Design of a potent combined pseudopeptide endothelin-A/endothelin-B receptor antagonist, Ac-DBhg16-Leu-Asp-Ile-[NMe]Ile-Trp21 (PD 156252): examination of its pharmacokinetic and spectral properties

Rational Design of Novel Peptidomimetics against Influenza A Virus: Biological and Computational Studies

Effective therapy against the influenza virus is still an unmet goal. Drugs with antiviral effects exist, but the appearance of resistant viruses pushes towards the discovery of drugs with different mechanisms of action. New anti-influenza molecules should target a good candidate, as a new anti-influenza molecule could be an inhibitor of the influenza A virus hemagglutinin (HA), which plays a key role during the early phases of infection. In previous work, we identified two tetrapeptide sequences, SLDC (1) and SKHS (2), derived from bovine lactoferrin (bLf) C-lobe fragment 418-429, which were able to bind HA and inhibit cell infection at picomolar concentration. Considering the above, the aim of this study was to synthesize a new library of peptidomimetics active against the influenza virus. In order to test their ability to bind HA, we carried out a preliminary screening using biophysical assays such as surface plasmon resonance (SPR) and orthogonal immobilization-free microscale thermophoresis (MST). Biological and computational studies on the most interesting compounds were carried out. The methods applied allowed for the identification of a N-methyl peptide, S(N-Me)LDC, which, through high affinity binding of influenza virus hemagglutinin, was able to inhibit virus-induced hemagglutination and cell infection at picomolar concentration. This small sequence, with high activity, represents a good starting point for the design of new peptidomimetics and small molecules.

Two-Chamber Aminocarbonylation of Aryl Bromides and Triflates Using Amino Acids as Nucleophiles

A palladium(0)-catalyzed aminocarbonylation reaction employing molybdenum hexacarbonyl as a carbon monoxide precursor for the production of N-capped amino acids using aryl and heteroaryl bromides and triflates is reported. The carbon monoxide is formed ex situ through the use of a two-chamber system, where carbon monoxide generated in one chamber is free to diffuse over and be consumed in the other palladium-catalyzed reaction chamber. Using this method, two series of aryl bromides and aryl triflates were utilized to synthesize 21 N-capped amino acids in isolated yields between 40 and 91%.

Targeting Peptides: The New Generation of Targeted Drug Delivery Systems

Peptides can act as targeting molecules, analogously to oligonucleotide aptamers and antibodies. They are particularly efficient in terms of production and stability in physiological environments; in recent years, they have been increasingly studied as targeting agents for several diseases, from tumors to central nervous system disorders, also thanks to the ability of some of them to cross the blood-brain barrier. In this review, we will describe the techniques employed for their experimental and in silico design, as well as their possible applications. We will also discuss advancements in their formulation and chemical modifications that make them even more stable and effective. Finally, we will discuss how their use could effectively help to overcome various physiological problems and improve existing treatments.

Overcoming the shortcomings of peptide-based therapeutics

Peptides have traditionally been perceived as poor drug candidates due to unfavorable characteristics mainly regarding their pharmacokinetic behavior, including plasma stability, membrane permeability and circulation half-life. Nonetheless, in recent years, general strategies to tackle those shortcomings have been established, and peptides are subsequently gaining increasing interest as drugs due to their unique ability to combine the advantages of antibodies and small molecules. Macrocyclic peptides are a special focus of drug development efforts due to their ability to address so called ‘undruggable’ targets characterized by large and flat protein surfaces lacking binding pockets. Here, the main strategies developed to date for adapting peptides for clinical use are summarized, which may soon help usher in an age highly shaped by peptide-based therapeutics. Nonetheless, limited membrane permeability is still to overcome before peptide therapeutics will be broadly accepted.

pH-Dependent Conformational Switching of Amide Bonds─from Full trans to Full cis and Vice Versa

Strategies enabling the pH-dependent conformational switching of amide bonds from trans to cis, and vice versa, are yet limited in the sense that, in a suitable pH range, one rotamer may be stabilized to a large extent while the complementary pH range only leads to a mixture of isomers. By exploiting the effects of steric demand and the interaction of the amide carbonyl with a positive charge, we herein present the first examples for reversible pH-dependent switching from full trans to full cis.

