5-[(4-Methyl-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinoxalyl)methyl]-2'-deoxyuridine 5'-phosphate: an analogue of a proposed intermediate in thymidylate synthetase catalysis

Noncovalent Intermediate of Thymidylate Synthase: Fact or Fiction?

Thymidylate synthase is an attractive target for antibiotic and anticancer drugs due to its essential role in the de novo biosynthesis of the DNA nucleotide thymine. The enzymatic reaction is initiated by a nucleophilic activation of the substrate via formation of a covalent bond to an active site cysteine. The traditionally accepted mechanism is then followed by a series of covalently bound intermediates, where that bond is only cleaved upon product release. Recent computational and experimental studies suggest that the covalent bond between the protein and substrate is actually quite labile. Importantly, these findings predict the existence of a noncovalently bound bisubstrate intermediate, not previously anticipated, which could be the target of a novel class of drugs inhibiting DNA biosynthesis. Here we report the synthesis of the proposed intermediate and findings supporting its chemical and kinetic competence. These findings substantiate the predicted nontraditional mechanism and the potential of this intermediate as a new drug lead.

Multisubstrate adduct inhibitors: drug design and biological tools

In drug discovery, different methods exist to create new inhibitors possessing satisfactory biological activity. The multisubstrate adduct inhibitor (MAI) approach is one of these methods, which consists of a covalent combination between analogs of the substrate and the cofactor or of the multiple substrates used by the target enzyme. Adopted as the first line of investigation for many enzymes, this method has brought insights into the enzymatic mechanism, structure, and inhibitory requirements. In this review, the MAI approach, applied to different classes of enzyme, is reported from the point of view of biological activity.

5-Substituted 2'-deoxyuridines: correlation between inhibition of tumor cell growth and inhibition of thymidine kinase and thymidylate synthetase

A large variety of 5-substituted 2'deoxyuridines (dUrds) and 2'-deoxyuridylates (dUMPs) have been evaluated for their inhibitory effects on the thymidine (dThd) kinase or thymidylate (dTMP) synthetase isolated from mouse leukemia L1210 cells. The most potent inhibitors of dThd kinase were 5-chloro-, 5-bromo- and 5-iodo-dUrd. Their Ki/Km values ranged from 0.57 to 0.82. All dUrd analogs tested showed competitive kinetics with respect to dThd. However, there was little, if any, correlation between the inhibitory effects of the compounds on L1210 cell growth and their inhibitory activities against dThd kinase (r = 0.16). The most potent inhibitors of dTMP synthetase were (in order of decreasing activity): 5-nitro-dUMP greater than 5-formyl-dUMP greater than 5-fluoro-dUMP greater than 5-oxime of 5-formyl-dUMP greater than 5-azidomethyl-dUMP greater than (E)-5-(2-bromovinyl)-dUMP. The ki/Km values for these compounds ranged from 0.001 to 0.665. All dUMP analogs tested showed competitive kinetics with respect to dUMP (if not preincubated with the enzyme at 37 degrees). There was a strong correlation (r = 0.833) between the inhibitory effects of these compounds on L1210 cell growth and their inhibitory activities against dTMP synthetase. Thus, the suppressive action of 5-substituted dUrd derivatives on tumor cell growth would involve prior conversion of the nucleoside analogs to the corresponding 5'-monophosphates followed by an inhibition of dTMP synthetase.