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Non-natural, tailor-made amino acids are of crucial importance to the synthesis of bioactive peptides and new chemical entities. Innovative methodology is always needed for the preparation of enant...

Unusual amino acids are of crucial importance to the synthesis of bioactive peptides and new chemical entities. Innovative methodology is always needed for the preparation of enantiomerically pure amino acids that does not rely on tedious resolution procedures. The proline-derived ligands (R)- and (S)-N-(2-benzoyl-4-chlorophenyl)-1-(3,4-dichlorobenzyl)pyrrolidine-2-carboxamide are outstanding, versatile, and recyclable reagents for the synthesis of tailor-made α- and β-amino acids. Here we report initial studies of the scale-up synthesis of the HCl salt of these reagents on the 100 g scale. The results demonstrate an increased efficiency and environmental friendliness of the bench-scale procedure and provides a firm foundation for the manufacture on multikilogram and larger scales.

Cyclic eight‐membered ring lactams have been prepared which are formally analogs of Phe‐Ala or Ala‐Phe dipeptides joined together on their side chains. These are termed bis‐phenylalanines because they are phenylalanine with respect to both of the residues in which the phenyl ring is shared between the two. The key synthetic step was the Negishi coupling of Boc‐β‐I‐Ala methyl ester with a suitably protected 2′‐I phenylalanine.

Reduction of (1 R ,6 R )-7,9-diazabicyclo[4.2.2]dec-3-ene-8,10-dione ( 5 ) with lithium aluminum hydride gave a mixture of the expected (1 R ,6 R )-7,9-diazabicyclo[4.2.2]dec-3-ene ( 2 ) as well as 7,9-diazabicyclo[4.3.1]dec-3-ene ( 3 ), resulting from 1,2-σ (C–C) migration of the pendant cis -2-butenyl ring. More of the rearranged product was observed in polar solvents and upon the addition of HMPA. The relief of ring strain imparted by the olefin may promote this rearrangement, as it was not observed when the olefin was reduced prior to the reduction.

The enediyne moiety is a versatile functional group found in natural anticancer and anti-infective agents, undergoing the Bergman cyclization reaction to afford a diradical which cleaves double-stranded DNA. We have incorporated the enediyne group into 10- (4-10) and 12-membered ring (11) cyclic amino acids and dipeptides, respectively, and explored their relative reactivity toward cyclization, varying N-substitution in the case of the 10-membered ring substrate, which gave the expected cyclization products in good yields when using either thermal conditions in the presence or absence of microwave irradiation. The N-tosyl substituted derivative (4) was shown to nick double-stranded supercoiled DNA. N-Arylsulfonyl substitution on the ring promoted the cyclization, when compared to N-mesyl or acyl substitution, possibly because of a pi-pi stacking effect as an endo-relationship of the aryl group with the enediyne was demonstrated in both the solid state and in solution. The 12-membered ring enediyne dipeptide (11) was inert to the Bergman cyclization under a variety of conditions. When this substrate was irradiated with ultraviolet light, regio- and stereospecific reduction was observed in which one of the alkynes was reduced to a Z-olefin (47).

[structure: see text] We have prepared 7,9-diazabicyclo[4.2.2]dec-3-ene-8,10-dione (3) and 7,9-diazabicyclo[4.2.2]decane-8,10-dione (4), which differ by virtue of the degree of unsaturation in the bridging carbacyclic tether on a 2,5-diketopiperazine. Remarkably different self-assembly patterns were observed in the solid state for the two compounds, attributed to subtle variations in the conformational constraints imposed by the tether.

