2050
S. K. Ahmed et al. / Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 23 (2013) 2048–2051
Table 1
As found for EEAChE, compound 4a was a 100-fold more potent
inhibitor of rHAChE than the ethyl analog 4b. To our surprise, the
methylphosphonate 4a and ethyl phosphonate analog 4b showed
comparable inhibition values (ꢀ106 MÀ1 minÀ1) against RBAChE
suggesting that this enzyme is less sensitive to the added occlusion
and inductively electron-donating properties of the ethyl group at
phosphorus. Compounds 4a and 4b were 25- to 100-fold less
potent inhibitors of RBAChE than paraoxon by their respective
concentration-dependent analyses.
As noted, the (CH3)(CH3CH2O)P(O)–serine adduct neither reacti-
vates nor ages rapidly, which may be due to a combination of
inductive and steric effects that reduce reactivity at the phospho-
rus atom and also reduce the propensity to form cation-like inter-
mediates thought to underscore the aging mechanism. Since the
phosphylation of AChE inhibition by compounds 4a, 4b, 4c, 4f,
and 5c occur with concomitant loss of the p-nitrophenoxy group,
the resulting OP-AChE adducts closely resemble that formed from
VX, namely, the (CH3)(CH3CH2O)P(O)–serine adduct, which differs
only in the retained b-substituent.22 For example, reaction of AChE
Inhibition rate constants (ki MÀ1 minÀ1) for 4a, 4b, 4c, 4f and 5c against EEAChE,
rHAChE and RBAChE
Compd
Method EEAChE
rHAChE
RBAChE
4a
CD
TD
CD
TD
CD
TD
TD
5.90 0.15 Â 106 7.51 0.21 Â 106 6.11 0.25 Â 106
2.50 0.50 Â 106 1.40 0.59 Â 107 6.16 0.28 Â 106
5.52 0.09 Â 104 6.16 0.16 Â 104 1.16 0.06 Â 106
8.64 2.20 Â 104 1.02 0.05 Â 105 3.77 0.48 Â 106
4b
4c
4f
5c
8.11 0.29 Â 104 nd
1.14 0.03 Â 105 nd
1.17 0.14 Â 104 nd
1.96 0.05 Â 106 nd
nd
nd
nd
Paraoxon CD
TD
1.58 0.22 Â 108
3.39 0.14 Â 107
EEAChE: electric eel acetylcholinesterase; rHAChE: recombinant human acetyl-
cholinesterase; RBAChE: rat brain acetylcholinesterase. All ki values (mean SEM)
were determined from 2 to 4 different experiments at 25 °C. nd: Not determined;
CD: concentration-dependent; TD: time-dependent. All rate constants (ki) were
determined by Ellman assay.21
inhibitor solubility and reactivity, the bimolecular inhibition con-
stants (ki) for select compounds were determined using two kinetic
methods: (a) a set inhibitor concentration [I] incubated with AChE
for various time points (time-dependent) and (b) variable [I] incu-
bated with AChE and measured at a set time point (concentration-
dependent20) kinetics (Table 1). Compounds 4a and 4b differ only
in the alkyl-P bond as methyl- and ethyl phosphonates, respec-
tively, and were examined by concentration- and time-dependent
methods. Compounds 4a, 4c and 4f are all methyl phosphonates
that vary in the b-ethyl substituent Z and were examined by con-
centration or time-dependent kinetics. Paraoxon was also exam-
ined as a control.
First, the difference between methyl- and ethyl phosphonates
was examined. The fluoroethoxy methyl phosphonate 4a was
found to be a 30- to 100-fold better inhibitor of EEAChE than the
corresponding ethyl phosphonate 4b as determined by both time-
and concentration-dependent kinetic methods. The inhibitory po-
tency of 4a was ki ꢀ5 Â 106 MÀ1 minÀ1 toward EEAChE, which is
comparable to the highly potent inhibitor, paraoxon.
with 4a results in phosphylation at ser-200 to produce a
(Me)(FCH2CH2O)P(O)–serine adduct.
In summary, a series of b- and
c-substituted alkoxy meth-
ylphosphonates were successfully prepared. The synthetic path-
way is highlighted by a new approach that allows selective
nucleophilic displacement at a phosphoester side chain rather than
at a reactive phosphorus center. The enzymatic analyses demon-
strated that the b-fluoroethoxy analog 4a was the best inhibitor
of acetylcholinesterases of those tested, and comparable in
strength to paraoxon. The kinetic analyses also revealed two note-
worthy results. First, the size of the alkoxy group substituent does
not adversely affect the inhibitor strength. Second, the phosphono-
thionate analog 5c was shown to possess anti-cholinesterase activ-
ity whereas P@S structures are normally inactive. The data
produced in this study now makes possible advanced studies to
further elucidate the mechanism of reactivation and aging by
alkylphosphonates bearing substituted esters.
