This paper introduces the unnatural amino acids m-Abc2K and o-Abc2K as nanometer-sized building blocks for the creation of water-soluble macrocycles with well-defined shapes. m-Abc2K and o-Abc2K are homologues of the nanometer-sized amino acid Abc2K, which we recently introduced for the synthesis of water-soluble molecular rods of precise length. [J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 7272]. Abc2K is linear (180°), m-Abc2K creates a 120° angle, and o-Abc2K creates a 60° angle. m-Abc2K and o-Abc2K are derivatives of 3’-amino-[1,1’-biphenyl]-4-carboxylic acid and 2’-amino-[1,1’-biphenyl]-4-carboxylic acid, with two propyloxyammonium side chains for water solubility.
Abstract
This paper introduces the unnatural amino acids m-Abc2K and o-Abc2K as nanometer-sized building blocks for the creation of water-soluble macrocycles with well-defined shapes. m-Abc2K and o-Abc2K are homologues of the nanometer-sized amino acid Abc2K, which we recently introduced for the synthesis of water-soluble molecular rods of precise length (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 7272). Abc2K is linear (180°), m-Abc2K creates a 120° angle, and o-Abc2K creates a 60° angle. m-Abc2K and o-Abc2K are derivatives of 3′-amino-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid and 2′-amino-(1,1′-biphenyl)-4-carboxylic acid, with two propyloxyammonium side chains for water solubility. m-Abc2K and o-Abc2K are prepared as Fmoc-protected derivatives Fmoc-m-Abc2K(Boc)-OH (1a) and Fmoc-o-Abc2K(Boc)-OH (1b). These derivatives can be used alone or in conjunction with Fmoc-Abc2K(Boc)-OH (1c) as ordinary amino acids in Fmoc-based solid-phase peptide synthesis. Building blocks 1a−c were used to synthesize macrocyclic “triangles” 9a−c, “parallelograms” 10a,b, and hexagonal “rings” 11a−d. The macrocycles range from a trimer to a dodecamer, with ring sizes from 24 to 114 atoms, and are 1−4 nm in size. Molecular modeling studies suggest that all the macrocycles except 10b should have well-defined triangle, parallelogram, and ring shapes if all of the amide linkages are trans and the o-alkoxy substituents are intramolecularly hydrogen bonded to the amide NH groups. The macrocycles have good water solubility and are readily characterized by standard analytical techniques, such as RP-HPLC, ESI-MS, and NMR spectroscopy. 1H and 13C NMR studies suggest that the macrocycles adopt conformations with all trans-amide linkages in CD3OD, that the “triangles” and “parallelograms” maintain these conformations in D2O, and that the “rings” collapse to form conformations with cis-amide linkages in D2O.
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What an amazing time we had at DCAT 2025! It was fantastic to meet with colleagues, clients, and friends, and showcase CPC Scientific’s cutting-edge capabilities in synthetic API development and commercial production.
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We are excited to share that CPC Scientific Inc. has officially received the Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) Certificate in accordance with the ISO 22716:2007(E) Cosmetic Guidelines.
This certification highlights our unwavering commitment to delivering the highest quality peptide ingredients for cosmetic use, guaranteeing:
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In Part 1 of our Minimal Protection Group Strategies for SPPS, we discussed methods for eliminating sidechain protection on hydroxy-bearing amino acids such as serine, threonine, tyrosine, and hydroxyproline. By omitting t-butyl protection, we enhanced atom economy and avoided the use of hazardous solvents typically required to remove these protection groups. In Part 2, we present a new case study, expanding our approach to include the unprotected side chains of histidine, tryptophan, and arginine. We demonstrate the synthesis of a Goserelin peptide API impurity, showcasing how a convergent peptide fragment strategy can be used to eliminate the need for TFA and diethyl ether, eliminate side chain protection of Arginine, Histidine, and Tryptophan.
The synthesis of the linear RP-182 analog, bicyclo[6.1.0]non-4-yn-9-ylmethyloxycarbonyl-PEG2-Lys-Phe-Arg-Lys-Ala-Phe-Lys-Arg-Phe-Phe-Lys(azido-PEG)-NH2, was achieved using standard solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) protocols. After cleaving the linear peptide from the resin, macrocyclization was performed in the liquid phase through a strain-promoted click reaction. BCN introduces extra ring strain due to its fused cyclopropane structure. The combined effect of ring strain, the selection of BCN, and copper catalysis significantly increases the macrocyclization efficiency of longer peptides like RP-182.
Nakagawa, Mayumi, Teresa Evans, Milan Bimali, Hannah Coleman, Jasmine Crane, Nadia Darwish, Jennifer L. Faulkner et al. MedRxiv (2025): 2025-01.
The vaccine consisted of four current good manufacturing production-grade synthetic peptides covering the HPV 16 E6 protein [amino acid (aa)1-45, 46-80, 81-115, and 116-158] (CPC Scientific, San Jose, CA [..]
Stapled peptides have emerged as a powerful tool in drug discovery and therapeutic development due to their ability to overcome the limitations associated with traditional peptide drugs, such as poor stability and low cell permeability. By introducing staples into the peptide backbone, researchers can stabilize peptide conformations and enhance their interactions with target proteins, resulting in improved efficacy and specificity. This approach not only addresses the challenges of peptide drug design but also opens new avenues for targeting challenging biomolecular interactions that are difficult to modulate with small molecules or antibodies. The development of stapled peptides has led to significant advancements in targeting protein-protein interactions, addressing previously intractable diseases, and enhancing the precision of therapeutic interventions.
Peptide receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT) is a targeted therapeutic approach that utilizes peptides to deliver cytotoxic radiation to specific receptors overexpressed on cancer cells. Peptides offer several advantages as therapeutic vectors in PRRT due to their small size, favorable pharmacokinetics, high binding affinity, low immunogenicity and toxicity, and minimal off-target effects. Tumor-targeting peptides conjugated to radionuclide chelates represent a promising class of cancer therapeutics.
Singh, S.S., Calvo, R., Kumari, A., Sable, R.V., Fang, Y., Tao, D., Hu, X., Castle, S.G., Nahar, S., Li, D. and Major, E. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics (2024).
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[..] assembling the peptide on the Rink Amide resin and attaching the PEG azide moiety to the N-terminal Lys, the Dde group was removed as previously shown and coupled to the Fmoc-PEG2-acid. Removal of the Fmoc followed by simultaneously click/coupling to bicyclo[6.1.0]non-4-yn-9-ylmethyl (2,5-dioxopyrrolidin-1-yl) carbonate gave 1c which was deprotected and cleaved from the resin to give 1c.
Most proteinogenic peptides, except for certain hydrophobic sequences, can be synthesized in a linear fashion using solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) methods. However, longer sequences, particularly those exceeding 70 amino acids, often require alternative techniques due to challenges like steric hindrance. Other issues, such as poor solvation of the protected peptide during synthesis and the formation of intermolecular hydrogen bonds (e.g., β-sheets) between fragments, can also result in inefficient coupling and deprotection.