Lobelane analogues containing 4-hydroxy and 4-(2-fluoroethoxy) aromatic substituents: Potent and selective inhibitors of [(3)H]dopamine uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2.

A series of lobelane and GZ-793A analogues that incorporate aromatic 4-hydroxy and 4-(2-fluoroethoxy) substituents were synthesized and evaluated for inhibition of [(3)H]dopamine (DA) uptake at the vesicular monoamine transporter-2 (VMAT2) and the dopamine transporter (DAT), and [(3)H]serotonin uptake at the serotonin transporter (SERT). Most of these compounds exhibited potent inhibition of DA uptake at VMAT2 in the nanomolar range (Ki=30-70nM). The two most potent analogues, 7 and 14, both exhibited a Ki value of 31nM for inhibition of VMAT2. The lobelane analogue 14, incorporating 4-(2-fluoroethoxy) and 4-hydroxy aromatic substituents, exhibited 96- and 335-fold greater selectivity for VMAT2 versus DAT and SERT, respectively, in comparison to lobelane. Thus, lobelane analogues bearing hydroxyl and fluoroethoxy moieties retain the high affinity for VMAT2 of the parent compound, while enhancing selectivity for VMAT2 versus the plasmalemma transporters.

Two concise total syntheses of (-)-bitungolide F.

The enantioselective total synthesis of the dual-specificity phosphatase inhibitor (-)-bitungolide F has been achieved using two convergent routes. Both strategies feature an asymmetric boron-mediated pentenylation, a stereoselective aldol, and a hydroxyl-directed 1,3-anti-reduction in order to control the stereogenic centers at C4, C5, C9, and C11. Whereas the first total synthesis was achieved in 11 steps and 14.6% overall yield using an Evans-type asymmetric alkylation, the second was completed in 9 steps and 11.4% overall yield using a highly enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition as a key step and a protecting group free strategy.