IChO 2022 · Theory problem 7

Organic Molecules in Life

The synthesis of complex peptides and proteins is a challenging task. On September 17, 1965, Chinese scientists synthesized crystalline bovine insulin artificially for the first time, marking a crucial step in the journey of exploring the secret of life and opening the era of protein synthesis.

Figure 1

Stamp issued on the 50th anniversary (2015) of the first synthesis of crystalline bovine insulin.

Coupling of carboxylic acid groups with amine groups to forge an amide bond is the most elementary reaction in the synthesis of peptides and proteins. Allenone 2 was reported to be able to activate the carboxylic acid 1 under mild reaction conditions forming the intermediate 3. Intermediate 3 then reacts with amine 4 to give amide 5 with high yield, along with the byproduct 6.

Figure 2

Similarly, N-ethynyl-N-methyl-p-toluenesulfonamide (MYTsA) with its major resonance structure 7 (involvement of Ts group is not considered) can activate carboxylic acid in the same way as allenone 2.

Figure 3

7.1 Draw the structures of 7, intermediate 9 and compound 12. Show the stereochemistry of any stereocenters.

As the length of peptide chain grows, formation of amide bonds becomes more difficult, and conventional condensation methods are not applicable in the synthesis of proteins. In the first synthesis of crystalline bovine insulin, a method based on the chemistry of acylhydrazine 13 was developed to achieve the challenging amide coupling between two peptides. As the following equations, compound 15 reacts with 16 smoothly in the presence of triethylamine.

Figure 4

7.2 Draw the structures of compounds 15 and 16.

In addition to de novo synthesis, scientists can modify existing proteins. Although there are multiple reactive sites on the surface of protein, such as amino groups, thiol groups, and carboxyl groups, the most nucleophilic thiol groups are the preferred site when the protein is treated with electrophilic reagents such as N-phenyl maleimide 18 via Michael addition.

Figure 5

Under mild basic conditions (pH = 7.5), reagent 19 was proposed to react with the thiol group of protein 20 to give a neutral intermediate 21 which is attacked by hydroxide to give compound 22. Compound 22 can equilibrate with an acyclic form 23, and subsequently react with another protein 20. The resulting major product can exist either in the acyclic form 24 or in the cyclic form 25 in a similar way as the equilibration between 22 and 23.

Figure 6

7.3 Draw the structures of intermediate 21, compounds 24 and 25. Stereochemistry is not required.

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

In the SMILES below, [*:1] and [*:2] represent the unspecified peptide residues P1 and P2. [*:3] and [*:4] represent two separate copies of protein residue P3. Their internal structures are not specified in the problem.

  • 7.1
  • 7: The charge-separated keteniminium–carbanion resonance contributor of MYTsA: \[ \ce{H-C^{-}=C=N^{+}(CH3)-Ts}. \] SMILES: [CH-]=C=[N+](C)S(=O)(=O)c1ccc(C)cc1
  • 9: 1-[Methyl(tosyl)amino]ethenyl N-Fmoc-O-tert-butyl-L-serinate, the activated enol ester. The serine stereocenter remains \(S\).

    SMILES: O=C(OCC1c2ccccc2-c2ccccc21)N[C@@H](COC(C)(C)C)C(=O)OC(=C)N(C)S(=O)(=O)c1ccc(C)cc1 - 12: N-Acetyl-N-methyl-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide, also called N-methyl-N-tosylacetamide.

    SMILES: CC(=O)N(C)S(=O)(=O)c1ccc(C)cc1

  • 7.2

  • 15: The P1 peptide acyl azide, \(\ce{P1-C(=O)-N3}\).

    SMILES: [*:1]C(=O)N=[N+]=[N-] - 16: The P2 peptide with its free terminal amino group, \(\ce{H2N-P2}\).

    SMILES: N[*:2]

  • 7.3

  • 21: 3-Bromo-1-phenyl-5-[(P3-sulfanyl)methyl]-1,3-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one, a neutral brominated enamine lactam.

    SMILES: O=C1C(Br)C=C(CS[*:3])N1c1ccccc1 - 24: N-Phenyl-4-oxo-2,5-bis(P3-sulfanyl)pentanamide: \[ \ce{PhNH-C(=O)-CH(S-P3)-CH2-C(=O)-CH2-S-P3}. \] SMILES: O=C(Nc1ccccc1)C(S[*:4])CC(=O)CS[*:3] - 25: 5-Hydroxy-1-phenyl-3-(P3-sulfanyl)-5-[(P3-sulfanyl)methyl]pyrrolidin-2-one, the cyclic hemiaminal of 24.

