Synthesis of 2′-Deuterio Tubercidin and Adenosine and the Corresponding Arabino Analogs

Abstract

The 2′-deuterio arabino analogs of tubercidin and adenosine have been prepared by Swern oxidation of the 3′,5′-TPDS derivatives of tubercidin and adenosine and reduction with NaBD_4. Subsequent inversion of stereochemistry at C-2′ yielded [2′-²H]tubercidin and [2′-²H]adenosine with 98% deuterium incorporation.     

Biosynthesis of the 3-benzylchroman-4-one eucomin in Eucomis bicolor

Feeding experiments have demonstrated the specific incorporation of radioactivity from dl-phenylalanine-[1-¹⁴C], l-phenylalanine-[U-¹⁴C], sodium acetate-[2-¹⁴C] and l-methionine-[methyl-¹⁴C] into the 3-benzylchroman-4-one eucomin in Eucomis bicolor. The labelling patterns indicate that eucomin is biosynthesized by the addition of a carbon atom derived from methionine onto a C₁₅ chalcone-type skeleton. Radioactivity from 2′,4′,4-trihydroxy-6′-methoxychalcone-[methyl-¹⁴C] and 2′,4′-dihydroxy-4,6′-dimethoxychalcone-[6′-methyl-¹⁴C] was incorporated into eucomin, the latter compound being the better precursor, demonstrating the feasibility that 2′-methoxychalcones are biosynthetic precursors of the “homoisoflavonoids”. Possible biosynthetic relationships in this class of compounds are discussed.     

Intracellular formation of analogues of cyclic AMP: Studies with brain slices labeled with radioactive derivatives of adenine and adenosine

A variety of radioactive analogs of adenine and adenosine were incubated with guinea pig cerebral cortical slices. Neither 1,N⁶-ethano[¹⁴C]adenosine nor 1,N⁶-ethanol[¹⁴C]adenine were significantly incorporated into intracellular nucleotides. 2-chloro[8-³H]adenine was incorporated, but at a very low rate and conclusive evidence for the formation of intracellular radioactive 2-chlorocyclic AMP was not obtained. N⁶-Benzyl[¹⁴C]adenosine was converted only to intracellular monophosphates and significant formation of radioactive N⁶-benzylcyclic AMP was not detected during a subsequent incubation. 2′-Deoxy-[8-¹⁴C] adenosine was converted to both intracellular radioactive 2′-deoxyadenine nucleotides and radioactive adenine nucleotides. Stimulation of these labeled slices with a variety of agents resulted in formation of both radioactive 2′-deoxycyclic AMP and cyclic AMP. Investigation of the effect of various other compounds on uptake of adenine or adenosine suggested that certain other adenosine analogs might serve as precursors of abnormal cyclic nucleotides in intact cells.     

A simple method of the preparation of 2′-O-Methyladenosine Methylation of adenosine with methyl iodide in anhydrous alkaline medium

A simple and effective method of the methylation on the 2′-O position of adenosine is described. Adenosine is treated with CH₃I in an anhydrous alkaline medium at 0°C for 4 h. The major products of this reaction are monomethylated adenosine at either the 2′-O or 3′-O position (total of 64%) and the side products are dimethylated adenosine (2′,3′-O-dimethyladenosi, 21%, and N⁶-2′-O-dimethyladenosine, 11%). The ratio of 2′-O- and 3′-O-methyladenosine has been found to be 8 to 1. Therefore, this reaction preferentially favors the synthesis of 2′-O-methyladenosine. The monomethylated adenosine is isolated from reaction mixture by a silica gel column chromatography. Then the pure 2′-O-methyladenosine can be separated by crystallization in ethanol from the mixture of 2′-O and 3′-O-methylated isomers. The overall yield of 2′-O-methyladenosine is 42%.     

