Stability of cyclic beta-hairpins: asymmetric contributions from side chains of a hydrogen-bonded cross-strand residue pair

Amino acid structural propensities measured in "host-guest" model studies are often used in protein structure prediction or to choose appropriate residues in de novo protein design. While this concept has proven useful for helical structures, it is more difficult to apply successfully to beta-sheets. We have developed a cyclic beta-hairpin scaffold as a host for measurement of individual residue contributions to hairpin structural stability. Previously, we have characterized substitutions in non-backbone-hydrogen-bonded strand sites; relative stability differences measured in the cyclic host are highly predictive of changes in folding free energy for linear beta-hairpin peptides. Here, we examine the hydrogen-bonded strand positions of our host. Surprisingly, we find a large favorable contribution to stability from a valine (or isoleucine) substitution immediately preceding the C-terminal cysteine of the host peptide, but not at the cross-strand position of the host or in either strand of a folded linear beta-hairpin (trpzip peptide). Further substitutions in the peptides and NMR structural analysis indicate that the stabilizing effect of valine is general for CX(8)C cyclic hairpins and cannot be explained by particular side-chain-side-chain interactions. Instead, a localized decrease in twist of the peptide backbone on the N-terminal side of the cysteine allows the valine side chain to adopt a unique conformation that decreases the solvent accessibility of the peptide backbone. The conformation differs from the highly twisted (coiled) conformation of the trpzip hairpins and is more typical of conformations present in multistranded beta-sheets. This unexpected structural fine-tuning may explain why cyclic hairpins selected from phage-displayed libraries often have valine in the same position, preceding the C-terminal cysteine. It also emphasizes the diversity of structures accessible to beta-strands and the importance of considering not only "beta-propensity", but also hydrogen-bonding pattern and strand twist, when designing beta structures. Finally, we observe correlated, cooperative stabilization from side-chain substitutions on opposite faces of the hairpin. This suggests that cooperative folding in beta-hairpins and other small beta-structures is driven by cooperative strand-strand association.     

Molecular conformation and packing of peptide beta hairpins in the solid state: structures of two synthetic octapeptides containing 1-aminocycloalkane-1-carboxylic acid residues at the i+2 position of the beta turn

Peptide beta-hairpin formation is facilitated by centrally positioned D-Pro-Xxx segments. The synthetic peptides Boc-Leu-Phe-Val-D-Pro-Ac(6)c-Leu-Phe-Val-OMe (1) and Boc-Leu-Phe-Val-D-Pro-Ac(8)c-Leu-Phe-Val-OMe (2) were synthesized in order to explore the role of bulky 1-aminocycloalkane-1-carboxylic acid residues (Ac(n)c, where n is the number of carbon atoms in the ring), at the i+2 position of the nucleating beta turn in peptide beta hairpins. Peptides 1 and 2 crystallize in the monoclinic space group P2(1) with two molecules in the asymmetric unit. The crystal structures of 1 and 2 provide conformational parameters for four peptide hairpin molecules. In all cases, the central segments adopts a type II' beta-turn conformation, and three of the four possible cross-strand hydrogen bonds are observed. Fraying of the hairpins at the termini is accompanied by the observation of NHpi interaction between the Leu(1)NH group and Phe(7) aromatic group. Cross strand stabilizing interactions between the facing residues Phe(2) and Phe(7) are suggested by the observed orientation of aromatic rings. Anomalous far-UV CD spectra observed in solution suggest that close proximity of the Phe rings is maintained even in isolated molecules. In both peptides 1 and 2, the asymmetric unit consists of approximately orthogonal hairpins, precluding the formation of a planar beta-sheet arrangement in the solid state. Solvent molecules, one dioxane and one water in 1, three water molecules in 2, mediate peptide association. A comparison of molecular conformation and packing motifs in available beta-hairpin structures permits delineation of common features. The crystal structures of beta-hairpin peptides provide a means of visualizing different modes of beta-sheet packing, which may be relevant in developing models for aggregates of polypeptides implicated in disease situations.     

