Structurally Compact, Blue-Green-Red Fluorescence Trackers for the Outer Cell Membrane: Zwitterionic (Naphthylvinyl)pyridinium Dyes.

The cell membrane regulates the flux of materials in and out of cell, cell adhesion, and signaling. Fluorophores that selectively localize on it are in demand for investigations of the molecular events occurring on the outer cell membrane. Commercial membrane trackers based on phospholipids are structurally complex and difficult to modify further. We disclose the zwitterionic (naphthylvinyl)pyridinium dyes that selectively localize on the outer cell membrane and emit blue, green, and red fluorescence, respectively. Notably, they are structurally compact and provide bright fluorescence images of the cell membrane. By comparing with control compounds, we identified minimal structural elements for the "robust" localization of dye on the outer cell membrane. Further, the dyes are two-photon active, enabling high-resolution, deep-tissue imaging. One of the dyes was used to image a spleen tissue, which provided high-resolution fluorescent images with a distinct morphology. In addition, the materials and results disclosed are valuable for the development of membrane-targeting probes and structurally compact fluorophores.

Novel naphthylstyryl-pyridium potentiometric dyes offer advantages for neural network analysis.

The submucous plexus of the guinea pig intestine is a quasi-two-dimensional mammalian neural network that is particularly amenable to study using multiple site optical recording of transmembrane voltage (MSORTV) [Biol. Bull. 183 (1992) 344; J. Neurosci. 19 (1999) 3073]. For several years the potentiometric dye of choice for monitoring the electrical activity of its individual neurons has been di-8-ANEPPS [Neuron 9 (1992) 393], a naphthylstyryl-pyridinium dye with a propylsulfonate headgroup that provides relatively large fluorescence changes during action potentials and synaptic potentials. Limitations to the use of this dye, however, have been its phototoxicity and its low water solubility which requires the presence of DMSO and Pluronic F-127 in the staining solution. In searching for less toxic and more soluble dyes exhibiting larger fluorescence signals, we first tried the dienylstyryl-pyridinium dye RH795 [J. Neurosci. 14 (1994) 2545] which is highly soluble in water. This dye yielded relatively large signals, but it was internalized quickly by the submucosal neurons resulting in rapid degradation of the signal-to-noise ratio. We decided to synthesize a series of naphthylstyryl-pyridinium dyes (di-n-ANEPPDHQ) having the same chromophore as di-8-ANEPPS and the quaternary ammonium headgroup (DHQ) of RH795 (resulting in two positive charges versus the neutral propylsulfonate-ring nitrogen combination), and we tested the di-methyl (JPW3039), di-ethyl (JPW2081), di-propyl (JPW3031), di-butyl (JPW5029), and di-octyl (JPW5037) analogues, all of them soluble in ethanol. We found that the di-propyl (di-3-ANEPPDHQ) and the di-butyl (di-4-ANEPPDHQ) forms yielded the best combination of signal-to-noise ratio, moderate phototoxicity and absence of dye internalization.

Molecular modeling of (E)-1-alkyl-4(3)-[2-(1H-azolyl)vinyl]-pyridinium salts and evaluation of their behavior towards choline acetyltransferase.

A new type of extended pi-system aza-analogue of (E)-4-[2-(1-naphthylvinyl)]-1-substituted pyridinium salts (NVP+) has been designed and its inhibitory activity towards choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) has been evaluated in vitro. Among the several examples of the title quaternary salts synthesized 2 and 3, the indolylvinylpyridinium salt 2e is the only one to show a very low ChAT inhibition. The molecular modeling study is highly illustrative of their behavior towards ChAT and interaction with the recognition site. Thus, several selected cations together with the reference NVP+ compound 1a were studied at the PM3 and AM1 levels respectively. At the global minima, all the compounds are planar, which, from the electron charge distribution, shows a degree of polarization similar to the NVP+ model compound 1a. However, the fitting of all optimized structures indicated that only the indole derivative 2e showed the same aromatic fragment orientation as 1a, which allows us to define a volume that is not accessible to ligands in the enzyme and consequently to a refined model of the choline acetyltransferase recognition site.

Molecular modeling studies of some choline acetyltransferase inhibitors.

Choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) inhibitors related to trans-1-methyl-4- (1-naphthylvinyl)-pyridinium (NVP+) have been assumed to depend upon a nearly or completely planar conformation for their enzyme-inhibitor interaction. In an effort to investigate the geometries and preferred conformations for these compounds, geometry optimizations using the semiempirical molecular orbital method AM1 and a modified version of the molecular mechanics method MM2(92) have been carried out. The results indicate that the active inhibitors are either planar or nearly coplanar, lying in relatively flat potential wells in the vicinity of the corresponding planar structures. When nonplanarity is favored, one ring is twisted out of the plane by approximately 30 degrees. Where steric features significantly deter assumption of a nearly planar conformation, the analogs are inactive. The inactivity of analogs bearing tricyclic aryl groups appears to result from bulk-related hindrance to ChAT receptor binding rather than lack of coplanarity.

Inhibition of brain choline acetyltransferase in vivo: (E)-1-methyl-4-(1-naphthylvinyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride (B115), a depot form of a potent inhibitor.

