OPTICALLY ACTIVE AMINO ACIDS WITH HIGHLY BRANCHED SIDE CHAIN (I) SYNTHESIS OF D- AND L- 2-AMINO-5,5-DIMETHYLHEXANOIC ACID AND 2-AMINO-6,6-DIMETHYLHEPTANOIC ACID

The title compounds were prepared by the enzymatic resolution of the corresponding N-acetylated DL-amino acids methyl esters, which were obtained from t-butyl chloride via an 8-step synthesis.

THE ASYMMETRIC SYNTHESIS OF AMINO ACIDS UNDER POLYMER-SUPPORTED PHASE TRANSFER CATALYTIC CONDITION

The optical alpha-amino acids were synthesized under room temperature by alkylation of N-(diphenyl methylene) glycine t-butyl ester under polymer-supported phase transfer conditions using polymer-supported cinchonine (or quinine) alkaloids as chiral phase transfer catalysts and dichloromethane as solvent, followed by hydrolysis of the above intermediates introduced to the final products-optical alpha-amino acids. This is a new method for the asymmetric synthesis of alpha-amino acids. The influences of catalyst, temperature, substrates, and organic solvents on the chemical yield and optical purities of products were studied.

A Facile Synthesis of N-Phosphoryl Amino Acids Containing Hydroxy Group

three kinds of N-(diisopropyloxyphosphoryl) amino acids containing hydroxyl group were prepared in high yield by using diisopropyl phosphite as the phosphorylating agent, sodium hypochlorite as the chlorinating agent and tetrabutyl ammonium bromide as the phase transfer catalyst in basic aqueous media.

ASYMMETRIC SYNTHESIS Ⅻ:HIGHLY ENANTIOSELECTIVE SYNTHESIS OF α-AMINO ACIDS BY ALKYLATION OF THE KETIMINE FROM 2-HYDROXY-PINAN-3-ONE AND MENTHYL GLYCIN-ATE A DOUBLE ASYMMETRIC INDUCTION SYSTEM

A series of α-amino acids are obtained in 72-96% optical yields by alkylation of the ketimine derived from(+)-2-hydroxy-pinan-3-one and(-)-menthyl glycinate fol- lowed by hydrolysis of the alkylated intermediates with mineral acid.The double asymmetric induction are explained by the transition model of lithium enolate.

SOLID-LIQUID PHASE TRANSFER CATALYTIC SYN THESIS Ⅸ: THE SYNTHESIS OF α-AMINO ACIDS VIA ALICYLATION OF ALDIMINE UNDER MICROWAVE IRRADIATION,

The rapid alkylation of methyl N-benzylidene glycinate with halides under microwave irradiation using solid-liquid phase transfer condition without solvent has been achieved wilhin only one minute. After hydrolysis of alkylated products the corresponding α-amino acids were obtained in overall yield 43.6～62.5%.

SYNTHESIS OF NEW ESTRONE DERIVATIVES OF AMINO ACIDS AND PEPTIDES

A series of estrone derivatives of amino acids and peptides haze been synthesized by different coupling reagents and the binding affinity of deblocked derivatives to the estrogen receptor of rats uteri have been measured by a comptetive radiometric bind- ing assay.

Dietary supplementation with branchedchain amino acids enhances milk production by lactating sows and the growth of suckling piglets

