Abbreviated nomenclature for cyclic and branched homo‐ and hetero‐detic peptides

Abstract

Abstract: Amino acid sequences and linear or head‐to‐tail cyclopeptides can be represented conveniently in one‐line text formulae using the three‐letter symbols. However, other – but nonetheless important – topologies of peptides are ‘side chain‐to‐head (or tail)’, ‘backbone‐to‐backbone’, ‘side chain‐to‐side chain’ cyclopeptides, ‘side chain‐to‐side chain’ connected peptide strands, and branched peptides (like peptide dendrimers). In general, such structures cannot be described using the three‐letter symbols in one‐line text: a chemical structure editor is required for symbolic representations according to the IUPAC‐IUBMB recommendations. The aim of this contribution is to offer an unambiguous and general nomenclature system that enables researchers to represent all cyclic and branched homo‐ and hetero‐detic peptides in a coherent manner in one‐line text – as long as their as constituents can be represented in (three)‐letter codes. The application of this new nomenclature would overcome the existing difficulties and provide a way to express complex situations in the shortest way in order to highlight more clearly the salient points in a given scientific communication.