A Tandem In Situ Peptide Cyclization through Trifluoroacetic Acid Cleavage

We present a new approach for peptide cyclization during solid phase synthesis under highly acidic conditions. Our approach involves simultaneous in situ deprotection, cyclization and trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) cleavage of the peptide, which is achieved by forming an amide bond between a lysine side chain and a succinic acid linker at the peptide N‐terminus. The reaction proceeds via a highly active succinimide intermediate, which was isolated and characterized. The structure of a model cyclic peptide was solved by NMR spectroscopy. Theoretical calculations support the proposed mechanism of cyclization. Our new methodology is applicable for the formation of macrocycles in solid‐phase synthesis of peptides and organic molecules.     

Fmoc solid-phase synthesis of peptide thioesters using an intramolecularn,S-acyl shift

[reaction: see text] We describe the Fmoc solid-phase synthesis of peptide thioesters based on the alkylation of the safety-catch sulfonamide linker with a protected 2-mercaptoethanol derivative. The thioester is generated on the solid phase after the peptide chain assembly as a consequence of an intramolecular N,S-acyl shift. Depending on the stability of the spacer separating the sulfonamide linker from the resin toward TFA, treatment of the peptidyl resin with TFA led to a soluble or supported deprotected thioester.     

Sweetening cyclic peptide libraries

Enzymatic macrolactamization of linear glycosidated peptides provides access to an important class of drug-like molecules. The work presented in this issue [1] shows that it may be possible to make complex libraries of glycosidated cyclic peptides by incorporating glycosidated amino acids into linear peptides via solid-phase peptide synthesis followed by thioesterase-mediated peptide cyclization.     

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.     

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.     

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.     

N-terminus FITC labeling of peptides on solid support: the truth behind the spacer

Fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) is an amine reactive derivative of fluorescein dye that has wide ranging application in biochemistry. It has been extensively used to label peptides and proteins. However, its use in solid phase peptide synthesis is restricted. Indeed, in acidic conditions required for linker cleavage, N-ter FITC-labeled peptides undergo a cyclization leading to the formation of a fluorescein with subsequent removal of the last amino acid. This can be avoided when a spacer such as amino hexanoic acid is used or if non-acidic cleavage is operated to release targeted peptide from the resin.     

On-resin cyclization of a head-to-tail cyclopeptide using an allyldimethylsilyl polystyrene resin pre-loaded by metathesis

Here, we report the solid-phase synthesis of a 17-mer cyclopeptide which is expected to have anti-angiogenic properties. The peptidic synthesis is performed on an allyldimethylsilyl polystyrene support loaded by metathesis with a conveniently functionalized d-Tyrosine amino acid. The linear peptide was assembled by standard Fmoc chemistry and on-resin cyclization was enabled after selective deprotection of the C-terminal group with 2% hydrazine/DMF at room temperature. Final cleavage was realized under mild acidic conditions allowing to obtain a cyclopeptide under partially protected form.     

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.     

Synthesis of glyoxylyl peptides using a phosphine labile α,α′-diaminoacetic acid derivative

We describe in this letter the preparation of a novel protected α,α′-diaminoacetic acid derivative that acts as a masked glyoxylic acid equivalent. The reagent could easily be introduced on a peptide chain using standard Fmoc/tert-butyl solid-phase methods and resisted to the TFA treatment allowing the deprotection and cleavage of the peptide. Unmasking of the glyoxylyl group was performed in solution in the presence of a phosphine.     

Preparation of tripeptide-bridged dicatechol ligands and their macrocyclic molybdenum(VI) complexes: fixation of the RGD sequence and the WKY sequence of urotensin ii in a cyclic conformation

Dicatechol ligands were prepared with caprylic acid (6-H(4)) or the naturally occurring RGD (23-H(4)) or WKY sequences (32-H(4)) as spacers. 6-H(4) was prepared by solution-phase amide coupling chemistry, while 16, the precursor of 23-H(4), was obtained by solution-phase and solid-phase preparation. In the latter case, a polystyrene resin with a hydrazine benzoate linker was used as the solid support. The last coupling step was performed simultaneously with cleavage of the peptide from the resin. The protecting groups of 16 were all removed in one step to yield the free ligand 23-H(4). The WKY-bridged derivative 32-H(4) was obtained by a similar solid-phase synthesis followed by deprotection. The reaction of all three ligands with dioxomolybdenum(VI) bis(acetylacetonate) afforded 19-membered metallamacrocycles in which the short peptides are conformationally fixed in a turn-type structure. Hereby, the side-chain functionalities of the peptides do not interfere in the metal complexation.     

