Dipeptide Amides Research Articles

An imidazole based H-Phe-Phe-NH2 peptidomimetic with anti-allodynic effect in spared nerve injury mice

The dipeptide amide H-Phe-Phe-NH2 (1) that previously was identified as a ligand for the substance P 1–7 (SP1–7) binding site exerts intriguing results in animal models of neuropathic pain after central but not after peripheral administration. The dipeptide 1 is derived from stepwise modifications of the anti-nociceptive heptapeptide SP1–7 and the tetrapeptide endomorphin-2 that is also binding to the SP1–7 site. We herein report a strong anti-allodynic effect of a new H-Phe-Phe-NH2 peptidomimetic (4) comprising an imidazole ring as a bioisosteric element, in the spare nerve injury (SNI) mice model after peripheral administration. Peptidomimetic 4 was stable in plasma, displayed a fair membrane permeability and a favorable neurotoxic profile. Moreover, the effective dose (ED50) of 4 was superior as compared to gabapentin and morphine that are used in clinic.

Bond dissociation energies in glycine, alanine, and dipeptide deprotonated anions for use in analyzing collision-induced dissociation processes

Enthalpies of product formation for both direct peptide backbone bond dissociation and fragment rearrangement pathways have been predicted at the composite correlated molecule orbital theory G3(MP2) level for the dissociation of the [M−H]− precursor anions of glycine, alanine, the dipeptides, and the amide forms of these species. The lowest energy isomers for bond cleavage and rearrangement pathways were determined by extensive sampling of the available structures for each fragment using density functional theory. The G3(MP2) results are compared to the experimental low-energy collision-induced dissociation (CID) negative ion mode mass spectra. The y1− anion, NH2CHRCO2− was the most intense product ion in the CID spectra for the dipeptide species and their amides. Among amide species, NCO− was universally observed and the enthalpies for generation of this anion are less than ±5 kcal/mol. Amino acids and their amides consistently lost neutral HNCH-R (R H or CH3). Loss of the C-terminal carbon as CO2 was only observed for diglycine and dialanine but loss of CO2 or HNCO were not observed for the amino acids or any of the amide structures. The hydrogen at the C-terminus of the amino acid and dipeptide amide molecules facilitated the observable loss of H2O in the experimental spectra. Loss of H2O was not observed for non-amide species. Several energetically favorable fragmentation pathways were not detected in the low-energy CID mass spectra for these deprotonated anions. Selected transition states were calculated, and show that a number of the observed or low-energy pathways involve multistep mechanisms.

1,3,5-Triazino Peptide Derivatives: Synthesis, Characterization, and Preliminary Antileishmanial Activity.

A library of short di-, tri-, and tetra-peptides with an s-triazine moiety at the N terminus and either an amide or ethyl ester C terminus was prepared in solution and on the solid phase. The two remaining positions of the s-triazine moiety were substituted with methoxy, morpholino, or piperidino groups. All the synthesized peptide derivatives were analyzed by HPLC and fully characterized by IR spectroscopy, 1 H and 13 C NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis, and mass spectrometry (MALDI TOF/TOF). A preliminary study of the antileishmanial activity of the 1,3,5-triazinyl peptide derivatives revealed that four dipeptide amide derivatives showed higher antipromastigote or antiamastigote activity than the reference standard drug miltefosine with no significance acute toxicity.

From the Anti-Nociceptive Substance P Metabolite Substance P (1-7) to Small Peptidomimetics.

