Peptides synthesis, solid-phase

To illustrate the specific operations involved, the scheme below shows the first steps and the final detachment reaction of a peptide synthesis starting from the carboxyl terminal. N-Boc-glycine is attached to chloromethylated styrene-divinylbenzene copolymer resin. This polymer swells in organic solvents but is completely insoluble. ) Treatment with HCl in acetic acid removes the fert-butoxycarbonyl (Boc) group as isobutene and carbon dioxide. The resulting amine hydrochloride is neutralized with triethylamine in DMF. 

Then N-Boc-O-benzylserine is coupled to the free amino group with DCC. This concludes one cycle (N° -deprotection, neutralization, coupling) in solid-phase synthesis. All three steps can be driven to very high total yields ( 99.5%) since excesses of Boc-amino acids and DCC (about fourfold) in CHjClj can be used and since side-reactions which lead to soluble products do not lower the yield of condensation product. One side-reaction in DCC-promoted condensations leads to N-acylated ureas. These products will remain in solution and not reaa with the polymer-bound amine. At the end of the reaction time, the polymer is filtered off and washed. The times consumed for 99% completion of condensation vary from 5 min for small amino acids to several hours for a bulky amino acid, e.g. Boc-Ile, with other bulky amino acids on a resin. A new cycle can begin without any workup problems (R.B. Merrifield, 1969 B.W. Erickson, 1976 M. Bodanszky, 1976). 

The purity of the peptide finally obtained depends critically on the yield of each cycle. It must be extraordinarily good to produce even moderately pure products (K. Ltibke, 1975). If the average yield of amide formadon in the synthesis of an undecapeptide (n = 10) is. for example, 98 to, the product will contain already about 20% of different impurities which may be difficult to remove. 

The N-to-C assembly of the peptide chain is unfavorable for the chemical synthesis of peptides on solid supports. This strategy can be dismissed already for the single reason that repeated activation of the carboxyl ends on the growing peptide chain would lead to a much higher percentage of racemization. Several other more practical disadvantages also tend to disfavor this approach, and acid activation on the polymer support is usually only used in one-step fragment condensations (p. 241). 

In each step of the usual C-to-N peptide synthesis the N-protecting group of the newly coupled amino acid must be selectively removed under conditions that leave all side-chain pro-teaing groups of the peptide intact. The most common protecting groups of side-chains (p. 229) are all stable towards 50% trifluoroacetic acid in dichloromethane, and this reagent is most commonly used for N -deprotection. Only /ert-butyl esters and carbamates ( = Boc) are solvolyzed in this mixture. 

Reynhout et al. [52] recently published a completely solid phase method for the synthesis of peptide-based triblock copolymers. Amine-functionalized polystyrene was first coupled to an aldehyde-modified resin to give a polystyrene functionalized secondary amine on the resin, which could then be coupled to the next amino acid (Fig. 11). Then the sequence Gly - Ala - Asn -Pro - Asn - Ala - Ala - Gly (GANPNAAG)—a known -hairpin folding peptide found in the CS protein of the Malaria parasite plasmodium falciparum— was synthesized, using standard Fmoc peptide chemistry. After removing the final Fmoc group from the peptide, a carboxylic acid-functionalized polystyrene was coupled to the terminal amine. 

The aggregation behavior of this amphiphilic block copolymer was investigated using electron microscopy, and spherical aggregates of around 250 nm in diameter were observed. 

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We shall now exemplify the solid-phase peptide synthesis approach by c )c/o-[-L-Val-[)-Pro-D-Val-L-Pro-]], which was prepared by Merrifield himself, the inventor of the method (B.F. Gisin, 1972). 

The major disadvantage of solid-phase peptide synthesis is the fact that ail the by-products attached to the resin can only be removed at the final stages of synthesis. Another problem is the relatively low local concentration of peptide which can be obtained on the polymer, and this limits the turnover of all other educts. Preparation of large quantities (> 1 g) is therefore difficult. Thirdly, the racemization-safe methods for acid activation, e.g. with azides, are too mild (= slow) for solid-phase synthesis. For these reasons the convenient Menifield procedures are quite generally used for syntheses of small peptides, whereas for larger polypeptides many research groups adhere to classic solution methods and purification after each condensation step (F.M. Finn, 1976). 

Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis The Mernfield Method... 

SOLID-PHASE PEPTIDE SYNTHESIS THE MERRIFIELD METHOD... 

The actual process of solid phase peptide synthesis outlined m Figure 27 15 begins with the attachment of the C terminal ammo acid to the chloromethylated polymer m step 1 Nucleophilic substitution by the carboxylate anion of an N Boc protected C terminal... 

