Phantasmidine: an epibatidine congener from the ecuadorian poison frog Epipedobates anthonyi

J Nat Prod. 2010 Mar 26;73(3):331-7. doi: 10.1021/np900727e.

Abstract

The skin of the Ecuadorian poison frog Epipedobates anthonyi contains the potent nicotinic agonists epibatidine (1) and N-methylepibatidine (3). In addition, a condensed tetracyclic epibatidine congener has been identified with activity at nicotinic acetylcholine receptors, but different selectivity than epibatidine. This rigid tetracycle has been named phantasmidine (4). Phantasmidine has a molecular formula of C(11)H(11)N(2)OCl, shares a chloropyridine moiety with 1, and also contains furan, pyrrolidine, and cyclobutane rings. A combination of GC-MS and GC-FTIR analysis with on-column derivatization, 1D NMR spectroscopy with selective irradiation, and spectral simulation, along with 2D NMR, were used to elucidate the structure from a total sample of approximately 20 microg of HPLC-purified 4 and its corresponding acetamide (5). After synthesis, this novel rigid agonist may serve as a selective probe for beta4-containing nicotinic receptors and potentially lead to useful pharmaceuticals.

Publication types

  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Alkaloids / chemistry
  • Alkaloids / isolation & purification*
  • Alkaloids / pharmacology
  • Amphibian Venoms / chemistry
  • Amphibian Venoms / isolation & purification*
  • Amphibian Venoms / pharmacology
  • Animals
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / chemistry
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / isolation & purification*
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic / pharmacology
  • Ecuador
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, Bridged-Ring / chemistry
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, Bridged-Ring / isolation & purification*
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, Bridged-Ring / pharmacology
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Pyridines / chemistry
  • Pyridines / isolation & purification*
  • Pyridines / pharmacology
  • Ranidae*
  • Stereoisomerism

Substances

  • Alkaloids
  • Amphibian Venoms
  • Bridged Bicyclo Compounds, Heterocyclic
  • Heterocyclic Compounds, Bridged-Ring
  • Pyridines
  • phantasmidine
  • epibatidine