Solid-phase and microwave-assisted syntheses of 2,5-diketopiperazines: small molecules with great potential

Diketopiperazines (DKPs) are a well-known class of heterocycles that have recently emerged as a promising biologically active scaffold. Solid-phase organic synthesis has become an important tool in the combinatorial exploration of these privileged structures, expediting the synthesis and, therefore, the discovery of active compounds. To date, certain DKPs have shown potent activities against a range of diseases and biological phenomena, including bacterial infections, various cancers, asthma, infertility, premature labor, and HIV. Recent applications of solid-phase DKP synthesis, with a particular focus on cyclative cleavage and microwave-assisted reactions, are highlighted herein.     

Construction of highly glycosylated mucin-type glycopeptides based on microwave-assisted solid-phase syntheses and enzymatic modifications

A MUC1-related glycopeptide having five core-2 hexasaccharide branches (C330H527N46O207, MW = 8450.9) was synthesized by a new strategy using a combination of microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis (MA-SPGS) and enzymatic sugar elongation. Synthesis of a key glycopeptide intermediate was best achieved in a combination of PEGA [poly(ethylene glycol)-poly-(N,N-dimethylacrylamide) copolymer] resin and MA-SPGS using glycosylated amino acid building blocks with high speed and high purity. Deprotection of the glycopeptide intermediate and subsequent glycosyltransferase-catalyzed sugar elongations were performed for generation of the additional diversities with the sugar moieties of glycopeptides using beta1,4-galactosyltransferase (beta1,4-GalT) and two kinds of alpha2,3-sialyltransferases [ST3Gal III; alpha2,3-(N)-SiaT and ST3Gal II; alpha2,3-(O)-SiaT]. These reactions proceeded successfully in the presence of 0.2% Triton X-100 to convert the chemically synthesized trisaccharide glycans to disialylated hexasaccharide.     

Solid-phase synthesis of an apoptosis-inducing tetrapeptide mimicking the Smac protein

An approach for the solid-phase synthesis of apoptosis-inducing Smac peptidomimetics is presented. Using a Rink linker strategy, tetrapeptides mimicking the N-4-terminal residue of the Smac protein [(N-Me)AVPF sequence] were synthesized on PEGA resin in excellent purities and yields. Following two synthetic routes, a known tetrapeptide, incorporating a substituted proline, previously shown to exhibit excellent biological activity in vitro as well as low toxicity, was synthesized effectively on a solid support.     

On-resin native chemical ligation for cyclic peptide synthesis

A novel cysteine derivative, N(alpha)-trityl-S-(9H-xanthen-9-yl)-l-cysteine [Trt-Cys(Xan)-OH] has been introduced for peptide synthesis, specifically for application to a new strategy for the preparation of cyclic peptides. The following steps were carried out to synthesize the cyclic model peptide cyclo(Cys-Thr-Abu-Gly-Gly-Ala-Arg-Pro-Asp-Phe): (i). side-chain anchoring of Fmoc-Asp-OAl via its free beta-carboxyl as a p-alkoxybenzyl ester to a solid support; (ii). stepwise chain elongation of the peptide by standard Fmoc/tBu solid-phase chemistry; (iii). removal of the N-terminal Fmoc group; (iv). coupling of Trt-Cys(Xan)-OH; (v). selective Pd(0)-promoted cleavage of the C-terminal allyl ester; (vi). coupling of the C-terminal residue, i.e., H-Phe-SBzl, preactivated as a thioester; (vii). selective removal of the N(alpha)-Trt and S-Xan protecting groups under very mild acid conditions; (viii). on-resin cyclization by native chemical ligation in an aqueous milieu; and (ix). final acidolytic cleavage of the cyclic peptide from the resin. The strategy was evaluated for three supports: poly[N,N-dimethacrylamide-co-poly(ethylene glycol)] (PEGA), cross-linked ethoxylate acrylate resin (CLEAR), and poly(ethylene glycol)-polystyrene (PEG-PS) graft resin supports. For PEGA and CLEAR, the desired cyclic product was obtained in 76-86% overall yield with initial purities of approximately 70%, whereas for PEG-PS (which does not swell nearly as well in water), results were inferior. Solid-phase native chemical ligation/cyclization methodology appears to have advantages of convenience and specificity, which make it promising for further generalization.     

