1.Synthesis of beta- and gamma-fluorenylmethyl esters of respectively N alpha-Boc-L-aspartic acid and N alpha-Boc-L-glutamic acid.
al-Obeidi F1, Sanderson DG, Hruby VJ. Int J Pept Protein Res. 1990 Mar;35(3):215-8.
The orthogonal synthesis of N alpha-Boc-L-aspartic acid-gamma-fluorenylmethyl ester and N alpha-Boc-L-glutamic acid-delta-fluorenylmethyl ester is reported. This is a four-step synthesis that relies on the selective esterification of the side-chain carboxyl groups on N alpha-CBZ-L-aspartic acid and N alpha-CBZ-L-glutamic acid. Such selectivity is accomplished by initially protecting the alpha-carboxyl group through the formation of the corresponding 5-oxo-4-oxazolidinone ring. Following side-chain esterification, the alpha-carboxyl and alpha-amino groups are deprotected with acidolysis. Finally, the alpha-amino group is reprotected with the t-butyl-oxycarbonyl (Boc) group. Thus aspartic acid and glutamic acid have their side-chain carboxyl groups protected with the base-labile fluorenylmethyl ester (OFm) and their alpha-amino groups protected with the acid-labile Boc group. These residues, when used in conjunction with N alpha-Boc-N epsilon-Fmoc-L-lysine, are important in the formation of side-chain to side-chain cyclizations, via an amide bridge, during solid-phase peptide synthesis.
2.A 'conovenomic' analysis of the milked venom from the mollusk-hunting cone snail Conus textile--the pharmacological importance of post-translational modifications.
Bergeron ZL1, Chun JB, Baker MR, Sandall DW, Peigneur S, Yu PY, Thapa P, Milisen JW, Tytgat J, Livett BG, Bingham JP. Peptides. 2013 Nov;49:145-58. doi: 10.1016/j.peptides.2013.09.004. Epub 2013 Sep 18.
Cone snail venoms provide a largely untapped source of novel peptide drug leads. To enhance the discovery phase, a detailed comparative proteomic analysis was undertaken on milked venom from the mollusk-hunting cone snail, Conus textile, from three different geographic locations (Hawai'i, American Samoa and Australia's Great Barrier Reef). A novel milked venom conopeptide rich in post-translational modifications was discovered, characterized and named α-conotoxin TxIC. We assign this conopeptide to the 4/7 α-conotoxin family based on the peptide's sequence homology and cDNA pre-propeptide alignment. Pharmacologically, α-conotoxin TxIC demonstrates minimal activity on human acetylcholine receptor models (100 μM, <5% inhibition), compared to its high paralytic potency in invertebrates, PD50 = 34.2 nMol kg(-1). The non-post-translationally modified form, [Pro](2,8)[Glu](16)α-conotoxin TxIC, demonstrates differential selectivity for the α3β2 isoform of the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor with maximal inhibition of 96% and an observed IC50 of 5.
3.Synthesis of an amino acid analogue to incorporate p-aminobenzyl-EDTA in peptides.
Song AI1, Rana TM. Bioconjug Chem. 1997 Mar-Apr;8(2):249-52.
A convenient and straightforward synthesis of an amino acid analog, [p-(N-alpha-Fmoc-L-aspartic acid-beta-amido)benzyl]-EDTA tetra-tert-butyl ester, compatible with Fmoc solid phase peptide synthesis strategy is described. This reagent was used to incorporate p-aminobenzyl-EDTA at an internal sequence position in an HIV-1 Tat protein fragment. After cleavage from the resin and standard deprotection, the peptide was purified by high-performance liquid chromatography and characterized by mass spectrometry. Through this methodology, flexible linkers of different lengths and containing various structures can be placed between the alpha-carbon backbone of peptides and metal chelates. These peptides will provide a new class of affinity cleaving reagents that can be directed against protein and nucleic acid targets.