Substituted Vitamin K Epoxide Analogues. New Competitive Inhibitors and Substrates of Vitamin K₁ Epoxide Reductase

2- and 3-substituted vitamin K 2,3-epoxide analogues were synthesized and tested as inactivators, inhibitors, and substrates for beef liver microsomal vitamin K₁ epoxide reductase. 2-(X)-3-phytyl-l,4-naphthoquinone 2,3-epoxides, where X is hydroxymethyl, chloromethyl, fluoromethyl, difluoromethyl, and formyl were all competitive inhibitors, but none was an inactivator. Only the 2-hydroxymethyl analogue was reduced to a quinone that was stable enough under the conditions of the experiment to be detected. Vitamin K₁ epoxide analogues with modified phytyl chains (1'-hydroxy, 3'-fluoro with isomerized double bond, 1'-hydroxy and 1'-fluoro with saturated double bond, and the corresponding unsubstituted chains) were synthesized. All of the analogues were competitive inhibitors of vitamin K1 epoxide reductase. The nonfluorinated analogues also were shown to be substrates, being reduced to the corresponding quinone without enzyme inactivation. At least one other enzyme besides vitamin K₁ epoxide reductase in beef liver microsomes also metabolizes all of these analogues.