ORGANIC
LETTERS
2000
Vol. 2, No. 3
301-302
Design and Synthesis of Novel
Conformationally Restricted Peptide
Secondary Structure Mimetics
,†,‡
Hwa-Ok Kim,† Hiroshi Nakanishi,†,‡ Min S. Lee,†,‡ and Michael Kahn*
Molecumetics Ltd., 2023 120th AVenue N.E, BelleVue, Washington 98005-2199, and
UniVersity of Washington, Department of Pathobiology, SC-38,
Seattle, Washington 98195
Received November 12, 1999
ABSTRACT
A facile synthesis of the novel conformationally restricted reverse turn mimetic is described. The key features are the preparation of the
r-keto amide and tandem bicyclic ring formation.
As part of our continuing research program in the area of
peptide secondary structure mimetics,1 we are investigating
the synthesis of new types of â-turn mimetics.2
We envisioned that the general structure 1 would be a good
candidate, based upon molecular modeling (Scheme 1).
for the synthesis (Scheme 2). Acylation of the N-benzyl-
glycine ethyl ester 2 with N-Boc-Ala-OH using EDCI and
HOBt provided the sterically hindered secondary amide 3
in quantitative yield. Hydrolysis of the ethyl ester and
subsequent coupling of the carboxylic acid with cyano-
methylenetriphenylphosphorane using EDCI and DMAP, as
previously described,3 furnished 4 in 71% (from 3) after
purification by flash chromatography. Treatment of 4 with
ozone, followed by coupling with secondary amino ester 2,
afforded the R-keto amide 5 in 40% yield.3
Scheme 1
With R-keto amide 5 in hand, we attempted tandem
cyclization by deprotection of the Boc protecting group with
TFA and subsequent reductive amination (ZnCl2/NaBH3CN,
(1) (a) Kahn, M.; Eguchi, M.; Kim, H.-O. WO98/49168. (b) Peptide
Secondary Structure Mimetics. Tetrahedron (Symposia-in-print; no. 50,
Kahn, M., Ed.) 1993, 49, 3444. (c) Kahn, M. Synlett 1993, 821. (d) Kim,
H.-O.; Kahn, M. Tetrahedron Lett. 1997, 38, 6483. (e) Kim, H.-O.; Lum,
C.; Lee, M. S. Tetrahedron Lett. 1997, 38, 4935. (f). Ogbu, C. O.; Qabar,
M.N.; Boatman, P. D.; Urban, J.; Meara, J. P.; Ferguson, M. D.; Tulinsky,
J.; Lum, C.; Babu, S.; Blaskovich, M. A.; Nakanishi, H.; Ruan, F.; Cao,
B.; Minarik, R.; Little, T.; Nelson, S.; Nguyen, M.; Gall, A.; Kahn, M.
Bioorganic Med. Chem. Lett. 1998, 8, 2321. (g) Eguchi, M.; Lee, M. S.;
Nakanishi, H.; Kahn, M. J. Am. Chem. Soc., in press.
To test the feasibility of the synthesis of 1 from readily
available starting material, we chose 1a as a model compound
(2) Hanessian, S.; McNaughton-Smith, G.; Lombart, H.-G.; Lubell, W.
D. Tetrahedron 1997, 53, 12789.
(3) Wasserman, H. H.; Ho, W.-B. J. Org. Chem. 1994, 59, 4364.
† Molecumetics Ltd.
‡ University of Washington.
10.1021/ol990355r CCC: $19.00 © 2000 American Chemical Society
Published on Web 01/11/2000