Synthesis of philanthotoxin analogs with a branched polyamine moiety

Addition of a primary amine to acrylonitrite and subsequent LAH reduction yields the wasp philanthotoxin, PhTX-433. Reductive amination of a protected substituted amino aldehyde using a primary amine yields alkyl substituent carrying branched PhTX-analog polyamines. Testing the polyamine moiety-possessing PhTX analogs with qGlu-R and nAchR reveals that the PhTX analogs cause irreversible Glu-R blockage. PhTX analogs find use in photoaffinity labelling techniques.