An insulin analogue that embodies two distinct structural modifications, each of which independently increases insulin activity, has been synthesized and evaluated for biological activity. The analogue, des-(B26-B30)-[AspB10, insulin is the most potent insulin analogue yet described; it displays an 11-to 13-fold higher activity than natural insulin. The rmdings are discussed with regard to the receptor-binding domains of insulin.In a recent publication, we described the synthesis of [AspBlolinsulin, an analogue of human insulin that displays a potency ca. 4-5 times greater than that of insulin (1). This finding in conjunction with previous studies carried out in our laboratory involving modifications of insulin at the B10 position (2)(3)(4) (20), was prepared by oxidative sulfitolysis of porcine insulin and separation of the resulting S-sulfonated A and B chains by column chromatography (21). The S-sulfonated doubly substituted des-(B26-B30) B chain was assembled by stepwise solid-phase synthesis (22, 23) by using 4-methylbenzhydrylamine resin as the solid support (0.5 mmol of amine per g; 1 g). The t-butoxycarbonyl group was used for N" protection except for the N-terminal phenylalanine residue, which was protected by the benzyloxycarbonyl group. Side-chain protecting groups were as follows: benzyl for serine, 2,6-dichlorobenzyl for tyrosine, NG-p-toluenesulfonyl for arginine, cyclohexyl for glutamic and aspartic acids, benzyloxymethyl for histidine, and 4-methylbenzyl for cysteine. A manual double-coupling protocol was followed (24) with activated protected amino acids (1-hydroxybenzotriazole/ dicyclohexylcarbodiimide in dimethylformamide) in 3-fold excess. The completion of the reaction was monitored by the qualitative ninhydrin test (25) and was negative after each double coupling.After the chain was assembled, the peptide-resin was washed extensively with methylene chloride and methanol and dried: weight, 3.0 g. A portion of this product (700 mg) was deprotected by the low/high hydrogen fluoride procedure (26).In the first step the peptide-resin was treated with a mixture consisting of p-cresol (1 ml), dimethyl sulfide (6.5 ml), and liquid hydrogen fluoride (2.5 ml). After 2 hr at 0°C, the mixture was concentrated under reduced pressure, and the residue was treated with liquid hydrogen fluoride (10 ml) for 1 hr at 0°C. The hydrogen fluoride was then removed, and the residue was triturated with ethyl acetate and petroleum ether. To a suspension ofthis product in 8 M guanidine hydrochloride (20 ml) buffered with 0.1 M Tris HCl (pH 8.8) were added sodium sulfite (700 mg) and sodium tetrathionate (500 mg). After 3 hr at room temperature, the reaction mixture was filtered to remove the resin, and the filtrate was placed in Spectra/por membrane tubing no. 3 and dialyzed against four changes of Abbreviation: 1251-insulin, 125I-labeled insulin.