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NMDA receptors mediate glutamatergic neurotransmission and are therapeutic targets due to their involvement in a variety of psychiatric and neurological disorders. Here, we describe the design and synthesis of a series of (R)-3-(5-fyranyl)carboxamido-2-aminopropanoic acid analogs 8a-s as agonists at the glycine (Gly) binding site in the GluN1 subunit, but not GluN3 subunits, of NMDA receptors. These novel analogs display high variation in potencies and agonist efficacies among the NMDA receptor subtypes (GluN1/2A-D) in a manner dependent on the GluN2 subunit. Notably, compound 8p is identified as a potent partial agonist at GluN1/2C (EC(50) = 0.074 μM) with agonist efficacy of 28% relative to activation by Gly and virtually no agonist activity at GluN1/2A, GluN1/2B and GluN1/2D. Thus, these novel agonists can modulate the activity of specific NMDA receptor subtypes by replacing the full endogenous agonists Gly or d-serine (d-Ser), thereby providing new opportunities in the development of novel therapeutic agents.

Erythrina alkaloids and their central nervous system effects have been studied for over a century, mainly due to their potent antagonistic actions at β2-containing nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). In the present work, we report a synthetic approach giving access to a diverse set of Erythrina natural product analogues and present the enantioselective total synthesis of (+)-Cocculine and (+)-Cocculidine, both found to be potent antagonists of the β2-containing nAChRs.

The GluN2C subunit of the NMDA receptor is enriched in the neurons in nucleus reticularis of the thalamus (nRT), but its role in regulating their function is not well understood. We found that deletion of GluN2C subunit did not affect spike frequency in response to depolarizing current injection or hyperpolarization-induced rebound burst firing of nRT neurons. D-cycloserine or CIQ (GluN2C/GluN2D positive allosteric modulator) did not affect the depolarization-induced spike frequency in nRT neurons. A newly identified highly potent and efficacious co-agonist of GluN1/GluN2C NMDA receptors, AICP, was found to reduce the spike frequency and burst firing of nRT neurons in wildtype but not GluN2C knockout. This effect was potentially due to facilitation of GluN2C-containing receptors because inhibition of NMDA receptors by AP5 did not affect spike frequency in nRT neurons. We evaluated the effect of intracerebroventricular injection of AICP. AICP did not affect basal locomotion or prepulse inhibition but facilitated MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion. This effect was observed in wildtype but not in GluN2C knockout mice demonstrating that AICP produces GluN2C-selective effects in vivo. Using a chemogenetic approach we examined the role of nRT in this behavioral effect. Gq or Gi coupled DREADDs were selectively expressed in nRT neurons using cre-dependent viral vectors and PV-Cre mouse line. We found that similar to AICP effect, activation of Gq but not Gi coupled DREADD facilitated MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion. Together, these results identify a unique role of GluN2C-containing receptors in the regulation of nRT neurons and suggest GluN2C-selective in vivo targeting of NMDA receptors by AICP. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT The nucleus reticularis of the thalamus composed of GABAergic neurons is termed as guardian of the gateway and is an important regulator of corticothalamic communication which may be impaired in autism, non-convulsive seizures and other conditions. We found that strong facilitation of tonic activity of GluN2C subtype of NMDA receptors using AICP, a newly identified glycine-site agonist of NMDA receptors, modulates the function of reticular thalamus neurons. AICP was also able to produce GluN2C-dependent behavioral effects in vivo. Together, these finding identify a novel mechanism and a pharmacological tool to modulate activity of reticular thalamic neurons in disease states.

We developed a versatile stereoselective route for the synthesis of new 2′-(S)-CCG-IV analogues. The route allows for late stage diversification and thereby provides access to a great variety of conformationally restricted cyclopropyl glutamate analogues. A selection of the 2′-(S)-CCG-IV analogues were evaluated using two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology at recombinant GluN1/GluN2A-D receptors, demonstrating that agonists can be developed with GluN2 subunit-dependent potency and agonist efficacy. We also describe a crystal structure of the GluN2A agonist binding domain in complex with 2′-butyl-(S)-CCG-IV that determines the position of 2′-substituents in (S)-CCG-IV agonists in the glutamate binding site and provides further insight to the structural determinants of their agonist efficacy. The stereoselective synthesis described here enables versatile and straight-forward modifications to diverse analogues of interest for the development of potent subtype-specific NMDA receptor agonists and other applications.

