Synthesis, cytotoxic evaluation and target identification of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives with a dithiocarbamate side chain at C2 position.

Two series of thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivatives bearing a dithiocarbamate side chain at the C2 position were synthesized and evaluated for cytotoxic activity in human lung cancer A549 and colon cancer HCT-116 cell lines. Compound 3n exhibited the most cytotoxic effect on A549 cells with an IC50 value of 4.87 μM, inducing a cell cycle arrest at G2/M phase and activating the spindle assembly checkpoint (SAC). To identify the target protein(s) of 3n, we incorporated biotin with 3n through a three-carbon chain and an amide bond to synthesize probe 10. The targeted proteins were pulled down from the A549 total cell lysate by biotin-streptavidin affinity purification and analyzed by mass spectrometry. Tubulin was the only protein identified, which is related to the SAC and directly binds to probe 10 both in vivo and in vitro. Furthermore, compound 3n inhibited tubulin polymerization in vitro in a dose-dependent manner, competed with taxol in binding to tubulin, exerting cytotoxic activity toward taxol-resistant A549 cells. These results demonstrate that thieno[2,3-d]pyrimidine derivative 3n exhibits cytotoxicity in cancer cells by targeting tubulin to activate the SAC and potentially acts as a therapeutic lead compound for taxol-resistant cancers.