α-d-allopyranosyl β-d-fructofuranoside (allo-sucrose) and its derivatives

Reduction of 3-ketosucrose (1) with sodium borohydride gave mainly α-d-allopyranosyl β-d-fructofuranoside (2) characterized as its octabenzoate. Using sodium borodeuteride, [3-²H]allo-sucrose (5) and [3-²H]sucrose (6) were obtained in the ratio 12:1. The mixture was fractionated on Dowex-50 X8 resin (Ca²⁺ form), and the [3-²H] derivatives were isolated as their octa-acetates. Inspection of the ¹³C-n.m.r. spectra of 5 and 6 enabled the C-3 signals to be assigned. allo-Sucrose (2) was more readily obtained by oxidation of sucrose with dimethyl sulphoxide-acetic anhydride followed by reduction with sodium borohydride and fractionation on Dowex-50 X8 (Ca²⁺) resin. Tritylation of 2 followed by acetylation gave, after chromatography, the 6,1′,6′-tritrityl ether (9, 10%), the 6,6′-ditrityl ether (10, 26%), and a mixture of monotrityl ethers (20%). Hydrogenolysis of 9 and 10 gave the penta-acetate and hexa-acetate, respectively, with no detectable migration of AcO-4. Treatment of 2 with sulphuryl chloride at -50° gave the 6,6′-dichloride.     

Cinnamate and shikimate incorporation into 3′,4′- and 3′,4′,5′-hydroxy substituted anthocyanins: Are there alternative pathways?

The incorporation of shikimate-[¹⁴C] and cinnamate-[¹⁴C] into 3′,4′- and 3′,4′,5′-hydroxy substituted anthocyanins was studied in isolated petals of Petunia hybrida. According to the dilution values, the incorporation of shikimate-[¹⁴C] was about 3–6 times better than that of cinnamate-[¹⁴C]. However a comparison of the incorporation of the 2 precursors on a relative basis showed no significant differences in the relative proportions of the specific activities of the 3′,4′-dihydroxysubstituted cyanidin-3-monoglucoside and the 3′,4′,5′-trihydroxysubstituted delphinidin-3-monoglucoside. This result and the [¹⁴C]-incorporation behaviour of the 3′-methoxy-4′-hydroxysubstituted peonidin-3-monoglucoside do not support the hypothesis that there are alternative pathways of flavonoid biosynthesis.     

Biosynthesis of vitamin E and of the plastoquinones in chloroplasts: Steric course of the decarboxylation

Samples of (3R)- and (3S)-4′hydroxyphenyl[3-²H₁, 3-³H]pyruvate were prepared by taking advantage of the known stereospecificity of phenylpyruvate keto-enol isomerase (tautomerase). 4′-Hydroxyphenyl[3-¹⁴C]pyruvate was obtained by the action of l-amino acid oxidase on dl-[3-¹⁴C]tyrosine, whereas a simple base-catalyzed exchange procedure yielded samples of 4′-hydroxyphenyl[3-³H]- and 4′-hydroxyphenyl[3-²H₂]pyruvate. All labeled samples were converted in situ into the corresponding homogentisic acids on 4′-hydroxyphenyl-pyruvate dioxygenase that is known to catalyze the migration of the acetate side chain with retention of configuration. The isolated doubly labeled homogentisic acids were incubated with chloroplasts from Raphanus sativus cv. saxa Treib, and from the lipophilic products a fraction containing inter alia tocopherol, tocoquinone, and plastoquinone was obtained by chromatographic procedures. The incorporation of radioactivity was between 0.5 and 11% based on homogentisate. Reductive acetylation of the quinones yielded crystalline diacetylhydroquinones, which were submitted to Kuhn-Roth degradation. The radioactive acetate samples thus obtained were analyzed for chirality by an enzymatic procedure previously published. (2R)-[2-²H₁, 2-³H]Homogentisate gave mainly (S)-acetate, whereas (2S)-[2-²H₁, 2-³H]homogentisate was converted mainly into (R)-acetate. It is concluded that the decarboxylation of the side chain occurred with stereochemical retention during the biosynthetic process.     

Dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate enhancement of α-methyl-d-glucoside accumulation by kidney cortex slices

Cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate and N⁶-2′-O-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate increase the accumulation of α-methyl-d-glucoside by cortical slices from rat, rabbit, dog and human kidney. The characteristics of the effect have been studied in rat tissue. At least 90 min of exposure of the tissue to cyclic nucleotide prior to onset of glucoside accumulation is required as well as presence of the cyclic nucleotide during the accumulation phase. Inhibition of protein synthesis does not abolish the effect of N⁶-2′-O-dibutyryl cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate. The cyclic nucleotide causes an increase in the initial entry rate of α-methyl-d-glucoside into cells and an increase in the intracellular steady state concentration. The cyclic nucleotide does not affect the apparent K_m of the glucoside entry process but increases the maximum velocity of accumulation.     

Formation of (-⊃-1′,2′-epi-2-cis-xanthoxin acid from a precursor of abscisic acid

Tomato shoots and avocado mesocarp supplied with (±)-[2-¹⁴C]-5-(1,2-epoxy-2,6,6-trimethylcyclohexyl)-3-methylpenta-cis-2-trans-4-dienoic acid metabolize it into (+)-abscisic acid and a more polar material that was isolated and identified as (?)-epi-1′(R),2′(R)-4′(S)-2-cis-xanthoxin acid. The (+)-1′(S),2′(S)-4′(S)-2-cis-xanthoxin acid recently synthesized from natural violaxanthin, has the 1′,2′-epoxy group on the opposite side of the ring to that of the 4′(S)-hydroxyl group and the compound is rapidly converted into (+)-abscisic acid. The 1′,2′-epoxy group of (?)-1′,2′-epi-2-cis-xanthoxin acid is on the same side of the ring as the 4′(S) hydroxyl group: the compound is not metabolized into abscisic acid. The configuration of the 1′,2′-epoxy group probably controls whether or not the 4′(S) hydroxyl group can be oxidized. (+)-2-cis-Xanthoxin acid is probably not a naturally occurring intermediate because a ‘cold trap’, added to avocado fruit forming [¹⁴C]-labelled abscisic acid from [2-¹⁴C]mevalonate, failed to retain [¹⁴C] label.     

Metabolism of nicotine in Nicotiana glauca

A mixture of (?)-nicotine-[2′-³H] and (±)-nicotine-[2′-¹⁴C] was administered to Nicotiana glauca plants for 3 days, resulting in the formation of radioactive nornicotine (49·5% incorporation) and myosmine (2·05% incorporation). Negligible activity was detected in anabasine, cotinine, or 3-acetylpyridine, the last two compounds being added as carriers to the harvested plants. The radioactive nornicotine consisted of 48% (?)-nornicotine-[2′-¹⁴C,³H] and 52% (+)-nornicotine-[2′-¹⁴C]. Thus if (+)-nornicotine is formed from (?)-nicotine the transformation must involve loss of the hydrogen from C-2′. Myosmine is presumably formed from nicotine via nornicotine. However by feeding myosmine-[2′-¹⁴C] to N. glauca it was shown that the dehydrogenation is not reversible, no activity being detected in nornicotine. Nicotinic acid (0·14% incorporation) was a metabolite of myosmine-[2′-¹⁴C]. Essentially all the activity of the nicotinic acid was located on its carboxyl group, indicating that myosmine was a direct precursor.     

Eusiderins and other neolignans from an Aniba species

A previous report disclosed the presence of benzodioxan and bicyclo[3.2.1]octanoid neolignans in the benzene extract of the trunk wood of an Amazonian Aniba (Lauraceae) species. The chloroform extract of the same material contains additionally two new benzodioxan neolignans [rel-(7S,8R)-Δ^8′-7-hydroxy-3,4,5,5′-tetramethoxy-7.0.3′,8.0.4′-neolignan; rel-(7R,8R)-Δ^7′-3,4,5,5′-tetramethoxy-9′-oxo-7.0.3′,8.0.4′-neolignan], two new bicyclo[3.2.1]-octanoid neolignans [(7R,8S,1′S,2′S,3′S,4′R)-Δ^8′-2′,4′-dihydroxy-3,3′-dimethoxy-4,5-methylenedioxy-1′,2′,3′,4′,5′,6′-hexahydro-5′-oxo-7.3′,8.1′-neolignan; (7R,8S,1′R,2′S,3′S)-Δ^8′-2′-hydroxy-3,3′,5′-trimethoxy-4,5-methylenedioxy-1′,2′,3′,4′-tetrahydro-4′-oxo-7.3′,8.1′-neolignan] and a hydrobenzofuranoid neolignan [(7S,8R,1′S,5′S)-Δ^8′-3,3′,5′-tri-methoxy-4,5-methylenedioxy-1′,4′,5′,6′-tetrahydro-4′-oxo-7.0.2′,8.1-neolignan].     

