Studies on the syntheses of β-carboline alkaloids brevicarine and brevicolline

• Benedek Batizi,
• Patrik Pollák,
• András Dancsó,
• Péter Keglevich,
• Gyula Simig,
• Balázs Volk and
• Mátyás Milen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 955–963, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.79

• silico for non-peptide malignant brain tumor (MBT) antagonist activity, showing hits on three MBT-containing proteins [35]. Although Carex brevicollis DC has been observed to have a teratogenic effect on animals [1][36], which could be linked with the presence of the two mentioned β-carboline alkaloids

Dicarboxylate recognition based on ultracycle hosts through cooperative hydrogen bonding and anion–π interactions

• Wen-Hui Mi,
• Teng-Yu Huang,
• Xu-Dong Wang,
• Yu-Fei Ao,
• Qi-Qiang Wang and
• De-Xian Wang

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 884–889, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.72

• metabolism [3][4]; cyclic peptides play critical roles in plant or bacterial defenses and as well as animal hormone signaling [5][6]; cyclic proteins exhibit diverse therapeutic functions [7]; and cyclic nucleotides are essential for molecular cloning and hold potential for disease treatment [8]. In contrast

Substituent effects in N-acetylated phenylazopyrazole photoswitches

• Radek Tovtik,
• Dennis Marzin,
• Pia Weigel,
• Stefano Crespi and
• Nadja A. Simeth

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 830–838, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.66

• -art technologies ranging from energy-storage materials [6][7] to pharmacology [8][9][10][11], materials chemistry [12][13], control of peptides structure [14][15] or proteins [16], as antibacterial agents [17][18], smart coating [19], or multivalent photoresponsive systems [20][21], to name only a few

Synthesis of HBC fluorophores with an electrophilic handle for covalent attachment to Pepper RNA

• Raphael Bereiter and
• Ronald Micura

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 727–735, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.56

• fluorescent protein (GFP), has revolutionized genetics by providing highly accurate real-time detection of fusion proteins in vitro and in vivo [1]. Pioneering work on GFP-tagged proteins for real-time monitoring of gene expression was first reported by Chalfie and co-workers in 1994 [2]. For a long time

Origami with small molecules: exploiting the C–F bond as a conformational tool

• Patrick Ryan,
• Ramsha Iftikhar and
• Luke Hunter

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 680–716, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.54

• ubiquitous molecules in biology. Their functions permeate every aspect of life, including as essential components of oligonucleotide structure; as principal players in metabolism and energy storage; as motifs for the post-translational modification of proteins; and as partners in myriad supramolecular

Asymmetric synthesis of fluorinated derivatives of aromatic and γ-branched amino acids via a chiral Ni(II) complex

• Maurizio Iannuzzi,
• Thomas Hohmann,
• Michael Dyrks,
• Kilian Haoues,
• Katarzyna Salamon-Krokosz and
• Beate Koksch

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 659–669, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.52

• modify a series of peptide and protein-related properties such as stability, specificity, and folding. In this regard, fluorinated amino acids are particularly important. Incorporation of fluorinated groups into the sequence of peptides and proteins can, for instance, regulate the respective

Photocatalyzed elaboration of antibody-based bioconjugates

• Marine Le Stum,
• Eugénie Romero and
• Gary A. Molander

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 616–629, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.49

• proteins. By harnessing light to drive chemical transformations, photoredox techniques can facilitate the synthesis of antibody bioconjugates. This perspective will discuss the drive to develop and empower photoredox methods applied to antibody functionalization. Keywords: antibodies; bioconjugation

• functionalized nature of polypeptides/proteins demands exquisite selectivity to target specific sites on the macromolecule of interest. In addition to the requisite features of the chemical methods outlined above, there are key requirements for synthetic methods used in ADCs, which include high site-selectivity

• covalent bioconjugation. Effective bioconjugation has been dramatically facilitated by the development of robust bioorthogonal reactions, which has revolutionized the field of chemical biology [17]. A bioorthogonal reactive group can be introduced into proteins via direct chemical coupling on specific

Binding of tryptophan and tryptophan-containing peptides in water by a glucose naphtho crown ether

