published_or_final_version / abstract / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

published_or_final_version / abstract / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Cells interact with both tethered and motile ligands in their extra-cellular environment, which mediates, initiates and regulates a series of cellular functions, such as cell adhesion, migration, morphology, proliferation, apoptosis, bi-directional signal transduction, tissue homeostasis, wound healing among others. A fundamental understanding of the thermodynamics of receptor-mediated cell interaction is necessary not only from the aspect of physiology, but also for bioengineering applications, e.g. drug discovery, tissue engineering and biomaterial fabrication. Our models on free energy calculations of receptor mediated cell-matrix interactions supplement computational endeavors based on continuum mechanics. By incorporating conformational, entropic, solvation, steric effect, implicit and explicit interactions of receptors and extra-cellular ligand molecules, we can predict free energy, chemical equilibrium constant of binding, spatial and conformational distributions of biopolymers, adhesion force as functions of a set of key variables, e.g. surface coverage of receptor, interaction distance between cell and substrate, specific binding energy, implicit interaction strength, constraint in ligand’s conformation, size of motile nano-ligand, aggregation of receptors, sliding velocity relative to fluid. Our work has improved understanding of phenomena in cell-matrix interactions at both cellular and the molecular scales. / text

The introduction of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) targeting the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) inhibitors to the clinic has resulted in an improvement in the treatment of non small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, many patients treated with EGFR TKIs do not respond to therapy. The burden of failed treatment is largely placed on the healthcare field, limiting the effectiveness of EGFR TKIs. Furthermore, responses are hindered by the emergence of resistance. Thus, two questions must be addressed to achieve maximum benefit of EGFR inhibitors: How can patients who will benefit from EGFR TKIs be selected a priori? How can patients who respond achieve maximal benefit? To answer these questions, two hypotheses were formed. First, the EGFR-dependent phenotype, which is displayed by the tumors cells of those patients who respond clinically to EGFR TKIs, can be captured by genomic profiling of NSCLC cell lines stratified by sensitivity to EGFR TKIs. This gene signature may be used to predict the outcome of EGFR TKI therapy in unknown samples. Secondly, the predictive signature of response to EGFR TKI could provide insights into the underlying biology of the phenotype of EGFR-dependency. This information could be exploited to identify inhibitors which could be combined with EGFR inhibitors to elicit a greater effect, thereby minimizing resistance. The work herein describes the testing of these hypotheses. Pharmacogenomics was utilized to define a signature of EGFR-dependency which effectively predicted response to EGFR TKI in vitro and in vivo. Furthermore, the signature was analyzed by bioinformatic approaches to identify the RAS/MAPK pathway as a candidate target in EGFR-dependent NSCLC. The RAS/MAPK pathway regulates expression and activation of EGF-like ligands. Furthermore, the RAS/MAPK pathway modulates EGFR stability in the EGFR-dependent phenotype. Further biochemical analyses demonstrated that the RAS/MAPK pathway mediates proliferation and survival of EGFR-dependent NSCLC cells. Finally, combinatorial treatment of EGFR-dependent NSCLC cell lines with small molecules targeting EGFR and the RAS/MAPK pathway yielded cytotoxic synergy. Thus, we have used pharmacogenomics methods to potentially improve NSCLC treatment by developing a method of predicting response and identifying an additional target to combine with EGFR TKIs to maximize responses.

Au cours de ce travail de thèse, la synthèse de nouveaux ligands mixtes combinant des fonctions de propriétés électroniques différentes (phosphores, amines, alcène, amidure, iminophosphorane) a été abordée. Leur chimie de coordination a été étudiée et certains complexes isolés ont été utilisés en catalyse (oligomérisation d'éthylène, hydrogénation par transfert d'hydrure).

