N-Alkyl cysteine-assisted thioesterification of peptides

A new method for the preparation of peptide thioester by the post-solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) approach was developed. A series of N-alkyl cysteine derivatives were prepared and used as the C-terminus residue of the peptides prepared by the Fmoc SPPS. The synthetic peptides released from resin by TFA were readily converted to the peptide thioester in aqueous 3-mercaptopropionic acid (MPA) without significant side reactions.     

Kinetic Comparison of Trifluoroacetic Acid Cleavage Reactions of Resin-Bound Carbamates, Ureas, Secondary Amides, and Sulfonamides from Benzyl-, Benzhydryl-, and Indole-Based Linkers

The kinetics of cleavage reactions of 16 resin-bound carbamates, ureas, secondary amides, and sulfonamides from four different acid labile linkers including benzyl, benzhydryl, and indole linkers has been investigated. The optimized cleavage conditions are generally milder than those commonly used and reported (e.g., 0.5% TFA as opposed to 5%). Among various linkers studied in this work, the indole linker has been found to be the most acid labile followed by the Rink linker. The rate of cleavage of compounds linked to the resin via various functional groups can be summarized as follows: sulfonamide >carbamate approximately urea > amide. This study shows that cleavages of 16 compounds from four different acid labile linkers have been optimized to much milder conditions in terms of TFA concentration and the reaction time. It also demonstrates that single bead FTIR is an effective tool for optimizing cleavage conditions.     

Simple and efficient solid-phase synthesis of unprotected peptide aldehyde for peptide segment ligation

We describe an efficient solid-phase synthesis of C-terminal peptide aldehyde. Making use of the stability of the PAM linker towards both acid and base conditions, a pentapeptide was synthesized starting from a PAM resin according to Fmoc/tBu chemistry. The side-chains were deprotected by TFA. The peptide was cleaved by aminolysis with aminoacetaldehyde-dimethylacetal leading to a C-terminal masked aldehyde. The unprotected peptide aldehyde was then coupled to amino-oxy derivatives by chemoselective ligation in aqueous solution.     

Direct Solid Phase Synthesis of Biologically Active Peptide Alcohols

New procedures have been developed for the synthesis of peptide alcohols, such as octreotide conjugates, fragment of gramicidin, and fragment of Trichorzianines in high yield using dihydropyran-2-carboxylic acid as a bifunctional linker to anchor Fmoc-threoninol(Bu^t), Fmoc-glycinol, and Fmoc-phenylalaninol onto amine-resins. The linker is stable during peptide elongation as evidenced by a high yield at each coupling step. The octreotide disulfide bonds were formed on-resin by incubating the elongated octreotide/resin with Tl(TFA)₃/DMF at 0 °C for 1 hour. Tl(TFA)₃/DMF is sufficiently mild that the protecting group and the linker remain intact and allow further the direct coupling of conjugates to octreotide using an autosynthesizer.     

Total chemical synthesis of large CCK isoforms using a thioester segment condensation approach

Silver-ion mediated thioester segment condensation was applied to the chemical synthesis of high molecular weight isoforms of cholecystokinin (CCK). Three building blocks, a C-terminal Tyr(SO₃H)-containing segment and two partially protected thioester segments having a C-terminal Pro residue, were prepared using Fmoc-based chemistry and 2-chlorotrityl chloride (Clt) resin as a solid support. The entire peptide chain was successfully synthesized by two consecutive silver-ion mediated condensation reactions using these building blocks. A brief TFA treatment of the final condensation product gave highly homogeneous CCK-58 in a satisfactory yield. This peptide exhibited glucose-dependent insulinotropic activity at levels comparable to CCK-33. These results demonstrate the usefulness of the silver-ion mediated segment condensation approach in the preparation of large sulfated peptides.     

An efficient strategy for the preparation of one-bead-one-peptide libraries on a new biocompatible solid support

A new strategy for the preparation of one-bead-one-peptide libraries compatible with solid-phase screening and subsequent detachment of the peptide from the resin for sequence determination by mass spectrometry is described. The method is based on the use of ChemMatrix, a novel, totally PEG-based resin, together with 4-hydroxymethylbenzoic acid linker. After peptide elongation, which was carried out using the Fmoc/t-Bu approach, the side-chain protecting groups were removed with TFA solution. The library was then screened, and peptides were detached from the positive beads with ammonia/THF vapor. Finally, the peptide sequences were determined by MS/MS.     

p-Nitromandelic acid as a highly acid-stable safety-catch linker for solid-phase synthesis of peptide and depsipeptide acids

[reaction: see text] p-Nitromandelic acid as a safety-catch linker for Boc/Bzl-SPPS of base-labile compounds like peptides and depsipeptides is described. This linker permits acidic removal of side-chain protection groups from the resin. For cleavage from the solid support, the p-nitro group was reduced with tin(II) chloride. After washing off the reducing agents, the (depsi)peptide acids with or without the side-chain protection schemes were obtained by microwave irradiation at 50 degrees C with 5% TFA in dioxane.     

