N-Methyldehydroamino acids promote a configuration cis of N-methylamide bond

Abstract Dehydroamino acids with a methylated N-terminal tertiary amide bond occur in natural small cyclic peptide toxins. To investigate their conformational preferences a systematic theoretical analysis was performed on N ′-methylamides of N -acetyl- N -methyldehydroamino acids (Ac-Δ(Me)Xaa-NHMe, where Xaa = ( Z )-Abu, ( E )-Abu, Val, ( Z )-Phe, and ( E )-Phe) considering the configuration trans and cis of the tertiary amide bond. The ϕ , ψ potential energy surfaces were calculated at the B3LYP/6-31+G ∗∗ //HF/3-21G level with inclusion of the solvent (water) effect (SCRF method). The conformers localised were fully optimised at the B3LYP/6-31+G ∗∗ in vacuo. The accessible areas of the pot…