Substance P (SP) is associated with pain and inflammatory processes and is released from terminals of specific sensory nerves. This undecapeptide that mediates its effects through the neurokinin type 1 (NK1) receptor, is rapidly degraded in vivo to smaller fragments. The heptapeptide SP(1-7) with a hitherto unknown receptor, is a major bioactive fragment and displays often opposite actions to those induced by SP. Hence, SP(1-7) elicits anti-nociceptive and anti-hyperalgesic effects. These observations have attracted a substantial interest and in this mini-review the efforts to transform the heptapeptide SP(1-7) into more drug-like small-molecule SP(1-7) peptidomimetics as a potential new class of analgesics are summarized. Structure-activity relationship studies and subsequent amidation of the C-terminal and truncations from the N-terminal of the heptapeptide delivered the bioactive dipeptide amide Gln- Phe-NH2 showing a high affinity at the SP(1-7) binding site. Similarly, endomorphin-2, an endogenous opioid ligand containing a C-terminal carboxamide group, demonstrated a high affinity at the SP(1-7) binding site. Endomorphin-2 subjected to truncations yielded the potent dipeptide amide Phe-Phe-NH2. Structural optimization of the latter furnished more drug-like high affinity ligands and among those a constrained cis-3-phenylpyrrolidine derivative that after peripheral administration produced a significant anti-allodynic effect in a mouse SNI model of neuropathic pain. This SP(1-7) peptidomimetic was as effective as SP(1-7) in alleviating mechanical allodynia in mice. Although, additional structural modifications are needed to achieve compounds exhibiting high/fair bioavailability after oral administration, the examples presented herein demonstrate that the bioactive peptides SP(1-7) and endomorphin-2 can be converted into low molecular weight compounds that are able to mimic the in vivo actions of the heptapeptide SP(1-7).

Electrostatic Control of Isoform Selective Inhibitor Binding in Nitric Oxide Synthase.

Development of potent and isoform selective nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibitors is challenging because of the structural similarity in the heme active sites. One amino acid difference between NOS isoforms, Asp597 in rat neuronal NOS (nNOS) versus Asn368 in bovine endothelial NOS (eNOS), has been identified as the structural basis for why some dipeptide amide inhibitors bind more tightly to nNOS than to eNOS. We now have found that the same amino acid variation is responsible for substantially different binding modes and affinity for a new class of aminopyridine-based inhibitors.

Critical role of a conserved transmembrane lysine in substrate recognition by the proton-coupled oligopeptide transporter YjdL

Proton-coupled oligopeptide transporters (POTs) utilize an electrochemical proton gradient to accumulate peptides in the cytoplasm. Changing the highly conserved active-site Lys117 in the Escherichia coli POT YjdL to glutamine resulted in loss of ligand affinity as well as inability to distinguish between a dipeptide ligand and the corresponding dipeptide amide. The radically changed pHBulk profiles of Lys117Gln and Lys117Arg mutants indicate an important role of Lys117 in facilitating protonation of the transporter; a notion that is supported by the close proximity of Lys117 to the conserved ExxERFxYY POT motif previously shown to be involved in proton translocation. These results point toward a novel dual role of Lys117 in direct or indirect interaction with both proton and peptide.

Synthesis and Evaluation of Coumaroyl Dipeptide Amide as Potential Whitening Agents

Coumaroyl dipeptide amide, Coumaric acid-LG-, was prepared successfully using the solid-phase method, and its efficacy as a skin whitening agent was studied. Coumaric acid-LG- was prepared with Rink-amide resin, and 96.354% of purity was obtained. Using MTT assay and LDH release assay, we found that it exhibited very low cytotoxicity. And, we found that Coumaric acid-LG- inhibited tyrosinase activity dose-dependently and showed superior tyrosinase inhibitory activity to well-known whitening agent, arbutin. value of Coumaric acid-LG- was 182.4 , and value of arbutin was 384.6 . Also, in measurement of melanin contents using B16F1 melanoma cell lines, Coumaric acid-LG- reduced melanin production induced by -MSH statistically significant, and showed superior melanin inhibitory activity to p-coumaric acid or arbutin. In addition, Coumaric acid-LG- reduced MC1R mRNA expression level. Thus, we concluded that MC1R pathway is the significant pathway of Coumaric acid-LG-, and Coumaric acid-LG- has great potential to be used as novel whitening agents.

