Selective Derivatization of N-Terminal Cysteines Using Cyclopentenediones

Conditions and Mechanism of Formation of the Maillard Reaction Pigment, Furpenthiazinate, in a Model System and in Some Acid Hydrolyzates of Foods and its Biological Properties

Furpenthiazinate is a yellow pigment formed by the Maillard reaction between cysteine and furfural under strongly acidic conditions. Here, we describe the conditions and mechanism of pigment formation in a model system and in an acid hydrolyzate of food and analyze its biological properties. A reaction solution containing 32 mM cysteine and 128 mM furfural or 64 mM cysteine and 256 mM furfural in the presence of 2-6 M hydrochloric acid that was heated to 110 °C for 1-2 h yielded approximately 3 mM furpenthiazinate. Nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of furpenthiazinate prepared using 1-13C or 5-13C d-ribose suggests that it was formed through the condensation of cysteine and two C5 chains derived from pentose with the dehydration and elimination of formic acid. Furpenthiazinate was detected in mieki, a seasoning, and some acid hydrolyzates of food, and it did not show antibacterial or mutagenic activity.

Computational Study of the Addition of Methanethiol to 40+ Michael Acceptors as a Model for the Bioconjugation of Cysteines

A long series of Michael acceptors are studied computationally as potential alternatives to the maleimides that are used in most antibody-drug conjugates to link Cys of mAbs with cytotoxic drugs. The products of the reaction of methanethiol (CH3SH/MeSH, as a simple model of Cys) with N-methylated ethynesulfonamide, 2-ethynylpyridinium ion, propynamide, and methyl ethynephosphonamidate (that is, with HC≡C-EWG) are predicted by the M06-2X/6-311+G(d,p) method to be thermodynamically more stable, in relation to their precursors, than that of MeSH with N-methylmaleimide and, in general, with H2C═CH-EWG; calculations with AcCysOMe and tBuSH are also included. However, for the addition of the anion (MeS-), which is the reactive species, the order changes and N-methylated 2-vinylpyridinium ion, 2,3-butadienamide, and maleimide may give more easily the anionic adducts than several activated triple bonds; moreover, the calculated ΔG⧧ values increase following the order HC≡C-SO2NHMe, N-methylmaleimide, HC≡C-PO(OMe)NHMe, and HC≡C-CONHMe. In other words, MeS- is predicted to react more rapidly with maleimides than with ethynephosphonamidates and with propynamides, in agreement with the experimental results. New mechanistic details are disclosed regarding the advantageous use of some amides, especially of ethynesulfonamides, which, however, are more prone to double additions and exchange reactions.

Enantioselective Total Synthesis of Mollebenzylanol A

Mollebenzylanol A is a tyrosine phosphatase 1B inhibitor isolated from the leaves of Rhododendron molle in 2018 that has a highly functionalized structure. The first enantioselective total synthesis of mollebenzylanol A was achieved in 13 steps from a known chiral starting material. An efficient and practical synthetic scheme was disclosed in a stereocontrolled manner, including stereo/regioselective epoxidation, Eschenmoser-Claisen rearrangement, and stereocontrolled dihydroxylation.

Compatibility between the cysteine-cyclopentenedione reaction and the copper(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition

The cysteine-cyclopentenedione reaction can be combined with the copper(i)-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition provided that the former is carried out first. If not, the azide and the cyclopentenedione undergo a 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition, which furnishes triazole-containing compounds and products resulting from nitrogen loss. Both of these products were fully characterized. Attempts to obtain either of them as the main compound or to drive the reaction nearly to completion were unsuccessful, which points to the azide-cyclopentenedione reaction as not being useful for bioconjugation.

Novel Maillard Pigment, Furpenthiazinate, Having Furan and Cyclopentathiazine Rings Formed by Acid Hydrolysis of Protein in the Presence of Xylose or by Reaction between Cysteine and Furfural under Strongly Acidic Conditions

A novel Maillard pigment having partial structures of furan and cyclopentathiazine, named furpenthiazinate, was isolated and identified. Although this pigment was found in an acid hydrolysate of a Maillard reaction solution between soy protein and xylose, the same pigment was also formed by the Maillard reaction under strongly acidic conditions between soy protein and xylose and cysteine and furfural. The structure of its reduced form by NaBH₄ was determined by MS, NMR, and X-ray analysis and identified as 7-(2-furanyl)-2,3,4,4a,5,6-hexahydrocyclopenta[ b][1,4]thiazin-4-ium-3-carboxylate, indicating that the chemical structure of furpenthiazinate is 7-(2-furanyl)-2,3,5,6-tetrahydrocyclopenta[ b][1,4]thiazine-3-carboxylic acid. Furpenthiazinate showed an absorption maximum at 400 nm and strong yellow color under acidic and neutral conditions. The color contribution of furpenthiazinate was estimated to be more than 60% in a reaction solution prepared from cysteine and furfural.

Simultaneous Cyclization and Derivatization of Peptides Using Cyclopentenediones

Unprotected linear peptides containing N-terminal cysteines and another cysteine residue can be simultaneously cyclized and derivatized using 2,2-disubstituted cyclopentenediones. High yields of cyclic peptide conjugates may be obtained in short reaction times using only a slight excess of the cyclopentenedione moiety under TEMPO catalysis and in the presence of LiCl.

Pyridinium 5-aminothiazoles: specific photophysical properties and vapochromism in halogenated solvents

Pyridinium-5-aminothiazoles exhibited bathochromically shifted absorption and fluorescence spectra, solvatochromism, and a reversible vapochromism specific to halogenated solvents.