Sugar-assisted glycopeptide ligation

The chemical synthesis of glycopeptides and glycoproteins from readily available materials presents an attractive route to homogeneous products for structural and functional studies. Chemical synthesis of glycopeptides and glycoproteins based on native chemical ligation represents one of the useful methods for the synthesis of natural glycopeptide structures. Here we describe a method that allows for the synthesis of glycopeptides from cysteine-free peptides. This method utilizes a peptide thioester and a glycopeptide in which the sugar moiety is modified with a thiol handle at the C-2 position. Upon completion of the ligation reaction, the thiol handle can be reduced with H2/metal to the acetamide moiety, furnishing the unmodified glycopeptides. Together, this sequence of reactions displays an attractive potential in glycopeptides and glycoproteins synthesis.     

Sugar-assisted ligation of N-linked glycopeptides with broad sequence tolerance at the ligation junction

A novel method for the synthesis of N-linked glycopeptides using the sugar-assisted ligation strategy from cysteine free peptides is presented. The ligation junction tolerates a variety of amino acids, favoring less hindered amino acids and those with side chains that could serve as a general base in the ligation pathway. Since our approach allows the ligation of difficult junctions, the method could be applied to the synthesis of large peptides by enzymatic removal of the sugar moiety. Alternatively, more complex glycopeptides can be synthesized using glycosyltransferases. Together, this sequence of reactions should be amenable to the synthesis of glycopeptides and glycoproteins and their deglycosylated products.     

Amine-directed hydroboration: scope and limitations

Iodine activation induces intramolecular hydroboration of homoallylic and bis-homoallylic amine boranes with good to excellent control of regiochemistry compared to control experiments using excess THF*BH 3. Deuterium labeling and other evidence confirm that the iodine-induced hydroboration reaction of homoallylic amine boranes occurs via an intramolecular mechanism equivalent to the classical 4-center process and without competing retro-hydroboration. Longer carbon chain tethers result in lower regioselectivity, whereas the shorter tether in allylic amines results in a switch to dominant intermolecular hydroboration. Regioselectivity in THF*BH 3 control experiments is higher for the allylic amine boranes compared to the iodine activation experiments, whereas the reverse is true for homoallylic amine borane activation.     

Synthesis of clustered glycoside-antigen conjugates by two one-pot, orthogonal, chemoselective ligation reactions: scope and limitations

Major histocompatibility class II antigens have been bound to clustered glycosides for selective targeting of the dendritic cell mannose receptor. Di-, tetra-, and octavalent glycoside-antigen conjugates have been obtained after two, orthogonal, hydrazone/thioether ligations, performed by using thio derivatives of D-mannose, D-galactose, or D(-)-quinic acid, glyoxylyl (or hydrazino)-N-chloroacetylated lysinyl trees, and N-terminal hydrazino (or glyoxylyl) peptide antigens. Successful one-pot condensations have been developed to account for the nature of the antigens and the valency of the trees.     

The solid-phase Nicholas reaction: scope and limitations

Two libraries of alpha-substituted alkynes has been prepared on solid phase using a sequential Sonogashira/Nicholas reaction approach. The scope of nucleophiles in the Nicholas reaction on solid phase has been investigated, including carbon, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur, fluoride, and hydride nucleophiles. The conditions for the reaction sequence have been optimized in terms of Lewis acid, catalyst for the Sonogashira step, temperature, reaction time, and decomplexation method, enabling the five-step sequence to be performed in 1 day.     

Extended sugar-assisted glycopeptide ligations: development, scope, and applications

