Peptide research最新文献

We report an improved procedure for the synthesis of fully protected aminoacyl 7-amino-4-methylcoumarin amide (MCA) employing the phosphorous oxychloride anhydride method. Seven Boc-X-MCA [where X = Arg(NG Tos), Cys(S-Bzl), Thr(O-Bzl), Ser(O-Bzl), Phe, Leu and Gly] and Z-Tyr(O-Me) were synthesized using this procedure, with yields ranging from 50% to 75%. These aminoacyl-MCA derivatives were employed for the synthesis of epsilon-NH2-caproyl-Leu-X-MCA, a fluorescent peptide series, which were assayed as papain substrates. All of them were completely hydrolyzed by papain, indicating that all of the Boc-X-MCA derivatives obtained were practically free of racemization. Since epsilon-NH2-Caproyl-Leu-(S-Bzl)Cys-MCA is very susceptible to hydrolysis by papain, quite resistant to hydrolysis by chymotrypsin and not hydrolyzed by trypsin, it is recommended for assays of thiol-proteinases in which specificity is required.

The c-Jun transcription factor contains a transactivation domain that belongs to the "acidic" type of transcription activator. To determine the secondary structure of the Jun activation domain, we synthesized a peptide corresponding to amino acids 61 to 98 of c-Jun. Jun N-terminal kinases are able to phosphorylate Ser-63 and Ser-73 in vivo, which dramatically increases the transactivation potential of Jun. As this phosphorylation event may influence the secondary structure, we synthesized a second peptide containing two phosphoserine groups instead of serine in positions 63 and 73. Secondary structure predictions did not show potential for the peptides to adopt any stable, dominating conformation. Both peptides were purified and analyzed by circular dichroism spectroscopy. The peptides appeared to be flexible and essentially unstructured in aqueous solution. At acidic pH, we observed a decrease in the negative ellipticity at 202 nm, suggesting that some ordered structure might be present under these conditions. alpha-Helical conformation, as a dominating secondary structure, was induced in the presence of trifluoroethanol, and there was no significant difference between the unphosphorylated and phosphorylated peptides.

In this paper we describe an assay method for the rapid detection and quantitation of human neutrophil FMLP (N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine) receptor molecules. Although different assay methods are available to detect the receptor, none are rapid and at the same time allow quantitative detection of the binding affinity of the receptor molecule in solution. In our modified method, following a binding reaction using photoaffinity ligand, the amount of labeled ligand bound to the receptor is separated from the unbound one, thereby determining the binding affinity of the receptor protein. This simple procedure not only makes it possible to detect the recombinant FMLP receptor protein very rapidly, but also provides quantitative assessment of binding. This technique therefore allows a partial characterization (identification, determination of size and assessment of binding affinity) of receptor molecule in solution in less than 24 hours.

We evaluated the quantity of delta-lactam generated during the synthesis of arginine-containing dipeptides using Z-Arg(Tos)-OH, Boc-Arg(Tos)-OH, Fmoc-Arg(Boc)2-OH and Fmoc-Arg(Pmc)-OH and assayed several carboxyl-activating procedures for coupling the protected arginines to different amino components. We observed significant amounts of delta-lactam during the synthesis of Z-Arg(Tos)-methyl ester and Z-Arg(Tos)-amide, as well as of Boc-Arg(Tos)-chloromethyl ketone. The mixed anhydride coupling procedure and the di-Boc-protecting guanidino group induced more delta-lactam formation than any other coupling or NG-protection method. The amide, benzyl, 4-(NO2)-benzyl and methyl alpha-carboxyl-protected amino acids generated more delta-lactam than did those protected by tertbutyl or N2H2-Boc. So far it has not been possible to propose a general mechanism for delta-lactam formation or a process that completely abolishes it. Therefore, this side reaction should be considered almost inevitable. Its minimization requires examination of arginine-containing peptides in each specific synthesis.

We recently described the local destabilizing effect of systematic double D-amino acid replacements for characterization of amphipathic helices in peptides. The objective of this study was to determine the destabilizing effect of two adjacent D-amino acids incorporated into the center of a single-stranded amphipathic alpha-helix by hydrogen exchange and guanidine hydrochloride denaturation studies in trifluoroethanol (TFE)/water. Data from guanidine hydrochloride titration experiments in the presence of 30% TFE suggest that double D-amino acid replacements at the center of the helix destabilize the secondary structure by 4.5 kJ/mol. While the exchange rate for one backbone proton was found to vary by a factor of 10 at the replacement position, the remaining backbone protons are not markedly influenced by double D-amino acid replacement. These results confirm the hypothesis that the energy of -4.5 kJ/mol per residue is a major contribution to the stability of helical peptides in water and in solvent mixtures of TFE/water.

