Secondary structure of short β-peptides as the chiral expression of monomeric building units: a rational and predictive model

Conformational Adaptation of β-Peptide Foldamers for the Formation of Metal-Peptide Frameworks

Metal-coordinated frameworks derived from small peptidic ligands have received much attention thanks to peptides' vast structural and functional diversity. Various peptides with partial conformational preferences have been used to build metal-peptide frameworks, however, the use of conformationally constrained β-peptide foldamers has not been explored yet. Herein we report the first metal-coordination-mediated assembly of β-peptide foldamers with 12-helical folding propensity. The coordination of Ag⁺ to the terminal pyridyl moieties afforded a set of metal-peptide frameworks with unique entangled topologies. Interestingly, formation of the network structures was accompanied by notable conformational distortions of the foldamer ligands. As the first demonstration of new metal-peptide frameworks built from modular β-peptide foldamers, we anticipate that this work will be an important benchmark for further structural evolution and mechanistic investigation.

Hybrid Cyclobutane/Proline-Containing Peptidomimetics: The Conformational Constraint Influences Their Cell-Penetration Ability

A new family of hybrid β,γ-peptidomimetics consisting of a repetitive unit formed by a chiral cyclobutane-containing trans-β-amino acid plus a N^α-functionalized trans-γ-amino-l-proline joined in alternation were synthesized and evaluated as cell penetrating peptides (CPP). They lack toxicity on the human tumoral cell line HeLa, with an almost negligible cell uptake. The dodecapeptide showed a substantial microbicidal activity on Leishmania parasites at 50 µM but with a modest intracellular accumulation. Their previously published γ,γ-homologues, with a cyclobutane γ-amino acid, showed a well-defined secondary structure with an average inter-guanidinium distance of 8–10 Å, a higher leishmanicidal activity as well as a significant intracellular accumulation. The presence of a very rigid cyclobutane β-amino acid in the peptide backbone precludes the acquisition of a defined conformation suitable for their cell uptake ability. Our results unveiled the preorganized charge-display as a relevant parameter, additional to the separation among the charged groups as previously described. The data herein reinforce the relevance of these descriptors in the design of CPPs with improved properties.

Carbocycle-Based Organogelators: Influence of Chirality and Structural Features on Their Supramolecular Arrangements and Properties

The rational design and engineer of organogel-based smart materials and stimuli-responsive materials with tuned properties requires the control of the non-covalent forces driving the hierarchical self-assembly. Chirality, as well as cis/trans relative configuration, also plays a crucial role promoting the morphology and characteristics of the aggregates. Cycloalkane derivatives can provide chiral chemical platforms allowing the incorporation of functional groups and hydrophobic structural units able for a convenient molecular stacking leading to gels. Restriction of the conformational freedom imposed by the ring strain is also a contributing issue that can be modulated by the inclusion of flexible segments. In addition, donor/acceptor moieties can also be incorporated favoring the interactions with light or with charged species. This review offers a perspective on the abilities and properties of carbocycle-based organogelators starting from simple cycloalkane derivatives, which were the key to establish the basis for an effective self-assembling, to sophisticated polycyclic compounds with manifold properties and applications.

Local versus Global Control of Helical Folding in β-Peptide Segments Using Hydrazino Turns

Rational control of the self-organization of β-peptides sequences to adopt regular secondary structures is an important challenge in peptidomimetic foldamer science. By replacing the N- and C-terminal residues of homooligomers of trans-2-aminocyclobutanecarboxylic acid (tACBC)_n with N-aminoazetidine-2-carboxylic acid, an 8-helical topology is shown to dominate for sequences up to n = 7. This constitutes an atomic-level tool to override locally the preferred global 12-helix secondary structure of the corresponding tACBC homooligomers of the same length.

Cyclobutane-Containing Scaffolds as Useful Intermediates in the Stereoselective Synthesis of Suitable Candidates for Biomedical Purposes: Surfactants, Gelators and Metal Cation Ligands

Efficient and versatile synthetic methodologies are reported for the preparation of products that are suitable candidates to be used as surfactants, gelators for hydroxylic solvents or metal cation ligands, with potential use in several fields including biomedical applications. The common structural feature of all the synthesized products is the presence of a cis or trans-1,2- or cis-1,3-difunctionalized cyclobutane ring. In the two first cases, the key intermediates including enantiomerically pure 1,3-diamines and 1,3-amino alcohols have been prepared from β-amino acid derivatives obtained, in turn, from a chiral half-ester. This compound is also precursor of γ-amino esters. Furthermore, two kind of polydentate ligands have also been synthesized from a symmetric 1,5-diamine obtained from norpinic acid, which was easily prepared from commercial verbenone.