New stable backbone linker resins for solid-phase peptide synthesis

[reaction: see text] Two new 4-methoxybenzaldehyde backbone linker resins were developed for the solid-phase synthesis of peptides. The linkers are very stable during the cleavage of common protecting groups for amines (Fmoc, Boc) and carboxylic acids (Me, All, tBu) in peptide synthesis. Cleavage from the resin with refluxing TFA is sufficiently mild for peptides containing polar and nonpolar amino acids.     

4-Alkoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (AHB): a versatile aldehyde linker for solid-phase synthesis of C-terminal modified peptides and peptidomimetics

[reaction: see text] A new and versatile 4-alkoxy-2-hydroxybenzaldehyde (AHB) linker for solid-phase syntheses is described. Acylation of the polymer-bound secondary amine obtained from reductive amination of the aldehyde in the AHB linker showed good reactivity. Following acylation of the phenolic hydroxyl group, the resulting carboxamide resin was stable to treatment with 95% TFA. The O-acyl functional group was removed with 20% piperidine and the desired compound was cleaved from the resin by TFA treatment.     

Fmoc synthesis of peptide thioesters without post-chain-assembly manipulation

An operationally simple method for the synthesis of peptide thioesters is developed using standard Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis procedures. The method relies on the use of a premade enamide-containing amino acid which, in the final TFA cleavage step, renders the desired thioester functionality through an irreversible intramolecular N-to-S acyl transfer.     

Versatile solid-phase synthesis of secondary amines from alcohols. Development of an N-Boc-(o-nitrobenzene)sulfonamide linker

The development of a versatile amine releasing linker based on the modified o-nitrobenzene sulfonamide protective group is described. This new N-Boc-o-nitrobenzenesulfonamide (Boc-ONBS) linker enables the elaboration on resin of primary and secondary amines by sequential substitution of the sulfonamide moiety using the Mitsunobu reaction. A 16-member array of secondary and Boc protected primary amines was then prepared using this linker.     

Direct Fmoc-chemistry-based solid-phase synthesis of peptidyl thioesters

Attachment of a growing peptide chain to a glycylaminomethyl resin via a thioglycinamide bond is compatible with Fmoc-chemistry solid-phase peptide synthesis. Subsequent S-alkylation of the thioamide gives a thioimide that, on treatment with aqueous trifluoroacetic acid, releases the peptide from the resin in the form of a C-terminal thioester.     

Synthesis and evaluation of 2-(2-fluoro-4-hydroxymethyl-5-methoxy-phenoxy)acetic acid as a linker in solid-phase synthesis monitored by gel-phase (19)F NMR spectroscopy

Gel-phase (19)F NMR spectroscopy is a useful monitoring technique for solid-phase organic chemistry due to the high information content it delivers and swift acquisition times, using standard NMR spectrometers. This paper describes the synthesis of the novel linker 2-(2-fluoro-4-hydroxymethyl-5-methoxy-phenoxy)acetic acid in 29% yield over seven steps, using nucleophilic aromatic substitutions on 2,4,5-trifluorobenzonitrile as key steps. Following standard solid-phase synthesis a peptide could be cleaved from the linker using 20% TFA in CH(2)Cl(2) in 30 minutes, in contrast to a previously described monoalkoxy linker that requires 90% TFA in water at elevated temperature. A resin-bound peptide could be successfully glycosylated using only two equivalents of a thioglycoside donor, activated with N-iodosuccinimide and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, and subsequent cleavage and deprotection gave the target glycopeptide. Direct glycosylation of the linker itself followed by mild acidic cleavage gave a fully protected hemiacetal for further chemical manipulation.     

Samarium enolate on crosslinked polystyrene beads. II. An anionic initiator for the well‐defined synthesis of poly(allyl methacrylate) on a solid support

A samarium enolate, supported on a crosslinked polystyrene resin, successfully initiated the living anionic polymerization of allyl methacrylate (AMA) to afford the corresponding poly(AMA) with well‐controlled molecular weights. Diblock, triblock, and tetrablock copolymerizations with methyl methacrylate (MMA) were also successfully performed. The formed polymers, supported on the resin by a benzyl ester linker, were quantitatively isolated from the resin by selective cleavage of the linker with trifluoroacetic acid (TFA). Allyl ester in the side chain was not affected by this isolation step. The allyl group of the immobilized poly(AMA‐b‐MMA) on the resin was transformed into a 2,3‐dihydroxypropyl group by osmium oxidation. The resulting copolymer was isolated by TFA treatment of the resin, and it showed amphiphilicity. In both the polymerization and side‐chain modification, the formed polymers were easily washed from excess reagents only by filtration, and this demonstrated the feasibility of the automated synthesis of functional polymers based on this solid‐supported polymerization technique. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 41: 853–860, 2003     

A new safety-catch protecting group and linker for solid-phase synthesis

The use of two derivatives of 2-methoxy-4-methylsulfinylbenzyl alcohol is demonstrated as a safety-catch protecting group and linker for solid-phase peptide synthesis. The protecting group and linker are stable to TFA and are readily removed under reductive acidolytic conditions.     

