Synthesis of tetrapeptide Bz-RGDS-NH2 by a combination of chemical and enzymatic methods

Papain-Catalyzed Synthesis of Polyglutamate Containing a Nylon Monomer Unit

Peptides have the potential to serve as an alternative for petroleum-based polymers to support a sustainable society. However, they lack thermoplasticity, owing to their strong intermolecular interactions. In contrast, nylon is famous for its thermoplasticity and chemical resistance. Here, we synthesized peptides containing a nylon unit to modify their thermal properties by using papain-catalyzed chemoenzymatic polymerization. We used l-glutamic acid alkyl ester as the amino acid monomer and nylon 1, 3, 4, and 6 alkyl esters as the nylon unit. Papain catalyzed the copolymerization of glutamic acid with nylon 3, 4, and 6 alkyl esters, whereas the nylon 1 unit could not be copolymerized. Other proteases used in this study, namely, bromelain, proteinase K, and Candida antarctica lipase (CALB), were not able to copolymerize with any nylon units. The broad substrate specificity of papain enabled the copolymerization of l-glutamic acid with a nylon unit. The peptides with nylon units demonstrated different thermal profiles from that of oligo(l-glutamic acid). Therefore, the resultant peptides with various nylon units are expected to form fewer intermolecular hydrogen bonds, thus altering their thermal properties. This finding is expected to broaden the applications of peptide materials and chemoenzymatic polymerization.

Recent advances in chemoenzymatic peptide syntheses

Chemoenzymatic peptide synthesis is the hydrolase-catalyzed stereoselective formation of peptide bonds. It is a clean and mild procedure, unlike conventional chemical synthesis, which involves complicated and laborious protection-deprotection procedures and harsh reaction conditions. The chemoenzymatic approach has been utilized for several decades because determining the optimal conditions for conventional synthesis is often time-consuming. The synthesis of poly- and oligopeptides comprising various amino acids longer than a dipeptide continues to pose a challenge owing to the lack of knowledge about enzymatic mechanisms and owing to difficulty in optimizing the pH, temperature, and other reaction conditions. These drawbacks limit the applications of the chemoenzymatic approach. Recently, a variety of enzymes and substrates produced using recombinant techniques, substrate mimetics, and optimal reaction conditions (e.g., frozen aqueous media and ionic liquids) have broadened the scope of chemoenzymatic peptide syntheses. In this review, we highlight the recent advances in the chemoenzymatic syntheses of various peptides and their use in developing new materials and biomedical applications.