Investigation for the cyclization efficiency of linear tetrapeptides: Synthesis of tentoxin B and dihydrotentoxin

Investigation of the cyclization efficiency of N-methyl linear tetrapeptides using a molecular modeling study and chemical synthesis is described. The linear peptide with two N-methyl groups, MeAla-Leu-MePhe-Gly, forms γ-turn like conformation with the amine at N-terminus and the carbonyl at C-terminus in closer proximity to give the desired cyclic tetrapeptide, dihydrotentoxin. In addition, synthesis of tentoxin B by the combination of Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis and cyclization in solution phase has been reported. An unusual amino acid, an L-N-methyl-β-hydroxyphenylalanine derivative, which was assembled on solid support, was prepared from ethyl cinnamate. Cyclic tetrapeptide formation and cleavage of benzyl ether were optimized with DIPCI/HOBt/DIPEA and Et₃SiH/Pd(OH)₂, respectively.     

TRAM linker: a safety-catch linker for the traceless release of acrylamides

[reaction: see text] A novel safety-catch linker for the solid-phase synthesis of small-molecule libraries containing electrophilic reactive groups has been developed. Upon cleavage from solid support, the linker generates a Michael acceptor (an acrylamide) on each library member. Utilization of a two-resin system in the final cleavage step provides crude products in high purity, allowing direct use in biological assays following filtration and evaporation.     

Tartric acid-based linker for the solid-phase synthesis of C-terminal peptide alpha-oxo aldehydes

A novel linker, based on the anchoring of (+)-dimethyl 2,3-O-isopropylidene-D-tartrate to PEGA or PEG-PS solid supports, was developed for the solid-phase synthesis of C-terminal peptide alpha-oxo aldehydes. Peptide elongation was performed using the 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl/t-Bu chemistry. The peptide and the 1,2-diol were deprotected on the solid phase. Then, a periodic oxidation of the fully deprotected peptidyl-resin led to the simultaneous cleavage of the product from the solid support and to the generation of the alpha-oxo aldehyde moiety. The methodology allowed the distance between the alpha-oxo aldehyde and the peptide to be easily modulated. The C-terminal peptide alpha-oxo aldehydes synthesized in this study were found to be useful partners in hydrazone, thiazolidine, and oxime chemical ligations.     

Direct O-glycosidation of resin bound thioglycosides

The application of the safety-catch linker concept to solid-phase glycoconjugate synthesis is described. The process allows for direct conjugation of resin bound glycans to complex aglycones during cleavage. Large excesses of either coupling partner are not required, and even very hindered alcohols serve as acceptors in the reaction.     

N-acylsulfonamide linker activation by Pd-catalyzed allylation

N-Acylsulfonamide safety-catch linkers are versatile tools in solid-phase organic synthesis because of their stability. This stability necessitates linker activation prior to compound cleavage. Here, we demonstrate that the N-acylsulfonamide group can react with a pi-allyl palladium complex and that these mild and neutral conditions can be exploited for linker activation. The advantages of this process are illustrated by its use in the efficient synthesis of thioesters. We anticipate that this activation method will extend the utility of the N-acylsulfonamide group. [reaction: see text]     

The (2-phenyl-2-trimethylsilyl)ethyl-(PTMSEL)-linker in the synthesis of glycopeptide partial structures of complex cell surface glycoproteins

The (2-phenyl-2-trimethylsilyl)ethyl-(PTMSEL) linker represents a novel fluoride-sensitive anchor for the solid-phase synthesis of protected peptides and glycopeptides. Its cleavage is achieved under almost neutral conditions using tetrabutylammonium fluoride trihydrate in dichloromethane thus allowing the construction of complex molecules sensitive to basic and acidic media commonly required for the cleavage of standard linker systems. The advantages of the PTMSEL linker are demonstrated in the synthesis of glycopeptides from the liver intestine (LI)-cadherin and the mucin MUC1, bearing carbohydrate moieties such as N-linked chitobiose or O-linked sialyl-T(N)-residues. The synthesis of these types of glycopeptides is difficult because they are prone to secondary structure formation during the synthesis on the solid phase as well as in the completely deprotected form. Using the PTMSEL linker these molecules are accessible by automated synthesis according to the Fmoc strategy without frequently observed side reactions such as aspartimide or diketopiperazine formation.     

Total synthesis of cyclic heptapeptide euryjanicin B

The first synthesis of the naturally occurring cyclic peptide euryjanicin B has been achieved.A general method was described to synthesize the cyclic peptide by a two-step solid-phase/solution synthesis strategy.All the amino acids in this study are L-configuration. The linear heptapeptide was assembled by standard Fmoc chemistry on solid-phase and subsequently cyclization was carried out by solution method.     

Total synthesis of the antifungal depsipeptide petriellin A

We report the solid-phase total synthesis of the antifungal highly modified cyclic depsipeptide petriellin A. The synthesis confirms earlier reports on the absolute configuration of the natural product. The solid-phase approach resulted in a protected linear precursor, which was cleaved from the solid support prior to cyclization and final deprotection. Use of advanced coupling agents for several hindered amides was a feature of the synthesis. The natural product was prepared in overall 5% yield.     

Development of an indole safety-catch linker using analytical constructs

The development, evaluation, and application of a novel safety-catch linker for solid-phase synthesis based on an N-tosylindole is reported. The development of this linker using analytical constructs to aid analysis is discussed.