N9-Substituted N6-[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)amino]purine derivatives and their biological activity in selected cytokinin bioassays

Abstract Rational design is one of the latest ways how to evaluate particular activity of signal molecules, for example cytokinin derivatives. A series of N 6 -[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)amino]purine (iP) derivatives specifically substituted at the N9 atom of purine moiety by tetrahydropyran-2-yl, ethoxyethyl, and C2–C4 alkyl chains terminated by various functional groups were prepared. The reason for this rational design was to reveal the relationship between specific substitution at the N9 atom of purine moiety of iP and cytokinin activity of the prepared compounds. The synthesis was carried out either via 6-chloro-9-substituted intermediates prepared originally from 6-chloropurine, or by a direct alkylation of N9 atom of N 6 -[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)amino]purine. Selective reduction was implemented in the preparation of compound N 6 -[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)amino]-9-(2-aminoethyl-amino)purine ( 12 ) when 6-[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)amino]-9-(2-azidoethyl)purine ( 7 ) was reduced by zinc powder in mild conditions. The prepared derivatives were characterized by C, H, N elemental analyses, thin layer chromatography (TLC), high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), melting point determinations (mp), CI+ mass spectral measurement (CI+ MS), and by 1 H NMR spectroscopy. Biological activity of prepared compounds was assessed in three in vitro cytokinin bioassays (tobacco callus, wheat leaf senescence, and Amaranthus bioassay). Moreover, the perception of prepared derivatives by cytokinin-sensitive receptor CRE1/AHK4 from Arabidopsis thaliana , as well as by the receptors ZmHK1 and ZmHK3a from Zea mays , was studied in a bacterial assay where the response to the cytokinin treatment could be specifically quantified with the aim to reveal the way of the perception of the above mentioned derivatives in two different plant species, that is, Arabidopsis , a model dicot, and maize, a model monocot. The majority of cytokinin derivatives were significantly active in both Amaranthus as well as in tobacco callus bioassay and almost inactive in detached wheat leaf senescence assay. N9-Substituted iP derivatives remained active in both in vitro bioassays in a broad range of concentrations despite the fact that most of the derivatives were unable to trigger the cytokinin response in CRE1/AHK4 and ZmHK1 receptors. However, several derivatives induced low but detectable cytokinin-like activation in maize Z mHK3a receptor. Compound 6-[(3-methylbut-2-en-1-yl)amino]-9-(tetrahydropyran-2-yl)purine ( 1 ) was also recognized by CRE1/AHK4 at high concentration ⩾50 μM.