Applications of Synthetic Peptides

Peptide chemists are increasingly concerned with the synthesis of polypeptides of biological and medical interest. This article describes several important applications of synthetic peptides in biochemistry, molecular biology, immunology, and medicine. Synthetic peptides may be useful in structure‐function studies of polypeptides, as peptide hormones and hormone analogues, in the preparation of cross‐reacting antibodies, and in the design of novel enzymes. Peptide chemists can actively contribute to progress in these fields if they are aware of the current problems in the life sciences. A synthetic, DDT‐binding and degrading polypeptide containing 24 amino acid residues is only one of many biologically and medicinally important peptides which have been prepared in the last few years. Synthetic peptides find use in investigations of structure‐function relations of polypeptides, as peptide hormones and hormone analogues, in the preparation of cross‐reacting antibodies, and in the design of novel enzymes.