Expected and unexpected results from combined beta-hairpin design elements

A model beta-hairpin dodecapeptide [EFGWVpGKWTIK] was designed by including a favorable D-ProGly Type II' beta-turn sequence and a Trp-zip interaction, while also incorporating a beta-strand unfavorable glycine residue in the N-terminal strand. This peptide is highly folded and monomeric in aqueous solution as determined by combined analysis with circular dichroism and 1H NMR spectroscopy. A peptide representing the folded conformation of the model beta-hairpin [cyclic(EFGWVpGKWTIKpG)] and a linear peptide representing the unfolded conformation [EFGWVPGKWTIK] yield unexpected relative deviations between the CD and 1H NMR spectroscopic results that are attributed to variations in the packing interactions of the aromatic side chains. Mutational analysis of the model beta-hairpin indicates that the Trp-zip interaction favors folding and stability relative to an alternate hydrophobic cluster between Trp and Tyr residues [EFGYVpGKWTIK]. The significance of select diagonal interactions in the model beta-hairpin was tested by rearranging the cross-strand hydrophobic interactions to provide a folded peptide [EWFGIpGKTYWK] displaying evidence of an unusual backbone conformation at the hydrophobic cluster. This unusual conformation does not appear to be a result of the glycine residue in the beta-strand, as replacement with a serine results in a peptide [EWFSIpGKTYWK] with a similar and seemingly characteristic CD spectrum. However, an alternate arrangement of hydrophobic residues with a Trp-zip interaction in a similar position to the parent beta-hairpin [EGFWVpGKWITK] results in a folded beta-hairpin conformation. The differences between side chain packing of these peptides precludes meaningful thermodynamic analysis and illustrates the caution necessary when interpreting beta-hairpin folding thermodynamics that are driven, at least in part, by aromatic cross strand interactions.     

Fragmentation of intra-peptide and inter-peptide disulfide bonds of proteolytic peptides by nanoESI collision-induced dissociation

Characterisation and identification of disulfide bridges is an important aspect of structural elucidation of proteins. Covalent cysteine-cysteine contacts within the protein give rise to stabilisation of the native tertiary structure of the molecules. Bottom-up identification and sequencing of proteins by mass spectrometry most frequently involves reductive cleavage and alkylation of disulfide links followed by enzymatic digestion. However, when using this approach, information on cysteine-cysteine contacts within the protein is lost. Mass spectrometric characterisation of peptides containing intra-chain disulfides is a challenging analytical task, because peptide bonds within the disulfide loop are believed to be resistant to fragmentation. In this contribution we show recent results on the fragmentation of intra and inter-peptide disulfide bonds of proteolytic peptides by nano electrospray ionisation collision-induced dissociation (nanoESI CID). Disulfide bridge-containing peptides obtained from proteolytic digests were submitted to low-energy nanoESI CID using a quadrupole time-of-flight (Q-TOF) instrument as a mass analyser. Fragmentation of the gaseous peptide ions gave rise to a set of b and y-type fragment ions which enabled derivation of the sequence of the amino acids located outside the disulfide loop. Surprisingly, careful examination of the fragment-ion spectra of peptide ions comprising an intramolecular disulfide bridge revealed the presence of low-abundance fragment ions formed by the cleavage of peptide bonds within the disulfide loop. These fragmentations are preceded by proton-induced asymmetric cleavage of the disulfide bridge giving rise to a modified cysteine containing a disulfohydryl substituent and a dehydroalanine residue on the C-S cleavage site.     

Characterization of cysteine residues and disulfide bonds in proteins by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry

Cysteine residues and disulfide bonds are important for protein structure and function. We have developed a simple and sensitive method for determining the presence of free cysteine (Cys) residues and disulfide bonded Cys residues in proteins (<100 pmol) by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS/MS) in combination with protein database searching using the program Sequest. Free Cys residues in a protein were labeled with PEO-maleimide biotin immediately followed by denaturation with 8 M urea. Subsequently, the protein was digested with trypsin or chymotrypsin and the resulting products were analyzed by capillary LC/ESI-MS/MS for peptides containing modified Cys and/or disulfide bonded Cys residues. Although the MS method for identifying disulfide bonds has been routinely employed, methods to prevent thiol-disulfide exchange have not been well documented. Our protocol was found to minimize the occurrence of the thiol-disulfide exchange reaction. The method was validated using well-characterized proteins such as aldolase, ovalbumin, and beta-lactoglobulin A. We also applied this method to characterize Cys residues and disulfide bonds of beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase (five Cys), and human blood group A and B glycosyltransferases (four Cys). Our results demonstrate that beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase contains one free Cys residue and two disulfide bonds, which is in contrast to work previously reported using chemical methods for the characterization of free Cys residues, but is consistent with recently published results from x-ray crystallography. In contrast to the results obtained for beta 1,4-galactosyltransferase, none of the Cys residues in A and B glycosyltransferases were found to be involved in disulfide bonds.     

