A new protecting group ‘3′,5′-O-sulfinyl’ for xylo-nucleosides. A simple and efficient synthesis of 3′-amino-3′-deoxyadenosine (a puromycin intermediate), 2,2′-anhydro-pyrimidine nucleosides and 2′,3′-anhydro-adenosine

Azide-modified Nucleosides as Versatile Tools for Bioorthogonal Labeling and Functionalization

Azide-modified nucleosides are important building blocks for RNA and DNA functionalization by click chemistry based on azide-alkyne cycloaddition. This has put demand on synthetic chemistry to develop approaches for the preparation of azide-modified nucleoside derivatives. We review here the available methods for the synthesis of various nucleosides decorated with azido groups at the sugar residue or nucleobase, their incorporation into oligonucleotides and cellular RNAs, and their application in azide-alkyne cycloadditions for labelling and functionalization.

Synthesis of 3'-amino-3'-deoxyguanosine and 3'-amino-3'-deoxyxyloguanosine monophosphate HepDirect prodrugs from guanosine

The synthesis of 3'-amino-3'-deoxyguanosine and 3'-amino-3'-deoxyxyloguanosine monophosphate HepDirect prodrugs from guanosine is reported. Initial incorporation of N,N-dibenzylformamidino protection of the C2-amino of guanosine masked the reactivity of that group and simplified purification of subsequent analogues. The first key intermediate, 9-(2,5-bis-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-2-N-(N,N-dibenzylformamidino)guanine (3a), was prepared in 60% yield after recycling of the undesired 3',5'-bis-O-protected byproduct (4a) by simple equilibration in methanol to a mixture of the two bis-O-protected compounds. Thus, protected, the 3'-position was manipulated to form the 3'-deoxyribo- or 3'-deoxyxylo-3'-azido derivatives (9 or 16, respectively). Further selective manipulations provided the cis-5'-monophosphate (3-chlorophenyl)-1,3-propanyl diester prodrugs (HepDirect prodrugs), 15 and 21. These HepDirect prodrugs were demonstrated to activate to their respective NTPs in rat hepatocytes.

A simple and efficient synthesis of puromycin, 2,2'-anhydro-pyrimidine nucleosides, cytidines and 2',3'-anhydroadenosine from 3',5'-O-sulfinyl xylo-nucleosides

Synthesis of antibiotics, puromycin and 3'-amino-3'-deoxy-N6,N6-dimethyladenosine 11 was achieved by utilizing the cyclic sulfite 6a of the xylo-3',5'-dihydroxy group as a new protective group. The key synthetic step is the deprotection of the sulfite moiety through the intramolecular cyclization of 2-alpha-carbamate 7. In a similar manner 2,2'-anhydro-pyrimidine nucleosides 15, ribo-cytidines 17 and 2',3'-anhydroadenosine 14 were prepared in high yields from the corresponding sulfites 4, 5, and 6b, respectively.

An efficient route to thioglycosides with the 2,3-anhydro-d-ribo stereochemistry

An improved route for the synthesis of p-tolyl 2,3-anhydro-5-O-benzoyl-1-thio-beta-D-ribofuranoside and its alpha anomer, which are important intermediates in the synthesis of alpha- and beta-D-arabinofuranosides, has been developed. The products are obtained in six steps from D-xylose in 39% overall yield.