Enantiomeric separation of unusual secondary aromatic amino acids

Summary High-performance liquid chromatographic and gas chromatographic methods were developed for the separation of unusual secondary aromatic amino acids. Amino acids containing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline, 1,2,3,4-tetrahydronorharmane-1-carboxylic acid and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydro-3-carboxy-2-carboline moieties were synthetized in racemic or chiral forms. The high-performance liquid chromatography was carried out either on a teicoplanin-containing chiral stationary phase or on an achiral C₁₈ column. In the latter case the diastereomers of the amino acids formed by precolumn derivatization with the chiral reagents 2,3,4,6-tetra-O-acetyl-β-D-glucopyranosyl isothiocyanate or 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-L-alanine amide were separated. The gas chromatographic analyses were based on separation on a Chirasil-L-Val column. Presented at: Balaton Symposium on High-Performance Separation Methods, Siófok, Hungary, September 3–5, 1997     

Reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatographic separation of diastereomers of β-amino alcohols and microwave assisted synthesis of Marfey's reagent,its chiral variants and diastereomers

Ten chiral derivatizing reagents (CDRs) were synthesized by replacing the l-Ala–NH₂ moiety in Marfey's reagent (MR) by seven l-amino acid amides and three l-amino acids employing microwave irradiation (MW) and were characterized. Ten racemic amino alcohols were derivatized with these CDRs under MW. The diastereomers were separated on a reversed-phase C₁₈ column using binary mixtures of acetonitrile with aqueous trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) and triethylammonium phosphate buffer (TEAP). In general, amino acid variants of MR provided better separation of diastereomers in comparison to amino acid amide variants. The method was also found successful for the separation of 20 diastereomers from a mixture.     

Micropeptins from Microcystis sp. collected in Kabul Reservoir,Israel

Three new micropeptins, micropeptin KR1030, KR1002 and KR998 and the known microcyclamide GL546A were isolated from the extract of Microcystis sp. bloom material collected in Kabul Reservoir, Israel. The planar structures of the compounds were determined by homonuclear and inverse-heteronuclear 2D-NMR techniques as well as high-resolution mass spectrometry. The absolute configuration of the asymmetric centres of the amino acids was studied using Marfey's method for HPLC. The inhibitory activity of the compounds was determined for the serine proteases: trypsin, chymotrypsin and elastase.     

Alternative cocrystallization of “almost” enantiomers and true enantiomers in some cis-β-organocobalt salen-type complexes with α-amino acids

The reaction of a chiral cis-β-organocobalt salen-type complex, 1, racemic mixture of Δ and Λ enantiomers, with enantiomerically pure l-histidine and a non-chiral monocationic cobalt complex, 3, resulted quite unexpectedly in the cocrystallization of diastereomers. Each diastereomer is a dicobalt monocationic complex, where four positions around one metal center are occupied by the tetradentate ligand in a cis fashion, the remaining two positions being occupied by l-histidinate. Histidinate further axially coordinates the other Co atom through the nitrogen of the imidazole residue. The two diastereomers are related by a quasi-symmetry center. In this case, the opposite helical chirality of the metal complex 1 prevails over the identical configuration of the asymmetric carbon in the crystallization process and the diastereomers behave as if they were enantiomers.The reaction of the same cobalt complexes 1 and 3 with dl-histidine led to the formation of two pairs of enantiomers, which crystallized separately as racemic compound. Therefore, in this case, the chirality of the asymmetric center is the property that allows the mutual selective recognition of the “true” enantiomers and drives their cocrystallization.     

