Increased affinity of N-Methyl-AG525 stereoisomers for SK2 and SK3 channels

Small conductance calcium-activated potassium (SK, KCa2) channels represent interesting and challenging targets in medicinal chemistry. So far, the reference ligand is apamin, a peptide used in most published studies including the [125I] analog for binding studies. Nonpeptidic ligands with high affinity have been developed for several years. Currently, different questions remain to be solved. No selective and brain-penetrating agent is available. In addition, replacing [125I]apamin in binding experiments would be also interesting.
We have developed different series of compounds initially derived from laudanosine (1). The quaternized derivative, N-methyl-laudanosine (NML), was found to be a weak SK blocker but highly reversible in electrophysiological experiments (2). Then, bis-charged derivatives were synthesized. Potentially brain-penetrating AG525 stereoisomers were obtained and tested for their affinity for SK channels (3). The affinity of one enantiomer, AG525E1, was found to be close to that of dequalinium (Ki ~ 200 nM) while the two other stereoisomers had a lower affinity.
Following this study, quaternization of AG525 stereoisomers was carried out and the affinity of these compounds for SK channel subtypes was determined in comparison with that of parent compounds.
We observed a significant increase of affinity for SK2 and SK3 channels for the bis-charged N-methyl derivatives as compared to the basic AG525 stereoisomers to. The ratio of selectivity was increased a little in the case of bis-charged N-methyl derivatives. In addition, the influence of stereochemistry was quite different between both groups. For basic AG525 stereoisomers, the S,S-enantiomer (AG525E1) was the most potent while, within bis-charged N-methyl analogues, both enantiomers had higher affinity. Further in silico approaches should permit to explain these results.
References: (1) Graulich et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2005, 13, 1201 (2) Scuvée-Moreau et al., J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 2002, 302, 1176 (3) Graulich et al., Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett., 2008, 18, 3440