SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATIONS OF PHOSPHONOACETIC DERIVATIVES

In this paper, the synthesis of new phosphonoacetic acid derivatives a nd their applications in fields of biotechnological interest are discu ssed. Phosphonoacetic acids are competitive inhibitors of alkaline pho sphatase, an enzyme widely used in diagnostics, as colorimetric detect ion tool. The phosphonoacetic acid's inhibition activity has been expl oited by us for the obtainment of an innovative technique for non-radi oactive DNA probes detection, the last being based on DNA labeling wit h the enzyme inhibitor, followed by detection by means of the chromoge nic enzyme and substrate. Moreover, we have found a further applicatio n of phosphonoacetic acids, by the preparation of an affinity chromato graphy support that has been revealed to be very effective in the puri fication of alkaline phosphatase. Finally, phosphonoacetic acid deriva tives have been tested also for their antiviral activity. Some of them , examined in preliminary in vitro experiments, have been found very a ctive against Herpes simplex virus.