Kainoid amino acids are a family of none proteinogenic pyrrolidine dicarboxylic acids with similar structures and can be viewed as conformationally restricted analogues of the mammalian neurotransmitter L-glutamic acid. As the parent structure of the kainoid amino acid family, (–)-kainic acid has attracted tremendous attention because of its neuroexcitatory properties in neuropharmacology to mimic the disease states of epilepsy, Alzheimer’s disease, and Huntington’s chorea. In this thesis, a formal synthesis of (±)-kainic acid has been achieved, via a Lewis acid-catalyzed carbonyl ene cyclization as the key step, from simple starting materials 3.1 (Scheme 1). In the key step, quantitative yield of cyclization was achieved by utilizing 0.3 equivalents of Gd(OTf)3 as the catalyst in anhydrous DCM, yielding key intermediate 3.25. Moreover, the Lewis acid-catalyzed enantioselective carbonyl ene cyclization of α-keto amides (Scheme 2) represents a powerful method for the preparation of substituted pyrrolidinones. [Cu(S,S)-phenyl](SbF6)2 was found to be the most efficient chiral Lewis acid, and high yields, excellent enantioselectivity were obtained in the products. The substrate scope, reaction mechanism, diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity of the reaction have also been systematically investigated by both experimental and computational chemistry approaches. Finally, a formal synthesis of (–)-kainic acid have been accomplished via Lewis acid-promoted PhSe group transfer radical cyclization as key the step (Scheme 3). (–)-8-Phenylmenthol was employed as a chiral auxiliary in cyclization precursor 5.13 to control the diastereoselectivity and enantioselectivity of the radical cyclization. / published_or_final_version / Chemistry / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

Thesis--University of Florida. / Description based on print version record. Typescript. Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 84-89).

(2S)-trans-4-Hydroxyproline has been studied as a chiral template for the preparation of kainoids. Conversion to protected 4-ketoproline derivatives has allowed functionalisation at C-3 to be investigated. Although the tendency to epimerisation has caused problems, we have successfully introduced a variety of alkyl side chains with cis stereochemistry at this position. Functionalisation of the 3-alkyl-4-ketoprolines at C-4 has been investigated and a method has been found to prepare compounds which are functionalised stereospecifically at both C-3 and C-4. These have potential for study as kainate analogues. During our studies on the synthesis of kainoids, an unusually stereospecific deuteriation has been discovered. We have exploited this in a synthesis of (2S,3S)-[3- 2Ht]-proline, (2S,3R)-[3-2Ht]-proline and (2S)-[3,3-2H21-proline.

We have developed an one-pot reaction procedure to polysubstituted pyroglutamates with three contiguous chiral centers. The results were applied to the synthetic studies toward kainic acid and lycorane.

Attempts were made to synthesise a conformationally restricted analogue of kainic acid wherein the double bond was confined in a ring-system. The stratagem involved an intramolecular Diels-Alder reaction but could not be tested as the precursors to the cycloaddition reaction could not be prepared. Attempts were made to develop a general route to kainic acid and analogues by employing a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction between aziridines and olefins. Triazolines were used as a precursor to aziridines because of the ease of formation from alkyl azides and olefins. The required dipolar cycloaddition was found to occur but produced various side-products from the triazoline thermolysis. The subsequent Grignard reaction on the cycloaddition product gave problems as the compound epimerised under basic conditions and did not undergo reaction with methyl Grignard or methyl lithium. An attempt to prepare kainic acid and analogues by an intramolecular 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition or a 1,3-sigmatropic shift reaction failed when the basic precursors for the reaction could not be prepared.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Washington, 1996. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves [86]-98).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Cornell University, August, 2008. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 196-242).

Compared with saline injected controls, rats with bilateral injections of kainic acid (KA) in the dorsal striatum showed temporary aphagia and adipsia, long-lasting body weight decreases, increased locomotor response to d-amphetamine, increased spontaneous nocturnal locomotor activity, increased resistance to extinction, impaired acquisition and retention of avoidance behavior and increased latencies to leave start boxes in various mazes. The KA injections resulted in loss of local neurons in the dorsal striatum, with no appreciable damage either to dopaminergic terminals or to extrinisic myelinated axons, thus supporting both the selective neurotoxic action of KA on neuronal perikarya and the proposed similarity of KA-induced striatal lesions with those found in the caudate-putamen of patients with Huntington's disease (HD). The present results demonstrate that KA striatal lesioned rats also show behavioral and pharmacological similarities with HD patients. In addition, they support the view that HD is characterized by a "subcortical dementia syndrome". A review of HD is also presented. / Medicine, Faculty of / Graduate

We have explored a formal [3+2] strategy that is synthetically useful for constructing polysubstituted pyroglutamates with three contiguous chiral centers in one step. Base-induced coupling/cyclization reactions of a-sulfonylacetamide with various ethyl (Z)-2-bromo-2-propenoates have been carried out. This reaction with high diastereoselectivity has been applied to the synthesis of Rolipram, Chlorpheg, Baclofen, Pseudoheliotridane and Kainic acid.

Glucocorticoid activation of two types of adrenocorticosteroid receptors (ACRs), themineralocorticoid receptor (MR) and the glucocorticoid receptor (GR), influences hippocampalneuron vulnerability to injury. Excessive activation of GR may compromise hippocampalneuron survival after several types of challenge including ischemic, metabolic, and excitotoxicinsults. In contrast, MR prevents adrenalectomy-induced loss of granule neurons in the dentategyrus. The present thesis addresses the respective roles of MR and GR in modulating neuronalsurvival following two forms of neuronal injury, excitotoxicity and traumatic brain injury. MaleSprague-Dawley rats were pretreated with MR antagonist spironolactone or GR antagonistmifepristone (RU486) and subsequently injected with kainic acid, an excitotoxic glutamateanalog, or injured with a controlled cortical impact. Twenty-four hours following injury,hippocampal neuron survival was measured to test the hypotheses that MR blockade wouldendanger and GR blockade would protect hippocampal neurons following injury. MessengerRNA levels of viability-related genes including bcl-2, bax, p53, BDNF, and NT-3 were alsomeasured to test the hypothesis that ACR regulation of these genes wouldcorrelate with neuronal survival. In addition, ACR mRNA levels were measured followingreceptor blockade and injury to test the hypothesis that glucocorticoid signaling is alteredfollowing neuronal injury via regulation of ACR expression.Mineralocorticoid receptor blockade with spironolactone increased neuronal vulnerability toexcitotoxic insult in hippocampal field CA3, and GR blockade with RU486 prevented neuronalloss after traumatic brain injury in field CA1. These results are consistent with the hypothesesthat MR protects and GR endangers hippocampal neurons. Adrenocorticosteroid receptorblockade decreased mRNA levels of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2 in select regions of uninjuredhippocampus, yet ACR regulation of bcl-2 did not consistently correspond with measures ofneuronal survival after injury. Kainic acid decreased MR mRNA levels in CA1 and CA3, whileboth kainic acid and controlled cortical impact dramatically decreased GR mRNA levels indentate gyrus. These data suggest that injury modulation of glucocorticoid signaling throughregulation of ACR expression may influence hippocampal neuron viability following injury.