SLU-PP-332 and SLU-PP-915 are two synthetic agonists of the estrogen-related receptors (ERRα/β/γ) from the same Saint Louis University research program, but they share no chemical scaffold: SLU-PP-332 is an aryl hydrazone (C18H14N2O2, 290.32 g/mol, CAS 303760-60-3) and SLU-PP-915 is a phenylboronic-acid thiophene carboxamide (C17H13BFNO3S, 341.2 g/mol, CAS 2285432-92-8). This comparison exists so that the two compounds are not confused with each other or with a peptide; only SLU-PP-332 is carried in the catalog.
Why compare them at all?
The "SLU-PP" prefix and the shared target make the two compounds easy to conflate in search results and in secondary writing. A researcher who orders one and reads about the other can end up with the wrong molecular weight in a concentration calculation or the wrong CAS number on a COA request. Setting the identifiers side by side removes that risk.
Identifiers side by side
| Identifier | SLU-PP-332 | SLU-PP-915 |
|---|---|---|
| Scaffold | Acylhydrazone of 4-hydroxybenzoic acid and 2-naphthaldehyde | 5-aryl-thiophene-2-carboxamide bearing a phenylboronic acid |
| Systematic name | 4-hydroxy-N'-[(E)-naphthalen-2-ylmethylidene]benzohydrazide | [3-[5-[(2-fluorophenyl)carbamoyl]thiophen-2-yl]phenyl]boronic acid |
| Formula | C18H14N2O2 | C17H13BFNO3S |
| Molecular weight | 290.32 g/mol | 341.2 g/mol |
| CAS number | 303760-60-3 | 2285432-92-8 |
| PubChem CID | 5338394 | 142532359 |
| Heteroatoms of note | Hydrazone N–N, phenol OH | Boron (B(OH)2), sulfur (thiophene), fluorine |
| Target | ERRα, ERRβ, ERRγ (pan-agonist) | ERR family (later-generation agonist) |
| In catalog | Yes | No |
Both sets of identifiers were checked against PubChem for this article. Note that the formula of SLU-PP-915 contains boron, sulfur and fluorine, none of which appear in SLU-PP-332; an elemental or high-resolution mass analysis distinguishes the two instantly.
How do the structures differ?
SLU-PP-332 is two flat aromatic systems, a phenol and a naphthalene, linked through a hydrazone. The hydrazone C=N bond is the molecule's reactive handle: it is formed by condensation of a hydrazide with an aldehyde and can hydrolyse back under acidic, aqueous conditions, which is why solution handling matters (see solubility and stock solutions). SLU-PP-915 replaces that linkage with a thiophene-2-carboxamide core, puts a 2-fluorophenyl group on the amide nitrogen and a phenylboronic acid at the 5-position of the thiophene. Boronic acids are polar, Lewis-acidic groups that form reversible esters with diols, a property that changes how the compound behaves in buffer and on an HPLC column compared with the hydrazone.
How do they differ as ERR ligands?
SLU-PP-332 is the reference pan-agonist: reporter-gene work shows activation of all three ERR isoforms in the sub-micromolar range, strongest at ERRα, and cell-based studies in myotubes show induction of the oxidative-metabolism gene program. SLU-PP-915 was reported later from the same program as a next-generation ERR agonist designed around a different scaffold; published in vitro reference values for it are fewer, and any potency figure quoted for it should be traced to a primary paper rather than a product page. For experimental design, SLU-PP-332 remains the compound with the fuller in vitro characterisation, summarised in what the published studies show.
Which should a laboratory use as a positive control?
For an ERR reporter or target-gene assay, SLU-PP-332 is the practical choice because its activity across the three isoforms is documented and the compound is available with a COA. It is used alongside an ERR inverse agonist (XCT790 is the usual example for ERRα) and a vehicle control, as described in controls and replicates in vitro. SLU-PP-915 is worth knowing about chiefly so that literature on "SLU-PP compounds" is read correctly.
Related research guides
- Is SLU-PP-332 a peptide? A small-molecule ERR agonist explained
- SLU-PP-332: a novel ERR agonist in in vitro research
- SLU-PP-332 solubility and DMSO stock solutions
- SLU-PP-332 published studies: what the literature shows
- Sourcing SLU-PP-332: COA, purity and identity
Research-use note
All materials discussed are supplied for in vitro laboratory research use only, and are not for human or animal use.
