The applicability of 3-acetyloxy-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl and 3-acetyloxymethoxy-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl groups as biodegradable phosphate protecting groups for nucleoside 5'-monophosphates has been studied in a HEPES buffer at pH 7.5. Enzymatic deacetylation with porcine carboxyesterase triggers the removal of the resulting 3-hydroxy-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl and 3-hydroxymethoxy-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl groups by retro-aldol condensation and consecutive half acetal hydrolysis and retro-aldol condensation, respectively. The kinetics of these multistep deprotection reactions have been followed by HPLC, using appropriately protected thymidine 5'-monophosphates as model compounds. The enzymatic deacetylation of the 3-acetyloxymethoxy-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl 5'-triester (2) is 25-fold faster than the deacetylation of its 3-acetyloxy-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl-protected counterpart 1, and the difference in the deacetylation rates of the resulting diesters, 12b and 12a, is even greater. With 2, conversion to thymidine 5'-monophosphate (5'-TMP) is quantitative, while conversion of 1 to 5'-TMP is accompanied by formation of thymidine. Consistent with the preceding observations, quantitative release of 5'-TMP from 2 has been shown to take place in a whole cell extract of human prostate cancer cells.
(4‐Acetylthio‐2,2‐dimethyl‐3‐oxobutyl)‐protected oligomeric phosphodiesters 1 and 2 were synthesized and removal of the protecting groups in the presence and absence of hog liver esterase was followed at pH 7.5 and 37 °C. Phosphotriesters 1 and 2 were successfully converted into the desired fully deprotected phosphodiesters 3 and 4, respectively. Some cleavage of internucleosidic P–O bonds took place, which reduced the yield of 3 and 4. Non‐enzymatic removal of the protecting group was only modestly retarded by accumulation of negative charge on the molecule. With 1, the half‐lives for the departure of the first and second protecting groups were 7.8 and 10.7 h, respectively, and with 2, 6.2 and 7.2 h, respectively. After 4 d, 70 % of both starting materials 1 and 2 were converted into the unprotected phosphodiester. The presence of hog liver esterase (2.6 units mL–1) resulted in fast removal of the first protecting group (τ1/2 2.7 min and 36 min with 1 and 2, respectively), but the appearance of fully deprotected 3 and 4 was accelerated only by a factor of 2, consistent with dramatic retardation of the enzymatic reaction upon accumulation of the negative charge.
Ribavirin and 2'-O-methylcytidine 5'-phosphoramidates derived from L-alanine methyl ester bearing either an O-phenyl or a biodegradable O-[3-(acetyloxy)-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl] or O-[3-(acetyloxymethoxy)-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl] protecting group were prepared. The kinetics of the deprotection of these pro-drugs by porcine liver esterase and by a whole cell extract of human prostate carcinoma was studied by HPLC-ESI-MS/MS. The 3-(acetyloxymethoxy)-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl and 3-(acetyloxy)-2,2-bis(ethoxycarbonyl)propyl groups were readily removed releasing the l-alanine methyl ester phosphoramidate nucleotide, the deprotection of the 3-(acetyloxymethoxy) derivative being approximately 20 times faster. The chemical stability of the 2'-O-methylcytidine pro-drugs was additionally determined over a pH range from 7.5 to 10.
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