Phosphorus-containing pseudopeptides, racemic at the C-terminal α-carbon, are potent mechanismbased inhibitors of folylpolyglutamate synthetase (FPGS). They are mimics of the tetrahedral intermediate postulated to form during FPGS-catalyzed biosynthesis of poly(γ-L-glutamates). In the present paper, the FPGS inhibitory activity of each diastereomer coupled to three heterocycles is reported. The high R f pseudopeptide containing the 5,10-dideazatetrahydropteroyl (DDAH 4 Pte) heterocycle is most potent (K is = 1.7 nM). While the heterocyclic portion affects absolute FPGS inhibitory potency, the high R f species is more potent in each pair containing the same heterocycle. This species presumably has the same stereochemistry as the natural folate polyglutamate, i.e., (LGlu-γ-L-Glu). Unexpectedly, the low R f (presumed L-Glu-γ-D-Glu) species are only slightly less potent (<30-fold) less potent than their diastereomers. Further study of this phenomenon comparing L-Glu-γ-L-Glu and L-Glu-γ-D-Glu dipeptide-containing FPGS substrates shows that <1% contamination of commercial D-Glu precursors by L-Glu may give misleading information if L-Glu-γ-L-Glu substrates have low K m values.