Mitomycin antibiotics. Synthesis and activity of 1,2-disubstituted mitosenes

cis-1-Acetamido-2-acetoxy-7-methoxy-N-methylmitosene was prepared in 11 steps from 7-methoxy-6-methyl-2,3-dihydro-1H-pyrrolo[1,2-a]indol-1-one by a route involving bromination of the pyrrolidineenamine or trimethylsilyl enol ether of starting material, displacement of bromide by acetate, oxime formation, and reductive acetylation, followed by elaboration of the quinone and methyl carbamate functions according to previously established methods. An unsubstituted carbamate could not be prepared. The mitosene thus synthesized differs from previously reported 1,2-disubstituted mitosenes, which are derived from the solvolysis of mitomycins, in that it has the opposite arrangement of oxygen and nitrogen substituents at the 1 and 2 positions. It showed antibacterial activities in disk-plate assays superior to those of cis-diacetylapomitomycin A and equivalent to those of certain 1-substituted mitosenes; however, it was less active than mitomycin A in these assays. It was inactive in inducing lambda-bacteriophage in Escherichia coli and inactive against P388 leukemia in mice. In contrast, certain 1-substituted mitosenes were active in prophage induction and 2b and mitomycin A were active in both assays.