Passive Membrane Permeability of Macrocycles Can Be Controlled by Exocyclic Amide Bonds

We have developed a strategy for synthesizing passively permeable peptidomimetic macrocycles. The cyclization chemistry centers on using aziridine aldehydes in a multicomponent reaction with peptides and isocyanides. The linker region in the resulting product contains an exocyclic amide positioned α to the peptide backbone, an arrangement that is not found among natural amino acids. This amide provides structural rigidity within the cyclic peptidomimetic and promotes the creation of a stabilizing intramolecular hydrogen bonding network. This exocyclic control element also contributes to the increased membrane permeability exhibited by multicomponent-derived macrocycles with respect to their homodetic counterparts. The exocyclic control element is employed along with a strategic placement of N-methyl and d-amino acids to produce passively permeable peptides, which contain multiple polar residues. This strategy should be applicable in the pursuit of synthesizing therapeutically relevant macrocycles.