Multi-enzyme one-pot strategy for the synthesis of sialyl Lewis X-containing PSGL-1 glycopeptide

An enzymatic one-pot three-step glycosylation strategy was developed for the synthesis of sLex moiety of truncated PSGL-1 glycopeptide with and without sulfation. The method provided an efficient way to afford complex glycopeptides in a semi-preparative scale without further complicated and time-consuming purification process in each glycosylation step.     

Synthesis of a GlcNAcylated arginine building block for the solid phase synthesis of death domain glycopeptide fragments

Herein we describe the synthesis of glycopeptide fragments from the death domains of TRADD and FADD bearing the recently discovered Nω-GlcNAc-β-arginine post-translational modification. TRADD and FADD glycopeptides were accessed through the use of a suitably protected synthetic glycosylamino acid ‘cassette’ that could be directly incorporated into conventional solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) protocols.     

Optimization of solid-phase synthesis of difficult peptide sequences via comparison between different improved approaches

Summary. Different approaches are applied to avoid the strong aggregation of the difficult peptide sequences, which is considered as the main reason for incomplete acylation and deprotection reactions hindering the synthesis of these sequences. Temporary protection of amide nitrogen of peptide bond using 2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl (Hmb) and 2,4,6-timethoxybenzyl (Tmob) amino acid derivatives, introduction of D-Ala or Pro residues in the peptide chain sequences and utilization of microwave energy are proved to be useful methods in the enhancement of solubility and in the hindrance of the aggregation during the solid-phase synthesis of oligoalanine. Oligoalanine is chosen to demonstrate the difficult sequences and to compare the efficiencies of these methods.     

4-O-Acetyl-3-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-L-rhamnal: a building block in the stereoselective synthesis of 2-deoxy-alpha-L-rhamnopyranosides

The stereoselective synthesis of 2-deoxy-alpha-L-glycosides by addition of various acceptors to 4-O-acetyl-3-O-tert-butyldimethylsilyl-L-rhamnal promoted by triphenylphosphine-hydrogen bromide is developed.     

Polypeptide synthesis using an expressed peptide as a building block for condensation with a peptide thioester: application to the synthesis of phosphorylated p21Max protein(1-101).

An expressed peptide proved to be useful as a building block for the synthesis of a polypeptide via the thioester method. A partially protected peptide segment, for use as a C-terminal building block, could be prepared from a recombinant protein; its N-terminal amino acid residue was transaminated to an alpha-oxoacyl group, the side-chain amino groups were then protected with t-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) groups, and. finally, the alpha-oxoacyl group was removed. On the other hand, an O-phosphoserine-containing peptide thioester was synthesized via a solid-phase method using Boc chemistry. These building blocks were then condensed in the presence of silver ions and an active ester component. During the condensation, epimerization at the condensation site could be suppressed by the use of N,N-dimthylformamide (DMF) as a solvent. Using this strategy, a phosphorylated partial peptide of the p21Max protein, [Ser(PO3H2)2.11]-p21Max(1-101), was successfully synthesized.     

Synthesis and solid-phase purification of anthranilic sulfonamides as CCK-2 ligands

A novel strategy for the synthesis of cholecystokinin-2 receptor ligands was developed. The route employs a solution-phase synthesis of a series of anthranilic sulfonamides followed by a resin capture purification strategy to produce multi-milligram quantities of compounds for bioassay. The synthesis was used to produce >100 compounds containing various functional groups, highlighting the general applicability of this strategy and to address specific metabolism issues in our CCK-2 program.     

