Bioorthogonal chemistries can be used to tag diverse classes of biomolecules in cells and other complex environments. With over 20 unique transformations now available, though, selecting an appropriate reaction for a given experiment is challenging. In this article, we compare and contrast the most common classes of bioorthogonal chemistries and provide a framework for matching the reactions with downstream applications. We also discuss ongoing efforts to identify novel biocompatible reactions and methods to control their reactivity. The continued expansion of the bioorthogonal toolkit will provide new insights into biomolecule networks and functions and thus refine our understanding of living systems.

Chemical reporters are unique functional groups that can be used to label biomolecules in living systems. Only a handful of broadly applicable reporters have been identified to date, owing to the rigorous demands placed on these functional groups in biological settings. We describe here a new chemical reporter-cyclopropene-that can be used to target biomolecules in vitro and in live cells. A variety of substituted cyclopropene scaffolds were synthesized and found to be stable in aqueous solution and in the presence of biological nucleophiles. Furthermore, some of the cyclopropene units were metabolically introduced into cell surface glycans and subsequently detected with covalent probes. The small size and selective reactivity of cyclopropenes will facilitate efforts to tag diverse collections of biomolecules in vivo.

Bioorthogonal chemistries have provided tremendous insight into biomolecule structure and function. However, many popular bioorthogonal transformations are incompatible with one another, limiting their utility for studies of multiple biomolecules in tandem. We identified two reactions that can be used concurrently to tag biomolecules in complex environments: the inverse electron-demand Diels-Alder reaction of tetrazines with 1,3-disubstituted cyclopropenes, and the 1,3-dipolar cycloaddition of nitrile imines with 3,3-disubstituted cyclopropenes. Remarkably, the cyclopropenes used in these transformations differ by the placement of a single methyl group. Such orthogonally reactive scaffolds will bolster efforts to monitor multicomponent processes in cells and organisms.

Peptidomimetic-based macrocycles typically have improved pharmacokinetic properties over those observed with peptide analogs. Described are the syntheses of 13 peptidomimetic derivatives that are based on active Sansalvamide A structures, where these analogs incorporate heterocycles (triazoles, oxazoles, thiazoles, or pseudoprolines) along the macrocyclic backbone. The syntheses of these derivatives employ several approaches that can be applied to convert a macrocyclic peptide into its peptidomimetic counterpart. These approaches include peptide modifications to generate the alkyne and azide for click chemistry, a serine conversion into an oxazole, a Hantzsch reaction to generate the thiazole, and protected threonine to generate the pseudoproline derivatives. Furthermore, we show that two different peptidomimetic moieties, triazoles and thiazoles, can be incorporated into the macrocyclic backbone without reducing cytotoxicity: triazole and thiazole.

Heat shock proteins (HSP) are a family of highly conserved proteins, whose expression increases in response to stresses that may threaten cell survival. Over the past decade, heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) has emerged as a potential therapeutic target for cancer as it plays a vital role in normal cell maturation and acts as a molecular chaperone for proper folding, assembly, and stabilization of many oncogenic proteins. To date, a majority of Hsp90 inhibitors that have been discovered are macrocycles. The relatively rigid conformation provided by the macrocyclic scaffold allows for a selective interaction with a biological target such as Hsp90. This review highlights the discovery and development of nine macro-cycles that inhibit the function of Hsp90, detailing their potency and the client proteins affected by Hsp90 inhibition.