Proteolytically Stable ααγ-Hybrid Peptides Inhibit the Aggregation and Cytotoxicity of Aß42.

The recent approval of antibody-based therapy for targeting the clearance of amyloid plaques fuels the research in designing small molecules and peptide inhibitors to target the aggregation of Aß-peptides. Here, we report that the 15-residue ααγ-hybrid peptide not only inhibits the aggregation of soluble Aß42 into fibrils but also disintegrates the aggregated Aß42 fibrils into smaller assemblies. Further, the hybrid peptide completely rescues neuronal cells from the toxicity of Aß42 at equimolar concentrations. The shorter 10- and 12-mer peptides showed weak aggregation inhibition activity, while the fully hydrophobic 15-mer ααγ-hybrid peptide analogue showed no aggregation inhibition activity. Further, the 15-mer ααγ-hybrid peptide showed resistance against trypsin digestion and also nontoxic to the neuronal cells. The CD revealed that the peptide upon interaction induces a helix-type conformation in the Aß42. This is in sharp contrast to the ß-sheet conformation of Aß42 upon incubation. The two-dimensional-NMR (2D-NMR) analysis revealed a large perturbation in the chemical shifts of residues at the N-terminus. The presence of 15-mer peptide at an equimolar concentration of Aß42 showed less tendency for aggregation and also exhibited nontoxicity to the neuronal cells. The results reported here may be useful in designing new therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease.

Cyclization of N-Boc-(E)-α,ß-unsaturated γ-amino acid active esters into N-Boc-(Z)-α,ß-unsaturated γ-lactams through E → Z isomerization.

Here, we are reporting the spontaneous transformation of the active esters of N-Boc protected E-α,ß-unsaturated γ-amino acids into the corresponding Z-α,ß-unsaturated γ-lactams with concomitant E → Z isomerization in the presence of a weak base. No cyclization was observed in the absence of the base. Analysis revealed that amide γ-NH is crucial for both lactamization and E → Z isomerization. This mild transformation provides easy access to the synthetically challenging α,ß-unsaturated γ-lactams and also gives new insights into the E → Z isomerization of double bonds.

Stereoselective synthesis of backbone extended π-conjugated amino esters.

Utilization of the Wittig reaction to synthesize conjugative multiple double bonds is rare. We examined the utility of the Wittig reaction to construct conjugative two and three carbon-carbon double bonds on the N-protected amino acid backbone. The ethyl esters of N-Boc amino acids with multiple carbon-carbon double bonds in the backbone were isolated in excellent yields with exceptional E-selectivity of the double bonds. The allylic alcohols of α,ß-unsaturated γ-amino esters were selectively synthesized from the DIBAL-H and BF3·OEt2. The allylic alcohols were transformed into aldehydes using IBX oxidation. Using this protocol, we synthesized ethyl esters of N-Boc-(E,E)-α,ß,γ,δ-unsaturated ε-amino acids with various side-chain functionalities and ethyl esters of N-Boc-(E,E,E)-α,ß,γ,δ,ε,ζ-unsaturated η-amino acids with excellent yields. We speculated the exceptional E-selectivity is probably due to the stabilization of the planar transition state of the Wittig reaction with the double bond p-orbitals. No racemization was observed in the synthesis of amino acids. The reported process may serve as an excellent route to synthesize multiple conjugative carbon-carbon double bonds.

A cationic amphiphilic peptide chaperone rescues Aß42 aggregation and cytotoxicity.

Directing Aß42 to adopt a conformation that is free from aggregation and cell toxicity is an attractive and viable strategy to design therapeutics for Alzheimer's disease. Over the years, extensive efforts have been made to disrupt the aggregation of Aß42 using various types of inhibitors but with limited success. Herein, we report the inhibition of aggregation of Aß42 and disintegration of matured fibrils of Aß42 into smaller assemblies by a 15-mer cationic amphiphilic peptide. The biophysical analysis comprising thioflavin T (ThT) mediated amyloid aggregation kinetic analysis, dynamic light scattering, ELISA, AFM, and TEM suggested that the peptide effectively disrupts Aß42 aggregation. The circular dichroism (CD) and 2D-NMR HSQC analysis reveal that upon interaction, the peptide induces a conformational change in Aß42 that is free from aggregation. Further, the cell assay experiments revealed that this peptide is non-toxic to cells and also rescues the cells from the toxicity of Aß42. Peptides with a shorter length displayed either weak or no inhibitory effect on Aß42 aggregation and cytotoxicity. These results suggest that the 15-residue cationic amphiphilic peptide reported here may serve as a potential therapeutic candidate for Alzheimer's disease.

Direct Transformation of N-Protected α,ß-Unsaturated γ-Amino Amides into γ-Lactams through a Base-Mediated Molecular Rearrangement.

Here, we are reporting a single-step transformation of N-protected α,ß-unsaturated γ-amino amides into 5,5-disubstituted γ-lactams through a base-mediated new molecular rearrangement. In contrast to the known N- to C(O) cyclization of saturated γ-amino acids into corresponding γ-lactams, the new rearrangement involves the cyclization between N-terminal Cγ- to C-terminal amide N. The cyclization process was initiated by the migration of double bond from α,ß â†’ ß,γ position. The enamine-imine tautomerization of the new ß,γ-double bond and subsequent 5-exo-trig cyclization of terminal amide leads to the formation of N-protected 5,5-disubstituted γ-lactam. The structures of various γ-lactams obtained from the rearrangement were studied in single crystals. Overall, the results reported here demonstrate the facile and single-step transformation of N-protected α,ß-unsaturated γ-amino amides into γ-lactams and provided an excellent opportunity to construct small-molecule peptidomimetics.