Synthesis of novel unnatural amino acid as a building block and its incorporation into an antimicrobial peptide

Considering the biological mechanism and in vivo stability of antimicrobial peptides, we designed and synthesized novel unnatural amino acids with more positively charged and bulky side chain group than lysine residue. The unusual amino acids, which were synthesized by either solution phase or solid phase, were incorporated into an antimicrobial peptide. Its effect on the stability, activity, and the structure of the peptide was studied to evaluate the potential of these novel unnatural amino acids as a building block for antimicrobial peptides. The incorporation of this unusual amino acid increased the resistance of the peptide against serum protease more than three times without a decrease in the activity. Circular dichroism spectra of the peptides indicated that all novel unnatural amino acids must have lower helical forming propensities than lysine. Our results indicated that the unnatural amino acids synthesized in this study could be used not only as a novel building block for combinatorial libraries of antimicrobial peptides, but also for structure–activity relationship studies about antimicrobial peptides.     

α-Hydroxymethylserine as a peptide building block: synthetic and structural aspects

A synthetic methodology has been developed for peptide bond formation with α-hydroxmethylserine as the carboxyl or amino component and also for the preparation of homo-sequences. The key intermediate, O,O-protected α-hydroxymethylserine in the form of an isopropylidene derivative, is easily accessible and represents the first example of a heterocyclic C^α,α-disubstituted amino acid containing an 1,3-dioxane ring. The use of this intermediate facilitates protection of the sterically hindered amino and carboxyl groups and is advantageous for the coupling and deprotection steps. X-ray structure determination of Z-HmS(Ipr)–Ala–OMe revealed that the two crystallographically independent molecules present in the asymmetric unit adopt an S-shaped conformation. In the one molecule the achiral HmS(Ipr) residue has the torsion angle values (ϕ==61.4°,ψ=40.8°) in the left-handed helical region of the Ramachandran map, while in the second molecule the negative torsion angles (ϕ=−60.1°, ψ=–44.4°) are associated with the right-handed helix. © 1998 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Design and synthesis of paclitaxel conjugated with an ErbB2-recognizing peptide, EC-1

The selective delivery of therapeutic agents to receptors overexpressed in cancer cells without harming the rest of the body is a major challenge in clinical oncology today. In this study, we report the design and synthesis of paclitaxel (PTX) conjugated with an erbB2-recognizing peptide (EC-1). The cyclic peptide EC-1 specifically binds to the extracellular domain of ErbB2 and selectively inhibits proliferation of breast cancer cells overexpressing ErbB2. PTX is a potent antitumor agent commonly used in the treatment of advanced metastatic breast cancer, yet patients have to suffer some side effects caused by its systemic toxicity. The aim of our conjugate is to specifically deliver antitumor agent PTX to breast cancer cells that overexpress oncogenic ErbB2 with the purpose to reduce toxicity and enhance selective killing of cancer cells. In this study, a concise and efficient synthetic route for the preparation of the PTX-EC-1 conjugate has been developed in 6% overall yield. This synthetic approach provides a general method for conjugating a highly functionalized and disulfide-bridge containing cyclopeptide to Taxol or other antitumor agents.     

Synthesis of peptide nucleic acid FRET probes via an orthogonally protected building block for post-synthetic labeling of peptide nucleic acids at the 5-position of uracil

We report the design and synthesis of an orthogonally protected peptide nucleic acid (PNA) building block, Fmoc-PNA-U'-(Dde)-OH, and its use in the construction of PNA FRET probes. This building block allows for the post-synthetic attachment of reporter groups to the amino group attached to the 5-position of uracil (U) following selective deprotection of the Dde group. We illustrate the use of this building block for the synthesis of a series of FAM Cy5 donor acceptor pairs and their ability to detect a target DNA sequence.     

A sensitive mapping strategy for monitoring the reproducibility of glycan processing in an HIV vaccine, RGP-160, expressed in a mammalian cell line

The external envelope glycoprotein (gp 160) of HIV-1 is a candidate for vaccines against AIDS. Most of the surface of the molecule is shielded by carbohydrate and the structures and locations of these glycans may be important in defining the immunogenicity of the viral coat. Here we report a sensitive mapping strategy for profiling and analysing the N-glycosylation of gp160, based on chemical release of glycans, fluorescent labelling and HPLC analysis. This approach has been validated in terms of establishing the reproducibility of all steps in the analytical procedure and on overall reproducibility on a run-to-run and day-to-day basis. The validated analysis technique was used to monitor the consistency of N-glycosylation of one rgp 160 vaccine candidate produced in bovine hamster kidney (BHK) cell culture. It was demonstrated that the variation in the glycan profiles of 6 different lots was not statistically significant.     

