The Synthesis of Some Peptides Related to the Active Site of Enzymes

Abstract
The sequences, α-aspartyl-L-serylglycine and α-glutamyl-L-serylglycine, appear in the “active site” of many esteratic enzymes. The free tripeptides were synthesized in this study. In order to avoid difficulties encountered in more conventional synthetic routes, N-carbobenzoxy-L-aspartyl (β-benzyl ester)-O-benzyl-L-serylglycine dibenzyl ester and N-carbobenzoxy-L-glutamyl (γ-benzyl ester)-O-benzyl-L-serylglycine dibenzyl ester were synthesized. These protected peptides were converted to the free tripeptides upon hydrogenolysis, which removed all of the four protecting groups simultaneously. Several derivatives of these tripeptides were also synthesized.