Convergent strategies for the attachment of fluorescing reporter groups to peptide nucleic acids in solution and on solid phase

The site-selective conjugation of peptide nucleic acids (PNA) with fluorescent reporter groups is essential for the construction of hybridisation probes that can report the presence of a particular DNA sequence. This paper describes convergent methods for the solution- and solid-phase synthesis of multiply labelled PNA oligomers. The solid-phase synthesis of protected PNA enabled the selective attachment of fluorescent labels at the C-terminal end (3' in DNA) which demonstrated that further manipulations on protected PNA fragments are feasible. For the conjugation to internal sites, a method is introduced that allows for the on-resin assembly of modified monomers thereby omitting the need to synthesise an entire monomer in solution. Furthermore, it is shown that the application of a highly orthogonal protecting group strategy in combination with chemoselective conjugation reactions provides access to a rapid and automatable solid-phase synthesis of dual labelled PNA probes. Real-time measurements of nucleic acid hybridisation were possible by taking advantage of the fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) between suitably appended fluorophoric groups. Analogously to DNA-based molecular beacons, the dual labelled PNA probes were only weakly fluorescing in the single-stranded state. Hybridisation to a complementary oligonucleotide, however, induced a structural reorganisation and conferred a vivid fluorescence enhancement.     

Peptide synthesis under application of the 2-(p-diphenyl)-isopropyloxycarbonyn (Dpoc)-amino protection groups

The 2-(p-diphenyl)-isopropyloxycarbonyl (Dpoc) residue has been chosen for the selective protection of α-amino groups in the synthesis of peptides containing additional acid-labile protecting residues. It is easily introduced into amino-acids by reacting either the mixed carbonate I or the azide III with esters or salts of amino-acids. It is split by dilute acetic acid and other weakly acidic reagents at rates which permit a selective cleavage in the presence of other acid-labile protecting groups, especially those derived from t-butanol A number of peptide syntheses have been carried out with the new group either in the conventional manner or by the solid-phase method. No effects due to steric hindrance, as observed previously with the N-trityl residue, are encountered. The application of the Nα-Dpoc group to solid-phase peptide synthesis permits the use of a new combination of protecting groups in which the side chains of trifunctional amino-acids are blocked by acid-labile residues that can be easily split in the final step of the synthesis.     

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.     

The development and application of a novel safety-catch linker for BOC-based assembly of libraries of cyclic peptides.

Cyclic peptides are appealing targets in the drug-discovery process. Unfortunately, there currently exist no robust solid-phase strategies that allow the synthesis of large arrays of discrete cyclic peptides. Existing strategies are complicated, when synthesizing large libraries, by the extensive workup that is required to extract the cyclic product from the deprotection/cleavage mixture. To overcome this, we have developed a new safety-catch linker. The safety-catch concept described here involves the use of a protected catechol derivative in which one of the hydroxyls is masked with a benzyl group during peptide synthesis, thus making the linker deactivated to aminolysis. This masked derivative of the linker allows BOC solid-phase peptide assembly of the linear precursor. Prior to cyclization, the linker is activated and the linear peptide deprotected using conditions commonly employed (TFMSA), resulting in deprotected peptide attached to the activated form of the linker. Scavengers and deprotection adducts are removed by simple washing and filtration. Upon neutralization of the N-terminal amine, cyclization with concomitant cleavage from the resin yields the cyclic peptide in DMF solution. Workup is simple solvent removal. To exemplify this strategy, several cyclic peptides were synthesized targeted toward the somatostatin and integrin receptors. From this initial study and to show the strength of this method, we were able to synthesize a cyclic-peptide library containing over 400 members. This linker technology provides a new solid-phase avenue to access large arrays of cyclic peptides.     

Efficient conjugation of peptides to oligonucleotides by "native ligation"

A new strategy has been developed for conjugation of peptides to oligonucleotides. The method is based on the "native ligation" of an N-terminal thioester-functionalized peptide to a 5'-cysteinyl oligonucleotide. Two new reagents were synthesized for use in solid-phase peptide and oligonucleotide synthesis, respectively. Pentafluorophenyl S-benzylthiosuccinate was used in the final coupling step in standard Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide assembly. Deprotection with trifluoracetic acid generated in solution peptides substituted with an N-terminal S-benzylthiosuccinyl moiety. O-trans-4-(N-alpha-Fmoc-S-tert-butylsulfenyl-L-cysteinyl)aminoc yclohe xyl O-2-cyanoethyl-N,N-diisopropylphosphoramidite was used in the final coupling step in standard phosphoramidite solid-phase oligonucleotide assembly. Deprotection with aqueous ammonia solution generated in solution 5'-S-tert-butylsulfenyl-L-cysteinyl functionalized oligonucleotides. Functionalized peptides and oligonucleotides were used without purification in native ligation conjugation reactions in aqueous/organic solution using tris-(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine to remove the tert-butylsulfenyl group in situ and thiophenol as a conjugation enhancer. A range of peptide-oligonucleotide conjugates were prepared by this route and purified by reversed-phase HPLC.     

