Cyclic Opioid Peptide Agonists and Antagonists Obtained Via Ring‐Closing Metathesis

The opioid peptide H‐Tyr‐cD‐Cys‐Phe‐Phe‐Cys]NH₂ cyclized via a methylene dithiother is a potent and selective μ opioid agonist (Przydial M.J. et al., J Peptide Res, 66, 2005, 255). Dicarba analogues of this peptide with Tyr, 2′,6′‐dimethyltyrosine (Dmt), 3‐2,6‐dimethyl‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid (Dhp) or (2S)‐2‐methyl‐3‐(2,6‐dimethyl‐4‐hydroxyphenyl)propanoic acid (2S)‐Mdp] in the 1‐position were prepared. The peptides were synthesized on solid‐phase by substituting d ‐allylglycine and (2S)‐2‐amino‐5‐hexenoic acid in position 2 and 5, respectively, followed by ring‐closing metathesis. Mixtures of cis and trans isomers of the resulting olefinic peptides were obtained, and catalytic hydrogenation yielded the saturated –CH₂–CH₂– bridged peptides. All six Tyr¹‐ and Dmt¹‐dicarba analogues retained high μ and δ opioid agonist potency and showed only slight or no preference for μ over δ receptors. As expected, the six Dhp¹‐ and (2S)‐Mdp¹‐dicarba analogues turned out to be μ opioid antagonists but, surprisingly, displayed a range of different efficacies (agonism, partial agonism or antagonism) at the δ receptor. The obtained results indicate that the μ versus δ receptor selectivity and the efficacy at the δ receptor of these cyclic peptides depend on distinct conformational characteristics of the 15‐membered peptide ring structure, which may affect the spatial positioning of the exocyclic residue and of the Phe³ and Phe⁴ side chains.