Conformations of the amino terminal tetrapeptide of emerimicins and antiamoebin in solution and in the solid state

The conformations of Boc-l-Phe-(AiB)3-OH (1) and Boc-l-Phe-(Aib)3-OMe (2) which correspond to the amino terminal sequence of the emerimicins and antiamoebins have been studied in solution using 270 MHz 1H n.m.r. In dimethyl sulphoxide solution both peptides show the presence of two strongly solvent shielded Aib NH groups, consistent with a consecutive β-turn conformation, involving the Aib(3) and Aib(4) NH groups in intramolecular 4 → I hydrogen bonds. This folded conformation is maintained for 2 in chloroform solution. Nuclear Overhauser effect studies provide evidence for a Type II Phe-Aib β-turn. An X-ray diffraction study of Boc-(d,l)-Phe-(Aib)3-OH establishes a single type III(III′) β-turn conformation with Aib(2)-Aib(3) as the corner residues. A single intramolecular 4 → I hydrogen bond between Phe(I) CO and Aib(4) NH groups is observed in the crystal. The solution conformation may incorporate a consecutive type II-III′ structure for the Phe(1)-Aib(2)-Aib(3) segment, with the initial type II β-turn being destabilized by intermolecular interactions in the solid state.

Empirical torsional potential functions from protein structure data. Phi- and psi-potentials for non-glycyl amino acid residues.

The torsional potential functions Vt(phi) and Vt(psi) around single bonds N--C alpha and C alpha--C, which can be used in conformational studies of oligopeptides, polypeptides and proteins, have been derived, using crystal structure data of 22 globular proteins, fitting the observed distribution in the (phi, psi)-plane with the value of Vtot(phi, psi), using the Boltzmann distribution. The averaged torsional potential functions, obtained from various amino acid residues in L-configuration, are Vt(phi) = 1.0 cos (phi + 60 degrees); Vt(psi) = 0.5 cos (psi + 60 degrees) - 1.0 cos (2 psi + 30 degrees) - 0.5 cos (3 psi + 30 degrees). The dipeptide energy maps Vtot(phi, psi) obtained using these functions, instead of the normally accepted torsional functions, were found to explain various observations, such as the absence of the left-handed alpha helix and the C7 conformation, and the relatively high density of points near the line psi = 0 degrees. These functions derived from observational data on protein structures, will, it is hoped, explain various previously unexplained facts in polypeptide conformation.

Amino acid-lanthanide interactions, Part 2. The X-ray crystal structures of lanthanide and calcium complexes of 1-amino-cyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid (Acc6)

The structures of [Nd-2(Acc(6))(H2O)(6)](ClO4)(6) .(H2O)(6) (1) [Er-2(Acc(6))(4)(H2O)(8)](ClO4)(6) .(H2O)(11) (2) and [Ca-5(Acc(6))(12)(H2O)(6)](ClO4)(10).(H2O)(4) (3) (Acc(6) = 1-aminocyclohexane-1-carboxylic acid) have been determined by X-ray crystallography. The lanthanide complexes 1 and 2 are dimeric in which two lanthanide cations are bridged by four carboxylato groups of Acc(6) molecules. In addition, the neodymium complex (1) features the unidentate coordination of the carboxyl group of an Acc(6) molecule in place of a water molecule in the erbium complex (2). The coordination number in both 1 and 2 is eight. The calcium Acc(6) complex (3) is polymeric; three different calcium environments are observed in the asymmetric unit. Two calcium ions are hexa-coordinated and one is hepta-coordinated. Considerable differences are observed between the solid state structures of Ln(III) and Ca-II complexes of Acc(6

Effect of amino acid substitutions at the subunit interface on the stabiity and aggregation properties of a dimeric protein: role of Arg 178 and Arg 218 at the dimer interface of thymidylate synthase

