A Reverse Turn Structure Induced by a d,l-α-Aminoxy Acid Dimer

Consecutive Ribosomal Incorporation of α-Aminoxy/α-Hydrazino Acids with l/d-Configurations into Nascent Peptide Chains

α-Aminoxy and α-hydrazino acids are β-amino acid analogs with β-carbons replaced by oxygen and nitrogen, respectively. Such heteroatoms dictate the folding of peptides into specific secondary structures called pseudo-γ-turns. Achiral α-aminoxyacetic acid (^NOGly) and l-α-hydrazinophenylalanine (l-^NNPhe) have been shown to be suitable for single incorporation during ribosomal translation, but whether ribosomes tolerate other types of α-aminoxy/α-hydrazino acids with l/d-configurations is unknown. Moreover, whether multiple or consecutive incorporations are possible remains unclear. We show, for the first time, multiple and consecutive incorporations of α-aminoxy/α-hydrazino acids with l/d-configurations into various model peptides, including macrocyclic peptide scaffolds.

Synthesis of α-aminooxy amides through [3 + 3] cycloaddition and Sc(OTf)3-catalyzed double C-N bond cleavage in a one-pot reaction

Various α-aminooxy amides bearing a quaternary carbon at the α-position were prepared in good to excellent yields under mild reaction conditions from N-vinyl nitrones and α-bromohydroxamates. The N-vinyl nitrones tolerate a wide range of N-vinyl fluorenone nitrones and N-vinyl isatin nitrones. Mechanistic studies show that the reaction initially proceeds through [3 + 3] cycloaddition between N-vinyl nitrones and aza-oxyallyl cations generated from α-bromohydroxamates to afford six-membered N,O-heterocycles, followed by double C-N bond cleavage in the presence of the Sc(OTf)3 catalyst. A selective N-O bond cleavage of the obtained α-aminooxy amides is also realized under Fe/NH4Cl conditions. Furthermore, gram-scalable preparations of α-aminooxy amides are easily achieved.

Crystal and NMR Structures of a Peptidomimetic β-Turn That Provides Facile Synthesis of 13-Membered Cyclic Tetrapeptides

Herein we report the unique conformations adopted by linear and cyclic tetrapeptides (CTPs) containing 2-aminobenzoic acid (2-Abz) in solution and as single crystals. The crystal structure of the linear tetrapeptide H₂ N-d-Leu-d-Phe-2-Abz-d-Ala-COOH (1) reveals a novel planar peptidomimetic β-turn stabilized by three hydrogen bonds and is in agreement with its NMR structure in solution. While CTPs are often synthetically inaccessible or cyclize in poor yield, both 1 and its N-Me-d-Phe analogue (2) adopt pseudo-cyclic frameworks enabling near quantitative conversion to the corresponding CTPs 3 and 4. The crystal structure of the N-methylated peptide (4) is the first reported for a CTP containing 2-Abz and reveals a distinctly planar 13-membered ring, which is also evident in solution. The N-methylation of d-Phe results in a peptide bond inversion compared to the conformation of 3 in solution.

Peptide turns through just ‘one atom’! A sulfamide group nucleates folding and stabilizes new supramolecular topologies in short peptides

Peptide segments with centrally placed sulfamide groups showed a remarkable tendency to adopt a turn conformation and exhibited supramolecular topologies like ‘helical stacks’ and ‘hairpin sheets’ through a highly coordinated array of strong and weak hydrogen bonds.

Chiral alpha-aminoxy acid/achiral cyclopropane alpha-aminoxy acid unit as a building block for constructing the alpha N-O helix

The monomer 1 derived from achiral 1-(aminoxy)cyclopropanecarboxylic acid (OAcc) and oligopeptides 2-9 consisting of a chiral alpha-aminoxy acid and an achiral alpha-aminoxy acid such as OAcc were synthesized and their structures characterized. The eight-membered-ring intramolecular hydrogen bond, namely the alpha N-O turn, was formed between adjacent residues independent of their chirality. However, the helix formation was sequence-dependent. Dipeptide 2 bearing chiral alpha-aminoxy acid (d-OAA) at the N-terminus and achiral OAcc at the C-terminus preferentially adopted a right-handed 1.8(8) helical structure, but dipeptide 3 (OAcc-d-OAA) did not. Theoretical calculation results, in good agreement with experimental ones, revealed that the biased handedness of alpha N-O turn found in OAcc residue depends on its preceding chiral residue. It was then found that the helical conformation was destroyed in the case of oligopeptides 6 and 7 [OAA-(OAcc)(n), n = 2, 3]. The crystal structure of tripeptide 8 ((i)PrCO-d-OVal-OAcc-d-OVal-NH(i)Bu) further disclosed the helical structure formed by three consecutive homochiral alpha N-O turns. This study has uncovered achiral aminoxy acid residues such as the OAcc unit as a useful building block to be incorporated into chiral aminoxy peptides to mimic chiral helix structure.

