Synthesis of β-D-ribo- and 2′-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosyl derivatives of 6-aminopyrazolo[4,3-c]pyridin-4(5H)-one by a ring closure of pyrazole nucleoside precursors

6-Amino-1-(2-deoxy-β-D-erthro-pentofuranosyl)pyrazolo4,3-c]pyridin-4(5H)-one ( 5 ), as well as 2-(β-D-ribofuranosyl)- and 2-(2-deoxy-β-D-ribofuranosyl)- derivatives of 6-aminopyrazolo4,3-c]pyridin-4(5H)-one ( 18 and 22 , respectively) have been synthesized by a base-catalyzed ring closure of pyrazole nucleoside precursors. Glycosylation of the sodium salt of methyl 3(5)-cyanomethylpyrazole-4-carboxylate ( 6 ) with 1-chloro-2-deoxy-3,5-di-O-p-toluoyl-α-D-erythro-pentofuranose ( 8 ) provided the corresponding N-1 and N-2 glycosyl derivatives ( 9 and 10 , respectively). Debenzoylation of 9 and 10 with sodium methoxide gave deprotected nucleosides 14 and 16 , respectively. Further ammonolysis of 14 and 16 afforded 5(or 3)-cyanomethyl-1-(2-deoxy-β-D-erythro-pentofuranosyl)pyrazole-4-carboxamide ( 15 and 17 , respectively). Ring closure of 15 and 17 in the presence of sodium carbonate gave 5 and 22 , respectively. By contrast, glycosylation of the sodium salt of 6 with 2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-D-ribofuranosyl bromide ( 11 ) or the persilylated 6 with 1-O-acetyl-2,3,5-tri-O-benzoyl-β-D-ribofuranose gave mainly the N-2 glycosylated derivative 13 , which on ammonolysis and ring closure furnished 18 . Phosphorylation of 18 gave 6-amino-2-β-D-ribofuranosylpyrazolo4,3-c]pyridin-4(5H)-one 5′-phosphate ( 19 ). The site of glycosylation and the anomeric configuration of these nucleosides have been assigned on the basis of ¹H nmr and uv spectral characteristics and by single-crystal X-ray analysis of 16 .