Solid-phase synthesis of peptides via α, β-unsaturated amino acids: Oxytocin,simultaneous incorporation of amide functions in COOH-terminal and endo-positions

Oxytocin was synthesized via the solid-phase method using dehydroalanine as pseudo-protecting group of the carboxyl-terminal as well as the ω-amide functions of asparagine and glutamine in endo-position. Starting with Boc-Gly-Dha-resin and using Boc-L-Asp(Dha-NHEt)-OH and Boc-L-Glu(Dha-NHEt)-OH as precursors of asparagine and glutamine, respectively, oxytocin was assembled in stepwise manner under solid phase synthesis conditions. Treatment of the protected [Glu(Dha-NHEt)⁴, Asp(Dha-NHEt)⁵]-oxytocin-Dha-resin with 1 N HCl in glacial acetic acid in the presence of 3 equiv. water removed the peptide from the support with the simultaneous formation of the asparagine and glutamine residues to give the protected nonapeptide amide: Cbz-Cys(Bzl)-Tyr(Bzl)-He-Gln-Asn-Cys(Bzl)-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH₂, which was deprotected with sodium in liquid ammonia and then oxidized with diiodoethane to give oxytocin. After purification by gel chromatography and countercurrent distribution, the product displayed the chemical and physical properties and oxytocic activity (533 ± 30 IU/mg) of a standard oxytocin preparation.