Synthesis of new apicidin derivatives as Histone deacetylase(HDAC) inhibitors

Histone deacetylase(HDAC), a neuclear enzyme that regulates gene trascription and the assembly of newly synthesized chromatin, has received much attention in recent literature. The explosion of activity in this field has yielded the cloning of a mammalian gene which encodes a complementary histone acetyl trasferases. Several cyclic tetrapeptide inhibitors of HDAC has been reported to affect the hyperacetylation of mammalian and plant histones. Apicidin, a natural product HDAC inhibitor recently isolated at Merck Research Laboratories, induces therapeutic applications as a broad spectrum antiprotozoal agent to multi-drug resistant malaria and a potential antitumor agnet. The biological activity of apicidin appears to be attributable to inhibition of apicocomplexan HDAC at low nanomolar concentrations.