Significance GHB is a natural brain metabolite of GABA, previously reported to be neuroprotective. However, the high-affinity binding site for GHB has remained elusive for almost 40 y. We here unveil CaMKIIα, a highly important neuronal kinase, as the long-sought-after GHB high-affinity target. Via a specific interaction within the central hub domain of CaMKIIα, GHB analogs act to stabilize the hub oligomer complex. This interaction potentially explains pronounced neuroprotective effects of GHB analogs in cultured neurons exposed to a chemical insult and in mice exposed to ischemia. The postischemic treatment effects of GHB analogs underline these compounds as selective and high-affinity potential drug candidates and CaMKIIα as a relevant pharmacological target for stroke therapy., Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha subunit (CaMKIIα) is a key neuronal signaling protein and an emerging drug target. The central hub domain regulates the activity of CaMKIIα by organizing the holoenzyme complex into functional oligomers, yet pharmacological modulation of the hub domain has never been demonstrated. Here, using a combination of photoaffinity labeling and chemical proteomics, we show that compounds related to the natural substance γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB) bind selectively to CaMKIIα. By means of a 2.2-Å x-ray crystal structure of ligand-bound CaMKIIα hub, we reveal the molecular details of the binding site deep within the hub. Furthermore, we show that binding of GHB and related analogs to this site promotes concentration-dependent increases in hub thermal stability believed to alter holoenzyme functionality. Selectively under states of pathological CaMKIIα activation, hub ligands provide a significant and sustained neuroprotection, which is both time and dose dependent. This is demonstrated in neurons exposed to excitotoxicity and in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia with the selective GHB analog, HOCPCA (3-hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid). Together, our results indicate a hitherto unknown mechanism for neuroprotection by a highly specific and unforeseen interaction between the CaMKIIα hub domain and small molecule brain-penetrant GHB analogs. This establishes GHB analogs as powerful tools for investigating CaMKII neuropharmacology in general and as potential therapeutic compounds for cerebral ischemia in particular.

With the rapid development of computer science in scopes of theory, software, and hardware, artificial intelligence (mainly in form of machine learning and more complex deep learning) combined with advanced cheminformatics is playing an increasingly important role in drug discovery process. This development has also facilitated privileged scaffold-related research. By definition, a privileged scaffold is a structure that frequently occurs in diverse bioactive molecules, either has a diverse family affinity or is selective to multiple family members in a superfamily, whilst it is different from the“frequent hitters”, or the “pan-assay interference compounds”. The long history of the use of this concept has witnessed a functional shift from stand-alone technology towards an integrated component in the drug discovery toolbox. Meanwhile, continuous efforts have been dedicated to deepening the understandings of the features of known privileged scaffolds. In this contribution, we focus on the current privileged scaffold-related research driven by state-of-art artificial intelligence approaches and cheminformatics. Representative cases with an emphasis on distinct research aspects are presented, including an update of the knowledge on privileged scaffolds, proofof- concept tools, and workflows to identify privileged scaffolds and to carry on de novo design, informatic SAR models with diversely complex data sets to provide an instructive prediction on new potential molecules bearing privileged scaffolds.

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II alpha (CaMKIIα) is an abundant neuronal signaling protein involved in synaptic plasticity and memory formation1,2. The central hub domain regulates the activity of CaMKIIα by organizing the holoenzyme complex into functional oligomers3-6. Recent findings have suggested that the hub is also an allosteric determinant of kinase activity7, and is thus an emerging target for therapies to correct CaMKIIα dysregulation8,9. However, pharmacological modulation of the hub domain has never been demonstrated. Here we show that stabilization of the CaMKIIα hub domain confers neuroprotection. By combining photoaffinity labeling and chemical proteomics using small molecule analogs of the natural metabolite γ-hydroxybutyrate (GHB)10 we reveal that CaMKIIα is the selective target for GHB. We further find that these GHB analogs bind to the hub interior by solving a 2.2 Å crystal structure of CaMKIIα with bound ligand. Using differential scanning fluorimetry, we show that binding of ligands to the hub interior increases the thermal stability of hub oligomers in a concentration-dependent manner. Moreover, we demonstrate the functional significance of this hub stabilization by showing substantial neuroprotective effects in cellular excitotoxicity assays and in a mouse model of cerebral ischemia. Together, our results reveal that CaMKIIα hub stabilization is the mechanism by which GHB provides endogenous neuroprotection and that small-molecule CaMKIIα-selective ligands have therapeutic potential.

Focal epileptic seizures can in some patients be managed by inhibiting γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) uptake via the GABA transporter 1 (GAT1) using tiagabine (Gabitril®). Synergistic anti-seizure effects achieved by inhibition of both GAT1 and the betaine/GABA transporter (BGT1) by tiagabine and EF1502, compared to tiagabine alone, suggest BGT1 as a target in epilepsy. Yet, selective BGT1 inhibitors are needed for validation of this hypothesis. In that search, a series of BGT1 inhibitors typified by (1R,2S)-2-((4,4-bis(3-methylthiophen-2-yl)but-3-en-yl)(methyl)amino)cyclohexanecarboxylic acid (SBV2-114) was developed. A thorough pharmacological characterization of SBV2-114 using a cell-based [3H]GABA uptake assay at heterologously expressed BGT1, revealed an elusive biphasic inhibition profile with two IC50 values (4.7 and 556 μM). The biphasic profile was common for this structural class of compounds, including EF1502, and was confirmed in the MDCK II cell line endogenously expressing BGT1. The possibility of two binding sites for SBV2-114 at BGT1 was assessed by computational docking studies and examined by mutational studies. These investigations confirmed that the conserved residue Q299 in BGT1 is involved in, but not solely responsible for the biphasic inhibition profile of SBV2-114. Animal studies revealed anti-seizure effects of SBV2-114 in two mouse models, supporting a function of BGT1 in epilepsy. However, as SBV2-114 is apparent to be rather non-selective for BGT1, the translational relevance of this observation is unknown. Nevertheless, SBV2-114 constitutes a valuable tool compound to study the molecular mechanism of an emerging biphasic profile of BGT1-mediated GABA transport and the putative involvement of two binding sites for this class of compounds. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1007/s11064-020-03017-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