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are membrane-bound, pentameric ligand-gated ion channels associated with a variety of human disorders such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and pain. Most known nAChRs contain an unusual eight-membered disulfide-containing cysteinyl-cysteine ring, ox-[Cys-Cys], as does the soluble acetylcholine binding protein (AChBP) found in the snail Lymnaea stagnalis. The cysteinyl-cysteine ring is located in a region implicated in ligand binding, and conformational changes involving this ring may be important for modulation of nAChR function. We have studied the preferred conformations of Ac-ox-[Cys-Cys]-NH2 by NMR in water and computationally by Monte Carlo simulations using the OPLS-AA force field and GB/SA water model. ox-[Cys-Cys] adopts four distinct low-energy conformers at slightly above 0 degrees C in water. Two populations are dependent on the peptide omega2 dihedral angle, with the trans amide favored over the cis amide by a ratio of ca. 60:40. Two ox-[Cys-Cys] conformers with a cis amide bond (C+ and C-) differ from each other primarily by variation of the chi3 dihedral angle, which defines the orientation of the helicity about the S-S bond (+/- 90 degrees ). Two trans amide conformers have the same S-S helicity (chi3 approximately -90 degrees ), but are distinguished by a backbone rotation about phi2 and psi1 (T- and T'-). The ratio of T-/T'-/C+/C- is 47:15:29:9. The orientation of the pendant moieties from the eight-membered ring is more compact for the major trans conformer (T-) than for the extended conformations adopted by T'-, C+, and C-. These conformational preferences are also observed in tetrapeptide and undecapeptide fragments of the human alpha7 subtype of the nAChR that contains the ox-[Cys-Cys] unit. Conformer T- is nearly identical to the conformation seen in the X-ray structure of ox-[Cys(187)-Cys(188)] found in the unliganded AChBP, and is a Type VIII beta-turn.

[reaction: see text]. We report the development of a solid support-linked guanidinylating reagent. This reagent consists of a urethane-protected triflyl guanidine attached to the resin via a carbamate linker. It allows for rapid synthesis of guanidines from a variety of amines. It provides access to N-alkyl/aryl- or N,N-dialkylguanidines under mild conditions. Cleavage with 50% TFA produces target molecules in high yields and purity. The ability to guanidinylate secondary amines is a significant feature of this guanidinylating reagent.

The major human metabolite of atomoxetine (4-hydroxyatomoxetine) was tested against a panel of receptors and enzymes, and was found to interact with the mu, delta, and kappa-opioid receptors based upon studies involving both binding and functional assays. 4-hydroxyatomoxetine was determined to be a partial agonist of the kappa-opioid receptor.

The bacterial topoisomerases DNA gyrase (GyrB) and topoisomerase IV (ParE) are essential enzymes that control the topological state of DNA during replication. The high degree of conservation in the ATP-binding pockets of these enzymes make them appealing targets for broad-spectrum inhibitor development. A pyrrolopyrimidine scaffold was identified from a pharmacophore-based fragment screen with optimization potential. Structural characterization of inhibitor complexes conducted using selected GyrB/ParE orthologs aided in the identification of important steric, dynamic and compositional differences in the ATP-binding pockets of the targets, enabling the design of highly potent pyrrolopyrimidine inhibitors with broad enzymatic spectrum and dual targeting activity.

The structurally related bacterial topoisomerases DNA gyrase (GyrB) and topoisomerase IV (ParE) have long been recognized as prime candidates for the development of broad spectrum antibacterial agents. However, GyrB/ParE targeting antibacterials with spectrum that encompasses robust Gram-negative pathogens have not yet been reported. Using structure-based inhibitor design, we optimized a novel pyrrolopyrimidine inhibitor series with potent, dual targeting activity against GyrB and ParE. Compounds were discovered with broad antibacterial spectrum, including activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter baumannii and Escherichia coli. Herein we describe the SAR of the pyrrolopyrimidine series as it relates to key structural and electronic features necessary for Gram-negative antibacterial activity.

[formula: see text] We report the syntheses of peptidomimetic opioids containing the core structure N-alkyl-2-alkyl-2,3-dihydro-4-pyridone. By employing imines bound on a solid support and the Danishefsky diene, this [4 + 2] cyclocondensation reaction facilitates the synthesis of novel complex heterocycles. The central reaction is carried out under mild conditions and employs readily available building blocks. In this study we demonstrate the suitability of N-alkyl-2-alkyl-2,3-dihydro-4-pyridones as a central scaffold for peptidomimetics and establish the scope of this [4 + 2] cyclocondensation reaction with imino acids on a solid phase. We also combine the synthesis of diketopiperazines with the [4 + 2] cyclocondensation reaction to form a 9,9a-dihydro-2H-pyrido-[1,2a]- pyrazine-3,8(1,4-dialkyl)dione, a bicyclic molecule containing a pyridopyrazine core structure.