Synthesis and evaluation of new fluorescent derivatization reagents for resolution of chiral amines by RP-HPLC

New fluorescent chiral derivatization reagents (i.e., DBD-trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline, DBD-cis-4-hydroxy-l-proline, DBD-cis-4-hydroxy-d-proline, and DBD-trans-3-hydroxy-l-proline) were synthesized from the reaction of 4-(N,N-dimethylaminosulfonyl)-7-fluoro-2,1,3-benzoxadiazole with corresponding hydroxy-prolines. These reagents reacted with chiral amine to produce a couple of diastereomers. The labeling efficiently proceeded in the presence of 1-ethyl-3-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)carbodiimide and pyridine as the activation reagents. The reaction conditions are mild and no racemization occurred during both the reagent synthesis and the diastereomer formation (<0.4%). The resulting diastereomers fluoresce at around 560 nm (excitation at around 450 nm). Good linearity of the calibration curves was obtained in the range of 1-75 pmol and the detection limits on chromatogram were less than 1 pmol. The separability of the diastereomers was evaluated in terms of separation factor (α) and resolution value (Rs). DBD-trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline was efficient for the resolution of dl-phenylalanine methylester; while DBD-cis-4-hydroxy-d(or l)-proline was excellent for the separation of 1-(1-naphtyl)ethylamines, as comparing with trans-4-hydroxy isomer. The reagents of cis-isomer seemed to be predominant for the resolution of hydrophobic enantiomers. On the other hand, trans-isomers were suitable for the separation of the racemic amines containing ester in the structure. With respect to the position of OH group, the effect seems to be less, judging from the results of DBD-trans-4-hydroxy-l-proline and DBD-trans-3-hydroxy-l-proline toward phenylalanine methylester. The results suggest that the separation is dependent upon both structures of the amines and the reagent used. Thus, the stereostructure, hydrophobicity and hydrogen bonding of the diastereomer, etc. seem to be affecting the separation.     

Determination of D- and L-amino acids in mouse kidney by high-performance liquid chromatography.

A method for the enantiomeric analysis of amino acids of mammalian tissues is described. An excellent resolution of D- and L-enantiomers of common protein amino acids was achieved by employing a combination of thin-layer chromatography and high-performance liquid chromatography. D-Enantiomers and L-enantiomers of glutamate, aspartate, glutamine, asparagine, serine, threonine, alanine, proline, tyrosine, valine, methionine, isoleucine, leucine, phenylalanine and histidine, as well as glycine were derivatized with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-L-alanine amide. The amino acid diastereomers were separated by two-dimensional thin-layer chromatography. Each amino acid diastereomer was then analysed by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography for the resolution of D- and L-enantiomers. Very sharp peaks were obtained using a conventional octadecylsilyl-bonded column, and the possibility of analysing these amino acids (except tyrosine and histidine) in subnanomole amounts was indicated. The method was used to demonstrate the presence of D-enantiomers of alanine, proline and serine in mouse kidney.     

Structure and absolute configuration of an unsaturated anteiso fatty acid from Bacillus megaterium

Gas chromatography in combination with electron ionization mass spectrometry (GC/EI-MS) was used to determine the fatty acids of a membrane lipid from Bacillus megaterium. Special attention was put on the structure and absolute configuration of a monoenoic fatty acid previously described in this sample. GC/EI-MS operated in the selected ion monitoring mode was used to determine twelve fatty acids in the bacterium. Methyl esters were prepared to verify the presence of a 14-methylhexadecenoic acid (a17:1) isomer. The position of the double bond of the a17:1 isomer and four further monoenoic fatty acids was elucidated by means of their picolinyl esters produced by the transesterification of the phospholipid. For the a17:1 isomer, the double bond was located between C-5 and C-6. Silver ion liquid chromatography was used to verify that the double bond was in cis-configuration. The bacterial 14-methylhexadec-5-enoic acid (a17:1Δ5) is chiral due to the stereogenic C-14 carbon. Initial enantioselective measurements were carried out with isomers of a17:1Δ5 which were available in form of racemic and (S)-enantiopure cis- and trans-isomers of a17:1Δ12 previously synthesized. The cis-a17:1Δ12 enantiomers were partly resolved on a chiral stationary phase coated with 50% heptakis(6-O-tert.-butyldimethylsilyl-2,3-di-O-methyl)-β-cyclodextrin in OV-1701 (β-TBDM). However, resolution of the enantiomers of the trans-isomer of a17:1Δ12 failed. Only one peak was also observed for the a17:1Δ5 isomer from B. megaterium. Thus, it remained unclear whether the compound a17:1Δ5 was racemic or enantiopure in the sample. To clarify this point, we separated the cis-monoenoic fraction from the saturated fatty acids. Then, the monoenoic fraction was hydrogenated in order to transform a17:1Δ5 into 14-methylhexadecanoic acid (a17:0). This chiral fatty acid was known to be sufficiently enantioseparated on the β-TBDM column and was found to be (S)-enantiopure in the sample. Hence, these measurements verified that the B. megaterium sample contained enantiopure (S)-a17:1Δ5.     