Synthesis of chiral building blocks for organic synthesis via lipase-catalyzed reaction: New method of enhancing enzymatic reaction enantioselectivity

The optically active building blocks for organic synthesis: tertiary carbinols, antitumor lignan, liquid crystals, 1,3-diene and biscyclopropyl compounds were synthesized through lipase-catalyzed reaction. This paper discusses ways in which organic chemists can expand the applicability of lipase-catalyzed reactions for use in designing a synthetic strategy. Several excellent examples are described in which lipase-catalyzed reactions were involved as the key steps. Because lipase-catalyzed reactions often offer insufficient enantioselectivity, a new method to enhance the enantioselectivity of a lipase-catalyzed reaction was demonstrated. Thiacrown ether technology was typically used to synthesize new optically active ,-difluoro-γ-lactone.     

A chromogenic substrate for solid-phase detection of phospholipase A2

A method for solid-phase detection of phospholipase A₂ (PLA₂) was developed. The method uses 1-octanoyloxynaphthalene-3-sulfonic acid, which was found to be a good substrate of PLA₂. The substrate is hydrolyzed by PLA₂ into 1-naphthol-3-sulfonic acid, which is spontaneously coupled with coexisting diazonium salt to form a red-purple azo dye. Streptomyces and bovine pancreatic PLA₂ spotted on a nitrocellulose membrane could be detected by this method with considerable sensitivity. In addition, colonies of recombinant Escherichia coli producing bacterial PLA₂ were distinguishable from those producing an inactive mutant PLA₂, facilitating high-throughput screening in directed evolution of the enzyme.     

A Dde resin based strategy for inverse solid-phase synthesis of amino terminated peptides, peptide mimetics and protected peptide intermediates.

This report describes a Dde resin based attachment strategy for inverse solid-phase peptide synthesis (ISPPS). This attachment strategy can be used for the synthesis of amino terminated peptides with side chains and the carboxyl terminus either protected or deprotected. Amino acid t-butyl esters were attached through their free amino group to the Dde resin. The t-butyl carboxyl protecting group was removed by 50% TFA, and inverse peptide synthesis cycles performed using an HATU/TMP based coupling method. Protected peptides were cleaved from the resin with dilute hydrazine. Side chain protecting groups could then be removed by treatment with TFMSA/TFA. The potential of this approach was demonstrated by the synthesis of several short protected and unprotected peptides in good yield and with low epimerization. Its potential for peptide mimetic synthesis was demonstrated by the synthesis of two peptide trifluoromethylketones.     

IGF1 regulates RUNX1 expression via IRS1/2: Implications for antler chondrocyte differentiation

Although IGF1 is important for the proliferation and differentiation of chondrocytes, its underlying molecular mechanism is still unknown. Here we addressed the physiologic function of IGF1 in antler cartilage and explored the interplay of IGF1, IRS1/2 and RUNX1 in chondrocyte differentiation. The results showed that IGF1 was highly expressed in antler chondrocytes. Exogenous rIGF1 could increase the proliferation of chondrocytes and cell proportion in the S phase, whereas IGF1R inhibitor PQ401 abrogated the induction by rIGF1. Simultaneously, IGF1 could stimulate the expression of IHH which was a well-known marker for prehypertrophic chondrocytes. Further analysis evidenced that IGF1 regulated the expression of IRS1/2 whose silencing resulted in a rise of IHH mRNA levels, but the regulation was impeded by PQ401. Knockdown of IRS1 or IRS2 with specific siRNA could greatly enhance rIGF1-induced chondrocyte differentiation and reduce the expression of RUNX1. Extraneous rRUNX1 might rescue the effects of IRS1 or IRS2 siRNA on the differentiation. In antler chondrocytes, IGF1 played a role in modulating the expression of RUNX1 through IGF1R. Moreover, attenuation of RUNX1 expression advanced the differentiation elicited by rIGF1, while administration of rRUNX1 to chondrocytes treated with IGF1 siRNA or PQ401 reduced their differentiation. Additionally, siRNA-mediated downregulation of IRS1 or IRS2 in the chondrocytes impaired the interaction between IGF1 and RUNX1. Collectively, IGF1 could promote the proliferation and differentiation of antler chondrocytes. Furthermore, IRS1/2 might act downstream of IGF1 to regulate chondrocyte differentiation through targeting RUNX1.     