Nous avons réalisé la synthèse de nouveaux ligands "phosphine-free " à base pipéridinyle trouvant une application dans les réactions de créations de liaisons C-C. Nous avons créé une grande variété de ligands afin d'étudier les paramètres pouvant influencer leur performance catalytique. L'utilisation des complexes de Palladium correspondants dans des réactions de catalyse homogène nous a amené à nous intéresser à la réaction de Suzuki-Myaura. Un criblage a permis de cibler les chélates les plus performants et l'étude du champ d'application a révélé leur grande performance catalytique. De plus, les paramètres de la réaction ont été optimisés dans l'esprit d'une chimie plus respectueuse de l'environnement. Ces résultats ont amené la réalisation de ligands de 2ème génération (plus simple d'accès et d'une grande potentialité en réaction de Suzuki-Myaura) et de ligands de 3ème génération capables d'av.oir d'autres applications notamment dans le cas de complexes de cuivre

Cette thèse traite de l'utilisation de molécules dîtes ambiphiles, comportant à la fois un site donneur et accepteur d'électrons, en chimie organométallique, en tant que ligand.<br /><br />Dans le premier chapitre, une étude bibliographique décrit l'utilisation des acides de Lewis du groupe 13 en tant que co-catalyseur en chimie organométallique, afin de mieux comprendre quel rôle pourrait jouer celui-ci au sein d'un ligand ambiphile coordiné sur un métal de transition. Les différents modes de coordination de ces ligands sont examinés. Les rares contributions traitant de la réactivité de ce type de complexes sont également décrites.<br /><br />Le second chapitre décrit la synthèse par couplage bore-carbone d'une nouvelle famille de ligands ambiphiles, 2-picolylboranes. En fonction des substituants du bore, ces composés sont obtenus sous forme dimère ou monomère fermé par interactions datives donneur-accepteur, inter ou intramoléculaires. Le comportement en solution du 2-picolylBCy2 a été examiné attentivement. Un équilibre entre la forme dimère et monomère est mis en évidence. Des calculs théoriques valident nos conclusions. La coordination de ce ligand sur plusieurs précurseurs métalliques est étudiée. Un exemple rare de coordination pontante donneur→Ru-Cl→accepteur a été caractérisé dans le complexe [(p-cym)RuCl2(2-picolylBCy2)].<br /><br />Dans le troisième chapitre, la synthèse par hydroboration d'une famille de ligands ambiphiles, 1,2-phosphinoethylborane, est décrite. Deux complexes de ruthénium neutres contenant ces ligands, ainsi que leur dérivés cationiques sont caractérisés. Des tests catalytiques préliminaires d'hydrosilylation du benzaldéhyde avec l'un des complexes cationiques ont montré la dégradation rapide du pré-catalyseur en un complexe ruthénacycle original. Sa réactivité avec un chloroborane et un chloroalane est étudiée.

No description available.

