Chemoenzymatic synthesis of polypeptides containing the unnatural amino acid 2-aminoisobutyric acid

Polypeptides containing 2-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) units as an unnatural amino acid residue were synthesized by papain-catalyzed chemoenzymatic polymerization of a tripeptide ethyl ester L-Ala-Aib-L-Ala-OEt in an aqueous medium. The Aib-containing polypeptide adopted an alpha-helix conformation in both the solid and solution phases, which was induced by the periodic Aib residue.