Synthesis and tubulin binding of novel C-10 analogues of colchicine

A series of novel C-10 derivatives of colchicine have been prepared and evaluated for inhibition of in vitro microtubule assembly and of [3H]colchicine binding to tubulin. The C-10 substituent of colchicine was replaced by halogens, alkyl and alkoxy groups, and hydrogen. Many of these compounds are available by nucleophilic substitution of 10-fluoro-10-demethoxycolchicine (9) without concomitant formation of ring contraction products. Compound 9 is prepared by reaction of (diethylamino)sulfur trifluoride with colchiceine. Unlike most reactions of colchiceine, the colchicine rather than the isocolchicine regiosiomer is the predominant product of this reaction. It was found that modification of the C-10 substituent of colchicine had a relatively minor effect on the potency of the colchicinoids. The electronic nature of the substituent had no significant effect on the efficacy of the compound, indicating that hydrogen bonding or polar interactions between the C-10 substituent of colchicinoids and an amino acid in the colchicine binding site on tubulin are not present in the colchicine-tubulin complex. A decrease in activity was observed with increasing length of the alkyl chain bonded to the C-10 position, but potency was less affected when the alkyl groups were positioned in close proximity to the C-10 carbon of the tropone ring. It is concluded that the steric rather than the electronic properties of the C-10 substituent are the predominant determinants of activity in this series.