title: Design, synthesis, and biological activities of classical N-[4-[2-(2-amino-4-ethylpyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)ethyl]benzoyl]-l-glutamic acid and its 6-methyl derivative as potential dual inhibitors of thymidylate synthase and dihydrofolate reductase and as potential antitumor agents.
abstract: Two novel analogues, N-[2-amino-4-ethyl[(pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)ethyl]benzoyl]-l-glutamic acid (2) and N-[2-amino-4-ethyl-6-methyl[(pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)ethyl]benzoyl]-l-glutamic acid (4), were designed and synthesized as potent dual inhibitors of thymidylate synthase (TS) and dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) and as antitumor agents. Compound 2 had inhibitory potency against human DHFR similar to N-[4-[2-(amino-3,4-dihydro-4-oxo-7H-pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidin-5-yl)ethyl]benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid (LY231514) and 1, whereas 4 was inactive against human DHFR. Both 2 and 4 were more potent than LY231514 against E. coliTS. Against human TS, 2 was 7-fold less potent than LY231514 and 4 showed similar inhibitory activity as LY231514. In contrast to 2, which was an efficient substrate of human folypolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS), 4 was a poor substrate of FPGS. Compound 2 showed GI50 values in the nanomolar range against more than 18 human tumor cell lines in the standard NCI preclinical in vitro screen.
authors.affiliation: Division of Medicinal Chemistry, Graduate School of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15282, USA. gangjee@duq.edu
authors.forename: Aleem
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gangjee
authors.forename: Jianming
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Roy L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Kisliuk
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Haile
authors.forename: Giulia
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sobrero
authors.forename: John J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: McGuire
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D019008:Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; D004354:Drug Screening Assays, Antitumor; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000737:chemistry; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007780:Lacticaseibacillus casei / Q000737:chemistry; D010453:Peptide Synthases / Q000378:metabolism; D011743:Pyrimidines / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors*; D014407:Tumor Cells, Cultured
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D005493:Folic Acid Antagonists; C471869:N-(2-amino-4-ethyl((pyrrolo(2,3-d)pyrimidin-5-yl)ethyl)benzoyl)glutamic acid; C471870:N-(2-amino-4-ethyl-6-methyl((pyrrolo(2,3-d)pyrimidin-5-yl)ethyl)benzoyl)glutamic acid; D011743:Pyrimidines; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D013762:Tetrahydrofolate Dehydrogenase; D013940:Thymidylate Synthase; D010453:Peptide Synthases; C023103:folylpolyglutamate synthetase