Design and synthesis of potent antagonists containing rigid spirocyclic privileged structures for the CGRP receptor

We report the synthesis of rigid spirocyclic systems as conformationally constrained variants of the Ala-Phe-NH2 dipeptide amide C-terminus of the calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). CGRP receptor antagonists containing these moieties displayed potent affinity, functional antagonism and excellent oxidative stability. Structure–activity relationship studies demonstrated the relative importance of hydrogen bond donor/acceptor functionalities and the preferred orientation of an aromatic ring. Antagonists showed potent and full reversal of CGRP-induced dilation of ex vivo human intracranial arteries.

Identification of the First Low-Molecular-Weight Inhibitors of Matriptase-2

As recently discovered, matriptase-2, a type II transmembrane serine protease, plays a crucial role in body iron homeostasis by down-regulating hepcidin expression, which results in increased iron levels. Thus, matriptase-2 represents a novel target for the development of enzyme inhibitors potentially useful for the treatment of systemic iron overload (hemochromatosis). A comparative three-dimensional model of the catalytic domain of matriptase-2 was generated and utilized for structure-based virtual screening in combination with similarity searching and knowledge-based compound design. Two N-protected dipeptide amides containing a 4-amidinobenzylamide as P1 residue (compounds 1 and 3) were identified as the first small molecule inhibitors of matriptase-2 with K(i) values of 170 and 460 nM, respectively. An inhibitor of the closely related protease matriptase (compound 2, K(i) = 220 nM), with more than 50-fold selectivity over matriptase-2, was also identified.

N-Methyl-N-phenyl-5-oxa-1-azaspiro[2.5]oct-1-en-2-amine — Synthesis and Reactions of a Synthon for an Unknown α-Amino Acid

The synthesis of the heterospirocyclic amino azirine N-methyl-N-phenyl-5-oxa-1-azaspiro[2.5]oct-1-en-2-amine (6a) was achieved from 3,4-dihydro-2H-pyrane (7) via N-methyl-N-phenyltetrahydropyran- 3-thiocarboxamide (11). The reactions of 6a with thiobenzoic acid and Z-Phe-OH, respectively, leading to the corresponding 3-benzoylaminotetrahydropyran- 3-thiocarboxamide (13) and the diastereoisomeric dipeptide amides (14), respectively, demonstrate that 6a is a valuable synthon for the hitherto unknown 3-aminotetrahydropyrane-3-carboxylic acid. The structure of 13 was established by X-Ray crystallography.

Synthesis of peptide derivatives of aspirin and their antibiogram

Peptide derivatives of Aspirin (1 to 8) were synthesized by using Ac2O/AcOH reaction with Salicyclic acid. Aspirin was coupled with amino acid amide and dipeptide amide and tripeptide amide using its p-nitrophenyl (NP) ester. The ester (Aspirin–ONP) was prepared using p-nitro phenol and DCC in EtOAc and was precipitated using EtOH. The synthesis of dipeptide amides were carried out in solution by stepwise elongationof the peptide chain from the C-terminal amino acid by coupling one amino acid at a time using DCC/HOBt method. Boc-group was used for Nα protection of all amino acids. The Boc-group cleavage was carried outusing 50% TFA/CH2Cl2. The amidation of C-terminal amino acid was carried out by treating the corresponding Boc–amino acid–ONp esters with dry NH3 in presence of DCC and HOBt. These compounds were subjected to antibiotic susceptibility studies against the Pseudomonas fluorescens, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Methionine amide of aspirin was active on S. aureus. Glycyl-glycyl-phenylalanyl-leucine amide ofaspirin was moderately active on all the three bacterial strains used. Glycyl-Phenylalanyl-leucine amide of aspirin and glycyl-glycyl-methionine amide of aspirin were active on P. fluorescens. Leucine amides of aspirinwas moderately active on S. aureus Methionine amides of aspirin was highly active on E. coli. Phenylalanylleucine amides of aspirin and glycyl-glycyl-phenylalanyl-methionine amide of aspirin were active on none ofthe organisms used in this study. In general the peptide derivatives of aspirin (1,3,4,5,6,7) were not active on all the three microbes used. Compounds 2 and 8 were sensitive to none of the organisms used in this study. By the major study, we observed that the derivative of aspirin showed a greater influence in inhibiting the test organisms used.Keywords: Aspirin–ONp, Boc–N3 (t-butyl azido formate), HOBt (1-Hydroxy benzotriazole), DCC (N, N1–Dicyclo hexyl carbodiimide) and DCU (N, N1–Dicyclohexyl urea).

Availability of tyrosine amide for α-chymotrypsin-catalyzed synthesis of oligo-tyrosine peptides

Oligo-tyrosine peptides such as Tyr-Tyr having angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity could be synthesized by α-chymotrypsin-catalyzed reaction with l-tyrosine ethyl ester in aqueous media. However, peptide yield in the reaction was below 10%. Since l-tyrosine amide showed highly nucleophilic activity for the deacylation of enzyme through which a new peptide bond was made, its application to the enzymatic peptide synthesis was evaluated in this study. Addition of tyrosine amide into the reaction produced Tyr-Tyr-NH 2, of which yield exceeded 130% on the basis of tyrosine ethyl ester. Although purified Tyr-Tyr-NH 2 did not inhibit ACE activity, α-chymotrypsin could act on the dipeptide amide and convert about 40% of it to Tyr-Tyr. The use of both ester and amide forms of tyrosine is expected to be a potent procedure for α-chymotrypsin-catalyzed synthesis of antihypertensive peptides.

Design of Selective Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors for the Prevention and Treatment of Neurodegenerative Diseases

Nitric oxide (NO), which is produced from L-arginine by the nitric oxide synthase (NOS) family of enzymes, is an important second-messenger molecule that regulates several physiological functions. In endothelial cells, it relaxes smooth muscle, which decreases blood pressure. Macrophage cells produce NO as an immune defense system to destroy pathogens and microorganisms. In neuronal cells, NO controls the release of neurotransmitters and is involved in synaptogenesis, synaptic plasticity, memory function, and neuroendocrine secretion. NO is a free radical that is commonly thought to contribute to oxidative damage and molecule and tissue destruction, and thus it is somewhat surprising that it has so many significant beneficial physiological effects. However, the cell is generally protected from NO's toxic effects, except under certain pathological conditions in which excessive NO is produced. In that case, tissue damage and oxidative stress can result, leading to a wide variety of diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, Alzheimer's disease, and Parkinson's disease, among others. In this Account, we describe research aimed at identifying small molecules that can selectively inhibit only the neuronal isozyme of NOS, nNOS. By targeting only nNOS, we attained the beneficial effects of lowering excess NO in the brain without the detrimental effects of inhibition of the two isozymes found elsewhere in the body (eNOS and iNOS). Initially, in pursuit of this goal, we sought to identify differences in the second sphere of amino acids in the active site of the isozymes. From this study, the first class of dual nNOS-selective inhibitors was identified. The moieties important for selectivity in the best lead compound were determined by structure modification. Enhancement provided highly potent, nNOS-selective dipeptide amides and peptidomimetics, which were active in a rabbit model for fetal neurodegeneration. Crystal structures of these compounds bound to NOS isozymes showed a one-amino-acid difference between nNOS and eNOS in the second sphere of amino acids; this was the difference that we were searching for from the beginning of this project. With the aid of these crystal structures, we developed a new fragment-based de novo design method called "fragment hopping", which allowed the design of a new class of nonpeptide nNOS-selective inhibitors. These compounds were modified to give low nanomolar, highly dual-selective nNOS inhibitors, which we recently showed are active in a rabbit model for the prevention of neurobehavioral symptoms of cerebral palsy. These compounds could also have general application in other neurodegenerative diseases for which excess NO is responsible.

