Improved chemical syntheses of 1- and 5-deazariboflavin

The cofactor flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) is required for the catalytic activity of a large class of enzymes known as flavoenzymes. Because flavin cofactors participate in catalysis via a number of different mechanisms, isoalloxazine analogues are valuable for mechanistic studies. We report improved chemical syntheses for the preparation of the two key analogues, 5-deazariboflavin and 1-deazariboflavin.