Late‐stage Tyrosine <i>ortho</i> ‐C(sp <sup>2</sup> )‐H Alkenylation for Macrocyclic Peptide SuFEx Proximity Labeling and Targeted Degradation

Cyclic peptides hold great promise in drug discovery due to their conformational stability, proteolytic resistance, and ability to disrupt protein-protein interactions (PPIs). However, their therapeutic potential is often constrained by reversible binding, while covalent labeling strategies such as Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) have largely been limited to linear scaffolds. Here, we report a late-stage Pd(II)-catalyzed ortho-C(sp<sup>2</sup>)-H alkenylation of tyrosine that achieves directing-group-free late-stage peptide macrocyclization. This strategy preserves the phenolic side chain, which can subsequently be converted into an arylfluorosulfate for SuFEx-driven covalent labeling. The dual functionality of tyrosine thus enables the construction of macrocyclic scaffolds with enhanced conformational rigidity, intrinsic fluorescence, and covalent reactivity. As proof of concept, we synthesized a cyclic GnRH analogue (c-leuprolide) that exhibits superior antiproliferative activity compared with its linear counterpart. We further developed a covalent cyclic peptide-lysosome targeting chimera (CCP-TAC) that selectively degrades PD-L1, remodels the tumor immune microenvironment, and exhibits favorable biosafety in vivo. Together, these findings establish tyrosine-directed C─H functionalization as a versatile platform for multifunctional cyclic peptides, bridging synthetic methodology with therapeutic application and advancing peptide stapling, covalent labeling, and degrader technologies.

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Publication Details

Journal
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Published
2025-12-26
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/anie.202524685
Citations
1
Primary Topic
Click Chemistry and Applications
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.94

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article

Late‐stage Tyrosine ortho ‐C(sp 2 )‐H Alkenylation for Macrocyclic Peptide SuFEx Proximity Labeling and Targeted Degradation

Qing Zhu, X. H. Liu, Wuyan Xie, Peng Wang et al.
1 citations
Angewandte Chemie International Edition
Click Chemistry and Applications
0.94
article

Late‐stage Tyrosine ortho ‐C(sp 2 )‐H Alkenylation for Macrocyclic Peptide SuFEx Proximity Labeling and Targeted Degradation

Qing Zhu, X. H. Liu, Wuyan Xie, Peng Wang, Kai Wang, Xiuxiu Yang, Shuailong Yin, Haohui Li
article en
1 citations

Abstract

Cyclic peptides hold great promise in drug discovery due to their conformational stability, proteolytic resistance, and ability to disrupt protein-protein interactions (PPIs). However, their therapeutic potential is often constrained by reversible binding, while covalent labeling strategies such as Sulfur(VI) Fluoride Exchange (SuFEx) have largely been limited to linear scaffolds. Here, we report a late-stage Pd(II)-catalyzed ortho-C(sp<sup>2</sup>)-H alkenylation of tyrosine that achieves directing-group-free late-stage peptide macrocyclization. This strategy preserves the phenolic side chain, which can subsequently be converted into an arylfluorosulfate for SuFEx-driven covalent labeling. The dual functionality of tyrosine thus enables the construction of macrocyclic scaffolds with enhanced conformational rigidity, intrinsic fluorescence, and covalent reactivity. As proof of concept, we synthesized a cyclic GnRH analogue (c-leuprolide) that exhibits superior antiproliferative activity compared with its linear counterpart. We further developed a covalent cyclic peptide-lysosome targeting chimera (CCP-TAC) that selectively degrades PD-L1, remodels the tumor immune microenvironment, and exhibits favorable biosafety in vivo. Together, these findings establish tyrosine-directed C─H functionalization as a versatile platform for multifunctional cyclic peptides, bridging synthetic methodology with therapeutic application and advancing peptide stapling, covalent labeling, and degrader technologies.

Angewandte Chemie International EditionVol. 65(6)
Zhejiang University of Technology (CN)
National Natural Science Foundation of China, Zhejiang University, Zhejiang University of Technology
Openalex Percentile: Top 19%
Click Chemistry and Applications
0.94
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