The synthesis of a series of 5-substituted uracil derivatives is described. 5-Bromoacetyluracil (2a) was converted to the glycolyl (2b), glycyl (2c), N,N-dimethylglycyl (2d), 4-imidazolyl (3), and 2-amino-4-thiazolyl (4) derivatives. 5-Formyluracil (5) was used in the preparation of the 2-imidazolyl (6), the 3-acrylic acid (7b), the ester (7a), and the 3-N,N-dimethylacrylamide (8) derivatives. A Mannich reaction converted 5-acetyluracil to the amino ketone 9 which was reduced to give the 3-dimethylamino-1-propanol derivative 10. Compounds 2b,d,3,4,6, and 7b failed to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli B and Staphylococcus aureus.

A series of substituted 5-aminomethyl-2'-deoxyuridines was synthesized as analogues of 5-thymidylyltetrahydrofolic acid, a proposed intermediate in the thymidylate synthetase catalyzed reaction. 1-(3,5-Di-O-p-toluoyl-2-deoxy-beta-D-ribofuranosyl)-5-chloromethyluracil (3) was treated with the appropriate amine to give the ester protected 5-aminomethyl nucleoside. Removal of the ester groups was accomplished with anhydrous potassium carbonate in methanol to afford the free beta-nucleoside. In this way 5-(2-dimethylaminoethylaminomethyl)-2'-deoxyuridine (5a), 5-dimethylaminomethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (5b), 5-N-mehtylpiperazinylmethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (5c), and 5-pyrrolidinylmethyl-2'-deoxyuridine (5d) were prepared. Compounds 5a,b,d were converted to the respective 5'-phosphates 6a,b,d. All three compounds were subtrate competitive inhibitors of thymidylate synthetase purified from Escherichia coli, calf thymus, and Ehrlich ascites tumor cells. The most active compound was 6a with KI's of 6,3.1, and 14 micronM observed for the respective enzymes.

Aus dem geschützten Chlormethyl‐uracil (I) werden die Substitutionsprodukte (IIa)‐(IId) hergestellt und nach Abspaltung der Toluoyl‐Schutzgruppen über (III) zu (IV) phosphoryliert.

5‐Acetyluracil (I) wird zu (IIa) bromiert, aus dem die Folgeprodukte (IIb)‐(IId) zugänglich sind.