摘要:
                                The di- through penta-gamma-L-glutamates of 2-desamino-2-methylaminopterin, a new antifolate with a novel mechanism of action requiring gamma-polyglutamylation for biological activity, were prepared.  alpha-tert-Butyl gamma-methyl L-glutamate was condensed with 4-nitrobenzoyl chloride, the methyl ester selectively hydrolyzed with base, and the product condensed with di-tert-butyl L-glutamate to obtain tri-tert-butyl N-(4-nitrobenzoyl)-gamma-L-glutamyl-L-glutamate.  Reduction of the nitro group followed by reaction with 2-amino-5-(chloromethyl)-pyrazine-3-carbonitrile yielded tri-tert-butyl [4-[[(2-amino-3-cyanopyrazin-5-yl)methyl]amino]benzoyl]-L-gamma-glutamyl-L-glutamate, which was heated with acetamidine acetate to form tri-tert-butyl N-[4-[[(4-amino-2-methylpteridine-6-yl)methyl]amino]benzoyl]-gamma-L-glutamyl-L-glutamate.  Removal of the ester groups with trifluoroacetic acid then gave 2-desamino-2-methylaminopterin diglutamate.  A similar sequence was employed to convert esterified oligomers with three, four, and five glutamyl residues to 2-desamino-2-methylaminopterin tri-, tetra-, and pentaglutamate.  This is the first example of the preparation of the polyglutamates of an antifolate via the Taylor pteridine synthesis.