Calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists have potential
for the treatment and prevention of disease statessuch as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus, migraine headache, pain, and inflammation. To gain insightinto the spatial requirements
for CGRP antagonism, three strategies were employed to restrict the con
formationof the potent undecapeptide antagonist, [D
31,P
34,F
35]CGRP
27-37. First, aza-amino acid scanning was per
formed,and ten aza-peptide analogues were synthesized and examined
for biological activity. Second, (3
S,6
S,9
S)-2-oxo-3-amino-indolizidin-2-one amino acid (I
2aa) and (2
S,6
S,8
S)-9-oxo-8-amino-indolizidin-9-one aminoacid (I
9aa) both were introduced at positions 31-32, 32-33, 33-34, and 34-35, regions of the backboneexpected to adopt turns. Finally, the con
formation of the backbone and side-chain of the C-terminal residue,Phe
35-Ala
36-Phe
37-NH
2, was explored employing (2
S,4
R,6
R,8
S)-9-oxo-8-amino-4-phenyl-indolizidin-9-oneamino acid (4-Ph-I
9aa) as a constrained phenylalanine mimic. The structure-activity relationships exhibitedby our 26 analogues illustrate con
formational requirements important
for designing CGRP antagonists andhighlight the importance of
-turns centered at Gly
33-Pro
34 for potency.