P-Glycoprotein (Pgp)-mediated cellular efflux is recognized as a common challenge in CNS drug discovery. In this study, the influence of replacing a hydrogen atom with fluorine on the pKa and Pgp-mediated efflux is elucidated for a series of PDE9 inhibitors. The PDE9 inhibitors with and without fluorine were synthesized using a novel condensation–oxidation approach, providing access to several analogues, all from the same stereoenriched aldehyde building block. The incorporation of fluorine was found to influence two acid–base functionalities concomitantly, both of which were involved in Pgp-recognition. By methylating the acidic functionality, it was possible to isolate the effect responsible for lowering the Pgp-mediated efflux.

γ-hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is a neuroactive substance with specific high-affinity binding sites. To facilitate target identification and ligand optimization, we herein report a comprehensive structure-affinity relationship study for novel ligands targeting these binding sites. A molecular hybridization strategy was used based on the conformationally restricted 3-hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid (HOCPCA) and the linear GHB analog, trans-4-hydroxycrotonic acid (T-HCA). In general, all structural modifications performed on HOCPCA led to reduced affinity. In contrast, introduction of diaromatic substituents into the 4-position of T-HCA led to high-affinity analogs (medium nanomolar Ki) for the GHB high-affinity binding sites as the most high-affinity analogs reported to date. The SAR data formed the basis for a 3-dimensional pharmacophore model for GHB ligands, which identified molecular features important for high-affinity binding, with high predictive validity. These findings will be valuable in the f...

N-(1-Benzyl-4-piperidinyl)-2,4-dichlorobenzamide 5 (BPDBA) is a noncompetitive inhibitor of the betaine/GABA transporter 1 (BGT1). We here report the synthesis and structure-activity relationship of 71 analogues. We identify 26m as a more soluble 2,4-Cl substituted 3-pyridine analogue with retained BGT1 activity and an improved off-target profile compared to 5. We performed radioligand-based uptake studies at chimeric constructs between BGT1 and GAT3, experiments with site-directed mutated transporters, and computational docking in a BGT1 homology model based on the newly determined X-ray crystal structure of the human serotonin transporter (hSERT). On the basis of these experiments, we propose a binding mode involving residues within TM10 in an allosteric site in BGT1 that corresponds to the allosteric binding pocket revealed by the hSERT crystal structure. Our study provides first insights into a proposed allosteric binding pocket in BGT1, which accommodates the binding site for a series of novel noncompetitive inhibitors.

A series of analogues based on serine as lead structure were designed, and their agonist activities were evaluated at recombinant NMDA receptor subtypes (GluN1/2A–D) using two-electrode voltage-clamp (TEVC) electrophysiology. Pronounced variation in subunit-selectivity, potency, and agonist efficacy was observed in a manner that was dependent on the GluN2 subunit in the NMDA receptor. In particular, compounds 15a and 16a are potent GluN2C-specific superagonists at the GluN1 subunit with agonist efficacies of 398% and 308% compared to glycine. This study demonstrates that subunit-selectivity among glycine site NMDA receptor agonists can be achieved and suggests that glycine-site agonists can be developed as pharmacological tool compounds to study GluN2C-specific effects in NMDA receptor-mediated neurotransmission.

Globus pallidus externa (GPe) is a nucleus in the basal ganglia circuitry involved in the control of movement. Recent studies have demonstrated a critical role of GPe cell types in Parkinsonism. Specifically increasing the function of parvalbumin (PV) neurons in the GPe has been found to facilitate motor function in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease (PD). The knowledge of contribution of NMDA receptors to GPe function is limited. Here, we demonstrate that fast spiking neurons in the GPe express NMDA receptor currents sensitive to GluN2C/GluN2D-selective inhibitors and glycine site agonist with higher efficacy at GluN2C-containing receptors. Furthermore, using a novel reporter model, we demonstrate the expression of GluN2C subunits in PV neurons in the GPe which project to subthalamic nuclei. GluN2D subunit was also found to localize to PV neurons in GPe. Ablation of GluN2C subunit does not affect spontaneous firing of fast spiking neurons. In contrast, facilitating the function of GluN2C-containing receptors using glycine-site NMDA receptor agonists, D-cycloserine (DCS) or AICP, increased the spontaneous firing frequency of PV neurons in a GluN2C-dependent manner. Finally, we demonstrate that local infusion of DCS or AICP into the GPe improved motor function in a mouse model of PD. Together, these results demonstrate that GluN2C-containing receptors and potentially GluN2D-containing receptors in the GPe may serve as a therapeutic target for alleviating motor dysfunction in PD and related disorders.

