Structure–activity relationships of trans-substituted-propenoic acid derivatives on the nicotinic acid receptor HCA2 (GPR109A)

Nicotinic acid (niacin) has been used for decades as an antidyslipidemic drug in man. Its main target is the hydroxy-carboxylic acid receptor HCA2 (GPR109A), a G protein-coupled receptor. Other acids and esters such as methyl fumarate also interact with the receptor, which constituted the basis for the current study. We synthesized a novel series of substituted propenoic acids, such as fumaric acid esters, fumaric acid amides and cinnamic acid derivatives, and determined their affinities for the HCA2 receptor. We observed a rather restricted binding pocket on the receptor with trans-cinnamic acid being the largest planar ligand in our series with appreciable affinity for the receptor. Molecular modeling and analysis of the structure–activity relationships in the series suggest a planar trans-propenoic acid pharmacophore with a maximum length of 8 Å and out-of-plane orientation of the larger substituents.

Graphical abstracttrans-Propenoic acid derivatives were synthesized and their activity on the HCA2 receptor (GPR109A) evaluated by structure–activity relationships and pharmacophore modeling.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide