Stereoselective synthesis of γ-amino acids

NCAD, a database integrating the intrinsic conformational preferences of non-coded amino acids

Peptides and proteins find an ever-increasing number of applications in the biomedical and materials engineering fields. The use of non-proteinogenic amino acids endowed with diverse physicochemical and structural features opens the possibility to design proteins and peptides with novel properties and functions. Moreover, non-proteinogenic residues are particularly useful to control the three-dimensional arrangement of peptidic chains, which is a crucial issue for most applications. However, information regarding such amino acids--also called non-coded, non-canonical, or non-standard--is usually scattered among publications specialized in quite diverse fields as well as in patents. Making all these data useful to the scientific community requires new tools and a framework for their assembly and coherent organization. We have successfully compiled, organized, and built a database (NCAD, Non-Coded Amino acids Database) containing information about the intrinsic conformational preferences of non-proteinogenic residues determined by quantum mechanical calculations, as well as bibliographic information about their synthesis, physical and spectroscopic characterization, conformational propensities established experimentally, and applications. The architecture of the database is presented in this work together with the first family of non-coded residues included, namely, alpha-tetrasubstituted alpha-amino acids. Furthermore, the NCAD usefulness is demonstrated through a test-case application example.

Solid state and solution conformations of a hybrid alphagammaalphaalphagammaalpha hexapeptide. Characterization of a backbone expanded analog of the alpha-polypeptide 3(10)-helix

The stereochemically constrained gamma amino acid residue gabapentin (1-(aminomethyl)cyclohexaneacetic acid, Gpn) has been incorporated into a host alpha-peptide sequence. The structure of a hybrid alphagammaalphaalphagammaalpha peptide, Boc-Leu-Gpn-Aib-Leu-Gpn-Aib-OMe in crystals reveals a continuous helical conformation stabilized by three intramolecular 4 --> 1 C(12) hydrogen bonds across the alphagamma/alphagamma segments and one C(10) hydrogen bond across the central alphaalpha segment. This conformation corresponds to an expanded analog of the canonical all-alpha polypeptide 3(10)-helix, with insertion of two additional backbone atoms at each gamma residue. Solvent dependence of NH chemical shifts in CDCl(3) solution are consistent with conformation in which the NH groups of Aib (3), Leu (4), Gpn (5), and Aib (6) are hydrogen bonded, a feature observed in the solid state. The nonsequential NOEs between Gpn (2) NH <--> Leu (4) NH and Gpn (2) NH <--> Gpn (5) NH support the presence of additional conformations in solution. Temperature-dependent line broadening of NH resonances confirms the occurrence of rapid exchange between multiple conformations at room temperature. Two conformational models which rationalize the observed nonsequential NOEs are presented, both of which contain three hydrogen bonds and are consistent with the known stereochemical preferences of the Gpn residue.

New and expeditious tandem sequence aza-Michael/intramolecular nucleophilic substitution route to substituted gamma-lactams: synthesis of the tricyclic core of (+/-)-martinellines

A new and highly diastereoselective tandem reaction aza-Michael/intramolecular nucleophilic substitution is presented. This unprecedented tandem reaction between N-substituted alpha-bromoacetamides and Michael acceptors proceeds with good yields and excellent diastereoselectivity to provide the corresponding trisubstituted gamma-lactam systems. An application to the concise synthesis of the tricyclic core of (+/-)-martinelline alkaloids is also described.

Enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition of aldehydes to nitroethylene: efficient access to gamma2-amino acids

Enantioselective organocatalytic Michael addition of aldehydes to nitroethylene catalyzed by (S)-diphenylprolinol silyl ether provides beta-substituted-delta-nitroalcohols in nearly optically pure form (96-99% ee). The Michael adducts bear a single substituent adjacent to the carbonyl and can be efficiently converted to protected gamma2-amino acids, which are essential for the systematic conformational studies of gamma-peptide foldamers.

A highly active water-soluble cross-coupling catalyst based on dendritic polyglycerol N-heterocyclic carbene palladium complexes

A new water-soluble polyglycerol derivative functionalized with N-heterocyclic carbene palladium complexes was prepared and applied as catalyst for Suzuki cross-coupling reactions in water. The complex displays a metal loading of around 65 metal centers per dendrimeric molecule, which is estimated to contain 130 chelating groups and thus corresponds approximately to the formation of 2:1 NHC/metal complexes. Monomeric analogues were also synthesized to validate the reactivity of the dendritic catalyst. Both types of catalysts were tested with various aryl bromides and arylboronic acids. Turnover frequencies of up to 2586 h(-1) at 80 degrees C were observed with the dendritic catalyst along with turnover numbers of up to 59 000, which are among the highest turnover numbers reported for polymer-supported catalysts in neat water. The dendritic catalyst could be used (reused) in five consecutive reactions without loss in activity.

Asymmetric Synthesis of Highly Substituted γ-Amino Acids from Allyltitanium Sulfoximines

[structure: see text]. Asymmetric syntheses of the highly substituted protected gamma-amino acids 10a, 10b, 18, and 21 have been developed starting from the allyltitanium sulfoximines V and VI, respectively, and furan-2-carbaldehyde.