Stereoselective synthesis of allele-specific BET inhibitors

DOI: 10.1039/D0OB01165G

Authors: Adam G. Bond (University of Dundee) , Andrea Testa (University of Dundee) , Alessio Ciulli (University of Dundee)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Organic & Biomolecular Chemistry , VOL 2

State: Published (Approved)
Published: August 2020
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 19844

Abstract: Developing stereoselective synthetic routes that are efficient and cost-effective allows easy access to biologically active molecules. Our previous syntheses of allele-selective bumped inhibitors of the Bromo and Extra-Terminal (BET) domain proteins, Brd2, Brd3, Brd4 and BrdT, required a wasteful, late-stage alkylation step and expensive chiral separation. To circumvent these limitations, we developed a route based on stereocontrolled alkylation of an N-Pf protected aspartic acid derivative that was used in a divergent, racemisation-free protocol to yield structurally diverse and enantiopure triazolodiazepines. With this approach, we synthesized bumped thienodiazepine-based BET inhibitor, ET-JQ1-OMe, in five steps and 99% ee without the need for chiral chromatography. Exquisite selectivity of ET-JQ1-OMe for Leu-Ala and Leu-Val mutants over wild-type bromodomain was established by isothermal titration calorimetry and X-ray crystallography. Our new approach provides unambiguous chemical evidence for the absolute stereochemistry of the active, allele-specific BET inhibitors and a viable route that will open wider access to this compound class.

Subject Areas: Biology and Bio-materials, Chemistry, Medicine


Instruments: I24-Microfocus Macromolecular Crystallography

Documents:
d0ob01165g.pdf