Synthesis of functionalized, unsymmetrical 1,3,4,6-tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketopiperazines

A general and efficient method for the synthesis of unsymmetrical 1,3,4,6-tetrasubstituted 2,5-diketo- piperazines (DKPs) is described. Cyclization of N-amide alkylated dipeptide methyl esters, followed by alkylation, furnished the corresponding tetrasubstituted DKPs in good overall yields. The influence of steric hindrance in the alkylation reactions appeared to be of lesser importance as long as reactive alkylating agents were used. Furthermore, we have demonstrated the use of tetrasubstituted DKPs as a scaffold for further chemical manipulations to produce novel DKPs with desired properties.     

SPOCC-194, a new high functional group density PEG-based resin for solid-phase organic synthesis

A novel polymer matrix for solid-phase synthesis, SPOCC(194) resin (1), was designed featuring a backbone of homogeneous tetraethylene glycol (TEG(194)) macromonomer linked by quaternary carbon junctions and terminating in primary alcohol functionality. Beaded SPOCC(194) resin was effectively prepared by suspension polymerization of oxetanylated TEG macromonomer 5 in stirred silicon oil. Mechanically stable and inert to a diverse range of reaction conditions, SPOCC(194) possessed a high hydroxyl group loading (0.9-1.2 mmol/g) for substrate attachment and swelled effectively ( approximately 2-4 mL/g) in a variety of organic and aqueous solvents. Developed for solid-phase synthesis at high reactant concentrations for driving organic and aqueous reactions to completion, SPOCC(194) exhibited high functional group density (mmol/mL) similar to that of low-loaded aminomethylated polystyrene-divinylbenzene copolymer (PS-1%DVB) yet significantly higher than that of PEGA(1900), SPOCC(1500), and TentaGel S. High-resolution MAS NMR spectra of Fmoc-derivatized SPOCC(194) indicate that monitoring of functional group transformation is possible. Moreover, by employment of a nonaromatic resin-linker combination, electrophilic chemistry, such as Lewis acid catalyzed glycosylation and Friedel-Crafts acylation, was selectively performed on substrate bound to SPOCC(194) resin. Such properties make SPOCC(194) resin a promising new polymer matrix for the support-bound construction of small organic molecules by parallel and combinatorial synthesis and the scavenging of solution-phase reactants or byproducts.     

微波作用下大位阻氨基酸与H-Pro-CTC树脂的高效缩合

微波反应下, 运用新型固相肽合成反应器, 深入研究了五种大位阻氨基酸与H-Pro-CTC树脂(CTC树脂, 2-氯三苯甲基氯树脂)的缩合反应. 使用三次缩合的策略, 分别在DMF/NMP/THF (V∶V∶V＝1∶1∶1), NMP/DMSO/THF (V∶V∶V＝4∶1∶1), DMF/DMSO/THF (V∶V∶V＝4∶1∶1)混合溶剂中缩合一次, 每次缩合反应的最优条件为: 缩合试剂HBTU、氨基酸浓度7 mmol/L、微波辐射3 min、反应温度35 ℃、维持时间3 min, 与传统方法相比, 氨基酸的用量大大减少, 其过量倍数从5倍降低为2倍, 缩合反应速率提高了16倍以上. 五种大位阻氨基酸与H-Pro-CTC树脂的缩合率都提高到80%以上.     

Gel-phase 19F NMR spectral quality for resins commonly used in solid-phase organic synthesis; a study of peptide solid-phase glycosylations

The spectroscopic properties for seven different commercial resins used in solid-phase synthesis were investigated with (19)F NMR spectroscopy. A fluorine-labeled dipeptide was synthesized on each resin, and the resolution of the (19)F resonances in CDCl(3), DMSO-d(6), benzene-d(6) and CD(3)OD were measured with a conventional NMR spectrometer, i.e. without using magic angle spinning. In general, resins containing poly(ethylene glycol) chains (ArgoGel, TentaGel and PEGA) were found to be favorable for the (19)F NMR spectral quality. Three serine containing tri-, penta-, and heptapeptides were then prepared on an ArgoGel resin functionalized with a fluorine-labeled linker. The resin bound peptides were glycosylated utilizing a thiogalactoside glycosyl donor carrying fluorine-labeled protective groups. Monitoring of the glycosylations with gel-phase (19)F NMR spectroscopy allowed each glycopeptide to be formed in similar 80% yield, using a minimal amount of glycosyl donor (3 x 2 equivalents). In addition, it was found that the glycosylation yields were independent of peptide length.     

