Tryptophane derivatives, hydroxylation

Fig. 5.6 Reaction scheme showing a mechanism for intramolecular, autocatalytic oxidation of Trp71 in LiP to a hydroxylated tryptophan derivative...

Still, there remain many open problems. It would be efficient to be able to prenylate or ferf-prenylate indole regioselectively at the benzene positions 4, 5 and 6 without having to rely on pre-functionalisation such as halogenation or hydroxylation. Here, deeper investigation of prenyl shifts and of CH functionalisation on indole is required. Enantioselective catalysis has to be explored further towards the synthesis of optically pure 3-prenylated or -tert-prenylated alkaloids. A chiral version of NBS would be helpful. In the case of conformationally flexible starting materials, the diastereoselectivity of oxidative cyclisations of tryptophan-derived diketopiperazines is still not convincing. In the area of chemoenzymatic synthesis, the number and availability of enzymes has to be enhanced and their substrate tolerance has to be elucidated in more detail. 

Tryptophan-Derived Indole and Indole Monoterpene Alkaloids As for alkaloids derived from tyrosine and phenylalanine, those derived from tryptophan are formed after decarboxylation of the amino acid (into tryptamine) and possible hydroxylation of the aromatic carbocycle (e.g., serotonin) and N-methylation (e.g., psilocin). As previously, tryptamine can also react through Pictet-Spengler reactions to form tetrahydro-p-carbolines, which can be aromatized, for example, into harmine (Scheme 1.8) [16]. 

The first objective was the conversion of L-tryptophan into a derivative that could be converted to pyrroloindoline 3, possessing a cis ring fusion and a syn relationship of the carboxyl and hydroxyl groups. This was achieved by the conversions shown in Scheme 1. A critical step was e. Of many variants tried, the use of the trityl group on the NH2 of tryptophan and the t-butyl group on the carboxyl resulted in stereospecific oxidative cyclization to afford 3 of the desired cis-syn stereochemistry in good yield. 

The 3-amino-1 -mcthyl-5//-pyrido[4,3-b]indolc derivatives (31 Trp-P-1) and (32 Trp-P-2) were found as tryptophane pyrolysates in broiled fish and meat and in pyrolysates of protein and amino acids by Sugimura and coworkers198. These mutagens are heterocyclic amines and exhibit mutagenicity in the Ames test supplemented with S-9 mix198. The pyridoindole derivatives Trp-P-1 and Trp-P-2 are /V-hydroxylated at the exocyclic amino group to form proximate reactive compounds. 

Aryl side chain containing L-a-amino acids, such as phenylalanine (Phe), tyrosine (Tyr), and tryptophan (Trp), are derived through the shikimate pathway. The enzymatic transformation of phosphoenolpyr-uvate (PEP) and erythro-4-phosphate, through a series of reactions, yields shikimate (Scheme 2). Although shikimate is an important biosynthetic intermediate for a number of secondary metabolites, this chapter only describes the conversion of shikimate to amino acids containing aryl side chains. In the second part of the biosynthesis, shikimate is converted into chorismate by the addition of PEP to the hydroxyl group at the C5 position. Chorismate is then transformed into prephenate by the enzyme chorismate mutase (Scheme 3). 

Some rather important indole derivatives influence our everyday lives. One of the most common ones is tryptophan, an indole-containing amino acid found in proteins (see Section 13.1). Only three of the protein amino acids are aromatic, the other two, phenylalanine and tyrosine being simple benzene systems (see Section 13.1). None of these aromatic amino acids is synthesized by animals and they must be obtained in the diet. Despite this, tryptophan is surprisingly central to animal metabolism. It is modified in the body by decarboxylation (see Box 15.3) and then hydroxylation to 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT, serotonin), which acts as a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system. 

Dopamine is the decarboxylation product of DOPA, dihydroxyphenylalanine, and is formed in a reaction catalysed by DOPA decarboxylase. This enzyme is sometimes referred to as aromatic amino acid decarboxylase, since it is relatively non-specific in its action and can catalyse decarboxylation of other aromatic amino acids, e.g. tryptophan and histidine. DOPA is itself derived by aromatic hydroxylation of tyrosine, using tetrahydrobiopterin (a pteridine derivative see Section 11.9.2) as cofactor. 

From L-tryptophan, the serotonin synthesis pathway also begins. Serotonin is 5-hydroxytryptamine. It is derived from L-tryptophan, which at first is simply hydroxylated to 5-hydroxy-L-tryptophan, and subsequently to the serotonin (Figure 39). Structurally, serotonin is also a 5-HT monoamine neurotransmitter. 

The perchlorates of various secondary amines, such as diphenylamine and indole derivatives, are colorless.64 The similarity of colors produced in the presence of hydrochloric acid also attests to the non-auxochromic character of the perchlorate ion in the production of the colored derivative. Consequently, the only role attributable to the perchloric acid in this test is that with nucleic acids it leads to more effective hydrolysis and releases more 2-desoxyribose for reaction with tryptophan. This reaction leads to the production of a substance of the type represented by XV and XVI (R " = H), and the increase in the number of conjugated double bonds results in the product being colored. With ribose, which has a free hydroxyl group at carbon atom 2, a ketone of the type shown in XVII can be formed, and in this case the net result is no increase in the number of double bonds conjugated with the indole nucleus and no comparable increase in color. Hence the test will distinguish between ribose and 2-desoxyribose. 

The procedure has also been applied for the hydroxylation of aromatic amines. Aniline and its /V-alkyl-substimted derivatives show similar behavior under similar conditions to afford the meta-substi tuted aminophenols as the major hydroxylated product.627 Product formation was interpreted by the attack of protonated hydrogen peroxide on the anilinium ion protected by /V-protonation from oxidation or degradation. Indoles, indolines, and tetrahydroquinoline have also been successfully hydroxylated with H202 in HF-SbF5 with the hydroxyl group meta to the nitrogen function.559,628 Hydroxylation of tryptophane and tryptamine derivatives affords pretonine and serotonine derivatives in 42% and 38% yields, respectively.629... 

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