The incorporation of ornithine-[2,3-13C2] into nicotine and nornicotine established by NMR

dl-Ornithine-[2,3-¹³C₂] was synthesized from acetate-[1-¹³C] and ethyl acetamidocyanoacetate-[2-¹³C]. This labelled material was mixed with dl-ornithine-[5-¹⁴C] and fed to Nicotiana glutinosa plants by the wick method. After 10 days the plants were harvested affording radioactive nicotine and nornicotine (0.14% and 0.051% specific incorporations, respectively). Even at these low specific incorporations an examination of their ¹³C NMR spectra established the incorporation of ornithine symmetrically into the pyrrolidine rings of these alkaloids. Satellites were observable at the signals due to C-2′, 3′, 4′ and 5′ positions, arising by the presence of contiguous carbons at C-2′, 3′ and C-4′, 5′.     

Pterocarpan biosynthesis: Chalone and isoflavone precursors of demethylhomopterocarpin and maackiain in Trifolium pratense

Feeding experiments with dl-phenylalanine-[1-¹⁴C] have demonstrated the de novo synthesis of the pterocarpan phytoalexins demethylhomopterocarpin and maackiain in CuCl₂-treated Trifolium pratense L. seedlings. 2′,4′,4-Trihydroxychalcone-[carbonyl-¹⁴C] and 7-hydroxy-4′-methoxyisoflavone-[methyl-¹⁴C] (formononetin) were readily incorporated into demethylhomopterocarpin and maackiain, but 2′,4′-dihydroxy-4-methoxychalcone-[carbonyl-¹⁴C] and 7,4′-dihydroxyisoflavone-[T] (daidzein) proved inefficient precursors. The trihydroxychalcone was also an excellent precursor of formononetin in T. pratense, but the trihydroxymethoxychalcone and daidzen were poorly incorporated. These observations offer further evidence that methylation may be an associated part of the mechanism for aryl migration in the biosynthesis of formononetin.     

Synthesis of carbon-11-labeled CK1 inhibitors as new potential PET radiotracers for imaging of Alzheimer’s disease

The reference standards methyl 3-((2,2-difluoro-5H-[1,3]dioxolo[4′,5′:4,5]benzo[1,2-d]imidazol-6-yl)carbamoyl)benzoate (5a) and N-(2,2-difluoro-5H-[1,3]dioxolo[4′,5′:4,5]benzo[1,2-d]imidazol-6-yl)-3-methoxybenzamide (5c), and their corresponding desmethylated precursors 3-((2,2-difluoro-5H-[1,3]dioxolo[4′,5′:4,5]benzo[1,2-d]imidazol-6-yl)carbamoyl)benzoic acid (6a) and N-(2,2-difluoro-5H-[1,3]dioxolo[4′,5′:4,5]benzo[1,2-d]imidazol-6-yl)-3-hydroxybenzamide (6b), were synthesized from 5-amino-2,2-difluoro-1,3-benzodioxole and 3-substituted benzoic acids in 5 and 6 steps with 33% and 11%, 30% and 7% overall chemical yield, respectively. Carbon-11-labeled casein kinase 1 (CK1) inhibitors, [¹¹C]methyl 3-((2,2-difluoro-5H-[1,3]dioxolo[4′,5′:4,5]benzo[1,2-d]imidazol-6-yl)carbamoyl)benzoate ([¹¹C]5a) and N-(2,2-difluoro-5H-[1,3]dioxolo[4′,5′:4,5]benzo[1,2-d]imidazol-6-yl)-3-[¹¹C]methoxybenzamide ([¹¹C]5c), were prepared from their O-desmethylated precursor 6a or 6b with [¹¹C]CH₃OTf through O-[¹¹C]methylation and isolated by HPLC combined with SPE in 40–45% radiochemical yield, based on [¹¹C]CO₂ and decay corrected to end of bombardment (EOB). The radiochemical purity was >99%, and the molar activity (MA) at EOB was 370–740?GBq/μmol with a total synthesis time of ～40-min from EOB.     

