Synthesis of aspartic acid derivatives useful for the preparation of misacylated transfer RNAs

Several derivatives of aspartic acid were protected on Nα as their NVOC derivatives, and on the side chain carboxylates as nitroveratryl esters. Following activation as the cyanomethyl esters, these fully protected aspartate derivatives were converted to the respective pdCpA esters. The protected aspartyl-pdCpA esters were then utilized as substrates for T4 RNA ligase in the presence of in vitro transcripts of tRNA lacking the pCpA dinucleotide normally found at the 3'-end. In this fashion, several misacylated tRNAs were prepared; following photolytic deprotection, these were employed successfully for incorporation into proteins at predetermined positions.