Identification and pharmacological profile of a new class of selective nicotinic acetylcholine receptor potentiators.

Here we report the discovery, by high-throughput screening, of three novel (2-amino-5-keto)thiazole compounds that act as selective potentiators of nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Compound selectivity was assessed at seven human nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (alpha1beta1gammadelta, alpha2beta4, alpha3beta2, alpha3beta4, alpha4beta2, alpha4beta4, and alpha7) expressed in mammalian cells or Xenopus oocytes. At alpha2beta4, alpha4beta2, alpha4beta4, and alpha7, but not alpha1beta1gammadelta, alpha3beta2, or alpha3beta4, submaximal responses to nicotinic agonists were potentiated in a concentration-dependent manner by all compounds.

Oxidative 5-endo cyclization of enamides mediated by ceric ammonium nitrate.

[reaction: see text] Ceric ammonium nitrate mediates the oxidative 5-endo radical-polar crossover reactions of beta-enamide esters to give 5,5-C,O-disubstituted-gamma-lactams. Trapping of the intermediate cations leads to 5-hydroxy- or 5-alkoxy-gamma-lactams depending upon the reaction conditions. The methodology was used to synthesize the basic heterocyclic ring fragments of the natural products L-755,807, Quinolacticin C, and PI-091.