This pelper is cleclicclted lo Dt-. Zdetzc.k (Drtztzy) Vtllet~tcl otr the oc.cnsiotl of his 65th birtlzclc~y 0 . BoyL. A. B~ossr, H. J. C. YEH, E. HAMEI-, B. WEGRZYNSKI. and V . TOOME. Can. J. Chcm. 70, 1237 (1992). Trimethoxy-substituted dihydrodibcnzocycloheptenes 4-7, required for a structure-activity study measuring the inhibition of tubulin polymerization in vitro, were synthesized by four different routes: ( I ) Synthesis of 4 was achieved from 2,3-di~nethoxybenzaldehyde via biphenyl aldehyde 17, chain lengthening to propionic acid 20, acid-catalyzed cyclization toward kctone 21, and removal of the carbonyl group. Mapping and full characterization of the colchicine binding site on tubulin remains a challenging and multifaceted research project (1, 2). Modification of natural (-)-(as, 7 s ) colchicine 1 or the parent compound N-acetylcolchinol methyl ether 2 offers a possibility to gain valuable infor~nation on how these lnolecules bind to tubulin and inhibit its polymerization. Phenolic congeners of colchicine 1, especially I-demethylcolchicine, were found to be less potent than '~u t h o r to whom correspondence may be addressed.colchicine itself (1-4) as inhibitors of tubulin polymerization, with activity partially restored on esterification ( 5 , 6). After the finding of the high potency of 6,7-dihydro-l,2,3,9-tetramethoxy-5H-dibenzo[u,c]cycloheptene (DBCH) 3 (7~11, the systematic synthesis of its deinethoxy derivatives 4-7 was undertaken in order to investigate the contribution of each aromatic oxygen atom in the binding process. The acetamido group in 1 and 2 is not required for binding to tubulin, as indicated by the high activity of compound 3 (7u). The investigation included a synthesis of the optically active amides 8 a , 0 , with the acetamido group at C ( 5 ) . Determination of their absolute configurations, a primary factor in tubulin binding ability, was made by ' H NMR and CD. Can. J. Chem. Downloaded from www.nrcresearchpress.com by 34.212.246.108 on 05/11/18For personal use only.