which might be partly attributed to the dipole-dipole interaction
between the 4,5-epoxy ring and the 6α-amide side chain (Figure
Carr, S. A.; Annan, R. S.; McNulty, D. E.; Liu, W. S.; Terrett, J.
A.; Elshourbagy, N. A.; Bergsma, D. J.; Yanagisawa, M. Cell
1
998;92:573−585.
4
(a)). This result suggested that YNT-707 (2) would bind to
OX R with little energy cost as YNT-1310 (3), but YNT-1369 (8)
would require a significant energy cost upon binding to OX R.
This consideration would explain the lower affinity of YNT-1310
3) for OX R. On the other hand, the 6α-isomer YNT-816 (13)
2
.
de Lecea, L.; Kilduff, T. S.; Peyron, C.; Gao, X.; Foye, P. E.;
Danielson, P. E.; Fukuhara, C.; Battenberg, E. L.; Gautvik, V. T.;
Bartlett, F. S., 2nd; Frankel, W. N.; van den Pol, A. N.; Bloom, F.
E.; Gautvik, K. M.; Sutcliffe, J. G. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A.
1
1
1998;95:322−327.
Sakurai, T. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2007;8:171–181.
(
1
3
4
5
.
.
.
without a 4,5-epoxy ring showed improved activity, which was
higher than that of the corresponding 6β-isomer YNT-817 (14)
because no dipole-dipole interaction could lead the 6α-amide side
chain to the lower side of the C-ring, as shown in lower-energy
conformers of YNT-816 (13) (Figure 3 (c)).
Sakurai, T. Nat. Rev. Neurosci. 2014;15:719–731.
Hutcheson, D. M.; Quarta, D.; Halbout, B.; Rigal, A.; Valerio, E.;
Heidbreder, C. Behav. Pharmacol. 2011;22:173−181.
6. Gozzi, A.; Turrini, G.; Piccoli, L.; Massagrande, M.; Amantini,
D.; Antolini, M.; Martinelli, P.; Cesari, N.; Montanari, D.; Tessari,
M.; Corsi, M.; Bifone, A. PLoS One 2011;6:e16406.
The hydrogen bond between the 14-hydroxy and the
7
.
Narita, M.; Nagumo, Y.; Hashimoto, S.; Narita, M.; Khotib, J.;
Miyatake, M.; Sakurai, T.; Yanagisawa, M.; Nakamachi, T.;
Shioda, S.; Suzuki, T. J. Neurosci. 2006;26:398-405.
lone pair of 17-nitrogen could lead the 17-sulfonamide group
toward the lower side of the D-ring. Actually, all of the most
stable conformations of YNT-1369 (8), YNT-707 (2), YNT-816
8. Chou, T. C.; Lee, C. E.; Elmquist, J. K.; Hara, J.; Willie, J.
T.;Beuckmann, C. T.; Chemelli, R. M.; Sakurai, T.; Yanagisawa,
M.;Saper, C. B.; Scammel, T. E. J. Neurosci. 2001;21:RC168.
(
13) and YNT-817 (14) adopted the orientation with the 17-
sulfonamide group to the lower side of the D-ring. However, as
shown in Figure 3 (a), the 17-sulfonamide group must orient
toward the upper side of the D-ring in order to interact with
9
.
Chen, J.; Zhang, R.; Chen, X.; Wang, C.; Cai, X.; Liu, H.; Jiang,
Y.; Liu, C.; Bai, B. Cell. Signalling 2015;27:1426–1438.
0. Nagase, H.; Yamamoto, N.; Yata, M.; Ohrui, S.; Okada, T.;
Saitoh, T.; Kutsumura, N.; Nagumo, Y.; Irukayama-Tomobe, Y.;
Ogawa, Y.; Ishikawa, Y.; Hirayama, S.; Kuroda, D.; Watanabe,
Y.; Gouda, Y.; Yanagisawa, M. J. Med. Chem. 2017;60:1018–
1
1
OX R. In the lower-energy conformers of YNT-816 (13) and
YNT-817 (14), the 17-sulfonamide group is oriented toward the
upper side of the D-ring in YNT-816 (13), but not for YNT-817
1
040.
1. Boss, C.; Brisbare-Roch, C.; Jenck, F. J. Med. Chem.
009;52:891−903.
