The carcinogenic γ-carbolines 3-amino-1, 4-dimethyl-5H-pyrido [4, 3-b] indole (1) and 3- amino-1-methyl-5H-pyrido [4, 3-b] indole (2) were synthesized efficiently by the following procedures. The key method involved the acid-catalyzed cyclization of 2-acetamido-3-(2- indolyl) alkanoic acids to 1, 2-dihydro-γ-carbolines. This was followed by dehydrogenation to the γ-carbolinecarboxylates and conversion of the ester group to the carboxyl and ...