New heterocyclic beta-sheet ligands with peptidic recognition elements

A detailed and comprehensive overview is presented about the design, modeling, and synthesis, as well as spectroscopic characterization, of a new class of beta-sheet ligands. The characteristic feature of these compounds is a peptidic chimeric structure formed from a specific combination of aminopyrazolecarboxylic acids with naturally occurring alpha-amino acids. These hybrid peptides are designed with the aid of molecular modeling to exist mainly in an extended conformation. All their hydrogen bond donors and acceptors can be aligned at the bottom face in such a way that a perfect complementarity toward beta-sheets is obtained. Thus the aminopyrazoles impart rigidity and a highly efficient DAD sequence for the recognition of whole dipeptide fragments, whereas the natural alpha-amino acids are designed to mimick recognition sites in proteins, ultimately leading to sequence-selective protein recognition. The synthetic protocols either rely upon solution phase peptide coupling with a PMB protecting group strategy or solid-phase peptide coupling based on the Fmoc strategy, using the same protecting group. In solution, a key building block was prepared by catalytic reduction of a nitropyrazolecarboxylic acid precursor. Subsequently, it was (N-1)-protected with a PMB group, and elongated by HCTU- or T3P-assisted peptide coupling with dipeptide fragments, followed by PyClop-assisted coupling with another nitropyrazolecarboxylic acid building block. Final simultaneous deprotection of all PMB groups with hot TFA completed the high-yield protocol, which works racemization-free. After preparing a similar key building block with an Fmoc protection at N-3, we developed a strategy suitable for automated synthesis of larger hybrid ligands on a peptide synthesizer. Attachment of the first amino acid to a polystyrene resin over the Sieber amide linker is followed by an iterative sequence consisting of Fmoc deprotection with piperidine and subsequent coupling with natural alpha-amino acid via HATU/HOAt. High yields of free hybrid peptides are obtained after mild acidic cleavage from the resin, followed by deprotection of the PMB groups with hot TFA. The new aminopyrazole peptide hybrid compounds were characterized by various spectroscopic measurements including CD spectra, VT, and ROESY NMR experiments. All these accumulated data indicate the absence of any intramolecular hydrogen bonds and strongly support an extended conformation in solution, ideal for docking on to solvent-exposed beta-sheets in proteins. Initial results from aggregation tests of pathological proteins with these and related ligands look extremely promising.     

Convergent solid phase peptide synthesis. I. Synthesis of protected segments on a hydroxymethylphenyloxymethyl resin using the base labile FMOC α-amine protection. Model synthesis of LHRH.

Convergent solid phase peptide synthesis has been applied to yield LHRH. The segments 1–6 and 7–10 of LHRH were synthesized on a hydroxymethylphenyloxymethyl resin using the base labile Fmoc protecting group on the α-amines. The side chains were protected by HF labile groups. Purification of the segments was performed on Sephadex LH-20 columns and by HPLC on Silica Gel 60 columns. The two segments were then assembled on an α-aminobenzyl resin to yield entire sequence of LHRH. After HF treatment and standard purification on Sephadex G-15 and carboxymethylcellulose CM-52 the desired LHRH was obtained. Synthesis of the segments by the same strategy on carbazoyloxymethylphenyloxymethyl resin showed up unexpected difficulties.     

