Improved Synthesis of the Unnatural Amino Acids AHMOD and AMD, Components of the Anticancer Peptaibol Culicinin D

Abstract

An improved second-generation synthesis of the unnatural amino acid components of the anticancer peptaibol culicinin D has been developed. With a protected glutamic acid derivate as the starting material, the process readily delivered the Fmoc-protected free acid derivatives of AHMOD ((2S)-amino-(6R)-hydroxy-(4S)-methyl-8-oxodecanoic acid) and AMD ((2S)-amino-(4S)-methyldecanoic acid) required to support solid phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) for structure-activity studies of the natural product. The same approach also provides improved access to pipecolic acid derivatives. A novel Wittig reagent for one-carbon homologation of aldehydes, developed during this work, is also reported.