Preparation of an asymmetrically protected phosphoramidite and its application in solid-phase synthesis of phosphopeptides

Dissecting the role of protein phosphorylation: a chemical biology toolbox

Protein phosphorylation is a crucial regulator of protein and cellular function, yet, despite identifying an enormous number of phosphorylation sites, the role of most is still unclear. Each phosphoform, the particular combination of phosphorylations, of a protein has distinct and diverse biological consequences. Aberrant phosphorylation is implicated in the development of many diseases. To investigate their function, access to defined protein phosphoforms is essential. Materials obtained from cells often are complex mixtures. Recombinant methods can provide access to defined phosphoforms if site-specifically acting kinases are known, but the methods fail to provide homogenous material when several amino acid side chains compete for phosphorylation. Chemical and chemoenzymatic synthesis has provided an invaluable toolbox to enable access to previously unreachable phosphoforms of proteins. In this review, we selected important tools that enable access to homogeneously phosphorylated protein and discuss examples that demonstrate how they can be applied. Firstly, we discuss the synthesis of phosphopeptides and proteins through chemical and enzymatic means and their advantages and limitations. Secondly, we showcase illustrative examples that applied these tools to answer biological questions pertaining to proteins involved in signal transduction, control of transcription, neurodegenerative diseases and aggregation, apoptosis and autophagy, and transmembrane proteins. We discuss the opportunities and challenges in the field.

Multiphosphorylated peptides: importance, synthetic strategies, and applications for studying biological mechanisms

Advances in the synthesis of multiphosphorylated peptides and peptide libraries: tools for studying the effects of phosphorylation patterns on protein function and regulation.

Solid-phase synthesis of phosphopeptides

Phosphopeptides are generally prepared by incorporation of suitable, protected phosphoamino acid derivatives during peptide synthesis using routine coupling protocols. The feasibility of chemical synthesis of phosphorylated peptides by Fmoc-SPPS was greatly enhanced by the introduction of the monobenzyl protecting group for the phosphate group. This minimized β-elimination of the phosphate group and made Fmoc-based synthesis of phosphopeptides the preferred synthesis strategy. Described here is our strategy for the synthesis of phosphopeptides attached to the solid support PEGA via a backbone amide linker type. This linker allows removal of side-chain protection groups without releasing the phosphopeptide from the solid support, thus enabling solid-phase-based pull-down reactions and peptide-protein interaction studies.

Oxathiaphospholane approach to N- and O-phosphorothioylation of amino acids

A method of highly efficient synthesis of N- and O-phosphorothioylated amino acids was developed. N- and O-(2-Thiono-1,3,2-oxathiaphospholanyl)amino acid methyl esters (3) were prepared in high yields in reaction of amino acid methyl esters with 2-chloro-1,3,2-oxathiaphospholane in pyridine in the presence of elemental sulfur. Compounds 3 were converted in high yield into the corresponding methyl or benzyl phosphorothioamides 6 and 7 by DBU-assisted treatment with methanol or benzyl alcohol. When 3-hydroxypropionitrile was used instead of methanol or benzyl alcohol, the corresponding 2-cyanoethylphosphorothioamidates 4 were obtained in high yield, from which the 2-cyanoethyl group was removed with concentrated ammonium hydroxide. The oxathiaphospholane methodology was also applied for the phosphorylation of amino acids. Thus, 2-oxo-1,3,2-oxathiaphospholane derivatives 10 were prepared by oxidation of compounds 3 with SeO(2.) Compounds 10 were transformed into the corresponding phosphate diesters or amidoesters upon treatment with 3-hydroxypropionitrile in the presence of DBU. The DBU-assisted oxathiaphospholane ring-opening process in 3 and 10 did not cause any measurable C-racemization of phosphorothioylated/phosphorylated amino acids.

General method for the synthesis of caged phosphopeptides: tools for the exploration of signal transduction pathways

[reaction: see text] An interassembly approach for the synthesis of peptides containing 1-(2-nitrophenyl)ethyl-caged phosphoserine, -threonine, and -tyrosine has been developed. Photochemical uncaging of these peptides releases the 2-nitrophenylethyl protecting group to afford the corresponding phosphopeptide. The peptides described herein are based on phosphorylation sites of kinases involved in cell movement or cell cycle regulation and demonstrate the versatility of the method and compatibility with the synthesis of polypeptides, including a variety of encoded amino acids.

The H-phosphonate approach to the synthesis of phosphopeptides on solid phase

[reaction: see text]. Ammonium tert-butyl H-phosphonate was used for the phosphorylation of Tyr- and Ser-containing peptides synthesized by an Fmoc strategy. This reaction, leading to a monoprotected peptide phosphate, was found to be highly efficient and generally applicable. Moreover, the method employed avoids undesired side reactions during chain elongation (pyrophosphate formation and beta-elimination catalyzed by piperidine).

The synthesis of phosphopeptides

Phosphorylation and dephosphorylation are key events in protein expression and regulation and in signal transduction. Phosphopeptides are very useful reagents for the study of these processes, and have been used to great advantage in the study of phosphatase substrate specificity, SH2 domain ligand specificity, and protein-protein interactions. Furthermore, the advent of cell-permeable peptide carriers, such as those from the antennapedia homeodomain and the HIV TAT transcription factor, has allowed the study of intracellular events, thus underscoring the utility of these reagents. In this paper we review methods for the synthesis of phosphopeptides with the emphasis on the preparation of phosphoamino acid building blocks.