Asymmetric synthesis of fluorine-containing amines, amino alcohols, α- and β-amino acids mediated by chiral sulfinyl group

This review article provides a critical overview of several different synthetic approaches developed for asymmetric preparation of fluorine-containing amines, amino alcohols, α- and β-amino acids. The common feature of these methods is the application of sulfinyl group as a chiral auxiliary to control the stereochemical outcome of the reactions under study. In particular, the following general methods are critically discussed: diastereoselective methylene transfer from diazomethane to the carbonyl of β-keto-γ-fluoroalkyl sulfoxides as a general approach for preparation of various α-fluoroalkyl α-sulfinylalkyl oxiranes. The resulting compounds were used as true chiral synthons for their further elaboration via oxidative or reductive desulfurization, to numerous fluorine-containing and biologically relevant amino- and hydroxy-containing derivatives. Another general approaches discussed here are asymmetric additions to CN double bond. One of them is addition of chiral sulfoxide stabilized carbon nucleophiles to fluorine-containing imines, leading to convenient preparation of alpha-fluoroalkyl derivatives of alpha amino acids and amines. Another approach is asymmetric Reformatsky reaction between N-sulfinyl imines and ethyl bromodifluoroacetate allowing operationally convenient preparation of α,α-difluoro-β-amino acids in enantiomerically pure form. Finally, structurally similar but mechanistically different addition reactions of diethyl difluoromethylphosphonate to N-sulfinyl imines, as a general approach to asymmetric synthesis of α,α-difluoro-β-aminophosphonates and phosphonic acids, are discussed. Effect of fluorine on the mechanism and stereochemical outcome of these reactions is discussed in detail and compared, where it is possible, with that of the analogous reactions of fluorine-free substrates.     

Reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of diastereomers of (R,S)-mexiletine prepared by microwave irradiation with four new chiral derivatizing reagents based on trichloro-s-triazine having amino acids as chiral auxiliaries and 10 others having amino acid amides

A new series of chiral derivatizing reagents (CDRs) consisting of four dichloro-s-triazine reagents was synthesized by nucleophilic substitution of one chlorine atom in trichloro-s-triazine with amino acids, namely L-Leu, D-Phg, L-Val and L-Ala as chiral auxiliaries. Two other sets of CDRs consisting of four dichloro-s-triazine (DCT) and six monochloro-s-triazine (MCT) reagents were also prepared by nucleophilic substitution of chlorine atom(s) with different amino acid amides as chiral auxiliaries in trichloro-s-triazine and its 6-methoxy derivative, respectively. These 14 CDRs were used for the synthesis of diastereomers of (R,S)-mexiletine under microwave irradiation (i.e. 60s and 90 s at 85% power (of 800 W) using DCT and MCT reagents, respectively), which were resolved by reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography using C18 column and gradient eluting mixtures of methanol with aqueous trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) with UV detection at 230 nm. The resolution (R(s)), difference between retention times of resolved diastereomers (Δt) and retention factors (k) obtained for the three sets of diastereomers were compared among themselves and among the three groups. Explanations have been offered for longer retention times and better resolution of diastereomers prepared with DCT reagents in comparison of their MCT counterparts and, for the influence of hydrophobicity of the side chain R of the amino acid in the CDRs on retention times and resolution. The newly synthesized CDRs were observed to be superior as compared to their amide counterparts in terms of providing better resolution and cost effectiveness. The method was validated for limit of detection, linearity, accuracy and precision.     

