Enantioselection in peptide bond formation

Selectivity in abiotic condensations of amino acids remains controversial and stereochemically little explored. We find that competitive activated couplings of N-acyl derivatives of glycine, alanine, valine, proline and phenylalanine with binary, ternary and quaternary mixtures of amides and esters of the same group of amino acids show little selectivity among the reactants, except with respect to configuration, where a consistent and significant preference for heterochiral outcomes, mostly > 80%, is observed. One possible explanation of this selectivity predicts a predisposition to homochiral coupling under conditions that would require the two carboxyl functions to be co-facial in the activated complex.     

Synthesis of isotopically labeled puromycin derivatives for kinetic isotope effect analysis of ribosome catalyzed peptide bond formation

The mechanism by which the ribosome catalyze peptide bond formation remains controversial. Here we describe the synthesis of dinucleotides that can be used in kinetic isotope effect experiments to assess the transition state of ribosome catalyzed peptide bond formation. These substrates are the isotopically labeled dinucleotide cytidylyl-(3′-5′)-3′-amino-3′-deoxy-3′-l-phenylalanyl-N⁶,N⁶-dimethyladenosine (Cm⁶A_NPhe-NH₂) and cytidylyl-(3′-5′)-3′-amino-3′-deoxy-3′-(l-2-hydroxy-3-phenylpropionyl)-N⁶,N⁶-dimethyladenosine (Cm⁶A_NPhe-OH). These substrates are active in peptide bond formation and can be used to measure kinetic isotope effects in ribosome catalyzed protein synthesis.     

Combined C-H functionalization/C-N bond formation route to carbazoles

A new method in which a series of substituted carbazoles is efficiently produced by the combination of an amide and an arene is described. The key feature of this method is the palladium-catalyzed tandem directed C-H functionalization and amide arylation. The method tolerates substitution on either ring of the biaryl amide substrates, and the products can be assembled in a simple two-step protocol from readily available reagents. The Pd(0) species generated are reoxidized to Pd(II) in the presence of Cu(OAc)2 and an atmosphere of oxygen.     

Effect of copper salts on peptide bond formation using peptide thioesters

[reaction: see text] In the present paper, systematic studies revealed that Cu(I) salts in general and Cu(II) salts under certain circumstances promote effective reaction between peptide thiol esters and the N-terminal amino function of a second peptide segment to give the native amide bond for both solution- and solid-phase syntheses. Chiral integrity was retained. Reaction conditions were optimized and applied to the synthesis of a small protein, the identity of which was confirmed by NMR analysis.     

A new route to phenylenedimalononitrile and the analogues using palladium-catalyzed carbon-carbon bond formation

Phenylenedimalononitrile and the analogues, which are key intermediates in the synthesis of TCNQ and the analogues, are prepared directly by the Pd-catalyzed reaction of-diiodoarenes with malononitrile anion.     

The shortest synthetic route to puromycin analogues using a modified Robins approach

We are reporting on the utility of commercial vinyl isocyanate for a practical synthetic route from adenosine to N(6)-bis-demethylpuromycin in seven steps and 65% overall yield. A clean one-pot conversion of 3'-bromo-2'-carbamoyl derivative 8 to 3'-amino-3'-deoxyadenosine derivative 10 is the main feature of this synthetic pathway. This synthesis is the shortest synthetic route toward 3'-(aminoacylamido)deoxyadenosines to date.     

Borrowing hydrogen: a catalytic route to C-C bond formation from alcohols

Ruthenium complexes have been shown to perform efficient transfer hydrogenation reactions between alcohols and alkenes; in combination with an in situ Wittig reaction, indirect formation of C-C bonds has been achieved from alcohols.     

Quantum-mechanical study on the mechanism of peptide bond formation in the ribosome

Ribosomes transform the genetic information encoded within genes into proteins. In recent years, there has been much progress in the study of this complex molecular machine, but the mechanism of peptide bond formation and the origin of the catalytic power of this ancient enzymatic system are still an unsolved puzzle. A quantum-mechanical study of different possible mechanisms of peptide synthesis in the ribosome has been carried out using the M06-2X density functional. The uncatalyzed processes in solution have been treated with the SMD solvation model. Concerted and two-step mechanisms have been explored. Three main points suggested in this work deserve to be deeply analyzed. First, no zwitterionic intermediates are found when the process takes place in the ribosome. Second, the proton shuttle mechanism is suggested to be efficient only through the participation of the A2451 2'-OH and two crystallographic water molecules. Finally, the mechanisms in solution and in the ribosome are very different, and this difference may help us to understand the origin of the efficient catalytic role played by the ribosome.     

