| Abstract: | The two anomeric 1-(2′-deoxy-D -ribofuranosyl)-2(1H)-pyridones 6 and 7 were synthesized from 2-pyridone and 3,5-di-(O-p-toluoyl)-2-deoxy-D -ribofuranosyl chloride ( 2 ) via the di-O-p-toluoyl derivatives 3 and 4 using the mercuric halide procedure. Phosphorylation of the nucleosides 6 and 7 by bis-(2,2,2-trichloroethyl)-chlorophosphate gave the phosphate esters 8 and 9 together with some 2-(bis-2,2,2-trichloroethyl]-phosphoryloxy)-pyridine 10 , which proved to be very labile. Structure and configuration of compounds 6 to 9 were established by spectral methods, the configurations being derived from the chemical shifts of the sugar protons and the splitting patterns of the anomeric protons (‘triplet-quartet rule’). The specific rotations of 3 , 4 , 6 , 7 , 8 and 9 show that the three pairs of anomers represent exceptions to Hudson's rule of isorotation. Reductive removal of the trichloroethyl groups in 8 and 9 with zinc proceeds stepwise, yielding the phosphoro-diesters 13 and 14 and the two desired anomeric 5′-nucleotides 15 and 16 . These latter were purified and characterised as the ammonium salts. Enzymatic cleavage by the 5′-nucleotidase of Crotalus adamanteus venom took place only in the ‘natural’ β-series. The ‘unnatural’ α-anomers were resistent to the enzyme. The structure of 10 was established by spectral methods and confirmed by synthesis. |