γ-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an endogenous neuroactive substance and proposed neurotransmitter with affinity for both low- and high-affinity binding sites. A radioligand with high and specific affinity toward the high-affinity GHB binding site would be a unique tool toward a more complete understanding of this population of binding sites. With its high specific affinity and monocarboxylate transporter (MCT1) mediated transport across the blood-brain barrier in pharmacological doses, 3-hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid (HOCPCA) seems like a suitable PET radiotracer candidate. Here, we report the 11C-labeling and subsequent evaluation of [11C]HOCPCA in a domestic pig, as a PET-radioligand for visualization of the high-affinity GHB binding sites in the live pig brain. To investigate the regional binding of HOCPCA in pig brain prior to in vivo PET studies, in vitro quantitative autoradiography on sections of pig brain was performed using [3H]HOCPCA. In vivo evaluation of [11C]HOCPCA showed no brain upta...

A series of spirocyclic carbaldehydes were successfully fluorinated using enamine catalysis, furnishing the corresponding tertiary fluorides in both high yields and enantioselectivities. The fluorinated spirocycles provide a set of novel building blocks interesting from a medicinal chemistry point of view.

GHB (γ-hydroxybutyric acid) is a compound endogenous to mammalian brain with high structural resemblance to GABA. GHB possesses nanomolar-micromolar affinity for a unique population of binding sites, but the exact nature of these remains elusive. In this study we utilized the highly selective GHB analogue, 3-hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid (HOCPCA) as a tritiated version (3H-HOCPCA) to radioactively label the specific GHB high-affinity binding site and gain further insight into the density, distribution and developmental profile of this protein. We show that, in low nanomolar concentrations, 3H-HOCPCA displays excellent signal-to-noise ratios using rodent brain autoradiography, which makes it a valuable ligand for anatomical quantification of native GHB binding site levels. Our data confirmed that 3H-HOCPCA labels only the high-affinity specific GHB binding site, found in high density in cortical and hippocampal regions. The experiments revealed markedly stronger binding at pH 6.0 (Kd 73.8 nM) compared to pH 7.4 (Kd 2312 nM), as previously reported for other GHB radioligands but similar Bmax values. Using 3H-HOCPCA we analyzed the GHB binding protein profile during mouse brain development. Due to the high sensitivity of this radioligand, we were able to detect low levels of specific binding already at E15 in mouse brain, which increased progressively until adulthood. Collectively, we show that 3H-HOCPCA is a highly sensitive radioligand, offering advantages over the commonly used radioligand 3H-NCS-382, and thus a very suitable in vitro tool for qualitative and quantitative autoradiography of the GHB high-affinity site.

A method for development of murine Fab fragments towards extracellular domains of a surface receptor is presented. The GluA4 ionotropic glutamate receptor is used as a model system. Recombinant GluA4 ectodomain comprising both the N-terminal domain (NTD) and the ligand-binding domain (LBD) in one molecule was used for immunization. A Fab-phage library was constructed and a parallel panning approach enabled selection of murine Fab fragments towards either intact ectodomain or the isolated LBD of the GluA4 receptor. One LBD-Fab (FabL9) showed exclusive selectivity for the GluA4 LBD, over a panel of LBDs from GluA2, GluK1, GluK2 and GluD2. Soluble FabL9 was produced in amounts suitable for characterization. Competitive ELISA and rat-brain immunoprecipitation experiments confirmed that the FabL9 epitope is conserved in the LBD and in the intact native receptor. By an alignment of GluA2 and GluA4, the likely binding epitope for FabL9 was predicted. This study demonstrates a simple approach for development of antibody fragments towards specific sub-domains of a large ligand-gated ion channel, and this method could be utilized for all multi-domain surface receptors where antibody domain-selectivity may be desirable. Furthermore, we present for the first time a GluA4 subtype-specific murine Fab fragment targeting the LBD of the receptor.

A series of novel N-Bn-protected spirocyclic β-proline esters were prepared using [3+2] cycloaddition and subsequently converted into their corresponding aldehydes. In addition, two novel N-Cbz-protected spirocyclic β-proline esters were prepared using intramolecular cyclization starting from simple precursors.

A novel methodology for the synthesis of 3,3-difluoropiperidines has been developed. The target compounds are prepared in three steps using a robust protocol and simple starting materials. The incorporation of the fluorine is achieved by using the cheap and easily available ethyl 2-bromo-2,2-difluoroacetate as building block. Using this methodology, a new potent in vitro phosphodiesterase 2A (PDE2A) inhibitor containing the functionalized fluorinated piperidine scaffold has been prepared.