Chirality in microcystins

A new method has been developed to identify the isomers of amino acids by derivatization of the corresponding standards with 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-l-alanine amide (Marfey’s reagent or FDAA) and analysis of the diastereomeric derivatives by a liquid chromatography-thermospray mass spectrometry technique. Quantification of the FDAA derivatives that originate from standards was possible by using l-phenylalanine as the internal standard. The procedure was applied to determine the chiralities of the amino acids present in some previously uncharacterized blue-green algal peptides (microcystins).     

From oxides of internal perfluoroolefins to fluorocontaining camphor thiazolinylhydrazones

The reaction of oxides of internal trans- and cis-perfluoroolefins with (1S, 4S)- or racemic camphor thiosemicarbazone leads to the formation of trans- and cis-isomers of (1S, 4S)- or racemic camphor 5′-fluoro-4′-hydroxy-4′,5′-di(perfluoroalkyl)-1′,3′-thiazolinyl-2′-hydrazones, respectively. Unsymmetrical dodecafluoro-2,3-epoxyhexane yields a mixture of regioisomeric hydrazones. The molecular structure of the trans-isomer of (1S, 4S)-camphor 5′-fluoro-4′-hydroxy-4′,5′-bis(trifluoromethyl)-1′,3′-thiazolinyl-2′-hydrazone has been established by X-ray crystallography. The quite rare example of cocrystallization of two diastereomers of the latter in homochiral crystal (sp. group P2₁) has been revealed.     

RP-LC Resolution of (R,S)-Atenolol via Diastereomerization with Marfey’s Reagent and Its Structural Variants Under Conventional and Microwave Heating

(R,S)-Atenolol was derivatized with Marfey’s reagent, (MR; 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrophenyl-5-l-alanine amide or FDNP-l-Ala-NH₂) and its four structural variants (FDNP-l-Phe-NH₂, FDNP-l-Val-NH₂, FDNP-l-Leu-NH₂ and FDNP-l-Pro-NH₂). MR reacts quantitatively with 1° and 2° amino groups and atenolol has a secondary amino group. The derivatization reactions were carried out under conventional and microwave heating and compared. The resulting diastereomers were separated on RP-TLC and on a C18 column with detection at 340 nm. (R)-Isomer eluted before (S). The conditions of derivatization and chromatographic separation were optimized. The method was validated for linearity, repeatability, limits of detection and limit of quantification.     

Dimethylcysteine (DiCys)/o-Phthalaldehyde Derivatization for Chiral Metabolite Analyses: Cross-Comparison of Six Chiral Thiols

Metabolomics profiling using liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) has become an important tool in biomedical research. However, resolving enantiomers still represents a significant challenge in the metabolomics study of complex samples. Here, we introduced N,N-dimethyl-l-cysteine (dimethylcysteine, DiCys), a chiral thiol, for the o-phthalaldehyde (OPA) derivatization of enantiomeric amine metabolites. We took interest in DiCys because of its potential for multiplex isotope-tagged quantification. Here, we characterized the usefulness of DiCys in reversed-phase LC-MS analyses of chiral metabolites, compared against five commonly used chiral thiols: N-acetyl-l-cysteine (NAC); N-acetyl-d-penicillamine (NAP); isobutyryl-l-cysteine (IBLC); N-(tert-butoxycarbonyl)-l-cysteine methyl ester (NBC); and N-(tert-butylthiocarbamoyl)-l-cysteine ethyl ester (BTCC). DiCys and IBLC showed the best overall performance in terms of chiral separation, fluorescence intensity, and ionization efficiency. For chiral separation of amino acids, DiCys/OPA also outperformed Marfey’s reagents: 1-fluoro-2-4-dinitrophenyl-5-l-valine amide (FDVA) and 1-fluoro-2-4-dinitrophenyl-5-l-alanine amide (FDAA). As proof of principle, we compared DiCys and IBLC for detecting chiral metabolites in aqueous extracts of rice. By LC–MS analyses, both methods detected twenty proteinogenic l-amino acids and seven d-amino acids (Ala, Arg, Lys, Phe, Ser, Tyr, and Val), but DiCys showed better analyte separation. We conclude that DiCys/OPA is an excellent amine-derivatization method for enantiomeric metabolite detection in LC-MS analyses.     