    SMILES: O=C1C(S[*:4])CC(O)(CS[*:3])N1c1ccccc1

Solution

7.1 — Activation by MYTsA and peptide-bond formation

MYTsA is N-ethynyl-N-methyl-4-methylbenzenesulfonamide, SMILES C#CN(C)S(=O)(=O)c1ccc(C)cc1.

Donation of the nitrogen lone pair into the adjacent alkyne, accompanied by movement of one alkyne \(\pi\)-electron pair onto the terminal carbon, gives resonance contributor 7:

\[ \ce{H-C#C-N(CH3)-Ts <-> H-C^{-}=C=N^{+}(CH3)-Ts}. \]

Thus, the terminal carbon carries the negative formal charge, and nitrogen carries the positive formal charge. This is a resonance relationship, not an equilibrium between separate compounds.

Acid 8 is N-Fmoc-O-tert-butyl-L-serine, SMILES O=C(OCC1c2ccccc2-c2ccccc21)N[C@@H](COC(C)(C)C)C(=O)O.

Write it as \(\ce{RCO2H}\), with its existing stereochemistry understood. Addition across the ynamide places the acid’s proton on the terminal carbon and its carboxylate oxygen on the carbon adjacent to nitrogen:

\[ \ce{R-C(=O)-OH + H-C#C-N(CH3)-Ts -> R-C(=O)-O-C(=CH2)-N(CH3)-Ts}. \]

The product is 9. Its newly formed ester linkage is specifically

\[ \ce{R-C(=O)-O-C(=CH2)-N(CH3)-Ts}. \]

The double bond terminates in a methylene group, so it has no \(E/Z\) stereochemistry.

At the serine stereocenter, the priority order is amino nitrogen, carboxyl carbon, side-chain carbon, then hydrogen. The configuration shown in 8 is \(S\), and it is retained in 9 because no bond at that stereocenter is broken. A drawing should therefore preserve the solid wedge to the serine side chain when using the same orientation as 8.

Amine 10 is tert-butyl L-leucinate, SMILES N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)OC(C)(C)C. Writing it as \(\ce{H2N-R'}\), its nitrogen attacks the amino-acid acyl carbonyl of 9. Collapse of the tetrahedral intermediate gives the peptide bond:

\[ \ce{R-C(=O)-O-C(=CH2)-N(CH3)-Ts + H2N-R' -> R-C(=O)-NH-R' + CH3-C(=O)-N(CH3)-Ts}. \]

The leaving fragment is initially protonated to 1-[methyl(tosyl)amino]ethen-1-ol, SMILES C=C(O)N(C)S(=O)(=O)c1ccc(C)cc1. It tautomerizes to 12:

\[ \ce{CH2=C(OH)-N(CH3)-Ts <=> CH3-C(=O)-N(CH3)-Ts}. \]

Product 11 is N-Fmoc-O-tert-butyl-L-seryl-L-leucine tert-butyl ester, SMILES O=C(OCC1c2ccccc2-c2ccccc21)N[C@@H](COC(C)(C)C)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)OC(C)(C)C.

Both amino-acid stereocenters retain their \(S\) configurations. The two coupling equations above are atom-balanced; no separate water molecule is released in these steps.

7.2 — Acyl-azide coupling of peptide fragments

Compound 13 is the P1 peptide acyl hydrazide, SMILES [*:1]C(=O)NN.

Acidified nitrite converts its hydrazide group into an acyl azide through nitrosation and dehydration. The balanced net ionic equation is

\[ \ce{P1-C(=O)-NH-NH2 + NO2- + H+ -> P1-C(=O)-N3 + 2H2O}. \]

Thus, 15 is the acyl azide identified above. One valid charge-explicit representation of its azide group is

\[ \ce{P1-C(=O)-N=N^{+}=N^{-}}. \]

The low temperature, \(-10\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\), allows the acyl azide to be used for the subsequent coupling.

Compound 14 is the N-Cbz-protected P2 peptide, SMILES O=C(OCc1ccccc1)N[*:2].

