Application of tri- and tetrasubstituted alkene dipeptide mimetics to conformational studies of cyclic RGD peptides

The first application of a combination of novel ψ(E)-CXCX]-type alkene dipeptide isosteres to conformation studies of cyclic bioactive peptides was carried out (X=H or Me). For exploration of bioactive conformations of Kessler's cyclic RGD peptides, cyclo(-Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-Val-) 1 and cyclo(-Arg-Gly-Asp-d-Phe-N-MeVal-) 2, d-Phe-ψ(E)-CXCX]-l-Val-type dipeptide isosteres were utilized having di-, tri- and tetrasubstituted alkenes containing the γ-methylated isosteres that have been reported to be potential type II′ β-turn promoters. All of the (E)-alkene pseudopeptides 3-6 exhibited higher antagonistic potency against α_vβ₃ integrin than 1, although potencies were slightly lower than 2. Detailed structural analysis using ¹H NMR spectroscopy revealed that representative type II′ β/γ backbone arrangements proposed for 1, were not observed in peptides 3-6. Rather on the basis of ¹H NMR data, the conformations of peptides 3-6 were estimated to be more analogous to those of the N-methylated peptide 2.