SAR inspired by aldehyde oxidase (AO) metabolism: Discovery of novel, CNS penetrant tricyclic M4 PAMs.

This letter describes progress towards an M4 PAM preclinical candidate inspired by an unexpected aldehyde oxidase (AO) metabolite of a novel, CNS penetrant thieno[2,3-c]pyridine core to an equipotent, non-CNS penetrant thieno[2,3-c]pyrdin-7(6H)-one core. Medicinal chemistry design efforts yielded two novel tricyclic cores that enhanced M4 PAM potency, regained CNS penetration, displayed favorable DMPK properties and afforded robust in vivo efficacy in reversing amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in rats.

Discovery of Small-Molecule Nonfluorescent Inhibitors of Fluorogen-Fluorogen Activating Protein Binding Pair.

A new class of biosensors, fluorogen activating proteins (FAPs), has been successfully used to track receptor trafficking in live cells. Unlike the traditional fluorescent proteins (FPs), FAPs do not fluoresce unless bound to their specific small-molecule fluorogens, and thus FAP-based assays are highly sensitive. Application of the FAP-based assay for protein trafficking in high-throughput flow cytometry resulted in the discovery of a new class of compounds that interferes with the binding between fluorogens and FAP, thus blocking the fluorescence signal. These compounds are high-affinity, nonfluorescent analogs of fluorogens with little or no toxicity to the tested cells and no apparent interference with the normal function of FAP-tagged receptors. The most potent compound among these, N,4-dimethyl-N-(2-oxo-2-(4-(pyridin-2-yl)piperazin-1-yl)ethyl)benzenesulfonamide (ML342), has been investigated in detail. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that ML342 competes with the fluorogen, sulfonated thiazole orange coupled to diethylene glycol diamine (TO1-2p), for the same binding site on a FAP, AM2.2. Kinetic analysis shows that the FAP-fluorogen interaction is more complex than a homogeneous one-site binding process, with multiple conformational states of the fluorogen and/or the FAP, and possible dimerization of the FAP moiety involved in the process.

Allosteric activation of M4 muscarinic receptors improve behavioral and physiological alterations in early symptomatic YAC128 mice.

Mutations that lead to Huntington's disease (HD) result in increased transmission at glutamatergic corticostriatal synapses at early presymptomatic stages that have been postulated to set the stage for pathological changes and symptoms that are observed at later ages. Based on this, pharmacological interventions that reverse excessive corticostriatal transmission may provide a novel approach for reducing early physiological changes and motor symptoms observed in HD. We report that activation of the M4 subtype of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor reduces transmission at corticostriatal synapses and that this effect is dramatically enhanced in presymptomatic YAC128 HD and BACHD relative to wild-type mice. Furthermore, chronic administration of a novel highly selective M4 positive allosteric modulator (PAM) beginning at presymptomatic ages improves motor and synaptic deficits in 5-mo-old YAC128 mice. These data raise the exciting possibility that selective M4 PAMs could provide a therapeutic strategy for the treatment of HD.