Reaction of adenine nucleosides, tosylated in the carbohydrate moiety, with lithium triethylborohydride

Deoxygenative [1,2]-hydride shift rearrangements in nucleoside and sugar chemistry: analogy with the [1,2]-electron shift in the deoxygenation of ribonucleotides by ribonucleotide reductases

A variant of the semipinacol rearrangement that was observed in our laboratory has been applied to the synthesis of several furanose and pyranose derivatives. The process consists of an "orchestrated" [1,2]-hydride shift with departure of a leaving group from the opposite face. Transient formation of a C=O group is followed by rapid transfer of a hydride-equivalent from the same face from which the leaving group departed, which results in double inversion of stereochemistry at the two vicinal carbon atoms. Treatment of 2'-O- and 3'-O-tosyladenosine with lithium triethylborohydride in DMSO/THF gave the respective 2'- and 3'-deoxynucleoside analogues with beta-D-threo configurations. Identical treatment of 5'-O-TPS-2'-O-tosyladenosine gave 9-(5-O-TPS-2-deoxy-beta-D-threo-pentofuranosyl)adenine. The same [1,2]-hydride shift and stereochemistry with the 5'-OH and 5'-O-TPS compounds demonstrated the absence of remote hydroxyl-group participation. Application of this process to other nucleoside 2'-O-tosyl derivatives gave the 2'-deoxy-threo compounds in good yields. The reaction-rate order was OTs approximately Br >> Cl for 2'-O-tosyladenosine, 2'-bromo-2'-deoxyadenosine, and 2'-chloro-2'-deoxyadenosine (all with beta-d-ribo configurations). Analogous results were obtained with mannopyranoside derivatives with either 4,6-O-benzylidene protection or a free OH group at C4. Deuterium labeling clearly defined the stereochemical course as a cis-vicinal [1,2]-hydride shift on the face opposite to the original cis OH and OTs groups followed by hydride transfer from the face opposite to the [1,2]-hydride shift. Synthetic and mechanistic considerations are discussed.

The nucleoside transport proteins, NupC and NupG, from Escherichia coli: specific structural motifs necessary for the binding of ligands

A series of 46 natural nucleosides and analogues (mainly adenosine-based) were tested as inhibitors of [U-(14)C]uridine uptake by the concentrative, H(+)-linked nucleoside transport proteins NupC and NupG from Escherichia coli. The two evolutionarily unrelated transporters showed similar but distinct patterns of inhibition, revealing differing selectivities for the different nucleosides and their analogues. Binding of nucleosides to NupG required the presence of hydroxyl groups at each of the C-3' and C-5' positions of ribose, while binding to NupC required only the C-3' hydroxyl substituent. The greater importance of the ribose moiety for binding to NupG is consistent with the evolutionary relationship between this protein and the oligosaccharide: H(+) symporter (OHS) subfamily of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS) of transporters. For both proteins the natural alpha-configuration at C-3' and the natural beta-configuration at C-1' was mandatory for ligand binding. N-7 in the imidazole ring of adenosine and the amino group at C-6 were found not to be important for binding and both transporters showed flexibility for substitution at C-6/N(6); one or both of N-1 and N-3 were important for adenosine analogue binding to NupC but significantly less so for binding to NupG. From the different effects of 8-bromoadenosine on the two transporters it appears that adenosine selectively binds to NupC in an anti- rather than a syn-conformation, whereas NupG is less prescriptive. The pattern of inhibition of NupC by differing nucleoside analogues confirmed the functional relationship of the bacterial transporter to members of the human concentrative nucleoside transporter (CNT) family and reaffirmed the use of the bacterial protein as an experimental model for these physiologically and clinically important mammalian proteins. The specificity data for NupG have been used to develop a homology model of the protein's binding site, based on the X-ray crystallographic structure of the disaccharide transporter LacY from E. coli. We have also developed an efficient general protocol for the synthesis of adenosine and three of its analogues, which is illustrated by the synthesis of [1'-(13)C]adenosine.

Nucleic Acid Related Compounds. 105. Synthesis of 2',3'-Didehydro-2',3'-dideoxynucleosides from Ribonucleoside Cyclic 2',3'-(Sulfates or Phosphates) or 2',3'-Dimesylates via Reductive Elimination with Sodium Naphthalenide(1)

Treatment of purine ribonucleosides with thionyl fluoride resulted in formation of cyclic 2',3'-sulfite esters. Acetylation of the 5'-hydroxy group and Sharpless oxidation (NaIO(4)/RuCl(3)) gave the cyclic 2',3'-sulfate ester derivatives. Treatment of 5'-O-silyl-protected ribonucleosides with thionyl chloride followed by oxidation gave an alternative route to the cyclic 2',3'-sulfates. Reductive elimination with sodium naphthalenide (THF/-50 degrees C) gave the 2',3'-unsaturated nucleosides. Parallel treatment of adenosine cyclic 2',3'-phosphate gave the 2',3'-olefin. The adenine, hypoxanthine, and 2-amino-6-methoxypurine 2',3'-didehydro-2',3'-dideoxynucleosides were prepared efficiently (40-60% overall yields of crystalline, analytically pure products; 3-5 steps, some combined into one-flask procedures) by treatment of 5'-O-protected 2',3'-di-O-mesylribonucleosides with sodium naphthalenide. Reactions were performed at or below ambient temperature with readily available reagents and standard laboratory conditions.