3-Hydroxycyclopent-1-ene-1-carboxylic acid (HOCPCA (1)) is a potent ligand for high-affinity γ-hydroxybutyric acid binding sites in the central nervous system. Various approaches to the introduction of a hydrogen label onto the HOCPCA skeleton are reported. The outcomes of the feasible C─H activation of olefin carbon (C-2) by iridium catalyst are compared with the reduction of the carbonyl group (C-3) by freshly prepared borodeuterides. The most efficient iridium catalysts proved to be Kerr bulky phosphine N-heterocyclic species providing outstanding deuterium enrichment (up to 91%) in a short period of time. The highest deuterium enrichment (>99%) was achieved through the reduction of ketone precursor 2 by lithium trimethoxyborodeuteride. Hence, analogical conditions were used for the tritiation experiment. [3 H]-HOCPCA selectively labeled on the position C-3 was synthetized with radiochemical purity >99%, an isolated yield of 637 mCi and specific activity = 28.9 Ci/mmol.

Drugs that increase monoamine neurotransmission are effective in both anxiety and depression. The therapeutic effects of monoamine-based antidepressant drugs may involve indirect effects on neurotransmission through α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid glutamate receptors (AMPAR). Thus, chronic antidepressant treatment increases AMPAR-mediated neurotransmission and AMPAR-positive allosteric modulators have shown antidepressant-like efficacy in rodents. Here, the effect of enhanced AMPAR neurotransmission on the antidepressant-like and anxiolytic-like actions of the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor citalopram (0-10 mg/kg) was investigated in mice using the AMPAR-positive allosteric modulator LY451646 (0-3 mg/kg). Antidepressant-like effects were assessed using the forced-swim test (FST), whereas anxiolytic-like effects were tested using the elevated zero maze (EZM) and the marble burying test. LY451646 (3 mg/kg) increased swim distance in the FST and a subactive dose of LY451646 (1 mg/kg) enhanced the effect of citalopram in the FST. In the EZM, LY451646 (3 mg/kg) did not show anxiogenic effects alone, but blocked the anxiolytic-like action of citalopram in the EZM, as reflected by an increase in the latency to enter the open areas and a decrease in the number of entries and time spent in the open areas in citalopram-treated mice. In the marble burying test, LY451646 (3 mg/kg) showed no effect alone, but significantly attenuated the anxiolytic-like effect of citalopram (1.25-2.5 mg/kg) by increasing the number of marbles buried in citalopram-treated mice. These results suggest that AMPAR neurotransmission plays opposite roles in anxiety and depression as AMPAR potentiation facilitated the antidepressant-like effects of citalopram while attenuating its anxiolytic-like effect. These findings have ramifications in the search for AMPAR-based novel anxiolytic and antidepressant treatments.

A practical diastereodivergent access to β-fluoropyrrolidines with two adjacent stereocenters has been demonstrated, by either enhancing or completely reversing the substrate control, in the diastereoselective fluorination of a series of diverse pyrrolidinyl carbaldehydes using organocatalysis. Furthermore, enamine catalysis has been successfully utilized for kinetic resolution, obtaining a fluorinated β-prolinol analogue with two adjacent tetrasubstituted chiral centers in 95% ee from a racemic substrate.

(R)-2-Amino-3-(4-(2-ethylphenyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxamido)propanoic acid (AICP) is a N-methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor glycine site agonist with unprecedented high potency in the low nanomolar range, and a GluN2 subunit-dependent pharmacological profile in terms of potency and agonist efficacy (Jessen et al., 2017 [1]). Here, we report a scalable, practical and cost-efficient synthetic route for AICP, which is an improvement compared to the previously reported route. This improved synthetic route includes a versatile diphenylmethylester (DPM) protection for the amino acid moiety, which can be widely used in the synthesis of other amino acid ligands. Further functional evaluation of AICP at the different ionotropic glutamate receptor (iGluR) classes demonstrates that high affinity binding of AICP to the orthosteric binding site is selective for NMDA receptors over AMPA and kainate receptors. Furthermore, high affinity binding of AICP is not observed at GluN3A, GluN3B, and GluD2 subunits, which also bind glycine and d -serine. Thus, the new approach described here enables scalable synthesis of AICP for the use as a pharmacological tool compound to study the involvement of neuronal NMDA receptor subtypes in normal brain function and disease.

