Author: Alessandro Contini

Publisher: Frontiers Media SA

Published: 2019-09-26

Total Pages: 145

ISBN-13: 2889630455

Folded peptides - and peptide motifs within proteins - are abundant in living organisms, where they are essential for the biological activities of the peptides and proteins. During the past decades, much research has been dedicated to understanding the rules that govern peptide folding. Simultaneously, a range of strategies have been established for the conformational stabilization of bioactive peptides, as well as for the de novo design of peptides with defined secondary structures. These methods are either based on the chemical modification of the peptide backbone, such as cyclization and stapled peptides, or on the use of a range of non-proteinogenic amino acids that, in a defined sequential arrangement, induce secondary structures peptides. Such building blocks include D- and other non-proteinogenic amino acids, as well as beta- and gamma-amino acids. This Research Topic comprises a collection of papers by an international group of 77 scientists with a background in synthetic, analytical, computational and medicinal chemistry, as well as in biochemistry and pharmacology. Their research is presented here in a total of 11 papers (8 original research reports and 3 reviews), covering diverse aspects of folded synthetic peptides. These studies include the preparation and characterization of new peptide monomers with interesting folding properties, the synthesis and conformational analysis of non-natural peptides, as well as the use of folded peptidomimetics as molecular switches. Additionally, a range of biomedical applications, such as antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antiangiogenic and immune-stimulating activities, are also reported. We hope this eBook will be a source of inspiration and knowledge for scientist in various disciplines related to folded peptides and their many applications, as well as for those who want to learn more about this fascinating field of research.