Cyclic peptides inherently possess advantages in inhibiting protein-protein interactions (PPIs). However, those constructed using traditional disulfide bonds are susceptible to cleavage by disulfide isomerase or reducing environments, leading to diminished biological activity. To address this challenge, our study employed novel hydrophilic diamino acids with enhanced electronegativity to construct cyclic peptides, effectively resolving issues related to stability and aqueous solubility, thereby overcoming the limitations associated with disulfide bond-based cyclic peptides. Furthermore, we applied this diamino acid strategy to the APC-Asef PPI peptide inhibitor MAI-516. Compared to cyclic peptides constructed using traditional disulfide bonds, those generated using the diamino acid strategy exhibited enhanced aqueous solubility, stability, and inhibitory activity. This study provides an application example for the modification of novel hydrophilic diamino acids in peptide cyclization and offers an effective strategy for the development of therapeutic agents for metastatic colorectal cancer.

Herein, we describe the identification, chemical optimization, and preclinical characterization of novel soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC) stimulators. Given the very broad therapeutic opportunities for sGC stimulators, new tailored molecules for distinct indications with specific pharmacokinetics, tissue distribution, and physicochemical properties will be required in the future. Here, we report the ultrahigh-throughput (uHTS)-based discovery of a new class of sGC stimulators from an imidazo[1,2-a]pyridine lead series. Through the extensive and staggered optimization of the initial screening hit, liabilities such as potency, metabolic stability, permeation, and solubility could be substantially improved in parallel. These efforts resulted ultimately in the discovery of the new sGC stimulators 22 and 28. It turned out that BAY 1165747 (BAY-747, 28) could be an ideal treatment alternative for patients with hypertension, especially those not responding to standard anti-hypertensive therapy (resistant hypertension). BAY-747 (28) demonstrated sustained hemodynamic effects up to 24 h in phase 1 studies.

Chemical synthesis of insulin superfamily proteins (ISPs) has recently been widely studied to develop next-generation drugs. Separate synthesis of multiple peptide fragments and tedious chain-to-chain folding are usually encountered in these studies, limiting accessibility to ISP derivatives. Here we report the finding that insulin superfamily proteins (e.g. H2 relaxin, insulin itself, and H3 relaxin) incorporating a pre-made diaminodiacid bridge at A-B chain terminal disulfide can be easily and rapidly synthesized by a single-shot automated solid-phase synthesis and expedient one-step folding. Our new H2 relaxin analogues exhibit almost identical structures and activities when compared to their natural counterparts. This new synthetic strategy will expediate production of new ISP analogues for pharmaceutical studies.

Semaphorin-3A (Sema-3A) is a chemorepellant protein with various biological functions, including kidney development. It interacts with a protein complex consisting of the receptors neuropilin-1 (NRP-1) and plexin-A1. After acute kidney injury, Sema-3A is overexpressed and secreted, leading to a loss of kidney function. The development of peptide inhibitors is a promising approach to modulate the interaction of Sema-3A with its receptor NRP-1. Few interaction points between these binding partners are known. However, an immunoglobulin-like domain-derived peptide of Sema-3A has shown a positive effect on cell proliferation. To specify these interactions between the peptide inhibitor and the Sema-3A-NRP-1 system, the peptides were modified with the photoactivatable amino acids 4-benzoyl-l-phenylalanine or photo-l-leucine by solid-phase peptide synthesis. Activity was tested by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent-based binding assay, and crosslinking experiments were analyzed by Western blot and mass spectrometry, demonstrating a specific binding site of the peptide at Sema-3A. The observed signals for Sema-3A-peptide interaction were found in a defined area of the Sema domain, which was also demonstrated to be involved in NRP-1 binding. The presented data identified the interaction site for further development of therapeutic peptides to treat acute kidney injury by blocking the Sema-3A-NRP-1 interaction.