Sustainable Production of N-methylphenylalanine by Reductive Methylamination of Phenylpyruvate Using Engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum

N-alkylated amino acids occur widely in nature and can also be found in bioactive secondary metabolites such as the glycopeptide antibiotic vancomycin and the immunosuppressant cyclosporine A. To meet the demand for N-alkylated amino acids, they are currently produced chemically; however, these approaches often lack enantiopurity, show low product yields and require toxic reagents. Fermentative routes to N-alkylated amino acids like N-methyl-l-alanine or N-methylantranilate, a precursor of acridone alkaloids, have been established using engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum, which has been used for the industrial production of amino acids for decades. Here, we describe metabolic engineering of C. glutamicum for de novo production of N-methylphenylalanine based on reductive methylamination of phenylpyruvate. Pseudomonas putida Δ-1-piperideine-2-carboxylate reductase DpkA containing the amino acid exchanges P262A and M141L showed comparable catalytic efficiencies with phenylpyruvate and pyruvate, whereas the wild-type enzyme preferred the latter substrate over the former. Deletion of the anthranilate synthase genes trpEG and of the genes encoding branched-chain amino acid aminotransferase IlvE and phenylalanine aminotransferase AroT in a strain engineered to overproduce anthranilate abolished biosynthesis of l-tryptophan and l-phenylalanine to accumulate phenylpyruvate. Upon heterologous expression of DpkA^P262A,M141L, N-methylphenylalanine production resulted upon addition of monomethylamine to the medium. In glucose-based minimal medium, an N-methylphenylalanine titer of 0.73 ± 0.05 g L⁻¹, a volumetric productivity of 0.01 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ and a yield of 0.052 g g⁻¹ glucose were reached. When xylose isomerase gene xylA from Xanthomonas campestris and the endogenous xylulokinase gene xylB were expressed in addition, xylose as sole carbon source supported production of N-methylphenylalanine to a titer of 0.6 ± 0.04 g L⁻¹ with a volumetric productivity of 0.008 g L⁻¹ h⁻¹ and a yield of 0.05 g g⁻¹ xylose. Thus, a fermentative route to sustainable production of N-methylphenylalanine by recombinant C. glutamicum has been established.

RGD-Binding Integrins Revisited: How Recently Discovered Functions and Novel Synthetic Ligands (Re-)Shape an Ever-Evolving Field

Integrins have been extensively investigated as therapeutic targets over the last decades, which has been inspired by their multiple functions in cancer progression, metastasis, and angiogenesis as well as a continuously expanding number of other diseases, e.g., sepsis, fibrosis, and viral infections, possibly also Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Although integrin-targeted (cancer) therapy trials did not meet the high expectations yet, integrins are still valid and promising targets due to their elevated expression and surface accessibility on diseased cells. Thus, for the future successful clinical translation of integrin-targeted compounds, revisited and innovative treatment strategies have to be explored based on accumulated knowledge of integrin biology. For this, refined approaches are demanded aiming at alternative and improved preclinical models, optimized selectivity and pharmacological properties of integrin ligands, as well as more sophisticated treatment protocols considering dose fine-tuning of compounds. Moreover, integrin ligands exert high accuracy in disease monitoring as diagnostic molecular imaging tools, enabling patient selection for individualized integrin-targeted therapy. The present review comprehensively analyzes the state-of-the-art knowledge on the roles of RGD-binding integrin subtypes in cancer and non-cancerous diseases and outlines the latest achievements in the design and development of synthetic ligands and their application in biomedical, translational, and molecular imaging approaches. Indeed, substantial progress has already been made, including advanced ligand designs, numerous elaborated pre-clinical and first-in-human studies, while the discovery of novel applications for integrin ligands remains to be explored.

Methods to Enhance the Metabolic Stability of Peptide-Based PET Radiopharmaceuticals

The high affinity and specificity of peptides towards biological targets, in addition to their favorable pharmacological properties, has encouraged the development of many peptide-based pharmaceuticals, including peptide-based positron emission tomography (PET) radiopharmaceuticals. However, the poor in vivo stability of unmodified peptides against proteolysis is a major challenge that must be overcome, as it can result in an impractically short in vivo biological half-life and a subsequently poor bioavailability when used in imaging and therapeutic applications. Consequently, many biologically and pharmacologically interesting peptide-based drugs may never see application. A potential way to overcome this is using peptide analogues designed to mimic the pharmacophore of a native peptide while also containing unnatural modifications that act to maintain or improve the pharmacological properties. This review explores strategies that have been developed to increase the metabolic stability of peptide-based pharmaceuticals. It includes modifications of the C- and/or N-termini, introduction of d- or other unnatural amino acids, backbone modification, PEGylation and alkyl chain incorporation, cyclization and peptide bond substitution, and where those strategies have been, or could be, applied to PET peptide-based radiopharmaceuticals.

