Queuine analogues. Their synthesis and inhibition of growth of mouse L5178Y cells in vitro.

A variety of analogues of queuine (7-[(3S,4R,5S)-4,5-dihydroxycyclopent-1-en-3-ylaminomethyl]- 7 -deazaguanine), i.e., those with 7-N-substituted aminomethyl side chains and those in which the oxygen function at the 6 position of the 7-deazaguanine ring was replaced by sulfur, were synthesized and tested for ability to act as substrates for tRNA-guanine transglycosylase and for inhibitory effects on growth of mouse L5178Y leukemic cells in vitro. Of the compounds tested, analogues with sulfur at the 6 position of the 7-deazaguanine ring in place of oxygen or with an N-o-hydroxyphenyl, N-m-hydroxyphenyl, or iodoacetyl group in the 7-aminomethyl side chain in place of the naturally occurring cyclopentene diol moiety markedly inhibited the growth of cells at concentrations of 1-10 micrograms/mL, although queuine itself had practically no effect at a concentration of 100 micrograms/mL.