Laboratory findings demonstrate alterations in peptide conformation from C‐glycosyl amino acids, suggesting new avenues for drug discovery and catalysis.
C ‐glycosylation is a well‐established strategy for improving the pharmacokinetic properties of peptides; however, the influence of chiral C ‐glycosyl amino acid incorporation on peptide conformation remains insufficiently explored. Most existing synthetic approaches restrict C ‐glycosyl amino acid placement to the N ‐terminus, C ‐terminus, or specific residues containing pre‐installed reactive groups. Here, we present a more versatile strategy based on the design and synthesis of customized C ‐glycosyl amino acids. Four variants bearing protected galactopyranose, ribofuranose, sorbofuranose, or allofuranose side chains were synthesized and incorporated into peptides using a solid‐phase methodology, enabling substitution at diverse sequence positions. Detailed NMR analyses revealed that each C ‐glycosyl α‐amino acid promotes distinct conformational preferences, primarily stabilized by hydrogen‐bonding networks between backbone amides and carbohydrate side chains. These findings uncover conformational information encoded within four non‐canonical C ‐glycosyl α‐amino acids, offering new molecular tools for catalysis, materials development and drug discovery.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Bogović et al. (2025) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 closely related papers on similar clinical questions. Consider them for comparative context: