Two new inhibitors, 4 and 5, of the aspartic proteinase porcine pepsin were synthesized. These compounds, which span the P4-P'3 binding subsites of the enzyme, were derived by replacing the Nph-Phe dipeptidyl unit of a good pepsin substrate, H2N-Phe-Gly-His-Nph-Phe-Ala-Phe-OMe (3), with statine [(3S,4S)-4-amino-3-hydroxy-6-methylheptanoic acid, Sta]. Hexapeptide 5, H2N-Phe-Gly-Val-(S,S)-Sta-Ala-Phe-OMe, is an extremely potent inhibitor of pepsin with a Ki value less than 1 nM. This result is consistent with the proposal that statine functions as a bioisosteric replacement for a substrate dipeptidyl unit. Compound 4, which contains His at P2, is 2 orders of magnitude less active than the valine analogue 5 (Ki = 150 nM). The factor for the decrease in binding to pepsin effected by replacement of Val by His at P2 parallels the ratio of protonated vs unprotonated imidazole group in peptide 4 at pH 4, according to the Henderson-Hasselbach equation. This result suggests that a positively charged side chain at P2 is undesirable for maximum pepsin inhibition. Kinetic constants for several known inhibitors of pepsin and renin are presented that demonstrate that the effect of His incorporation at P2 on pepsin inhibition depends upon the peptide sequence and that the effect is considerably different for renin inhibitors. We further suggest that the high selectivity of potent renin inhibitors known to be only weak pepsin and cathepsin D inhibitors is due in part to the extent of histidine protonation at P2 arising from pH differences in the inhibition kinetics assay of renin (neutral conditions) compared to other aspartic proteinases (acid pH 2-4).