Synthesis of diastereoisomeric peptides incorporating cycloglutamic acids. Substrate specificity of vitamin K-dependent carboxylation.
Tripeptides Boc-X-Glu-Val where X is alpha-methyl glutamic acid or various cyclic analogues of glutamic acid, such as 1-amino-1,3-dicarboxycyclohexane (cis or trans-CHGA) or -cyclopentane (cis or trans-CPGA) have been synthesized. Methods for the selective protection, activation, and coupling of such unnatural amino acids are described. The peptides, which are potential competitive inhibitors of the vitamin K-dependent carboxylation, have been preliminarily tested with the rat liver microsomal carboxylase and found to be effective substrates of the carboxylation reaction.