The biosynthesis of bioactive cyclic peptides

在大多数情况下，生物中的蛋白质由一串串呈线性的氨基酸组成。在某些情况下，特别是对于小的蛋白质或多肽，氨基酸形成一个圆圈，产生所谓的环状肽。环肽在严酷的化学环境和生物体内相对稳定。它们通常具有有趣的药理特性。例如，环孢素A是一种具有免疫抑制活性的真菌环肽，用于器官移植。石竹科中的许多植物，包括康乃馨，都积累环肽。将在该项目中研究的牛膝植物(Saponaria Vvaria)含有环肽，其特性可能有助于控制血压。

In most cases, the proteins in living things consist of strings of amino acids which are linear. In some cases, especially for small proteins or peptides, the amino acids form a circle, giving rise to what are called cyclic peptides. Cyclic peptides are relatively stable in harsh chemical environments and in living things. They often have interesting pharmacological properties. For example, cyclosporin A is a fungal cyclic peptide with immunosuppressant activity and is used for organ transplantation. Many plants in the Caryophyllaceae family, which includes carnation, accumulate cyclic peptides. The cowcockle plant (Saponaria vaccaria), which will be studied in the project, has cyclic peptides with properties that may be useful in controlling blood pressure.