Biosynthetic relations between protoberberine-, benzo(C)phenanthridine- and B-secoprotoberberine type alkaloids in Corydalis incisa

The biosynthetic relations between protoberberine-, benzo[C]phenanthridine- and B-secoprotoberberine type alkaloids were demonstrated by use of (±)-tetrahydrocoptisine-[8,14-³H HCl, (±)-tetrahydrocorysamine-[8,14-³H]HCl and corynoline-[6-³H]HCl in Corydalis incisa, and the following results were presented. (±)-Tetrahydrocoptisine was converted to corynoline, corydalic acid methyl ester and corydamine hydrochloride. (±)-Tetrahydrocorysamine was converted to corynoline and corydalic acid methyl ester. Evidence that N-methyl-3-[6′-(3′,4′-methylenedioxyphenethylalcohol)]-4-methyl-7,8-methylenedioxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-[α-³H] HCl was incorporated into corynoline-[11-³H] indicates the occurrence of the ring fission at C₆-N followed by linking ofthe C₆ and C₁₃ positions in (±)-tetrahydrocoptisine and (±)-tetrahydrocorysamine, and suggests the participation of one of two possible intermediates in the biosynthesis of these alkaloids.     

Prenylated flavonoids from seeds of Calopogonium mucunoides

The seeds of Calopogonium mucunoides furnished 7-O-γ,γ-dimethylallyl-8-methoxy-3′,4′-dioxymethylene-isoflavone, 7-O-γ,γ-dimethylallyl-3′-hydroxy-4′-methoxyisoflavone, 7-O-γ,γ-dimethylallyl-3′,4′-dimethoxyisoflavone and 2S-di[6′',6′'-dimethylpyrano (2′',3′':7,8;2′',3′':4′,3′)]-flavanone whose structures were established by spectroscopic means involving the use of 400 MHz ¹H NMR with double irradiation and INDOR techniques.     

La 5′-méthoxybilobétine,une biflavone extraite du Ginkgo biloba

A new biflavone, I-5′-methoxybilobetin has been isolated from Ginkgo biloba leaves. ¹H and ¹³C NMR spectral data show that it is a II-4′, I-5, II-5, I-7, II-7-pentahydroxy-I-4′, I-5′-dimethoxy- [I-3′, II-8] biflavone.     

Poliumoside,a caffeic glycoside ester from Teucrium belion

A new caffeic glycoside ester, poliumoside, has been isolated from the aerial parts of Teucrium belion. Its structure, [β-(3′,4′-dihydroxyphenyl)-ethyl]-(3,6-O-α-L-dirhamnopyranosyl)-(4-O-caffeoyl)-β-D-glucopyranoside, was established mainly by high-resolution ¹H NMR and ¹³C NMR spectroscopy.     

Identification and characterization of the adenosine 3′,5′-cyclic monophosphate binding proteins appearing during the development of Dictyostelium discoideum

A photosensitive, radioactive analogue of cyclic adenosine monophosphate, 8-azido-adenosine 3′,5′-[³²P]monophosphate (8-N₃-cyclic AMP), was used to label the cyclic AMP binding proteins of Dictyostelium discoideum. During development cytosolic proteins appear which are specifically labeled by the photoaffinity agent. The proteins are developmentally regulated since they are only found in starved, developing cells. Unlabeled cyclic AMP competes specifically with the labeled analogue for protein binding sites in contrast to unlabeled 5′-AMP which does not compete. A mutant which develops spores but is deficient in stalk cell production produces a different set of cyclic AMP binding proteins from the parent strain.