J. McNulty et al. / Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 20 (2010) 5290–5294
5293
Table 1
philic effect observed for 26, 27 and 35. Acylation at C-2 had a pro-
nounced effect on inhibition since diacetate 29 was void of activity,
Inhibitory activity against the biotransformation of acetylthiocholine by eel acetyl-
cholinesterase (AChE)
and 37 (Ki = 0.97
lM) was almost half as potent as the hydroxy
Compound
Kia
(lM)
benzoate 36. These results also vindicate the requirement for a
lipophilic interaction in the C2 area of the molecule.
Galanthamine 4
Crinine 7
Crinamine 15
Pseudolycorine 24
Lycorine 25
26
27
28
0.30 ( 0.06)
na
na
na
In conclusion, a more comprehensive view has emerged from
this SAR study of the lycorine pharmacophore as a potent inhibitor
of AChE. The screen of a library of Amaryllidaceae alkaloids com-
prising seven different structural-types here showed the galantha-
mine and lycorine groups, as noted by others,7–9 to be superior at
AChE inhibition. A chemoselective silylation strategy was em-
ployed to install the TBS group at C2, providing access to new C1
and C2 functionalized analogs in the lycorine subset. A pronounced
spike in activity is observed on proceeding from the inactive parent
na
0.86 ( 0.03)
0.34 ( 0.08)
0.43 ( 0.02)
na
na
na
29
Homolycorine 32
Tazettine 33
Montanine 32
na
35
36
37
0.39 ( 0.03)
0.54 ( 0.03)
0.97 ( 0.10)
lycorine 24 to the 2-TBS analog 26 (Ki = 0.86 lM), which is rational-
ized in terms of lipophilic binding at the enzyme active site. Acyla-
tion (acetylation or benzoylation) of 26 then afforded 27 (Ki = 0.34
a
Values are means of three experiments, standard error is given in parentheses
(na = not active at 10 M).
l
M) and 35 (Ki = 0.39 lM) respectively, which are here uncovered
l
as the most potent inhibitors of AChE to date within the lycorine
series. The lipophilic effect of the C2 silyl group again becomes
apparent upon desilylation to the alcohols 28 (Ki = 0.43
lM) and
effected a slight decrease in activity as evident for acetate 28
(Ki = 0.43 M) and benzoate 36 (Ki = 0.54 M). Acylation then
afforded diacetate 29, which was inactive, and 1-benzoate-2-ace-
tate 37 (Ki = 0.97 M), respectively. This AChE inhibitory pattern
36 (Ki = 0.54 M) and subsequent acetylation to compounds 29
l
l
l
and 37, seen to be the least efficacious of the series. While the sim-
ilarities between the galanthamine and lycorine pharmacophores
as discussed above are striking, it is speculated here and else-
where9b that they may have similar interactions at the enzyme ac-
tive site. More tangible evidence for this is required, such as has
been afforded by X-ray studies of galanthamine complexation with-
in TcAChE.16 The effect of lipophilic substitution at C2 and polar H-
bond acceptor groups at C1 is additive in that the most potent ana-
logs (27 and 35) have both of these functionalities. These spectacu-
lar findings should be of value in the design of other novel
derivatives and provide direction in the development of a selective
AChE clinical candidate from the lycorine series. Further refinement
of the lycorine AChE inhibitory pharmacophore, in conjunction
with cytotoxicity studies and mapping the CYP3A4 interactions of
these new compounds, is currently in progress in our laboratories.
l
of activity within the lycorine series of compounds (Table 1) high-
lights several core features of this fascinating pharmacophore. An
intact pyrrolo-phenanthridine nucleus appears to be necessary
for high potency. Recent work identified semi-synthetic N-alkyl-
ated ring D seco-lycorine analogs, possessing a planar dihydrophe-
nanthridine nucleus, as inhibitors of AChE, however the most
potent of these exhibited an IC50 value of 2.66 l
M.18 This is in stark
contrast to the natural phenanthridine variants pancratistatin 30
and narciclasine 31, the most potent anticancer agents within the
Amaryllidaceae,20 shown here to have no observable effect on
AChE. Aromatization of ring C is seen to potentiate AChE inhibition,
compared to the partially saturated lycorine 25 precursor, which
was demonstrated for natural, aromatized ring C lycorine variants
such as assoanine (IC50 3.87 l
M).8 This enhanced activity was
rationalized in terms of the planarity generated through aromati-
zation of ring C. Modification of ring A is seen to have a negligible
effect as both pseudolycorine 24 and lycorine 25 are inactive (at
Acknowledgments
We thank NSERC and McMaster University for financial support
of this work. We are grateful to Dr. D. Hughes for obtaining high
field NMR data.
10
lM) (Table 1). The dramatic spike in activity in going from lyc-
orine to analog 26 (Ki = 0.86
lM) suggests that the C2 area of the
molecule must occupy a bulky, lipophilic pocket within the active
site to accommodate the TBS group. This substitution contrasts
sharply with the inactive 2-acetyllycorine,9 suggesting that a small,
polar H-bond acceptor at C2 may impede inhibition. Acylation at
C1 had a pronounced effect on inhibition (Table 1), affording com-
Supplementary data
Supplementary data associated with this article can be found, in
pounds 27 (Ki = 0.34 lM) and 35 (Ki = 0.39 lM), which are now ad-
References and notes
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elegantly demonstrated for the hydroxyl of galanthamine com-
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volved in hydrogen bonding via the carbonyl, in addition to
p–p
interactions. Superposition models also showed partial overlap
for the methoxyl group of galanthamine and the methylenedioxy
of the lycorine pharmacophore.9b The methoxyl group of galantha-
mine is known to occupy the acetyl-binding pocket in acetylcho-
line.16 The drop in activity (ꢀ1.3-fold) observed upon desilylation
to compounds 28 and 36, respectively, endorses the silylative lipo-