title: Synthesis and biological activity of 7-oxo substituted analogues of 5-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid (5-DATHF) and 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid (DDATHF).
abstract: We recently described the syntheses of 12a-c, 4-amino-7-oxo substituted analogues of 5-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid (5-DATHF), and 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid (DDATHF), in six steps from commercially available p-substituted methyl benzoates in 20-27% overall yields. Such analogues were tested in vitro against CCRF-CEM leukemia cells and showed that they are completely devoid of any activity, the IC(50) being higher than 20 microg/mL for all cases. To clarify if the presence of the carbonyl group in position C7, the distinctive feature of our synthetic methodology, is the reason for this lack of activity, we have now obtained the 7-oxo substituted analogues of 5-DATHF and DDATHF, 18a-c, in 10-30% overall yield. Testing of 18a-c in vitro against CCRF-CEM leukemia cells revealed that these compounds are totally inactive. A molecular modeling study of 18b inside the active site of the complex E. coliGARTFase-5-DATHF-GAR pointed to an electronic repulsion between the atoms of the 7-oxo group and the carbonyl group of Arg90 as a possible explanation for the inactivity of 18a-c.
authors: Departament de Química Orgànica, Institut Químic de Sarrià, Universitat Ramon Llull, Via Augusta 390, E-08017 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: J I
authors: JI
authors: Borrell
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Teixidó
authors: J L
authors: JL
authors: Matallana
authors: B
authors: B
authors: Martínez-Teipel
authors: C
authors: C
authors: Colominas
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Costa
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Balcells
authors: E
authors: E
authors: Schuler
authors: M J
authors: MJ
authors: Castillo
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018360:Crystallography, X-Ray; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D019877:Hydroxymethyl and Formyl Transferases / Q000737:chemistry; D008958:Models, Molecular; D051026:Phosphoribosylglycinamide Formyltransferase; D012265:Ribonucleotides / Q000737:chemistry; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013763:Tetrahydrofolates / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists; D012265:Ribonucleotides; D013763:Tetrahydrofolates; C014978:glycineamide ribonucleotide; C060147:5-deaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid; C045894:lometrexol; D019877:Hydroxymethyl and Formyl Transferases; D051026:Phosphoribosylglycinamide Formyltransferase