Background:Under current dietary regimens,milk production by lactating sows is insufficient to sustain the maximal growth of their piglets.As precursors of glutamate and glutamine as well as substrates and activators of protein synthesis,branched-chain amino acids(BCAAs)have great potential for enhancing milk production by sows.Methods:Thirty multiparous sows were assigned randomly into one of three groups:control(a corn-and soybean meal-based diet),the basal diet+1.535%BCAAs;and the basal diet+3.07%BCAAs.The ratio(g/g)among the supplemental L-isoleucine,L-leucine and L-valine was 1.00:2.56:1.23.Diets were made isonitrogenous by the addition of appropriate amounts of L-alanine.Lactating sows had free access to drinking water and their respective diets.The number of live-born piglets was standardized to 9 per sow at d 0 of lactation(the day of parturition).On d 3,15 and 29 of lactation,body weights and milk consumption of piglets were measured,and blood samples were obtained from sows and piglets 2 h and 1 h after feeding and nursing,respectively.Results:Feed intake did not differ among the three groups of sows.Concentrations of asparagine,glutamate,glutamine,citrulline,arginine,proline,BCAAs,and many other amino acids were greater(P<0.05)in the plasma of BCAA-supplemented sows and their piglets than those in the control group.Compared with the control,dietary supplementation with 1.535%and 3.07%BCAAs increased(P<0.05)concentrations of free and protein-bound BCAAs,glutamate plus glutamine,aspartate plus asparagine,and many other amino acids in milk;milk production by 14%and 21%,respectively;daily weight gains of piglets by 19%and 28%,respectively,while reducing preweaning mortality rates by 50%and 70%,respectively.Conclusion:Dietary supplementation with up to 3.07%BCAAs enhanced milk production by lactating sows,and the growth and survival of their piglets.

Regulation of protein degradation pathways by amino acids and insulin in skeletal muscle of neonatal pigs

Background： The rapid gain in lean mass in neonates requires greater rates of protein synthesis than degradation. We previously delineated the molecular mechanisms by which insulin and amino acids, especially leucine, modulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis and how this changes with development. In the current study, we identified mechanisms involved in protein degradation regulation. In experiment 1,6- and 26-d-old pigs were studied during 1） euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic, 2） euinsulinemic-euglycemiohyperaminoacidemic, and 3） hyperinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic clamps for 2 h. In experiment 2, 5-d-old pigs were studied during 1） euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic-euleucinemic, 2） euinsulinemic-euglycemic-hypoaminoacidemic- hyperleucinemic, and 3） euinsulinemic-euglycemic-euaminoacidemic-hyperleucinemic clamps for 24 h. We determined in muscle indices of ubiquitin-proteasome, i.e., atrogin-1 （MAFbx） and muscle RING-finger protein-1 （MuRF1） and autophagy-lysosome systems, i.e., unc51-1ike kinase 1 （UKL1）, microtubule-associated protein light chain 3 （LC3）, and lysosomal-associated membrane protein 2 （Lamp-2）. For comparison, we measured ribosomal protein 56 （rpS6） and eukaryotic initiation factor 4E （elF4E） activation, components of translation initiation. Results： Abundance of atrogin-1, but not MuRF1, was greater in 26- than 6-d-old pigs and was not affected by insulin, amino acids, or leucine. Abundance of ULK1 and LC3 was higher in younger pigs and not affected by treatment. The LC3-11/LC3-1 ratio was reduced and ULK1 phosphorylation increased by insulin, amino acids, and leucine. These responses were more profound in younger pigs. Abundance of Lamp-2 was not affected by treatment or development. Abundance of elF4E, but not rpS6, was higher in 6- than 26-d-old-pigs but unaffected by treatment. Phosphorylation of elF4E was not affected by treatment, however, insulin, amino acids, and leucine stimulated rpS6 phosphorylation, and the responses decreased with development.

Chemical Synthesis of Proteins Containing 300 Amino Acids

Chemical synthesis of proteins containing up to 300 amino acids may cover 30%—50%of all the proteins encountered in biomedical studies and may provide an alternate approach to the usually used recombinant expression teclmology,vastly expanding the chemical space of the latter.In the present review article,we tried to survey the recent progresses made for more rapid synthesis of increasingly long peptides and more efficient ligation of multiple peptide segments.The developments of seminal methods by many research groups have greatly contributed to the recent breakthroughs in the successful total synthesis of a number of functionally important proteins,such as oligoubiquitins,bacterial GroEL/ES chaperones,and mirror-image DNA polymerases.Through these studies,a potential bottleneck has also been recognized for the chemical synthesis of large proteins,namely,how to ensure that each peptide segment from a large protein avoids unfavorable aggregation when dissolved in aqueous solution.Many new methods,such as removable backbone modification(RBM)strategy have been developed to overcome this bottleneck,while more studies need to be carried out to develop more effective and less costly methods that ultimately,may lead to fully automatable chemical synthesis of customized proteins of 300 amino acids bearing any artificial designs.

