Positive allosteric modulators of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor: SAR investigation around PNU-120596.

The α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor is a calcium permeable, ligand-gated ion channel that modulates synaptic transmission in the hippocampus, thalamus, and cerebral cortex. Previously disclosed work described PNU-120596 that acts as a powerful positive allosteric modulator of the α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor. The initial structure-activity relationships around PNU-120596 were gleaned from screening a large thiazole library.

Progress toward the synthesis of hinckdentine A.

Hinckdentine A is a structurally unique marine alkaloid containing an 11b,12,13,14,15,16-hexahydroazepino[4',5':2,3] indolo[1,2-c]quinazoline ring system. This review covers the literature on hinckdentine A. The indolo[1,2-c]quinazoline ring system is the foundation of the hinckdentine A structure.

Synthesis of N-methyl-N-[(1S)-1-[(3R)-pyrrolidin-3-yl]ethyl]amine.

N-Methyl-N-[(1S)-1-[(3R)-pyrrolidin-3-yl]ethyl]amine (1)(1) is a key intermediate in the preparation of premafloxacin (2), which was under development as an antibiotic for use against pathogens of veterinary importance. This paper describes the development of a practical, efficient, and stereoselective process for the preparation of 1 from isobutyl (3S)-3-[methyl[(1S)-1-phenylethyl]amino]butanoate (5c). The key steps in the synthetic sequence are an asymmetric Michael addition, which yields 5c, and a stereoselective alkylation, which yields (3S,4S)-3-allyl-1,4-dimethylazetidin-2-one (17).

Synthesis of 8-desbromohinckdentine A1.

Hinckdentine A is an alkaloid isolated from the bryozoan Hincksinoflustra denticulate. This natural product contains a novel and unique 11b,12,13,14,15,16-hexahydroazepino[4',5':2,3]indolo[1,2-c]quinazoline ring system that has not previously been synthesized. We have synthesized 8-desbromohinckdentine A from a 2-aryl indole by first preparing the quaternary center of the natural product and then building the seven-membered lactam and dihydropyrimidine rings onto this intermediate to form the framework of hinckdentine A.

Study of the addition of Grignard reagents to 2-aryl-3H-indol-3-ones.

Grignard reagents are added to the carbonyl group of 2-aryl-3H-indol-3-ones to generate 3-alkyl(or phenyl)-2-aryl-3H-indol-3-ols, which are in turn rearranged to yield 2-alkyl(or phenyl)-2-aryl-1,2-dihydro-3H-indol-3-ones.

Novel rearrangement of a 2-aryl-3-alkyl-3H-indol-3-ol to a 1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2,6-methano-1-benzazocin-3(2H)-one with implications for the biosynthesis of aspernomine.

[reaction: see text] Nominine (1) and aspernomine (2) are two biologically important indole diterpenoids that arise from a common digeranylindole precursor. The skeletal relationship of these two natural products was not heretofore understood. We have observed a novel rearrangement of 2-(2-bromophenyl)-3-(3-butenyl)-3H-indol-3-ol (5) to 7, which contains the uncommon 1,4,5,6-tetrahydro-2,6-methano-1-benzazocin-3(2H)-one ring system, under acidic conditions.