Tetrazole peptides as copper(II) ion chelators

The 1,5-disubstituted tetrazole ring a mimetic of the cis-amide bond is an unique element modifying the ability of peptides to chelate copper(II) ions. The position of the tetrazole ring system in the peptide backbone plays a critical role in the stabilization of the metallopeptide molecule. The insertion of a tetrazole between amide groups leads to enhancing the stability of the complex and to obtaining a very effective peptide chelating agent. These findings can provide important information for modeling biologically relevant peptide–metal binding sites. Some aspects of biological activity of tetrazole modified exogenous opioid peptides in the presence of copper(II) ions are also presented in this review.

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► 1,5-Disubstituted tetrazole ring as a mimetic of the cis-amide bond is an unique element modifying chelating abilities of peptides towards copper(II) ions.
► The position of the tetrazole ring system in the peptide backbone plays a critical role in the metallopeptide molecule stabilization.
► The insertion of the tetrazole between amide groups leads to enhancing the complex stability and to a very effective peptide chelating agent.
► These findings can provide important information for modeling biologically relevant peptide–metal binding sites.