Preparation and Applications of Xanthenylamide (XAL) Handles for Solid-Phase Synthesis of C-Terminal Peptide Amides under Particularly Mild Conditions(1-3)

[[9-[(9-Fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl)amino]xanthen-2(or 3)-yl]oxy]alkanoic acid (XAL) handles have been prepared by efficient four-step routes from 2- or 3-hydroxyxanthone and coupled onto a range of amino-functionalized supports. The resultant XAL supports are the starting points for solid-phase peptide synthesis by Fmoc chemistry. Upon completion of chain assembly, C-terminal peptide amides are released in excellent yields and purities by use of low concentrations [1-5% (v/v)] of trifluoroacetic acid (TFA) in dichloromethane, often without a need for added carbocation scavengers. These cleavage conditions allow retention of all or a significant portion of tert-butyl type and related side-chain protecting groups, which subsequently may be removed fully in a solution process carried out at higher acid concentration. XAL supports are particularly useful for the synthesis of acid-sensitive peptides, including tryptophan-containing sequences that are known to be susceptible to yield- and/or purity-reducing alkylation side reactions. The effectiveness of this chemistry was shown with the syntheses of prothrombin (1-9), acyl carrier protein (65-74), Tabanus atratus adipokinetic hormone, fragments of the protein RHK 1, CCK-8 sulfate, and oxytocin. Furthermore, the application of XAL supports for the preparation of fully protected peptide amides has been demonstrated.     

Aryldithioethyloxycarbonyl (Ardec): a new family of amine protecting groups removable under mild reducing conditions and their applications to peptide synthesis

The development of phenyldithioethyloxycarbonyl (Phdec) and 2-pyridyldithioethyloxycarbonyl (Pydec) protecting groups, which are thiol-labile urethanes, is described. These new disulfide-based protecting groups were introduced onto the epsilon-amino group of L-lysine; the resulting amino acid derivatives were easily converted into N alpha-Fmoc building blocks suitable for both solid- and solution-phase peptide synthesis. Model dipeptide(Ardec)s were prepared by using classical peptide couplings followed by standard deprotection protocols. They were used to optimize the conditions for complete thiolytic removal of the Ardec groups both in aqueous and organic media. Phdec and Pydec were found to be cleaved within 15 to 30 min under mild reducing conditions: i) by treatment with dithiothreitol or beta-mercaptoethanol in Tris.HCl buffer (pH 8.5-9.0) for deprotection in water and ii) by treatment with beta-mercaptoethanol and 1,8-diazobicyclo[5.4.0]undec-7-ene (DBU) in N-methylpyrrolidinone for deprotection in an organic medium. Successful solid-phase synthesis of hexapeptides Ac-Lys-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-Lys(Ardec)-NH2 has clearly demonstrated the full orthogonality of these new amino protecting groups with Fmoc and Boc protections. The utility of the Ardec orthogonal deprotection strategy for site-specific chemical modification of peptides bearing several amino groups was illustrated firstly by the preparation of a fluorogenic substrate for caspase-3 protease containing the cyanine dyes Cy 3.0 and Cy 5.0 as FRET donor/acceptor pair, and by solid-phase synthesis of an hexapeptide bearing a single biotin reporter group.     

Angiotensin II Analogues. Part II. Synthesis and incorporation of the sulfur-containing aromatic amino acids: L-(4′-SH)Phe,L-(4′-SO2NH2)Phe,L-(4′-SO)Phe and L-(4′-S-CH3)Phe

L -Phenylalanine has been treated with chlorosulfonic acid and the product was either hydrolyzed, ammonolyzed or reduced. The resulting sulfonic-acid and aminosulfonyl derivatives have been employed for peptide synthesis with Boc-protection of the N^α-position only. The reduction product L -(4′-SH)Phe has been protected by formation of asymmetric disulfides or with various thiol protecting groups (benzyl-, methyl- and acetamidomethyl groups, the latter being the most suitable for peptide synthesis). With these protected amino acids several analogues of angiotensin II have been synthesized by the solid-phase method. These analogues have been used for structure-activity relationship studies on three different bioassays.     

Optimized sample preparation for MALDI mass spectrometry analysis of protected synthetic peptides

The recent development and commercialization of Fuzeon (enfuvirtide) demonstrated that a convergent strategy comprised of both solid- and solution-phase synthetic methodologies presents a viable route for peptide manufacturing on a multi-ton scale. In this strategy, the target sequence is prepared by stepwise solid-phase synthesis of protected peptide fragments, which are then coupled together in the solution-phase to give the full-length sequence. These synthetic methodologies pose a unique challenge for mass spectrometry (MS), as protected peptide intermediates are often marked by poor solubility, structural lability, and low ionization potential. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) MS is uniquely suited to such analytes; however, generalized protocols for MALDI analysis of protected peptides have yet to be demonstrated. Herein, we report an operationally simple sample preparation method for MALDI analysis of protected peptides, which greatly facilitates the collection and interpretation of MS data. In this method, the difficulty in MS analysis of protected peptides has been greatly diminished by use of dithranol as a matrix and CsCl as an additive, giving rise to intentionally-formed Cs(+) adducts. With greatly reduced fragmentation, better crystalline morphology, and easier data interpretation, we anticipate that these findings will find utility in peptide process development and manufacturing settings for reaction monitoring, troubleshooting, and quality control.     

