Efficient Synthesis ofS-Adenosyl-L-Homocysteine Natural Product Analogues and Their Use to Elucidate the Structural Determinant for Cofactor Binding of the DNA Methyltransferase M·HhaI

Abstract

5′-Acetylthio-5′-deoxy-2′,3′-O-isopropylideneadenosine (8) was directly prepared from commercially available 2′,3′-O-isopropylideneadenosine (7) and thioacetic acid under Mitsunobu conditions in almost quantitative yield. In situ cleavage of the acetylthio function of 8 followed by coupling with different alkyl bromides proceeded with high yields. Deprotection of the obtained 5′-thionucleosides yielded the S-adenosyl-L-homocysteine analogues decarboxylated AdoHcy (11), deaminated AdoHcy (14) and 5′-[3-(cyano)propylthio]-5′-deoxyadenosine (16) in good overall yields. Direct deprotection of the thionucleoside 8 delivered 5′-thio-5′-deoxyadenosine (18) in excellent yield. In addition, binding constants of these AdoHcy analogues and the DNA methyltransferase M·HhaI were determined in a fluorescence assay.