Divergent pathway for the solid-phase conversion of aromatic acetylenes to carboxylic acids, alpha-ketocarboxylic acids, and methyl ketones

An efficient divergent pathway for the selective and quantitative solid-phase conversion of aromatic acetylenes to the corresponding carboxylic acids, alpha-keto-carboxylic acids, and methyl ketones is presented. A range of aromatic trimethylsilyl-protected acetylene building blocks was synthesized in excellent yields using a Sonogashira cross-coupling protocol and used in solid-phase synthesis on PEGA resin. Dependent on the selection of conditions, the same solid-supported alkyne could be quantitatively converted to an aromatic carboxylic acid, an aromatic alpha-ketocarboxylic acid, or an aromatic methyl ketone. The conversion to carboxylic acid involved an OsO4/NaIO4/HMTA-mediated oxidative cleavage of the silyl-deprotected alkyne to provide the aromatic carboxylate in excellent yield. The alpha-ketocarboxylic acids were obtained by direct treatment of the trimethylsilyl-protected alkyne with OsO4/NMO/HMTA, while the ketones were obtained by simple acid-mediated hydration of the alkyne using aqueous TFA. In general, all products were obtained in excellent purities, typically above 90%. In addition, it was shown that the alkyne-containing building blocks could easily be incorporated into resin-bound peptides and after chemoselective conversion of the alkyne the new functional groups could be used for further derivatization into peptidomimetic compounds.     

Efficient synthesis of 2,5-diketopiperazines using microwave assisted heating

In this study a general, efficient and environmentally benign solution phase synthesis of 2,5-diketopiperazines (DKPs) using microwave assisted heating in water is described. A series of 11 structurally different DKPs have been synthesized from dipeptide methyl esters. A range of common laboratory solvents have been tested as well as different reaction times and temperatures. Both classic thermal and microwave assisted heating have been investigated. Microwave assisted heating for 10 min using water as solvent proved, by far, to be the most efficient method of cyclization giving moderate to excellent yields (63-97%) of DKPs. In contrast to other published procedures, this method seems independent of the amino acid sequence.     

Solid-phase oligosaccharide and glycopeptide synthesis using glycosynthases

Enzymatic approaches for the preparation of oligosaccharides are interesting alternatives to traditional chemical synthesis, the main advantage being the regio- and stereoselectivity offered without the need for protecting groups. The use of solid-phase techniques offers easy workup procedures and the prospect of automatability. Here, we report the first application of glycosynthases to solid-phase oligosaccharide synthesis by use of the 51 kDa serine and glycine mutants of Agrobacterium sp. beta-glucosidase, Abg E358S and E358G. Acceptors were linked to PEGA resin through a backbone amide linker (BAL), and using these mutated enzymes, a galactose moiety was transferred from a donor sugar, alpha-D-galactosyl fluoride, with high efficiency (>90%) together with excellent recovery of material. Furthermore, it was demonstrated that a resin-bound model glycopeptide was also an acceptor for the glycosynthase.     

Solid-phase synthesis and structural characterization of highly substituted hydroxyproline-based 2,5-diketopiperazines

Two general solid-phase methods for the synthesis of a new class of 2,5-diketopiperazines (DKPs) containing the trans-4-hydroxy-L-proline amino acid residue (Hyp) have been developed. An N-protected hydroxyproline methyl ester was linked through the hydroxyl function to the Ellman resin. The synthesis procedures were conceived to enable a sequence of Hyp alkylation, Hyp N-acylation, cyclization, and amide bond alkylation. Up to three different centers of molecular diversity were introduced around the DKP scaffold. Highly functionalized bicyclic compounds were obtained in good yield and purity. The alkylation of hydroxyproline alpha CH was performed without control of the diastereoselectivity. During the final alkylation of the backbone, amide bond epimerization at the alpha-carbon atoms of the two amino acid residues was observed. The structures of representative DKPs were elucidated with multidimensional NMR experiments. The described reaction pathways can be applied to the identification of heterocyclic molecule inhibitors to diverse enzyme targets.     