Strategies to Enhance Metabolic Stabilities

Macrocyclic peptides are a unique class of molecules that display a relatively constrained peptidic backbone as compared to their linear counterparts leading to the defined 3-D orientation of the constituent amino acids (pharmacophore). Although they are attractive candidates for lead discovery owing to the unique conformational features, their peptidic backbone is susceptible to proteolytic cleavage in various biological fluids that compromise their efficacy. In this chapter we review the various classical and contemporary chemical and biological approaches that have been utilized to combat the metabolic instability of macrocyclic peptides. We note that any chemical modification that helps in providing either local or global conformational rigidity to these macrocyclic peptides aids in improving their metabolic stability typically by slowing the cleavage kinetics by the proteases.

Conformational selectivity and high-affinity binding in the complexation of N-phenyl amides in water by a phenyl extended calix[4]pyrrole

We report the synthesis of a tetrapyridinium phenyl extended calix[4]pyrrole receptor that shows high binding affinity and selectivity for the complexation of the cis-conformers of N-phenyl amides in water.

We describe the synthesis of a tetrapyridinium phenyl extended calix[4]pyrrole that is soluble in neutral water solution at mM concentrations. We show that, in pure water, the synthesized calix[4]pyrrole receptor selectively binds the cis-(E) conformers of secondary N-phenyl-amides and tertiary N-methyl-N-phenyl-formamide with binding affinities larger than 10³ M^–1. The conformational selectivity is remarkable owing to the energetic preference of amides to adopt the trans-(Z) conformation in solution. In this respect, we used two binding models for the mathematical analyses of the titration data and calculated apparent and intrinsic binding constants. The combined action of hydrogen bonding and the hydrophobic effect that operates in the binding of the amides in water is responsible for the large affinities displayed by the receptor.

The influence of solvent on conformational properties of peptides with Aib residue-a DFT study

The conformational propensities of the Aib residue on the example of two model peptides Ac-Aib-NHMe (1) and Ac-Aib-NMe2 (2), were studied by B3LYP and M06-2X functionals, in the gas phase and in the polar solvents. To verify the reliability of selected functionals, we also performed MP2 calculations for the tested molecules in vacuum. Polarizable continuum models (PCM and SMD) were used to estimate the solvent effect. Ramachandran maps were calculated to find all energy minima. Noncovalent intramolecular interactions due to hydrogen-bonds and dipole attractions between carbonyl groups are responsible for the relative stabilities of the conformers. In order to verify the theoretical results, the available conformations of similar X-ray structures from the Cambridge Crystallographic Data Center (CCDC) were analyzed. The results of the calculations show that both derivatives with the Aib residue in the gas phase prefer structures stabilized by intramolecular N-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, i.e., C5 and C7 conformations, while polar solvent promotes helical conformation with φ, ψ values equal to +/-60°, +/-40°. In addition, in the case of molecule 2, the helical conformation is the only one available in the polar environment. This result is fully consistent with the X-ray data. Graphical abstract Effect of solvent on the Ramachandran maps of the model peptides with Aib residue.

DMAP-assisted sulfonylation as an efficient step for the methylation of primary amine motifs on solid support

Several multistep strategies were developed to ensure single methylation of amines on solid support. These strategies rely on the introduction of the o-NBS protecting/activating group as a key step. We found that the state-of-the-art strategies fail for the methylation of several primary amine motifs, largely due to inefficient sulfonylation. Here we show that using the superior nucleophilic base DMAP instead of the commonly used base collidine as a sulfonylation additive is essential for the introduction of the o-NBS group to these amine motifs. DFT calculations provide an explanation by showing that the energy barrier of the DMAP intermediate is significantly lower than the one of the collidine. We demonstrate that using DMAP as a sole additive in the sulfonylation step results in an overall effective and regioselective N-methylation. The method presented herein proved highly efficient in solid-phase synthesis of a somatostatin analogue bearing three Nα-methylation sites that could not be synthesized using the previously described state-of-the-art methods.

The effect of N-methylation of amino acids (Ac-X-OMe) on solubility and conformation: a DFT study

N-Methylation of amino acid derivatives (Ac-X-OMe, X = Gly, Val, Leu, Ile, Phe, Met, Cys, Ser, Asp and His) leads to an increase in aqueous solubility, lipophilicity and lowering of the cis/trans amide conformational energy barrier (E_A).

