[Metabolites of microorganisms. 130. Synthesis of delta-N-hydroxy-L-arginine]

Synthesis of dihydrobenzisoxazoles by the [3 + 2] cycloaddition of arynes and oxaziridines

Dihydrobenzisoxazoles are readily prepared in good yields by the [3 + 2] cycloaddition of oxaziridines and arynes. The reaction involves an unusual cleavage of the C-O bond of the oxaziridine and tolerates a variety of substituents on the oxaziridine and the o-(trimethylsilyl)aryl triflate to form aryl-, heteroaryl-, alkyl-, and naphthyl-substituted dihydrobenzisoxazoles. The resulting halogen-substituted dihydrobenzisoxazoles are readily elaborated to more complex products using palladium-catalyzed crossing-coupling processes.

Optically PureN-Hydroxy-O-triisopropylsilyl-α-l-amino Acid Methyl Esters from AlCl3-Assisted Ring Opening of Chiral Oxaziridines by Nitrogen Containing Nucleophiles

[reaction: see text] This article reports a straightforward and unprecedented process of AlCl3-assisted oxaziridine ring opening by nitrogen containing nucleophiles, in a totally anhydrous milieu. Under these conditions, nucleophiles exclusively attack the carbon atom of the three-membered heterocycles, obtained from methyl esters of natural alpha-amino acids, generating N-hydroxy-alpha-L-amino acid methyl esters. No nitrones, amides, or other side products, either from unwanted rearrangements or due to the attack of the nucleophile on the N atom of the oxaziridine systems, are formed. The hydroxylamine compounds are recovered in excellent yields, after their site-specific conversion into the corresponding O-triisopropylsilyl derivatives, by exposure to triisopropylsilyl triflate in the presence of 1H-imidazole. Derivatization, performed immediately after the recovery of the N-hydroxylated precursors, allows the chiral integrity of the asymmetric alpha-carbon atoms in the amino acid methyl esters to be retained. It also protects the obtained compounds from frame degradation by disproportionation. N-Hydroxy-O-triisopropylsilyl-alpha-L-amino acid methyl esters are important intermediates in the study of natural alpha-L-amino acid metabolic pathways and are ideal candidates as starting materials in the synthesis of biologically, pharmacologically, and nutritionally important N-hydroxy peptides.

Synthesis of 15N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine and ESR and 15N-NMR studies for the elucidation of the molecular mechanism of enzymic nitric oxide formation from L-arginine

N omega-Hydroxy-L-arginine (2) was prepared by a multi-stage synthesis; the key step was the addition of hydroxylamine to the protected cyanamide 8. The presence of N-hydroxyguanidines was confirmed, above all, by 15N-NMR investigations. 15N omega-Hydroxy-L-arginine (2) was converted quantitatively to 15NO by NO synthases from macrophages. 15NO was identified by ESR-spectroscopy. These experiments confirm that 15N omega-hydroxy-L-arginine (2) is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of NO from arginine (1) and that the N-hydroxylated N-atom is present in the NO formed.

Synthesis of optically pure C alpha-methyl-arginine

Optically pure L-(+)-C alpha-methyl-arginine and D-(-)-C alpha-methyl-arginine were synthesized. Experimental results indicated that DL-C alpha-methyl-arginine methyl ester could be resolved by trypsin, but workup posed a technical difficulty. Chemical resolution at the stage of DL-C alpha-methyl-ornithine, followed by selective guanidination using N,N'-di-Cbz-S-methylisothiourea and hydrogenolysis provided a effective and practical method for the synthesis of optically pure C alpha-methyl-arginine.