The Activity of Nucleoside Phosphorylase on 1-β-d-Arabinosyluracil within Escherichia coli

Anion exchange resins in phosphate form as versatile carriers for the reactions catalyzed by nucleoside phosphorylases

In the present work, we suggested anion exchange resins in the phosphate form as a source of phosphate, one of the substrates of the phosphorolysis of uridine, thymidine, and 1-(β-ᴅ-arabinofuranosyl)uracil (Ara-U) catalyzed by recombinant E. coli uridine (UP) and thymidine (TP) phosphorylases. α-ᴅ-Pentofuranose-1-phosphates (PF-1Pis) obtained by phosphorolysis were used in the enzymatic synthesis of nucleosides. It was found that phosphorolysis of uridine, thymidine, and Ara-U in the presence of Dowex® 1X8 (phosphate; Dowex-nPi) proceeded smoothly in the presence of magnesium cations in water at 20-50 °C for 54-96 h giving rise to quantitative formation of the corresponding pyrimidine bases and PF-1Pis. The resulting PF-1Pis can be used in three routes: (1) preparation of barium salts of PF-1Pis, (2) synthesis of nucleosides by reacting the crude PF-1Pi with an heterocyclic base, and (3) synthesis of nucleosides by reacting the ionically bound PF-1Pi to the resin with an heterocyclic base. These three approaches were tested in the synthesis of nelarabine, kinetin riboside, and cladribine with good to excellent yields (52-93%).

Marine nucleosides: structure, bioactivity, synthesis and biosynthesis

Nucleosides are glycosylamines that structurally form part of nucleotide molecules, the building block of DNA and RNA. Both nucleosides and nucleotides are vital components of all living cells and involved in several key biological processes. Some of these nucleosides have been obtained from a variety of marine resources. Because of the biological importance of these compounds, this review covers 68 marine originated nucleosides and their synthetic analogs published up to June 2014. The review will focus on the structures, bioactivities, synthesis and biosynthetic processes of these compounds.

The mechanisms of lethal action of arabinosyl cytosine (araC) and arabinosyl adenine (araA)

Certain D-arabinosyl nucleosides, notably arabinosyl cytosine (araC) and arabinosyl adenine (araA), are useful in the treatment of certain leukemias and some DNA virus infections, respectively. The compounds are lethal to animal cells and some bacteria. Despite extensive deamination, the parent nucleosides are transported within sensitive cells and phosphorylated to the mono-, di- and triphosphates. AraCTP and araATP are good specific competitive inhibitors of tumor cell of virus-induced DNA polymerases, competing with dCTP and dATP respectively. In addition to markedly inhibiting DNA synthesis, the aranucleotides enter newly formed DNA in internucleotide linkage. Sensitivity to the nucleosides appears to correlate with the relative ratio of formation of the triphosphate via a nucleoside kinase to degradation of the nucleoside via a nucleoside deaminase. Inhibition of the deaminase increases formation of the aranucleoside triphosphate in leukemic or virus-infected cells and markedly increases the toxicity of the nucleosides. Combinations of inhibitors of the deaminases and of the aranucleoside are being explored in clinical situations. In addition, the slow penetration of aranucleotides into cells has been observed and some of these 5'-phosphates are useful antiviral agents, e.g., against herpes virus in herpetic kiratitis.