Proteolytically Stable Foldamer Mimics of Host-Defense Peptides with Protective Activities in a Murine Model of Bacterial Infection.

The synthesis of bioinspired unnatural backbones leading to foldamers can provide effective peptide mimics with improved properties in a physiological environment. This approach has been applied to the design of structural mimics of membrane active antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) for which activities in vitro have been reported. Yet activities and pharmacokinetic properties in vivo in animal models have remained largely unexplored. Here, we report helical oligourea AMP mimics that are active in vitro against bacterial forms of Bacillus anthracis encountered in vivo, as well as in vivo in inhalational and cutaneous mouse models of B. anthracis infection. The pharmacokinetic profile and the tissue distribution were investigated by ß-radio imager whole-body mapping in mice. Low excretion and recovery of the native oligourea in the kidney following intravenous injection is consistent with high stability in vivo. Overall these results provide useful information that support future biomedical development of urea-based foldamer peptide mimics.

Helix-forming propensity of aliphatic urea oligomers incorporating noncanonical residue substitution patterns.

Aliphatic N,N'-linked oligoureas are peptidomimetic foldamers that adopt a well-defined helical secondary structure stabilized by a collection of remote three-center H-bonds closing 12- and 14-membered pseudorings. Delineating the rules that govern helix formation depending on the nature of constituent units is of practical utility if one aims to utilize this helical fold to place side chains in a given arrangement and elaborate functional helices. In this work, we tested whether the helix geometry is compatible with alternative substitution patterns. The central -NH-CH(R)-CH2-NH-CO- residue in a model oligourea pentamer sequence was replaced by guest units bearing various substitution patterns [e.g., -NH-CH2-CH2-NH-CO-, -NH-CH2-CH(R)-NH-CO-, and -NH-CH(R(1))-CH(R(2))-NH-CO-], levels of preorganization (cyclic vs acyclic residues), and stereochemistries, and the helix formation was systematically assessed. The extent of helix perturbation or stabilization was primarily monitored in solution by Fourier transform IR, NMR, and electronic circular dichroism spectroscopies. Our results indicate that although three new substitution patterns were accommodated in the 2.5-helix, the helical urea backbone in short oligomers is particularly sensitive to variations in the residue substitution pattern (position and stereochemistry). For example, the trans-1,2-diaminocyclohexane unit was experimentally found to break the helix nucleation, but the corresponding cis unit did not. Theoretical calculations helped to rationalize these results. The conformational preferences in this series of oligoureas were also studied at high resolution by X-ray structure analyses of a representative set of modified oligomers.

Microwave-enhanced solid-phase synthesis of N,N'-linked aliphatic oligoureas and related hybrids.

A practical and efficient microwave-assisted solid-phase method for the synthesis of N,N'-linked oligoureas and related amide/urea hybrid oligomers, featuring the use of succinimidyl (2-azido-2-substituted ethyl) carbamate monomers, is reported. The rate enhancement of urea formation under microwave irradiation combined with the mild conditions of the phosphine-based azide reduction makes this approach very effective for routine synthesis of oligoureas and possibly for library production.

Experimental and theoretical study of the vibrational spectra of oligoureas: helical versus ß-sheet-type secondary structures.

Ab initio calculations of two oligoureas stabilized in helix and sheet organization have been performed. The hydrogen bond distances were found to be almost the same for both structures. The vibrational assignment of the two oligourea structures and the direction of the transition moment of each vibration have been determined. From these results, and using the experimental isotropic optical index determined for one oligourea, we have established the anisotropic infrared optical files for the two structures. Interestingly, most urea absorptions vibrate in only one principal direction. Also, the shift of the carbonyl band is weaker and inverse to what was reported for corresponding protein secondary structures. Finally, simulations of the Polarization Modulation Infrared Reflection Absorption Spectroscopy (PMIRRAS) and Attenuated Reflection Spectroscopy (ATR) infrared spectra demonstrate the possibility to determine the orientation of the oligoureas in thin or ultrathin films, even if in some cases it may be difficult to unambiguously assign their secondary structure.

Aza-beta3-cyclopeptides: a new way of controlling nitrogen chirality.

Sixteen and 24 membered aza-beta(3)-peptidic macrocycles containing a alpha-hydrazinoacid or a beta(3)-aminoacid were synthesized. The conformation of these pseudopeptides was determined by using NH chemical shift analysis, NH extinction, VT-NMR experiments, and X-ray diffraction. The study shows that a stable conformation is retained between 223 and 413 K. The latter is characterized by an uninterrupted internal H-bond network and a syndiotactic arrangement of the asymmetric centers. It means that the presence of the optically pure residue acts as a conformational lock to select a single enantiomer through the cyclization by controlling the absolute configuration of all the nitrogen atoms. To our knowledge, this represents the first example of a dynamic enantioselection process involving several centers prone to pyramidal inversion. These results give a new impulsion to the control of nitrogen chirality, which remained limited to small cycles for 60 years.