Rigid nonproteinogenic cyclic amino acids as ligands for glutamate receptors: trans-tris(homoglutamic) acids

The second-generation asymmetric synthesis of the trans-tris(homoglutamic) acids reported herein proceeds via Strecker reaction of chiral ketimines, obtained from condensation of racemic 2-ethoxycarbonylmethylcyclopentanone and commercially available (S)- and (R)-1-phenylethylamine, respectively. In the key stereodifferentiating step, the cyanide addition leads to mixtures of diastereomeric alpha-amino nitrile-esters, the composition of which is independent of the reaction temperature and the type of the solvent, respectively. Hydrolysis of the alpha-amino nitrile-esters with concentrated H(2)SO(4) yielded diastereomeric mixtures of secondary alpha-amino amido-esters, which after separation were hydrogenolyzed and hydrolyzed each to the enantiomeric trans-1-amino-2-carboxymethylcyclopentanecarboxylic acids. Their configuration was completely established by NMR methods, CD spectra, and X-ray analysis of the trans-1S,2R-configured secondary alpha-amino amido-ester. In receptor binding assays and functional tests, trans-1S,2R-1-amino-2-carboxymethylcyclopentanecarboxylic acid hydrochloride was found to behave as a selective mGluR(2)-antagonist without relevant binding properties at iGluRs.