Occurrence of oleic and 18:1 methyl-branched acyl chains in lipids of Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1

The fatty acids (FAs) composition of lipids extracted from Rhodobacter sphaeroides 2.4.1 was investigated by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC–MS) analysis of the corresponding FA methyl esters (FAMEs), obtained through trans-esterification of the original lipid species. A GC stationary phase based on a highly polar ionic liquid (IL) was selected, aimed to enhance the separation of isomeric FAMEs with particular emphasis on positional and geometrical isomers of monounsaturated 16:1 and 18:1 fatty acyl chains. The occurrence of 18:1 cis-Δ⁹ (oleic) acid, a positional isomer of the well-known and most predominant 18:1 cis-Δ¹¹ (cis-vaccenic) acid, has been demonstrated here for the first time. Furthermore a methyl branched 18:1 FA was also identified and its structure tentatively assigned as 11-methyl-Δ¹²-octadecenoic acid (most likely as trans isomer). The unprecedented observation about 18:1 cis-Δ⁹ FA occurrence in R. sphaeroides 2.4.1 is, even indirectly, supported by a biosynthetic pathway postulated with the aid of the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) database. The concurrent presence of 16:1 cis-Δ⁷ and 18:1 cis-Δ⁹ FAs suggested the existence of parallel and/or complementary processes to those invoked for the formation of most common 16:1 cis-Δ⁹ and 18:1 cis-Δ¹¹ FAs. A further route was hypothesized for the trans FAs biosynthesis in wild-type cells of R. sphaeroides.     

Asymmetric synthesis of a diastereomer of the structure proposed for amphidinolide A and the determination of its absolute configuration

An asymmetric synthesis of a diastereomer (2) of the structure (1) proposed for amphidinolide A, a cytotoxic macrolide from the cultured dinoflagellate Amphidinium sp., has been accomplished. The absolute configuration of amphidinolide A was established as 3 from comparison of NMR data, HPLC analysis, and [α]_D values of amphidinolide A, and comparison with the synthetic diastereomers 2 and 3, the latter of which was synthesized previously by Trost's group.     

Towards the chiral metabolomics: Liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry based dl-amino acid analysis after labeling with a new chiral reagent, (S)-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl-1-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl)pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate,and the application to saliva of healthy volunteers

A novel triazine-type chiral derivatization reagent, i.e., (S)-2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl-1-(4,6-dimethoxy-1,3,5-triazin-2-yl) pyrrolidine-2-carboxylate (DMT-(S)-Pro-OSu), was developed for the highly sensitive and selective detection of chiral amines and amino acids by UPLC–MS/MS analysis. The enantiomers of amino acids were easily labeled with the reagents at room temperature within 40 min in an alkaline medium containing triethylamine. The diastereomers derived from proteolytic amino acids, except serine, were well separated under isocratic elution conditions by reversed-phase chromatography using an ODS column (R_s = 1.2–9.0). dl-Serine was separated by use of an ADME column which has relatively higher polar surface than the conventional ODS column. The characteristic product ions, i.e., m/z 195.3 and m/z 209.3, were detected from all the diastereomers by the collision-induced dissociation of the protonated molecule. A highly sensitive detection on the amol–fmol level was obtained from the selected reaction monitoring (SRM) chromatogram. The chiral amines (e.g., adrenaline and noradrenaline) labeled with DMT-(S)-Pro-OSu were also well separated and sensitively detected by the present procedure. The method using DMT-(S)-Pro-OSu was used for the determination of dl-amino acids in the human saliva from healthy volunteers. Various l-amino acids were identified in the saliva. Furthermore, d-alanine (d-Ala) and d-proline (d-Pro) were also detected in relatively high concentrations (>5%). The ratio was higher in male saliva than in female saliva. However, the difference in the ratio of d-Ala for one day was not very high and the effect of foods and beverage seemed to be negligible. Based on the results using l-Ala-d₃, the d-Ala in saliva seemed to be produced due to the racemization with some enzymes such as racemase. The racemization reaction was reversible, i.e., d-Ala-d₃ was also racemized to l-Ala-d₃ in saliva. Thus, care should be taken during the analysis of dl-amino acids in saliva. The present method using DMT-(S)-Pro-OSu may be applicable for the determination of chiral amine metabolomics, because the resulting derivatives produce the same product ions without relation to the compounds and show highly sensitive detection in the SRM mode of MS/MS. Consequently, DMT-(S)-Pro-OSu seems to be a useful chiral derivatization reagent for the determination of amines and amino acids in biological samples.     