Thermolysin as a catalyst in enzymatic synthesis of asparagine-containing peptides II

Thermolysin was used as a catalyst to obtain the following protected di- and tripeptide esters: Z-Asn-Leu-OEt, Z-Asn-Phe-OEt, Moz-Asn-Leu-Gly-OEt, Boc-Asn-Leu-Gly-OEt, Z-Asn-Leu-Gly-OEt, Moz-Asn-Leu-Gly-OBzl, Moz-Asn-Leu-Gly-OtBu, Moz-Gln-Leu-Gly-OEt, Moz-Asn-Ile-Gly-OEt, and Moz-Asn-Leu-Ala-OEt. These compounds were obtained in pure form and the yields exceeded 50%, except for Moz-Asn-Leu-Gly-OtBu and Boc-Asn-Leu-Gly-OEt. H-Cys(Bzl)-OtBu and H-Cys(Bzl)-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 were both inadequate as amino components for obtaining Moz-Asn-Cys(Bzl)-OtBu, Z-Asn-Cys(Bzl)-OtBu and Moz-Asn-Cys(Bzl)-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 in the thermolysin-catalyzed reactions. In the attempted synthesis of the protected pentapeptide amide, this protease cleaved the Pro-Leu bond of the amino component H-Cys(Bzl)-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2 and catalyzed the coupling between the resulting dipeptide amide and Moz-Asn-OH, thus yielding Moz-Asn-Leu-Gly-NH2 as the main product.

Tetrahydrofuran Cα-Tetrasubstituted Amino Acids: Two Consecutive β-Turns in a Crystalline Linear Tripeptide

The synthesis of tetrahydrofuran Calpha-tetrasubstituted amino acids (TAAs) and their effect on the conformation in small peptides are reported. The synthesis starts from the protein amino acid methionine, which is protected at the C and N terminus and converted into the corresponding sulfonium salt by alkylation. Simple base treatment in the presence of an aryl aldehyde leads to the formation of tetrahydrofuran tetrasubstituted Calpha-amino acids in a highly diastereoselective (trans/cis ratio up to 97:3) reaction with moderate to good yields (35-78%) depending on the aldehyde used. Palladium-catalyzed coupling reactions allow a subsequent further functionalization of the TAA. The R,S,S-TAA-Ala dipeptide amide adopts a beta-turn type I conformation, whereas its S,R,S isomer does not. The R,S,S-Gly-TAA-Ala tripeptide amide shows in the solid state and in solution a conformation of two consecutive beta-turn type III structures, stabilized by i+3-->i intramolecular hydrogen bonds.

Hydroxyethylene isosteres of selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitors

Nitric oxide (NO) is an important second messenger molecule for blood pressure homeostasis, as a neurotransmitter, and in the immune defense system. Excessive NO can lead to neurodegeneration and connective tissue damage. Three different isozymes of the enzyme nitric oxide synthase regulate NO production in endothelial (eNOS), neuronal (nNOS), and macrophage (iNOS) cells. Whereas creating a lower level of NO in some cells could be beneficial, it also could be detrimental to the protective effects that NO has on other cells. Therefore, it is essential that therapeutic NOS inhibitors be made that are subtype selective. Previously, we reported a series of nitroarginine-containing dipeptide amides as potent and selective nNOS inhibitors. Here we synthesize peptidomimetic hydroxyethylene isosteres of these dipeptide amides for potential increased bioavailability. None of the compounds is as potent or selective as the dipeptide amides, but they exhibit good inhibition and selectivity. When the terminal amino group was converted to a hydroxyl group, potency and selectivity greatly diminished, supporting the importance of the terminal amino group for binding.

Effects of steric bulk and stereochemistry on the rates of diketopiperazine formation from N-aminoacyl-2,2-dimethylthiazolidine-4-carboxamides (Dmt dipeptide amides)—a model for a new prodrug linker system

