New stereocontrolled synthesis of isomeric C-branched-β-D-nucleosides by intramolecular free-radical cyclization- opening reactions based on temporary silicon connection

An exocyclic methylene group acts as a bioisostere of the 2'-oxygen atom in LNA

We show for the first time that it is possible to obtain LNA-like (Locked Nucleic Acid 1) binding affinity and biological activity with carbocyclic LNA (cLNA) analogs by replacing the 2'-oxygen atom in LNA with an exocyclic methylene group. Synthesis of the methylene-cLNA nucleoside was accomplished by an intramolecular cyclization reaction between a radical at the 2'-position and a propynyl group at the C-4' position. Only methylene-cLNA modified oligonucleotides showed similar thermal stability and mismatch discrimination properties for complementary nucleic acids as LNA. In contrast, the close structurally related methyl-cLNA analogs showed diminished hybridization properties. Analysis of crystal structures of cLNA modified self-complementary DNA decamer duplexes revealed that the methylene group participates in a tight interaction with a 2'-deoxyribose residue of the 5'-terminal G of a neighboring duplex, resulting in the formation of a CH...O type hydrogen bond. This indicates that the methylene group retains a negative polarization at the edge of the minor groove in the absence of a hydrophilic 2'-substituent and provides a rationale for the superior thermal stability of this modification. In animal experiments, methylene-cLNA antisense oligonucleotides (ASOs) showed similar in vivo activity but reduced toxicity as compared to LNA ASOs. Our work highlights the interchangeable role of oxygen and unsaturated moieties in nucleic acid structure and emphasizes greater use of this bioisostere to improve the properties of nucleic acids for therapeutic and diagnostic applications.

Synthesis of 2‘-C-α-(Hydroxyalkyl) and 2‘-C-α-Alkylcytidine Phosphoramidites: Analogues for Probing Solvent Interactions with RNA

Nucleoside analogues bearing 2'-C-alpha-(hydroxyalkyl) and 2'-C-alpha-alkyl substitutes have numerous applications in RNA chemistry and biology. In particular, they provide a strategy to probe the interaction between the 2'-hydroxyl group of RNA and water. To incorporate these nucleoside analogues into oligonucleotides for studies of the group II intron (Gordon, P. M.; Fong, R.; Deb, S.; Li, N.-S.; Schwans, J. P.; Ye, J.-D.; Piccirilli, J. A. Chem. Biol. 2004, 11, 237), we synthesized six new phosphoramidite derivatives of 2'-deoxy-2'-C-alpha-(hydroxyalkyl)cytidine (36: R = -(CH2)2OH; 38: R = -(CH2)3OH; 40: R = -(CH2)4OH) and 2'-deoxy-2'-C-alpha-alkylcytidine (37: R = -CH2CH3; 39: R = -(CH2)2CH3; 41: R = -(CH2)3CH3) from cytidine or uridine via 2'-C-alpha-allylation, followed by alkene and alcohol transformations. Phosphoramidites 36 and 37 were prepared from cytidine in overall yields of 14% (10 steps) and 7% (11 steps), respectively. Phosphoramidites 38 and 39 were prepared from uridine in overall yields of 30% (10 steps) and 13% (11 steps), respectively. Phosphoramidites 40 and 41 were synthesized from uridine in overall yields of 21% (13 steps) and 25% (14 steps), respectively.

5-Exo versus 6-Endo Cyclization of Nucleoside 2-Sila-5-hexenyl Radicals: Reaction of 6-(Bromomethyl)dimethylsilyl 1‘,2‘-Unsaturated Uridines

The mode of cyclization of 2-sila-5-hexen-1-yl radicals generated from 6-(bromomethyl)dimethylsilyl-1',2'-unsaturated uridines was investigated. In contrast to the case of the 2'-unsubstituted 6-silicon-tethered substrate (4), which undergoes exclusive 6-endo-cyclization, reactions of the 2'-substituted (Me, CO2Me, OBz, and Cl) derivatives (14, 20, 22, and 24) uniformly proceeded in preferential or exclusive 5-exo-mode. The Tamao oxidation of the resulting cyclized products was also carried out to synthesize the corresponding 1'-C-hydroxymethyl derivatives.

An efficient method for the preparation of 1'alpha-branched-chain sugar pyrimidine ribonucleosides from uridine: the first conversion of a natural nucleoside into 1'-substituted ribonucleosides

The 1'alpha-phenylselenouridine derivative 13 was successfully synthesized by enolization of the 3',5'-O-TIPDS-2'-ketouridine 8, and was subjected to a radical reaction with a vinylsilyl tether--an efficient procedure for preparing 1'alpha-branched-chain sugar pyrimidine nucleosides. Successive treatment of 8 with LiHMDS and PhSeCl in THF at < -70 degrees C gave the desired 1'-phenylseleno products in 85% yield as an anomeric mixture of the 1'alpha-product 11 and the 1'beta-product 12 (11/12= 2.5:1). Highly stereoselective reduction at the 2'-carbonyl of the 1'alpha-product 11 occurred from the beta-face by using NaBH4/CeCl3 in MeOH, and subsequent introduction of a dimethylvinylsilyl tether at the 2'-hydroxyl gave the radical reaction substrate 14. The photochemical radical atom-transfer reaction of 14 by using a high-pressure mercury lamp proceeded effectively in benzene to give the exo-cyclized PhSe-transferred product 18, in which (PhSe)2 proved to be essential as an additive for radical atom-transfer cyclization reactions. Subsequent phenylseleno-group elimination of 18 gave the sugar-protected 1'alpha-vinyluridine. With this procedure, 1'alpha-vinyluridine (22) and -cytidine (25), designed to be potential antitumor agents, were successfully synthesized. This study is the first example of functionalization at the anomeric 1'-position of a nucleoside by starting from a natural nucleoside to produce a ribo-type 1'-modified nucleoside.