Oxidative coupling of peptides to a virus capsid containing unnatural amino acids

This Communication describes the chemo- and site-selective coupling of cell type-specific targeting peptides to a virus capsid containing aminophenylalanine residues.     

Synthetic studies towards cyclic peptides. Concise synthesis of thiazoline and thiazole containing amino acids

Concise and efficient syntheses of optically pure thiazoline and thiazole containing amino acids of the constitution (26) and (27), based on simple condensation reactions between cysteine esters and N-protected imino ethers (22) and (25) derived from chiral amino acids, are described. The synthetic procedures are compatible with a range of amino acid side chains and protecting groups, and allow the preparation of a variety of small optically pure peptides i.e. (32) and (34) suitable for elaboration to naturally occurring cyclic peptides e.g. the lissoclinamides (3) and (4).     

The synthesis of peptides and proteins containing non-natural amino acids

Methods for the incorporation of non-natural amino acids into proteins have advanced significantly over recent years and in this tutorial review we aim to give a general overview of the area. These techniques offer the possibility of modulating the structures and functions of proteins and thus permit the generation of novel designed systems for both biocatalytic and mechanistic studies. Four complementary approaches are discussed in detail along with examples of their application. The advantages and disadvantages of each technique are also discussed.     

Stereoselective synthesis of unnatural spiroisoxazolinoproline-based amino acids and derivatives

A route to spiroisoxazolinoproline-based amino acid derivatives is reported in which exo-methyleneprolinate 4 (tert-butyl ester) reacts as a dipolarophile with nitrile oxides to generate spiroisoxazolinoprolinates 7/10/11 in good yields (70-75%) and with ca. 1:4 cis:trans diastereoselectivity. tert-Butyl spiroisoxazolinoprolinates were separable by column chromatography and amenable to scale-up leading to single diastereoisomers of N-Boc and N-Fmoc protected spiroisoxazolinoproline amino acids.     

Studies on synthesis and molecular dynamics simulation of dendrimers containing amino acids and peptides

A series of poly(ether-amide) dendrimers with amino acids and peptides as the peripheral functional groups was synthesized, and their structures were confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and electrospray ionization-mass spectrometry (ESI-MS) spectrometry. Molecular dynamics simulation of the peptide dendrimers in solution was performed, indicating that, the prior conformations of the dendrimers were atom number dependent, i.e., with the increases of the atom number, the prior conformations were more spherical. Also, the amino acid α-C atom radial distribution indicated that, with larger peripheral groups, more back-folding of the dendrimers occurred. __________ Translated from Acta Chimica Sinica, 2007, 65(1): 21–26 [译自: 化学 通报]     

Improved synthesis of unnatural amino acids for peptide stapling

The procedures for the synthesis of various α-alkenyl and alkyne amino acids were systematically optimized in light of enhancing atom economy, reducing hazardous reagent usage, and simplifying workup. By starting with Boc-Pro-OH and coupling with EDCI/DMAP followed by alkylation, chiral auxiliary was synthesized with high yield and enantioselectivity. For alkylation of the chiral complex, tBuONa was found and proved by quantitative calculation to be superior to tBuOK in generating more nucleophilic enolate salt, thereby can significantly enhance yield under room temperature. Final Fmoc protection was also dramatically facilitated in one-pot sequential manner by adding EDTA-2Na as the nickel chelator. Synthesis of α-bisalkenyl amino acid was also accomplished by achiral complex approach with high yield and efficacy. Accordingly, five most commonly used N-Fmoc protected α-alkenyl and alkynyl amino acids were synthesized and characterized.     

Conformational analysis of some C2-symmetric cyclic peptides containing tetrahydrofuran amino acids

Cyclic oligomers of tetrahydrofuran amino acids, cyclo-(Taa1-Leu-Val)2 (left), cyclo-(Taa2-Leu-Val)2 (middle), and cyclo-(Taa2-Phe-Leu)2 (right), displayed well-defined intramolecularly hydrogen-bonded structures with distorted "beta-beta corner" motifs similar to the tennis ball seam.     

Solid-phase synthesis and utilization of side-chain reactive unnatural amino acids

Alkylation of the benzophenone imine of glycine Wang resin with α,ω-dihaloalkanes yielded valuable reactive intermediates. These racemic ω-chloro or ω-bromo intermediates were converted to α-amino acids containing diverse side-chain functionalities (e.g. ω-chlorides, nitriles, and thioethers), proline and its ring homologs, and 1-aminocycloalkanecarboxylic acid derivatives.     

