Benzo[f]quinazoline Inhibitors of Thymidylate Synthase: Methyleneamino-Linked Aroylglutamate Derivatives

Syntheses of several new inhibitors of thymidylate synthase (TS) structurally related to folic acid are described in which the pterin portion of the folate molecule is replaced by a benzo[f]quinazoline moiety, but which retain the natural methyleneamino link to the benzoylglutamate side chain. The effect on enzyme activity and cytotoxicity of various changes in the structure of the (p-aminobenzoyl)glutamate side chain are reported. Replacement of the benzamide portion of the (p-aminobenzoyl)glutamate moiety with 2-fluorobenzamido, 2-isoindolinyl, 1,2-benzisothiazol-2-yl, and 2-thenamido moieties varied in effect from a 9-fold diminution of TS activity to a 5-fold enhancement, while cytotoxic potency on SW-480 and MCF-7 tumor lines showed increases ranging from 3.6- to 450-fold. The detrimental effect on enzyme activity and cytotoxicity of alkyl substitution on the PABA nitrogen is confirmed for these compounds, in contrast with several series of previously reported quinazoline antifolates (2). Substitution of a C3-methyl substituent for 3-amino had little effect on TS activity but was beneficial in terms of solubility and cytotoxicity. The excellent combination of TS inhibitory activity, FPGS substrate activity, and affinity for the reduced folate transport system in the most potent of these derivatives, 3e, resulted in IC50 values of 0.2-0.8 nM against these tumor lines.