Tidbits for the synthesis of bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amido (SEA) polystyrene resin, SEA peptides and peptide thioesters

Abstract

Protein total chemical synthesis enables the atom-by-atom control of the protein structure and therefore has a great potential for studying protein function. Native chemical ligation of C-terminal peptide thioesters with N-terminal cysteinyl peptides and related methodologies are central to the field of protein total synthesis. Consequently, methods enabling the facile synthesis of peptide thioesters using Fmoc-SPPS are of great value. Herein, we provide a detailed protocol for the preparation of bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amino polystyrene resin as a starting point for the synthesis of C-terminal bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amido peptides and of peptide thioesters derived from 3-mercaptopropionic acid.

Keywords: Fmoc‐SPPS; bis(2‐sulfanylethyl)amido (SEA); thioester; thiol exchange.