Identification, pharmacological evaluation and binding mode analysis of novel chromene and chromane based σ1 receptor ligands

A set of aminoethyl substituted chromenes 3 and chromanes 4, originally developed as antiprotozoal drugs was evaluated as novel types of σ1 receptor ligands. Analysis of SAR showed that chromenes 3 have a higher σ1 affinity than chromanes 4. A distance of four bond lengths between the basic amino moiety and the phenyl ring (3c), an alicyclic N-substituent such as the cyclohexylmethyl moiety (3l), and methylation of the secondary amine to afford a tertiary amine (3n) result in very high σ1 affinity and selectivity over the σ2 subtype. Compounds 3a-n and 4a-e were docked into the putative binding site of the σ1 receptor model and the relevant binding mode was analyzed and scored. Specifically, for the best σ1 ligand 3n, a salt bridge between Asp126 and the protonated amino group, an H-bond between the receptor backbone NH group (Ala122-Glu123) and the methoxy moiety of 3n, a lipophilic protein cavity encasing the chromene ring, and a T-shaped π-π stacking between the indole ring of Trp121 and the phenyl ring of 3n represent the most important ligand/protein stabilizing interactions. The binding pose of 3n was compared with the binding poses of the non-methylated chromene 3c, the saturated chromane 4c, and the N-cyclohexylmethyl derivative 3l. The contribution of the single amino acids to the overall free binding enthalpy was analyzed.