Discovery of a potent and selective α3β4 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor antagonist from an α-conotoxin synthetic combinatorial library

J Med Chem. 2014 Apr 24;57(8):3511-21. doi: 10.1021/jm500183r. Epub 2014 Apr 3.

Abstract

α-Conotoxins are disulfide-rich peptide neurotoxins that selectively inhibit neuronal nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs). The α3β4 nAChR subtype has been identified as a novel target for managing nicotine addiction. Using a mixture-based positional-scanning synthetic combinatorial library (PS-SCL) with the α4/4-conotoxin BuIA framework, we discovered a highly potent and selective α3β4 nAChR antagonist. The initial PS-SCL consisted of a total of 113 379 904 sequences that were screened for α3β4 nAChR inhibition, which facilitated the design and synthesis of a second generation library of 64 individual α-conotoxin derivatives. Eleven analogues were identified as α3β4 nAChR antagonists, with TP-2212-59 exhibiting the most potent antagonistic activity and selectivity over the α3β2 and α4β2 nAChR subtypes. Final electrophysiological characterization demonstrated that TP-2212-59 inhibited acetylcholine evoked currents in α3β4 nAChRs heterogeneously expressed in Xenopus laevis oocytes with a calculated IC50 of 2.3 nM and exhibited more than 1000-fold selectivity over the α3β2 and α7 nAChR subtypes. As such, TP-2212-59 is among the most potent α3β4 nAChRs antagonists identified to date and further demonstrates the utility of mixture-based combinatorial libraries in the discovery of novel α-conotoxin derivatives with refined pharmacological activity.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Combinatorial Chemistry Techniques / methods*
  • Conotoxins / pharmacology*
  • Drug Discovery
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Membrane Potentials / drug effects
  • Nicotinic Antagonists / chemical synthesis*
  • Nicotinic Antagonists / pharmacology
  • Receptors, Nicotinic / chemistry
  • Receptors, Nicotinic / drug effects*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Conotoxins
  • Nicotinic Antagonists
  • Receptors, Nicotinic
  • nicotinic receptor alpha3beta4