FIGURE 27 14 A section of polystyrene showing one of the benzene rings modified by chloromethylation Indi vidual polystyrene chains in the resin used in solid phase peptide synthesis are con nected to one another at various points (cross linked) by adding a small amount of p divinylbenzene to the styrene monomer The chloromethylation step is carried out under conditions such that only about 10% of the benzene rings bear —CH2CI groups... 

Memfield successfully automated all the steps m solid phase peptide synthesis and computer controlled equipment is now commercially available to perform this synthesis Using an early version of his peptide synthesizer m collaboration with coworker Bemd Gutte Memfield reported the synthesis of the enzyme ribonuclease m 1969 It took them only SIX weeks to perform the 369 reactions and 11 391 steps necessary to assemble the sequence of 124 ammo acids of ribonuclease... 

Solid phase peptide synthesis does not solve all purification problems however Even if every coupling step m the ribonuclease synthesis proceeded in 99% yield the product would be contaminated with many different peptides containing 123 ammo acids 122 ammo acids and so on Thus Memfield and Gutte s six weeks of synthesis was fol lowed by four months spent m purifying the final product The technique has since been refined to the point that yields at the 99% level and greater are achieved with current instrumentation and thousands of peptides and peptide analogs have been prepared by the solid phase method... 

Merrifield method See solid phase peptide synthesis Meso stereoisomer (Section 7 11) An achiral molecule that has chirality centers The most common kind of meso com pound IS a molecule with two chirality centers and a plane of symmetry... 

Solid phase peptide synthesis (Section 27 18) Method for peptide synthesis m which the C terminal ammo acid is co valently attached to an inert solid support and successive ammo acids are attached via peptide bond formation At the completion of the synthesis the polypeptide is removed from the support... 

J. M. Stewart and J. D. Young, Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis, 2nd ed.. Pierce Chemical Company, Rockford, IL, 1984. 

E. Atherton and R. C. Sheppard, Solid Phase Peptide Synthesis. A Practical Approach, Oxford-IRL Press, New York, 1989. 

H2/Pd-C, EtOH, 20°. < -Bromobenzyl carbonates have been developed for use in solid-phase peptide synthesis. An aryl o-bromobenzyl carbonate is stable to acidic cleavage (CF3CO2H) of a /-butyl carbamate a benzyl carbonate is cleaved. 

Polymer-supported esters are widely used in solid-phase peptide synthesis, and extensive information for this specialized protection is reported annually. Some activated esters that have been used as macrolide precursors and some that have been used in peptide synthesis are also described in this chapter the many activated esters that are used in peptide synthesis are discussed elsewhere. A useful... 

Merrifield method See solid-phase peptide synthesis. 

Polymer-supported esters are widely used in solid-phase peptide synthesis, and extensive information on this specialized protection is reported annually. Some activated esters that have been used as macrolide precursors and some that have been used in peptide synthesis are also described in this chapter the many activated esters that are used in peptide synthesis are discussed elsewhere. A useful list, with references, of many protected amino acids (e.g., -NH2, COOH, and side-chain-protected compounds) has been compiled/ Some general methods for the preparation of esters are provided at the beginning of this chapter conditions that are unique to a protective group are described with that group/ Some esters that have been used as protective groups are included in Reactivity Chart 6. 

The Bnpeoc group was developed as a base-labile protective group for solid-phase peptide synthesis. The carbamate is formed from the O-succinimide (DMF, 10% Na2C03 or 5% NaHC03) and is cleaved using DBN, DBU, DBU/AcOH, or piperidine. ... 

TsOH, THF, CH2CI2, 5 min. This method was developed for solid-phase peptide synthesis as a safe large-scale alternative to the use of TFA, which is expensive, corrosive, and a waste problem on a large scale." ... 

Mercaptopyridine A-oxide, CH2CI2. A thousand fold excess of this reagent is required to achieve good yields for cleavage in solid-phase peptide synthesis. 

The chloromethylated polystyrene resin used for Merrifteld solid-phase peptide synthesis is prepared by treatment of polystyrene with chloromethyl methyl ether and a Lewis acid catalyst. Propose a mechanism for the reaction. 

The polymeric resin used for Merrifield solid-phase peptide synthesis (Section 26.8) is prepared by treating polystyrene with iV-(hydroxymethyl) phthalimide and trifluoromethanesulfonic acid, followed by reaction with hydrazine. Propose a mechanism for both steps. 

Palmitic acid, structure of, 1062 Palmitoleic acid, structure of, 1062 PAM resin, solid-phase peptide synthesis and, 1037 Para (m), 519 Paraffin, 91 Parallel synthesis, 586 Parent peak (mass spectrum), 410 Partial charge, 36 Pasteur, Louis, 297, 307... 

Solid-phase peptide synthesis. 1036-1038 PAM resin in. 1037 Wang resin in, 1037 Solvation, 370... 

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