Design and synthesis of beta-peptides with biological activity

beta-Peptides have been used as a platform for developing bioactive compounds with various types of bioactivity such as antimicrobial activity, cholesterol absorption inhibition, somatostatin receptor agonist, and hDM2 inhibition. These bioactive beta-peptides have been designed based on bioactive alpha-peptides. Three main strategies have been used to design bioactive beta-peptides: direct conversion of alpha-peptide sequences into beta-peptide sequences, placement of side chains to provide desirable distribution of physicochemical properties, and the grafting of proteinaceous side chains critical for bioactivity onto beta-peptide structures. This chapter briefly discusses the various strategies employed to design bioactive beta-peptides, followed by protocols for the synthesis of N-alpha-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc)-protected beta3-amino acids from Fmoc-protected alpha-amino acids, and synthesis of beta-peptides by solid phase methods using Fmoc-based chemistry.