Stereocontrolled synthesis of unnatural cyclic dipeptides containing an l-valine unit

Stereoselective synthesis of unusual nonproteinogenic dipeptides 7a,b,d,e and h and 13b and i, containing an l-valine unit and a cyclic unnatural α-amino acid, has been accomplished starting from the l-valine derived chiral synthon 1. The absolute configurations of the new stereocentres were assigned on the basis of ¹H NMR spectra.     

Ribosomal synthesis of unnatural peptides

Combinatorial libraries of non-biological polymers and drug-like peptides could in principle be synthesized from unnatural amino acids by exploiting the broad substrate specificity of the ribosome. The ribosomal synthesis of such libraries would allow rare functional molecules to be identified using technologies developed for the in vitro selection of peptides and proteins. Here, we use a reconstituted E. coli translation system to simultaneously re-assign 35 of the 61 sense codons to 12 unnatural amino acid analogues. This reprogrammed genetic code was used to direct the synthesis of a single peptide containing 10 different unnatural amino acids. This system is compatible with mRNA-display, enabling the synthesis of unnatural peptide libraries of 10(14) unique members for the in vitro selection of functional unnatural molecules. We also show that the chemical space sampled by these libraries can be expanded using mutant aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases for the incorporation of additional unnatural amino acids or by the specific posttranslational chemical derivitization of reactive groups with small molecules. This system represents a first step toward a platform for the synthesis by enzymatic tRNA aminoacylation and ribosomal translation of cyclic peptides comprised of unnatural amino acids that are similar to the nonribosomal peptides.     

Synthesis, conformational analysis and biological studies of cyclic cationic antimicrobial peptides containing sugar amino acids

Sugar amino acid based 24-membered macrocyclic C2-symmetric cationic peptides were designed and synthesized. The cationic group was introduced in the sugar amino acids. The conformation of these cyclic compounds was ascertained through NMR techniques, which proved they were amphipathic in nature. All the compounds were bacteriolytic, showed good activity against the Gr(+ve) and Gr(-ve) bacteria, and exhibited low hemolytic activity.     

Cyclic peptides containing a δ-sugar amino acid—synthesis and evaluation as artificial receptors

An Fmoc-protected δ-sugar amino acid, prepared by oxidation of a glucosamine derivative, was coupled to three different tripeptide tert-butyl esters (H-Tyr-Tyr-Tyr-O^tBu, H-Tyr-Glu(OBzl)-Tyr-O^tBu and H-Tyr-Arg(Mtr)-Tyr-O^tBu) and the resulting sugar amino acid/amino acid hybrids were transformed into dimers that were subsequently cyclized to give three C₂-symmetric macrocycles. The macrocycles were deprotected and their binding properties towards p-nitrophenyl glycosides, nucleotides, and purines were examined. Of the ligands screened, only some of the purines showed weak, but significant, binding.     

Solid-phase synthesis of linear and cyclic peptides containing a calix[4]arene amino acid

Solid-phase synthesis is used to obtain new linear and cyclic N,C-linked peptidocalixarenes. The synthetic strategy allows, for the first time, the condensation of a calix[4]arene amino acid during the stepwise elongation sequence of the peptide. An important role is played by the lower rim functionalization of the calixarene since it modulates the flexibility of the calixarene scaffold and the conformational properties of the resulting non-natural peptide.     

Expedient synthesis of triazole-linked glycosyl amino acids and peptides

[structure: see text] An expedient, high-yielding synthesis of two types of triazole-linked glycopeptides is described. These novel and stable glycopeptide mimics were prepared via Cu(I)-catalyzed [3 + 2] cycloaddition of either azide-functionalized glycosides and acetylenic amino acids or acetylenic glycosides and azide-containing amino acids.     

QSAR modeling and design of cationic antimicrobial peptides based on structural properties of amino acids

Drug resistance to existing antibiotics poses alarming threats to global public health, which inspires heightened interests in searching for new antibiotics, including antimicrobial peptides (AMPs). Accurate prediction of antibacterial activities of AMPs may expedite novel AMP design and reduce the costs and efforts involved in laboratory screening. In the present study, a novel quantitative prediction method of AMP was established by quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling based on the physicochemical properties of amino acids. The indices of these physicochemical properties were used to define AMP. The structural variables were optimized by stepwise regression (STR). Three series of AMPs from the QSAR model were constructed by multiple linear regressions (MLR). These QSAR models showed good performance in reliability and predictability. The normalized regression coefficients of the QSAR model and the contribution of amino acids at each position of AMP may determine the suitableness of a particular residue at any given position. QSAR models constructed by STR-MLR should prove to be useful tools in peptide design with respect to the calculation, explanation, good and reliable performance, and definition of physiochemical properties.     

