Isozyme-specific enzyme inhibitors. 14. 5'(R)-C-[(L-homocystein-S-yl)methyl]adenosine 5'-(beta,gamma-imidotriphosphate), a potent inhibitor of rat methionine adenosyltransferases.

The title compound is a covalent adduct of L-methionine (Met) and beta,gamma-imido-ATP. In its synthesis the N-Boc derivative of 5'(R)-C-(aminomethyl)-N6-benzoyl-5'-O-tosyl-2',3'-O- isopropylidenadenosine was converted by the successive actions of CF3CO2H and HNO2 into the corresponding 5'(R)-C-hydroxymethyl derivative. Treatment of this with disodium L-homocysteinate led to attack of sulfur at C6', apparently via a 5',6'-epoxide, and to total stereoselective inversion at C5' to furnish, after debenzoylation, 5'(R)-C-(L-homocystein-S-ylmethyl)-2',3'-O-isopropylidene ade nosine. The 5' configuration was established by conversion of this into the known 5'(S)-C-methyl-2',3'-O-isopropylidene adenosine with Raney nickel. The alpha-amino acid residue was protected as an N-Boc methyl ester, after which the 5'-hydroxyl was phosphorylated with benzyl phosphate and dicyclohexylcarbodiimide. The phosphoanhydride bond with inorganic imidodiphosphate was then created by established methods. Finally, blocking groups were removed under conditions that gave the desired adduct with no racemization of its L-methionine residue. It was a potent inhibitor [KM(ATP)/Ki = 1080; KM(Met)/Ki = 7.7] of the M-2 (normal tissue) form of rat methionine adenosyltransferase and of the M-T (hepatoma tissue) form [KM(ATP)/Ki = 670; KM(Met)/Ki = 22]. Inhibitions were competitive with respect to ATP or to L-methionine, indicating a dual substrate site mode of binding to the enzyme forms.