Fully symmetrical functionalization of multivalent scaffold molecules on solid support

A multivalent HIV-1 fusion inhibitor based on small helical foldamers

The peptide sequence AcNH-TEG-Glu-Aib-Trp-AibAib-Trp-AibAib-Ile-Asp-OH (1), designed to display the WWI epitope found near the C-terminus of gp41, an envelope glycoprotein decorating the surface of the HIV-1 virus, has been synthesized and proved to have a relevant content of helical conformation because of the presence of five α-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) units. Three copies of it have been connected to a tripodal platform based on 2,4,6-triethylbenzene-1,3,5-trimethylamine. The tripodal template 2 is even more structured than 1 thus suggesting a significant interaction between the three sequences connected to the platform. Preliminary inhibition assays of HIV-mediated cell fusion indicated that while the single peptide 1 is inactive within the concentration range of our assay, when it is conjugated to the tripodal platform, it is moderately active. These promising results suggest that our approach constitute a valid alternative to those reported so far.

3,5,7-Tripropyl-1-aza-adamantane-4,6,10-triol

The title compound, C₁₈H₃₃NO₃, was prepared according to a highly diastereoselective hydrogenation procedure from 3,5,7-triallyl-1-aza­adamantane-4,6,10-trione. The crystal structure of the title compound contains two crystallographically independent mol­ecules (Z′ = 2), which are linked by inter­molecular hydrogen bonding into chains. In contrast to the aza­adamantanones, the aza­adamantanetriol core of the title compound does not show any particular C—C bond elongation.