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Recent genetic evidence suggests that the diacylglycerol lipase (DAGL-α) isoform is the major biosynthetic enzyme for the most abundant endocannabinoid, 2-arachidonoyl-glycerol (2-AG), in the central nervous system. Revelation of its essential role in regulating retrograde synaptic plasticity and adult neurogenesis has made it an attractive therapeutic target. Therefore, it has become apparent that selective inhibition of DAGL-α enzyme activity with a small molecule could be a strategy for the development of novel therapies for the treatment of disease indications such as depression, anxiety, pain, and cognition. In this report, the authors present the identification of small-molecule inhibitor chemotypes of DAGL-α, which were selective (≥10-fold) against two other lipases, pancreatic lipase and monoacylglycerol lipase, via high-throughput screening of a diverse compound collection. Seven chemotypes of interest from a list of 185 structural clusters, which included 132 singletons, were initially selected for evaluation and characterization. Selection was based on potency, selectivity, and chemical tractability. One of the chemotypes, the glycine sulfonamide series, was prioritized as an initial lead for further medicinal chemistry optimization.

Protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) catalyze the dephosphorylation of tyrosine residues, a process that involves a conserved tryptophan-proline-aspartate (WPD) loop in catalysis. In previously determined structures of PTPs, the WPD-loop has been observed in either an "open" conformation or a "closed" conformation. In the current work, X-ray structures of the catalytic domain of receptor-like protein tyrosine phosphatase γ (RPTPγ) revealed a ligand-induced "superopen" conformation not previously reported for PTPs. In the superopen conformation, the ligand acts as an apparent competitive inhibitor and binds in a small hydrophobic pocket adjacent to, but distinct from, the active site. In the open and closed WPD-loop conformations of RPTPγ, the side chain of Trp1026 partially occupies this pocket. In the superopen conformation, Trp1026 is displaced allowing a 3,4-dichlorobenzyl substituent to occupy this site. The bound ligand prevents closure of the WPD-loop over the active site and disrupts the catalytic cycle of the enzyme.

Protein tyrosine phosphatase-γ (PTP-γ) is a receptor-like PTP whose biological function is poorly understood. A recent mouse PTP-γ genetic deletion model associated the loss of PTP-γ gene expression with a potential antidepressant phenotype. This led the authors to screen a subset of the Bristol-Myers Squibb (BMS) compound collection to identify selective small-molecule inhibitors of receptor-like PTP-γ (RPTP-γ) for use in evaluating enzyme function in vivo. Here, they report the design of a high-throughput fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay based on the Z'-LYTE technology to screen for inhibitors of RPTP-γ. A subset of the BMS diverse compound collection was screened and several compounds identified as RPTP-γ inhibitors in the assay. After chemical triage and clustering, compounds were assessed for potency and selectivity by IC(50) determination with RPTP-γ and two other phosphatases, PTP-1B and CD45. One hundred twenty-nine RPTP-γ selective (defined as IC(50) value greater than 5- to 10-fold over PTP-1B and CD45) inhibitors were identified and prioritized for evaluation. One of these hits, 3-(3, 4-dichlorobenzylthio) thiophene-2-carboxylic acid, was the primary chemotype for the initiation of a medicinal chemistry program.

2-Arylbenzoxazole 5 was identified as a hit from a fluorescence-based high-throughput screen for CETP inhibitors. The synthesis and SAR investigation employing array synthesis of the A- and B-rings are described.