Synthesis and binding properties of MK-801 isothiocyanates; (+)-3-isothiocyanato-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cyclohepten- 5,10-imine hydrochloride: a new, potent and selective electrophilic affinity ligand for the NMDA receptor-coupled phencyclidine binding site

Sulforaphane and Its Bifunctional Analogs: Synthesis and Biological Activity

For decades, various plants have been studied as sources of biologically active compounds. Compounds with anticancer and antimicrobial properties are the most frequently desired. Cruciferous plants, including Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and wasabi, have a special role in the research studies. Studies have shown that consumption of these plants reduce the risk of lung, breast, and prostate cancers. The high chemopreventive and anticancer potential of cruciferous plants results from the presence of a large amount of glucosinolates, which, under the influence of myrosinase, undergo an enzymatic transformation to biologically active isothiocyanates (ITCs). Natural isothiocyanates, such as benzyl isothiocyanate, phenethyl isothiocyanate, or the best-tested sulforaphane, possess anticancer activity at all stages of the carcinogenesis process, show antibacterial activity, and are used in organic synthesis. Methods of synthesis of sulforaphane, as well as its natural or synthetic bifunctional analogues with sulfinyl, sulfanyl, sulfonyl, phosphonate, phosphinate, phosphine oxide, carbonyl, ester, carboxamide, ether, or additional isothiocyanate functional groups, and with the unbranched alkyl chain containing 2-6 carbon atoms, are discussed in this review. The biological activity of these compounds are also reported. In the first section, glucosinolates, isothiocyanates, and mercapturic acids (their metabolites) are briefly characterized. Additionally, the most studied anticancer and antibacterial mechanisms of ITC actions are discussed.

Application and assessment of deep learning for the generation of potential NMDA receptor antagonists

Uncompetitive antagonists of the N-methyl d-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) have demonstrated therapeutic benefit in the treatment of neurological diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, but some also cause dissociative effects that have led to the synthesis of illicit drugs. The ability to generate NMDAR antagonists in silico is therefore desirable for both new medication development and preempting and identifying new designer drugs. Recently, generative deep learning models have been applied to de novo drug design as a means to expand the amount of chemical space that can be explored for potential drug-like compounds. In this study, we assess the application of a generative model to the NMDAR to achieve two primary objectives: (i) the creation and release of a comprehensive library of experimentally validated NMDAR phencyclidine (PCP) site antagonists to assist the drug discovery community and (ii) an analysis of both the advantages conferred by applying such generative artificial intelligence models to drug design and the current limitations of the approach. We apply, and provide source code for, a variety of ligand- and structure-based assessment techniques used in standard drug discovery analyses to the deep learning-generated compounds. We present twelve candidate antagonists that are not available in existing chemical databases to provide an example of what this type of workflow can achieve, though synthesis and experimental validation of these compounds are still required.

Glutamic acid, twenty years later

This review examines progress in understanding the physiologic functions of glutamic acid in the body since the first symposium on glutamic acid physiology and biochemistry was held at the Mario Negri Institute in Milan in 1978. The topics reviewed, although not exhaustive, include the metabolism of glutamic acid, umami taste, the role of glutamic acid as a neurotransmitter, glutamate safety and the development of new drugs resulting from the knowledge of the neurodegeneration induced by high doses of glutamic acid.

An electrophilic affinity ligand based on (+)-MK801 distinguishes PCP site 1 from PCP site 2

The electrophilic affinity ligand, (+)-3-isothiocyanato-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d]cycl ohepten-5,10 - imine hydrochloride [(+)-MK801-NCS] was characterized for its ability to acrylate phencyclidine (PCP) and sigma binding sites in vivo. Initial studies, conducted with mouse brain membranes, characterized the binding sites labeled by [3H]1-[1-(2-thienyl)cyclohexyl]piperidine ([3H]TCP). The Kd values of [3H]TCP for PCP site 1 (MK801-sensitive) and PCP site 2 (MK801-insensitive) were 12 nM and 68 nM, with Bmax values of 1442 and 734 fmol/mg protein, respectively. Mice were sacrificed 18-24 hours following intracerebroventricular administration of the acylator. The administration of (+)-MK801-NCS increased [3H]TCP binding to site 2, but not to site 1. Although (+)-MK801-NCS decreased [3H](+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo[a,d; ccyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate ([3H](+)-MK801) binding to site 1, it had no effect on [3H]TCP binding to site 1. Viewed collectively with other published data, these data support the hypothesis that PCP sites 1 and 2 are distinct binding sites, and that [3H]TCP and [3H](+)-MK801 label different domains of the PCP binding site associated with the NMDA receptor.