Triazination/IEDDA Cascade Modular Strategy Installing Pyridines/Pyrimidines onto Tyrosine Enables Peptide Screening and Optimization.

Abstract

Modular chemical postmodification of peptides is a promising strategy that supports the optimization and innovation of hit peptide therapeutics by enabling rapid derivatization. However, current methods are primarily limited to traditional bio-orthogonal strategies and chemical ligation techniques, which require the preintroduction of non-natural amino acids and impose fixed methods that limit peptide diversity. Here, we developed the Tyrosine-1,2,3-Triazine Ligation (YTL) strategy, which constructs novel linkages (pyridine and pyrimidine) through a "one-pot, two-step" process combining S_NAr and IEDDA reactions, promoting modular post modification of Tyr-containing peptides. After optimizing the YTL strategy and establishing standard procedures, we successfully applied it to the solid-phase postmodification of various biorelated peptides, such as the synthesis of dual-mode imaging probes and long-acting GLP-1 analogs. As a proof of concept, a library of 384 amphipathic peptides was constructed using YTL based on 96-well microfiltration plates. Modular modifications were then performed on the screened template tripeptide RYR, leading to the generation of 20 derivatives. The antibacterial activity of these derivatives was systematically characterized, identifying Z8 as a potential antibacterial candidate.