The significance of two interface arginine residues on the structural integrity of an obligatory dimeric enzyme thymidylate synthase (TS) from Lactobacillus casei was investigated by thermal and chemical denaturation. While the R178F mutant showed apparent stability to thermal denaturation by its decreased tendency to aggregate, the Tm of the R218K mutant was lowered by 5 degrees C. Equilibrium denaturation studies in guanidinium chloride (GdmCl) and urea indicate that in both the mutants, replacement of Arg residues results in more labile quaternary and tertiary interactions. Circular dichroism studies in aqueous buffer suggest that the protein interior in R218K may be less well-packed as compared to the wild type protein. The results emphasize that quaternary interactions may influence the stability of the tertiary fold of TS. The amino acid replacements also lead to notable alteration in the ability of the unfolding intermediate of TS to aggregate. The aggregated state of partially unfolded intermediate in the R178F mutant is stable over a narrower range of denaturant concentrations. In contrast, there is an exaggerated tendency on the part of R218K to aggregate in intermediate concentrations of the denaturant. The 3 A crystal structure of the R178F mutant reveals no major structural change as a consequence of amino acid substitution. The results may be rationalized in terms of mutational effects on both the folded and unfolded state of the protein. Site specific amino acid substitutions are useful in identifying specific regions of TS involved in association of non-native protein structures.

C-H…O hydrogen bond mediated chain reversal in a peptide containing g-amino acid residue, determined directly from powder X-ray diffraction data

The finding that peptides containing -amino acid residues give rise to folding patterns hitherto unobserved in -amino acid peptides[1] has stimulated considerable interest in the conformational properties of peptides built from , and residues,[2] as the introduction of additional methylene (CH2) units into peptide chains provides further degrees of conformational freedom.

Conformational properties of hybrid peptides containing alpha and omega-amino acids

This review briefly surveys the conformational properties of guest omega-amino acid residues when incorporated into host alpha-peptide sequences. The results presented focus primarily on the use of beta- and gamma-residues in alphaomega sequences. The insertion of additional methylene groups into peptide backbones enhances the range of accessible conformations, introducing additional torsional variables. A nomenclature system, which permits ready comparisons between alpha-peptides and hybrid sequences, is defined. Crystal structure determination of hybrid peptides, which adopt helical and beta-hairpin conformations permits the characterization of backbone conformational parameters for beta- and gamma-residues inserted into regular alpha-polypeptide structures. Substituted beta- and gamma-residues are more limited in the range of accessible conformation than their unsubstituted counterparts. The achiral beta,beta-disubstituted gamma-amino acid, gabapentin, is an example of a stereochemically constrained residue in which the torsion angles about the C-beta-C-gamma (theta(1)) and C-alpha-C-beta (theta(2)) bonds are restricted to the gauche conformation. Hybrid sequences permit the design of novel hydrogen bonded rings in peptide structures.

Two Novel Hexadepsipeptides with Several Modified Amino Acid Residues Isolated from the Fungus

Two new cyclohexadepsipeptides have been isolated from the fungus Isaria. Fungal growth in solid media yielded hyphal strands from which peptide fractions were readily isolable by organic-solvent extraction. Two novel cyclodepsipeptides, isaridin A and isaridin B, have been isolated by reverse-phase HPLC, and characterized by ESI-MS and 1H-NMR. Single crystals of both peptides have been obtained, and their 3D structures were elucidated by X-ray diffraction. The isaridins contain several unusual amino acid residues. The sequences are cyclo(β-Gly-HyLeu-Pro-Phe-NMeVal-NMePhe) and cyclo(β-Gly-HyLeu-β-MePro-Phe-NMeVal-NMePhe), where NMeVal is N-methylvaline, NMePhe N-methylphenylalanine, and HyLeu hydroxyleucine (=2-hydroxy-4-methylpentanoic acid). The two peptides differ from one another at residue 3, isaridin A having an (S)-proline at this position, while β-methyl-(S)-proline (=(2S,3S)-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-3-methyl-1H-pyrrole-2-carboxylic acid) is found in isaridin B. The solid-state conformations of both cyclic depsipeptides are characterized by the presence of two cis peptide bonds at HyLeu(2)-Pro(3)/HyLeu(2)-β-MePro(3) and NMeVal(5)-NMePhe(6), respectively. In isaridin A, a strong intramolecular H-bond is observed between Phe(4)CO⋅⋅⋅HNβ-Gly(1), and a similar, but weaker, interaction is observed between β-Gly(1)CO⋅⋅⋅HNPhe(4). In contrast, in isaridin B, only a single intramolecular H-bond is observed between β-Gly(1)CO⋅⋅⋅HNPhe(4

