An alternative approach to the synthesis of peptides containing a cystathionine bridge

A new method for the synthesis of cystathionine containing cyclic peptides has been developed. Conventionally such systems are typically made with relatively late-stage on-resin cyclisation involving reaction between a chlorohomoalanine and cysteine residue. We offer a different approach involving early incorporation of a cystathionine residue through on-resin reaction between a cysteine residue and an N-Alloc iodohomoalanine cumyl ester. Subsequent cyclisation then involves amide bond formation. The success of this method was demonstrated by applying it to the synthesis of a cystathionine analogue of the disulfide bridge cyclic peptide, N-acetylated cyclic peptide c[CVDINNNC]-NH2, a biologically active iNOS binding epitope mimetic that binds tightly to the protein, SPSB2. Our method expands the repertoire of synthetic options towards the construction of cystathionine containing cyclic peptides.