Convenient Synthesis of Nucleoside‐5′‐Diphosphates from the Corresponding Ribonucleoside‐5′‐phosphoroimidazole

Abstract

The reaction of ribonucleoside‐5′‐phosphoroimidazolide with a tributylammonium orthophosphate in anhydrous dimethylformamide at room temperature provides a general method for the synthesis of nucleoside‐5′‐diphosphates. The novelty of the approach is to use the triethylammonium salt of 5′‐monophosphate nucleoside derivative prior to the imidazolate reaction with imidazole, triphenylphosphine, and 2,2′‐dithiodipyridine. Deprotection, followed by displacement of the imidazole moiety using tributylammonium orthophosphate and a catalytic amount of zinc chloride in dimethylformamide gave the desired 5′‐diphosphate products. The triethyl ammonium salt of 5′‐diphosphate nucleosides was purified by flash chromatography using DEAE (diethylaminoethyl weak anion exchange resin) Sepharosa fast flow packed in an XK 50/60 column on an Akta FPLC (Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography). Synthesis procedures are reported for adenosine‐5′‐diphosphate, uridine‐5′‐diphosphate, cytidine‐5′‐diphosphate, and guanosine‐5′‐diphosphate. Yields for the displacement reactions ranged from 95 to 97%. Thus, this method offers the advantages of shorter reaction time, greater product yield, and a more cost‐effective synthetic route.

Keywords:

• Nucleoside‐5′‐diphosphate
• 5′‐phosphoroimidazolide of nucleosides
• tributylammonium orthophosphate
• zinc chloride

Acknowledgments

The financial support from National Institute of Health (SBIR Phase II: R44GM070156‐02) is gratefully acknowledged. We are thankful to Gary Latham and Mark Kaderli for commenting on and critically reading this manuscript.