Silk fibroin model,poly(l-alanylglycyl-l-alanylglycyl-l-alanylglycyl-l-seryglycine)

l-Alanylglycyl-l-alanylglycyl-l-alanylglycyl-l-serylglycine and its pentachlorophenyl ester methanesulphonate have been synthesized as monomers for the preparation of silk fibroin model polypeptide. The former octapeptide was polymerized with diphenylphosphorylazide (DPPA) and triethylamine in DMSO or in HMPA—pyridine, and the latter octapeptide pentachlorophenylester was polymerized by adding triethylamine in DMSO to give poly(l-alanylglycyl-l-alanylglycyl-l-alanylglycyl-l-serylglycine). This sequential polypeptide gave a similar i.r. pattern to the crystalline part of Bombyx mori silk fibroin, which indicated antiparallel β-conformation. Dialysis of the solution of this polymer in 60%, aqueous LiBr against water gave mainly the polymer of α-form. O.r.d. measurements suggest that this polypeptide exists as a random structure in dichloroacetic acid on in 60% aqueous LiBr.     

Selenium derivatives of L-arabinose, D-ribose,and D-xylose

Attempted cyclization of 2,3,4-tri-O-methyl-5-seleno-L-arabinose dimethyl acetal in acidic solution gave the corresponding diselenide. Intramolecular attack by the selenobenzyl group at C-5 of 5-O-p-tolylsulfonyl-L-arabinose dibenzyl diseleno-acetal resulted in the formation of benzyl 1,5-diseleno-L-arabinopyranoside. Similarly, 2,3,5-tri-O-methyl-4-O-p-tolylsulfonyl-D-xylose dibenzyl diselenoacetal gave benzyl 2,3,5-tri-O-methyl-1,4-diseleno-L-arabinofuranoside, and 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-5-O-p-tolylsulfonyl-D-xylose (or ribose) dibenzyl diselenoacetal gave benzyl 2,3,4-tri-O-acetyl-1,5-diseleno-D-xylo- (or ribo-)pyranoside. The glycosylic benzylseleno group was removed from the pyranoside with mercuric acetate, but attempted deacetylation of the product led to decomposition and not to the expected 5-seleno-D-xylopyranose.     

d-Glucose- and d-mannose-based antimetabolites. Part 2. Facile synthesis of 2-deoxy-2-halo-d-glucoses and -d-mannoses

Modified d-glucose and d-mannose analogs are potentially clinically useful metabolic inhibitors. Biological evaluation of 2-deoxy-2-halo analogs has been impaired by limited availability and lack of efficient methods for their preparation. We have developed practical synthetic approaches to 2-deoxy-2-fluoro-, 2-chloro-2-deoxy-, 2-bromo-2-deoxy-, and 2-deoxy-2-iodo derivatives of d-glucose and d-mannose that exploit electrophilic addition reactions to a commercially available 3,4,6-tri-O-acetyl-d-glucal.