Issue 6, 2021

Alkyl vs. aryl modifications: a comparative study on modular modifications of triphenylphosphonium mitochondrial vectors

Abstract

Triphenylphosphonium (TPP+) moieties are commonly conjugated to drug molecules to confer mitochondrial selectivity due to their positive charge and high lipophilicity. Although optimisation of lipophilicity can be achieved by modifying the length of the alkyl linkers between the TPP+ moiety and the drug molecule, it is not always possible. While methylation of the TPP+ moiety is a viable alternative to increase lipophilicity and mitochondrial accumulation, there are no studies comparing these two separate modular approaches. Thus, we have systematically designed, synthesised and tested a range of TPP+ molecules with varying alkyl chain lengths and degree of aryl methylation to compare the two modular methodologies for modulating lipophilicity. The ability of aryl/alkyl modified TPP+ to deliver cargo to the mitochondria was also evaluated by confocal imaging with a TPP+-conjugated fluorescein-based fluorophore. Furthermore, we have employed molecular dynamics simulations to understand the translocation of these molecules through biological membrane model systems. These results provide further insights into the thermodynamics of this process and the effect of alkyl and aryl modular modifications.

Graphical abstract: Alkyl vs. aryl modifications: a comparative study on modular modifications of triphenylphosphonium mitochondrial vectors

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Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
01 5 2021
Accepted
21 8 2021
First published
25 8 2021
This article is Open Access
Creative Commons BY-NC license

RSC Chem. Biol., 2021,2, 1643-1650

Alkyl vs. aryl modifications: a comparative study on modular modifications of triphenylphosphonium mitochondrial vectors

H. C. Ong, J. T. S. Coimbra, G. Kwek, M. J. Ramos, B. Xing, P. A. Fernandes and F. García, RSC Chem. Biol., 2021, 2, 1643 DOI: 10.1039/D1CB00099C

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