Insight into the Structure of Victorin, the Host-Selective Toxin from the Oat Pathogen Cochliobolus victoriae. Studies of the Unique Dehydroamino Acid ß-Chlorodehydroalanine.

Victorins, a family of peptide toxins, produced by the fungal pathogen Cochliobolus victoriae and responsible for disease of some oat varieties, contain a ß-chlorodehydroalanine residue, ΔAla(ßCl). To determine the conformational properties of this unique dehydroamino acid, a series of model compounds was studied using X-ray, NMR, and FT-IR methods, supported by theoretical calculations. The ΔAla(ßCl) geometrical isomers differ in conformational profile. The isomer Z prefers the helical conformation α (φ, ψ = -61°, -24°), PPII type conformation ß (φ, ψ = -47°, 136°), and semiextended conformation ß2 (φ, ψ = -116°, 9°) in weakly and more polar solutions. The isomer E prefers mainly the extended conformation C5 (φ, ψ = -177°, 160°), but with an increase of the environment polarity also conformations ß (φ, ψ = -44°, 132°) and α (φ, ψ = -53°, -39°). In the most stable conformations the N-H···Cl hydrogen bond (5γ) occurs, created between the chlorine atom of the side chain and the N-H donor of the flanking amide group. The method of synthesis of the ß-chlorodehydroalanine residue is proposed, by chlorination of dehydroalanine and then the photoisomerization from the isomer Z to E. The presented results indicate that the assignment of the geometrical isomer of the ΔAla(ßCl) residue in naturally occurring victorins still remains an open question, despite being crucial for biological activity.