Chiral alpha-aminoxy acid/achiral cyclopropane alpha-aminoxy acid unit as a building block for constructing the alpha N-O helix

J Org Chem. 2010 Jul 16;75(14):4796-805. doi: 10.1021/jo100810m.

Abstract

The monomer 1 derived from achiral 1-(aminoxy)cyclopropanecarboxylic acid (OAcc) and oligopeptides 2-9 consisting of a chiral alpha-aminoxy acid and an achiral alpha-aminoxy acid such as OAcc were synthesized and their structures characterized. The eight-membered-ring intramolecular hydrogen bond, namely the alpha N-O turn, was formed between adjacent residues independent of their chirality. However, the helix formation was sequence-dependent. Dipeptide 2 bearing chiral alpha-aminoxy acid (d-OAA) at the N-terminus and achiral OAcc at the C-terminus preferentially adopted a right-handed 1.8(8) helical structure, but dipeptide 3 (OAcc-d-OAA) did not. Theoretical calculation results, in good agreement with experimental ones, revealed that the biased handedness of alpha N-O turn found in OAcc residue depends on its preceding chiral residue. It was then found that the helical conformation was destroyed in the case of oligopeptides 6 and 7 [OAA-(OAcc)(n), n = 2, 3]. The crystal structure of tripeptide 8 ((i)PrCO-d-OVal-OAcc-d-OVal-NH(i)Bu) further disclosed the helical structure formed by three consecutive homochiral alpha N-O turns. This study has uncovered achiral aminoxy acid residues such as the OAcc unit as a useful building block to be incorporated into chiral aminoxy peptides to mimic chiral helix structure.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acids / chemistry*
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Crystallography, X-Ray
  • Cyclopropanes / chemical synthesis
  • Cyclopropanes / chemistry*
  • Dipeptides / chemistry*
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Conformation
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Molecular Structure
  • Nitrogen / chemistry*
  • Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, Biomolecular
  • Oligopeptides / chemical synthesis*
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry
  • Oxygen / chemistry*

Substances

  • Amino Acids
  • Cyclopropanes
  • Dipeptides
  • Oligopeptides
  • cyclopropanecarboxylic acid
  • Nitrogen
  • Oxygen