This thesis describes the synthesis of a host of polynuclear iron complexes synthesised with phenolic oxime ligands, fundamentally developing the coordination chemistry of iron with these ligands. The metallic cores that occur within iron phenolic oxime clusters were found to contain almost exclusively oxo-centred triangles and oxo-centred tetrahedra. We found that we could alter the reaction conditions or derivatise the ligands and develop these basic building blocks into more elaborate arrays, exerting a degree of control over creating larger or smaller clusters. Chapter one describes the syntheses, structures and magnetic properties of new iron complexes alongside previously synthesised related complexes (4, 5, 8, 9 and 15) containing salicylaldoxime (saoH2) or derivatised salicylaldoximes (RsaoH2). These are [Fe3O(OMe)(Ph-sao)2Cl2(py)3]·2MeOH (1·2MeOH), [Fe3O(OMe)(Ph-sao)2Br2(py)3]·Et2O (2·Et2O), [Fe4(Ph-sao)4F4(py)4]·1.5MeOH (3·1.5MeOH), [Fe6O2(OH)2(Et-sao)2(Et-saoH)2(O2CPh)6] (4), [HNEt3]2[Fe6O2(OH)2(Et-sao)4(O2CPh(Me)2)6]·2MeCN (5·2MeCN), [Fe6O2(O2CPh)10(3-tBut-5-NO2-sao)2(H2O)2]·2MeCN (6·2MeCN), [Fe6O2(O2CCH2Ph)10(3-tBut-sao)2(H2O)2]·5MeCN (7·5MeCN), {[Fe6Na3O(OH)4(Me-sao)6(OMe)3(H2O)3(MeOH)6]·MeOH}n (8·MeOH) and [HNEt3]2[Fe12Na4O2(OH)8(sao)12(OMe)6(MeOH)10] (9). The predominant building block appears to be the triangular [Fe3O(R-sao)3]+ species which can self-assemble into more elaborate arrays depending on reaction conditions. The four hexanuclear and two octanuclear complexes of formulae [Fe8O2(OMe)4(Mesao) 6Br4(py)4]·2Et2O·MeOH (10·2Et2O·MeOH), [Fe8O2(OMe)3.85(N3)4.15(Mesao) 6(py)2] (11), [Fe6O2(O2CPh-4-NO2)4(Me-sao)2(OMe)4Cl2(py)2] (12), [Fe6O2(O2CPh-4-NO2)4(Et-sao)2(OMe)4Cl2(py)2]·2Et2O·MeOH (13·2Et2O·MeOH), [HNEt3]2[Fe6O2(Me-sao)4(SO4)2(OMe)4(MeOH)2] (14) and [HNEt3]2[Fe6O2(Etsao) 4(SO4)2(OMe)4(MeOH)2] (15) all are built from series of edge-sharing [Fe4( μ4- O)]10+ tetrahedra. Complexes 10 and 11 display a new μ4-coordination mode of the oxime ligand and join a small group of Fe-phenolic oxime complexes with nuclearity greater than six. Chapter three then introduces co-ligands to the reaction scheme to compete with the salicylaldoxime ligands for metal coordination sites. Five tetranuclear and two nononuclear complexes are stabilised with salicylaldoxime (saoH2) or derivatised salicylaldoximes (R-saoH2) in conjunction with either 1,4,7- triazocyclononane (tacn), 2-hydroxymethyl pyridine (hmpH) or 2,6-pyridine dimethanol (pdmH2), [Fe4O2(sao)4(tacn)2]·2MeOH (16·MeOH), [Fe4O2(Mesao) 4(tacn)2]·2MeCN (17·2MeCN), [Fe4O2(Et-sao)4(tacn)2]·MeOH (18·MeOH), [Fe9NaO4(Et-sao)6(hmp)8]·3MeCN·Et2O (19·3MeCN·Et2O), [Fe4 (Etsao) 4(hmp)4]·Et-saoH2 (20·Et-saoH2), [Fe4(Ph-sao)4(hmp)4]·2MeCN (21·2MeCN) [Fe9O3(sao)(pdm)6(N3)7(H2O)] (22). Chapter four straps two salicylaldoxime units together in the 3-position, using ligands with aliphatic a,W-aminomethyl links, allowing the assembly of the polynuclear complexes [Fe7O2(OH)6(H2L1)3(py)6](BF4)5·6H2O·14MeOH (23·6H2O·14MeOH), [Fe6O(OH)7(H2L2)3][(BF4)3]·4H2O·9MeOH (24·4H2O·9MeOH) and [Mn6O2(OH)2(H2L1)3(py)4(MeCN)2](BF4)5(NO3)·3MeCN·H2O·5py (25·3MeCN·H2O·5py). In each case the metallic skeleton of the cluster is based on a trigonal prism in which two [MIII 3O] triangles are tethered together via three helically twisted double-headed oximes. The latter are present as H2L2- in which the oximic and phenolic O-atoms are deprotonated and the amino N-atoms protonated, with the oxime moieties bridging across the edges of the metal triangles. Both the identity of the metal ion and the length of the straps connecting the salicylaldoxime units have a major impact on the nuclearity and topology of the resultant cage, with, perhaps counter-intuitively, the longer straps producing the “smallest” clusters.