Ribosomal Incorporation of Lithocholic Acid into Peptides for the De Novo Discovery Of Peptide-Lithocholic Acid Hybrid Macrocyclic Peptides

Peptide–bile acid hybrids offer promising drug candidates due to enhanced pharmacological properties, such as improved protease resistance and oral bioavailability. However, it remains unknown whether bile acids can be incorporated into peptide chains by the ribosome to produce a peptide–bile acid hybrid macrocyclic peptide library for target-based de novo screening. In this study, we achieved the ribosomal incorporation of lithocholic acid (LCA)–d-tyrosine into peptide chains. This led to the construction of a peptide–LCA hybrid macrocyclic peptide library, which enabled the identification of peptides TP-2C-4L3 (targeting Trop2) and EP-2C-4L5 (targeting EphA2) with strong binding affinities. Notably, LCA was found to directly participate in binding to EphA2 and confer on the peptides improved stability and resistance to proteases. Cell staining experiments confirmed the high specificity of the peptides for targeting Trop2 and EphA2. This study highlights the benefits of LCA in peptides and paves the way for de novo discovery of stable peptide–LCA hybrid drugs.