SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES OF (Z) AND (E) α-ETHENYL ACYCLONUCLEOSIDES

Abstract

Synthesis of Z and E ethenyl acyclonucleosides (6a-e and 7a-e) via Michael addition of nucleobases with the diethyl acetylenedicarboxylate is described. The structures of compounds have been confirmed by spectral data. New compounds were found to be inactive against DNA and RNA viruses.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported in part by the Biomedical Research Programme of the European Commission and by the “Cooperation Interuniversitaire France/Maroc (AI 96/1141)”. We thank the CNR (Maroc) and the DFG (Germany) for supporting this work. The authors would like to express their gratitude and thanks to V. L. Narayanan, Chief, Drug Synthesis and Chemistry Branch and the staff of the antitumor screening division, National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, for carrying out the in vitro antitumor testing. We thank Mrs. A. Absillis, Mrs. F. De Meyer and Mrs. A. Van Lierde for excellent technical assistance.