FlICk (fluorescent isoindole crosslinking) for peptide stapling

The rigidification of peptide secondary structure via stapling is an important and enduring goal in the development of functional peptides for biochemical and pharmaceutical applications. In addition, the incorporation of fluorophores and chromophores has been a sought-after application for creating peptidic probes of cellular function and localization. The combined application of peptide stapling and fluorescent-readout is featured by the reaction of ortho-phthalaldehydes to create isoindole staples, thus transforming inactive linear and monocyclic precursors into fluorescent or visibly colored monocyclic and bicyclic products with noted biological activity. Given its user-friendliness, we have termed this approach FlICk (fluorescent isoindole crosslink) chemistry and we have featured this application on an array of high-affinity macrocyclic α-MSH derivatives as well as for late-stage intra-annular isoindole stapling furnished a bicyclic peptide mimic of α-amanitin that is cytotoxic to CHO cells. The synthetic methods for preparing substituted ortho-phthalaldehydes along with subsequent applications to FlICk stapling are detailed herein.