Stapled peptides are regarded as the promising next-generation therapeutics because of their improved secondary structure, membrane permeability and metabolic stability as compared with the prototype linear peptides. Usually, stapled peptides are obtained by a hydrocarbon stapling technique, anchoring from paired olefin-terminated unnatural amino acids and the consequent ring-closing metathesis (RCM). To investigate the adaptability of the rigid cyclobutane structure in RCM and expand the chemical diversity of hydrocarbon peptide stapling, we herein described the rational design and efficient synthesis of cyclobutane-based conformationally constrained amino acids, termed (E)-1-amino-3-(but-3-en-1-yl)cyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (E7) and (Z)-1-amino-3-(but-3-en-1-yl)cyclobutane-1-carboxylic acid (Z7). All four combinations including E7-E7, E7-Z7, Z7-Z7 and Z7-E7 were proven to be applicable in RCM-mediated peptide stapling to afford the corresponding geometry-specific stapled peptides. With the aid of the combined quantum and molecular mechanics, the E7-E7 combination was proven to be optimal in both the RCM reaction and helical stabilization. With the spike protein of SARS-CoV-2 as the target, a series of cyclobutane-bearing stapled peptides were obtained. Among them, E7-E7 geometry-specific stapled peptides indeed exhibit higher α-helicity and thus stronger biological activity than canonical hydrocarbon stapled peptides. We believe that this methodology possesses great potential to expand the scope of the existing peptide stapling strategy. These cyclobutane-bearing restricted anchoring residues served as effective supplements for the existing olefin-terminated unnatural amino acids and the resultant geometry-specific hydrocarbon peptide stapling provided more potential for peptide therapeutics.

The peptide hormone adrenomedullin (ADM) consists of 52 amino acids with a disulfide bond and an amidated C-terminus. Due to the vasodilatory and cardioprotective effects, the agonistic activity of the peptide on the adrenomedullin 1 receptor (AM(1)R) is of high pharmacological interest. However, the wild-type peptide shows low metabolic stability leading to rapid degradation in the cardiovascular system. Previous work by our group has identified proteolytic cleavage sites and demonstrated stabilization of ADM by lipidation, cyclization, and N-methylation. Nevertheless, these ADM analogs showed reduced activity and subtype selectivity toward the closely related calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor (CGRPR). Here, we report on the rational development of ADM derivatives with increased proteolytic stability and high receptor selectivity. Stabilizing motifs, including lactamization and lipidation, were evaluated regarding AM(1)R and CGRPR activation. Furthermore, the central DKDK motif of the peptide was replaced by oligoethylene glycol linkers. The modified peptides were synthesized by Fmoc/t-Bu solid-phase peptide synthesis and receptor activation of AM(1)R and CGRPR was measured by cAMP reporter gene assay. Peptide stability was tested in human blood plasma and porcine liver homogenate and analyzed by RP-HPLC and MALDI-ToF mass spectrometry. Combination of the favorable lactam, lipidation, ethylene glycol linker, and previously described disulfide mimetic resulted in highly stabilized analogs with a plasma half-life of more than 144 h. The compounds display excellent AM(1)R activity and wild-type-like selectivity toward CGRPR. Additionally, dose-dependent vasodilatory effects of the ADM derivatives lasted for several hours in rodents. Thus, we successfully developed an ADM analog with long-term in vivo activity.

We report a new diaminodiacid containing an ethylene glycol bridge for the synthesis of disulfide surrogate peptides.

Disulfide-rich proteins are useful as drugs or tool molecules in biomedical studies, but their synthesis is complicated by the difficulties associated with their folding. Here, we describe a removable glycosylation modification (RGM) strategy that expedites the chemical synthesis of correctly folded proteins with multiple or even interchain disulfide bonds. Our strategy comprises the introduction of simple O-linked β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) groups at the Ser/Thr sites that effectively improve the folding of disulfide-rich proteins by stabilization of their folding intermediates. After folding, the O-GlcNAc groups can be efficiently removed using O-GlcNAcase (OGA) to afford the correctly folded proteins. Using this strategy, we completed the synthesis of correctly folded hepcidin, an iron-regulating hormone bearing four pairs of disulfide-bonds, and the first total synthesis of correctly folded interleukin-5 (IL-5), a 26 kDa homodimer cytokine responsible for eosinophil growth and differentiation.

