The Synthesis of [4-Carboranylalanine, 5-Leucine]-Enkephalin (Including an Improved Preparation of t-Butoxycarbonyl-L-o-carboranylalnine, New Derivatives of L-Propargylglycine, and a Note on Melanotropic and Opiate Receptor Binding Characteristics)†

The title compound, an analogue of [Leu5]-enkephalin with L-o-carboranylalanine replacing L-phenylalanine in position 4, was prepared by fragment condensation. The analogue has a 3-fold higher affinity for rat brain opiate receptors in the [3H]naloxone competition assay than natural [Leu5]-enkephalin. Like [Leu5]-enkephalin and Na-acetyl-[Leu5]-enkephalin, the N-terminal tripeptide fragment, H · Tyr-Gly-Gly · OH, had no melanotropic activity in the Rana pipiens frog skin assay. A convenient, direct synthesis of methyl t-butoxycarbonyl-L-propargylglycinate is described, and the 13C-NMR. spectra of L-o-carboranylalanine recorded. The procedure was extended to the preparation of BOC · Car-Leu · OMe from BOC · Pra-Leu · OMe. A number of new propargylglycine derivatives are reported.