Quest for the chemical synthesis of proteins

The chemical synthesis of proteins has been the wish of chemists since the early 19th century. There were decisive methodological steps necessary to accomplish this aim. Cornerstones were the introduction of the Z‐protecting group of Bergmann and Zervas, the development of Solid‐phase Peptide Synthesis of Merrifield, and the establishment of Native Chemical Ligation by Kent. Chemical synthesis of proteins has now become generally applicable technique for the synthesis of proteins with tailor made properties which can be applied not only in vitro but also in vivo .Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. The chemical synthesis of biological molecules in general and of proteins in particular has been in the focus of intensive research since the urea synthesis by F. Wöhler. Decisive advances in coupling yields, inventions like solid phase peptide synthesis, native and expressed protein ligation, and purification and analytics allows now the methodologically almost unlimited design of peptides and proteins. The chemical synthesis of proteins will therefore be also a decisive tool in Synthetic Biology.
Source: Journal of Peptide Science - Category: Biochemistry Authors: Tags: Special Issue Review Source Type: research