A practical synthesis of trifluorophenyl R-amino acid:The key precursor for the new anti-diabetic drug sitagliptin

Sitagliptin is the first new anti-diabetic drug in DPP-Ⅳ inhibitor class. The general synthesis of sitagliptin is by coupling of the β-amino acid fragment with the heterocycle fragment. Though the specific β-amino acid can be easily made from the corresponding R-amino acid by Arndt-Eistert hornologation, the optically pure precursor R-amino acid is difficult to prepare. We herein reported a practical protocol to make the trifluorophenyl substituted R-amino acid 4 in 〉99.9% ee and 40.3% yield by the enzymatic resolution employing enantioselective hydrolysis and a general separation procedure. This protocol requires only cheap starting materials and friendly reaction condition. The procedure not only allows people to prepare the drug substance, but also provides an alternative method for prepareing the rare α-amino acid and the subsequent β-amino acid.

STUDIES ON THE SYNTHESIS AND ANTITUMOR ACTIVITY OF AMINO ACID ESTER DERIVATIVES OF BENZISOSELENAZOLONE

This paper reports a simple method for the synthesis of amino acid ester derivatives of benzisoselenazolone.Their anticancer activity is also given.

The Synthesis of Some Novel N-[α-(Isoflavone-7-O-) Acetyl]Amino Acid Derivatives

A series of novel N-[α-(isoflavone-7-O-)acetyl] amino acid methyl esters were prepared from the efficient and regioselective alkylation of isoflavones with chloroacetyl amino acid derivatives under mild condition.

Studies on the synthesis of amino acids XII.Solid-liquid phase transfer catalytic dicondensation of 1,4-diacety1-2,5-piperazinedione with aldehydes

3,6-Diarylidene-2,5-piperazinediones(2)and 3-alkylidene-6-arylidene-2,5-piperazfnediones (6)were synthesized from diacetyl-2,5-piperazinedione(1)under solid-liquid phase transfer catalytic conditions.2 could be easily convered to a-amino acid by reducing with zinc powder and hydrolyzing with concentrated hydrochloric acid.The effect of different phase transfer catalysts and reaction con- ditions were studied.

The reactive activities of natural amino acids: key principles of peptide-templated Au cluster synthesis

Coating of gold nanoclusters with peptides is an important targeting method in biomedical applications.However, their synthetic method highly influences their targeting ability. Current methods often use harsh reagents and organic solvents to control morphology, which are not preferred for biomedical applications. Recently, several peptides with specific amino acid sequences have successfully been used to reduce Au ions and synthesize biocompatible peptide-covered gold particles in situ.However, the molecular mechanism of peptide-assisted nanocluster formation is yet unclear. Thus, reactive abilities of different amino acids should be studied to improve design of peptides with predetermined amino acid content and consequently, synthesize gold nanoclusters with improved performance. In this theoretical study, we have approximated the reactive abilities of 20 natural amino acids in their neutral state using density functional theory calculations, such as Fukui indices and HOMO/LUMO composition analysis. We have found that the top reducing agents are tryptophan, histidine, and tyrosine, and thestrongest binding can be expected from methionine and cysteine. Further study of the exact reactive sites in these high reactive amino acids provided the deep insight for the peptide design route for the targeted gold nanocluster formation.

New Chiral Calixarene Derivatives: Syntheses and Their Chiral Recognition Toward Amino Acids by UV-Vis Spectroscopy

Three novel types of chiral calixarene derivatives 5, 8, and 10 were designed and synthesized by introducing chiral units to parent calixarenes. Their chiralities were confirmed by rotational analysis. Chiral recognition properties of these host compounds towards L- and D-threonine were studied by UV-Vis spectroscopy. The results indicated that calixarene derivatives 5 and 8 exhibited good chiral recognition capabilities toward L- or D-threonine. Although calixarene derivative 10 had no evident chiral recognition ability, the supramolecules of calixarene derivative 10 with L- or D-threonine showed a hypochromic effect or hyperchromic effect respectively. Therefore, calixarene derivative 10 might serve as a good chiral UV-indicator.