α/β-Chimera peptide synthesis with cyclic β-sugar amino acids: the efficient coupling protocol

The synthesis of α/β-chimeras comprises peptide bond formation from α- to β-, from β- to β-, and from β- to α-amino acid residues. The fine-tuned solid phase synthesis of -GXXG- chimera peptides containing the simplest achiral α-amino acid glycine and two cyclic SAAs of different ring size [X denoting cyclic β-Sugar Amino Acids (β-SAA)] is reported, variants containing Fmoc-RibAFU(ip)-OH a furanoid-, and Fmoc-GlcAPU(Me)-OH a pyranoid-type structural "Lego-element". Systematic search for the best coupling strategy with both H-β-SAA-OHs is described, including the comparison of the different coupling reagents and conditions. Selecting the optimal reagent (from commonly used PyBOP, HATU and HOBt) was assisted by time-resolved ¹H-NMR: formation and stability of the Fmoc protected active esters were compared. We found that PyBOP is the best choice for successfully coupling both H-β-SAA-OH prototypes. The present comparative results open a reasonable route for building efficiently various -β-SAA- containing homo- and heterooligomers.

Stereoselectivity of Proline/Cyclobutane Amino Acid-Containing Peptide Organocatalysts for Asymmetric Aldol Additions: A Rationale

Several α,β,α- or α,γ,α-tripeptides, consisting of a central cyclobutane β- or γ-amino acid being flanked by two d- or l-proline residues, have been synthesized and tested as organocatalysts in asymmetric aldol additions. High yields and enantioselectivities have been achieved with α,γ,α-tripeptides, being superior to peptides containing a cyclobutane β-amino acid residue. This is probably due to their high rigidity, which hinders some of the peptide catalysts to adopt the proper active conformation. This reasoning correlates with the major conformation of the peptides in the ground state, as suggested by ¹H NMR and computational calculations. The configuration of the aldol products is controlled by the proline chirality, and consequently, the R/S configuration of aldol products can be tuned by the use of either commercially available d- or l-proline. The enantioselectivity in the aldol reactions is reversed if the reactions are carried out in the presence of water or other protic solvents such as methanol. Spectroscopic and theoretical investigations revealed that this effect is not the consequence of conformational changes in the catalyst but rather caused by the participation of a water molecule in the rate determining transition state, in such a way that the preferential nucleophilic attack is oriented to the opposite enantiotopic aldehyde face.

C-3 epimers of sugar amino acids as foldameric building blocks: improved synthesis, useful derivatives, coupling strategies

To obtain key sugar derivatives for making homooligomeric foldamers or α/β-chimera peptides, economic and multigram scale synthetic methods were to be developed. Though described in the literature, the cost-effective making of both 3-amino-3-deoxy-ribofuranuronic acid (H-t X-OH) and its C-3 epimeric stereoisomer, the 3-amino-3-deoxy-xylofuranuronic acid (H-c X-OH) from D-glucose is described here. The present synthetic route elaborated is (1) appropriate for large-scale synthesis; (2) reagent costs reduced (e.g. by a factor of 400); (3) yields optimized are ~80% or higher for all six consecutive steps concluding -t X- or -c X- and (4) reaction times shortened. Thus, a new synthetic route step-by-step optimized for yield, cost, time and purification is given both for D-xylo and D-ribo-amino-furanuronic acids using sustainable chemistry (e.g. less chromatography with organic solvents; using continuous-flow reactor). Our study encompasses necessary building blocks (e.g. -X-OMe, -X-OⁱPr, -X-NHMe, Fmoc-X-OH) and key coupling reactions making -Aaa-t X-Aaa- or -Aaa-t X-t X-Aaa- type "inserts". Completed for both stereoisomers of X, including the newly synthesized Fmoc-c X-OH, producing longer oligomers for drug design and discovery is more of a reality than a wish.

Chiral Cyclobutane β-Amino Acid-Based Amphiphiles: Influence of Cis/Trans Stereochemistry on Condensed Phase and Monolayer Structure

New diastereomeric nonionic amphiphiles, cis- and trans-1, based on an optically pure cyclobutane β-amino ester moiety have been investigated to gain insight into the influence exerted by cis/trans stereochemistry and stereochemical constraints on the physicochemical behavior, molecular organization, and morphology of their Langmuir monolayers and dry solid states. All these features are relevant to the rational design of functional materials. trans-1 showed a higher thermal stability than cis-1. For the latter, a higher fluidity of its monolayers was observed when compared with the films formed by trans-1 whose BAM images revealed the formation of condensed phase domains with a dendritic shape, which are chiral, and all of them feature the same chiral sign. Although the formation of LC phase domains was not observed by BAM for cis-1, compact dendritic crystals floating on a fluid subphase were observed beyond the collapse, which are attributable to multilayered 3D structures. These differences can be explained by the formation of hydrogen bonds between the amide groups of consecutive molecules allowing the formation of extended chains for trans-1 giving ordered arrangements. However, for cis-1, this alignment coexists with another one that allows the simultaneous formation of two hydrogen bonds between the amide and the ester groups of adjacent molecules. In addition, the propensity to form intramolecular hydrogen bonds must be considered to justify the formation of different patterns of hydrogen bonding and, consequently, the formation of less ordered phases. Those characteristics are congruent also with the results obtained from SAXS-WAXS experiments which suggest a more bent configuration for cis-1 than for trans-1.