Colorimetric monitoring of solid-phase aldehydes using 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine

A simple and rapid method to achieve colorimetric monitoring of resin-bound aldehydes, based on ambient temperature reaction with 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (DNPH) in the presence of dilute acid, has been developed as an adjunct to solid-phase organic synthesis and combinatorial chemistry. By this test, the presence of aldehydes is indicated by a red to dark-orange appearance, within a minute. Alternatively, resins that are free of aldehydes or in which aldehyde functions have reacted completely retain their original color. The DNPH test was demonstrated for poly(ethylene glycol)-polystyrene (PEG-PS), aminomethyl polystyrene (AMP), cross-linked ethoxylate acrylate resin (CLEAR), and acryloylated O,O'-bis(2-aminopropyl)poly(ethylene glycol) (PEGA) supports and gave results visible to the naked eye at levels as low as 18 micromol of aldehyde per gram of resin.     

A one-pot,two-step microwave-assisted synthesis of highly functionalized benzoxazoles using solid-supported reagents (SSRs)

A one-pot, two-step protocol for the microwave-assisted solid-phase synthesis of substituted benzoxazoles has been developed starting from different polymer-bound esters we previously designed as solid-supported reagents (SSRs) for the acylation of amines, alcohols and phenols. The combination of a parallel synthesizer and a microwave reactor allowed to quickly prepare a collection of substituted benzoxaxoles in high purity and satisfactory yields. This protocol is amenable for automation and could be used for the preparation of combinatorial libraries in drug discovery programs.     

A convenient procedure for the solid-phase synthesis of hydroxamic acids on PEGA resins

An efficient method for the solid-phase synthesis of hydroxamic acids is described. The method comprises the nucleophilic displacement of esters immobilized on PEGA resins with hydroxylamine/sodium hydroxide in isopropanol. The hydroxyaminolysis protocol is compatible with a broad range of PEGA-supported peptide and peptidomimetic esters. The methodology was found to be compatible with two new strategies for the synthesis of solid-supported lactams and diketopiperazines, respectively, both relying on the high inter- and intramolecular reactivity of cyclic N-acyliminium ions with electron-rich aromatics and heteroaromatics, ultimately affording hydroxamic acid derivatives in high purities.     

A convenient strategy of dimerization by microwave heating and using 2,5-diketopiperazine as scaffold

A novel and convenient microwave-assisted dimerization of an active peptide compound using the DKPs as scaffold is described. The key reaction giving rise to the diketopiperazine scaffold is the intermolecular coupling. No epimerization was detected in the reactions used. Conventional and microwave heating of the reactions are compared. Synthesis by microwave irradiation gave the desired compounds in higher yields and in shorter reaction times than those obtained by conventional heating.     

Synthesis of monofunctionalized gold nanoparticles by fmoc solid-phase reactions

In this communication, solid-phase reactions for the synthesis of Lys-monofunctionalized gold nanoparticles are described. A controlled and selective fabrication of linear nanoparticle arrays can be achieved through peptide linkage systems, and therefore it is essential to prepare Fmoc amino acid nanoparticle building blocks susceptible to Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis. Gold nanoparticles containing carboxylic acids (2) in the organic shell were covalently ligated to Lys on solid supports through amide bond coupling reactions. We employed Fmoc-Lys-substituted polymer resins such as Fmoc-Lys-Wang or Fmoc-Lys-HMPA-PEGA. The low density of Lys on the matrix enabled 2 nm-sized gold nanoparticles to react with Lys in a 1:1 ratio. Subsequent cleavage reactions using 60% TFA reagent resulted in Lys transfer from the solid matrix to gold nanoparticles, and the Fmoc-Lys-monofunctionalized gold nanoparticles (5) were obtained with 3-15% yield. Synthesis using HMPA-PEGA resin increased productivity due to the superior swelling properties of PEGA resin in DMF. Monofunctionalization of nanoparticles was microscopically characterized using TEM for the ethylenediamine-bridged nanoparticle dimers (6). By counting the number of 6, we found that at least 60% of cleaved nanoparticles were monofunctionalized by Lys. This method is highly selective and efficient for the preparation of monofunctionalized nanoparticles.     