(
14). This observation might help to explain the higher activity of
YNT-816 (13) as compared to YNT-817 (14). Furthermore, the
4-hydroxy group could interact with the 6β-amide group and
1
2
1
1
2. Lebold, T. P.; Bonaventure, P.; Shireman, B. T. Bioorg. Med.
Chem. Lett. 2013;23:4761−4769.
13. Boss, C.; Roch, C. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2015;25:2875
−2887.
raise it to the upper side of C-ring (Figure 4 (b)), which resulted
in lower activity of YNT-817. On the other hand, the
conformation in Figure 4 (b) was reported as an active
1
4. Roecker, A. J.; Cox, C. D.; Coleman, P. J. J. Med. Chem.
2016;59:504–530.
1
5–18
conformation for binding with the κ opioid receptor.
1
5. Nagase, H.; Fujii, H. Curr. Pharmaceutical Des. 2013;19:7400–
414.
16. Nagase, H.; Imaide, S.; Yamada, T.; Hirayama, S.; Nemoto, T.;
Based on our results, we now have an improved
understanding of the differences of the active conformations of
nalfurafine derivatives, especially, the orientation of the 6-amide
7
Yamaotsu, N.; Hirono, S.; Fujii, H. Chem. Pharm. Bull.
2
012;60:945–948.
7. Nagase, H.; Imaide, S.; Hirayama, S.; Nemoto, T.; Fujii, H.
Bioorg. Med Chem. Lett. 2012;22:5071–5074.
group for differentiation between OX
discovery will provide important information for designing OX
ligands with morphinan structures.
In conclusion, we modified YNT-707 (2) to clarify the
1
R and KOR. This
1
1
1
R
8. Fujii, H.; Imaide, S.; Hirayama, S.; Nemoto, T.; Nagase, H.
Bioorg. Med. Chem. lett. 2012;22:7711–7714.
essential structure of parent compound (2), especially, the 3-
methoxy group, 4,5-epoxy ring, 14-hydroxy group, and the
orientation of the 6-amide group. Our results show that the 3-
methoxy and 17-sulfonamide groups are essential for the activity,
and the 4,5-epoxy ring could play an important role to orient the
19. Nagase, H.; Nemoto, T.; Matsubara, A.; Saito, M.; Yamamoto, N.;
Osa, Y.; Hirayama, S.; Nakajima, M.; Mochizuki, H.; Fujii, H.
Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 2010;20:6302–6305.
2
0. The stereochemistries of 11 and 12 at the 6-position were
determined as follows. The Boc groups in compound 11 and 12
were deprotected with HCl–MeOH to afford 11’ and 12’,
respectively. The NOESY correlation between H4 and H6 in 12’
was observed, while 11’ showed no correlation between them.
OH
6
1
-amide group into an active conformation to bind with OX R.
The 14-hydroxy group could lower the activity of the 6β-amide
isomers by the interaction of 14-hydroxy group with 6β-amide
group. Finally, the differences of the active conformation
HN
6
NHMe
1
between OX R and KOR were proposed, which are expected to
4
HH
NOESY
be a useful guide for medicinal chemists to design orexin ligands.
OMe
1
2'
1. Tsujishita, H.; Hirono, S. J. Comput. Aided Mol. Des.
997;11:305–315.
Acknowledgments
2
1
This work was supported by JSPS KAKENHI (Grant-in-Aid for
Young Scientists (B)) Grant 15K16557 (T.S.), (Grant-in-Aid for
Scientific Research (B)) Grant 16H05098 (H.N.), MEXT Grant-
in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Areas, Grant
JP15H05942 “Living in Space”, and TORAY Industries, Inc. IIIS
is also supported by the World Premier International Research
Center (WPI) Initiative, Japan. We thank Professor Shuichi
Hirono (Kitasato University) for generously allowing us to use
CAMDAS program.
References and notes
1
.
Sakurai, T.; Amemiya, A.; Ishii, M.; Matsuzaki, I.; Chemelli, R.
M.; Tanaka, H.; Williams, S. C.; Richardson, J. A.; Kozlowski, G.
P.; Wilson, S.; Arch, J. R.; Buckingham, R. E.; Haynes, A. C.;