Potential photoaffinity labels for tubulin. Synthesis and evaluation of diazocyclohexadienone and azide analogs of colchicine, combretastatin, and 3,4,5-trimethoxybiphenyl

Article abstract of DOI:10.1021/jo00094a048

Analogs of tubulin assembly inhibitors such as colchicine, combretastatin, and 3,4,5-trimethoxybiphenyl which incorporate a 6-diazo-2,4-cyclohexadienone (o-quinone diazide) ring have been synthesized and characterized. The compounds synthesized include 6-diazo-4-(2',3',4'-trimethoxyphenyl)cyclohexa-2,4-dien-1-one and its 3-methyl and 3-ethyl analogs (1a-c), 6-diazo-3-(2,3,4-trimethoxyphenyl)-2,4-cyclohexadien-1-one and its 4-methyl and 4-ethyl derivatives (2a-c), 4-[Z-2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)ethenyl]-6-diazocyclohexa-2,4-dienon e (3), 3-[Z-2-(3',4',5'-trimethoxyphenyl)ethenyl]-6-diazocyclohexa-2,4-dien-1 -one (4), the corresponding dihydro derivatives (5, 6) and two isomeric diazocyclohexadienones derived from N-acetylcolchinol (7, 8). Compounds in which the cyclohexadienone oxygen is approximately isostructural with carbonyl or hydroxy functions of the parent compounds exhibit good activity in the tubulin assembly inhibition assay. 2'-Alkyl-4'azido-3,4,5-trimethoxy-1,1'-biphenyls also show good activity as tubulin assembly inhibitors.