The synthesis and biological activity of a novel cyclic beta-sheet-type antimicrobial dehydropeptide based on gramicidin S (GS) is described. The GS analogue, containing two (Z)-(beta-3-pyridyl)-alpha,beta-dehydroalanine (DeltaZ3Pal) residues at the 4 and 4' positions (2), was synthesized by solution-phase methodologies using Boc-Leu-DeltaZ3Pal azlactone. Analogue 2 exhibited high antimicrobial activity against Gram-positive bacteria and had much lower hemolytic activity than wild-type GS and the corresponding (Z)-alpha,beta-dehydrophenylalanine (DeltaZPhe) analogue (1).

A protected tridehydropeptide containing (Z)-beta-(3-pyridyl)-alpha,beta-dehydroalanine (Delta(Z)3Pal) residue, Boc-Leu-Delta(Z)3Pal-Leu-OMe (1), was synthesized via Erlenmeyer azlactone method. X-ray crystallographic analysis revealed that the peptide 1 adopts an extended conformation, which is similar to that of a Delta(Z)Phe analog, Boc-Leu-Delta(Z)Phe-Leu-OMe (2).

The synthesis, biological activities and membrane permeability of gramicidin S (GS) analogs containing (Z)-(b-3-pyridyl)-a,b-dehydroalanine (D Z 3Pal) residues are described. The cationic side chains of the Orn and D Z 3Pal 4,4 0 residues in [D Z 3Pal 4,4 0 ]GS (1) are important for dissociating antimicrobial and hemolytic activity.