Studies on the macroconida of microsporum-canis-characteristics of invitro amino-acid incorporativing system

The characteristics of an in vitro polyuridylic acid dependent amino acid incorporating system prepared from germinating macroconidia of Microsporum canis are described. The incorporation of 14C-phenylalanine into polyphenylalanine is dependent on S-30 extract, adenosine triphosphate, magnesium ions and polyuridylic acid. Incorporation is slightly enhanced by yeast transfer ribonucleic acid and pyruvate kinase. The system is highly sensitive to ribonuclease, puromycin and miconazole (an antifungal agent), moderately sensitive to sodium fluoride and much less sensitive to phenethylalcohol, cycloheximide, chloramphenicol and deoxyribonuclease. Cell-free extract from ungerminated conidia has less capacity to synthesize the protein and during germination a marked increase in the protein synthetic activity is observed. The results from experiments wherein ribosomes and S-100 fraction from germinated and ungerminated spores are interchanged, revealed that the defect in the extract from the ungerminated spore is in the ribosomes.

Diproline Templates as Folding Nuclei in Designed Peptides. Conformational Analysis of Synthetic Peptide Helices Containing Amino Terminal Pro-Pro Segments

The effect of N-terminal diproline segments in nucleating helical folding in designed peptides has been studied in two model sequences Piv-Pro-Pro-Aib-Leu-Aib-Phe-OMe (1) and Boc-Aib-Pro-Pro-Aib-Val-Ala-Phe-OMe (2). The structure of 1 in crystals, determined by X-ray diffraction, reveals a helical (RR) conformation for the segment residues 2 to 5, stabilized by one 4 -> 1 hydrogen bond and two 5 -> 1 interactions. The N-terminus residue, Pro(1) adopts a polyproline II (P-II) conformation. NMR studies in three different solvent systems support a conformation similar to that observed in crystals. In the apolar solvent CDCl3, NOE data favor the population of both completely helical and partially unfolded structures. In the former, the Pro-Pro segment adopts an alpha(R)-alpha(R) conformation, whereas in the latter, a P-II-alpha(R) structure is established. The conformational equilibrium shifts in favor of the P-II-alpha(R) structure in solvents like methanol and DMSO. A significant population of the Pro(1)- Pro(2) cis conformer is also observed. The NMR results are consistent with the population of at least three conformational states about Pro- Pro segment: trans alpha(R)-alpha(R), trans P-II-alpha(R) and cis P-II-alpha(R). Of these, the two trans conformers are in rapid dynamic exchange on the NMR time scale, whereas the interconversion between cis and trans form is slow. Similar results are obtained with peptide 2. Analysis of 462 diproline segments in protein crystal structures reveals 25 examples of the alpha(R)-alpha(R) conformation followed by a helix. Modeling and energy minimization studies suggest that both P-II-alpha(R) and alpha(R)-alpha(R) conformations have very similar energies in the model hexapeptide 1

Regulation of the activity of mung bean (Phaseolus aureus) glutamine synthetase by amino acids and nucleotides

The activity of glutamine synthetase isolated from the germinated seedlings of Phaseolus aureus was regulated by feedback inhibition by alanine, glycine, histidine, AMP, and ADP. When glutamate was the varied substrate, alanine, histidine, and glycine were partial noncompetitive, competitive, and mixed-type inhibitors, respectively. The type of inhibition by these amino acids was confirmed by fractional inhibition analysis. The adenine nucleotides, AMP and ADP, completely inhibited the enzyme activity and were competitive with respect to ATP. Multiple inhibition analyses revealed the presence of separate and nonexclusive binding sites for the amino acids and mutually exclusive sites for adenine nucleotides. Cumulative inhibition was observed with these end products.