Thomas Hjelmgaard

Convenient Solution-Phase Synthesis and Conformational Studies of Novel Linear and Cyclic α,β-Alternating Peptoids

The synthesis of a novel family of peptidomimetics composed of linear and cyclic alpha,beta-alternating peptoids is described. Oligomers consisting of up to six peptoid residues (n = 1-3) were synthesized on large scale with use of an efficient iterative solution-phase method and longer oligomers (n = 4, 5) were obtained by the coupling of appropriately protected shorter oligomers. Preliminary conformational studies of these hybrid peptoids are reported.

Passerini Reaction−Amine Deprotection−Acyl Migration Peptide Assembly: Efficient Formal Synthesis of Cyclotheonamide C

A short, convergent, formal total synthesis of cyclotheonamide C is described. The key linear pentapeptide intermediate is assembled at the same time as the elaboration of the alpha-hydroxyhomoarginine (H-hArg) residue via a three-component Passerini reaction-amine deprotection-O,N-acyl migration strategy.

Rapid Assembly of the Polyhydroxylated β-Amino Acid Constituents of Microsclerodermins C, D, and E

A very short and efficient synthesis of protected derivatives of APTO and AETD, the complex polyhydroxylated beta-amino acid residues present in microsclerodermins C, D, and E, is described. The targets are obtained in only five steps, in 23% and 16% overall yields, respectively. The key transformation involves the completely diastereoselective two-carbon homologation of appropriately selected intermediate chiral sulfinimines.

Expedient total synthesis of pyrrothine natural products and analogs

This paper describes an expedient and straightforward total synthesis of the two pyrrothine natural products holomycin (7 steps, 11% overall) and xenorhabdin I (7 steps, 11% overall) and analogs thereof via a common late-stage intermediate. The pathway proceeds via the pyrrothine hydrochloride intermediate (6 steps, 17% overall) which also gave access to very fast synthesis of analogs as demonstrated by the synthesis of , and (7 steps, 11-12% overall).

Cyclic α,β-peptoid octamers with differing side chain patterns: synthesis and conformational investigation

The solution-phase synthesis and cyclisation of three α,β-peptoid octamers with differing side chain patterns is reported. One of these, compound C, showed a significantly greater resolution by NMR relative to the other two structurally related octamers. This observation was studied in detail by circular dichroism at a synchrotron light source to facilitate the correlation between the side chain patterns and conformational preference of these three peptoids. The X-ray crystal structure of cyclic octamer C, the first high-resolution structure for the α,β-peptoid backbone, was also obtained from methanol. Combined solid- and solution-phase studies allowed the identification of the N-2-(benzyloxy)ethyl side chain on the β-residue of the heterogeneous backbone as a key structural feature driving the increased conformational stability for octamer C.

Efficient and versatile COMU-mediated solid-phase submonomer synthesis of arylopeptoids (oligomeric N-substituted aminomethyl benzamides)

The development of a highly efficient methodology for solid-phase synthesis of para- and meta-arylopeptoids (oligomeric N-substituted aminomethyl benzamides) with free acids or free amides at the C-terminus is described. The arylopeptoids were synthesised by means of a convenient submonomer protocol in which the arylopeptoid residues were created in an iterative manner on the growing chain using an acylation-substitution cycle. The uronium salt COMU was found to be the most efficient reagent for ensuring fast and clean couplings of the benzoic acid building blocks.

Cyclic α,β-Tetrapeptoids: Sequence-Dependent Cyclization and Conformational Preference

The presence of at least one N-Cα branched side chain is crucial for successful cyclization of α,β-tetrapeptoids. The ctct amide sequence revealed in the crystal structure of the 14-membered cyclotetrapeptoid 8 is also the most populated conformation in solution and is reminiscent of the predominant amide arrangement of the 12-membered cyclic tetrapeptides (CTPs).

Copper(I) mediated cross-coupling of amino acid derived organozinc reagents with acid chlorides

This paper describes the development of a straightforward experimental protocol for copper-mediated cross-coupling of amino acid derived beta-amido-alkylzinc iodides 1 and 3 with a range of acid chlorides. The present method uses CuCN.2LiCl as the copper source and for organozinc reagent 1 the methodology appears to be limited to reaction with more stable acid chlorides, providing the desired products in moderate yields. When applied to organozinc reagent 3, however, the protocol is more general and provides the products in good yields in all but one of the cases tested.

Discovery of new PPARγ agonists based on arylopeptoids

In this study we present the design, synthesis and biological evaluation of a small, first-generation library of small molecule aromatic amides based on the arylopeptoid skeleton. The compounds were efficiently synthesized using a highly convenient submonomer solid-phase methodology which potentially allows for access to great product diversity. The synthesized compounds were tested for their ability to activate peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors (PPARs) and they all acted as PPARγ agonists in the μM range spanning from 2.5- to 14.7-fold activation of the receptor. This is the first discovery of bioactive molecules based on the arylopeptoid architecture.

Synthesis and binding affinities for sst receptors of cyclic peptoid SRIF-mimetics

Mimicking the tetradecapeptide somatostatin through the design of novel non-peptide small molecules is needed for developing analogues with selective or universal affinity for human somatostatin receptors (hsst1–5) and improved pharmacological properties. We report the synthesis and evaluation of the binding potential of the first all-peptoid SRIF (somatotropin release-inhibiting factor) analogues. Cyclic β and mixed α/β tetra- or pentapeptoids were efficiently obtained by macrocyclisation of the corresponding linear peptoids. In vitro competition binding experiments using [125I]-somatostatin were performed on this first generation of peptoids mimicking the SRIF pharmacophore (Phe7-(D)Trp8-Lys9-Thr10). The selectivity profiles of cyclic compounds 1 to 4 were similar with higher affinity for the sst3, sst5 and sst4 receptors and lower potency on sst1 and sst2 subtypes.