Antimicrobial activity and protease stability of peptides containing fluorinated amino acids

Selective fluorination of peptides results in increased chemical and thermal stability with simultaneously enhanced hydrophobicity. We demonstrate here that fluorinated derivatives of two host defense antimicrobial peptides, buforin and magainin, display moderately better protease stability while retaining, or exhibiting significantly increased bacteriostatic activity. Four fluorinated analogues in the buforin and two in the magainin series were prepared and analyzed for (1) their ability to resist hydrolytic cleavage by trypsin; (2) their antimicrobial activity against both gram-positive and gram-negative bacterial strains; and (3) their hemolytic activity. All but one fluorinated peptide (M2F5) showed retention, or significant enhancement, of antimicrobial activity. The peptides also showed modest increases in protease resistance, relative to the parent peptides. Only one of the six fluorinated peptides (BII1F2) was degraded by trypsin at a slightly faster rate than the parent peptide. Hemolytic activity of peptides in the buforin series was essentially null, while fluorinated magainin analogues displayed an increase in hemolysis compared to the parent peptides. These results suggest that fluorination may be an effective strategy to increase the stability of biologically active peptides where proteolytic degradation limits therapeutic value.     

Helix and H-bond formations of alanine-based peptides containing basic amino acids

We studied comprehensively the helicity and H-bonding evolutions during the folding processes of Lys- and Arg-containing alanine-based peptides. The evolution of α-helical conformation concerning the entire sequence and each amino acid residue was examined, as well as the helix-forming propensities were characterized. The formation of various types of the intramolecular H-bonds was also investigated, pointing out the helix-stabilizing role of local interactions and the destabilizing role of non-local interplays. Our study led to the observation that the non-local H-bonds affected the evolution of helical conformations, as well as the entire folding processes.     

Synthesis of unnatural amino acids containing the 3,7-diazabicyclo-[3,3,1]nonane unit

Unnatural amino acids containing the 3,7-diazabicyclo[3,3,1]nonane unit were synthesized in one step by the reaction of diethyl 3-oxoglutarate, bis(methoxycarbonylmethyl) sulfone, with formaldehyde and primary amino acids under conditions of the Mannich reaction. __________ Translated from Khimiya Geterotsiklicheskikh Soedinenii, No. 8, 1236–1244, August, 2008.     

Molecular design and synthesis of artificial double helices

This account describes novel artificial double helices recently developed by our group. We have designed and synthesized the double helices consisting of two complementary, m-terphenyl-based strands that are intertwined through chiral amidinium-carboxylate salt bridges. Due to the chiral substituents on the amidine groups, the double helices adopted an excess one-handed helical conformation in solution as well as in the solid state. By extending the modular strategy, we have synthesized double helices bearing Pt(II) linkers, which underwent the double helix-to-double helix transformations through the chemical reactions of the Pt(II) complex moieties. In addition, artificial double-stranded metallosupramolecular helical polymers were constructed by combining the salt bridges and metal coordination. In contrast to the design-oriented double helices based on salt bridges, we have serendipitously developed a spiroborate-based double helicate bearing oligophenol strands. The optical resolution of the helicate was successfully attained by a diastereomeric salt formation. We have also unexpectedly found that oligoresorcinols consisting of a very simple repeating unit self-assemble into double helices with the aid of aromatic interactions in water. Furthermore, a bias in the twist sense of the double helices can be achieved by incorporating chiral substituents at both ends of the strands.     

Molecular characteristics of water-soluble fullerene derivatives of amino acids and peptides

The diffusion of fullerene derivatives of amino acids and peptides in dilute aqueous solutions has been studied. These derivatives can exist in solution both as separate molecules and as associates. The degree of association depends both on the nature of the amino acid or peptide residue and on the concentration of the solution.Translated fromIzvestiya Akademii Nauk. Seriya Khimicheskaya, No. 4, pp. 879–882, April, 1996.