Continuous stimulation of the plant immune system by the peptide elicitor PIP-1 is required for phytoalexin biosynthesis in tobacco cells

The peptide elicitor PIP-1 (YGIHTH-nh2) induced various defense responses in tobacco cells. Types of defense responses induced by PIP-1 were different based on its concentration range: oxidative burst (an early response) was induced at low micromolar levels, but phytoalexin production (a late response) required about 10-50-fold higher concentrations than those required for oxidative burst. We assumed that rapid decreases in the PIP-1 concentration due to enzymatic hydrolysis in the culture media could cause this difference. To examine the potential impact of such degradation particularly on induction of phytoalexin biosynthesis, we designed a degradation-resistant analogue, MePIP-1, in which the amide bond between the fifth and sixth residues was N-methylated. MePIP-1 was considerably more stable than PIP-1 and induced significant phytoalexin production upon treatment at low micromolar levels. Further investigation of the mechanism of action of MePIP-1 showed a requirement of continuous elicitor stimulation for 3-6 h for the phytoalexin production, which is likely to be regulated by long-lasting MAP kinase activation.

The N-methylated peptide SEN304 powerfully inhibits Aβ(1-42) toxicity by perturbing oligomer formation

Oligomeric forms of β-amyloid (Aβ) have potent neurotoxic activity and are the primary cause of neuronal injury and cell death in Alzheimer's disease (AD). Compounds that perturb oligomer formation or structure may therefore be therapeutic for AD. We previously reported that d-[(chGly)-(Tyr)-(chGly)-(chGly)-(mLeu)]-NH(2) (SEN304) is able to inhibit Aβ aggregation and toxicity, shown primarily by thioflavin T fluorescence and MTT (Kokkoni, N. et al. (2006) N-Methylated peptide inhibitors of β-amyloid aggregation and toxicity. Optimisation of inhibitor structure. Biochemistry 45, 9906-9918). Here we extensively characterize how SEN304 affects Aβ(1-42) aggregation and toxicity, using biophysical assays (thioflavin T, circular dichroism, SDS-PAGE, size exclusion chromatography, surface plasmon resonance, traveling wave ion mobility mass spectrometry, electron microscopy, ELISA), toxicity assays in cell culture (MTT and lactate dehydrogenase in human SH-SHY5Y cells, mouse neuronal cell death and synaptophysin) and long-term potentiation in a rat hippocampal brain slice. These data, with dose response curves, show that SEN304 is a powerful inhibitor of Aβ(1-42) toxicity, particularly effective at preventing Aβ inhibition of long-term potentiation. It can bind directly to Aβ(1-42), delay β-sheet formation and promote aggregation of toxic oligomers into a nontoxic form, with a different morphology that cannot bind thioflavin T. SEN304 appears to work by inducing aggregation, and hence removal, of Aβ oligomers. It is therefore a promising lead compound for Alzheimer's disease.

Nβ-methylation changes the recognition pattern of aza-β3-amino acid containing peptidomimetic substrates by protein kinase A

The protein kinase A (PKA)-catalyzed phosphorylation of peptide substrate RRASVA analogs, containing N^β-Me-aza-β³-amino acid residues in all subsequent positions, was studied. This work follows along the lines of our previous research of the phosphorylation of aza-β³-analogs of RRASVA (the shortest active substrate of PKA) and allows characterizing the influence of N^β-methylation of aza-β³-amino acid residues on substrate recognition by PKA on substrate binding and phosphorylation steps. It was found that the effect of N^β-methylation was dependent upon the position of the structure alteration. Moreover, the presence of a single N^β-methylation site in the substrate changed the recognition pattern of this series of peptidomimetics, strongly affecting the phosphorylation step. Structure modeling of aza-β³- and N^β-Me-aza-β³-containing substrates revealed that N^β-methylation of aza-β³-moieties changed the peptide bond geometry from trans- to cis-configuration in -CO-NMe- fragments, with an exception for the N-terminally methylated N^β-Me-aza-β³-RRRASVA (with the N-terminal amino group not participating in the peptide bond) and RRAS-N^β-Me-aza-β³-VA. As has been shown in literature, this conformational preference of the backbone has a significant influence on the flexibility of the peptide substrate chain. Following our results, this property seems to have significant influence on the recognition of the amino acid side groups by the enzyme binding site, and in the case of PKA this structural modification was decisive for the phosphate transfer step of the catalytic process.

