Synthesis and pharmacology of seleninic acid analogues of the inhibitory neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid

[structure: see text] The first seleninic acid analogues of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and of the specific GABA(A) agonist piperidine-4-carboxylic acid (isonipecotic acid), 1 and 2, respectively, have been synthesized and shown to be potent agonists at the GABA receptors.     

Synthesis, pharmacology, and cell biology of sn-2-aminooxy analogues of lysophosphatidic acid

An efficient enantioselective synthesis of sn-2-aminooxy (AO) analogues of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) that possess palmitoyl and oleoyl acyl chains is presented. Both sn-2-AO LPA analogues are agonists for the LPA1, LPA2, and LPA4 G-protein-coupled receptors, but antagonists for the LPA3 receptor and inhibitors of autotaxin (ATX). Moreover, both analogues stimulate migration of intestinal epithelial cells in a scratch wound assay.     

Investigation of a route to ibotenic acid analogues via a reduced pyroglutamate template

Two alternative "ring switch" based syntheses have been shown to give access to the reduced protected homochiral analogues, 27, 28 and 36, of the CNS active compound ibotenic acid.     

Organocatalytic enantioselective synthesis of metabotropic glutamate receptor ligands

(R)-Proline catalyzes the amination reaction of functionalized indane carboxaldehydes and allows for the efficient enantioselective synthesis (>99% ee) of the metabotropic glutamate receptor ligands (S)-AIDA and (S)-APICA. [reaction: see text]     

Nucleic acid analogues: Synthesis and biomimetic reactions

Several nucleic acid analogues as shown in Scheme 1 were synthesized by alternating copolymerization of nucleoside analogues with maleic anhydride or acrylic anhydride. These polymers showed similar physicochemical properties to those of the natural polymers, such as base-pairing and base-stacking. Polymer 3U, for example, formed 1:1 complex with poly(adenylic acid) by base-pairing. Polymer 4A showed 33% of hypochromicity compared with the UV-absorption of adenosine due to the base-stacking. Polymer 5 catalyzed the cleavage of DNA and the hydrolysis of phosphodiester with a rate acceleration of 10³ compared with the uncatalyzed reaction.     

Synthesis of new lavendamycin analogues

Friedländer reaction between methyl acetoacetate and 2,4-diaminobenzaldehyde provided quinoline 11. Subsequent tosylation, reduction, silylation, and then oxidation led to aldehyde 15. The latter was subjected to a Pictet-Spengler reaction with tryptophan methyl ester that yielded product 16, and then desilylation gave the lavendamycin analogue 17. This compound was oxidized by Dess-Martin periodinane, and the cyclized derivative 18 was obtained via a hemiaminal intermediate. The same sequence from 2,4-diamino-5-methoxybenzaldehyde or from (2,4-diaminophenyl)propan-3-one led to compounds 30 and 31, or 40 and 41, respectively.     

Synthesis of functionally substituted isoxazole and isothiazole derivatives

Acylation of benzene and toluene with 5-phenyl- and 5-(p-tolyl)isoxazole-3-carbonyl chlorides gave 5-phenyl(or p-tolyl)isoxazol-3-yl phenyl(or p-tolyl)ketones which were reduced to the corresponding alcohols with sodium tetrahydridoborate in propan-2-ol. Selective reduction of the carboxy group in 4,5-dichloroisothiazole-3-carboxylic acid was achieved by the action of BH₃, and the aldehyde group in 4-formyl-2-methoxyphenyl 5-arylisoxazole-3-carboxylates and 4,5-dichloroisothiazole-3-carboxylates was reduced to hydroxymethyl group with sodium triacetoxyhydridoborate in benzene. Acylation of the resulting hydroxymethyl derivatives with 5-arylisoxazole- and 4,5-dichloroisothiazole-3-carbonyl chlorides afforded the corresponding esters containing two azole fragments in their molecules.     

