Peptides acid-labile linkers

Chemical ligation methods for peptide synthesis using thioester chemistry in solution have been previously documented (see Vol. E 22a, Section 4.1.5). Generalized procedures for solid-phase ligation have been developed that simplify the overall procedure. One method uses a safety-catch acid labile linker at the C-terminus and was used for the synthesis of a 71-amino acid chemokine, vMIP I (Section 5.3.2.1). Another procedure uses a selectively cleavable glycolate ester linkage (Section 5.3.2.2). 

Two approaches for solid-phase chemical ligation have been described. Canne et al. have developed an elegant system that utilizes an oxime forming ligation to attach the first peptide to the resin, a selectively cleavable ester link to remove the peptide from the resin as a C-terminal carboxylic acid, and the Acm group to protect the N-terminal cysteine residue)311 A complementary approach has been developed by Brik et al. that utilizes native chemical ligation to attach the first peptide to the solid support, a safety-catch acid labile linker to remove the final polypeptide from the support as a C-terminal amide and either Acm or Msc group for N-terminal cysteine protection)32 ... 

Benzhydrylamines are better suited than benzylamines as acid-labile linkers for amines. The MBHA linker ( methylbenzhydrylamine ), which is usually used to prepare peptide amides (see Section 3.3), can also be used as a linker for amines (Entry 1, Table 3.21). Hydrogen fluoride is, however, required as the cleavage reagent. Easier to cleave are alkoxy-substituted benzhydrylamines (Entries 2-5, Table 3.21), which can be prepared from the corresponding benzhydryl chlorides [263] or by reductive alkylation [410] or solvolysis [411] of the Rink amide linker. In the case of benzhydrylamines linked to polystyrene as benzyl ethers, treatment with TFA can lead to the release of the linker into solution (acidolysis of the benzylic C-O bond, see Figure 3.18). 

Because no treatment with acid is required during peptide assembly, peptide synthesis with Fmoc amino acids can be conducted on acid-sensitive supports (e.g. Tenta-gel) and with acid-labile linkers. Wang resin is suitable for most purposes, but other supports, such as Sasrin or 2-chlorotrityl resin, can also be used. CPG, macroporous... 

This is the most widely used class of SP linkers. Historically, the SPS of peptides (see Section 2.1) was developed using building blocks protected with acid-labile groups, thus allowing a convenient simultaneous cleavage and deprotection in the final step of the synthesis. Four commercially available acid-labile linkers are depicted in Fig. 1.7 in resin- and compound-bound forms. The preferred cleavage conditions for each linker are also provided. 

The wide use of acid-labile linkers and protecting groups in peptide SPS has reduced efforts toward the development of base-labile linkers. The commonly used SP Fmoc peptide coupling protocols require Fmoc deprotection under basic conditions during the synthesis, thus ruling out base-labile linkers. However, base-labile linkers are popular in oligonucleotide SPS and will be described in Section 2.2. Other examples of base- or nucleophile-labile linkers are shown in Fig. 1.10. 

In order to facilitate the generation of peptide thioesters, several groupst have developed generalized versions of the thioester linker pioneered by Hojo and Aimoto.f A 3-sulfanylpropanoic acid residue is generated on an acid-labile linker such as Boc-Leu-PAM-resin or Boc-Leu-MBHA-resin. It is important to have a one-residue spacer between the MBHA linker and the thiol for optimal acid stability of the amide bond.f All twenty Boc-protected amino acids can be coupled to this thiol on the solid support to generate the thioester.Despite the potential reactivity of the thioester to the amino terminus, the formation of a dioxopiperazine is not generally observed when using in situ neutralization protocols. However, when the sequence was Leu-Tyr-Arg-Ala-Pro, 20% of a dipeptide deletion product, Leu-Tyr-Arg, was observed. It is likely that sequences such as C-terminal Pro-Gly would also be subject to this side reaction.t ... 

H and an acid-cleavable biotin moiety. Insertion of an acid-labile linker greatly decreases the elution of nonspecifically bound peptides from avidin affinity materials. Isotope-coded protein labels differentially label all of the free amino groups on proteins for relative quantitation (103). This method does not require an affinity tag. 

Acid-labile linkers have been used primarily for peptide chemistry but also for oligosaccharide synthesis. Amino-functionalized Rink resin has served to prepare disaccharide libraries (Scheme 20.11) [46]. 

A hydroxypropylacrylate-coated polypropylene membrane has been used as a solid support for the stepwise synthesis of peptides [150]. An acid-labile linker was attached to the coated membrane (Fig. 12). 

Cysteine-containing peptides are particularly prone to base-mediated side reaction. Acid-labile linker-bound C-terminal Cys undergoes significant racemization (approximately 0.5%) with each cycle of piperidine treatment [73]. This could be reduced to a modest level (0.1%) by use of 1% DBU in DMF [59]. However, both piperidine and DBU were observed to cause dehydration of C-terminal cysteine residues to a 3-(l-piperidinyl)alanine or dehydroalanine [74]. No measures could be found to prevent completely this partially side chain protection- and sequence-dependent problem. Recourse to Boc-SPS may be necessary. 

Dialkoxy- and trialkoxybenzyl esters are even more acid-labile than the Wang linker, and can, for example, be cleaved with dilute TFA, acetic acid, or hexafluoroiso-propanol without simultaneous acidolysis of Boc groups. These linkers thus enable the solid-phase synthesis of protected peptide fragments or other acid-sensitive products [33]. 

Benzyl carbamate protection (Cbz or Z group see Table 10.15) was initially chosen by Merrifield for solid-phase peptide synthesis [255], The strongly acidic conditions required for its solvolysis (30% HBr in AcOH, 25 °C, 5 h) demanded the use of an acid-resistant nitrobenzyl alcohol linker. Z-protection of the a-amino group in solid-phase peptide synthesis was, however, quickly abandoned and replaced by the more acid-labile Boc protection. Benzyl carbamates can be cleaved by strongly ionizing... 

Trityl resins are particularly suitable for immobilization of nucleophilic substrates such as acids, alcohols, thiols, and amines. They are quite acid-sensitive and are cleavable even with acetic acid this is useful when acid-labile protecting groups are used. The stability of trityl resin can be tailored by use of substituted arene rings, as shown by chlorotrityl resin, which furnishes a more stable linker than the trityl resin itself. Steric hindrance also prohibits formation of diketopiperazines during the synthesis of peptides. Orthogonality toward allyl-based protective groups was demonstrated in the reverse solid-phase peptide synthesis of oligopeptides [30] (Scheme 6.1.4). 

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