title: Cuprate-Mediated Synthesis and Biological Evaluation of Cyclopropyl- and tert-Butylfarnesyl Diphosphate Analogs.
abstract: The novel farnesyl diphosphate (FPP) analog 3-cyclopropyl-3-desmethylfarnesyl diphosphate (3-cpFPP, 1) was designed as a potential mechanism-based inhibitor of the FPP-utilizing enzyme protein-farnesyl transferase (PFTase). The key step in the synthesis of 1 involved the stereoselective coupling of vinyl triflate 8 with a lower order cyclopropyl cyanocuprate to afford the desired cyclopropyl ester 13. The sterically encumbered analog 3-desmethyl-3-tert-butylfarnesyl diphosphate (3-tbFPP, 7) was synthesized via a similar route. The use of the more reactive higher order tert-butyl cyanocuprate led to lower yields of ester 11, the key intermediate in the synthesis of 7. Biological evaluation of 3-cpFPP demonstrates that it is not a time-dependent inhibitor of recombinant yeast PFTase. Instead, 3-cpFPP is an alternative substrate for this enzyme that exhibits a K(m) comparable to FPP and a k(cat) only 5-fold lower than the natural substrate. In contrast, 3-tbFPP is an exceptionally poor substrate for yeast PFTase and acts as an inhibitor of this enzyme.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, College of Pharmacy and Allied Health Professions, Wayne State University, 528 Shapero Hall, Detroit, Michigan 48202, and Department of Chemistry, Henry Eyring Building, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah 84112.
authors.forename: YongQi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.forename: Richard A.
authors.initials: RA
authors.lastname: Gibbs
authors.forename: Lisa M.
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Eubanks
authors.forename: C. Dale
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Poulter