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.     

Facile solid-phase synthesis of sulfated tyrosine-containing peptides: total synthesis of human big gastrin-II and cholecystokinin (CCK)-39.

Chemical synthesis of tyrosine O-sulfated peptides is still a laborious task for peptide chemists because of the intrinsic acid-lability of the sulfate moiety. An efficient cleavage/deprotection procedure without loss of the sulfate is the critical difficulty remaining to be solved for fluoren-9-ylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-based solid-phase synthesis of sulfated peptides. To overcome the difficulty, TFA-mediated solvolysis rates of a tyrosine O-sulfate [Tyr(SO3H)] residue and two protecting groups, tBu for the hydroxyl group of Ser and 2,2,4,6,7-pentamethyldihydrobenzofuran-5-sulfonyl (Pbf) for the guanidino group of Arg, were examined in detail. The desulfation obeyed first-order kinetics with a large entropy (59.6 J.K-1.mol-1) and enthalpy (110.5 kJ.mol-1) of activation. These values substantiated that the desulfation rate of the rigidly solvated Tyr(SO3H) residue was strongly temperature-dependent. By contrast, the SN1-type deprotections were less temperature-dependent and proceeded smoothly in TFA of a high ionizing power. Based on the large rate difference between the desulfation and the SN1-type deprotections in cold TFA, an efficient deprotection protocol for the sulfated peptides was developed. Our synthetic strategy for Tyr(SO3H)-containing peptides with this effective deprotection protocol is as follows: (i) a sulfated peptide chain is directly constructed on 2-chlorotrityl resin with Fmoc-based solid-phase chemistry using Fmoc-Tyr(SO3Na)-OH as a building block; (ii) the protected peptide-resin is treated with 90% aqueous TFA at 0 degree C for an appropriate period of time for the cleavage and deprotection. Human cholecystokinin (CCK)-12, mini gastrin-II (14 residues), and little gastrin-II (17 residues) were synthesized with this method in 26-38% yields without any difficulties. This method was further applied to the stepwise synthesis of human big gastrin-II (34 residues), CCK-33 and -39. Despite the prolonged acid treatment (15-18 h at 0 degree C), the ratios of the desulfated peptides were less than 15%, and the pure sulfated peptides were obtained in around 10% yields.     

Convergent solid phase peptide synthesis IV. : Synthesis of the 35–43 and 32–34 protected segments of the toxin II of androctonus australis hector

The protected peptide segments corresponding to the sequences 35–43 and 32–34 of toxin II of the scorpion Androctonus australis Hector have been synthesized on a -alkoxybenzyl ester resin using the base-labile Fmoc -amino protection and HF-labile side chain protecting groups. Crude peptides obtained after trifluoroacetic acid cleavage have been purified by solvent extraction, dimethylacetamide-water precipitation and semi-preparative reversed phase HPLC. Both synthetic and purification protocols have been optimized for good yields and high purity. Fast atom bombardment mass spectrometry has proved to be a very useful technique to characterize protected peptide segments.     

Novel diphenylmethyl-Derived Amide Protecting Group for Efficient Liquid-Phase Peptide Synthesis: AJIPHASE

An efficient method for the synthesis of peptides bearing an amide at the C-terminal is described. This method involves the attachment of a C-terminal protecting group bearing long aliphatic chains, followed by the repetition of simple reaction and precipitation steps with the combined advantages of liquid-phase peptide synthesis (LPPS) and solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Using this method, a hydrophobic peptide was successfully synthesized in good yield and high purity, which cannot be obtained satisfactorily by SPPS.     

Solid-phase total synthesis of trunkamide A(1).

