δ-Selective compounds 1 and 2 (DS1, compound 22; DS2, compound 16) were introduced as functionally selective modulators of δ-containing GABA type A receptors (GABAR). In our hands, [H]EBOB-binding experiments with recombinant GABAR and compound 22 showed no proof of δ-selectivity, although there was a minimally higher preference for the α4β3δ and α6β2/3δ receptors with respect to potency. In order to delineate the structural determinants of δ preferences, we synthesized 25 derivatives of DS1 and DS2, and investigated their structure-activity relationships (SAR). Four of our derivatives showed selectivity for α6β3δ receptors (29, 38, 39, and 41). For all of them, the major factors that distinguished them from compound 22 were variations at the para-positions of their benzamide groups. However, two compounds (29 and 39), when tested in the presence of GABA, revealed effects at several additional GABAR. The newly synthesized compounds will still serve as useful tools to investigate α6β3δ receptors.

Carbon-11 (β(+) emitter, t1/2 = 20.4 min) radiolabeled L-glutamine is a potentially useful molecular imaging agent that can be utilized with positron emission tomography for both human oncological diagnosis and plant imaging research. Based upon a previously reported [(11)C]cyanide end-capping labeling method, a systematic investigation of nucleophilic cyanation reactions and acidic hydrolysis reaction parameters, including base, metal ion source, phase transfer catalyst, solvent, reaction temperature and reaction time, was conducted. The result was a milder, more reliable, two-step method which provides L-[5-(11)C]-glutamine with a radiochemical yield of 63.8 ± 8.7% (range from 51 to 74%, n = 10) with >90% radiochemical purity and >90 % enantiomeric purity. The total synthesis time was 40-50 min from the end of bombardment. In addition, an Fmoc derivatization method was developed to measure the specific activity of this radiotracer.

The western corn rootworm (WCR; Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte) is a major pest of maize (Zea mays) that is well adapted to most crop management strategies. Breeding for tolerance is a promising alternative to combat WCR but is currently constrained by a lack of physiological understanding and phenotyping tools. We developed dynamic precision phenotyping approaches using 11 C with positron emission tomography, root autoradiography, and radiometabolite flux analysis to understand maize tolerance to WCR. Our results reveal that WCR attack induces specific patterns of lateral root growth that are associated with a shift in auxin biosynthesis from indole-3-pyruvic acid to indole-3-acetonitrile. WCR attack also increases transport of newly synthesized amino acids to the roots, including the accumulation of Gln. Finally, the regrowth zones of WCR-attacked roots show an increase in Gln turnover, which strongly correlates with the induction of indole-3-acetonitrile-dependent auxin biosynthesis. In summary, our findings identify local changes in the auxin biosynthesis flux network as a promising marker for induced WCR tolerance.

The development of a convenient and rapid method to synthesize radiolabeled, enantiomerically pure amino acids (AAs) as potential positron emission tomography (PET) imaging agents for mapping various biochemical transformations in living organisms remains a challenge. This is especially true for the synthesis of carbon‐11‐labeled AAs given the short half‐life of carbon‐11 (11C, t1/2=20.4 min). A facile synthetic pathway to prepare enantiomerically pure 11C‐labeled l‐asparagine was developed using a partially protected serine as a starting material with a four‐step transformation providing a chiral five‐membered cyclic sulfamidate as the radiolabeling precursor. Its structure and absolute configuration were confirmed by X‐ray crystallography. Utilizing a [11C]cyanide nucleophilic ring opening reaction followed by selective acidic hydrolysis and deprotection, enantiomerically pure l‐[4‐11C]asparagine was synthesized. Further optimization of reaction parameters, including base, metal ion source, solvent, acid component, reaction temperature and reaction time, a reliable two‐step method for synthesizing l‐[4‐11C]asparagine was presented: within a 45±3 min (n=5, from end‐of‐bombardment), the desired enantiomerically pure product was synthesized with the initial nucleophilic cyanation yield of 69±4 % (n=5) and overall two‐step radiochemical yield of 53±2 % (n=5) based on starting [11C]HCN, and with radiochemical purity of 96±2 % (n=5).