Interrupted Polonovski Strategy for the Synthesis of Functionalized Amino Acids and Peptides.

The α-functionalization of carbamate-protected hydroxylamine glycine derivatives, acting as imine surrogates via an interrupted Polonovski reaction, is described to access functionalized amino acid derivatives. The addition of C, N, O, and S nucleophiles was achieved in a one-pot procedure in 37% to 92% yield. This method could be extended to dipeptide derivatives for the functionalization of both the C-terminus and N-terminus.

Synthesis of Fluorescent Cyclic Peptides via Gold(I)-Catalyzed Macrocyclization.

Rapid and efficient cyclization methods that form structurally novel peptidic macrocycles are of high importance for medicinal chemistry. Herein, we report the first gold(I)-catalyzed macrocyclization of peptide-EBXs (ethynylbenziodoxolones) via C2-Trp C-H activation. This reaction was carried out in the presence of protecting group free peptide sequences and is enabled by a simple commercial gold catalyst (AuCl·Me2S). The method displayed a rapid reaction rate (within 10 min), wide functional group tolerance (27 unprotected peptides were cyclized), and up to 86% isolated yield. The obtained highly conjugated cyclic peptide linker, formed through C-H alkynylation, can be directly applied to live-cell imaging as a fluorescent probe without further attachment of fluorophores.

Iron-Catalyzed Synthesis of α-Azido α-Amino Esters via the Alkylazidation of Alkenes.

An iron-catalyzed alkylazidation of dehydroamino acids using peroxides as alkyl radical precursors is described. Non-natural azidated amino esters bearing an α-alkyl chain could be obtained in 18-94% yields using TMSN3 as an azide source. The obtained α-alkyl-α-azide α-amino esters could be further functionalized through cycloaddition or azide reduction with amide couplings to afford aminal-type peptides, α-triazolo amino acids, and tetrahydro-triazolopyridine, showing the great versatility of this now easily accessible class of amino acids.

Cysteine-Cysteine Cross-Conjugation of both Peptides and Proteins with a Bifunctional Hypervalent Iodine-Electrophilic Reagent.

Peptide and protein bioconjugation sees ever-growing applications in the pharmaceutical sector. Novel strategies and reagents that can address the chemo- and regioselectivity issues inherent to these biomolecules, while delivering stable and functionalizable conjugates, are therefore needed. Herein, we introduce the crosslinking ethynylbenziodazolone (EBZ) reagent JW-AM-005 for the conjugation of peptides and proteins through the selective linkage of cysteine residues. This easily accessed compound gives access to peptide dimers or stapled peptides under mild and tuneable conditions. Applied to the antibody fragment of antigen binding (Fab) species, JW-AM-005 delivered rebridged proteins in a one-pot three-reaction process with high regioselectivity, outperforming the standard reagents commonly used for this transformation.

Synthesis of Trifluoromethylated Alkenes: Hypervalent Iodine Meets High-Valent Copper.

The first trifluoromethylation of vinylbenziodoxolones (VBX) is reported herein. The synthetic method is based on the use of bench-stable, high-valent copper(III) species, and the reaction can be initiated under thermal conditions and/or irradiation (365 nm) giving access to trifluoromethylated alkenes in a stereoselective fashion. Various VBX reagents derived from tyrosine, cysteine, small peptides, thiols and amides can be used as precursors. The obtained alkenes could be further functionalized by reduction or epoxidation of the trifluoromethylated double bond. Furthermore, the method could be applied in a large-scale batch/flow synthesis and could be conducted under visible light irradiation.

Peptide-Hypervalent Iodine Reagent Chimeras: Enabling Peptide Functionalization and Macrocyclization.

Herein, we report a novel strategy for the modification of peptides based on the introduction of highly reactive hypervalent iodine reagents-ethynylbenziodoxolones (EBXs)-onto peptides. These peptide-EBXs can be readily accessed, by both solution- and solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). They can be used to couple the peptide to other peptides or a protein through reaction with Cys, leading to thioalkynes in organic solvents and hypervalent iodine adducts in water buffer. Furthermore, a photocatalytic decarboxylative coupling to the C-terminus of peptides was developed using an organic dye and was also successful in an intramolecular fashion, leading to macrocyclic peptides with unprecedented crosslinking. A rigid linear aryl alkyne linker was essential to achieve high affinity for Keap1 at the Nrf2 binding site with potential protein-protein interaction inhibition.

