Native chemical ligation (NCL) combined with desulfurization chemistry has revolutionized the way in which large polypeptides and proteins are accessed by chemical synthesis. Herein, we outline the use of flow chemistry for the ligation-based assembly of polypeptides. We also describe the development of a novel photodesulfurization transformation that, when coupled with flow NCL, enables efficient […]
Herein we report our synthetic studies toward the skyllamycins, a highly-modified class of non-ribosomal peptide natural products, which contain a number of interesting structural features, including the extremely rare α-OH-glycine residue. Before embarking on the synthesis of the natural products, we prepared four structurally simpler analogues. Access to both the analogues and the natural products […]
The issue is the second in an international series focussed on conveying the highlights of peptide science research in countries with an active community working in the area. Here six reviews and eight primary research articles showcase the latest peptide science research carried out by scientists working in Australia. Read the full issue here
The anophelins are small protein thrombin inhibitors that are produced in the salivary glands of the Anopheles mosquito to fulfill a vital role in blood feeding. A bioinformatic analysis of anophelin sequences revealed the presence of conserved tyrosine residues in an acidic environment that were predicted to be post-translationally sulfated in vivo. To test this […]
The growing interest in proteins, both in fundamental research and in drug discovery, has fuelled demand for efficient synthetic methods to access these biomolecules. Although solid-phase synthesis serves as the workhorse for accessing peptides up to 50 amino acids in length, ligation technologies have underpinned protein synthesis. Native chemical ligation (NCL) represents the most widely […]
Meristems contain groups of indeterminate stem cells, which are maintained by a feedback loop between CLAVATA (CLV) and WUSCHEL (WUS) signaling. CLV signaling involves the secretion of the CLV3 peptide and its perception by a number of Leucine-Rich-Repeat (LRR) receptors, including the receptor-like kinase CLV1 and the receptor-like protein CLV2 coupled with the CORYNE (CRN) […]
The Na+,K+-ATPase, which is present in the plasma membrane of all animal cells, plays a crucial role in maintaining the Na+ and K+ electrochemical potential gradients across the membrane. Recent studies have suggested that the N-terminus of the protein’s catalytic α-subunit is involved in an electrostatic interaction with the surrounding membrane, which controls the protein’s […]
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Bioactive Molecules Australasia
This issue is comprised of a collection of 18 research articles from authors across Australasia (Australia and New Zealand) a region that has a long and celebrated history of research excellence in the areas of bioactive molecule discovery and synthesis. The research presented in these articles showcases some of the cutting edge research in Australasia in the broad areas of […]
The development of a rapid and chemoselective selenocystine–selenoester peptide ligation that operates at nanomolar reactant concentrations has been developed by utilising PNA templation. Kinetic analysis of the templated peptide ligation revealed that the selenocystine–selenoester reaction was 10 times faster than traditional native chemical ligation at cysteine and to our knowledge is the fastest templated […]
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Total Synthesis of Ecumicin
The first total synthesis of the potent anti-mycobacterial cyclic depsipeptide natural product ecumicin is described. Synthesis was achieved via a solid-phase strategy, incorporating the synthetic non-proteinogenic amino acids N-methyl-4-methoxy-l-tryptophan and threo-β-hydroxy-l-phenylalanine into the growing linear peptide chain. The synthesis employed key on-resin esterification and dimethylation steps as well as a final macrolactamization between the unusual […]
Payne Research Group 