Synthesis of the penta-glutamyl derivative of N-[4-[N-[3-(2,4-diamino-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-5-pyrimidinyl)-propyl]amino]benzoyl]-L-glutamic acid (5-DACTHF). An acyclic analogue of tetrahydrofolic acid

The penta-glutamyl derivative of N-4-N-3-(2,4-diamino-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-5-pyrimidinyl)propyl]amino]-benzoyl)-L-glutamic acid (1, 5-DACTHF, 543U76) was synthesized by a convergent route. L-γ-Glutamyl-L-γ-glutamyl-L-γ-glutamyl-L-γ-glutamyl-L-γ-glutamyl-L-glutamic acid heptakis t-butyl ester ( 20 ) was prepared in ten steps from L-glutamic acid di-t-butyl ester and N-(benzyloxycarbonyl)-L-glutamic acid α-t-butyl ester. 4-N-3-(2,4-Diamino-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-5-pyrimidinyl)propyl]trifluoroacetamido]benzoic acid ( 6 ), which was synthesized from pyrimidinylpropionaldehyde 3 in three steps, was condensed with 20 , followed by deprotection to provide N-4-N-3-(2,4-diamino-1,6-dihydro-6-oxo-5-pyrimidinyl)propyl]amino]benzoyl]-L-γ-glutamyl-L-γ-glutamyl-L-γ-glutamyl-L-γ-glutamyl-L-γ-glutamyl-L-glutamic acid ( 2 ). Hexaglutamate 2 is a potent inhibitor of glycinamide ribonucleotide transformylase.