The effect of backbone stereochemistry on the folding of acyclic beta(2, 3)-aminoxy peptides

As a new type of foldamer, beta-aminoxy peptides have the ability to adopt novel beta N--O turns or beta N--O helices in solution. Herein, we describe a new subclass of beta-aminoxy peptide, that is, peptides of acyclic beta(2, 3)-aminoxy acids (NH(2)OCHR(1)CHR(2)COOH), in which the presence of two chiral centers provides insight into the effect of backbone stereochemistry on the folding of beta-aminoxy peptides. Acyclic beta(2, 3)-aminoxy peptides with syn and anti configurations have been synthesized and their conformations investigated by NMR, IR, and circular dichroism (CD) spectroscopic, and X-ray crystallographic analysis. The beta N--O turns or beta N--O helices, which feature nine-membered rings with intramolecular hydrogen bonds and have been identified previously in peptides of beta(3)- and beta(2, 2)-aminoxy acids, are also predominantly present in the acyclic beta(2, 3)-aminoxy peptides with a syn configuration and N--O bonds gauche to the C(alpha)--C(beta) bonds in both solution and the solid state. In the acyclic beta(2, 3)-aminoxy peptides with an anti configuration, an extended strand (i.e., non-hydrogen-bonded state) is found in the solid state, and several conformations including non-hydrogen-bonded and intramolecular hydrogen-bonded states are present simultaneously in nonpolar solvents. These results suggest that the backbone stereochemistry does affect the folding of the acyclic beta(2, 3)-aminoxy peptides. Theoretical calculations on the conformations of model acyclic beta(2, 3)-aminoxy peptides with different backbone stereochemistry were also conducted to elucidate structural characteristics. Our present work may provide useful guidelines for the design and construction of new foldamers with predicable structures.

Alpha-aminoxy acids: new possibilities from foldamers to anion receptors and channels

Naturally occurring peptides serve important functions as enzyme inhibitors, hormones, neurotransmitters, and immunomodulators in many physiological processes including metabolism, digestion, pain sensitivity, and the immune response. However, due to their conformational flexibility and poor bioavailability, such peptides are not generally viewed as useful therapeutic agents in clinical applications. In an effort to solve these problems, chemists have developed peptidomimetic foldamers, unnatural oligomeric molecules that fold into rigid and well-defined secondary structures mimicking the structures and biological functions of these natural peptides. We have designed peptidomimetic foldamers that give predictable, backbone-controlled secondary structures irrespective of the nature of the side chains. This Account presents our efforts to develop a novel class of peptidomimetic foldamers comprising alpha-aminoxy acids and explore their applications in the simulation of ion recognition and transport processes in living systems. Peptides constructed from alpha-aminoxy acids fold according to the following rules: (1) A strong intramolecular eight-membered-ring hydrogen bond forms between adjacent alpha-aminoxy acid residues (the alpha N-O turn). The chirality of the alpha-carbon, not the nature of the side chains, determines the conformation of this chiral N-O turn. (2) While homochiral oligomers of alpha-aminoxy acids form an extended helical structure (1.8 8 helix), heterochiral ones adopt a bent reverse turn structure. (3) In peptides of alternating alpha-amino acids and alpha-aminoxy acids, the seven-membered-ring intramolecular hydrogen bond, that is, the gamma-turn, is initiated by a succeeding alpha N-O turn. Thus, this type of peptide adopts a novel 7/8 helical structure. In investigating the potential applications of alpha-aminoxy acids, we have found that the amide NH units of alpha-aminoxy acids are more acidic than are regular amide NH groups, which makes them better hydrogen bond donors when interacting with anions. This property makes alpha-aminoxy acids ideal building blocks for the construction of anion receptors. Indeed, we have constructed both cyclic and acyclic anion receptors that have strong affinities and good (enantio-)selectivities toward chloride (Cl(-)) and chiral carboxylate ions. Taking advantage of these systems' preference for Cl(-) ions, we have also employed alpha-aminoxy acid units to construct a synthetic Cl(-) channel that can mediate the passage of Cl(-) ions across cell membranes. Continued studies of these peptidomimetic systems built from alpha-aminoxy acids should lead to a broad range of applications in chemistry, biology, medicine, and materials science.

