Chimerism: a strategy to expand the utility and applications of peptides

The modular nature of peptides can be exploited in the synthesis of chimeric sequences that combine diverse motifs in a single molecule. A theoretical consideration of the classification of peptides further expounds the multigeneric nature of peptide chimeras. Strategies for chimeric peptide syntheses include the chemical cross-linking of monomers and tandem combination by conventional SPPS. Additional details of chimeric peptide synthesis are also provided elsewhere in this volume. This chapter also explores some of the more common applications of chimeric peptides with particular emphasis on the molecular pharmacology of sequences that include address motifs for G protein-coupled receptors. Specific details of the biological properties of chimeras containing mastoparan, an amphiphilic tetradecapeptide component of wasp venom, further illustrate the novel and often unpredictable biological actions of chimeric constructs. These and numerous additional studies confirm that chimerism is an established strategy for the synthesis of molecular probes and bioactive agents.