Synthesis of anticancer heptapeptides containing a unique lipophilic β2,2‐amino acid building block

We report a series of synthetic anticancer heptapeptides (H‐KKWβ^2,2WKK‐NH₂) containing eight different central lipophilic β^2,2‐amino acid building blocks, which have demonstrated high efficiency when used as scaffolds in small cationic antimicrobial peptides and peptidomimetics. The most potent peptides in the present study had IC₅₀ values of 9–23 µm against human Burkitt's lymphoma and murine B‐cell lymphoma and were all nonhaemolytic (EC₅₀ > 200 µm ). The most promising peptide 10e also demonstrated low toxicity against human embryonic lung fibroblast cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells and exceptional proteolytic stability. Copyright © 2012 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

High-yield, solid-phase synthesis of humanin, an Alzheimer's disease associated, novel 24-mer peptide which contains a difficult sequence.

Humanin is a novel, 24-mer residue bioactive peptide, which antagonizes Alzheimer's disease (AD) related neurotoxicity and offers a hope for developing new therapeutics against AD. Access to adequate amounts of pure humanin is a prerequisite for further, thorough, investigation of the pharmacological properties and therapeutic potency of the peptide. Until now, humanin has been obtained mainly by molecular biology techniques. In this work the Fmoc solid-phase synthesis of humanin on an in-house prepared 2-Cl-tritylamidomethyl polystyrene resin is described fully. Special precautions, i.e. prolonged deprotection steps, should be taken to achieve a high overall yield, since humanin seems to contain a 'difficult sequence' (R4G5F6S7C8L9) near its highly lipophilic, biologically important region L9L10L11L12.     

Separation of (R)- and (S)-tert-butyl 2-tert-butyl-4-methoxy-2,5-dihydro-1,3-imidazole-1-carboxylate (building block for amino acid synthesis) by preparative high performance liquid chromatography on a polysaccharide stationary phase

The preparative separation of the enantiomers of the title compound, a versatile chiral building block for the synthesis of unnatural amino acid esters, by high performance liquid chromatography on a chiral stationary phase (CSP), is reported for the first time. The CSP consists of amylose-(3,5-dimethylphenyl-carbamate), which has been coated onto the surface of macroporous aminopropyl-functionalized silica gel. The effect of mobile phase composition and the amount of amylose derivative on the silica gel has been thoroughly investigated. Using 2-propanol as organic modifier in hexane as mobile phase, on a semi-preparative column (200 mm × 40 mm ID, containing 192 g of stationary phase) about 200 mg of the racemate was separated per injection. Running the equipment under automatic conditions with repetitive injection mode allowed for the separation of 30 g per day. Both enantiomers were obtained with enantiopurities >99.75:0.25. Chirality 10:217–222, 1998. © 1998 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

N,O-bisFmoc derivatives of N-(2-hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl)-amino acids: Useful intermediates in peptide synthesis

2-Hydroxy-4-methoxybenzyl-amino acid residues inhibit interchain association in solid phase peptide synthesis. They are easily introduced through their N,O-bisFmoc derivatives. Preparation of a range of these derivatives is described.