Search results for " alkaloids"

In vivo monitoring of alkaloid metabolism in hybrid plant cell cultures by 2D cryo-NMR without labelling

2003

Non-invasive measurements of alkaloid metabolism in plant cell suspension cultures of a somatic hybrid from Rauvolfia serpentina Benth. ex Kurz and Rhazya stricta Decaisne were carried out. When cell samples were taken sequentially from a stock feeding experiment, measuring times for in vivo NMR of 40 min were sufficient for following conversions of alkaloids at the natural abundance of 13C. Degradation of ajmaline added to the cells at 1.6 mM concentration to raumacline could be monitored after 96 h on a standard 800 MHz NMR instrument (Avance 800). Feeding vinorine an intermediate of ajmaline biosynthesis at 1.8 mM showed with a 500 MHz CryoProbe that the alkaloid enters two metabolic rou…

Clavine alkaloids and derivatives as mutagens detected in the Ames test.

1992

Eight cytostatic clavines were investigated for mutagenicity in Salmonella typhimurium (reversion of the his-strains TA98, TA100, TA102 and TA1537), directly and in the presence of a mammalian xenobiotic metabolizing system, S9 (NADPH-fortified postmitochondrial fraction of liver homogenate from Aroclor 1254-treated rats). Four compounds (festuclavine, 17-bromofestuclavine, 1-allylelymoclavine and 1-methyllysergol methyl ether) were direct mutagens, whose activity was enhanced in the presence of S9. The other compounds (1-cyclopentylfestuclavine, 13-bromo-1-cyclopropylmethylfestuclavine, 6-cyano-1-propyl-6-norfestuclavine and 6-allyl-1-propyl-6-norfestuclavine) showed mutagenic effects only…

Structures of Alkaloid Biosynthetic Glucosidases Decode Substrate Specificity

2011

Two similar enzymes with different biosynthetic function in one species have evolved to catalyze two distinct reactions. X-ray structures of both enzymes help reveal their most important differences. The Rauvolfia alkaloid biosynthetic network harbors two O-glucosidases: raucaffricine glucosidase (RG), which hydrolyses raucaffricine to an intermediate downstream in the ajmaline pathway, and strictosidine glucosidase (SG), which operates upstream. RG converts strictosidine, the substrate of SG, but SG does not accept raucaffricine. Now elucidation of crystal structures of RG, inactive RG-E186Q mutant, and its complexes with ligands dihydro-raucaffricine and secologanin reveals that it is the…

Crystal structure of vinorine synthase, the first representative of the BAHD superfamily.

2005

Vinorine synthase is an acetyltransferase that occupies a central role in the biosynthesis of the antiarrhythmic monoterpenoid indole alkaloid ajmaline in the plant Rauvolfia. Vinorine synthase belongs to the benzylalcohol acetyl-, anthocyanin-O-hydroxy-cinnamoyl-, anthranilate-N-hydroxy-cinnamoyl/benzoyl-, deacetylvindoline acetyltransferase (BAHD) enzyme superfamily, members of which are involved in the biosynthesis of several important drugs, such as morphine, Taxol, or vindoline, a precursor of the anti-cancer drugs vincaleucoblastine and vincristine. The x-ray structure of vinorine synthase is described at 2.6-angstrom resolution. Despite low sequence identity, the two-domain structure…

Molecular Architecture of Strictosidine Glucosidase: The Gateway to the Biosynthesis of the Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloid Family[W]

2007

Abstract Strictosidine β-d-glucosidase (SG) follows strictosidine synthase (STR1) in the production of the reactive intermediate required for the formation of the large family of monoterpenoid indole alkaloids in plants. This family is composed of ∼2000 structurally diverse compounds. SG plays an important role in the plant cell by activating the glucoside strictosidine and allowing it to enter the multiple indole alkaloid pathways. Here, we report detailed three-dimensional information describing both native SG and the complex of its inactive mutant Glu207Gln with the substrate strictosidine, thus providing a structural characterization of substrate binding and identifying the amino acids …

A Modular Access to (±)-Tubocurine and (±)-Curine - Formal Total Synthesis of Tubocurarine.

2017

Two consecutive Cu-catalyzed Ullmann-type C–O couplings permitted the first successful entry toward the curare alkaloids (±)-tubocurine and (±)-curine. Starting from vanillin, the synthetic sequence comprises 15 linear steps and includes a total of 24 transformations. In addition, the total synthesis of tubocurine represents a formal total synthesis of the famous arrow poison alkaloid tubocurarine.

Enantioselective Synthesis of Tetrahydroprotoberberines and Bisbenzylisoquinoline Alkaloids from a Deprotonated α-Aminonitrile

2011

Under controlled conditions, 6,7-dimethoxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-1-carbonitrile can be quantitatively deprotonated in the α-position. Its alkylation directly furnishes 3,4-dihydroisoquinolines which can serve as starting materials for the preparation of various alkaloids. Here, the preparation of the benzylisoquinolines (+)-laudanidine, (+)-armepavine, and (+)-laudanosine as well as the tetrahydroprotoberberines (-)-corytenchine and (-)-tetrahydropseudoepiberberine using Noyori's asymmetric transfer hydrogenation are described. The dimeric alkaloids (+)-O-methylthalibrine and (+)-tetramethylmagnolamine were obtained from nonracemic precursors in Ullmann diaryl ether syntheses.

Strictosidine—The Biosynthetic Key to Monoterpenoid Indole Alkaloids

1999

New Alkaloids of the Sarpagine Group from Rauvolfia serpentina Hairy Root Culture

2002

Three new monoterpenoid indole alkaloids, 19(S),20(R)-dihydroperaksine (1), 19(S),20(R)-dihydroperaksine-17-al (2), and 10-hydroxy-19(S),20(R)-dihydroperaksine (3), along with 16 known alkaloids 4-19 were isolated from hairy root culture of Rauvolfia serpentina, and their structures were elucidated by 1D and 2D NMR analyses. Taking into account the stereochemistry of the new alkaloids and results of preliminary enzymatical studies, the putative biosynthetical relationships between the novel alkaloids are discussed.

Organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of quinolizidine alkaloids (+)-myrtine, (-)-lupinine, and (+)-epiepiquinamide

2011

The organocatalytic synthesis of quinolizidine alkaloids (+)-myrtine, (-)-lupinine, and (+)-epiepiquinamide is described. It involved, as the key step, an enantioselective intramolecular aza-Michael reaction (IMAMR) catalyzed by Jorgensen catalyst I, affording the common precursor with high enantioselectivity. This compound was subsequently transformed into the three alkaloids in a highly diastereoselective manner. (C) 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.