• Gianpaolo Gallo and
• Bartosz Lewandowski

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 541–546, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.42

• Gianpaolo Gallo Bartosz Lewandowski Laboratory of Organic Chemistry, ETH Zürich, Vladimir-Prelog-Weg 3, 8093 Zürich, Switzerland 10.3762/bjoc.21.42 Abstract Tryptophan fulfills a plethora of important functions in nature both in its free form and as a component of peptides and proteins. Selective

• receptors; molecular recognition; monosaccharides; tryptophan; Introduction Tryptophan plays a crucial role in a variety of biological processes [1][2]. For example, it is critical for electron transfer in proteins [3] and is a key component of several membrane proteins as well as short antimicrobial

• towards ʟ-Trp over its ᴅ-enantiomer (entries 1 and 6, Table 1). Since tryptophan fulfills many of its biological functions as a component of peptides and proteins [2][3][4][5], we also probed, if 1 can recognize tryptophan residues within peptide sequences. For this purpose, we prepared six model

Beyond symmetric self-assembly and effective molarity: unlocking functional enzyme mimics with robust organic cages

• Keith G. Andrews

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 421–443, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.30

• ] contributed by the amide links in proteins seems to be well-reproduced in our amide-linked cages. In summary, the ability to reliably and predictably access stable, soluble, low-symmetry cages, with tuneable functional group projections and tailorable flexibility, and all by dynamic covalent self-assembly

The effect of neighbouring group participation and possible long range remote group participation in O-glycosylation

• Rituparna Das and
• Balaram Mukhopadhyay

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 369–406, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.27

• significantly spurred the scientific curiosity of researchers over the past few decades [1]. Intensive studies revealed that this subtle code of cell surface glycans is extensively responsible for monitoring a plethora of diverse biological phenomena like post-translational modification of proteins [2][3

• , usually proteins or lipids by the process of glycosylation producing glycoproteins or glycolipids, respectively. Nature executes these processes by enzymatic pathways [18] and is often flawless in its desired output. But the scarcity and the cumbersome purification of natural enzymes limit the use of

Synthesis, characterization, antimicrobial, cytotoxic and carbonic anhydrase inhibition activities of multifunctional pyrazolo-1,2-benzothiazine acetamides

• Ayesha Saeed,
• Shahana Ehsan,
• Muhammad Zia-ur-Rehman,
• Erin M. Marshall,
• Sandra Loesgen,
• Abdus Saleem,
• Simone Giovannuzzi and
• Claudiu T. Supuran

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 348–357, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.25

• moiety was beneficial to optimize therapeutic activity of different analogs with lesser adverse effects [32]. Amide linkages are a common drug feature that comprises about 25% of the most prescribed and vended medication [33]. Mimicking biologically relevant structural features of proteins and enzymes

Antibiofilm and cytotoxic metabolites from the entomopathogenic fungus Samsoniella aurantia

• Rita Toshe,
• Syeda J. Khalid,
• Blondelle Matio Kemkuignou,
• Esteban Charria-Girón,
• Paul Eckhardt,
• Birthe Sandargo,
• Kunlapat Nuchthien,
• J. Jennifer Luangsa-ard,
• Till Opatz,
• Hedda Schrey,
• Sherif S. Ebada and
• Marc Stadler

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 327–339, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.23

• Information File 1), it is likely that the activity of farinosones D (1) and A (2) does not interfere with the factors essential for fibronectin binding, particularly the fibronectin-binding proteins such as fibronectin binding protein (FnBPA and B) [18]. FnBPs are adhesions and are known to play a key role

Heteroannulations of cyanoacetamide-based MCR scaffolds utilizing formamide

• Marios Zingiridis,
• Danae Papachristodoulou,
• Despoina Menegaki,
• Konstantinos G. Froudas and
• Constantinos G. Neochoritis

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 217–225, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.13

• be established as a C1 feedstock. [25]. Its high polarity and dielectric constant (it is miscible with water) [26], with the ability to solubilize a wide range of reagents, from salts to polymers, proteins and saccharides, renders formamide an excellent C1 building block [25][27]. Thus, our target

