Design, synthesis, structure and properties of an α-helix cap template derived from N-[(2S)-2-chloropropionyl]-(2S)-Pro-(2R)-Ala-(2S,4S)-4-thioPro-OMe which initiates α-helical structures

A strategy based upon removing the requirement for all of the carbonyl dipoles to align at the same time in the transition state leading to the cyclisation of N-(2S)-2-chloropropionyl]-(2S)-Pro-(2R)-Ala-(2S,4S)-4-thioPro-OMe to a Zimm-Bragg type α-helix peptide intitator template was successful. Each amide bond of the 12-membered macrocyclic template existed in the trans-rotomeric form. Derivatives of the template were prepared by extending the C-terminus and these were characterised by NMR spectroscopy and restrained simulated annealing. In deuterochloroform solution at low temperature, separate sets of NMR signals were observed for two rapidly interconverting helical conformational isomers of the thioether macrocycle which possessed an appended trialkylammonium ion. A similar time-averaged conformation was also observed in aqueous solution. At −80 °C in d₂-dichloromethane the rate of conformational exchange was slowed sufficiently to obtain resonance assignments and NOE data separately for each isomer. In the minor isomer (40%), the four carbonyl oxygen hydrogen-bond acceptors of the template are aligned in an α-helical conformation and in the major conformer the Pro² carbonyl dipole was anti-aligned with the other three dipoles. Thus, the conformers differ in the orientation of one carbonyl group. Molecular modelling calculations showed that the minor isomer was stabilised by coulombic interactions between the trialkylammonium salt and the carbonyl group dipole moments.