2- and 3-substituted imidazo [1,2-a] pyrazines as inhibitors of bacterial type IV secretion

A novel series of 8-amino imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazine derivatives has been developed as inhibitors of the VirB11 ATPase HP0525, a key component of the bacterial type IV secretion system. A flexible synthetic route to both 2- and 3-aryl substituted regioisomers has been developed. The resulting series of imidazo[1,2-a]pyrazines has been used to probe the structure–activity relationships of these inhibitors, which show potential as antibacterial agents

Pd-catalysed amidation of 2,6-dihalopurine nucleosides. Replacement of iodine at 0 ºC

Pd-catalysed reactions of 2-Cl, 2-Br and 2-I derivatives of a 6-chloropurine nucleoside with benzamide have been compared, using Pd2dba3, Xantphos and Cs2CO3 in toluene, between 20 and 80 °C. The reactivity order was 2-I > 2-Br > 6-Cl ≫ 2-Cl. The 2-I substituent could be replaced even at 0 °C, under conditions disclosed here for the first time. On the other hand, the replacement of the chlorine atom at position 2 (2-Cl) required 110 °C

Development of peptidomimetic ligands of Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 as allosteric modulators of the dopamine D2 receptor

A variety of stable, small-molecule peptidomimetic ligands have been developed to elucidate the mechanism by which the neuropeptide Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 (PLG) modulates dopaminergic neurotransmission. Photoaffinity labeling ligands based upon PLG peptidomimetics have been used to establish that PLG binds to the D2 dopamine receptor at a site that is different from the orthosteric site, thus making PLG and its peptidomimetics allosteric modulators of the dopamine receptor. Through the design, synthesis and pharmacological evaluation of conformationally constrained peptidomimetics containing lactam, bicyclic, and spiro-bicyclic scaffolds, support was provided for the hypothesis that the bioactive conformation of PLG is a type II β-turn. In addition, studies with peptidomimetics designed to mimic either a type VI β-turn or polyproline II helix conformation yielded molecules that were able to modulate dopamine receptors because of their ability to place the carboxamide NH2 pharmacophore in the same topological space as that seen in the type II β-turn. Extensive studies with the spiro-bicyclic PLG peptidomimetics also established that both positive and negative modes of modulation were possible for the same series of peptidomimetics simply as a result of minor differences in the stereochemistry about the bridgehead carbon within the scaffold. This information was used to transform existing positive modulators into negative modulators, which demonstrated that small structural changes in the spiro-bicyclic dopamine receptor modulators are capable of causing major changes in the modulatory activity of PLG peptidomimetics

Transformation of Pro-Leu-Gly-NH₂ Peptidomimetic Positive Allosteric Modulators of the Dopamine D₂ Receptor into Negative Modulators

The synthesis of dimethyl derivatives of 5.6.5 spiro bicyclic lactam Pro-Leu-Gly-NH₂ peptidomimetics was carried out to test the hypothesis that by placing methyl groups on the β-methylene carbon of the thiazolidine ring steric bulk would be introduced into the topological space that the β-methylene carbon is believed to occupy in the negative allosteric modulators of the dopamine D₂ receptor. With such a modification, a positive allosteric modulator would be converted into a negative allosteric modulator. This hypothesis was shown to be correct as <b>3a</b> and <b>4a</b> where found to be negative allosteric modulators, whereas their unmethylated derivatives were positive allosteric modulators of the dopamine D₂ receptor