Synthesis and asymmetric catalytic activity of (1S,1′S)-4,4′-biquinazoline-based primary amines

A series of (1S,1′S)-4,4′-biquinazoline-based primary amines were prepared from natural amino acids via a six-step reaction sequence of protection and condensation followed by key synthetic steps including chlorination, nickel(0)-mediated homocoupling, and deprotection. These novel amines were screened for the asymmetric ethylation of aryl aldehydes to yield alcohols with an (S)-configuration with enantiomeric excesses (ee) varying from 2% to 95%.     

高效液相色谱法测定非天然氨基酸的光学纯度

 以（1- 氟-2,4-二硝基苯基）-5-L-缬氨 酰胺为手性试剂、反相高效液相色谱法测定非天然氨基酸的光学 纯度。梯度洗脱,流动相A：含体积分数为0.1％的三氟乙酸的乙腈,流动相B：体积分 数为0.1％的三氟乙酸水溶液。L-和D-对映体得到良好分离。准确测定了25种非天然 氨基酸L-和D-对映体的光学纯度。     

Biphasic Enantioselective Fluorescent Recognition of Amino Acids by a Fluorophilic Probe

A fluorophilic fluorescent probe based on a perfluoroalkyl-substituted bis(binaphthyl) compound was designed and synthesized. It displayed a highly enantioselective fluorescence response toward structurally diverse amino acids in a biphasic fluorous/aqueous system with enantiomeric fluorescent enhancement ratio (ef; ΔI_D/ΔI_L) values up to 45.2 (histidine). It can be used to determine the enantiomeric compositions of amino acids and also allows the amino acid enantiomers to be visually discriminated. NMR and mass-spectroscopic investigations provided insights into the observed high enantioselectivity. This biphasic fluorescent recognition was used to determine the enantiomeric composition of the crude phenylalanine products generated by an enzyme-catalyzed asymmetric hydrolysis under various reaction conditions. The fluorous-phase-based fluorescence measurement under the biphasic conditions was able to minimize the interference of other reaction components and thus has potential in asymmetric reaction screening.     

Stereoisomeric complexes of Pt(II) with threonine and allothreonine

The paper describes the synthesis of geometrical isomers and diastereomers of Pt(II) bischelates with diastereomeric hydroxy-amino acids threonine (threo-α-amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid CH₃C*H(OH)C*H(NH₂)COOH=ThrH) and allothreonine (erythro-α-amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid=alloThrH) containing two asymmetric carbon atoms C*: cis-,trans-[Pt(S-Thr)₂], cis-,trans-[Pt(RThr)(S-Thr)], cis-,trans-[Pt(R-alloThr)(S-alloThr)] (where R and S are the absolute configurations of the asymmetric carbon atom bonded to the carboxyl group). ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR spectroscopy is used to investigate the successive phases of the synthesis of the stereoisomeric Pt(II) complexes with threonine. The synthesized complexes are studied by ¹H, ¹³C, ¹⁹⁵Pt NMR spectroscopy, IR spectroscopy, and single crystal XRD.