The tridecapeptide Phe-Lys-Leu-Gly-Gly-Arg-Asp-Ser-Arg-Ser-Gly-Ser-Pro- OH,
and its methyl ester derivative at the carboxyl terminal, -Pro-OMe,�were
synthesized by the solution-phase method. The synthesis was accomplished by
fragment condensation of a tetrapeptide, Boc-Phe- Lys(N8-Cbz)-Leu-Gly-OH,
and a nonapeptide, H-Gly-Arg(NO2)-Asp(OBzl)- Ser(OBzl)-Arg(NO2)-Ser(OBzl)-Gly-Ser(OBzl)-Pro-OR (R = Me or Bzl), in the presence of dicyclohexylcarbodiimide and
benzo-triazol-1-ol, to give the protected tridecapeptide. This compound, when
OR = OBzl, was hydrogenated at room temperature, with
Pd/C as catalyst, followed by treatment with boron tristrifluoro-acetate to
remove all the protecting groups. When OR = OMe, the
final product was the methyl ester of the tridecapeptide. The mixed anhydride
method (REMA) was followed in the synthesis of the intermediates. 13C
n.m.r. spectra of the tridecapeptide and of the peptide intermediates are
discussed.