Morten Meldal

Bio: Morten Meldal is an academic researcher from University of Copenhagen. The author has contributed to research in topics: Glycopeptide & Peptide synthesis. The author has an hindex of 52, co-authored 372 publications receiving 20394 citations. Previous affiliations of Morten Meldal include Carlsberg Laboratory & Lundbeck.

Peptidotriazoles on solid phase: [1,2,3]-triazoles by regiospecific copper(i)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of terminal alkynes to azides.

Abstract: The cycloaddition of azides to alkynes is one of the most important synthetic routes to 1H-[1,2,3]-triazoles. Here a novel regiospecific copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of terminal alkynes to azides on solid-phase is reported. Primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl azides, aryl azides, and an azido sugar were used successfully in the copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition producing diversely 1,4-substituted [1,2,3]-triazoles in peptide backbones or side chains. The reaction conditions were fully compatible with solid-phase peptide synthesis on polar supports. The copper(I) catalysis is mild and efficient (>95% conversion and purity in most cases) and furthermore, the X-ray structure of 2-azido-2-methylpropanoic acid has been solved, to yield structural information on the 1,3-dipoles entering the reaction. Novel Fmoc-protected amino azides derived from Fmoc-amino alcohols were prepared by the Mitsunobu reaction.

Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition.

Abstract: The Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of organic azides and alkynes has gained considerable attention in recent years due to the introduction in 2001 of Cu(1) catalysis by Tornoe and Meldal, leading to a major improvement in both rate and regioselectivity of the reaction, as realized independently by the Meldal and the Sharpless laboratories. The great success of the Cu(1) catalyzed reaction is rooted in the fact that it is a virtually quantitative, very robust, insensitive, general, and orthogonal ligation reaction, suitable for even biomolecular ligation and in vivo tagging or as a polymerization reaction for synthesis of long linear polymers. The triazole formed is essentially chemically inert to reactive conditions, e.g. oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis, and has an intermediate polarity with a dipolar moment of ∼5 D. The basis for the unique properties and rate enhancement for triazole formation under Cu(1) catalysis should be found in the high ∆G of the reaction in combination with the low character of polarity of the dipole of the noncatalyzed thermal reaction, which leads to a considerable activation barrier. In order to understand the reaction in detail, it therefore seems important to spend a moment to consider the structural and mechanistic aspects of the catalysis. The reaction is quite insensitive to reaction conditions as long as Cu(1) is present and may be performed in an aqueous or organic environment both in solution and on solid support.

Polymer “Clicking” by CuAAC Reactions

Abstract: The CuAAC "click" reaction has developed as one of the most useful and widely employed reactions in ligation within polymer chemistry. This is due to the unique properties of the Cu(I) catalysis which renders the reaction quantitative even at low concentrations, orthogonal with other chemistries and extremely robust. The formed triazole on the other hand is of intermediate polarity and chemically and biochemically "invisible", and the CuAAC provides the ideal "click" reaction for stitching together polymer architectures of unprecedended complexity as was it molecular LEGO. The CuAAC "clicking" in polymer chemistry is increasing exponentially and lead to highly defined polymer materials with novel properties.

Internally quenched fluorescent peptide substrates disclose the subsite preferences of human caspases 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8.

Abstract: Subsite interactions are considered to define the stringent specificity of proteases for their natural substrates. To probe this issue in the proteolytic pathways leading to apoptosis we have examined the P(4), P(1) and P(1)' subsite preferences of human caspases 1, 3, 6, 7 and 8, using internally quenched fluorescent peptide substrates containing o-aminobenzoyl (also known as anthranilic acid) and 3-nitro-tyrosine. Previous work has demonstrated the importance of the S(4) subsite in directing specificity within the caspase family. Here we demonstrate the influence of the S(1) and S(1)' subsites that flank the scissile peptide bond. The S(1) subsite, the major specificity-determining site of the caspases, demonstrates tremendous selectivity, with a 20000-fold preference for cleaving substrates containing aspartic acid over glutamic acid at this position. Thus caspases are among the most selective of known endopeptidases. We find that the caspases show an unexpected degree of discrimination in the P(1)' position, with a general preference for small amino acid residues such as alanine, glycine and serine, with glycine being the preferred substituent. Large aromatic residues are also surprisingly well-tolerated, but charged residues are prohibited. While this describes the general order of P(1)' subsite preferences within the caspase family, there are some differences in individual profiles, with caspase-3 being particularly promiscuous. Overall, the subsite preferences can be used to predict natural substrates, but in certain cases the cleavage site within a presumed natural substrate cannot be predicted by looking for the preferred peptide cleavage sites. In the latter case we conclude that second-site interactions may overcome otherwise sub-optimal cleavage sequences.

Peptidotriazoles on solid phase: [1,2,3]-triazoles by regiospecific copper(i)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloadditions of terminal alkynes to azides.

Abstract: The cycloaddition of azides to alkynes is one of the most important synthetic routes to 1H-[1,2,3]-triazoles. Here a novel regiospecific copper(I)-catalyzed 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of terminal alkynes to azides on solid-phase is reported. Primary, secondary, and tertiary alkyl azides, aryl azides, and an azido sugar were used successfully in the copper(I)-catalyzed cycloaddition producing diversely 1,4-substituted [1,2,3]-triazoles in peptide backbones or side chains. The reaction conditions were fully compatible with solid-phase peptide synthesis on polar supports. The copper(I) catalysis is mild and efficient (>95% conversion and purity in most cases) and furthermore, the X-ray structure of 2-azido-2-methylpropanoic acid has been solved, to yield structural information on the 1,3-dipoles entering the reaction. Novel Fmoc-protected amino azides derived from Fmoc-amino alcohols were prepared by the Mitsunobu reaction.

Molecular Beacons: Probes that Fluoresce upon Hybridization

Abstract: We have developed novel nucleic acid probes that recognize and report the presence of specific nucleic acids in homogeneous solutions. These probes undergo a spontaneous fluorogenic conformational change when they hybridize to their targets. Only perfectly complementary targets elicit this response, as hybridization does not occur when the target contains a mismatched nucleotide or a deletion. The probes are particularly suited for monitoring the synthesis of specific nucleic acids in real time. When used in nucleic acid amplification assays, gene detection is homogeneous and sensitive, and can be carried out in a sealed tube. When introduced into living cells, these probes should enable the origin, movement, and fate of specific mRNAs to be traced.

Cu-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition.

Abstract: The Huisgen 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition reaction of organic azides and alkynes has gained considerable attention in recent years due to the introduction in 2001 of Cu(1) catalysis by Tornoe and Meldal, leading to a major improvement in both rate and regioselectivity of the reaction, as realized independently by the Meldal and the Sharpless laboratories. The great success of the Cu(1) catalyzed reaction is rooted in the fact that it is a virtually quantitative, very robust, insensitive, general, and orthogonal ligation reaction, suitable for even biomolecular ligation and in vivo tagging or as a polymerization reaction for synthesis of long linear polymers. The triazole formed is essentially chemically inert to reactive conditions, e.g. oxidation, reduction, and hydrolysis, and has an intermediate polarity with a dipolar moment of ∼5 D. The basis for the unique properties and rate enhancement for triazole formation under Cu(1) catalysis should be found in the high ∆G of the reaction in combination with the low character of polarity of the dipole of the noncatalyzed thermal reaction, which leads to a considerable activation barrier. In order to understand the reaction in detail, it therefore seems important to spend a moment to consider the structural and mechanistic aspects of the catalysis. The reaction is quite insensitive to reaction conditions as long as Cu(1) is present and may be performed in an aqueous or organic environment both in solution and on solid support.