Synthesis of diols containing 5-benzyluracil base and their polymers

Preparation of analogs of acyclic nucleoside, two diols containing 5-benzyluracil base derived from 2-(5-benzyluracil-1-yl)propanoic acid (BUPA), and the corresponding model polymers of polynucleotide with linear polyester backbone and 2-(5-benzyluracil-1-yl)propionamido-type pendant as a side chain are described. N-(1′,3′-Dihydroxy-2′-methyl-2′-propyl)-2-(5-benzyluracil-1-yl)propionamide (HEBUPA) and its isomer N(β,β′-dihydroxyethyl)-2-(5-benzyluracil-1-yl)propionamide (HEBUPA) were prepared through the selective N-acylation of primary aminodiol, 2-methyl-2-amino-1,3-propanediol and secondary aminodiol, diethanolamine with BUPA, respectively, by the active ester-N-hydroxy-5-norbornene-2,3-dicarboximide (HONB) method. The resulting diols were polycondensed with active diamide of benzotriazole (HBT) such as 1,1′-(terephthaloyl)bisbenzotriazole (PBBT), 1,1′-(isophthaloyl)bisbenzotriazole (IPBBT), 1,1′-(sebacocyl)bisbenzotriazole (SeBBT), giving semirigid and flexible polyesters containing 5-benzyluracil derivative as the side group, by the selective O-acylation of active diamide-benzotriazole technique. Diols HMBUPA and HEBUPA were found to be very potent inhibitors of uridine phosphorylase isolated from Sarcoma 180 cells, with K_i values of 0.13 and 0.11 μM, respectively.