Purines inhibition

Oxidation of DNA, pyrimidines, and purines Inhibition of polysaccharide synthesis Oxidation of indoleacetic acid Inhibition of cellulose synthetase, phospho-glucomutase, UDPG pyrophosphorylase... 

The mdstence of a feedback control mechanism for purine biosynthesis was suggested by the observation that unlabeled purines inhibited purine theris de novo from labeled precursors in several systems (SB, 1B4,445-447). Initially, it was postulated that the feedback inhibition by preformed purines may have involved a shuntii of PRPP from the de novo route of purine biosyntheris and utilization of PRPP for nucleotide formation from the purine base and PRPP. PRPP was an obligatory intermediate in the synthesis of purines de novo. Since the nucleotide was still formed albeit by a different route, this would not be considered a feedback mechanism. It is probable, however, that the accumulation of the newly-formed nucleotide from PRPP and base inhibited the de novo route. 

Goodwin and Jones (75) uang E. aahbyii found that the addition of unlabeled adenine markedly depressed the incorporation of label from serine-C into riboflavin, but had no effect on the amount of serine-C metabolized to carbon dioxide. This might indicate that a purine is an obligatory intermediate. However, the results could be explained equally well by the second scheme, if the rate of convermon of purines to rings B and C is more rapid than the rate of synthesis from the simple precursors, or if the added purine inhibits one of the steps of the de novo formation of riboflavin. 

Subsequent knowledge of the stmcture, function, and biosynthesis of the foHc acid coenzyme gradually allowed a picture to be formed regarding the step in this pathway that is inhibited by sulfonamides. The biosynthetic scheme for foHc acid is shown in Figure 1. Sulfonamides compete in the step where condensation of PABA with pteridine pyrophosphate takes place to form dihydropteroate (32). The amino acids, purines, and pyrimidines that are able to replace or spare PABA are those with a formation that requkes one-carbon transfer catalyzed by foHc acid coenzymes (5). 

Nebularine. Nebularine(44) is a naturaHy occurring purine riboside isolated from S.jokosukanensis (1,3,4). It is phosphorylated, and inhibits purine biosynthesis and RNA synthesis, but is not incorporated into RNA by E. coli RNA polymerase. It has also found appHcation as a transition state analogue for treatment of schistosomiasis and as a substrate for the restriction endonuclease, Hindll (138—141). 

Purine Nucleoside Derivatives. A number of purine nucleoside analogues are also found to be active against several DNA vimses (Fig. 3). The clinically active antiviral drug ara-A (9-P-D-arabinofuranosyladenine [5536-17-4] vidarabine, 23) is active against a number of DNA vimses in vivo and also inhibits certain RNA tumor vimses which repHcate through a DNA intermediate (43). Ara-A, was first synthesized in 1960 (44) and later... 

One example of a naturally occurring diazirine, duazomycin A (137 Scheme 11.20), has been reported, isolated in 1985 from a Streptomyces species during a screen for herbicidal compounds [196], It was fotind to inhibit de novo starch synthesis and it was suggested that this is due to direct inhibition of protein synthesis. Duazomycin A is structurally related to 6-diazo-5-oxo-L-norleucine (138), also reported as a natural product from Streptomyces [197], which acts as a glutamine antagonist and inhibits purine biosynthesis [198],... 

Methotrexate (MTX, chemical structure shown in Fig. 1.) competitively inhibits the dehyrofolate reductase, an enzyme that plays an essential role in purine synthesis. The dehydrofolate reductase regenerates reduced folates when thymidine monophosphate is formed from deoxyuridine monophosphate. Without reduced folates cells are unable to synthesize thymine. Administration of N-5 tetrahydrofolate or N-5 formyl-tetrahydrofolate (folinic acid) can bypass this block and rescue cells from methotrexate activity by serving as antidote. 

Pentostatin (deoxycoformycin Fig. 4) is a purine isolated from cultures of Streptomyces antibioticus. Its mode of action involves inhibition of adenosine deaminase, which plays a key role in purine salvage pathways and DNA synthesis. As a consequence, deoxyadenosine triphosphate (dATP) is accumulated, which is highly toxic to lymphocytes. This is associated with augmented susceptibility to apoptosis, particularly in T cells. 

Methotrexate belongs to the class of antimetabolites. As a derivative of folic acid it inhibits the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase resulting in a decreased production of thymidine and purine bases essential for RNA and DNA synthesis. This interruption of the cellular metabolism and mitosis leads to cell death. 

Xanthine oxidase (XOD) is the key enzyme in purine catabolism. XOD catalyses the conversion ofhypoxan-thine to xanthine and of xanthine to uric acid, respectively. The uricostatic drug allopurinol and its major metabolite alloxanthine (oxypurinol) inhibit xanthine oxidase. 

Synthetic analogs of purine and pyrimidine bases and their derivatives serve as anticancer dmgs either by inhibiting an enzyme of nucleotide biosynthesis or by being incorporated into DNA or RNA. 

The carbons added in reactions 4 and 5 of Figure 34-2 are contributed by derivatives of tetrahydrofolate. Purine deficiency states, which are rare in humans, generally reflect a deficiency of folic acid. Compounds that inhibit formation of tetrahydrofolates and therefore block purine synthesis have been used in cancer chemotherapy. Inhibitory compounds and the reactions they inhibit include azaserine (reaction 5, Figure 34—2), diazanorleucine (reaction 2), 6-mercaptopurine (reactions 13 and 14), and mycophenofic acid (reaction 14). 

Since biosynthesis of IMP consumes glycine, glutamine, tetrahydrofolate derivatives, aspartate, and ATP, it is advantageous to regulate purine biosynthesis. The major determinant of the rate of de novo purine nucleotide biosynthesis is the concentration of PRPP, whose pool size depends on its rates of synthesis, utilization, and degradation. The rate of PRPP synthesis depends on the availabihty of ribose 5-phosphate and on the activity of PRPP synthase, an enzyme sensitive to feedback inhibition by AMP, ADP, GMP, and GDP. 

Purine and pyrimidine biosynthesis parallel one another mole for mole, suggesting coordinated control of their biosynthesis. Several sites of cross-regulation characterize purine and pyrimidine nucleotide biosynthesis. The PRPP synthase reaction (reaction 1, Figure 34-2), which forms a precursor essential for both processes, is feedback-inhibited by both purine and pyrimidine nucleotides. 

Adenosine deaminase deficiency is associated with an immunodeficiency disease in which both thymus-derived lymphocytes (T cells) and bone marrow-derived lymphocytes (B cells) are sparse and dysfunctional. Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency is associated with a severe deficiency of T cells but apparently normal B cell function. Immune dysfunctions appear to result from accumulation of dGTP and dATP, which inhibit ribonucleotide reductase and thereby deplete cells of DNA precursors. 

Several reactions of IMP biosynthesis require folate derivatives and glutamine. Consequently, antifolate drugs and glutamine analogs inhibit purine biosynthesis. 

Hepatic purine nucleotide biosynthesis is stringently regulated by the pool size of PRPP and by feedback inhibition of PRPP-glutamyl amidotransferase by AMP and GMP. 

---