A common pharmacophore for Taxol and the epothilones based on the biological activity of a taxane molecule lacking a C-13 side chain.
Extensive structure-activity studies done with Taxol have identified the side chain at C-13 as one of the requirements for biological activity. Baccatin III, an analogue of Taxol lacking the C-13 side chain, has none of the biological characteristics of Taxol. Since 2-m-azido Taxol, a Taxol derivative with a m-azido substituent in the C-2 benzoyl ring, has greater activity than Taxol, we questioned whether 2-m-azido baccatin III might be active. 2-m-Azido baccatin III inhibited the proliferation of human cancer cells at nanomolar concentrations, blocked cells at mitosis, and reorganized the interphase microtubules into distinct bundles, a typical morphological change induced by Taxol. In contrast to 2-m-azido baccatin III, 2-p-azido baccatin III was similar to baccatin III, having no Taxol-like activity, further indicating the specificity and significance of the 2-meta position substituent. Molecular modeling studies done with the C-2 benzoyl ring of Taxol indicated that it fits into a pocket formed by His227 and Asp224 on beta-tubulin and that the 2-m-azido, in contrast to the 2-p-azido substituent, is capable of enhancing the interaction between the benzoyl group and the side chain of Asp224. The observation that the C-13 side chain is not an absolute requirement for biological activity in a taxane molecule has enabled the development of a new common pharmacophore model between Taxol and the epothilones.
He
L
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Department of Molecular Pharmacology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York 10461, USA.
Jagtap
P G
PG
Kingston
D G
DG
Shen
H J
HJ
Orr
G A
GA
Horwitz
S B
SB
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D008958:Models, Molecular; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011487:Protein Conformation; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D043823:Taxoids
D000972:Antineoplastic Agents, Phytogenic; D001952:Bridged-Ring Compounds; D043823:Taxoids; C080625:taxane; D017239:Paclitaxel