Chemical glycobiology

• Elisa Fadda,
• Rachel Hevey,
• Benjamin Schumann and
• Ulrika Westerlind

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2025, 21, 8–9, doi:10.3762/bjoc.21.2

• certainly by choice, but also by necessity. It is difficult to convey to non-glycoscientists how we still struggle with challenges that have been solved years or decades ago for proteins and nucleic acids. When molecular cloning and recombinant protein production became routine, these technologies were not

Synthesis of extended fluorinated tripeptides based on the tetrahydropyridazine scaffold

• Thierry Milcent,
• Pascal Retailleau,
• Benoit Crousse and
• Sandrine Ongeri

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3174–3181, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.262

• ; Introduction The synthesis of molecules capable of mimicking the various secondary structures and key functions of proteins is a major challenge in medicinal chemistry, especially in the fields of protein–protein interactions [1][2]. Accordingly, the incorporation of heterocyclic amino acids into peptides

Multicomponent reactions driving the discovery and optimization of agents targeting central nervous system pathologies

• Lucía Campos-Prieto,
• Aitor García-Rey,
• Eddy Sotelo and
• Ana Mallo-Abreu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3151–3173, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.261

• biomolecules like DNA and lipids. Lipid peroxidation and membrane disruption can cause random cross-linking, resulting in cell death and the fragmentation of proteins and enzymes. Elevated concentrations of reactive oxygen species (ROS) from various molecular processes contribute to the oxidation of proteins

Chemical structure metagenomics of microbial natural products: surveying nonribosomal peptides and beyond

• Thomas Ma and
• John Chu

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3050–3060, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.253

• product biosynthesis, along with all the information an organism needs, are encoded in its genome. Genetic information is transcribed and translated into proteins that carry out chemical reactions that sustain life, which include both primary metabolism and the biosynthesis of natural products. Direct

• protein sequencing by Edman degradation used to be standard practice in studying proteins but nowadays is rarely performed [39]. This is because the rules of transcription and translation are understood well enough for the sequence of a protein (its primary structure) to be predicted based on the

Tailored charge-neutral self-assembled L₂Zn₂ container for taming oxalate

• David Ocklenburg and
• David Van Craen

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 3007–3015, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.250

• ; metallocontainer; oxalate; Introduction Dicarboxylic acids and their corresponding anions are essential intermediates in the biosynthesis of proteins and important biological metabolites [1][2]. As a result, the development of receptors for this class of compounds is of high interest [3][4][5]. Oxalate, the

Recent advances in transition-metal-free arylation reactions involving hypervalent iodine salts

• Ritu Mamgain,
• Kokila Sakthivel and
• Fateh V. Singh

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2891–2920, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.243

• with thiophene favored the formation of phenylated products as the major outcome. Additionally, mercaptoazoles were found to be compatible with this protocol, expanding its applicability to include these compounds. The functionalization of peptides and proteins plays a vital role in the development of

• functional entities. In 2021, Byrne et al. published an impressive report detailing a novel protocol for the chemoselective late-stage variation of proteins and peptides at cysteine residues 91 and 94 in an aqueous buffer in the presence of suitably functionalized diaryliodonium salts 92 and 95 (Scheme 38

• high conversions (83–93%) in 1–20 hours. Purification by HPLC yielded the isolated oxime conjugates in excellent amounts. This methodology presents a promising approach for the late-stage variation of proteins and peptides, offering versatility and efficiency in aqueous environments. In addition to

N-Glycosides of indigo, indirubin, and isoindigo: blue, red, and yellow sugars and their cancerostatic activity

• Peter Langer

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2840–2869, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.240

• viability and in induction of apoptosis [50]. The presence of this compound results in downregulation of the caspase antagonistic proteins c-FLIP and XIAP via caspase-8 and caspase-3 in the (extrinsic) apoptosis cascade. Similarly as discussed above for the activity of 3-alkylideneoxindole-N-glycosides

A review of recent advances in electrochemical and photoelectrochemical late-stage functionalization classified by anodic oxidation, cathodic reduction, and paired electrolysis

