Synthetic Peptides: Beginning the Twenty-first Century

This second edition of Synthetic Peptides is being published at the beginning of the twenty-first century and marks nearly 100 years since the beginnings of the chemical synthesis of peptides. From the first decade of the twentieth century up to the present time, the evolution of the development, analysis, and use of synthetic peptides has been steady and remarkable. It has been about 10 years since the first edition of this book was published. Much remains unchanged, such as the basic principles of peptide structure, the basic chemistry for assembling a peptide chain, and many of the techniques used to evaluate synthetic peptides. However, during that time we have seen a switch from primarily the use of Boc chemistry for routine synthesis to that of Fmoc chemistry. Mass spectrometry has also matured with the development of more user-friendly and affordable instrumentation to the point that it is now the premier analytic method for synthetic peptides. Methods for the production of very long peptides, such as chemoselective ligation, are maturing, although they are still not an everyday thing for most peptide chemists, and better chemistries for producing peptides with “posttranslational modifications,” such as phosphates, sugars, and specific disulfide bonds, are now well within reach. As a result, you will find many sections of this book largely unchanged, but you will also find many new sections that document the developments of the last ten years with the inclusion of new information and methodologies. However, a good feeling for what the beginning of the twenty-first century offers can best be appreciated by considering the developments that have led to this point. Emil Fischer introduced the concept of peptides and polypeptides and presented protocols for their synthesis in the early 1900s (Fischer, 1902, 1903, 1906). Although others also made contributions in those days, most notably Theodor Curtius, the work of Fischer and his colleagues stands out, and he is generally regarded as the father of peptide chemistry.