Metabolic stability of peptidomimetics: N-methyl and aza heptapeptide analogs of a PKB/Akt inhibitor

Linear peptides suffer from poor pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic properties. Peptidomimetics are designed to overcome these pharmacological drawbacks while maintaining the biological effects of the parent peptides. Aza-peptides, in which an alpha carbon is replaced with nitrogen, are promising peptidomimetic analogs; however, little is known about the stability of these analogs toward enzymatic degradation. We performed systematic aza and N-methyl scans of a PKB/Akt inhibitor, PTR6154. We evaluated the stability of the aza-scan and N-methyl scan libraries toward enzymatic degradation by trypsin/chymotrypsin. Our results indicate that the modification site is important for metabolic stability and that aza-peptides have a more global effect than N-methylation, affecting cleavage sites distant from the modification site.

Deletion of Ac-NMePhe(1) from [NMePhe(1) ]arodyn under acidic conditions, part 1: effects of cleavage conditions and N-terminal functionality

Peptides containing N-methylamino acids can exhibit improved pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic profiles compared to nonmethylated peptides, and therefore interest in these N-methylated peptides has been increasing in recent years. Arodyn (Ac[Phe¹,²,³,Arg⁴,D-Ala⁸]Dyn A(1-11)NH₂) is an acetylated dynorphin A(Dyn A) analog that is a potent and selective κ opioid receptor antagonist (Bennett et al., J Med Chem 2002, 45, 5617), and its analog [NMePhe¹]arodyn shows even higher affinity and selectivity for κ opioid receptors (Bennett et al., J Pept Res 2005, 65, 322). During the synthesis of [NMePhe¹]arodyn analogs, the arodyn-(2-11) derivatives were obtained as major products. Analysis indicated that Ac-NMePhe was lost from the completed peptide sequence during acidic cleavage of the peptides from the resin and that the acetyl group played an important role in this side reaction. Different cleavage conditions were evaluated to minimize this side reaction and maximize the yield of pure [NMePhe¹]arodyn analogs. Modifications to the N-terminus of the peptides to prevent the side reaction were also explored. The incorporation of a heteroatom-containing group such as methoxycarbonyl as the N-terminal functionality prevented this side reaction, while the incorporation of a bulky acyl group could not. Substituting NMePhe with the conformationally constrained analog Tic (1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid) also prevented the side reaction.

Multiple N-methylation of MT-II backbone amide bonds leads to melanocortin receptor subtype hMC1R selectivity: pharmacological and conformational studies

Multiple N-methylation is a novel technology to improve bioavailability of peptides and increase receptor subtype selectivity. This technique has been applied here to the superpotent but nonselective cyclic peptide MT-II. A library of all possible 31 backbone N-methylated derivatives has been synthesized and tested for binding and activation at melanocortin receptor subtypes 1, 3, 4, and 5. It turned out that selectivity is improved with every introduced N-methyl group, resulting in several N-methylated selective and potent agonists for the hMC1R. The most potent of these derivatives is N-methylated on four out of five amide bonds in the cyclic structure. Its solution structure indicates a strongly preferred backbone conformation that resembles other alpha-MSH analogs but possesses much less flexibility and in addition distinct differences in the spatial arrangement of individual amino acid side chains.

Structure-activity relationship and metabolic stability studies of backbone cyclization and N-methylation of melanocortin peptides

Backbone cyclization (BC) and N-methylation have been shown to enhance the activity and/or selectivity of biologically active peptides and improve metabolic stability and intestinal permeability. In this study, we describe the synthesis, structure-activity relationship (SAR) and intestinal metabolic stability of a backbone cyclic peptide library, BL3020, based on the linear alpha-Melanocyte stimulating hormone analog Phe-D-Phe-Arg-Trp-Gly. The drug lead, BL3020-1, selected from the BL3020 library (compound 1) has been shown to inhibit weight gain in mice following oral administration. Another member of the BL3020 library, BL3020-17, showed improved biological activity towards the mMC4R, in comparison to BL3020-1, although neither were selective for MC4R or MC5R. N-methylation, which restrains conformational freedom while increasing metabolic stability beyond that which is imparted by BC, was used to find analogs with increased selectivity. N-methylated backbone cyclic libraries were synthesized based on the BL3020 library. SAR studies showed that all the N-methylated backbone cyclic peptides demonstrated reduced biological activity and selectivity for all the analyzed receptors. N-methylation of active backbone cyclic peptides destabilized the active conformation or stabilized an inactive conformation, rendering the peptides biologically inactive. N-methylation of backbone cyclic peptides maintained stability to degradation by intestinal enzymes.