化学裂解结合生物质谱对多肽二硫键的定位

二硫键是一种与多肽及蛋白质结构和功能密切相关的化学键. 当多肽中存在多个半胱氨酸时, 形成的二硫键可能会存在多种配对方式. 快速且精准地定位多肽中多对二硫键对研究多肽的结构与功能间的关系十分重要. 本文开发了一种基于化学裂解和生物质谱的新方法, 对利那洛肽中3对二硫键进行了精准定位. 通过解析裂解后特异肽段的二级质谱图, 确定利那洛肽中3对二硫键的配对方式分别为Cys1-Cys6, Cys2-Cys10和Cys5-Cys13. 该方法为二硫键的定位研究提供了新思路.     

Serine‐Selective Aerobic Cleavage of Peptides and a Protein Using a Water‐Soluble Copper–Organoradical Conjugate

The site‐specific cleavage of peptide bonds is an important chemical modification of biologically relevant macromolecules. The reaction is not only used for routine structural determination of peptides, but is also a potential artificial modulator of protein function. Realizing the substrate scope beyond the conventional chemical or enzymatic cleavage of peptide bonds is, however, a formidable challenge. Here we report a serine‐selective peptide‐cleavage protocol that proceeds at room temperature and near neutral pH value, through mild aerobic oxidation promoted by a water‐soluble copper–organoradical conjugate. The method is applicable to the site‐selective cleavage of polypeptides that possess various functional groups. Peptides comprising D ‐amino acids or sensitive disulfide pairs are competent substrates. The system is extendable to the site‐selective cleavage of a native protein, ubiquitin, which comprises more than 70 amino acid residues.     

Desorption/ionization efficiency of peptides containing disulfide bonds in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

In order to elucidate the role of desorption/ionization efficiency of peptides in MALDI-MS, we focused on peptides with disulfide bonds, which form a rigid tertiary structure. We synthesized seven sets of peptides with one disulfide bond (oxytocin, somatostatin, [Arg(8)]-vasopressin, [Arg(8)]-vasotocin, cortistatin, melanin-concentrating hormone, urotensin II-related peptide) and five sets of peptides with two disulfide bonds (tertiapin, α-conotoxin GI, α-conotoxin ImI, α-conotoxin MI and α-conotoxin SI). Each peptide set consisted of three peptides: the oxidized form (S-S type), the reduced form (SH type), and an internal standard peptide in which all cysteine residues were substituted with alanine residues. In the case of urotensin II-related peptide, tertiapin, α-conotoxin ImI and α-conotoxin MI, the reduced form showed higher desorption/ionization efficiency than the oxidized form. In contrast, the other peptides revealed higher desorption/ionization efficiency in the oxidized form relative to the reduced form. These results imply that a rigid structure of peptides formed by disulfide bonds does not correlate with desorption/ionization efficiency in MALDI-MS.     

Synthesis of Disulfide Surrogate Peptides Incorporating Large-Span Surrogate Bridges Through a Native-Chemical-Ligation-Assisted Diaminodiacid Strategy

The use of synthetic bridges as surrogates for disulfide bonds has emerged as a practical strategy to obviate the poor stability of some disulfide-containing peptides. However, peptides incorporating large-span synthetic bridges are still beyond the reach of existing methods. Herein, we report a native chemical ligation (NCL)-assisted diaminodiacid (DADA) strategy that enables the robust generation of disulfide surrogate peptides incorporating surrogate bridges up to 50 amino acids in length. This strategy provides access to some highly desirable but otherwise impossible-to-obtain disulfide surrogates of bioactive peptide. The bioactivities and structures of the synthetic disulfide surrogates were verified by voltage clamp assays, NMR, and X-ray crystallography; and stability studies established that the disulfide replacements effectively overcame the problems of disulfide reduction and scrambling that often plague these pharmacologically important peptides.     

Enhancing the Cell Permeability and Metabolic Stability of Peptidyl Drugs by Reversible Bicyclization

Therapeutic applications of peptides are currently limited by their proteolytic instability and impermeability to the cell membrane. A general, reversible bicyclization strategy is now reported to increase both the proteolytic stability and cell permeability of peptidyl drugs. A peptide drug is fused with a short cell‐penetrating motif and converted into a conformationally constrained bicyclic structure through the formation of a pair of disulfide bonds. The resulting bicyclic peptide has greatly enhanced proteolytic stability as well as cell‐permeability. Once inside the cell, the disulfide bonds are reduced to produce a linear, biologically active peptide. This strategy was applied to generate a cell‐permeable bicyclic peptidyl inhibitor against the NEMO‐IKK interaction.     