The p126 Plasmodium falciparum antigen is processed into two fragments, p50 and p73, the latter one containing the subfragments p47 and p18 when the schizonts rupture. An absence of antibody response against the p126 antigen has been reported recently in H-2b mice and limited to the p73 processed fragment in H-2d mice. Synthetic peptides corresponding to various domains of the molecule have been used to immunize mice in order to overcome the absence of an immune response. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the N-terminus of p50 or p18 as well as to the C-terminus of p47 were unable to induce anti-peptide antibodies when injected carrier-free or coupled to ovalbumin. Synthetic peptides corresponding to the C-terminus of p18 or composed of 6 or 9 serines were able to induce anti-peptide antibodies when injected coupled to a carrier protein. However, none of these antibodies was able to recognize the native p126 molecule. Various synthetic peptides corresponding to the 6-octapeptide [Nt47 (6 x 8)] or the 4-octapeptide [Nt47(4 x 8)] repeat sequence localized at the N-terminus of the p47 have also been used to immunize mice. No antibodies were generated using a carrier-free [Nt47(6 x 8)-Cys]2 or [Nt47 (4 x 8)-Cys]2 peptide, an octameric multiple antigen peptide construct [Nt47(6 x 8)]-MAP or the [Nt47(6 x 8)] coupled to one or two palmitic acids. In contrast, [Nt47(6 x 8)]-Cys coupled to either tetanus toxoid (TT) or ovalbumin (OVA) and [Nt47(4 x 8)]-Cys coupled to OVA induced antibodies against the synthetic peptide and the native p126 molecule in both H-2d and H-2b mice. A multiple antigen peptide construct [Nt47(4 x 8)-MSP-3b]-MAP containing 4 [Nt47(4 x 8)] and 4 [MSP-3b] also induced antibodies against the synthetic peptide [Nt47(4 x 8)-Cys]2 and the native p126 molecule in both H-2d and H-2b mice.

We have designed and constructed a multiple automated robotic synthesizer, the MARS. Its novel timing procedure for handling multiple synthetic tasks eliminates unnecessary respite time by keeping the robotic arm in continuous operation. Polypropylene syringes equipped at the bottom with polypropylene frits serve as physically independent reaction vessels. All operations are performed by the robotic arm, which is equipped with a specially designed gripper to hold a syringe and to aspirate and dispense liquid. Typically, the MARS synthesizes concurrently 5 to 15 peptides of different length, and once one peptide is finished it automatically starts the synthesis of the next peptide in the queue, assuring a continuous flow of peptides.

Sets of peptides with defined sequences, each on a separate spot, were synthesized simultaneously on continuous cellulose membranes (SPOTs membranes), which were originally designed for epitope studies. The applicability of the membrane-bound peptides as substrates for protein kinases was tested using protein kinase A, protein kinase C and casein kinases I and II as model enzymes. We found that the peptide-membrane complexes can serve as kinase substrates. Our results suggest that membrane-bound peptides offer a new potential for the investigation of substrate specificity of protein kinases. An advantage to this method is that there is no need for substrate identification and separation, which is required with high-volume random peptide libraries. Membrane-bound peptides may even form a basis for kinase assays with peptides lacking multiple basic amino acids, required for separation of the substrates in conventional assays. Problems connected with protein kinase substrate specificity can be investigated in any laboratory using the rapid and inexpensive SPOTs technique, as neither costly apparatus nor special experience in peptide synthesis is necessary.

Three different peptides, A13, A14x2 and A20, related to the Arc repressor from Salmonella phage P22, were synthesized. They all contained the 13 N-terminal residues of Arc known to form a beta-sheet interacting with the operator OArc. In the case of A20, the tripeptide Lys-Trp-Lys was added in the C-terminal position because of its propensity to increase affinity to DNA. The interaction of the three peptides with OArc and with other related (OMnt from the same phage) and unrelated oligonucleotides was followed using circular dichroism, filter binding assays and DNaseI protection experiments. While Kd = 10(-9) M for the protein, 8.7 x 10(-5) M and 7.7 x 10(-6) M Kd values were obtained for A14x2 and A20 interacting with OArc.

The carboxyl terminus of the M protein of group A streptococci (GAS) is highly conserved and contains epitopes that have been shown to induce opsonic antibodies and protection against GAS infection. This region of the protein can also stimulate T cells, which can react in vitro with heart antigens. Since different segments of the carboxyl terminus may be involved in immunity to GAS and in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disease (rheumatic heart disease), it is important to precisely define critical epitopes. However, the M protein is known to be a coiled coil, and a critical immunodominant antibody-binding epitope within this region (peptide 145, a 20-mer with the sequence LRRDLDASREAKK-QVEKALE) is shown here to be conformational. Thus, small synthetic overlapping peptides of 8-12 amino acids in length that span peptide 145 (p145) were unable to capture antibodies present in p145-immune mouse sera or in endemic human sera, even though antibodies raised to these small peptides coupled to diphtheria toxoid could bind the smaller peptides and, in some cases, p145. A series of mutated peptides in which every residue of p145 was sequentially altered also failed to identify critical residues for antibody binding. We thus devised a strategy to produce chimeric peptides in which small peptides copying the M protein sequence were displayed within a larger 28-mer peptide derived from the sequence of the GCN4 leucine zipper DNA binding protein of yeast. A 12-amino-acid window of the p145 sequence was inserted into the GCN4 peptide in such a way as to preserve any potential helical structure. The window was moved along one residue at a time to give a series of peptides representing p145. Circular dichroism demonstrated that these larger chimeric peptides and p145, but not a shorter 12-mer peptide, displayed alpha-helical potential in 50% trifluoroethanol. Certain chimeric peptides efficiently captured antibodies specific for p145 and thus enabled us to map the minimal antibody-binding sequence. RRDLDASREAKK, referred to as J(1)2. The chimeric peptide containing this sequence, referred to as J2, was able to inhibit opsonization of GAS by human antisera containing anti-peptide 145 antibodies. The T-cell response from p145-immunized responder B10.BR mice to J2 and J(I)2 was much lower than the response to p145 and mapped to a different peptide.