Depression and anxiety often co-occur, and conventional monoamine-facilitating antidepressants show efficacy against symptoms in both disorders. Rodent studies indicate that antidepressant effects of monoamine-based antidepressants involve increased α-amino-3-hydroxy-5- methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid glutamate receptor (AMPAR) neurotransmission, and positive allosteric modulators (PAMs) at AMPARs produced antidepressant-like effects in rodents. While this suggests that increased AMPAR-mediated neurotransmission is beneficial in depression management, preclinical studies addressing AMPARs in relation to anxiety have given ambiguous results with both anxiolytic-like and anxiogenic-like effects observed after AMPAR blockade. This study systematically compared the effects of the AMPAR potentiator LY451646 and the AMPAR antagonist GYKI-53655 on depression-related behaviour using the mouse forced swim (FST) and tail suspension tests (TST), and anxiety-related behaviour using the elevated zero maze (EZM), marble burying (MB) and novelty-induced hypophagia (NIH) tests. The serotonin-selective antidepressant citalopram was included for comparison. Due to the importance of AMPARs in learning and memory we also tested if GYKI-53655 disrupted performance in the V-maze test for attention-dependent behaviour, and the social transmission of food preference (STFP) test of long-term memory. LY451646 (3 mg/kg) showed an antidepressant-like profile in the FST and TST, and GYKI-53655 (≥ 5 mg/kg) had a depressogenic-like effect in the TST but no effect in the FST. Conversely, GYKI-53655 produced marked anxiolytic-like effects in the EZM (≥ 2.5 mg/kg), MBT (≥ 2.5 mg/kg), and NIH tests (≥ 5 mg/kg), while LY451646 (≥ 3 mg/kg) increased anxiety-like behaviour in the EZM. Citalopram showed an antidepressant-like effect in the FST (≥ 10 mg/kg), but not TST, an anxiolytic-like effect in the EZM (≥ 3 mg/kg) and MB test (≥ 2.5 mg/kg), and an anxiogenic-like effect in the NIH test (≥ 30 mg/kg). GYKI-53655 did not affect cognitive performance in the V-maze or STFP tests. Collectively, these findings suggest a differential role of AMPARs in depression and anxiety, with AMPAR activation promoting antidepressant responses and AMPAR inhibition promoting anxiolytic responses. The potential of AMPARs as a novel target in depression and anxiety pharmacotherapy is discussed.

Brain ischemia triggers excitotoxicity and cell death, yet no neuroprotective drugs have made it to the clinic. While enhancing GABAergic signaling to counterbalance excitotoxicity has shown promise in animal models, clinical studies have failed. Blockade of GABA transporters (GATs) offers an indirect approach to increase GABA inhibition to lower the excitation threshold of neurons. Among the GATs, GAT1 is known to promote neuroprotection, while the protective role of the extrasynaptic transporters GAT3 and BGT1 is elusive. A focal lesion was induced in the motor cortex in two to four-month-old C57BL/6 J male mice by photothrombosis. The GAT1 inhibitor, tiagabine (1 and 10 mg/kg), the GAT2/3 inhibitor, ( S)-SNAP-5114 (5 and 30 mg/kg) and the GAT1/BGT1 inhibitor, EF-1502 (1 and 10 mg/kg) were given i.p. 1 and 6 h post-stroke to assess their impact on infarct volume and motor performance seven days post-stroke. One mg/kg tiagabine improved motor performance, while 10 mg/kg tiagabine, ( S)-SNAP-5114 and EF-1502 had no effect. None of the compounds affected infarct volume. Interestingly, treatment with tiagabine induced seizures and ( S)-SNAP-5114 led to increased mortality. Although we show that tiagabine can promote protection, our findings indicate that caution should be had when using GAT1 and GAT3 inhibitors for conditions of brain ischemia.

Inactivation of GABA-mediated neurotransmission is achieved by high-affinity transporters located at both GABAergic neurons and the surrounding astrocytes. Early studies of the pharmacological properties of neuronal and glial GABA transporters suggested that different types of transporters might be expressed in the two cell types, and such a scenario was confirmed by the cloning of four distinctly different GABA transporters from a number of different species. These GABA-transport entities have been extensively characterized using a large number of GABA analogues of restricted conformation, and several of these compounds have been shown to exhibit pronounced anticonvulsant activity in a variety of animal seizure models. As proof of concept of the validity of this drug development approach, one GABA-transport inhibitor, tiagabine, has been developed as a clinically active antiepileptic drug. This review provides a detailed account of efforts to design new subtype-selective GABA-transport inhibitors aiming at identifying novel antiepileptic drug candidates.

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA)-type ionotropic glutamate receptors mediate excitatory neurotransmission in the central nervous system and are critically involved in brain function. NMDA receptors are also implicated in psychiatric and neurological disorders and have received considerable attention as therapeutic targets. In this regard, administration of d-cycloserine (DCS), which is a glycine site NMDA receptor agonist, can enhance extinction of conditioned fear responses. The intriguing behavioral effects of DCS have been linked to its unique pharmacological profile among NMDA receptor subtypes (GluN1/2A-D), in which DCS is a superagonist at GluN2C-containing receptors compared with glycine and a partial agonist at GluN2B-containing receptors. Here, we identify (R)-2-amino-3-(4-(2-ethylphenyl)-1H-indole-2-carboxamido)propanoic acid (AICP) as a glycine site agonist with unique GluN2-dependent differences in agonist efficacy at recombinant NMDA receptor subtypes. AICP is a full agonist at GluN1/2A (100% response compared with glycine), a partial agonist at GluN1/2B and GluN1/2D (10% and 27%, respectively), and a highly efficacious superagonist at GluN1/2C receptors (353%). Furthermore, AICP potencies are enhanced compared with DCS with EC50 values in the low nanomolar range (1.7 nM at GluN1/2C). We show that GluN1/2C superagonism of AICP and DCS is mediated by overlapping but distinct mechanisms and that AICP selectively enhances responses from recombinant GluN1/2C receptors in the presence of physiological glycine concentrations. This functional selectivity of AICP for GluN2C-containing NMDA receptors is more pronounced compared with DCS, suggesting that AICP can be a useful tool compound for uncovering the roles of GluN2C subunits in neuronal circuit function and in the development of new therapeutic strategies.

