Lamellarins as inhibitors of P-glycoprotein-mediated multidrug resistance in a human colon cancer cell line.

Chemical analysis of a Didemnum sp. (CMB-01656) collected during scientific Scuba operations off Wasp Island, New South Wales, yielded five new lamellarins A1 (1), A2 (2), A3 (3), A4 (4) and A5 (5) and eight known lamellarins C (6), E (7), K (8), M (9), S (10), T (11), X (12) and χ (13). Analysis of a second Didemnum sp. (CMB-02127) collected during scientific trawling operations along the Northern Rottnest Shelf, Western Australia, yielded the new lamellarin A6 (14) and two known lamellarins G (15) and Z (16). Structures were assigned to 1-16 on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis with comparison to literature data and authentic samples. Access to this unique library of natural lamellarins (1-16) provided a rare opportunity for structure-activity relationship (SAR) investigations, probing interactions between lamellarins and the ABC transporter efflux pump P-glycoprotein (P-gp) with a view to reversing multidrug resistance in a human colon cancer cell line (SW620 Ad300). These SAR studies, which were expanded to include the permethylated lamellarin derivative (17) and a series of lamellarin-inspired synthetic coumarins (19-24) and isoquinolines (25-26), successfully revealed 17 as a promising new non-cytotoxic P-gp inhibitor pharmacophore.