Total Synthesis and Membrane Modifying Properties of the Lipopeptaibol Trikoningin KBII and Its Analogues with Acyl Chains of Different Length at the N- and C-Termini.

Trikoningin KB II, a ten-amino acid residue lipopeptaibol blocked at the N-terminus by the n-octanoyl group and at the C-terminus by the 1,2-amino alcohol L-leucinol, and extracted from the fungus Trichoderma koningii, exhibits membrane-modifying properties. We have synthesized by solution-phase methods trikoningin KB II and several analogues with acyl chains of different length at the N- and C-termini. Permeability measurements showed that an appropriate length of the linear acyl chain is a more important characteristic for the onset of significant membrane-modifying activity than its position in the peptide chain.