Design of scytalone dehydratase inhibitors as rice blast fungicides: derivatives of norephedrine.

Five X-ray crystal structures of scytalone dehydratase complexed with different inhibitors have delineated conformationally flexible regions of the binding pocket. This information was used for the design and synthesis of a norephedrine-derived cyanoacetamide class of inhibitors leading to potent fungicides.

Design of scytalone dehydratase inhibitors as rice blast fungicides: (N-phenoxypropyl)-carboxamides.

Insights gained from a crystal structure of scytalone dehydratase led to the design of carboxamide inhibitors with a phenoxypropyl group substituted on the nitrogen atom Potent enzyme inhibitors were synthesized around this motif, the best of which provided excellent control of rice blast disease in greenhouse assays and outdoor field trials.