Studies Directed toward the Total Synthesis of Sinefungin. I. Synthesis of 4-(5'-Deoxyuridin-5'-yl)-4-nitrobutyronitrile, 4-(5'-Deoxyadenosin-5'-yl)-4-nitrobutyramide and Closely Related Nucleosides

Abstract

S-Adenosylhomocysteine analogues, 1-(5, 6-dideoxy-6-nitro-β-D-ribo-hexofuranosyl) uracil (7a), 9-(5, 6-dideoxy-6-nitro-β-D-ribo-hexofuranosyl) adenine (7b), 4-(5'-deoxyuridin-5'-yl)-4-nitrobutyronitrile (15) and 4-(5'-deoxyadenosin-5'-yl)-4-nitrobutyramide (20) were synthesized as potential inhibitors of S-adenosylmethionine (SAM)-dependent methyltransferases and S-adenosylhomocysteine hydrolases. The chemistry developed for the preparation of these compounds should be useful in the total synthesis of the nucleoside antibiotics sinefungin and A9145C, which are potent inhibitors of certain SAM-dependent methyltransferases.