Purinylhydantoins. Facile conversion of the naturally occuring N-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)-L-amino acids into 3-purin-6-ylhydantoins and 3-cyclohexyl-1-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)hydantoins

The naturally occurring N-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)-L-threonine (PCT, 1b), N-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)glycine (PCG, 1a), and some of their analogs were converted into novel purine derivatives, the purinylhydantoins. The PCT and PCG underwent intramolecular cyclization in the presence of N,N-dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (CDD) to give the 3-purin-6-ylhydantoins (2a-c). The same hydantoins were also obtained when the PCT and PCG were allowed to react through the mixed anhydride formed from cyclohexyl isocyanate or ethyl chloroformate. 1,3-Dicyclohexyl-1-(N-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)aminoacyl)ureas 3a and 3c, by-products obtained from the DCC reaction, were rapidly converted in aqueous NaOH to another type of purinylhydantoins, the 3-cyclohexyl-1-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)hydantoins 4a and 4b. Compound 4a when heated in base underwent hydrolysis of the hydantoin ring giving biuret N-(cyclohexylcarbamoyl)-N-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)glycine (5a) and N-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)glycine cyclohexylamide (6a). The characterization of these hydantoins was carried out by uv, nmr, and mass spectrometry. The 3-purin-6-ylhydantoins and 3-cyclohexyl-1-(purin-6-ylcarbamoyl)hydantoins showed growth inhibitory activity in the cultured leukemic cells, while the parent amino acid compounds were inactive.