University of California

Instytut Immunologii I Terapii Doswiadczalnej Pan

Instytut Przemyslu Farmaceutycznego

Centrum Baden Molekularnych I Makromolekularnych -pan

Grzegorz Grynkiewicz

Roger Y Tsien

Andrzej Kutner

Wieslaw Szelejewski

Wojciech J Stec

Akwasi Minta

Czeslaw Radzikowski

Konrad Misiura

Ryszard Kinas

Jacek Grodner

Halina Kusnierczyk

Slawomira Pilichowska

Process for production of derivatives of 1,3,2-oxazaphosphorinane of general formula 1, ##STR1## wherein R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 represent hydrogen atom or 2-halogenoalkyl group, and R.sub.1 and R.sub.2 are not at the same time hydrogen atoms, and X represents halogen atom is based, according to the invention, on the reduction of the respective 3-halogenoacyl derivatives of 1,3,2-oxazaphosphorinane of general formula 2, ##STR2## wherein the substituents have the above given meaning. The reduction is accomplished with the use of sodium borohydride in the presence of boron trifluoride etherate. Derivatives that are prepared by the procedure described here demonstrate antitumor activity.

Process for the production of 1,3,2-oxazaphosphorinanes

The present invention discloses a group of calcium chelating compounds which have a descreased affinity for calcium following illumination. These new compounds contain a photolabile nitrobenzyl derivative coupled to a tetracarboxylate Ca.sup.2+ chelating parent compound having the octacoordinate chelating groups characteristic of EGTA or BAPTA. In a first form, the new compounds are comprised of a BAPTA-like chelator coupled to a single 2-nitrobenzyl derivative, which in turn is a photochemical precursor of a 2-nitrosobenzophenone. In a second form, the new compounds are comprised of a BAPTA-like chelator coupled to two 2-nitrobenzyl derivatives, themselves photochemical prcursors of the related 2-nitrosobenzophenones. The present invention also discloses a novel method for preparing 1-hydroxy- or 1-alkoxy-1-(2-nitroaryl)-1-aryl methanes. Methanes of this type are critical to the preparation of, or actually constitute, the photolabile Ca.sup.2+ chelating compounds disclosed and claimed herein.

Chelators whose affinity for calcium is decreased by illumination

The present invention discloses a new class of highly fluorescent indicator dyes that are specific for calcium ions. The new fluorescent indicator dyes combine a stilbene-type fluorophore with a tetracarboxylate parent Ca.sup.2+ chelating compound having the octacoordinate pattern of liganding groups characteristic of EGTA and BAPTA. Preferred forms contain extra heterocyclic bridges to reinforce the ethylenic bond of the stilbene and to reduce hydrophobicity. Compared to their widely used predecessor, 'quin2', the new dyes offer up to thirty-fold brighter fluorescence, major changes in wavelength (not just intensity) upon Ca.sup.2+ binding, slightly lower affinities for Ca.sup.2+, slightly longer wavelengths of excitation, and considerably improved selectivity for Ca.sup.2+ over other divalent cations. These properties, particularly the wavelength sensitivity to Ca.sup.2+, make the dyes useful indicators for many intracellular applications, especially in single cells, adherent cell layers, or bulk tissues. The present invention also discloses an improved method for synthesizing alpha-acyloxyalkyl bromides wherein the bromides so synthesized are free of contaminating bis(1-bromoalkyl)ether. The improved method is exemplified herein in the synthesis of acetoxymethyl bromide, a compound useful in preparing the acetoxymethyl esters disclosed herein as novel Ca.sup.2+ specific fluorescent indicators.

Fluorescent indicator dyes for calcium ions

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Warsaw, Poland

Grzegorz Grynkiewicz