Search

The syntheses and molecular modeling of several 3-acylamino-2-carboxyindole antagonists of the glycine binding site associated with the NMDA receptor complex is described. Tertiary amide 8 is a potent antagonist; this result is rationalized by a preferred cis amide bond conformation. The potency of the trans secondary oxalamide 10 is explained by binding to the receptor in its enolic form.

L'acide 3-(4,6-dichloro-2-carboxyindol-3-yl) propionique ainsi que d'autres derives de l'acide indolepropionique representent une nouvelle classe d'antagonistes de l'acide N-methyl-D-aspartique, agissant au niveau d'un site de liaison de la glycine insensible a la strychnine

A series of substituted 3-(2-carboxyindol-3-yl)propionic acids was synthesized and tested as antagonists for the strychnine-insensitive glycine binding site of the NMDA receptor. Chlorine, and other small electron-withdrawing substituents in the 4- and 6-positions of the indole ring, greatly enhanced binding and selectivity for the glycine site over the glutamate site of the NMDA receptor; one of the most potent compounds is 3-(4,6-dichloro-2-carboxyindol-3-yl)propionic acid (IC50 = 170 nM; greater than 2100-fold selective for glycine). The importance of a heteroatom NH and the enhancing effect of the propionic acid side chain were demonstrated and are consistent with previous results which suggest the presence of a pocket on the receptor which can accept an acidic side chain. Substitution of a sulfur at C3 led to the most potent compound 3-[(carboxymethyl)thio]-2-carboxy-4,6-dichloroindole (IC50 = 100 nM).

A series of pepstatin analogues having structural variations in the P2', P1', and P2 positions have been synthesized and tested for inhibition of porcine pepsin. The standard peptide for this study was Iva-Sta-Val-Ala-Iaa. Structural variations in the P2' and P1' positions have relatively little effect on Ki; however, small variations in the P2 position have a more dramatic effect on Ki and time-dependent inhibition. A series of pepstatin fragments were also synthesized and tested for inhibition of porcine pepsin.

The synthesis of two new analogues of statine are reported corresponding to analogues with the lysine side chain and the ornithine side chain. These analogues were designed on the basis of substrate specificity and molecular modeling of three-dimensional structures of the penicillopepsin: Iva-Val-Sta-OEt crystal structure. 4,8-Diamino-3-hydroxyoctanoic acid [LySta] and 4,7-diamino-3-hydroxyheptanoic acid [OrnSta] were synthesized respectively from Boc-Lys(Z)-al and Boc-Orn(Bzl,Z)-al by addition of lithio ethyl acetate to the aldehyde group. The [LySta] derivative was converted to the trichloroethoxycarbonyl derivative and separated into the corresponding 3S,4S and 3R,4R diastereomers. The [OrnSta] derivative was used as a mixture of 3-position diastereomers. These new amino acids were used to prepare the following inhibitors: Iva-Val-Val-[LySta]-OEt and Iva-Val-Val-[OrnSta]-OEt as well as the corresponding synthetic intermediates. Inhibition constants (Ki values) were measured for inhibition of porcine pepsin and penicillopepsin. Both compounds were potent inhibitors of penicillopepsin with Ki values 10-100 times smaller (2.1 and 1.1 nM, respectively) than the Ki of Iva-Val-Val-Sta-OEt (47 nM). In contrast both inhibitors are exceptionally weak inhibitors of porcine pepsin with Ki values greater than 1 microM. These results are correlated with the ability of the basic group in the new inhibitors to bind to aspartic acid-77 in penicillopepsin.

Synthetic details for the preparation of a series of hydroxyethylene and ketomethylene dipeptide isosteres with control of stereochemistry at C(2) are described. Incorporation of the isosteres into peptide sequences derived from pepstatin afforded potent inhibitors of the aspartic protease porcine pepsin. When Leu-OH-Ala or Leu-OH-Phe was substituted for statine [3S,4S)-4-amino-3-hydroxy-6-methylheptanoic acid), inhibitors equipotent to the parent compound were obtained, whereas Leu-OH-Gly was a much less effective replacement for statine. A similar trend was evident in the corresponding ketones. The finding that structural features for good substrates do not closely parallel those for good inhibitors is discussed.