Fractionation of peptide with disulfide bond for quantum mechanical calculation of interaction energy with molecules

We present a computational study of a recently developed molecular fractionation with conjugated caps (MFCC) method for application to peptide/protein that has disulfide bonds. Specifically, we employ the MFCC approach to generate peptide fragments in which a disulfide bond is cut and a pair of conjugated caps are inserted. The method is tested on two peptides interacting with a water molecule. The first is a dipeptide consisting of two cysteines (Cys-Cys) connected by a disulfide bond and the second is a seven amino acid peptide consisting of Gly-Cys-Gly-Gly-Gly-Cys-Gly with a disulfide cross link. One-dimensional peptide-water potential curves are computed using the MFCC method at various ab initio levels for a number of interaction geometries. The calculated interaction energies are found to be in excellent agreement with the results obtained from the corresponding full system ab initio calculations for both peptide/water systems. The current study provides further numerical support for the accuracy of the MFCC method in full quantum mechanical calculation of protein/peptide that contains disulfide bonds.     

Synthesis of Disulfide Surrogate Peptides Incorporating Large‐Span Surrogate Bridges Through a Native‐Chemical‐Ligation‐Assisted Diaminodiacid Strategy

The use of synthetic bridges as surrogates for disulfide bonds has emerged as a practical strategy to obviate the poor stability of some disulfide‐containing peptides. However, peptides incorporating large‐span synthetic bridges are still beyond the reach of existing methods. Herein, we report a native chemical ligation (NCL)‐assisted diaminodiacid (DADA) strategy that enables the robust generation of disulfide surrogate peptides incorporating surrogate bridges up to 50 amino acids in length. This strategy provides access to some highly desirable but otherwise impossible‐to‐obtain disulfide surrogates of bioactive peptide. The bioactivities and structures of the synthetic disulfide surrogates were verified by voltage clamp assays, NMR, and X‐ray crystallography; and stability studies established that the disulfide replacements effectively overcame the problems of disulfide reduction and scrambling that often plague these pharmacologically important peptides.     

Peptide Ligands Stabilized by Small Molecules

Bicyclic peptides generated through directed evolution by using phage display offer an attractive ligand format for the development of therapeutics. Being nearly 100‐fold smaller than antibodies, they promise advantages such as access to chemical synthesis, efficient diffusion into tissues, and needle‐free application. However, unlike antibodies, they do not have a folded structure in solution and thus bind less well. We developed bicyclic peptides with hydrophilic chemical structures at their center to promote noncovalent intramolecular interactions, thereby stabilizing the peptide conformation. The sequences of the peptides isolated by phage display from large combinatorial libraries were strongly influenced by the type of small molecule used in the screen, thus suggesting that the peptides fold around the small molecules. X‐ray structure analysis revealed that the small molecules indeed formed hydrogen bonds with the peptides. These noncovalent interactions stabilize the peptide–protein complexes and contribute to the high binding affinity.     

A minimal peptide scaffold for beta-turn display: optimizing a strand position in disulfide-cyclized beta-hairpins.

Phage display of peptide libraries has become a powerful tool for the evolution of novel ligands that bind virtually any protein target. However, the rules governing conformational preferences in natural peptides are poorly understood, and consequently, structure-activity relationships in these molecules can be difficult to define. In an effort to simplify this process, we have investigated the structural stability of 10-residue, disulfide-constrained beta-hairpins and assessed their suitability as scaffolds for beta-turn display. Using disulfide formation as a probe, relative free energies of folding were measured for 19 peptides that differ at a one strand position. A tryptophan substitution promotes folding to a remarkable degree. NMR analysis confirms that the measured energies correlate well with the degree of beta-hairpin structure in the disulfide-cyclized peptides. Reexamination of a subset of the strand substitutions in peptides with different turn sequences reveals linear free energy relationships, indicating that turns and strand-strand interactions make independent, additive contributions to hairpin stability. Significantly, the tryptophan strand substitution is highly stabilizing with all turns tested, and peptides that display model turns or the less stable C'-C' ' turn of CD4 on this tryptophan "stem" are highly structured beta-hairpins in water. Thus, we have developed a small, structured beta-turn scaffold, containing only natural L-amino acids, that may be used to display peptide libraries of limited conformational diversity on phage.     