The quaternary ammonium salt (E)-4-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridine hydroxyethyl bromide (B111) and the tertiary amine salt (E)-1-methyl-4-(1-naphthylvinyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride (B115), both previously shown to protect against organophosphate (OP) toxicity, were examined in vivo for effects on rat brain choline acetyltransferase (CAT) activity and acetylcholine (ACh) levels. When administered iv, but not when given ip, B111 was able to inhibit brain CAT 29% and reduce brain ACh levels 25%, yet was unable to prevent soman-induced increases in ACh. B115, which may serve as a depot form of a quaternary ammonium analogue, was able to decrease CAT activity as much as 80% upon multiple ip administration. This CAT inhibitory potency was unprecedented for a tertiary amine salt of its structure. However, ACh levels were reduced by no more than 25% and B115 was ineffective in preventing soman- and sarin-induced increases in ACh. Since the degree of inhibition of CAT activity produced by B111 and B115 was not accompanied by a corresponding decrease in ACh levels, the protection afforded by these compounds against OP toxicity is most likely not related to CAT inhibition. B115 was also tested for its ability to affect cholinergic receptor binding. B115 was administered to rats ip, twice daily, at low doses throughout a 3-week period. Analysis of cortex tissue revealed a 45% increase in nicotinic receptor binding with no change in either total muscarinic receptor binding (M-1 and M-2) or high-affinity muscarinic receptor binding (M-2 alone).

Approaches to protection against nerve agent poisoning. (Naphthylvinyl)pyridine derivatives as potential antidotes.

Analogues of the potent inhibitor of choline acetyltransferase (CAT) (E)-4-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridine methiodide were synthesized and evaluated for their ability to inhibit CAT and protect against nerve agent intoxication. Several compounds, notably (E)-1-(2-hydroxyethyl)-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridinium bromide (3), (E)-1-methyl-4-(1-naphthylvinyl)-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine hydrochloride (22), and (E)-1-methyl-4-(1-naphthylvinyl)piperidine hydrochloride (23), were found to afford significant protection against sarin in the mouse and against soman in the guinea pig. However, protection was apparently not related to CAT inhibition. Compound 23, our most effective compound in protecting against nerve agent, was without CAT inhibitory activity. Compound 22, which proved to be a potent CAT inhibitor, most likely owed this activity to being dehydrogenated back to the pyridinium quaternary salt by oxidative enzymes. Several of the (naphthylvinyl)pyridine quaternary salts, but not their tertiary amine analogues, were found to be effective in slowing the rate of aging of soman-inhibited acetylcholinesterase. Ability to slow the rate of aging was enhanced by introduction of methoxy substituents on the aryl moiety whereas the aging rate was actually accelerated by chloro substituents. To date, our most effective compound in slowing the rate of aging, (E)-4-[(4-methoxy-1-naphthyl)vinyl]pyridine methochloride (6), did not provide significant protection against soman in the mouse.

Structural correlations of choline acetyltransferase inhibitors: trans-N-(carboxymethyl)-4-(beta-1-naphthylvinyl)pyridinium bromide and cis-N-(2-aminoethyl)-4-(beta-1-naphthylvinyl)-3-methylpyridinium bromide hydrobromide.

This paper correlates the X-ray structures of two 4-(beta-1-naphthylvinyl)pyridine analogues (one cis and one trans) with chemical and biological activity data for this class of cholineacetylase inhibitors. Our results suggest that one of the two proposed mechanisms for inhibition by this class of compounds better describes their efficacy. Previous arguments about coplanarity of the aromatic rings and nucleophilicty across the vinyl linkage need to be modified. Quantum calculations are also included and substantiate previous suggestions about the charge distribution across the vinyl linkages. An alternate new mechanism of inhibition is proposed to encompass the published data and more recent results discussed in this paper.

Synthesis of a naphthylvinylpyridine derivative and its use for affinity chromatography of choline acetyltransferase.

N-(10-carboxy)decamethylene-4(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridinium chloride, a derivative of the choline acetyltransferase (CAT) inhibitor naphthylvinylpyridine (NVP) was synthesized and used as a ligand for affinity chromatography of choline acetyltransferase. The preparation of this inhibitor included the quaternization of naphthylvinylpyridine with 11-Br-undecanoic acid methyl ester to obtain N-(10-carbomethoxy)decamethylene-4-(1-naphthylvinyl)pyridinium bromide, followed by hydrolysis to free the carboxylic group. This inhibitor (C11-NVP+) had a potency comparable to that of N-methyl-4(1-naphthylvinyl) pyridinium iodide (C1-NVP+) which is the most potent derivative of NVP but which lacks a functional group for conjugation to Sepharose. The C11-NVP+ was then bound through the carboxylic group to aminoalkyl Sepharose by a carbodiimide promoted condensation reaction. Interaction of CAT with the inhibitor retarded its elution from a column of Sepharose-C11-NVP+ and permitted the purification of the enzyme to electrophoretic homogeneity starting from a preparation in which CAT represented about 20% of the total proteins. Conventional procedures of protein purification had previously been unsuccessful in isolating the enzyme in pure form. Inhibition studies showed that CAT could exhibit either a "high" or a "low" sensitivity to inhibition by naphthylvinylpyridine and its derivatives (I50 with C1-NVP+ = 0.57 microM or 5.2 microM). A direct relationship existed between the sensitivity of CAT to these inhibitors and the retention of the enzyme by the affinity column.