Aza-cycloisodityrosine analogue of RA-VII, an antitumor bicyclic hexapeptide.

An aza-cycloisodityrosine analogue of RA-VII, 3, was designed and synthesized. The key aza-cycloisodityrosine unit was prepared by copper(II)-acetate-mediated intramolecular phenylamine/arylboronic acid coupling of dipeptide followed by connection with the tetrapeptide segment to afford a hexapeptide. Subsequent macrocyclization of the hexapeptide with EDC · HCl and HOOBt under dilute conditions gave 3.