Neocarzinostatin reactions with

Similarly, ab initio calculations on the thermal reaction of propene forming methyl-cyclopentane suggested a three-step biradical reaction with 1,4-biradical and 1,5-biradical as intermediates. Quantum-chemical calculations have been carried out for the cyclization of the neocarzinostatin chromophore cyclonona-l,2,3,5-tetraen-7-yne to 1,5-didehydroindene biradical. The degree of stereoselectivity of the Diels-Alder reaction of 2-methylfuran and maleic acid in water has been found to reduce significantly in the presence of heavy atoms. Taking into account the relatively low concentration (3.5-7 m) of heavy-atoms, and the rapid fall off of the heavy-atom effect with distance, these results show that a large portion of the Diels-Alder reaction occurs via diradical intermediates. " ... 

Similarly, ab initio calculations on the thermal reaction of propene forming methyl-cyclopentane suggested a three-step biradical reaction with 1,4-biradical and 1,5-biradical as intermediates. Quantum-chemical calculations have been carried out for the cyclization of the neocarzinostatin chromophore cyclonona-l,2,3,5-tetraen-7-yne to... 

The mechanism of activation of the kedarcidin chromophore is thought to be similar to that of the neocarzinostatin chromophore, with nucleophilic addition at C-12 initiating epoxide opening and producing the intermediate 309. The change in stmctural geometry then facilitates the cycloaromatization reaction, leading to... 

Myers has discovered a related reaction of the natural product neocarzinostatine 8 (simplified structure). As in the case of the Bergman cyclization a diradical intermediate is generated by a chemical activation step taking place at the reaction site, where it then can cleave DNA. Because of this feature, together with its discriminating affinity towards different DNA strands, neocarzinostatine is regarded as a potential antitumor agent. 

The tightly bound chromophore could be extracted from the protein with methanol [186], and the major component of the extract was determined to have the enediyne structure 116 (Figure 11.21), related to chromophores of other chromoprotein antitumor agents such as neocarzinostatin. Additional minor components were extracted, variously containing an OH group instead of OMe attached to the enediyne core, with Cl instead of OMe when chloride was present in the buffer salt, or with OEt instead of OMe when ethanol was used for the extraction. Another byproduct was isolated in the form of structure 117, consistent with a facile cy-doaromatization reaction as observed for all other enediyne antibiotics. Surprisingly, 117 also displayed antibiotic and antitumor activity, perhaps due to alkylation of DNA or protein by the aziridine. The interpretation of these results was that 116 and the other enediyne byproducts were merely artifacts of the extraction procedure and that the true structure of the maduropeptin chromophore is the aziridine 118. 

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