Semaphorin‐3A (Sema‐3A) is a chemorepellant protein with various biological functions, including kidney development. It interacts with a protein complex consisting of the receptors neuropilin‐1 (NRP‐1) and plexin‐A1. After acute kidney injury, Sema‐3A is overexpressed and secreted, leading to a loss of kidney function. The development of peptide inhibitors is a promising approach to modulate the interaction of Sema‐3A with its receptor NRP‐1. Few interaction points between these binding partners are known. However, an immunoglobulin‐like domain‐derived peptide of Sema‐3A has shown a positive effect on cell proliferation. To specify these interactions between the peptide inhibitor and the Sema‐3A–NRP‐1 system, the peptides were modified with the photoactivatable amino acids 4‐benzoyl‐l‐phenylalanine or photo‐l‐leucine by solid‐phase peptide synthesis. Activity was tested by an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent‐based binding assay, and crosslinking experiments were analyzed by Western blot and mass spectrometry, demonstrating a specific binding site of the peptide at Sema‐3A. The observed signals for Sema‐3A‐peptide interaction were found in a defined area of the Sema domain, which was also demonstrated to be involved in NRP‐1 binding. The presented data identified the interaction site for further development of therapeutic peptides to treat acute kidney injury by blocking the Sema‐3A–NRP‐1 interaction.

Main observation and conclusion The synthesis of an Asp lactam derivative of A-183, a selective inhibitor of Factor 7a with good anticoagulant and antithrombotic activity, is described. Our synthesis depends on the use of a removable backbone modification (RBM) strategy to prevent aspartimide formation, which thwarted all attempts to synthesize this target using direct solid-phase peptide synthesis. Validation of the RBM strategy in the synthesis of a second Asp lactam derivative was also accomplished. The RBM strategy is therefore proposed as a general method for the synthesis of Asp lactam cyclic peptides.

Although utilization of fluorine compounds has a long history, synthesis of chiral fluorinated amino acid derivatives with structural diversity and high stereoselectivity is still very appealing and challenging. Here, we report a biomimetic study of enantioselective [1,3]-proton shift of β,β-difluoro-α-imine amides catalyzed by chiral quinine derivatives. A wide range of corresponding β,β-difluoro-α-amino amides were achieved in good yields with high enantioselectivities. The optically pure β,β-difluoro-α-amino acid derivatives were further obtained, which have high application values in the synthesis of fluoro peptides, fluoro amino alcohols and other valuable fluorine-containing molecules.

Lactam cyclic peptides are a class of interesting and pharmaceutically active molecules, but their previous syntheses have required the use of heavy metals and/or forcing conditions. Here, we describe the efficient application of the previously reported tert-butyl disulfide-protected amino acids and their use in the efficient, solid-phase synthesis of a series of lactam cyclic peptides under mild, metal-free conditions.

DNA-encoded libraries (DEL) are increasingly being used to identify new starting points for medicinal chemistry in drug discovery. Herein, we discuss the development of methods that allow the conversion of both primary amines and anilines, attached to DNA, to their corresponding azides in excellent yields. The scope of these diazo-transfer reactions was investigated, and a proof-of-concept has been devised to allow for the synthesis of macrocycles on DNA.

The replacement of disulfide bridges with metabolically stable isosteres is a promising strategy to improve the stability of disulfide-rich polypeptides towards reducing agents and isomerases. A diaminodiacid-based strategy is one of the most effective methods to construct disulfide bond mimics, but modified diaminodiacids have not been developed till now. Inspired by the fact that alkylation of disulfide bonds can regulate the activity of polypeptides, herein, we report the first example of thioether bridged diaminodiacids incorporating Cys Cβ dimethyl modification, obtained by penicillamine (Pen)-based thiol alkylation. The utility of these new diaminodiacids was demonstrated by the synthesis of disulfide surrogates of oxytocin containing a short-span disulfide bond and of KIIIA with large-span disulfide bonds. This new type of synthetic bridge further extends the diaminodiacid toolbox to facilitate the study of the structure-activity relationship of disulfide-rich peptides.

