Synthesis of a terphenyl substituted 4-aza-2,3-didehydropodophyllotoxin analogues as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization and apoptosis inducers.
A series of terphenyl based 4-aza-2,3-didehydropodophyllotoxin conjugates (8a-r) were synthesized by a straightforward one-step multicomponent synthesis that demonstrated anticancer activity against five human cancer cell lines (lung, colon, renal, prostate and cervical). All the tested compounds showed potent anticancer activity with IC50 values ranging from 0.87 to 16.59 μM. Among them compounds 8n and 8p showed significant anticancer activity in lung cancer cells with IC50 values 0.91 and 0.87 μM, respectively. Flow cytometric analysis revealed that these compounds induced cell cycle arrest in G2/M phase in A549 cell line leading to caspase-3 dependent apoptotic cell death. The tubulin polymerization assay and immunofluorescence analysis showed that these compounds effectively inhibit microtubule assembly at both molecular and cellular levels in A549 cells. Further, Hoechst staining, DNA fragmentation analysis also suggested that these compounds induced cell death by apoptosis. Overall, the current study demonstrated that the synthesis of terphenyl based 4-aza-2,3-didehydropodophyllotoxin conjugates as promising anticancer agents with G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptotic-inducing activities via targeting tubulin.
Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India. Electronic address: ahmedkamal@iict.res.in.
Ahmed
A
Kamal
Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India.
Jaki R
JR
Tamboli
Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India.
V Lakshma
VL
Nayak
Catalytic Chemistry Chair, Chemistry Department, College of Science, King Saud University, Riyadh 11451, Saudi Arabia.
S F
SF
Adil
Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India.
M V P S
MV
Vishnuvardhan
Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacology, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 500 007, India.
S
S
Ramakrishna
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000494:pharmacology; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D045744:Cell Line, Tumor; D053938:DNA Fragmentation / Q000187:drug effects; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D059565:G2 Phase Cell Cycle Checkpoints / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D011034:Podophyllotoxin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D058105:Polymerization / Q000187:drug effects; D014404:Tubulin / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism; D050257:Tubulin Modulators / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology
C467920:4-aza-2,3-didehydropodophyllotoxin; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D014404:Tubulin; D050257:Tubulin Modulators; D053148:Caspase 3; D011034:Podophyllotoxin
Anticancer activity; Apoptosis; Caspase-3 activation; DNA fragmentation; G(2)/M cell cycle arrest; Hoechst staining; Inhibition of tubulin polymerization; Multicomponent synthesis; Podophyllotoxin