trans, trans-2-C-Aryl-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidines as potent and selective β-glucosidase inhibitors: Pharmacological chaperones for Gaucher disease

Enantiomeric series of C-4 hydroxymethyl depleted DAB and LAB derivatives (trans, trans-2-C-aryl-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidines), designed as β-glucosidase inhibitors by molecular docking calculations, have been synthesized in 2 steps from L- and D-tartaric acid derived enantiomeric cyclic nitrones 29L and 29D, respectively. Both series of C-4 hydroxymethyl depleted DAB and LAB derivatives 28Da-e and 28La-e, which are structurally trans, trans-2-C-aryl-3,4-dihydroxypyrrolidines, were potent and selective human lysosome acid β-glucosidase (GCase) inhibitors, of which 28Dd and 28Ld with C-4 biphenyls showed the highest potency relative to other compounds of the same series. The work provided a series of pyrrolidine-type potent and selective GCase inhibitors with minimal hydroxyl substitutions and synthetic procedures. Structure-activity relationship study revealed not only the rationality of hydrophobic and aromatic properties of the binding sites in GCase, but also the great potential of pyrrolidine family in development of new GCase inhibitors with minimized undesirable side effects. The results indicate a strategy for the development of drugs for the treatment of related diseases targeting acid β-glucosidase, such as Gaucher disease and Parkinson's disease.