CYP11B1 inhibition is a promising therapy for Cushing's syndrome. Starting from etomidate, references I and II, the title compounds were designed and synthesized. Cyclopropyl analogue 4 was identified as a CYP11B1 inhibitor more potent (IC(50) = 2.2 nM) than leads and more selective (SF = 11) than I and metyrapone. Since it also showed potent inhibition of rat CYP11B1 and good selectivity over human CYP17 and CYP19, it is a promising candidate for further development.

Protein kinase inhibitors with an allosteric mode of action are expected to reach, in many cases, higher selectivity for the target enzyme than ATP-competitive compounds. Therefore, basic research is aiming at identifying and establishing novel sites on the catalytic domain of protein kinases which might be targeted by allosteric inhibitors. We previously published the first structure-activity relationships (SARs) for allosteric activators of protein kinase PDK1. Here, we present the design, synthesis, and SAR data on a series of novel compounds, 4-benzimidazolyl-3-phenylbutanoic acids, that inhibit the atypical protein kinace C (PKC) ζ via binding to the PIF-pocket. Key positions were identified in the compounds that can be modified to increase potency and selectivity. Some congeners showed a high selectivity toward PKCζ, lacking inhibition of the most closely related isoform, PKCι, and of further AGC kinases. Furthermore, evidence is provided that these compounds are also active toward cellular PKCζ without loss of potency compared to the cell-free assay.

The protein kinase C-related kinase 2 (PRK2)-interacting fragment (PIF) pocket of phosphoinositide-dependent kinase-1 (PDK1) was proposed as a novel target site for allosteric modulators. In the present work, we describe the design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship of a series of 2-(3-oxo-1,3-diphenylpropyl)malonic acids as potent allosteric activators binding to the PIF pocket. Some congeners displayed AC(50) values for PDK1 activation in the submicromolar range. The potency of the best compounds to stabilize PDK1 in a thermal stability shift assay was in the same order of magnitude as that of the PIF pocket binding peptide PIFtide, suggesting comparable binding affinities to the PIF pocket. The crystal structure of PDK1 in complex with compound 4h revealed that additional ionic interactions are mainly responsible for the increased potency compared to the monocarboxylate analogues. Notably, several compounds displayed high selectivity for PDK1. Employing a prodrug strategy, we were able to corroborate the novel mechanism of action in cells.

Iridium phosphinitoxazoline complexes were found to be new efficient catalysts for the asymmetric hydrogenation of arylated α,β-unsaturated ketones. Linear as well as cyclic substrates are hydrogenated with similar success, giving selectivities of up to 99.7% ee.

σ-Alkyl iridium hydride complexes are generally postulated as intermediates in iridium-catalyzed hydrogenation. Fast reductive elimination results in the formation of the hydrogenation product. With an β-enamido ketone as unsaturated substrate, such an intermediate could be trapped because the semihydrogenated product coordinates trifold to the iridium, generating a stable 18e(-) complex, which does not eliminate.