Biomimetic peptide bond formation in water with aminoacyl phosphate esters

Aminoacyl phosphates, biomimetic analogues of aminoacyl adenylates, react efficiently with amino acid esters to form dipeptides with retention of stereochemical integrity. The reactions are selective and occur readily in the presence of nucleophiles other than amino groups on their side chains. Aminoacyl phosphate esters that lack an amino-protecting group are also suitable for peptide bond formation, leading to a simplified overall process.     

A practical route to 3'-amino-3'-deoxyadenosine derivatives and puromycin analogues

3'-aminoacylamino-3'-deoxyadenosines, analogues of the antibiotic puromycin, have been synthesized from adenosine. They key 3'-azido derivative 10 was obtained through a 3'-oxidation/reduction/substitution procedure. A modified purification protocol on a larger scale was developed for the oxidation step using the Garegg reagent. The coupling reaction between an Fmoc-l-amino acid and the fully protected form of 3'-amino-3'-deoxyadenosine 11 furnished the aminoacylated compounds 12 in high yields. The puromycin analogues were obtained in 10 steps and up to 23% (14c) overall yield.     

An efficient route to polynitrogen-fused tricycles via a nitrene-mediated N-N bond formation under microwave irradiation

The synthesis of unprecedented fused azaheterocyclic ring systems is described. Tricycles with either a central pyrazole or a triazole ring were obtained via a nitrene-mediated reaction of nitro bis(hetaryl) derivatives in the presence of triethylphosphite. The cyclization proceeded with complete chemoselectivity for the desired N-N bond formation and was completed within minutes under microwave activation. The key nitro bicycles were synthesized using either Stille couplings or aromatic nucleophilic substitution.     

Phosphorus pentoxide for amide and peptide bond formation with minimal by-products

Phosphorus pentoxide and DMAP are used for amide bond formation from carboxylic acids and amines. Dipeptides and amides have been synthesized using this reagent in 42–77% yields and >99% ees. The protocol is attractive as it occurs at ambient temperature, the formation of organic by-products is minimal and the reagent can be readily quenched using water. Furthermore, excellent enantioselectivities are observed without the use of harsh triazole based additives.     

Ab initio study of catalyzed and uncatalyzed amide bond formation as a model for peptide bond formation: Ammonia-Glycine reactions

As a model reaction for peptide and bond formation, the S_N2 reactions between glycine and ammonia have been studied with and without amine catalysis: using ab initio molecular-orbital methods. For each of the catalyzed and uncatalyzed reactions, two reaction mechanisms have been examined: a two-step and a concerted mechanism. The stationary points of each reaction, including intermediate and transition states, have been identified and free energies calculated for all geometry-optimized reaction species to determine the thermodynamics and kinetics of the reaction. The calculations demonstrate that a second ammonia molecule catalyzes amide bond formation, and that the two-step mechanism is more favorable than the concerted one for the catalyzed reaction, while for the uncatalyzed reaction both mechanisms are competitive.     

Anomeric configuration-directed diastereoselective C-C bond formation in vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates: a general route to branched-chain sugars

[structure: see text] This is the first report on the diastereoselective addition of carbon nucleophiles to vinyl sulfone-modified hex-2-enopyranosides and pent-2-enofuranosides. Nucleophiles add to the C-2 position from a direction opposite to that of the disposition of the anomeric methoxy group. This novel concept of anomeric configuration-directed stereocontrolled carbon-carbon bond formation in vinyl sulfone-modified carbohydrates is general in nature and has been implemented in the synthesis of new hexopyranosyl and pentofuranosyl branched-chain sugars and densely functionalized carbohydrates.     

Pd-catalyzed C-H activation/C-N bond formation: a new route to 1-aryl-1H-benzotriazoles

A method for the C-H activation of aryl triazene compounds followed by intramolecular amination is described. It involves the use of a catalytic amount of Pd(OAc)(2) that efficiently effects the cyclization to provide 1-aryl-1H-benzotriazoles at moderate temperature.     

Palladium-catalysed tandem alkenyl- and aryl-C-N bond formation: a cascade N-annulation route to 1-functionalised 7-azaindoles

A series of 3-(2-haloalkenyl)-2-pyridyl-halides undergo consecutive palladium-catalysed inter- and intramolecular amination reactions to deliver a series of 1-functionalised 7-azaindoles. Anilines and amines can be readily employed as the N-nucleophile and incorporation of both electron-donating and electron withdrawing substituents on the pyridine core is possible.