An improved synthesis of alkyl AMP esters

Enzymes belonging to the Acyl-CoA/NRPS/Luciferase (ANL) superfamily of enzymes, are significant targets in drug development. One member of this superfamily is Acetyl-CoA Synthetase (ACS). This enzyme is an emerging target for the treatment of various infectious diseases and cancer. Alkyl AMP esters have emerged as potent inhibitors of ACS. Previous methods for synthesizing these esters often involved water-based reactions or necessitate purification through reverse phase prep-HPLC or ion-exchange chromatography. To address these challenges, we developed a new approach utilizing 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide hydrochloride (EDC·HCl) to couple 5′-adenylic acid to the corresponding alcohol, utilizing triethylamine as the base. This method yielded primary, secondary, unsaturated, and cyclic alcohols in excellent yields. Importantly, we optimized the reaction conditions to achieve excellent yield and purity without the need for reverse phase prep-HPLC or ion exchange chromatography. Instead, purification was achieved through silica gel chromatography using Biotage ® Sfar spherical silica gel.