Synthesis and biological evaluation of analogs of the marine alkaloids granulatimide and isogranulatimide

A series of pyrrolic analogs and two series of regioisomeric pyrazolic analogs of the marine alkaloids granulatimide and isogranulatimide were prepared. The synthesis of the two first ones was based on the condensation reaction of diversely 5-substituted 3-bromoindoles with pyrrole or pyrazole followed by addition of the intermediates on maleimide or dibromomaleimide, respectively, the so-obtained acyclic adducts being finally photocyclized to the desired analogs. Compounds of the last series were obtained by reacting different 5-substituted-indole-3-glyoxylates with N-Boc-pyrazole-3-acetamide and subsequent photochemical cyclization of the adducts. All the compounds were evaluated for their in vitro growth inhibitory properties toward eight cancer cell lines. Several compounds were also assayed for their ability to abrogate the G2-cell cycle checkpoint or to inhibit a panel of Ser/Thr kinases. Lastly, computer-assisted phase-contrast microscopy (quantitative videomicroscopy) revealed that the three most potent compounds (4a, 9a, 9e), with IC50 growth inhibitory concentrations ranging between 10 and 20 mu M, displayed cytostatic, not cytotoxic, anticancer effects