Aldoses fluoride

The usual method for the synthesis of the w-fluoro aldoses is based on the displacement of a methylsulfonyloxy group by fluorine (supplied by either potassium fluoride or calcium fluoride). The reaction may be accomplished in aqueous methanol, ethylene glycol," or JV,JV-dimethyl-formamide, employing carbohydrate derivatives that have all the hydroxyl groups, except that to be replaced, blocked by groups stable to bases. The following example illustrates the synthetic method. ... 

A number of studies on the metabolism of 3FG and 4FG in Locusta miaratoria have been undertaken. Both 3FG and 4FG are toxic to locust with LD50 s of 4.8 mg/g and 0.6 mg/g respectively. In vitro studies showed that 3FG is metabolized in the fat body, via the NADP-linked aldose reductase, to 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-glucitol (3FGL). This metabolite was detected in the hemolymph of the insect and shown to be both a competitive inhibitor and a substrate for NAD-linked sorbitol dehydrogenase, thereby generating 3-deoxy-3-fluoro-D-fructose (3FF) (541. Subsequently, it was shown by in vivo radio-respirometric analysis of C02 and appropriate chase experiments, that 3FG metabolism irreversibly inhibits glycolysis and not the hexose monophosphate shunt or tricarboxylic acid cycle (55). In addition, the release of fluoride ion and H20 from D-[3- H]-3FG was also observed. Based on the mechanism of aldolase (55) and triosephosphate isomerase... 

---