1372805-46-3Relevant academic research and scientific papers
Solid phase synthesis of Smac/DIABLO-derived peptides using a 'Safety-Catch' resin: Identification of potent XIAP BIR3 antagonists
Elsawy, Mohamed A.,Martin, Lorraine,Tikhonova, Irina G.,Walker, Brian
, p. 5004 - 5011 (2013/09/02)
The N-terminal sequence of the Smac/DIABLO protein is known to be involved in binding to the BIR3 domain of the anti-apoptotic proteins IAPs, antagonizing their action. Short peptides and peptide mimetics based on the first 4-residues of Smac/DIABLO have been demonstrated to re-sensitize resistant cancer cells, over-expressing IAPs, to apoptosis. Based on the well-defined structural basis for this interaction, a small focused library of C-terminal capped Smac/DIABLO-derived peptides was designed in silico using docking to the XIAP BIR3 domain. The top-ranked computational hits were conveniently synthesized employing Solid Phase Synthesis (SPS) on an alkane sulfonamide 'Safety-Catch' resin. This novel approach afforded the rapid synthesis of the target peptide library with high flexibility for the introduction of various C-terminal amide-capping groups. The library members were obtained in high yield (>65%) and purity (>85%), upon nucleophilic release from the activated resin by treatment with various amine nucleophiles. In vitro caspase-9 activity reconstitution assays of the peptides in the presence of the recombinant BIR3-domain of human XIAP (500 nM) revealed N-methylalanyl- tertiarybutylglycinyl-4-(R)-phenoxyprolyl-N-biphenylmethyl carboxamide (11a) to be the most potent XIAP BIR3 antagonist of the series synthesized inducing 93% recovery of caspase-9 activity, when used at 1 μM concentration. Compound (11a) also demonstrated moderate cytotoxicity against the breast cancer cell lines MDA-MB-231 and MCF-7, compared to the Smac/DIABLO-derived wild-type peptide sequences that were totally inactive in the same cell lines.
Racemisation of N-Fmoc phenylglycine under mild microwave-SPPS and conventional stepwise SPPS conditions: Attempts to develop strategies for overcoming this
Elsawy, Mohamed A.,Hewage, Chandralal,Walker, Brian
experimental part, p. 302 - 311 (2012/07/27)
We have been engaged in the microwave-solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) synthesis of the phenylglycine (Phg)-containing pentapeptide H-Ala-Val-Pro-Phg-Tyr-NH2 (1) previously demonstrated to bind to the so-called BIR3 domain of the anti-apoptotic protein XIAP. Analysis of the target peptide by a combination of RP-HPLC, ESI-MS, and NMR revealed the presence of two diastereoisomers arising out of the racemisation of the Phg residue, with the percentage of the LLLDL component assessed as 49%. We performed the synthesis of peptide (1) using different microwave and conventional stepwise SPPS conditions in attempts to reduce the level of racemisation of the Phg residue and to determine at which part of the synthetic cycle the epimerization had occurred. We determined that racemisation occurred mainly during the Fmoc-group removal and, to a much lesser extent, during activation/coupling of the Fmoc-Phg-OH residue. We were able to obtain the desired peptide with a 71% diastereomeric purity (29% LLLDL as impurity) by utilizing microwave-assisted SPPS at 50°C and power 22Watts, when the triazine-derived coupling reagent DMTMM-BF4 was used, together with NMM as an activator base, for the incorporation of this residue and 20% piperidine as an Fmoc-deprotection base. In contrast, the phenylalanine analogue of the above peptide, H-Ala-Val-Pro-Phe-Tyr-NH2 (2), was always obtained as a single diastereoisomer by using a range of standard coupling and deprotection conditions. Our findings suggest that the racemisation of Fmoc-Phg-OH, under both microwave-SPPS and stepwise conventional SPPS syntheses conditions, is very facile but can be limited through the use of the above stated conditions.
