Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 16, 2026

Production and Testing of Antimicrobial Peptides and Their Mimics
Published on: April 10, 2026
Metallacyclopeptides: artificial analogues of naturally occurring peptides
Markus Albrecht1, Patrick Stortz
1Institut für Organische Chemie, RWTH-Aachen, D-52074 Aachen, Germany. markus.albrecht@oc.rwth-aachen.de
Abstract:
Naturally occurring metalloproteins contain metal ions either to introduce a special reactivity or to stabilize a peptide structure. Since the early 1990s, chemists have been trying to use metal coordination for the fixation of short artificial peptides in well-defined cyclic structures. In this tutorial review a survey of the general approaches towards metallacyclopeptides as small cyclic peptide derivatives or as a part of a bigger alpha-helix (or beta-sheet) structure is given. In three case studies it is shown how naturally occurring compounds can be mimicked by metal coordination to non-natural peptide derivatives.
Related Concept Videos
Glucagon-like Receptor Agonists
GLP-1, when administered in high doses intravenously, triggers insulin secretion, inhibits glucagon release, slows gastric emptying, reduces food intake, and restores normal insulin secretion. However, its rapid inactivation by the...
Peptidoglycan Synthesis
Peptide Bonds
Insulin: Biosynthesis, Chemistry, and Preparation
Damage or functional impairment of β-cells inhibits insulin production, leading to diabetes. Diabetes treatment primarily uses...

