Tetrahydropterins

The action of sulfur nucleophiles like sodium bisulfite and thiophenols causes even pteridines that are unreactive towards water or alcohols to undergo covalent addition reactions. Thus, pteridin-7-one smoothly adds the named S-nucleophiles in a 1 1 ratio to C-6 (65JCS6930). Similarly, pteridin-4-one (73) yields adducts (74) in a 2 1 ratio at C-6 and C-7 exclusively (equation 14), as do 4-aminopteridine and lumazine with sodium bisulfite. Xanthopterin forms a 7,8-adduct and 7,8-dihydropterin can easily be converted to sodium 5,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin-6-sulfonate (66JCS(C)285), which leads to pterin-6-sulfonic acid on oxidation (59HCA1854). 

The synthesis of 6-azidomethyl-S,6,7,8-tetrahydropterin 108 has been carried out from 106 via the intermediate 107 using the Mitsunobu reaction with diphenylphosphoryl azide followed by deprotection <95MI09 %CA(124)232123>. 

Tyrosine is converted to dopa by the cytoplasmic enzyme tyrosine hydroxylase. This is the rate-limiting step 5 x 10 M) in DA synthesis, it requires molecular O2 and Fe + as well as tetrahydropterine (BH-4) cofactor and is substrate-specific. It can be inhibited by a-methyl-p-tyrosine, which depletes the brain of both DA and NA and it is particularly important for the maintenance of DA synthesis. Since the levels of tyrosine are above the for tyrosine hydroxylase the enzyme is normally saturated and so it is not possible to increase DA levels by giving tyrosine. 

For the synthesis of drosopterin, tetrahydrobiopterin, sepiapterin, 7-oxopterin and isoxanthopterin, DHN-TP is first converted to the common intermediate 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin. The biosynthesis of pteridines was studied in zebrafish in relation with the differentiation of neural crest derivatives. The key intermediate in the synthesis of 7-oxobiopterin is the sepiapterin. Pteridins are produced in xanthophores and erythrophores of fish and amphibian species. 

Chen D, PA Frey (1998) Phenylalanine hydroxylase from Chromobacterium violaceum. Uncoupled oxidation of tetrahydropterin and the role of iron in hydroxylation. J Biol Chem 273 25594-25601. 

The methyl gronp is snbseqnently transferred to a tetrahydropterin and coenzyme M. The p-snbnnit contains Ni and an Fe/S center, and an NijKFe-dS] arrangement at the active site has been proposed (Gencic and Grahame 2003). 

Dioxygenases often have broad substrate specificity and require only a minimal characteristic structure for substrate recognition [310], Transition metal or an organic cofactor mediates dioxygen activation needed by the oxygenases action. Iron and copper, in their lower oxidation states are the metals most commonly used, but also organic co-factors like dihydroflavin and tetrahydropterin are able to activate the oxygen molecule. 

Fitzpatrick, P. F. Tetrahydropterin-dependent amino acid hydrolases. Annu. Rev. Biochem. 68 355-381,1999. 

The importance of the dihydro and tetrahydro oxidation states of pterins in biology has stimulated interest in the study of the chemical properties of these compounds, especially with respect to electron-transfer and radical reactions. It has become apparent, perhaps unsurprisingly, that the stability and reactivity of these oxidation states are very sensitive to substituent effects and the much greater stability of the fully conjugated pteridines is most evident. The oxidation of tetrahydropterins and the reduction of dihydropterins have become especially important in the chemistry of nitric oxide production in nature and in oxidative stress but the accumulation of relevant facts has not led so far to a detailed understanding of the chemical property relationships. Relevant information is summarized in the following section. 

A Fig. 6.1.7a- HPLC of pterins using a column-switching system a standard mixture b control urine c urine guanosine triphosphate cyclohydrolase I (GTPCH) deficiency d urine 6-pyru-voyl-tetrahydropterin synthase (PTPS) deficiency e urine pterin-4a-carbinolamine dehydratase (PCD) deficiency f urine dihydropteridine reductase (DHPR) deficiency g urine phenylketonuria 4-8 h after tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) administration h-k see next page... 

Shintaku H, Niederwieser A, leimbacher W, Curtius HC (1988) Tetrahydrobiopterin deficiency assay for 6-pyruvoyl-tetrahydropterin synthase activity in erythrocytes, and detection of patients and heterozygous carriers. Eur J Pediatr 147 15-19... 

Tetrahydropterins are highly reactive towards oxidation (e.g. 542 — 544) even molecular oxygen can cause hydroxylation. The autoxidation is due to the electron donating groups such as amino and hydroxy, whereas removal of such substituents enhances the stability of the reduced pteridine nucleus tremendously (96CHEC-li(7)70l). The reaction appears to proceed via single electron transfer. The radical cation (543) can be observed by cyclic voltammetry. 

Recently it was discovered that cofactor activity with phenylalanine hydroxylase is not limited to tetrahydropterin derivatives. Thus, the substituted pyrimidines 2,4,5-triamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (21) and 5-(benzylamino)-2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine (22) are active in the L-phenylalanine hydroxylating system (78BBR(85)1614, 79JBC(254)5150, 80JBC(255)7774). The amine substituent at C-5 of (21) and (22) is apparently required for... 

---