A novel artificial loop scaffold for the noncovalent constraint of peptides

BACKGROUND: Few examples exist of peptides of < 35 residues that form a stable tertiary structure without disulfide bonds. A method for stabilization and noncovalent constraint of relatively short peptides may allow the construction and use of intracellular peptide libraries containing protein minidomains. RESULTS: We have examined a novel method for the noncovalent constraint of peptides by attaching the peptide EFLIVKS (single-letter amino acid code), which forms dimers, to the amino and carboxyl termini of different peptide inserts. An 18 residue random coil taken from the inhibitor loop of barley chymotrypsin inhibitor 2 was inserted between the peptides to produce a 32-mer minidomain that is attacked only slowly by elastase, has numerous slowly exchanging protons, contains a high beta-structure content and has a T(m) above 37 degrees C. A point mutation disrupting the hydrophobic interior in both dimerizing peptides causes a loss of all slowly exchanging protons and of secondary structure. Adding specific charged residues to each terminus substantially increased the T(m), as did point mutants designed to add interdimerizer ion pairs. Three flexible epitope tag inserts and a nonamer insert do not appear to be folded in a stable structure by EFLIVKS. The properties of two peptides selected for expression in HeLa cells suggest they do form a stable tertiary structure. CONCLUSIONS: Attaching short dimerizing peptides to both the amino and carboxyl termini of several 18-mer peptides appears to create stable monomeric tertiary structures. Mutations in the dimerizers can either destabilize or significantly stabilize a standard 18-mer insert. Dimerizing peptides flanking random insert sequences could be used as a strategy to generate heterogeneous peptide libraries with both extended and folded members.     

Minimalist protein design: a beta-hairpin peptide that binds ssDNA

A 28-residue beta-hairpin dimer (WKWK)2 with two Trp and two Lys residues on one face of each beta-sheet was shown to form a complex with single-stranded oligonucleotides at low micromolar concentrations. Each beta-hairpin of the dimer contains a cross-strand Trp-Trp pair in a diagonal orientation which has previously been shown to create a cleft for the intercalation of aromatic guests such as adenine (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2003, 125, 9580). The beta-hairpin dimer binds 5-residue ssDNA sequences 5'-AAAAA-3', 5'-TTTTT-3', and 5'-CCCCC-3' in water with dissociation constants in the range of 12-30 muM. A weak energetic preference for binding to sequence 5'-AAAAA-3' was observed, which is believed to result from stronger stacking interactions between Trp and the adenine base. The interaction of 5'-AAAAA-3' with the Lys and Trp residues of the peptide was evident by NMR, and a 1:1 association was demonstrated. The recognition of an 11-residue ssDNA sequence occurred with a dissociation constant of 3 muM under near-physiological ionic strength and pH, demonstrating that the beta-hairpin dimer binds ssDNA as strongly as many naturally occurring proteins. The salt dependence of the interaction of the 11-residue oligonucleotide with the peptide dimer indicates that Trp-nucleobase stacking interactions contribute about -4 kcal/mol to recognition, which is much greater than the contribution of nonionic interactions in unstructured peptides containing Trp. Moreover, recognition of the ssDNA demonstrated reduced salt dependence relative to the corresponding duplex, resulting in selectivity for ssDNA under high salt conditions. Peptide (WKWK)2 is a relevant mimic of OB-fold (oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding) proteins which bind ssDNA on the surface of a beta-sheet.     

