Esterification of Cyclic N6-Threonylcarbamoyladenosine During RNA Sample Preparation.

The continuous deciphering of crucial biological roles of RNA modifications and their involvement in various pathological conditions, together with their key roles in the use of RNA-based therapeutics, has reignited interest in studying the occurrence and identity of non-canonical ribonucleoside structures during the past years. Discovery and structural elucidation of new modified structures is usually achieved by combination of liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) at the nucleoside level and stable isotope labeling experiments. This approach, however, has its pitfalls as demonstrated in the course of the present study: we structurally elucidated a new nucleoside structure that showed significant similarities to the family of (c)t6A modifications and was initially considered a genuine modification, but subsequently turned out to be an in vitro formed glycerol ester of t6A. This artifact is generated from ct6A during RNA hydrolysis upon addition of enzymes stored in glycerol containing buffers in a mildly alkaline milieu, and was moreover shown to undergo an intramolecular transesterification reaction. Our results demand for extra caution, not only in the discovery of new RNA modifications, but also with regard to the quantification of known modified structures, in particular chemically labile modifications, such as ct6A, that might suffer from exposure to putatively harmless reagents during the diverse steps of sample preparation.

New Efficient Synthesis of tRNA Related Adenosines Bearing the Hydantoin Ring (ct6 A, ms2 ct6 A) by Intramolecular Cyclization of N6 -(N-Boc-α-aminoacyl)-adenosine Derivatives.

A novel and efficient way for the synthesis of N6 -hydantoin-modified adenosines, which utilizes readily available N6 -(N-Boc-α-aminoacyl)-adenosine derivatives, was developed. The procedure is based on the epimerization-free, Tf2 O-mediated conversion of the Boc group into an isocyanate moiety, followed by intramolecular cyclization. Using this method two recently discovered hydantoin modified tRNA adenosines, that is, cyclic N6 -threonylcarbamoyl-adenosine (ct6 A) and 2-methylthio-N6 -threonylcarbamoyladenosine (ms2 ct6 A) were prepared in good yields.

Synthesis of chiral triazine coupling reagents based on esters of N-alkylproline and their application in the enantioselective incorporation of D or L amino acid residue directly from racemic substrate.

Esters of N-methylproline and N-allylproline were prepared and used as component for synthesis of chiral triazine based coupling reagents. N-Triazinylammonium tetrafluoroborate obtained from methylester of L-N-methylproline, 2-chloro-4,6-dimethozxy-1,3,5-triazine and tetrafluoroboric acid in the coupling of rac-Z- A1a-OH with glycine methylester preferred formation of D-Z-AlaGly-OMe with L/D ratio 21/79. Coupling reagent prepared from D enantiomer of N-methylproline gave L-Z-AlaGly-OMe with L/D ratio 75/25.