The vesicular glutamate transport (VGLUT) system selectively mediates the uptake of L-glutamate into synaptic vesicles. Uptake is linked to an H+-ATPase that provides coupling among ATP hydrolysis, an electrochemical proton gradient, and glutamate transport. Substituted quinoline-2,4-dicarboxylic acids (QDCs), prepared by condensation of dimethyl ketoglutaconate (DKG) with substituted anilines and subsequent hydrolysis, were investigated as potential VGLUT inhibitors in synaptic vesicles. A brief panel of substituted QDCs was previously reported (Carrigan et al. Bioorg. Med. Chem. Lett. 1999, 9, 2607-2612)(1) and showed that certain substituents led to more potent competitive inhibitors of VGLUT. Using these compounds as leads, an expanded series of QDC analogues were prepared either by condensation of DKG with novel anilines or via aryl-coupling (Suzuki or Heck) to dimethyl 6-bromoquinolinedicarboxylate. From the panel of almost 50 substituted QDCs tested as inhibitors of the VGLUT system, the 6-PhCH=CH-QDC (K(i) = 167 microM), 6-PhCH2CH2-QDC (K(i) = 143 microM), 6-(4'-phenylstyryl)-QDC (K(i) = 64 microM), and 6-biphenyl-4-yl-QDC (K(i) = 41 microM) were found to be the most potent blockers. A preliminary assessment of the key elements needed for binding to the VGLUT protein based on the structure-activity relationships for the panel of substituted QDCs is discussed herein. The substituted QDCs represent the first synthetically derived VGLUT inhibitors and are promising templates for the development of selective transporter inhibitors.