Marine organisms are a rich source of novel, biologically active compounds. Herein, the solid-phase total synthesis of trunkamide A, currently in preclinical trials, is presented. Trunkamide A contains a thiazoline heterocycle and two residues of Ser and Thr with the hydroxy function modified as reverse prenyl (rPr). Cornerstones of the synthesis are as follows: (i) solid-phase peptide chain elongation using a quasi-orthogonal protecting scheme with tert-butyl and fluorenyl based groups, on a chlorotrityl resin; (ii) concourse of HOAt-based coupling reagents; and (iii) cyclizations in solution. Furthermore, the following synthetic steps are discussed: (i) preparation of the reverse prenyl derivatives of Ser and Thr; (ii) introduction of precursor of thiazoline as a protected amino thionoacid derivative; and (iii) formation of the thiazoline ring with DAST. All these features make this strategy particularly suitable for the large-scale synthesis of trunkamide A and other peptides containing the same motifs.     

The synthesis of acid- and base-labile lipopeptides on solid support

Lipidated peptides, including characteristic partial structures of human Ras proteins, were synthesized by means of a new solid-phase technique in 22-68 % yield. This technique gives access to farnesylated, palmitoylated, and doubly lipidated peptides as methyl esters or carboxylic acids carrying a fluorescent tag or a maleimide moiety for coupling to proteins. The peptide backbones were built up on the resin by using 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl chemistry together with the oxidatively cleavable hydrazide linker. As a key step, the acid-labile farnesyl and basic-labile palmitoyl lipid groups were introduced onto the resin after the cleavage of appropriate acid- or reduction-sensitive protecting groups from the cysteine residues. Optional introduction of different fluorescent tags or a maleimide group into the peptide was followed by release of the resin-bound target peptide as the methyl ester or carboxylic acid by very mild copper(II)-mediated oxidation in slightly acidic or basic media. This new methodology should substantially facilitate the access to lipidated peptides for the study of important biological phenomena like biological signal transduction, localization, and vesicular transport.     

Antigenic properties of the second loop of transforming growth factor alpha by synthetic peptides.

We describe synthesis and immunological properties of peptides constructed based on the second loop of TGF-alpha. The peptides were synthesized manually using a standard solid-phase Boc protocol. Sulfhydryl groups were protected as acetamidomethyl derivatives during the synthesis and the disulfide bridges were formed at high dilution by oxidation with iodine in the presence of glutathione. In ELISA assays antibodies to the peptides were inhibited by the native hormone to various extents. In addition, two peptides reacted well with a polyclonal antibody to TGF-alpha, but this reaction was only slightly inhibited by TGF-alpha in solution.     

Convergent solid phase peptide synthesis. v. synthesis of the 1-4, 32-34, and 53-59 protected segments of the toxin ii of androctonus australis hector.

Two protected peptide segments corresponding to the sequence 32-34 and 53-59 of toxin II of the north African scorpion Androctonus australis Hector have been synthesized on a photolabile Nbb-resin using the TFA-labile Boc -amino protection and HF-labile side chain protecting groups. A third protected peptide corresponding to segment 1-4 has been synthesized on the same resin but with a t-butyl group for β protection of aspartic acid and a Z group on the lysine side chain. For this last segment a combination of Boc and Fmoc groups for -amino protection has been used successfully on the Nbb-resin. After photolysis the crude peptides have been treated by solvent extraction and semi-preparative HPLC to yield highly purified segments. These syntheses show the flexibility of the convergent solid phase approach and how segments with different and independent protecting groups can be assembled by solid phase peptide procedure.     

Synthesis of insulin fragments with disulfide bridges between intact chains A20-B19

The synthesis of six insulin fragments is described, in which various sequences of the two chains are linked by the disulfide bridge between A²⁰ and B¹⁹. The fragments in question are: A^20–21–B^19–21, A^20–21–B^18–21, A^20–21–B^17–21, A^19–21–B^19–21, A^16–21–B^18–21 and A^20–21–B^12–21. In order to build up the simpler fragments the disulfide bridge was established by oxidation with iodine of two S-trityl cysteine peptides in which the carboxyl and amino groups were protected by the t-butyl and t-butyloxycarbonyl residue. From the mixture obtained the unsymmetrical cystine peptide was separated in all cases from the two symmetrical ones by counter-current distribution. In the synthesis of the more complex fragments advantageous use was made of smaller unsymmetrical fragments prepared as above but having one amino group protected by the N-trityl residue. After selective elimination of this group it was possible to lengthen the peptide chain at this position. The free peptides were obtained by removal of the protecting groups with strong acids, in particular concentrated hydrochloric acid. While in this deprotecting step the disulfide bond was stable, conditions are discussed under which disproportionation was observed. None of the six synthetic insulin fragments showed activity in stimulating rat adipose tissue to convert ¹⁴C-labelled glucose to CO₂ in vitro.