Fmoc-based synthesis of peptide alpha-thioesters using an aryl hydrazine support

C-Terminal peptide thioesters are key intermediates in the synthesis/semisynthesis of proteins and of cyclic peptides by native chemical ligation. They are prepared by solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) or biosynthetically by protein splicing techniques. Until recently, the chemical synthesis of C-terminal alpha-thioester peptides by SPPS was largely restricted to the use of Boc/Benzyl chemistry due to the poor stability of the thioester bond to the basic conditions required for the deprotection of the N(alpha)-Fmoc group. In the present work, we describe a new method for the SPPS of C-terminal thioesters using Fmoc/t-Bu chemistry. This method is based on the use of an aryl hydrazine linker, which is totally stable to conditions required for Fmoc-SPPS. When the peptide synthesis has been completed, activation of the linker is achieved by mild oxidation. This step converts the acyl hydrazine group into a highly reactive acyl diazene intermediate which reacts with an alpha-amino acid alkyl thioester (H-AA-SR) to yield the corresponding peptide alpha-thioester in good yield. This method has been successfully used to prepare a variety of peptide thioesters, cyclic peptides, and a fully functional Src homology 3 (SH3) protein domain.     

Tetrafluoroboric acid, a useful deprotecting reagent in peptide synthesis

We have found that tetrafluoroboric acid (HBF4) in trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in the presence of thioanisole cleaves various protecting groups currently used in peptide synthesis. HBF4 in TFA cleaves an amino acid amide from 4-methylbenzhydrylamine resin more effectively than trifluoromethanesulfonic acid in TFA. Lamprey gonadotropin-releasing hormone (a 10-residue peptide amide) was synthesized using 1 M HBF4-thioanisole in TFA by both solution-phase and solid-phase methods.     

Simple and efficient synthesis of 3,4-dihydro-2-pyridones via novel solid-supported aza-annulation

A diverse array of 3,4-dihydro-2-pyridones 13 were produced utilizing the unique properties of solid-supported reactions to both drive the reactions to completion and isolate the desired products. The pyridones were synthesized in high purity by a simple sequence of novel steps commencing from an acetophenone-functionalized resin. The para-substituted acetophenone 9 could be anchored to the resin through either a sulfonamide or a carboxamide linkage. The sulfonamide resin 9a, which gave the best results, was treated with several aryl aldehydes and ethoxide to give a variety of chalcones 10a-k in excellent yield (82-99%) upon TFA cleavage. Addition of either methyl or allyl malonate and DBU to 10a-k afforded smoothly the Michael adducts 11a-j (70-99%) which were subsequently cyclized in one step employing acetic acid as a catalyst and several diverse amines to give pure 3,4-dihydro-2-pyridones 13a-p in moderate to excellent yields (30-98%).     

Resin-bound sulfonyl azides: efficient loading and activation strategy for the preparation of the N-acyl sulfonamide linker

This paper describes an optimized protocol for the efficient loading of resin-bound aminoethane sulfonyl azides by either Boc- or Fmoc-protected amino thioacids. The resulting N-acyl sulfonamide is a convenient linker for use in Boc- or Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. Activation of the N-acyl sulfonamide via a microwave-assisted alkylation procedure and subsequent treatment with functionalized nucleophiles yields C-terminally modified peptides that can be applied in chemoselective (bio)conjugation or ligation reactions.     

A new germanium-based linker for solid phase synthesis of aromatics: synthesis of a pyrazole library

An efficient synthesis of chlorogermane linker 12 is described. Economic introduction of germanium into this linker is accomplished by insertion of dichlorogermylene [from germanium(IV) chloride] into the homobenzylic C-Cl bond of 4-(2-chloroethyl)phenol 1. Using linker 12, transmetalation with lithiated 4-acetophenone, 3-acetophenone, and 4-(4'methoxy)biphenyl followed by Mitsunobu-type coupling to Argogel gives functionalized resins 14, 16, and 18, respectively. Treatment of resin 18 with TFA, ICl, Br2, or NCS effects clean ipso-degermylation releasing biphenyls 19-22, respectively. Resins 14 and 16 are employed for the parallel synthesis of a library of pyrazoles by enaminone formation (using Bredereck's reagent), condensative ring-closure (using a series of monosubstituted hydrazines), and cleavage (using TFA and Br2). Analysis of this library reveals the influence of the hydrazine substituent on both the regioselectivity of ring-closure and the propensity for electrophilic substitution at the 4-position of the pyrazoles during ipso-degermylative cleavage.