Design, synthesis, and incorporation of a β-turn mimetic in angiotensin II forming novel pseudopeptides with affinity for AT1 and AT2 receptors

A benzodiazepine-based beta-turn mimetic has been designed, synthesized, and incorporated into angiotensin II. Comparison of the mimetic with beta-turns in crystallized proteins showed that it most closely resembles a type II beta-turn. The compounds exhibited high to moderate binding affinity for the AT(2) receptor, and one also displayed high affinity for the AT(1) receptor. Molecular modeling showed that the high-affinity compounds could be incorporated into a previously derived model of AT(2) receptor ligands.