A peptide-like self-immolative molecular clip is required for release of active drugs from prodrugs by endopeptidases. Upon cleavage from the carrier, this clip must collapse and release the drug rapidly. A series of aminoacyl-5,5-dimethylthiaproline (Aaa-Dmt) N-(2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethyl)amides were designed. Boc- l-aminoacyl fluorides were coupled with R-DmtOH to give Boc- l-Aaa- R-DmtOH, which were converted to the Boc- l-Aaa- R-Dmt N-(2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethyl)amides. The l, S diastereomeric series was prepared by the reaction of Boc-Aaa PFP esters with S-DmtOH. The l-Aaa-Dmt N-(2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethyl)amides were allowed to cyclise to diketopiperazines (DKPs) in aqueous buffers, expelling 2-(4-nitrophenyl)ethylamine as a model for amine-containing drugs. Reaction rates were dependant on pH. In the l, R diastereomeric series, increasing steric bulk of the Aaa side-chain (Gly, Ala, Phe, Val) led to decrease in the reaction rate. However, in the l, S series, the greatest rate of reaction was observed for the most bulky amino-acid (Val), with t ½=15 min at pH 8.0. The effects of steric bulk and stereochemistry are rationalised through conformational analysis (NMR and X-ray crystallography) of the starting dipeptide amides, the product diketopiperazines and key analogues. Since the dipeptides are (almost) exclusively in the cis-amide conformation, trans–cis interconversion is not relevant. The data suggest that steric interactions in the reacting conformations of the dipeptide amides, as they form the tetrahedral intermediates, are the controlling factors. Thus, l-Aaa- S-Dmt amides are shown to be excellent candidates for incorporation into the design of novel prodrugs.

Conformationally Restricted Dipeptide Amides as Potent and Selective Neuronal Nitric Oxide Synthase Inhibitors

Four new conformationally restricted analogues of a potent and selective neuronal nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, l-nitroargininyl-l-2,4-diaminobutyramide (1), have been synthesized. N(alpha)-Methyl and N(alpha)-benzyl derivatives (3 and 4, respectively) of 4-N-(l-Arg(NO(2))-trans-4-amino-l-prolineamide (2) are also selective inhibitors, but the potency and selectivity of 3 are weak. Analogue 4 has only one-third the potency and one-half to one-third the selectivity of 2 against iNOS (inducible nitric oxide synthase) and eNOS (endothelial nitric oxide synthase), respectively. 3-N-(l-Arg(NO)(2))-trans-3-amino-l-prolineamide (6) is as potent an inhibitor of nNOS (neuronal nitric oxide synthase) as 2; selectivity for nNOS over iNOS is half of that for 2, but the selectivity for nNOS over eNOS is almost double that for 2. The corresponding cis-isomer (5) is a weak inhibitor of nNOS. These results are supported by computer modeling.

Structure activity relationship studies on the antimicrobial activity of novel edeine A and D analogues

Edeines are pentapeptide amide antibiotics composed of four nonprotein amino acids, glycine, and polyamine. They exhibit antimicrobial and immunosuppressive activities and are universal inhibitors of translation. Moreover, it was proven that the free ionizable carboxy group in the (2R, 6S, 7R)-2,6-diamino-7-hydroxyazelaic acid moiety is not essential for biological activity of these compounds. In this paper we describe the synthesis of four novel edeine A and D analogues in which the above-mentioned acid residue was replaced with the (3R, 4S)- or (3S, 4S)-4,5-diamino-3-hydroxypentanoic acid moiety. In one compound we also introduced into molecule the 3-N,N-dimethyl derivative of (S)-2,3-diaminopropanoic acid to prevent the transpeptidation process, which results in the loss of biological activity of alpha-isomers of edeines. All peptides were synthesized applying the active ester and azide methods and on the basis of the coupling of suitable N-terminal tripeptides with proper C-terminal dipeptide amides. The activities of the newly obtained edeine analogues against selected strains of bacteria and fungi are also presented.

1P157 Exploring the Binding Conformations of Bulkier Dipeptide Amide Inhibitors in Constitutive Nitric Oxide Synthases(5. Heme protein,Poster Session,Abstract,Meeting Program of EABS & BSJ 2006)

1P157 Exploring the Binding Conformations of Bulkier Dipeptide Amide Inhibitors in Constitutive Nitric Oxide Synthases(5. Heme protein,Poster Session,Abstract,Meeting Program of EABS & BSJ 2006)