Molecular carpentry: piecing together helices and hairpins in designed peptides

The design of a peptide that contains two distinct elements of secondary structure, helix and beta-hairpin, is described. Two designed 17-residue peptides: Boc-Val-Ala-Leu-Aib-Val-Ala-Leu-Gly-Gly-Leu-Phe-Val-D-Pro-Gly-Leu-Phe-Val-OMe (I) and Boc-Leu-Aib-Val-Ala-Leu-Aib-Val-Gly-Gly-Leu-Val-Val-D-Pro-Gly-Leu-Val-Val-OMe (II) have been conformationally characterized by NMR spectroscopy. Peptides I and II contain a seven-residue helical module at the N terminus and a eight-residue beta-hairpin module at the C terminus, which are connected by a conformationally flexible Gly-Gly segment. The choice of the secondary-structure modules is based upon prior crystallographic and spectroscopic analysis of the individual modules. Analysis of 500 MHz 1H NMR data, recorded as solutions in methanol, suggests that the observed pattern of chemical shifts, 3JHN CalphaH values, temperature coefficients of the NH chemical shifts, and backbone inter-residue nuclear Overhauser effects favor helical structures for residues 1-7 and beta-hairpin structures for residues 10-17. The spectroscopic data are compatible with termination of the helical segment by formation of a Schellman motif; this restricts Gly(8) to a left-handed alpha-helical conformation. Gly(9) is the only residue with multiple conformational possibilities in phi,psi space. Possible orientations of the two secondary-structure modules are considered. This study validates the use of stereochemically rigid peptide modules as prefabricated elements in the construction of synthetic protein mimics.     

Racemic and Quasi‐Racemic X‐ray Structures of Cyclic Disulfide‐Rich Peptide Drug Scaffolds

Cyclic disulfide‐rich peptides have exceptional stability and are promising frameworks for drug design. We were interested in obtaining X‐ray structures of these peptides to assist in drug design applications, but disulfide‐rich peptides can be notoriously difficult to crystallize. To overcome this limitation, we chemically synthesized the L ‐ and D ‐forms of three prototypic cyclic disulfide‐rich peptides: SFTI‐1 (14‐mer with one disulfide bond), cVc1.1 (22‐mer with two disulfide bonds), and kB1 (29‐mer with three disulfide bonds) for racemic crystallization studies. Facile crystal formation occurred from a racemic mixture of each peptide, giving structures solved at resolutions from 1.25 Å to 1.9 Å. Additionally, we obtained the quasi‐racemic structures of two mutants of kB1, [G6A]kB1, and [V25A]kB1, which were solved at a resolution of 1.25 Å and 2.3 Å, respectively. The racemic crystallography approach appears to have broad utility in the structural biology of cyclic peptides.     

EGF‐like and Other Disulfide‐rich Microdomains as Therapeutic Scaffolds

Disulfide bonds typically introduce conformational constraints into peptides and proteins, conferring improved biopharmaceutical properties and greater therapeutic potential. In our opinion, disulfide‐rich microdomains from proteins are potentially a rich and under‐explored source of drug leads. A survey of the UniProt protein database shows that these domains are widely distributed throughout the plant and animal kingdoms, with the EGF‐like domain being the most abundant of these domains. EGF‐like domains exhibit large diversity in their disulfide bond topologies and calcium binding modes, which we classify in detail here. We found that many EGF‐like domains are associated with disease phenotypes, and the interactions they mediate are potential therapeutic targets. Indeed, EGF‐based therapeutic leads have been identified, and we further propose that these domains can be optimized to expand their therapeutic potential using chemical design strategies. This Review highlights the potential of disulfide‐rich microdomains as future peptide therapeutics.     

Hybrid peptide hairpins containing alpha- and omega-amino acids: conformational analysis of decapeptides with unsubstituted beta-, gamma-, and delta-residues at positions 3 and 8

The effects of inserting unsubstituted omega-amino acids into the strand segments of model beta-hairpin peptides was investigated by using four synthetic decapeptides, Boc-Leu-Val-Xxx-Val-D-Pro-Gly-Leu-Xxx-Val-Val-OMe: peptide 1 (Xxx=Gly), peptide 2 (Xxx=betaGly=betahGly=homoglycine, beta-glycine), peptide 3 (Xxx=gammaAbu=gamma-aminobutyric acid), peptide 4 (Xxx=deltaAva=delta-aminovaleric acid). 1H NMR studies (500 MHz, methanol) reveal several critical cross-strand NOEs, providing evidence for beta-hairpin conformations in peptides 2-4. In peptide 3, the NMR results support the formation of the nucleating turn, however, evidence for cross-strand registry is not detected. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies of peptide 3 reveal a beta-hairpin conformation for both molecules in the crystallographic asymmetric unit, stabilized by four cross-strand hydrogen bonds, with the gammaAbu residues accommodated within the strands. The D-Pro-Gly segment in both molecules (A,B) adopts a type II' beta-turn conformation. The circular dichroism spectrum for peptide 3 is characterized by a negative CD band at 229 nm, whereas for peptides 2 and 4, the negative band is centered at 225 nm, suggesting a correlation between the orientation of the amide units in the strand segments and the observed CD pattern.