Recently, we reported the development of sugar-assisted ligation (SAL), a novel peptide ligation method for the synthesis of glycopeptides. After screening a large number of glycoprotein sequences in a glycoprotein database, it became evident that a large proportion (approximately 53%) of O-glycosylation sites contain amino acid residues that will not undergo SAL reactions. To overcome these inherent limitations and broaden the scope of the method we report here the development of an extended SAL method. Glycopeptides containing up to six amino acid extensions N-terminal to the glycosylated residue were shown to facilitate ligation reactions with peptide thioesters, and these products were isolated in good yields. Kinetic analysis was used to show that as glycopeptides were extended by further amino acid residues, ligation reactions became slower. This finding was rationalized by molecular dynamics simulations using AMBER9. These studies suggested a general trend whereby the proximal distance between the reactive sites of the thioester intermediate (the N-terminal amine and the carbonyl carbon of the thioester) increased as glycopeptides were extended, thus slowing down the ligation rate. Each of the extended SAL methods showed broad tolerance to a number of different amino acid combinations at the ligation junction. Re-evaluation of the glycoprotein database suggested that 95% of the O-linked glycosylation sites can now be utilized to facilitate SAL or extended SAL reactions. As such, this method represents an extremely valuable tool for the synthesis of naturally occurring glycopeptides and glycoproteins. To demonstrate the applicability of the method, extended SAL was successfully implemented in the synthesis of the starting unit of the cancer-associated MUC1 glycoprotein.     

Titanium mediated alkylidenation of substituted cycloalkenones: scope and limitations

The conversion of the cyclopent-2-enone 5 and cyclohex-2-enones 11a, c-e into corresponding α′-exo-alkylidene compounds using Ti(IV) catalysis, with PPh₃ and an aldehyde, is described.     

Reversible microencapsulation of pybox-Ru chiral catalysts: scope and limitations

Chiral Pybox-Ru catalysts can be microencapsulated into linear polystyrene as a method to recover and recycle the valuable catalyst. These catalysts allow 60-68% yields to be achieved with enantioselectivities in the range 75-85% ee in the benchmark cyclopropanation reaction between styrene and ethyl diazoacetate. The catalyst is soluble in the reaction solvent and is re-encapsulated at the end of the reaction. The great advantage of this methodology is that the chiral ligand does not need to be modified, but the recycling is highly solvent dependent—in contrast with the catalysts immobilized through covalent bonds.     

Oligosaccharide-peptide ligation of glycosyl thiolates with dehydropeptides: synthesis of S-linked mucin-related glycopeptide conjugates

A chemoselective strategy for oligosaccharide-peptide ligation is described in which alpha-thio analogues of mucin-related glycoconjugates can be readily accessed through site-selective conjugate addition of complex oligosaccharide thiolates to dehydroalanine-containing peptides. The efficiency of the ligation is highlighted by the rapid convergent assembly of thio-isosteres of the four tumor-associated carbohydrate antigens, T(N), T, ST(N), and 2,6-ST, as a pair of diastereoisomers at the newly formed cysteine stereocenter. The process proceeds in high yield and with complete retention of the alpha-anomeric configuration.     

Asymmetric sulfur ylide reactions with boranes: scope and limitations, mechanism and understanding

The reactions of aryl-stabilized sulfur ylides with organoboranes has been studied under a variety of conditions. At 5 or -78 degrees C, the reaction with Et3B gave a mixture of the first and second homologation products, but at -100 degrees C, only the first homologation product was obtained even with just 1.1 equiv of Et3B. Under these optimized conditions, the chiral sulfur ylides (derived from camphor sulfonic acid) with different aryl groups were reacted with Et3B to give the corresponding alcohols (95-98% yield, 96-98% ee) and amines (74-77% yield, >98% ee). The origin of the high enantioselectivity is discussed. The use of nonsymmetrical 9-BBN derivatives was also explored. It was found that whereas primary alkyl substituents gave mixtures of products derived from competing migration of the boron substituent and the boracycle, all other groups resulted in either exclusive migration of the boron substituent (Ph, hexenyl, i-Pr) or exclusive migration of the boracycle (hexynyl, cyclopropyl). The factors responsible for the outcome of the reactions involving a hindered (i-Pr) and an unhindered (propynyl) substituent were studied by DFT calculations. This revealed that, in the case of an unhindered substituent, the conformation of the ate complex is the dominant factor whereas, in the case of a hindered substituent, the barriers to interconversion between the conformers of the ate complex and subsequent migration control the outcome of the reaction.     

