Synthetic Strategies to 9-Substituted 8-Oxoadenines

Coordination Sites for Sodium and Potassium Ions in Nucleophilic Adeninate Contact ion-Pairs: A Molecular-Wide and Electron Density-Based (MOWED) Perspective

The adeninate anion (Ade^-) is a useful nucleophile used in the synthesis of many prodrugs (including those for HIV AIDS treatment). It exists as a contact ion-pair (CIP) with Na⁺ and K⁺ (M⁺) but the site of coordination is not obvious from spectroscopic data. Herein, a molecular-wide and electron density-based (MOWED) computational approach implemented in the implicit solvation model showed a strong preference for bidentate ion coordination at the N3 and N9 atoms. The N3N9-CIP has (i) the strongest inter-ionic interaction, by -30 kcal mol^-1, with a significant (10-15%) covalent contribution, (ii) the most stabilized bonding framework for Ade^-, and (iii) displays the largest ion-induced polarization of Ade^-, rendering the N3 and N9 the most negative and, hence, most nucleophilic atoms. Alkylation of the adeninate anion at these two positions can therefore be readily explained when the metal coordinated complex is considered as the nucleophile. The addition of explicit DMSO solvent molecules did not change the trend in most nucleophilic N-atoms of Ade^- for the in-plane M-Ade complexes in M-Ade-(DMSO)₄ molecular systems. MOWED-based studies of the strength and nature of interactions between DMSO solvent molecules and counter ions and Ade^- revealed an interesting and unexpected chemistry of intermolecular chemical bonding.

Synthetic Routes to N-9 Alkylated 8-Oxoguanines; Weak Inhibitors of the Human DNA Glycosylase OGG1

The human 8-oxoguanine DNA glycosylase OGG1 is involved in base excision repair (BER), one of several DNA repair mechanisms that may counteract the effects of chemo- and radiation therapy for the treatment of cancer. We envisage that potent inhibitors of OGG1 may be found among the 9-alkyl-8-oxoguanines. Thus we explored synthetic routes to 8-oxoguanines and examined these as OGG1 inhibitors. The best reaction sequence started from 6-chloroguanine and involved N-9 alkylation, C-8 bromination, and finally simultaneous hydrolysis of both halides. Bromination before N-alkylation should only be considered when the N-substituent is not compatible with bromination conditions. The 8-oxoguanines were found to be weak inhibitors of OGG1. 6-Chloro-8-oxopurines, byproducts in the hydrolysis of 2,6-halopurines, turned out to be slightly better inhibitors than the corresponding 8-oxoguanines.