Glycyl dehydropeptides of leucine, valine, and isoleucine.

Glycyl dehydropeptides of alanine, phenylalanine, norvaline, norleucine, and or-aminobutyric acid, and N-acetyl dehydropeptides of these amino acids, tyrosine, valine, and leucine have been prepared (l-3). Although the glycyl dehydropeptides were found to be hydrolyzed by tissue extracts, the only enzymatically susceptible N-acetyl dehydropeptide was that of alanine (1). In an effort to acquire further information concerning the metabolism and biological r81e of dehydropeptides, it seemed of importance to attempt the synthesis of glycyl dehydropeptides of other naturally occurring amino acids. In the present report the synthesis and some properties of glycyldehydrovaline, glycyldehydroleucine, and glycyldehydroisoleucine are described.