Chiral Cyclobutane β-Amino Acid-Based Amphiphiles: Influence of Cis/Trans Stereochemistry on Solution Self-Aggregation and Recognition

Novel diastereomeric anionic amphiphiles based on the rigid cyclobutane β-amino acid scaffold have been synthesized and deeply investigated with the aim of generating new functional supramolecular architectures on the basis of the rational design of original amphiphilic molecules and the control of their self-assembly. The main interest has been focused on the effect that cis/trans stereochemistry exerts on their molecular organization and recognition. In diluted solutions, the relative stereochemistry mainly influences the headgroup solvation and anionic-charge stabilization, i.e., better stabilized in the cis diastereoisomer due to intramolecular hydrogen-bonding and/or charge-dipole interactions. This provokes differences in their physicochemical behavior (pKa, cmc, conductivity) as well as in the structural parameters of the spherical micelles formed. Although both diastereoisomers form fibers that evolve with time from the spherical micelles, they display markedly different morphology and kinetics of formation. In the lyotropic liquid crystal domain, the greatest differences are observed at the highest concentrations and can be ascribed to different hydrogen-bonding and molecular packing imposed by the stereochemical constraints. Remarkably, the spherical micelles of the two anionic surfactants show dramatically diverse enantioselection ability for bilirubin enantiomers. In addition, both the surfactants form heteroaggregates with bilirubin at submicellar concentrations but with a different expression of supramolecular chirality. This points out that the unlike relative configuration of the two surfactants influences their chiral recognition ability as well as the fashion in which chirality is expressed at the supramolecular level by controlling the molecular organization in both micellar aggregates and surfactant/bilirubin heteroaggregates. All these differential features can be appropriate and useful for the design and development of new soft materials with predictable and tunable properties and reveal the cyclobutane motif as a valuable scaffold for the preparation of new amphiphiles.

The discovery of 9/8-ribbons, β/γ-peptides with curved shapes governed by a combined configuration-conformation code

The design of a β/γ-peptide reveals an unprecedented 9/8-ribbon whose curvature depends on the β-residue configuration and the γ-residue conformation.

Replacement of Thr32 and Gln34 in the C-terminal neuropeptide Y fragment 25-36 by cis-cyclobutane and cis-cyclopentane β-amino acids shifts selectivity toward the Y(4) receptor

Neuropeptide Y (NPY) and pancreatic polypeptide (PP) control central and peripheral processes by activating the G protein coupled receptors YxR (x = 1, 2, 4, 5). We present analogs of the C-terminal fragments 25-36 and 32-36 of NPY and PP containing (1R,2S)-cyclobutane (βCbu) or (1R,2S)-cyclopentane (βCpe) β-amino acids, which display exclusively Y4R affinity. In particular, [βCpe(34)]-NPY-(25-36) is a Y4R selective partial agonist (EC50 41 ± 6 nM, Emax 71%) that binds Y4R with a Ki of 10 ± 2 nM and a selectivity >100-fold relative to Y1R and Y2R and >50-fold relative to Y5R. Comparably, [Y(32), βCpe(34)]-NPY(PP)-(32-36) selectively binds and activates Y4R (EC50 94 ± 21 nM, Emax 73%). The NMR structure of [βCpe(34)]-NPY-(25-36) in dodecylphosphatidylcholine micelles shows a short helix at residues 27-32, while the C-terminal segment R(33)βCpe(34)R(35)Y(36) is extended. The biological properties of the βCbu- or βCpe-containing NPY and PP C-terminal fragments encourage the future application of these β-amino acids in the synthesis of selective Y4R ligands.

Low-molecular-weight gelators consisting of hybrid cyclobutane-based peptides

Some hybrid tetrapeptides consisting of (1R,2S)-2-aminocyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid and glycine, β-alanine, or γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) joined in alternation, compounds 1-3, respectively, have been investigated to gain information on the non-covalent interactions responsible for their self-assembly to form ordered aggregates, as well as on parameters such as their morphology and size. All three peptides formed nice gels in many organic solvents and significant difference in their behaviour was not observed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and circular dichroism (CD) pointed out that peptide 1, which contains the shortest C2 linear residue, presented the most defined fibril network and afforded nanoscale helical aggregates. Tetrapeptide 3, with C4 linear residues in its structure, also showed bundles of fibres whereas a homogeneous spherulitic network was observed for tetrapeptide 2, with a C3 spacer between cyclobutane residues. Computational calculations for 1 allowed us to model the self-assembly of the molecules and suggested a head-to-head arrangement to give helical structures corresponding to hydrogen-bonded single chains. These features were corroborated by a high-resolution NMR spectroscopy study of the dynamics of the gelation process in toluene-d8 which evidenced that molecules self-assemble to afford ordered aggregates with a supramolecular chirality.