• Nian Li,
• Ruzal Sitdikov,
• Ajit Prabhakar Kale,
• Joost Steverlynck,
• Bo Li and
• Magnus Rueping

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2500–2566, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.214

• )–H functionalization C–N coupling reaction by developing an electrochemical method for the bioconjugation of tyrosine in proteins/polypeptides with phenothiazine residues, achieving excellent site- and chemoselectivity (Scheme 4a). This method was inspired by an earlier work from the Gouin group

Tandem diazotization/cyclization approach for the synthesis of a fused 1,2,3-triazinone-furazan/furoxan heterocyclic system

• Yuri A. Sidunets,
• Valeriya G. Melekhina and
• Leonid L. Fershtat

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2342–2348, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.200

• products and pharmacologically active molecules. For example, nucleic acids, proteins and enzymes, hormones and vitamins, essential for the functioning of a living organism, also contain nitrogen frameworks [1][2]. Besides that, nitrogen-containing compounds are widely used in medicine as antibiotics

Improved deconvolution of natural products’ protein targets using diagnostic ions from chemical proteomics linkers

• Andreas Wiest and
• Pavel Kielkowski

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2323–2341, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.199

• Andreas Wiest Pavel Kielkowski LMU Munich, Department of Chemistry, Butenandtstr. 5-13, 81377 Munich, Germany 10.3762/bjoc.20.199 Abstract Identification of interactions between proteins and natural products or similar active small molecules is crucial for understanding of their mechanism of

• action on a molecular level. To search elusive, often labile, and low-abundant conjugates between proteins and active compounds, chemical proteomics introduces a feasible strategy that allows to enrich and detect these conjugates. Recent advances in mass spectrometry techniques and search algorithms

• identification rates and may help to identify otherwise difficult to find interactions between active compounds and proteins, which may result from unperturbed conditions, and thus are of high physiological relevance. Keywords: chemical proteomics; diagnostic ions; mass spectrometry; target identification

Cell-free protein synthesis with technical additives – expanding the parameter space of in vitro gene expression

• Tabea Bartsch,
• Stephan Lütz and
• Katrin Rosenthal

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2242–2253, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.192

• osmolarity using ten different technical additives including organic solvents, polymers, and salts. It is shown that the synthesis of two model proteins, namely superfolder GFP (sfGFP) and the enzyme truncated human cyclic GMP-AMP synthase fused to sfGFP (thscGAS-sfGFP), is very robust against most of the

• biocatalysts [1][2]. The open environment allows easy manipulation of the protein synthesis [3] and coupling to subsequent enzyme activity assays, e.g., for substrate screening [4][5]. The CFPS system is advantageous for proteins that are difficult to express in a viable host cell, e.g., due to toxic effects

• of the intracellular environment on the function and cellular behavior of proteins are composition, viscosity, and macromolecular crowding [16], these parameters could have a strong impact on the protein synthesis performance using CFPS. For example, the addition of chemical chaperones, such as

Computational toolbox for the analysis of protein–glycan interactions

• Ferran Nieto-Fabregat,
• Maria Pia Lenza,
• Angela Marseglia,
• Cristina Di Carluccio,
• Antonio Molinaro,
• Alba Silipo and
• Roberta Marchetti

Beilstein J. Org. Chem. 2024, 20, 2084–2107, doi:10.3762/bjoc.20.180

• , both in free state and in complex with proteins, also with reference to the principles, methodologies, and applications of all-atom molecular dynamics simulations. Herein, we focused on the programs that are generally employed for preparing protein and glycan input files to execute molecular dynamics

• , proteins, and nucleic acids. In humans and animals, they form the so-called glycocalyx, a protecting sugar coat decorating the cell surface and modulating a myriad of cell–cell interactions [1]. It is composed of branched or elongated glycan chains covalently linked to proteins or lipids, hereby

• interaction with host proteins [5][6]. Notably, the complexity of the glycome far surpasses that of the genome, transcriptome, and proteome, not only due to the structural and conformational diversity of glycans, whose synthesis is not template driven, but also due to their dynamic nature [5][6]. Although