An orbitide from Ratibida columnifera seed containing 16 amino acid residues

Cyclic peptides are abundant in plants and have attracted interest due to their bioactivity and potential as drug scaffolds. Orbitides are head-to-tail cyclic peptides that are ribosomally synthesized, post-translationally modified, and lack disulfide bonds. All known orbitides contain 5-12 amino acid residues. Here we describe PLP_-53, a novel orbitide from the seed of Ratibida columnifera. PLP_-53 consists of 16 amino acids, four residues larger than any known orbitide. NMR structural studies showed that, compared to previously characterized orbitides, PLP_-53 is more flexible and, under the studied conditions, did not adopt a single ordered conformation based on analysis of NOEs and chemical shifts.