Cyclic Peptides from Graspetide Biosynthesis and Native Chemical Ligation

J Am Chem Soc. 2024 May 1;146(17):11605-11609. doi: 10.1021/jacs.4c02745. Epub 2024 Apr 18.

Abstract

The ribosomally synthesized and post-translationally modified peptide (RiPP) superfamily of natural products includes many examples of cyclic peptides with diverse macrocyclization chemistries. The graspetides, one family of macrocyclized RiPPs, harbor side chain-side chain ester or amide linkages. We recently reported the structure and biosynthesis of the graspetide pre-fuscimiditide, a 22-amino-acid (aa) peptide with two ester cross-links forming a stem-loop structure. These cross-links are introduced by a single graspetide synthetase, the ATP-grasp enzyme ThfB. Here we show that ThfB can also catalyze the formation of amide or thioester cross-links in prefuscimiditide, with thioester formation being especially efficient. We further show that upon proteolysis to reveal an N-terminal cysteine residue, the thioester-linked peptide rapidly and quantitatively rearranges via native chemical ligation into an isopeptide-bonded head-to-tail cyclic peptide. The solution structure of this rearranged peptide was determined by using 2D NMR spectroscopy experiments. Our methodology offers a straightforward recombinant route to head-to-tail cyclic peptides.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Peptides, Cyclic* / biosynthesis
  • Peptides, Cyclic* / chemistry
  • Peptides, Cyclic* / metabolism

Substances

  • Peptides, Cyclic