Constrained derivatives of stylostatin 1. 1. Synthesis and biological evaluation as potential anticancer agents.

Hydroxyaminolactams have been used as constrained surrogates of the Ser-Leu dipeptide in the synthesis of analogues of the cycloheptapeptide stylostatin 1 (2). The rate of cyclization through formation of the Ile-Pro amide bond allowed us to prove that the valerolactams used induced a turn in the linear precursor. Ring closure at the Pro-Phe amide bond was much quicker and provided access to larger amounts of the target structures, with high purity. The conformation of psi-stylostatin 4 was compared to that of native stylostatin 1 using NMR analysis. The ability of three psi-stylostatins and the native stylostatin 1 to inhibit growth of cancer cell lines was tested. None of the compounds showed activity below 1 microM. A possible relationship between the decrease in activity and the presence of the piperidone Ser-Leu surrogate is considered.