Solid-phase synthesis for the identification of high-affinity bivalent lectin ligands

The development of carbohydrate-based therapeutics has been frustrated by the low affinities that characterize protein-carbohydrate complexation. Because of the oligomeric nature of most lectins, the use of multivalency may offer a successful strategy for the creation of high-affinity ligands. The solid-phase evaluation of libraries of peptide-linked multivalent ligands facilitates rapid examination of a large fraction of linker structure space. If such solid-phase assays are to replicate solution binding behavior, the potential for intermolecular bivalent binding on bead surfaces must be eliminated. Here we report the solid-phase synthesis and analysis of peptide-linked, spatially segregated mono- and bivalent ligands for the legume lectin concanavalin A. Bead shaving protocols were used for the creation of beads displaying spatially segregated binding sequences on the surface of Tentagel resins. The same ligands were also synthesized on PEGA resin to determine the effect of ligand presentation on solid-phase binding. While we set out to determine the lower limit of assay sensitivity, the unexpected observation that intermolecular bivalent ligand binding is enhanced for bivalent ligands relative to monovalent ligands allowed direct observation of the level of surface blocking required to prevent intermolecular bivalent ligand binding. For a protein with binding sites separated by 65 A, approximately 99.9% of Tentagel(1) surface sites and 99.99% of the total sites on a PEGA bead must be blocked to prevent intermolecular bivalent binding. We also report agglutination and calorimetric solution-phase binding studies of mono- and bivalent peptide-linked ligands.     

Palladium(0)-catalyzed coupling-cyclization reaction of polymer-supported aryl iodides with 1,2-allenyl carboxylic acids. Solid-phase parallel synthesis of butenolides

In this contribution, we constructed a library of butenolides with 77 members by parallel synthesis strategy on Merrifield resin. Sixteen 2,3-allenoic acids and 12 polymer-bound aryl iodides were combined to react with each other, and then the polymer-supported products were cleaved to release butenolide derivatives. The reactions with alkyl-substituted 2,3-allenoic acids in acetonitrile afforded the corresponding products in high yields and high purities, whereas those with aryl-substituted acids in acetonitrile failed. After some reaction conditions were screened, the solid-phase reactions with aryl-substituted 2,3-allenoic acids were realized in toluene, and the products are of good purities albeit in slightly low yields. In the benzyl ether linkage, a new cleavage model was found. By adding 6 equiv of acetyl bromide, we can get single (5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)benzyl bromide other than the corresponding benzyl acetate. To further increase the diversities, a dihydropyran (DHP) linker was introduced into our combinatorial synthesis of butenolides. By reversing the addition sequence of 2,3-allenoic acids and organic base, we realized the solid-phase cyclization reaction of polymer-bound aryl iodides with the THP linkage in moderate yields and good purities. Now the library of butenolides includes (5-oxo-2,5-dihydrofuran-3-yl)benzoic acids, -aryl acetates, -benzyl bromides, -benzyl alcohols, and -phenols, which are difficult to synthesize with conventional solution methods.     

Comparative resin kinetics using in situ fluorescence measurements

The aminolysis of a novel activated ester resin was utilized for kinetic study via continuous in situ fluorescence measurements. A variety of resin compositions (polystyrene, JandaJel, ArgoPore, TentaGel, NovaGel, and PEGA) and solvents (dimethylformamide, acetonitrile, tetrahydrofuran, 1,2-dichlorethane, and toluene) were tested to compare their effects on the reaction rate. A linear relationship between the reaction rate and (solvent polarity x swelling of resin) was elucidated for the aminolysis reaction.