Cyclic eight‐membered ring lactams have been prepared which are formally analogs of Phe‐Ala or Ala‐Phe dipeptides joined together on their side chains. These are termed bis‐phenylalanines because they are phenylalanine with respect to both of the residues in which the phenyl ring is shared between the two. The key synthetic step was the Negishi coupling of Boc‐β‐I‐Ala methyl ester with a suitably protected 2′‐I phenylalanine.

There is confusion in the literature on the measurement of the drug activity onset time (AOT) for both clinical and non-clinical studies of antidepressant and antimanic drugs. The questions asked are: How often and at which time points should drug effects be measured? At what level of a drug effect should AOT be determined? Is the placebo (control) effect important for consideration of drug AOT? This paper reviews approaches taken to answer these questions and to assess drug therapeutic AOT. The first part of the paper is devoted to a review of methods used in clinical trials with depression as an indication. The second part is focused on approaches taken in animal models of depression and how they could help in assessing drug AOT. Finally, a summary of pharmacological values on which the AOT depends is presented and a new statistical approach to data analysis method proposed. The allied experimental design for pre-clinical and clinical studies may help to characterize and differentiate AOT for available and new generation of antidepressants and antimanic drugs.

Unusual acid cleavage reactions are reported for derivatives containing acylated N-methyl-α-aminoisobutyryl (NMeAib) residues. The bond linking the NMeAib residue to the following amino acid is cleaved. Through X-ray diffraction studies of the NMeAib containing molecules, we have shown that the carbonyl oxygen atom of the preceding residue is in proximity to the carbonyl carbon of the NMeAib residue. Thus, it can act as an internal nucleophile leading to a cleavage reaction by way of an oxazolinium ion intermediate. Kinetic experiments for the cleavage reaction were carried out on a series of benzoyl dipeptide derivatives (p-X-C6H4C(O)-NMeAib-Phe-OMe) where X is varied from NO2 to Cl. The value of ρ = −1.335 for the Hammett linear free-energy relationship strongly supports the intermolecular oxazolinium intermediate proposed.

We report the design, synthesis, and binding affinities of a family of cyclic RGD peptides attached to type VI beta-turn scaffolds. The analogues prepared exhibit interesting binding data to the isolated receptors alphavbeta3 and alphavbeta5. The results demonstrate the utility of these type VI beta-turn scaffolds for the constraint of biologically relevant peptides.

As part of a program to identify novel scaffolds that adopt defined secondary structure when incorporated into peptides, we have designed and prepared a library of constrained eight-membered ring lactams based upon 7-amino-8-oxo-1,2,3,6,7-pentahydroazocine-2-carboxylic acid. Ring closing metathesis (RCM) was employed as the key step, proceeding in high yields to afford the Z olefin. In this reaction sequence, the first generation benzylidene ruthenium RCM catalyst was superior to the second-generation imidazoline catalyst, which gave extensive oligomerization at higher concentrations. Conformational analysis of the 2S,7S and 2R,7S stereoisomers revealed that the 2R,7S isomer is a Type VIa β-turn in the solid state (X-ray crystal structure) and in water (NMR analysis). The Type VIa β-turn is relatively rare, typically bearing the cis amide bond found in proline-containing sequences. The 2S,7S diastereomer has an extended geometry of the pendent amide chains. The corresponding saturated derivatives (7-amino-8-oxoazocane-2-carboxylic acid) were also synthesized and investigated. The 2S,7S azocane bears an extended geometry and mimics the C+ conformer of ox-[Cys-Cys], found in a variety of naturally occurring peptides. The scaffolds described here are useful for the design of constrained peptidomimics with defined secondary structure.

Ring closing metathesis of diallylglycine 6 provided cyclic Z-olefin 7 in 80% yield. The reaction was promoted by substitution of the amide nitrogen with the 2,4-dimethoxybenzyl group allowing for the required cis diallylglycine amide rotamer. Removal of the protecting groups provided cyclic dipeptide 2, a constrained scaffold useful in peptidomimetic research.