Production of pyrrolopyrimidines

Claim 1

A process for producing a compound represented by the formula: ##STR15## The ring A represents a pyrrole ring which may be hydrogenated; X represents an amino, hydroxyl or mercapto group; R 1 represents hydrogen or a C 1-6 alkyl group which may be substituted; R 2 and R 3 each, being the same or different, represents hydrogen or a C 1-6 alkyl, C 2-6 alkenyl or C 2-6 alkynyl group which may be substituted; R 4 represents OR 5 wherein R 5 represents hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of C 1-5 alkyl, benzyl and phenyl which may be substituted or NHCH(COOR 6 )CH 2 CH 2 COOR 7 wherein R 6 and R 7 each represents hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of C 1-5 alkyl, benzyl and phenyl which may be substituted; and n represents an integer of i to 4, or a nontoxic salt thereof, said process comprising contacting a compound of the formula: ##STR16## wherein X, R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 and n are the same as defined above; Y 1 and Y 2 each represents oxygen or sulfur atom; R 8 and R 9 each, being the same or different, represents a hydrocarbon group selected from the group consisting of C 1-5 alkyl, benzyl and phenyl which may be substituted, or a salt thereof, with an acid in a water-containing organic solvent to undergo a ring-closure reaction, wherein during said ring-closure reaction the group ##STR17## is converted to a carbonyl, hemiacetal or hemiketal group, said carbonyl, hemiacetal or hemiketal group condensing with the amino group on the pyrimidine ring to form the pyrrolo(2,3-d)pyrimidine ring, and optionally, reducing the pyrrole ring of ring A into a pyrroline ring, or converting OR 5 of R 4 , where R 5 is the same as defined above, into, NHCH(COOR 6 )CH 2 CH 2 COOR 7 where R 6 and R 7 are the same as defined above, wherein in the above formulae, the substituted alkyl, substituted alkenyl and substituted alkynyl groups of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 and R 9 are substituted with one to three substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, nitro, cyano, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkanoyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkanoyloxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonyl of 2 to 4 carbon atoms, trifluoromethyl, alkylthio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylsulfinyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms and alkylsulfonyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms; and wherein the substituted phenyl and substituted benzyl groups of R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 and R 9 are substituted with one to three substituents selected from the group consisting of halogen, nitro, cyano, alkoxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkanoyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkanoyloxy of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkoxycarbonyl of 2 to 4 carbon atoms, trifluoromethyl, alkythio of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylsulfinyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkylsulfonyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkyl of 1 to 4 carbon atoms, alkenyl of 2 to 3 carbon atoms and alkynyl of 2 to 3 carbon atoms.