Enzymatic Synthesis of Dipeptide Derivatives Containing Non-coded Amino Acids in Organic Solvents

A series of dipeptide derivatives containing non-coded amino acids, N-Boc-4-X-Phe-Ala-NHNHPh (X = Cl, Br, I, NO2), were synthesized by using thermoase in organic solvents. The physical data were consistent with the same samples prepared by 3-(diethoxyphosphoryloxy)-1, 2,3-benzotriazin-4 (3H)-one (DEPBT). Influence of different substituted groups of the noncoded amino acids and different organic solvents on the enzymatic peptide synthesis was studied.

Synthesis of Diverse Oxetane Amino Acids via Visible-Light-Induced Photocatalytic Decarboxylative Giese-Type Reaction

The divergent synthesis of versatile 3,3′-disubstituted oxetane amino acids by utilizing visible-light-induced photocatalytic decarboxylative Giese-type reaction has been demonstrated.3-Methyleneoxetane-derived substrates are readily available in a single-step and highly reactive as radical acceptors,allowing the production of versatile oxetaneγ-andα-amino acids in high yields.A distinct ring strain release-driven radical addition mechanism was preliminarily revealed.The preparative power was further highlighted by the application in the synthesis of oxetane-containing dipeptides and azetidine amino acids,as well as the transformation of the product into novel oxetane-containing spiro-heterocycle pharmacophore.

Electrosynthesis of ^(15)N-labeled amino acids from ^(15)N-nitrite and ketonic acids

^(15)N isotope-labeled amino acids(^(15)N-amino acids)are crucial in the fields of biology,medicine,and chemistry.^(15)N-amino acids are conventionally synthesized through microbial fermentation and chemical reductive amination of ketonic acids methodologies,which usually require complicated procedures,high temperatures,or toxic cyanide usage,causing energy and environmental concerns.Here,we report a sustainable pathway to synthesize ^(15)N-amino acids from readily available ^(15)N-nitrite(^(15)NO_(2)-)and biomass-derived ketonic acids under ambient conditions driven by renewable electricity.A mechanistic study demonstrates a ^(15)N-nitrite→^(15)NH_(2)OH→^(15)N-pyruvate oxime→^(15)N-alanine reaction pathway for ^(15)N-alanine synthesis.Moreover,this electrochemical strategy can synthesize six ^(15)N-amino acids with 68%–95%yields.Furthermore,a ^(15)N-labeled drug of ^(15)N-tiopronin,the most commonly used hepatitis treatment drug,is fabricated using ^(15)N-glycine as the building block.Impressively,^(15)N sources can be recycled by the electrooxidation of ^(15)NH4^(+) to ^(15)NO_(2)-with a method economy.This work opens an avenue for the green synthesis of ^(15)N-labeled compounds or drugs.

Metagenomic analysis revealing the metabolic role of microbial communities in the free amino acid biosynthesis of Monascus rice vinegar during fermentation

Free amino acid(FAA)is the important component of vinegar that infl uences quality perception and consumer acceptance.FAA is one of the major metabolites produced by microorganisms;however,the microbial metabolic network on FAA biosynthesis remains unclear.Through metagenomic analysis,this work aimed to elucidate the roles of microbes in FAA biosynthesis during Monascus rice vinegar fermentation.Taxonomic profiles from functional analyses showed 14 dominant genera with high contributions to the metabolism pathways.The metabolic network for FAA biosynthesis was then constructed,and the microbial distribution in different metabolic pathways was illuminated.The results revealed that 5 functional genera were closely involved in FAA biosynthesis.This study illuminated the metabolic roles of microorganisms in FAA biosynthesis and provided crucial insights into the functional attributes of microbiota in vinegar fermentation.

Red yeast catalyzed animation of olefinic bonds and synthesis of optically pure S-amino acids

By using red yeast (Rhodotorula rubra AS 2.166) resting cells which possess the phenylalanine ammonia-lyase (PAL, EC 4.3.1.5) activity as biocataiyst, enantiomerically pure S-3-(2-chloro-phenyl) alanine (2a) and S-3-(3-hydroxyphenyl) alanine (2d) have been synthesized from the corresponding 3-aryl substituted acrylic acid (1a and 1d) and ammonia.