Pyrrolopyrimidine nucleosides. IV. The synthesis of certain 4,5-disubstituted-7-(β-d-ribofuranosyl)pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidines related to the pyrrolo[2,3-d]pyrimidine nucleoside antibiotics

The treatment of 4-chloro-7-(2′,3′,5′-tri-O-acetyl-β-D-ribofuranosyl)pyrrolo2,3-d]pyrimidine ( 4 ) with N-bromoacetamide in methylene chloride has furnished the 5-bromo derivative of 4 which on subsequent deacetylation provided a good yield of 5-bromo-4-chloro-7-(β-D-ribo-furanosyl)pyrrolo2,3-d] pyrimidine ( 6 ). Assignment of the halogen substituent to position 5 was made on the basis of pmr studies. Treatment of 6 with methanolic ammonia afforded 4-amino-5-bromo-7-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)pyrrolo2,3-d ]pyrimidine ( 8 , 5-bromotubercidin) and a subsequent study has revealed that the 4-chloro group of 6 was replaced preferentially in a series of nucleophilic displacement reactions. The analogous synthesis of 4,5-dichloro-7-(β-D-ribo-furanosyl)pyrrolo2,3-d]pyrimidine ( 13b ) and 4-chloro-5-iodo-7-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)pyrrolo2,3-d]pyrimidine ( 13a ) from 4 furnished 5-chlorotubercidin ( 15 ) and 5-iodotubercidin ( 14 ), respectively, on treatment of 13b and 13a with methanolic ammonia. The possible biochemical significance of these tubercidin derivatives is discussed.