Amino acid derivatives, mechanism

A number of studies have recently been devoted to membrane applications [8, 100-102], Yoshikawa and co-workers developed an imprinting technique by casting membranes from a mixture of a Merrifield resin containing a grafted tetrapeptide and of linear co-polymers of acrylonitrile and styrene in the presence of amino acid derivatives as templates [103], The membranes were cast from a tetrahydrofuran (THF) solution and the template, usually N-protected d- or 1-tryptophan, removed by washing in more polar nonsolvents for the polymer (Fig. 6-17). Membrane applications using free amino acids revealed that only the imprinted membranes showed detectable permeation. Enantioselective electrodialysis with a maximum selectivity factor of ca. 7 could be reached, although this factor depended inversely on the flux rate [7]. Also, the transport mechanism in imprinted membranes is still poorly understood. 

Enalaprilat and SQ27,519 are angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors with poor oral absorption. Enalapril and fosinopril are dipeptide and amino acid derivatives of enalaprilat and SQ27,519, respectively [51] (Fig. 10). Both prodrugs are converted via deesterification to the active drug by hepatic biotransformation. In situ rat perfusion of enalapril indicated a nonpassive absorption mechanism via the small peptide carrier-mediated transport system. In contrast to the active parent, enalapril renders enalaprilat more peptide-like, with higher apparent affinity for the peptide carrier. The absorption of fosinopril was predominantly passive. Carrier-mediated transport was not demonstrated, but neither was its existence ruled out. 

Hormonal actions on target neurons are classified in terms of cellular mechanisms of action. Hormones act either via cell-surface or intracellular receptors. Peptide hormones and amino-acid derivatives, such as epinephrine, act on cell-surface receptors that do such things as open ion-channels, cause rapid electrical responses and facilitate exocytosis of hormones or neurotransmitters. Alternatively, they activate second-messenger systems at the cell membrane, such as those involving cAMP, Ca2+/ calmodulin or phosphoinositides (see Chs 20 and 24), which leads to phosphorylation of proteins inside various parts of the target cell (Fig. 52-2A). Steroid hormones and thyroid hormone, on the other hand, act on intracellular receptors in cell nuclei to regulate gene expression and protein synthesis (Fig. 52-2B). Steroid hormones can also affect cell-surface events via receptors at or near the cell surface. 

An enantioselective imino-ene reaction was developed by Lectka to provide ct-amino acid derivatives.27 Aryl alkenes (cr-methyl styrene, tetralene), aliphatic alkenes (methylene cyclohexane), and heteroatom-containing enes, all gave high yields and high ee s of the homoallylic amides (Equation (17)). The mechanism of this reaction has been proposed to proceed through a concerted pathway. This mechanism is evidenced by a large kinetic isotope effect observed in the transfer of H(D). 

Reaction with chelating agents. Such reactions have been used primarily for partial dealumination of Y zeolites. In 1968, Kerr (8,21) reported the preparation of aluminum-deficient Y zeolites by extraction of aluminum from the framework with EDTA. Using this method, up to about 50 percent of the aluminum atoms was removed from the zeolite in the form of a water soluble chelate, without any appreciable loss in zeolite crystallinity. Later work (22) has shown that about 80 percent of framework aluminum can be removed with EDTA, while the zeolite maintains about 60 to 70 percent of its initial crystallinity. Beaumont and Barthomeuf (23-25) used acetylacetone and several amino-acid-derived chelating agents for the extraction of aluminum from Y zeolites. Dealumination of Y zeolites with tartaric acid has also been reported (26). A mechanism for the removal of framework aluminum by EDTA has been proposed by Kerr (8). It involves the hydrolysis of Si-O-Al bonds, similar to the scheme in Figure 1A, followed by formation of a soluble chelate between cationic, non-framework aluminum and EDTA. 

Fig. 5.23. Mechanism of oxidative opening of azaheterocycles. Hydroxylation at the a-posi-tion (Reaction a) yields an unstable carbinolamine, which is in equilibrium with an open-chain amino aldehyde. The carbinolamine can be converted by aldehyde oxidase to a lactam derivative (Reaction b), while the open-chain amino aldehyde can be converted by aldehyde dehydrogenase to a ft)-amino acid derivative (Reaction c). 

Fig. 5.24. Metabolism of the pyrrolidine ring according to the mechanism in Fig. 5.23. Nicotine (5.86), tremorine (5.89), and prolintane (5.90) are metabolized to both lactam and co-ami-no acid derivatives [185-187]. Due to steric hindrance next to the N-atom, piromidic acid (5.91) yields only the amino acid derivative [188]. 

Fig. 5.26. Metabolism of the piperidine ring according to the mechanism in Fig. 5.23. Diphen-idol (5.97) and DN-9893 (5.73) yield both amino acid and lactam metabolites [177], Phencyclidine (5.98) yields only the amino acid derivative steric hindrance at the N-atom appears to impede formation of the lactam metabolite [190].

FIGURE 22-22 Interlocking regulatory mechanisms in the biosynthesis of several amino acids derived from aspartate in E. coli. Three... 

Several mechanisms for NCA polymerization have been proposed. NCAs may undergo nucleophilic attack at the amino acid carbonyl with loss of carbon dioxide to provide an amino acid derivative, which subsequently reacts with a second NCA to give dimer 1 and carbon dioxide. Dimer 1 then reacts with a third NCA and propagation continues until a high molecular weight polymer 2 is obtained.15-81 This mechanism is frequently referred to as normal NCA polymerization (Scheme 1). 

The most extensively studied reactions of coordinated amino acid derivatives are those involving nucleophilic attack at the carbonyl group. These aspects, as well as some of those already covered in the previous section, have been reviewed.335-337 Mechanistic aspects of these reactions have also been discussed in Chapter 7.4. The emphasis in this section will be on the synthetic value of stoichiometric reactions of this type. The two most important synthetic processes are peptide hydrolysis and peptide synthesis, both involving the same mechanism. 

This is an important mechanism, and we have seen the consequences of attack by an intramolecular nucleophile (ligand) in earlier chapters. A particularly interesting example is seen in the intramolecular Michael addition of a co-ordinated amide at a cobalt(m) centre to yield an amino acid derivative (Fig. 5-44). 

The tunichromes constitute a class of amino-acid-derived metabolites isolated from the blood cells of ascidians. The chemicals are involved in vanadium sequestration and reduction in the blood cells and may be involved in a primitive clotting mechanism to repair damaged tissue.226-227 The... 

Studies of the oxidation of organic sulfides with amino acid-derived ligands in acetonitrile revealed very little difference between the mechanism of their oxidation and that of halides, except for one major exception. Despite the fact that acid conditions are still required for the catalytic cycle, hydroxide or an equivalent is not produced in the catalytic cycle, so no proton is consumed [48], As a consequence, there is no requirement for maintenance of acid levels during a catalyzed reaction. Peroxo complexes of vanadium are well known to be potent insulin-mimetic compounds [49,50], Their efficacy arises, at least in part, from an oxidative mechanism that enhances insulin receptor activity, and possibly the activity of other protein tyrosine kinases activity [51]. With peroxovanadates, this is an irreversible function. Apparently, there is no direct effect on the function of the kinase, but rather there is inhibition of protein tyrosine phosphatase activity. The phosphatase regulates kinase activity by dephosphorylating the kinase. Oxidation of an active site thiol in the phosphatase prevents this down-regulation of kinase activity. Presumably, this sulfide oxidation proceeds by the process outlined above. 

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