Synthesis of alpha-fluorinated phosphonates from alpha-fluorovinylphosphonates: a new route to analogues of lysophosphatidic acid

A versatile, efficient method for the preparation of alpha-monofluoromethylene (-CHF-) phosphonates from alpha-fluorovinylphosphonate provides access to a class of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor-subtype agonists. In addition, sn-2 O-methylation of alpha-monofluoromethylene phosphonates using trimethylsilyldiazomethane generated sn-1-acyl, 2-O-methyl alpha-monofluoromethylene derivatives. Finally, a novel method for the selective etherification of 1,2-diols was developed and a new class of sn-1 O-methyl, 2-acyl alpha-monofluoromethylene LPA analogues was prepared. [reaction: see text]     

Synthesis of new analogues of diphenylpyraline

1-Unsubstituted 4-dimethylamino-5,6-dihydropyridine-2(1H)-thiones were converted to isomeric piperidin-4-ols which were separated and N-methylated to 2-substituted 1-methylpiperidin-4-ols. Their 1-phenyl analogues were prepared from 4-dimethylamino-5,6-dihydro-1-phenylpyridine-2(1H)-thiones. After their conversion to dihydro-1-phenylpyridin-4(1H)-ones the hydrogenation gave isomeric 1-phenylpiperidin-4-ols which were separated. O-Alkylation of the 1-substituted piperidin-4-ols by various methods yielded 2-substituted analogues of diphenylpyraline. Their antimycobacterial activity was examined. The configurations and conformations of the piperidine derivatives were investigated by NMR spectroscopy.     

Synthesis of new chiral thiazoline-containing ligands

New chiral ligands, including bi- and tridentate thiazoline derivatives, analogues of known oxazolines, have been synthesized by a general and convenient procedure, starting from dithioesters and commercial enantiopure 2-aminoalcohols. A preliminary test shows the ability of such ligands to act as asymmetric catalysts in Pd-catalyzed allylic substitution reaction.     

Synthesis of monofluorinated analogues of lysophosphatidic acid

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA, 1- or 2-acyl-sn-glycerol 3-phosphate) displays an intriguing cell biology that is mediated via interactions both with G-protein coupled seven transmembrane receptors and with the nuclear hormone receptor PPARgamma. Synthesis and biological activities of fluorinated analogues of LPA are still relatively unknown. In an effort to identify receptor-selective LPA analogues and to document in detail the structure-activity relationships of fluorinated LPA isosteres, we describe a series of monofluorinated LPA analogues in which either the sn-1 or the sn-2 hydroxy group was replaced by fluorine, or the bridging oxygen in the monophosphate was replaced by an alpha-monofluoromethylene (-CHF-) moiety. The sn-1 or sn-2 monofluorinated LPA analogues were enantiospecifically prepared from chiral protected glycerol synthons, and the alpha-monofluoromethylene-substituted LPA analogues were prepared from a racemic epoxide with use of a hydrolytic kinetic resolution. The sn-2 and sn-1 fluoro LPA analogues were unable to undergo acyl migration, effectively "freezing" them in the sn-1-O-acyl or sn-2-O-acyl forms, respectively. The alpha-monofluoromethylene LPA analogues were unique new nonhydrolyzable ligands with surprising enantiospecific and receptor-specific biological readouts, with one compound showing a 1000-fold higher activity than native LPA for one receptor subtype.     

Synthesis of 5-substituted pipecolic acid derivatives as new conformationally constrained ornithine and arginine analogues

Two, orthogonally protected, constrained analogues of arginine have been synthesised in a diastereodivergent manner. The key step involved an electrophilic or radical functionalisation of methyl N-Boc-5,6-dehydropipecolate.     

Synthesis of difluoromethyl substituted lysophosphatidic acid analogues

Lysophosphatidic acid (LPA, 1- or 2-acyl-sn-glycerol 3-phosphate) displays an intriguing cell biology that is mediated via interactions both with G-protein coupled seven transmembrane receptors and with nuclear hormone receptor PPARγ. We describe a new and efficient route to enantiomerically homogeneous lysophospholipid analogues from (S)-1,2,4-butanetriol to give two 3-difluoromethyl substituted analogues of 2-acyl-sn-glycerol 3-phosphate. These compounds are migration-blocked analogues of the liable sn-2 LPA species. Preliminary studies were conducted on a nuclear reporter assay in which monocytic cells were transfected with a luciferase construct activated by a PPARγ nuclear receptor response element and have shown that the 3-difluoromethyl substituted analogues are fully active as natural LPA.