Threonine chiral centers

Serine Threonine chiral center in threonine is indicated by... 

Molecules like lactic acid, alanine, and glyceraldehyde are relatively simple because each has only one chirality center and only two stereoisomers. The situation becomes more complex, however, with molecules that have more than one chirality center. As a general rule, a molecule with n chirality centers can have up to 2n stereoisomers (although it may have fewer, as we ll see shortly). Take the amino acid threonine (2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid), for example. Since threonine has two chirality centers (C2 and C3), there are four possible stereoisomers, as shown in Figure 9.10. Check for yourself that the R,S configurations are correct. 

Note carefully the difference between enantiomers and diastereomers. Enantiomers have opposite configurations at all chirality centers, whereas diastereomers have opposite configurations at some (one or more) chirality centers but the same configuration at others. A full description of the four stereoisomers of threonine is given in Table 9.2. Of the four, only the 2S,3R isomer, [o]D= -28.3, occurs naturally in plants and animals and is an essential human nutrient. This result is typical most biological molecules are chiral, and usually only one stereoisomer is found in nature. 

Problem 26.3 The amino acid threonine, (2S,3ft)-2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid, has two chirality centers. 

Isoleucine and threonine (Problem 26.3) are the only two amino acids with two chirality centers. Assign R or 5 configuration to the methyl-bearing carbon atom of isoleucine. 

Threonine (Thr or T) ((2S,31( )-2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid) has an aliphatic hydroxyl side chain and is classified as a polar, uncharged amino acid with the formula HOOCCH(NH2)CHOHCH3. Together with Ser and Tyr, Thr is one of the three proteinogenic amino acids bearing an alcohol group. Thr can be seen as a hydroxylated version of Val. With two chiral centers, Thr can exist in four possible stereoisomers, or two possible diastereomers of L-Thr. However, the name L-Thr is used for one single enantiomer, (2S, 3if)-2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid. The second diastereomer (2S,3S), which is rarely present in nature, is called L- //o-Thr. 

Threonine is related to serine. It is unusual in that it has two chiral centers, as does He. 

In a recent modification of the second synthesis (50S) effected for fluvibactin (45) an o-xylene protection group was proposed (reaction of 2,3-dihydroxy-benzoic acid methyl ester with 1,2-di(bromomethyl)benzene) which could be removed later by hydrogenolysis. The formation of the oxazoline ring from protected DHB-L-threonine methyl ester was achieved with Mo(VI) catalysts (e.g. (NH4)2Mo04) without affecting the chiral centers. Derivatization of the primary amino groups of norspermidine with the protected DHB methyl ester was catalyzed by Sb(OC2115)3. 

Stereoisomers with more than one chiral center and which are not mirror images of each other hence, stereoisomers that are not enantiomers of each other. For example, L-threonine and D-threonine are an enantiomeric pair whereas L-threonine and D-allothreonine are a diastereomeric pair (as is L-threonine and L-allothreo-nine). Diastereomers will have similar physical, chemical, and spectral properties but those properties will not be identical. If n is the number of chiral centers, then the maximum number of stereoisomers will be equal to 2. However, the actual number for a given set of isomers may be less than 2 due to the presence of meso forms. See Enantiomer Epimer Meso Form... 

Stereoselective formation of 3-alkyl-6-methoxy-2,5-piperazine-dione derivatives by the addition of methanol in the presence of NBS to 3-alkyl-6-alkylidene-2,5-piperazinediones was recently reported by Shin et al. 232 The asymmetric induction in this reaction was accomplished by the chiral center of a derivative of the natural proteinogenic chiral amino acid threonine. 

Diastereoisomers. Whereas compounds with one chiral center exist as an enantiomorphic pair, molecules with two or more chiral centers also exist as diastereoisomers (diastereomers). These are pairs of isomers with an opposite configuration at one or more of the chiral centers, but which are not complete mirror images of each other. An example is L-threonine which has the 2S, 3R configuration. The diastereoisomer with the 2S, 3S configuration is known as i-a//o-threonine. L-isoleucine, whose side chain is -CH(CH3) CH2CH3, has the 2S, 3R configuration. It can be called 2(S)-amino-3(R)-methyl-valeric acid but the simpler name L-isoleucine implies the correct configuration at both chiral centers. 

Sometimes the subscript s or g is added to a d or l prefix to indicate whether the chirality of a compound is being related to that of serine, the traditional configurational standard for amino acids, or to that of gly-ceraldehyde. In the latter case the sugar convention (Chapter 4) is followed. In this convention the configurations of the chiral centers furthest from Cl are compared. Ordinary threonine is ls- or d -threonine. The configuration of dextrorotatory (+)-tartaric acid can be described as 2R, 3R, or as ds, or as l. ... 

We have seen examples of molecules with one chiral center that exist in two mirror-image configurations, which we call enantiomers. What happens when there is more than one chiral center How many stereoisomers should we expect Consider the stereoisomers of the important amino acid, threonine, (2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid). For this substance, if we write all of the possible configurations of its two chiral carbons, we have four different projection formulas, 19-22, corresponding to four different stereoisomers ... 

The chirality of amino acids stems from the chiral, or asymmetric, center, the a-carbon atom. The a-carbon atom is a chiral center if it is connected to four different substituents. Thus glycine has no chiral center. Two of the amino acids, isoleucine and threonine, possess additional chiral centers because each has one additional asymmetric carbon. You should be able to locate these carbons by simple inspection. 

Asymmetric hydrogenation of racemic 2-substituted (3-keto esters to produce 2-substituted (3-hydroxy esters with two new chiral centers is a powerful method, and it is useful in the production of other pharmaceutical intermediates. The methodology can be used in the preparation of protected threonine derivatives 34, where 34d and 34e are key intermediates for the anti-Parkinsonian agent, L-Dops (35). 

I>) Draw a Fischer projection of a threonine diaslereoiner, and label its chirality centers as R or 5. 

Figure 3.12. Amino Acids Containing Aliphatic Hydroxyl Groups. Serine and threonine contain hydroxyl groups that render them hydrophilic. The additional chiral center in threonine is indicated by an asterisk.

Look at the amino acid threonine (2-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid), for example. Since threonine has two chirality centers (C2 and C3), there are four possible stereoisomers, as shown in Figure 9.10, Check for yourself that the B,S configurations are correct as indicated. 

The chiral pool has provided the backbone of many products. Carbohydrates [17] and amino acids are often used because of the high degree of functionality and the ready availability of these compounds from natural sources. Enalapril maleate contains the dipeptide L-alanyl-L-proline (Figure 16.1a) [18]. Aztreonam is derived from L-threonine (Figure 16.1b) [19].The chiral ester 2 was prepared from an amino acid derivative 1 (Figure 16.1c) [20]. In this transformation the original chiral center from L-cysteine was destroyed, similar to self-immolative processes [21]. 

Miller has used this method to invert the chiral center of a threonine residue while synthesizing the peptide fragment of pseudobactin (27-28).6... 

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