Hydrogen bromide cleaves the benzyl protecting group, and the remaining carbamate decarboxylates. Written with bromide as the ammonium counterion, the balanced reaction is

\[ \ce{P2-NH-C(=O)-O-CH2-Ph + 2HBr -> P2-NH3+ + Br- + Ph-CH2-Br + CO2}. \]

The initially formed P2 peptide ammonium ion has SMILES [NH3+][*:2]. Triethylamine liberates the free amine 16:

\[ \ce{P2-NH3+ + Et3N -> P2-NH2 + Et3NH+}. \]

Amine 16 then attacks the acyl carbonyl of 15. Elimination of azide and removal of a proton give the new peptide bond. Including the base, the balanced coupling is

\[ \ce{P1-C(=O)-N3 + H2N-P2 + Et3N -> P1-C(=O)-NH-P2 + Et3NH+ + N3-}. \]

The product, 17, is the amide-linked P1–P2 peptide, SMILES [*:1]C(=O)N[*:2].

The small species used in these equations are nitrite, [O-]N=O; proton, [H+]; water, O; hydrogen bromide, [H]Br; bromide, [Br-]; benzyl bromide, BrCc1ccccc1; carbon dioxide, O=C=O; triethylamine, CCN(CC)CC; triethylammonium, CC[NH+](CC)CC; and azide, [N-]=[N+]=[N-].

7.3 — Formation of the two-protein conjugate

For the five-membered ring, number the nitrogen 1, the carbonyl carbon 2, and the remaining ring carbons 3, 4, and 5 in sequence.

Reagent 19 is 3-bromo-5-methylene-1-phenyl-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one, SMILES C=C1C=C(Br)C(=O)N1c1ccccc1.

Protein 20 is the P3 thiol, SMILES [*:3]S; its reactive thiolate form has SMILES [*:3][S-].

The thiolate attacks the terminal exocyclic methylene carbon in a 1,6-conjugate addition. Electron displacement through the conjugated system gives an enolate, and protonation at ring position 3 produces neutral 21. Using bold-numbered compounds as the molecular labels, the stoichiometry is

\[ \ce{19 + P3-SH -> 21}. \]

A precise drawing of 21 has:

  • an N-phenyl nitrogen at position 1;
  • a carbonyl at position 2;
  • a \(\ce{CHBr}\) group at position 3;
  • a double bond between positions 4 and 5;
  • a \(\ce{-CH2-S-P3}\) substituent at position 5.

In particular, bromine remains attached in 21.

Hydroxide then gives an allylic substitution with double-bond migration: oxygen bonds to position 5, the double bond shifts to positions 3–4, and bromide leaves position 3. The balanced equation is

\[ \ce{21 + OH- -> 22 + Br-}. \]

Hydroxide has SMILES [OH-]. Product 22 is 5-hydroxy-1-phenyl-5-[(P3-sulfanyl)methyl]-1,5-dihydro-2H-pyrrol-2-one, SMILES O=C1C=CC(O)(CS[*:3])N1c1ccccc1.

Compound 22 is a cyclic hemiaminal. Breaking its bond between nitrogen and position 5, forming a carbonyl at position 5, and transferring the hydroxyl proton to nitrogen give 23. No water is gained or lost:

\[ \ce{22 <=> 23}. \]

Compound 23 is N-phenyl-4-oxo-5-(P3-sulfanyl)pent-2-enamide, SMILES O=C(Nc1ccccc1)C=CC(=O)CS[*:3]. Its connectivity is

\[ \ce{PhNH-C(=O)-CH=CH-C(=O)-CH2-S-P3}. \]

The alkene is conjugated with both an amide carbonyl and a ketone carbonyl. The ketone provides the stronger Michael-acceptor activation because nitrogen donation reduces the electron-withdrawing effect of the amide carbonyl. Consequently, the second thiol adds predominantly at the alkene carbon beta to the ketone, which is the carbon next to the amide carbonyl:

\[ \ce{PhNH-C(=O)-CH=CH-C(=O)-CH2-S-P3 + P3-SH -> PhNH-C(=O)-CH(S-P3)-CH2-C(=O)-CH2-S-P3}. \]

This identifies 24, with the second protein attached through sulfur at the carbon adjacent to the amide carbonyl.

Finally, the amide nitrogen attacks the ketone intramolecularly. Proton transfer gives the cyclic hemiaminal 25:

\[ \ce{24 <=> 25}. \]

A precise drawing of 25 is a five-membered ring containing an N-phenyl nitrogen at position 1, a carbonyl at position 2, \(\ce{CH(S-P3)}\) at position 3, methylene at position 4, and a carbon bearing both \(\ce{-OH}\) and \(\ce{-CH2-S-P3}\) at position 5. The two P3 groups are separate protein molecules. No water is eliminated during this ring closure, and stereochemistry need not be specified.

The answers were checked against the official answers published by the organisers.