Synthetic analogues of netropsin and distamycin. III. Synthesis of a pyridine analogue of the pyrrolecarboxamide antitumour antibiotics.

The synthesis of a new pyridine analogue of netropsin, N,N'-bis[6-(N-3-dimethylaminopropyl) carbamoylpyridin-2-yl] pyridine-2,5-dicarboxamide (VII) is described. The potential for use of VII as a carrier to place chemical functionalities into the minor groove of DNA which are capable of modifying DNA is discussed.