Generation of new derivatives of the antitumor antibiotic mithramycin by altering the glycosylation pattern through combinatorial biosynthesis

Chembiochem. 2008 Sep 22;9(14):2295-304. doi: 10.1002/cbic.200800299.

Abstract

Mithramycin is an antitumor drug produced by Streptomyces argillaceus. It consists of a tricyclic aglycone and five deoxyhexoses that form a disaccharide and a trisaccharide chain, which are important for target interaction and therefore for the antitumor activity. Using a combinatorial biosynthesis approach, we have generated nine mithramycin derivatives, seven of which are new compounds, with alterations in the glycosylation pattern. The wild-type S. argillaceus strain and the mutant S. argillaceus M7U1, which has altered D-oliose biosynthesis, were used as hosts to express various "sugar plasmids", each one directing the biosynthesis of a different deoxyhexose. The newly formed compounds were purified and characterized by MS and NMR. Compared to mithramycin, they contained different sugar substitutions in the second (D-olivose, D-mycarose, or D-boivinose instead of D-oliose) and third (D-digitoxose instead of D-mycarose) sugar units of the trisaccharide as well as in the first (D-amicetose instead of D-olivose) sugar unit of the disaccharide. All compounds showed antitumor activity against different tumor cell lines. Structure-activity relationships are discussed on the basis of the number and type of deoxyhexoses present in these mithramycin derivatives.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / biosynthesis*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / chemistry*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / chemistry*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / metabolism*
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Carbohydrates / biosynthesis
  • Cell Line, Tumor
  • Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques
  • Drug Design*
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • Mutation
  • Plicamycin / biosynthesis*
  • Plicamycin / chemistry*
  • Plicamycin / pharmacology
  • Streptomyces / genetics
  • Streptomyces / metabolism
  • Trisaccharides / chemistry

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • Carbohydrates
  • Trisaccharides
  • galactopyranosyl-1-3-glucopyranosyl-1-2-fructofuranose
  • Plicamycin