Chemoenzymatic Synthesis and Pharmacological Characterization of Functionalized Aspartate Analogues As Novel Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter Inhibitors

J Med Chem. 2018 Sep 13;61(17):7741-7753. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.8b00700. Epub 2018 Aug 15.

Abstract

Aspartate (Asp) derivatives are privileged compounds for investigating the roles governed by excitatory amino acid transporters (EAATs) in glutamatergic neurotransmission. Here, we report the synthesis of various Asp derivatives with (cyclo)alkyloxy and (hetero)aryloxy substituents at C-3. Their pharmacological properties were characterized at the EAAT1-4 subtypes. The l- threo-3-substituted Asp derivatives 13a-e and 13g-k were nonsubstrate inhibitors, exhibiting pan activity at EAAT1-4 with IC50 values ranging from 0.49 to 15 μM. Comparisons between (dl- threo)-19a-c and (dl- erythro)-19a-c Asp analogues confirmed that the threo configuration is crucial for the EAAT1-4 inhibitory activities. Analogues (3b-e) of l-TFB-TBOA (3a) were shown to be potent EAAT1-4 inhibitors, with IC50 values ranging from 5 to 530 nM. Hybridization of the nonselective EAAT inhibitor l-TBOA with EAAT2-selective inhibitor WAY-213613 or EAAT3-preferring inhibitor NBI-59159 yielded compounds 8 and 9, respectively, which were nonselective EAAT inhibitors displaying considerably lower IC50 values at EAAT1-4 (11-140 nM) than those displayed by the respective parent molecules.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Ammonia-Lyases / metabolism*
  • Aspartic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
  • Aspartic Acid / chemical synthesis
  • Aspartic Acid / pharmacology*
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 3 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 4 / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • Glutamate Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins / antagonists & inhibitors*
  • HEK293 Cells
  • Humans
  • Molecular Structure
  • Structure-Activity Relationship

Substances

  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 1
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 2
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 3
  • Excitatory Amino Acid Transporter 4
  • Glutamate Plasma Membrane Transport Proteins
  • SLC1A1 protein, human
  • SLC1A2 protein, human
  • SLC1A3 protein, human
  • SLC1A6 protein, human
  • Aspartic Acid
  • Ammonia-Lyases
  • methylaspartate ammonia-lyase