Conformational preference and potential templates of N-methylated cyclic pentaalanine peptides

Systematic N-methylation of all peptide bonds in the cyclic pentapeptide cyclo(-D-Ala-Ala(4)-) has been performed yielding 30 different N-methylated derivatives, of which only seven displayed a single conformation on the NMR time scale. The conformation of these differentially N-methylated peptides was recently reported by us (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2006, 128, 15 164-15 172). Here we present the conformational characterization of nine additional N-methylated peptides from the previous library which are not homogeneous but exist as a mixture in which at least one conformation is preferred by over 80 %. The structures of these peptides are investigated employing various 2D-NMR techniques, distance geometry calculations and further refined by molecular dynamics simulations in explicit DMSO. The comparison of the conformation of these nine peptides and the seven conformationally homogeneous peptides allow us to draw conclusions regarding the influence of N-methylation on the peptide backbone of cyclic pentapeptide of the class cyclo(-D-Ala-Ala(4)-). Here we present the different conformational classes of the peptides arising from the definitive pattern of N-methylation which can eventually serve as templates for the design of bioactive peptides.

Identification of Bombesin Receptor Subtype-Specific Ligands: Effect ofN-Methyl Scanning, Truncation, Substitution, and Evaluation of Putative Reported Selective Ligands

Mammalian bombesin (Bn) receptors include the gastrin-releasing peptide receptor, neuromedin B receptor, and bombesin receptor subtype 3 (BRS-3). These receptors are involved in a variety of physiological/pathologic processes, including thermoregulation, secretion, motility, chemotaxis, and mitogenic effects on both normal and malignant cells. Tumors frequently overexpress these receptors, and their presence is now used for imaging and receptor-mediated cytotoxicity. For these reasons, there is an increased need to develop synthetic, selective receptor subtype-specific ligands, especially agonists for these receptors. In this study, we used a number of strategies to identify useful receptor subtype-selective ligands, including synthesizing new analogs (N-methyl-substituted constrained analogs, truncations, and substitutions) in [d-Tyr(6),betaAla(11),Phe(13),Nle(14)]Bn(6-14), which has high affinity for all Bn receptors and is metabolically stable, as well as completely pharmacologically characterized analogs recently reported to be selective for these receptors in [Ca(2+)](i) assays. Affinities and potencies of each analog were determined for each human Bn receptor subtype. N-Methyl substitutions in positions 14, 12, 11, 10, 9, and 8 did not result in selective analogs, with the exception of position 11, which markedly decreased affinity/potency. N-Terminal truncations or position 12 substitutions did not increase selectivity as previously reported by others. Of the four shortened analogs of [d-Phe(6),betaAla(11),Phe(13),Nle(14)]Bn(6-14) reported to be potent selective BRS-3 ligands on [Ca(2+)](i) assays, only AcPhe,Trp,Ala,His(tauBzl),Nip,Gly,Arg-NH(2) had moderate selectivity for hBRS-3; however, it was less selective than previously reported Apa(11) analogs, demonstrating these are still the most selective BRS-3 analogs available. However, both of these analogs should be useful templates to develop more selective BRS-3 ligands.

An improved synthesis of Fmoc-N-methyl-alpha-amino acids

A highly efficient and environmentally more benign synthesis of Fmoc-N-methyl-alpha-amino acids from the corresponding Fmoc-amino acid, via intermediate 5-oxazolidinones, has been developed by using Lewis acid catalysis for the reductive opening of the oxazolidinone ring.

Optimized selective N-methylation of peptides on solid support

Peptides containing N(alpha)-methylamino acids exhibit interesting therapeutic profiles and are increasingly recognized as potentially useful therapeutics. Unfortunately, their synthesis is hampered by the high price and nonavailability of many N(alpha)-methylamino acids. An efficient and practical three-step procedure for selective N-methylation of peptides on solid support is described. The procedure was based on the well known solid-phase N-methylation of N(alpha)-arylsulfonyl peptides, which was improved by using dimethylsulfate and the less expensive DBU as base. Every step of the procedure, amine activation by an o-nitrobenzenesulfonyl group, selective N-methylation and removal of the sulfonamide group, was optimized in respect of time and economy. The described optimized three-step procedure is performed in 35 min without solvent changes, instead of 3 h. Tripeptides (Fmoc-Phe-MeXaa-Leu-OH) containing N-methylated common amino acids were also prepared using the optimized procedure to demonstrate its compatibility with these amino acids. The described procedure allows an efficient synthesis of N(alpha)-methylamino acid containing peptides in a very short time using Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis.