experimental conditions the most active ones, such as 7-(4'-allylmethylamino-but-2-ynyloxy)chromen-2-one (IC(50) 0.75 mM), approached the potency of anticholesteremic drug Ro 48-8071 (IC(50) 0.35 mM), an effective inhibitor of both squalene- and oxidosqualene-cyclases (OSC). Tests are in progress to determine their efficacy on different eukaryotic OSCs.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Anticholesteremic Agents
  • Bacillaceae / enzymology
  • Benzophenones / pharmacology
  • Drug Design*
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemical synthesis
  • Enzyme Inhibitors / chemistry*
  • Intramolecular Transferases / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Intramolecular Transferases / chemistry
  • Liver
  • Squalene / metabolism
  • Swine
  • Umbelliferones / chemical synthesis
  • Umbelliferones / chemistry*
  • Umbelliferones / pharmacology

Substances

  • Anticholesteremic Agents
  • Benzophenones
  • Enzyme Inhibitors
  • Umbelliferones
  • Ro 48-8071
  • Squalene
  • Intramolecular Transferases
  • squalene-hopene cyclase
  • lanosterol synthase