Folate analogues. 25. Synthesis and biological evaluation of N10-propargylfolic acid and its reduced derivatives.

N10-Propargylfolic acid (2), which is the closest pteridine analogue of the thymidylate synthase inhibitor N10-propargyl-5,8-dideazafolic acid (PDDF), was synthesized starting from diethyl [p-(N-propargylamino)benzoyl]-L-glutamate (5) and N-(3-bromo-2-oxopropyl)phthalimide (8). The 7,8-dihydro derivative of propargylfolic acid served as a synthetic substrate of Lactobacillus casei dihydrofolate reductase. Propargylfolic acid and its reduced derivatives were weak inhibitors of L.