Identification of Sequence Selective Receptors for Peptides with a Carboxylic Acid Terminus

Split-and-mix libraries of resin-bound "tweezer" receptors have been prepared and screened to identify receptors for dye-labelled tripeptides. The receptors incorporate a diamidopyridine unit to serve as a specific recognition site for the CO2H group, leading to strong and selective receptors for peptide guests with a CO2H terminus. The role of the dye-label, attached to the peptide guest to allow visualisation of selective recognition events in the screening experiments, has also been examined and was found to have a significant influence on the binding selectivities.