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University of Mississippi

Synthetic Investigation of Natural Products Causing Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

The terrestrial organisms Streptomyces venezuelae and Rhaponticum repens produce toxic secondary metabolites that likely function as chemical deterrents. The polyketide SV-6 from S. venezuelae and the sesquiterpene lactone repin from R. repens both produce dose-dependent and selective degeneration of dopaminergic neurons. These molecules represent two possible tools that can be used to explore chemotoxic induction of Parkinson’s disease. In the case of SV-6, a newly isolated metabolite, total synthesis was undertaken to confirm its structure and biological activity. The natural product was produced from methacrolein and Roche ester starting materials that were elaborated to their respective fragments, a vinyl iodide and a Weinreb amide. These fragments were coupled to form SV-6 and the synthesis allows for many additional opportunities to easily generate stereoisomers and analogs for further study. In the case of repin, previously isolated material was used as a starting material to create a biotin-labeled probe. There were considerable challenges due to the electrophilic nature of the compound, but a Nicolas reaction folloby copper catalyzed cycloaddition produced an impure biotin-repin probe. Repin was also subjected to screening in multiple biological assays which identified proteins potentially responsible for its neurodegenerative activity.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences
Level thesis:degree_level
Dissertation
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Biomolecular Sciences
Year dc:date.available
2018

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Cunningham, Michael John
Contributors dc:contributor
  • John M. Rimoldi
  • David A. Colby
  • Robert J. Doerksen

Subjects

dc:subject × 7

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Repository record dc:identifier
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1457
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:egrove.olemiss.edu:etd-2456

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
University of Mississippi
Base URL
egrove.olemiss.edu/do/oai/
Last updated
2026-07-24
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Cunningham, Michael John. Synthetic Investigation of Natural Products Causing Dopaminergic Neurodegeneration. Dissertation thesis, 2018. https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/1457