Propensity for local folding induced by the urea fragment in short-chain oligomers

Examination of local folding and H-bonding patterns in model compounds can be extremely informative to gain insight into the propensity of longer-chain oligomers to adopt specific folding patterns (i.e. foldamers) based on remote interactions. Using a combination of experimental techniques (i.e. X-ray diffraction, FT-IR absorption and NMR spectroscopy) and theoretical calculations at the density functional theory (DFT) level, we have examined the local folding patterns induced by the urea fragment in short-chain aza analogues of beta- and gamma-amino acid derivatives. We found that the urea-turn, a robust C(8) conformation based on 1<--3 H-bond interaction, is largely populated in model ureidopeptides (I-IV) obtained by replacing the alpha-carbon of a beta-amino acid by a nitrogen. This H-bonding scheme is likely to compete with remote H-bond interactions, thus preventing the formation of secondary structures based on remote intrastrand interactions in longer oligomers. In related oligomers obtained by the addition of a methylene in the main chain (V-VIII), nearest-neighbour H-bonded interactions are unfavourable i.e. the corresponding C9 folding pattern is hardly populated. In this series, folding based on remote intrastrand interactions becomes possible for longer oligomers. We present spectroscopic evidence that tetraurea VIII is likely to be the smallest unit capable of reproducing the H-bonded motif found in 2.5-helical N,N'-linked oligoureas.

Aza-β3-Cyclohexapeptides: Pseudopeptidic Macrocycles with Interesting Conformational and Configurational Properties Slow Pyramidal Nitrogen Inversion in 24-Membered Rings!

Among pseudopeptidic foldamers, aza-beta3-peptides have the unique property to possess nitrogen stereocenters instead of carbon stereocenters. As the result of pyramidal inversion at N(alpha)-atoms along the backbone, they behave as a set of C8-based secondary structures in equilibrium. This structural modulation is exploited here to prepare 24-membered macrocycles with great efficiency. Both crystal structures and spectroscopic data establish that aza-beta3-cyclohexapeptides adopt a highly organized conformation where the relative configuration of chiral nitrogen atoms is alternated. This makes them an interesting scaffold as the stereocontrol occurs spontaneously through the cyclization. These compounds reveal an unprecedented slow pyramidal nitrogen inversion in macrocycles. Pyramidal ground state stabilization, hindered rotation, steric crowding, and H-bond cooperativity are proposed to participate in this striking phenomenon. The equilibrium between invertomers of aza-beta3-cyclohexapeptides is reminiscent of the interchange between the two chair forms of cyclohexane.

Peptides of aminoxy acids as foldamers

This Feature Article summarizes our efforts in developing a new family of foldamers from alpha-, beta- and gamma-aminoxy acids. From a series of conformational studies, we demonstrate that peptides consisting of aminoxy acids adopt several well-defined secondary structures, such as alpha N-O turns (which feature an eight-membered-ring hydrogen bond), beta N-O turns (a nine-membered-ring hydrogen bond), gamma N-O turns (a ten-membered-ring hydrogen bond), 1.8(8) helices (consecutive homochiral alpha N-O turns), 7/8 helices (alternating alpha N-O turns and gamma-turns), 1.7(9) helices (consecutive beta N-O turns), reverse turns (consecutive heterochiral alpha N-O turns) and sheet-like structures.

Induction of γ-Turn-Like Structure in Ferrocene Bearing Dipeptide Chains via Conformational Control

[structure: see text] A combination of the ferrocene scaffold as a central reverse-turn unit with the dipeptide chains (-L-Pro-L-Ala-NHPy) was demonstrated to induce both inverse gamma-turn-like and antiparallel beta-sheet-like structures. Only the antiparallel beta-sheet-like structure was formed in the ferrocene bearing the heterochiral dipeptide chains (-L-Pro-D-Ala-NHPy), in which highly organized self-assembly was achieved through a network of intermolecular hydrogen bonds.

Synthesis of Chiral β3-Aminoxy Peptides

A series of chiral beta(3)-aminoxy acids or amides with various side chains have been synthesized via two different approaches. One is the Arndt-Eistert homologation approach, using chiral alpha-aminoxy acids as starting materials. The other approach, utilizing the enantioselective reduction of beta-keto esters catalyzed by baker's yeast or chiral Ru(II) complexes, produces chiral beta(3)-aminoxy acids with nonproteinaceous side chains. The oligomers of beta(3)-aminoxy acids can be readily prepared using EDCI/HOAt as the coupling reagent.