γ-Hydroxybutyric acid (GHB) is an endogenous neuroactive substance and proposed neurotransmitter with affinity for both low- and high-affinity binding sites. A radioligand with high and specific affinity toward the high-affinity GHB binding site would be a unique tool toward a more complete understanding of this population of binding sites. With its high specific affinity and monocarboxylate transporter (MCT1) mediated transport across the blood-brain barrier in pharmacological doses, 3-hydroxycyclopent-1-enecarboxylic acid (HOCPCA) seems like a suitable PET radiotracer candidate. Here, we report the

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) neurotransmission is terminated by the GABA transporters (GATs) via uptake of GABA into neurons and surrounding glial cells. Four different transporters have been identified: GAT1, GAT2, GAT3, and the betaine/GABA transporter 1 (BGT1). The GAT1 subtype is the most explored transporter due to its high abundance in the brain and the existence of selective and potent GAT1 inhibitors. Consequently, less is known about the role and therapeutic potential of the non-GAT1 subtypes. Emerging pharmacological evidence suggests that some of these transporters pose interesting targets in several brain disorders. Pharmacological non-GAT1-selective tool compounds are important to further investigate the involvement of GATs in different pathological conditions. Extensive medicinal chemistry efforts have been put into the development of subtype-selective inhibitors, but truly selective and potent inhibitors of non-GAT1 subtypes are still limited. This review covers the advances within the medicinal chemistry area and the structural basis for obtaining non-GAT1-selective inhibitors.

Inactivation of GABA-mediated neurotransmission is achieved by high-affinity transporters located at both GABAergic neurons and the surrounding astrocytes. Early studies of the pharmacological properties of neuronal and glial GABA transporters suggested that different types of transporters might be expressed in the two cell types, and such a scenario was confirmed by the cloning of four distinctly different GABA transporters from a number of different species. These GABA-transport entities have been extensively characterized using a large number of GABA analogues of restricted conformation, and several of these compounds have been shown to exhibit pronounced anticonvulsant activity in a variety of animal seizure models. As proof of concept of the validity of this drug development approach, one GABA-transport inhibitor, tiagabine, has been developed as a clinically active antiepileptic drug. This review provides a detailed account of efforts to design new subtype-selective GABA-transport inhibitors aiming at identifying novel antiepileptic drug candidates.

Phage display (PD) is frequently used to discover peptides capable of binding to biological protein targets. The structural characterization of peptide-protein complexes is often challenging due to their low binding affinities and high structural flexibility. Here, we investigate the use of hydrogen/deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (HDX-MS) to characterize interactions of low affinity peptides with their cognate protein targets. The HDX-MS workflow was optimized to accurately detect low-affinity peptide-protein interactions by use of ion mobility, electron transfer dissociation, non-binding control peptides and statistical analysis of replicate data. We show that HDX-MS can identify regions in the two epigenetic regulator proteins KDM4C and KDM1A that are perturbed through weak interactions with PD-identified peptides. Two peptides cause reduced HDX on opposite sides of the active site of KDM4C, indicating distinct binding modes. In contrast, the perturbation site of another PD-selected peptide inhibiting the function of KDM1A maps to a GST-tag. Our results demonstrate that HDX-MS can validate and map weak peptide-protein interactions, and pave the way for understanding and optimizing the binding of peptide scaffolds identified through PD and similar ligand discovery approaches.

The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters (GATs) are key membrane transporter proteins involved in the termination of GABAergic signaling at synapses in the mammalian brain and proposed drug targets in neurological disorders such as epilepsy. To date, four different GAT subtypes have been identified: GAT1, GAT2, GAT3 and the betaine/GABA transporter 1 (BGT1). Owing to the lack of potent and subtype selective inhibitors of the non-GAT1 GABA transporters, the physiological role and therapeutic potential of these transporters remain to be fully understood. Based on bioisosteric replacement of the amino group in β-alanine or GABA, a series of compounds was generated, and their pharmacological activity assessed at human GAT subtypes. Using a cell-based [(3)H]GABA uptake assay, several selective inhibitors at human BGT1 were identified. The guanidine-containing compound 9 (2-amino-1,4,5,6-tetrahydropyrimidine-5-carboxylic acid hydrochloride) displayed more than 250 times greater potency than the parent compound β-alanine at BGT1 and is thus the most potent inhibitor reported to date for this subtype (IC50 value of 2.5 µM). In addition, compound 9 displayed about 400, 16 and 40 times lower inhibitory potency at GAT1, GAT2 and GAT3, respectively. Compound 9 was shown to be a substrate for BGT1 and to have an overall similar pharmacological profile at the mouse orthologue. Compound 9 constitutes an interesting pharmacological tool for specifically investigating the cellular pharmacology of BGT1 and is the first small-molecule substrate identified with such a high selectivity for BGT1 over the three other GAT subtypes.

