Robert E. Thompson

Trifluoroethanethiol: An Additive for Efficient One-Pot Peptide Ligation−Desulfurization Chemistry

Native chemical ligation followed by desulfurization is a powerful strategy for the assembly of proteins. Here we describe the development of a high-yielding, one-pot ligation-desulfurization protocol that uses trifluoroethanethiol (TFET) as a novel thiol additive. The synthetic utility of this TFET-enabled methodology is demonstrated by the efficient multi-step one-pot syntheses of two tick-derived proteins, chimadanin and madanin-1, without the need for any intermediary purification.

One-Pot Peptide Ligation–Desulfurization at Glutamate

An efficient methodology for ligation at glutamate (Glu) is described. A γ-thiol-Glu building block was accessed in only three steps from protected glutamic acid and could be incorporated at the N-terminus of peptides. The application of these peptides in one-pot ligation-desulfurization chemistry is demonstrated with a range of peptide thioesters, and the utility of this methodology is highlighted through the synthesis of the osteoporosis peptide drug teriparatide (Forteo).

Rapid additive-free selenocystine-selenoester peptide ligation.

We describe an unprecedented reaction between peptide selenoesters and peptide dimers bearing N-terminal selenocystine that proceeds in aqueous buffer to afford native amide bonds without the use of additives. The selenocystine-selenoester ligations are complete in minutes, even at sterically hindered junctions, and can be used in concert with one-pot deselenization chemistry. Various pathways for the transformation are proposed and probed through a combination of experimental and computational studies. Our new reaction manifold is also showcased in the total synthesis of two proteins.

Total Synthesis of Microcin B17 via a Fragment Condensation Approach

The total synthesis of the 43 amino acid antibacterial peptide Microcin B17 (MccB17) is described. The natural product was synthesized via a convergent approach from a heterocycle-derived peptide and peptide thioester fragments prepared via Fmoc-strategy solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). Final assembly was achieved in an efficient manner using two Ag(I)-assisted peptide ligation reactions to afford MccB17 in excellent overall yield.

Fragments of the Bacterial Toxin Microcin B17 as Gyrase Poisons

Fluoroquinolones are very important drugs in the clinical antibacterial arsenal; their success is principally due to their mode of action: the stabilisation of a gyrase-DNA intermediate (the cleavage complex), which triggers a chain of events leading to cell death. Microcin B17 (MccB17) is a modified peptide bacterial toxin that acts by a similar mode of action, but is unfortunately unsuitable as a therapeutic drug. However, its structure and mechanism could inspire the design of new antibacterial compounds that are needed to circumvent the rise in bacterial resistance to current antibiotics. Here we describe the investigation of the structural features responsible for MccB17 activity and the identification of fragments of the toxin that retain the ability to stabilise the cleavage complex.

Thiazolidine-Protected β-Thiol Asparagine: Applications in One-Pot Ligation–Desulfurization Chemistry

The synthesis of a β-thiol asparagine derivative bearing a novel (2,4,6-trimethoxyphenyl)thiazolidine protecting group is described. The efficient incorporation of the amino acid into the N-termini of peptides is demonstrated as well as the utility of the β-thiol asparagine moiety for rapid ligation reactions with peptide thioesters. The streamlined synthesis of native peptide products could be accomplished using a one-pot radical desulfurization of the β-thiol auxiliary following the ligation event. The utility of the amino acid is highlighted in the efficient one-pot assembly of the HIV entry inhibitor enfuvirtide.

Tyrosine sulfation modulates activity of tick-derived thrombin inhibitors

Madanin-1 and chimadanin are two small cysteine-free thrombin inhibitors that facilitate blood feeding in the tick Haemaphysalis longicornis. Here, we report a post-translational modification-tyrosine sulfation-of these two proteins that is critical for potent anti-thrombotic and anticoagulant activity. Inhibitors produced in baculovirus-infected insect cells displayed heterogeneous sulfation of two tyrosine residues within each of the proteins. One-pot ligation-desulfurization chemistry enabled access to homogeneous samples of all possible sulfated variants of the proteins. Tyrosine sulfation of madanin-1 and chimadanin proved crucial for thrombin inhibitory activity, with the doubly sulfated variants three orders of magnitude more potent than the unmodified inhibitors. The three-dimensional structure of madanin-1 in complex with thrombin revealed a unique mode of inhibition, with the sulfated tyrosine residues binding to the basic exosite II of the protease. The importance of tyrosine sulfation within this family of thrombin inhibitors, together with their unique binding mode, paves the way for the development of anti-thrombotic drug leads based on these privileged scaffolds.

Total synthesis of cyclocitropside A and its conversion to cyclocitropsides B and C via asparagine deamidation.

The total syntheses of three closely related cyclic peptide natural products, cyclocitropsides A-C, are described. Cyclocitropside A could be readily converted into cyclocitropsides B and C through an asparagine deamidation pathway, indicating that this is a plausible biosynthetic route to these compounds.

Mosquito-Derived Anophelin Sulfoproteins Are Potent Antithrombotics

The anophelins are small protein thrombin inhibitors that are produced in the salivary glands of the Anopheles mosquito to fulfill a vital role in blood feeding. A bioinformatic analysis of anophelin sequences revealed the presence of conserved tyrosine residues in an acidic environment that were predicted to be post-translationally sulfated in vivo. To test this prediction, insect cell expression of two anophelin proteins, from Anopheles albimanus and Anopheles gambiae, was performed, followed by analysis by mass spectrometry, which showed heterogeneous sulfation at the predicted sites. Homogeneously sulfated variants of the two proteins were subsequently generated by chemical synthesis via a one-pot ligation–desulfurization strategy. Tyrosine sulfation of the anophelins was shown to significantly enhance the thrombin inhibitory activity, with a doubly sulfated variant of the anophelin from A. albimanus exhibiting a 100-fold increase in potency compared with the unmodified homologue. Sulfated anophelins were also shown to exhibit potent in vivo anticoagulant and antithrombotic activity.