Acknowledgments
Changing from 2-fluoroethoxy 4a to the 2-bromoethoxy meth-
ylphosphonate 4c led to a 70-fold decrease in inhibitory potency.
This large difference in inhibition is somewhat surprising in light
of the relatively small inductive and steric differences between F
and Br that would be expected. However, additional or unforeseen
steric considerations that affect the inhibitory potency other than
those indirectly influencing the phosphorus atom cannot be
excluded.
Replacing halogen substituents with a tosylate 4f afforded a 50-
fold weaker inhibitor of EEAChE than the corresponding fluoro ana-
log 4a but comparable to the bromo analog 4c. This result suggests
that the larger tosylate group did not adversely affect the inhibi-
tion of EEAChE, whereas altering the phosphonate from methyl
to ethyl played as significant role in reducing the reactivity at
phosphorus.
None of the phosphonothionates (5: P@S) were inhibitors of
EEAChE (ki <102 MÀ1 minÀ1) except 5c that blocked enzyme activ-
ity at only sevenfold less than that of the corresponding oxon
(P@O) (5: P@S). Typically, oxons are 100-fold more potent antich-
olinesterases than the corresponding thionates.10
Since the methyl b-fluoroethoxy phosphonate 4a results in an
OP-AChE adduct that closely resembles inhibition by the nerve
agent VX, the concentration- and time-dependent inhibition of
two mammalian acetylcholinesterases, recombinant human and
rat brain, was also examined. For comparison, the ethylphospho-
nate analog 4b and paraoxon were also studied. In general, the
methyl b-fluoroethoxyphosphonate 4a was a marginally more po-
tent an inhibitor of the mammalian enzymes than that of EEAChE.
This research was supported by R21 NS072079 (CMT/JMG), the
Core Laboratory for Neuromolecular Production P30 NS055022
(CMT), and NS058229 (ATERIS Technologies LLC).
References and notes
1. Eto, M. Organophosphorus Pesticides; Organic and Biological Chemistry; CRC
Press: Cleveland, 1974.
2. Fest, C.; Schmidt, K. J. The Chemistry of Organophosphorus Pesticides; Reactivity,
Synthesis, Mode of Action, Toxicology; Springer: Berlin, New York, 1973.
3. United States Army Medical Research Institute of Chemical Defense (1995)
Nerve Agents, in Medical Management of Chemical Casualties Handbook, 2nd
(accessed on 11/09/06).
4. Sidell, F. R.; Borak, J. Ann. Emerg. Med. 1992, 21, 865.
5. Ballantyne, B.; Marrs, T. C. Clinical and Experimental Toxicology of
Organophosphates and Carbamates; Butterworth Heinemann: Oxford, Boston,
1992.
6. Bajgar, J. Adv. Clin. Chem. 2004, 38, 151.
7. Bajgar, J.; Kuca, K.; Jun, D.; Bartosova, L.; Fusek, J. Curr. Drug Metab. 2007, 8, 803.
8. Luo, C.; Tong, M.; Maxwell, D. M.; Saxena, A. Chem. Biol. Interact. 2008, 175, 261.
9. Sidell, F. R.; Groff, W. A. Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 1974, 27, 241.
10. Thompson, C. M.; Frick, J. A.; Natke, B. C.; Hansen, L. K. Chem. Res. Toxicol. 1989,
2, 386.
11. McWhirter, C.; Lund, E. A.; Tanifum, E. A.; Feng, G.; Sheikh, Q. I.; Hengge, A. C.;
Williams, N. H. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2008, 130, 13673.
12. Liao, X.; Anjaneyulu, P. S.; Curley, J. F.; Hsu, M.; Boehringer, M.; Caruthers, M.
H.; Piccirilli, J. A. Biochemistry 2001, 40, 10911.
13. Campagne, J.-M.; Coste, J.; Jouin, P. J. Org. Chem. 1995, 60, 5214.
14. Campbell, D. A.; Bermak, J. C. J. Org. Chem. 1994, 59, 658.
15. Udodong, U. E.; Hansen, M. M.; Verral, D. E.; Harkness, A. R.; Grutsch, J. L.;
Miller, W. D.; Astleford, B. Tetrahedron 2003, 59, 2667.
16. Ozturk, T.; Ertas, E.; Mert, O. Chem. Rev. 2007, 107, 5210.