Tyrosine bioconjugation with hypervalent iodine.

Hypervalent iodine reagents have recently emerged as powerful tools for late-stage peptide and protein functionalization. Herein we report a tyrosine bioconjugation methodology for the introduction of hypervalent iodine onto biomolecules under physiological conditions. Tyrosine residues were engaged in a selective addition onto the alkynyl bond of ethynylbenziodoxolones (EBX), resulting in stable vinylbenziodoxolones (VBX) bioconjugates. The methodology was successfully applied to peptides and proteins and tolerated all other nucleophilic residues, with the exception of cysteine. The generated VBX were further functionalized by palladium-catalyzed cross-coupling and azide-alkyne cycloaddition reactions. The method could be successfully used to modify bioactive natural products and native streptavidin to enable thiol-mediated cellular uptake.

N-Terminal Selective C-H Azidation of Proline-Containing Peptides: a Platform for Late-Stage Diversification.

A methodology for the C-H azidation of N-terminal proline-containing peptides was developed employing only commercially available reagents. Peptides bearing a broad range of functionalities and containing up to 6 amino acids were selectively azidated at the carbamate-protected N-terminal residue in presence of the numerous other functional groups present on the molecules. Post-functionalizations of the obtained aminal compounds were achieved: cycloaddition reactions or C-C bond formations via a sequence of imine formation/nucleophilic addition were performed, offering an easy access to diversified peptides.

Hypervalent Iodine-Mediated Late-Stage Peptide and Protein Functionalization.

Hypervalent iodine compounds are powerful reagents for the development of novel transformations. As they exhibit low toxicity, high functional group tolerance, and stability in biocompatible media, they have been used for the functionalization of biomolecules. Herein, we report recent advances up to June 2021 in peptide and protein modification using hypervalent iodine reagents. Their use as group transfer or oxidizing reagents is discussed in this Minireview, including methods targeting polar, aromatic, or aliphatic amino acids and peptide termini.

Amphiphilic Iodine(III) Reagents for the Lipophilization of Peptides in Water.

We report the functionalization of cysteine residues with lipophilic alkynes bearing a silyl group or an alkyl chain using amphiphilic ethynylbenziodoxolone reagents (EBXs). The reactions were carried out in buffer (pH 6 to 9), without organic co-solvent or removal of oxygen, either at 37 °C or room temperature. The transformation led to a significant increase of peptide lipophilicity and worked for aromatic thiols, homocysteine, cysteine, and peptides containing 4 to 18 amino acids. His6 -Cys-Ubiquitin was also alkynylated under physiological conditions. Under acidic conditions, the thioalkynes were converted into thioesters, which could be cleaved in the presence of hydroxylamine.

Cys-Cys and Cys-Lys Stapling of Unprotected Peptides Enabled by Hypervalent Iodine Reagents.

Easy access to a wide range of structurally diverse stapled peptides is crucial for the development of inhibitors of protein-protein interactions. Herein, we report bis-functional hypervalent iodine reagents for two-component cysteine-cysteine and cysteine-lysine stapling yielding structurally diverse thioalkyne linkers. This stapling method works with unprotected natural amino acid residues and does not require pre-functionalization or metal catalysis. The products are stable to purification and isolation. Post-stapling modification can be accessed via amidation of an activated ester, or via cycloaddition onto the formed thioalkyne group. Increased helicity and binding affinity to MDM2 was obtained for a i,i+7 stapled peptide.

Ethynylation of Cysteine Residues: From Peptides to Proteins in Vitro and in Living Cells.

Current approaches to introduce terminal alkynes for bioorthogonal reactions into biomolecules still present limitations in terms of either reactivity, selectivity, or adduct stability. We present a method for the ethynylation of cysteine residues based on the use of ethynylbenziodoxolone (EBX) reagents. The acetylene group is directly introduced onto the thiol group of cysteine and can be used for copper-catalyzed alkyne-azide cycloaddition (CuAAC) without further processing. Labeling proceeded with reaction rates comparable to or higher than the most often used iodoacetamide on peptides or maleimide on the antibody trastuzumab, and high cysteine selectivity was observed. The reagents were also used in living cells for cysteine proteomic profiling and displayed improved coverage of the cysteinome compared to previously reported iodoacetamide or hypervalent iodine reagents. Fine-tuning of the EBX reagents allows optimization of their reactivity and physical properties.

