Synthesis of biotinylated xestoquinone that retains inhibitory activity against Ca2+ ATPase of skeletal muscle myosin.

Xestoquinone isolated from a marine sponge binds to skeletal muscle myosin and inhibits its Ca(2+) ATPase activity. In this study, we first examined xestoquinone and its analogues to assess the relationships between structure and myosin Ca(2+) ATPase inhibitory activity. On the basis of the resultant data, we then designed a biotinylated xestoquinone analogue. Xestoquinone and its analogues were derived from extracts of the marine sponge Xestospongia sapra. Four xestoquinone analogues with a quinone structure significantly inhibited Ca(2+) ATPase activity. In contrast, four xestoquinone analogues in which the quinone structure was converted to a quinol dimethyl ether did not inhibit Ca(2+) ATPase activity. This suggests that the quinone moiety is essential for inhibitory activity. Then, we synthesized a biotinylated xestoquinone in which a biotin tag was introduced to a site far from the quinone moiety, and this molecule exhibited stronger inhibitory activity than that of xestoquinone. This biotinylated xestoquinone could be useful as a probe in studies of the xestoquinone-myosin binding mode.