Rhodium-catalyzed asymmetric cyclodimerization of oxabenzonorbornadienes and azabenzonorbornadienes: scope and limitations

Cationic rhodium(I)-catalyzed cyclodimerization of oxabenzonorbornadienes produced naphtho[1,2-b]furan ring systems in a single step with excellent yields and excellent enantioselectivities. The effect of various Rh(I) catalysts, Ag(I) salts, solvents, and phosphine ligands on the yield and enantioselectivity of the reaction was investigated, and the scope and limitations of this reaction with various oxabicyclic alkenes were studied. Similar results were obtained with the azabenzonorbornadiene analogues, providing the corresponding cyclodimerization products in excellent yields and excellent enantioselectivities.     

Metathesis of heteroatom-substituted olefins and alkynes: Current scope and limitations

The use of vinyl- or alkynyl derivatives of the type CC–X or CC–X (where X is an heteroatom) as substrates for metathesis increases further this reaction’s versatility. Selected examples illustrating recent progress in this area of research are presented. Current scope and future potential developments are discussed.     

Radical transfer hydroamination with aminated cyclohexadienes using polarity reversal catalysis: scope and limitations

The synthesis of various new 1-aminated-2,5-cyclohexadienes is described. These reagents can be used in radical transfer hydroaminations of unactivated and electron-rich double bonds. With thiols as polarity reversal catalysts good yields are obtained. The radical hydroamination occurs with good to excellent anti-Markovnikov selectivity. Many functional groups such as alcohols, silyl ethers, phosphonates, arylbromides, imides, amides, and also acidic protons are tolerated under the reaction conditions. DFT calculations provide insights into the aromatization of silyl, alkyl, and aminyl substituted cyclohexadienyl radicals to generate the corresponding C-, Si-, and N-centered radicals.     

Transition-metal-free Suzuki-type coupling reactions: scope and limitations of the methodology

The scope and limitations of the transition-metal-free Suzuki-type coupling of aryl halides and arylboronic acids to form biaryls are presented. Confirmation that the reaction is indeed metal-free is presented. The effects of changing base, solvent, reaction temperature, phase-transfer catalyst, and substrate are shown and the implications of these results discussed in terms of their impact on the synthetic versatility of the methodology. The main findings are that the reaction works well for aryl bromides, water is necessary as a solvent for the reaction, the optimum temperature for the reaction is 150 degrees C, the reaction is best performed by using microwave promotion with the exception of an electron-poor aryl bromide example where conventional heating may be used, only limited boronic acids can be used as coupling partners, sodium carbonate is the best base for the reaction, tetrabutylammonium bromide proves to be the best phase-transfer catalyst for the reaction, the reaction is limited to couplings between aryl halides and aryl boronic acids with sp(2)-sp(3) couplings proving ineffective, and NaBPh(4) can be used in the place of phenylboronic acid as a phenylating agent.     

[(NHC)AuCl]-catalyzed Meyer-Schuster rearrangement: scope and limitations

An efficient catalytic system allowing for the synthesis of a variety of α,β-unsaturated ketones has been developed. [(NHC)AuCl] (NHCN-heterocyclic carbene) in the presence of a silver(I) salt was found to catalyze the Meyer-Schuster rearrangement, leading to α,β-unsaturated ketones from easily accessible propargylic alcohols in high yields. Catalysis was performed in a 2:1 mixture of methanol and water at 60 °C and afforded good yields even for tertiary alcohols and sterically demanding substrates. Thorough evaluation of the present catalytic system uncovered that it was unsuitable for terminal alkynes and primary alcohols. In these cases low yields of the target molecules were obtained due to the formation of unexpected by-products.     

Palladium-catalyzed α-arylation of ketones on solid support: scope and limitations

The palladium-catalyzed α-arylation of ketones on solid support is described. Using modified Buchwald-Hartwig reaction conditions, the coupling of immobilized 4-bromobenzamide with various aromatic, heteroaromatic, and aliphatic ketones was investigated. Subsequent cleavage from the resin provided the desired α-aryl ketones almost in moderate to high yields and good to excellent purities. The scope and limitations of this protocol will be discussed.     

The azaphilic addition of organometallic reagents on tetrazines: scope and limitations

A series of tetrazines were reacted with organometallic reagents. Depending on the nature of the metal azaphilic addition, reduction of the tetrazine or simple complex formation was the predominant transformation and usually high selectivity was observed.