C-Terminal Bioconjugation of Peptides through Photoredox Catalyzed Decarboxylative Alkynylation.

We report the first decarboxylative alkynylation of the C-terminus of peptides starting from free carboxylic acids. The reaction is fast, metal-free, and proceeds cleanly to afford alkynylated peptides with a broad tolerance for the C-terminal amino acid. By the use of hypervalent iodine reagents, the introduction of a broad range of functional groups was successful. C-terminal selectivity was achieved by differentiation of the oxidation potentials of the carboxylic acids based on the use of fine-tuned organic dyes.

Proteome-Wide Profiling of Targets of Cysteine reactive Small Molecules by Using Ethynyl Benziodoxolone Reagents.

In this study, we present a highly efficient method for proteomic profiling of cysteine residues in complex proteomes and in living cells. Our method is based on alkynylation of cysteines in complex proteomes using a "clickable" alkynyl benziodoxolone bearing an azide group. This reaction proceeds fast, under mild physiological conditions, and with a very high degree of chemoselectivity. The formed azide-capped alkynyl-cysteine adducts are readily detectable by LC-MS/MS, and can be further functionalized with TAMRA or biotin alkyne via CuAAC. We demonstrate the utility of alkynyl benziodoxolones for chemical proteomics applications by identifying the proteomic targets of curcumin, a diarylheptanoid natural product that was and still is part of multiple human clinical trials as anticancer agent. Our results demonstrate that curcumin covalently modifies several key players of cellular signaling and metabolism, most notably the enzyme casein kinase I gamma. We anticipate that this new method for cysteine profiling will find broad application in chemical proteomics and drug discovery.

Cyclic hypervalent iodine reagents and iron catalysts: the winning team for late-stage C-H azidation.

1+1=3: By combining the exceptional reactivities of cyclic hypervalent iodine reagents and iron catalysts, Sharma and Hartwig achieved the azidation of CH bonds with unprecedented efficiency and selectivity. The late-stage introduction of azides into complex bioactive molecules will greatly facilitate the synthesis of analogues and accelerate the discovery of new chemical entities.

Platinum-catalyzed domino reaction with benziodoxole reagents for accessing benzene-alkynylated indoles.

Indoles are omnipresent in natural products, bioactive molecules, and organic materials. Consequently, their synthesis or functionalization are important fields of research in organic chemistry. Most works focus on installation or modification of the pyrrole ring. To access benzene-ring-functionalized indoles with an unsubstituted pyrrole ring remains more challenging. Reported herein is a platinum-catalyzed cyclization/alkynylation domino process to selectively obtain C5- or C6-functionalized indoles starting from easily available pyrroles. The work combines, for the first time, a platinum catalyst with ethynylbenziodoxole hypervalent iodine reagents in a domino process for the synthesis of polyfunctionalized arene rings and gives access to important building blocks for the synthesis of bioactive compounds and organic materials.

A highly chemoselective and practical alkynylation of thiols.

A thiol-alkynylation procedure utilizing the hypervalent iodine alkyne transfer reagent TIPS-ethynyl-benziodoxolone has been developed. This scalable reaction proceeds in five minutes at room temperature in an open flask using commercially available reagents. The scope of the reaction is broad, with a variety of phenolic, benzylic, heterocyclic, and aliphatic thiols undergoing alkynylation in excellent yield. The method is highly chemoselective as a vast array of functional groups are tolerated. The utility of the thiol-alkynylation in postsynthetic elaboration has been demonstrated through the facile installment of a fluorophore tag on a cysteine-containing peptide.

Iron-catalyzed [3 + 2] annulation of aminocyclopropanes with aldehydes: stereoselective synthesis of aminotetrahydrofurans.

The first method for the [3 + 2] annulation of donor-acceptor aminocyclopropanes with aldehydes is reported. The reaction is catalyzed by iron trichloride on alumina in yields up to 99% and with excellent cis selectivities (up to >20:1) and represents a stereoselective and atom economic access to valuable 2-aminotetrahydrofurans, which constitute the core of DNA and RNA.