A series of analogues of the natural product sinefungin lacking the amino acid moiety was synthesized and probed for their ability to inhibit EHMT1 and EHMT2. This study led to inhibitors 3b and 4d of methyltransferase activity of EHMT1 and EHMT2 and it demonstrates that such analogues constitute an interesting scaffold to develop selective methyltransferase inhibitors. Surprisingly, the inhibition was not competitive toward AdoMet.

A simple dye-quencher fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET)-based assay for methyltransferases was developed and used to determine kinetic parameters and inhibitory activity at EHMT1 and EHMT2. Peptides mimicking the truncated histone H3 tail were functionalized in each end with a dye and a quencher, respectively. When lysine-9 residues in the peptides were methylated, they were protected from cleavage by endoproteinase-EndoLysC, whereas unmethylated peptides were cleaved, resulting in an increase in fluorescent intensity.

The γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) transporters (GATs) are essential regulators of the activity in the GABAergic system through their continuous uptake of the neurotransmitter from the synaptic cleft and extrasynaptic space. Four GAT subtypes have been identified to date, each displaying different pharmacological properties and expression patterns. The present study focus on the human betaine/GABA transporter 1 (BGT-1), which has recently emerged as a new target for treatment of epilepsy. However, the lack of selective inhibitors of this transporter has impaired the exploration of this potential considerably. With the objective of identifying novel compounds displaying selectivity for BGT-1, we performed a screening of a small compound library at cells expressing BGT-1 using a [ 3 H]GABA uptake assay. The screening resulted in the identification of the compound N -(1-benzyl-4-piperidinyl)-2,4-dichlorobenzamide (BPDBA), a selective inhibitor of the human BGT-1 transporter with a non-competitive profile exhibiting no significant inhibitory activity at the other three human GAT subtypes. The selectivity profile of the compound was subsequently confirmed at cells expressing the four mouse GAT subtypes. Thus, BPDBA constitutes a potential useful pharmacological tool compound for future explorations of the function of the BGT-1 subtype.

A series of 2'-substituted analogues of the selective NMDA receptor ligand (2S,1'R,2'S)-2-(carboxycyclopropyl)glycine ((S)-CCG-IV) have been designed, synthesized, and pharmacologically characterized. The design was based on a docking study hypothesizing that substituents in the 2'-position would protrude into a region where differences among the NMDA receptor GluN2 subunits exist. Various synthetic routes were explored, and two different routes provided a series of alkyl-substituted analogues. Pharmacological characterization revealed that these compounds are NMDA receptor agonists and that potency decreases with increasing size of the alkyl groups. Variations in agonist activity are observed at the different recombinant NMDA receptor subtypes. This study demonstrates that it is possible to introduce substituents in the 2'-position of (S)-CCG-IV while maintaining agonist activity and that variation among NMDA receptor subtypes may be achieved by probing this region of the receptor.

Keep 'em methylated: The in situ preparation of the cofactor AdoMet was achieved by allowing the biosynthetic enzyme SalL to operate in the reverse direction by presentation of 5'-chloro-5'-deoxyadenosine at low salt concentrations. This reaction was readily coupled with DNA and small molecule methyltransferases to afford a regioselective method for chemo-enzymatic methylation and isotope incorporation.

N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA) receptors are ligand-gated ion channels assembled from GluN1 and GluN2 subunits. We used a series of N-hydroxypyrazole-5-glycine (NHP5G) partial agonists at the GluN2 glutamate binding site as tools to study activation of GluN1/GluN2A and GluN1/GluN2D NMDA receptor subtypes. Using two-electrode voltage-clamp electrophysiology, fast-application patch-clamp, and single-channel recordings, we show that propyl- and ethyl-substituted NHP5G agonists have a broad range of agonist efficacies relative to the full agonist glutamate (

A practical diastereodivergent access to β-fluoropyrrolidines with two adjacent stereocenters has been demonstrated, by either enhancing or completely reversing the substrate control, in the diastereoselective fluorination of a series of diverse pyrrolidinyl carbaldehydes using organocatalysis. Furthermore, enamine catalysis has been successfully utilized for kinetic resolution, obtaining a fluorinated β-prolinol analogue with two adjacent tetrasubstituted chiral centers in 95% ee from a racemic substrate.

3-Hydroxycyclopent-1-ene-1-carboxylic acid (HOCPCA (1)) is a potent ligand for high-affinity γ-hydroxybutyric acid binding sites in the central nervous system. Various approaches to the introduction of a hydrogen label onto the HOCPCA skeleton are reported. The outcomes of the feasible C─H activation of olefin carbon (C-2) by iridium catalyst are compared with the reduction of the carbonyl group (C-3) by freshly prepared borodeuterides. The most efficient iridium catalysts proved to be Kerr bulky phosphine N-heterocyclic species providing outstanding deuterium enrichment (up to 91%) in a short period of time. The highest deuterium enrichment (99%) was achieved through the reduction of ketone precursor 2 by lithium trimethoxyborodeuteride. Hence, analogical conditions were used for the tritiation experiment. [