A series of UTP, UDP, and UMP derivatives and analogues were s
ynthesized and evaluated at the humanp
yrimidinergic P2Y receptor subt
ypes P2Y
2, P2Y
4, and P2Y
6 stabl
y expressed in 1321N1 astroc
ytoma cells.Substituents at N3 of UTP were poorl
y tolerated b
y P2Y
2 and P2Y
4 receptors. In contrast, a large phenac
ylsubstituent at N3 of UDP was well tolerated b
y the P2Y
6 receptor,
yielding a potent and selective P2Y
6receptor agonist (3-phenac
yl-UDP, EC
50 = 70 nM, >500-fold selective). The most potent and selectiveP2Y
2 receptor agonist of the present series was 2-thio-UTP (EC
50 = 50 nM,
![](/images/entities/ge.gif)
30-fold selective vs P2Y
4and P2Y
6). All modifications at the uracil base of UTP led to a decrease in potenc
y at the P2Y
4 receptor.A
![](/images/gifchars/beta2.gif)
,
![](/images/gifchars/gamma.gif)
-dichlorometh
ylene modification in the triphosphate chain of 5-bromo-UTP was tolerated b
y all threereceptor subt
ypes, thus opening up a new strateg
y to obtain ectonucleotide diphosphoh
ydrolase- andphosphatase-resistant P2Y
2, P2Y
4, and P2Y
6 receptor agonists.