ROBERT PETTIT

Regents' Professor
Ph.D., Wayne State University, 1956

  Office: D-301  Lab: PS C-334/D-307
  Phone: (480)965-3351  Lab Phone: 727-2009
  Fax: (480) 965-2747
  Email: bpettit@asu.edu

Research and Teaching Interests

Significant advances in the treatment of human cancer and other serious medical problems are becoming increasingly more dependent upon scientists well trained in organic chemistry, biochemistry and biology. Our group is organized to provide the specialized training necessary to undertake problems concerned with the discovery of anticancer substances for the treatment of cancer. Among various activities, we are pursuing a unique program concerned with isolation, structural identification and synthesis of naturally occurring anticancer agents from marine animals, plants, and arthropods. Studies concerned with synthetic methods, and routes to certain important biosynthetic products comprise related areas of interest.

Specific Research Interests. Chemistry of natural products (peptides, nucleotides, and steroids), cancer chemotherapy (anticancer agents from arthropods, marine animals and plants), and total synthesis of natural products.

Representative Publications

"Antineoplastic Agents 560. Isolation and Structure of Kitastatin 1 from an Alaskan Kitasatospora sp.," G.R. Pettit, R. Tan, R.K.Pettit, T.H. Smith, S. Feng, D.L. Doubek, L. Richert, J. Hamblin, C. Weber and J-C. Chapuis, J. Nat. Prod. 70, 1069-1072 (2007).

"Antineoplastic Agents 561. Total Synthesis of Respirantin 1a," G.R. Pettit, T.H. Smith, S. Feng, J.C. Knight, R. Tan, R.K. Pettit and P.A. Hinrichs, J. Nat. Prod. 70, 1073-1083 (2007).

"Antineoplastic Agents 550. Synthesis of 10b (S) - epipancratistatin from (+) - Narciclasine," G.R. Pettit, N. Melody, D.L. Herald, J.C. Knight and J-C. Chapuis, J. Nat. Prod. 70, 417 (2007).

"Comparison of the Activities of the Truncated Halichondrin B Analog NSC 707389 (E7389) with those of the Parent Compound and a Proposed Binding Site on Tubulin," D.A. Dabydeen, J.C. Burnett, R.B. Bai, P. Verdier-Pinard, M.J. Yu, B.A.Littlefield, S.J.H. Hickford, G.R. Pettit, J.W. Blunt, M.H.G. Munro, R. Gussio and E.' Hamel, Molecular Pharmacology 70, 1866 (2006).

"Antineoplastic Agents 554. The Manitoba Bacterium Streptomyces sp.," G.R. Pettit, J.Du, R.K. Pettit, L.A. Richert, V. Mukku and M.S. Hoard, J. Nat. Prod 69, 804-806 (2006).

"Isolation and Structural Modification of 7-Deoxynarciclasine and 7-deoxy-trans-dihydronarciclasine," G.R. Pettit, S.A. Eastham, N. Melody, B. Orr, D.L. Herald, J. McGregor, J.C. Knight, D.L. Doubek, G.R. Pettit III, L.C. Garner and J.A. Bell, J. Nat. Prod. 69, 7-13 (2006).

"Design and Synthesis of a Potent Phorboxazole C (11-15) Acetal Analogue," A.B. Smith, T.M. Razler, R.M. Meis and G.R. Pettit, Organic Letters 8, 797-799 (2006).

"Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Combretastatin Nitrogen-Containing Derivatives as Inhibitors of Tubulin Assembly and Vascular Targeting Agents," K.A. Monk, R. Siles, M. Hadimani, B.E. Mugabe, F. Ackley, K. Edvardsen, M.L. Trawick, C.M. Garner, M.R. Rhodes, G.R. Pettit and K.G. Pinney, BioOrg. Med. Chem. 14, 3231-3234 (2006).

"Antineoplastic Agents. 551. Isolation and Structures of Bauhiniastatins 1-4 from Baihinia purpurea," G.R. Pettit, A. Numata, C. Iwamoto, Y. Usami, T. Yamada, H. Ohishi and G.M. Cragg, J. Nat. Prod. 69, 323-327 (2006).

"Antitumor Studies of Auristatin PYE, a NovelSynthetic Derivative of Dolastatin 10," M.C. Bibby, P.A. Cooper, N.J. Millington, G.R. Pettit, and S.D. Shnyder, Clin. Cancer Res. 11, 9089S-9089S (2005).

"Investigation of the Efficacy and Mechanism of Action of Pancratistatin 3, 4-cyclic Phosphate," S.D. Shnyder, P.A. Cooper, J.J. Millington, J.H. Gill, G.R. Pettit and M.C. Bibby, Clin. Cancer Res. 11, 8971S-8971S (2005).

"Antineoplastic Agents 509. Synthesis of Sodium Fluorcombstatin Phosphate and Related 3-Halo-Stilbenes," G.R. Pettit, M.D. Minardi, H.J. Rosenberg, E. Hamel, M.C. Bibby, S.W. Martin, M.K. Jung, R.K. Pettit, T.J. Cuthbertson and J-C. Chapuis, J. Nat. Prod. 68, 1450-1458 (2005).

"In vitro and In vivo Antifungal Activities of the Marine Sponge Constituent Spongistatin 1," R.K. Pettit, S. Pon, Z.A. Cichacz, C.L. Herald, G.R. Pettit and T. Woyke, Medical Mycology 43, 453-463 (2005).