The synthesis and herbicidal efficacy of a novel library of fully substituted 3-hydroxypyrazoles is reported. An efficient, divergent approach to introduce phenyl, phenoxy, phenylsulfanyl, anilino and benzyl substituents in the 4-position of the pyrazole, alongside a flexible synthesis of N1-alkyl analogues is described via final step diversification of key intermediates. Herbicidal screening of the prepared compounds against key weed species identified the lead compound 2-[4-(2,4-difluorophenoxy)-1,5-dimethyl-pyrazol-3-yl]oxy-5-fluoropyrimidine, which was prepared on a multi-gram scale using an optimised synthetic route.

Herein, we report the development of a facile synthetic strategy for constructing diverse peptide structural architectures via chemoselective peptide ligation. The key advancement involved is to utilize the benzofuran moiety as the peptide salicylaldehyde ester surrogate, and Dap-Ser/Lys-Ser dipeptide as the hydroxyl amino functionality, which could be successfully introduced at the side chain of peptides enabling peptide ligation. With this method, the side chain-to-side chain cyclic peptide, branched/bridged peptides, tailed cyclic peptides and multi-cyclic peptides have been designed and successfully synthesized with native peptidic linkages at the ligation sites. This strategy has provided an alternative strategic opportunity for synthetic peptide development. It also serves as an inspiration for the structural design of PPI inhibitors with new modalities.

Disrupting the interaction between HIF1α and p300 is a promising strategy to modulate the hypoxia response of tumor cells. Herein, we designed a constrained peptide inhibitor derived from the CITED2/p300 complex to disturb the HIF1α/p300 interaction. Through truncation/mutation screening and a terminal aspartic acid-stabilized strategy, a constrained peptide was constructed with outstanding biochemical/biophysical properties, especially in binding affinity, cell penetration, and serum stability. To date, our study was the first one to showcase that stabilized peptides derived from CITED2 using helix-stabilizing methods acted as a promising candidate for modulating hypoxia-inducible signaling.

The significant improvement in the binding affinity of the stapled peptide to the PSD-95 GK domain is mostly contributed by the reduction in the entropy penalty of the stapled peptide due to the restriction in the α-helical structure by stapling in the free state.

Disulfide bond-containing peptides are useful molecular scaffolds with diagnostic and therapeutic applications due to their good biological activity and good target selectivity, but their utility is sometimes limited by the lability of the disulfide moiety under reducing conditions and in the presence of disulfide bond isomerase. The development of disulfide surrogates with improved redox stability has been an area of ongoing research; and one possible strategy is based on a diaminodiacid (DADA) moiety, which can be used to synthesize the disulfide bond replacement peptides with precise structures and enhanced stability through automated solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS). This review summarizes recent developments in the DADA-based SPPS of peptide disulfide surrogates. Some representative applications and structural studies on the DADA-based disulfide surrogates are described.

The use of synthetic bridges as surrogates for disulfide bonds has emerged as a practical strategy to obviate the poor stability of some disulfide-containing peptides. However, peptides incorporating large-span synthetic bridges are still beyond the reach of existing methods. Herein, we report a native chemical ligation (NCL)-assisted diaminodiacid (DADA) strategy that enables the robust generation of disulfide surrogate peptides incorporating surrogate bridges up to 50 amino acids in length. This strategy provides access to some highly desirable but otherwise impossible-to-obtain disulfide surrogates of bioactive peptide. The bioactivities and structures of the synthetic disulfide surrogates were verified by voltage clamp assays, NMR, and X-ray crystallography; and stability studies established that the disulfide replacements effectively overcame the problems of disulfide reduction and scrambling that often plague these pharmacologically important peptides.