We have synthesized
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lac-acetogenins that are new acetogenin mimics possessing two
n-alkyltails without an
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,
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-unsaturated
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-lactone ring and suggested that their inhibition mechanism may bedifferent from that of common acetogenins [Hamada et al. (2004)
Biochemistry 43, 3651-3658]. Toelucidate the inhibition mechanism of
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lac-acetogenins in more detail, we carried out wide structuralmodifications of original
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lac-acetogenins and characterized the inhibitory action with bovine heartmitochondrial complex I. In contrast to common acetogenins, both the presence of adjacent bis-THFrings and the stereochemistry around the hydroxylated bis-THF rings are important structural factors requiredfor potent inhibition. The inhibitory potency of a derivative possessing an
n-butylphenyl ether structure(compound
7) appeared to be superior to that of the original
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lac-acetogenins and equivalent to that ofbullatacin, one of the most potent natural acetogenins. Double-inhibitor titration of steady-state complexI activity showed that the extent of inhibition of compound
7 and bullatacin is not additive, suggestingthat the binding sites of the two inhibitors are not identical. Competition tests using a fluorescent ligandindicated that the binding site of compound
7 does not overlap with that of other complex I inhibitors.The effects of compound
7 on superoxide production from complex I are also different from those ofother complex I inhibitors. Our results clearly demonstrate that
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lac-acetogenins are a novel type ofinhibitor acting at the terminal electron-transfer step of bovine complex I.