An easy tool to monitor the elemental steps of in vitro translation via gel electrophoresis of fluorescently labeled small peptides.

Several methods are available to visualize and assess the kinetics and efficiency of elemental steps of protein biosynthesis. However, each of these methods has its own limitations. Here, we present a novel, simple and convenient tool for monitoring stepwise in vitro translation initiated by BODIPY-Met-tRNA. Synthesis and release of very short, 1-7 amino acids, BODIPY-labeled peptides, can be monitored using urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Very short BODIPY-labeled oligopeptides might be resolved this way, in contrast to widely used Tris-tricine gel electrophoresis, which is suitable to separate peptides larger than 1 kDa. The method described in this manuscript allows one to monitor the steps of translation initiation, peptide transfer, translocation, and termination as well as their inhibition at an unprecedented single amino acid resolution.

Conjugates of amino acids and peptides with 5-o-mycaminosyltylonolide and their interaction with the ribosomal exit tunnel.

During protein synthesis the nascent polypeptide chain (NC) extends through the ribosomal exit tunnel (NPET). Also, the large group of macrolide antibiotics binds in the nascent peptide exit tunnel. In some cases interaction of NC with NPET leads to the ribosome stalling, a significant event in regulation of translation. In other cases NC-ribosome interactions lead to pauses in translation that play an important role in cotranslational folding of polypeptides emerging from the ribosome. The precise mechanism of NC recognition in NPET as well as factors that determine NC conformation in the ribosomal tunnel are unknown. A number of derivatives of the macrolide antibiotic 5-O-mycaminosyltylonolide (OMT) containing N-acylated amino acid or peptide residues were synthesized in order to study potential sites of NC-NPET interactions. The target compounds were prepared by conjugation of protected amino acids and peptides with the C23 hydroxyl group of the macrolide. These OMT derivatives showed high although varying abilities to inhibit the firefly luciferase synthesis in vitro. Three glycil-containing derivatives appeared to be strong inhibitors of translation, more potent than parental OMT. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulation of complexes of tylosin, OMT, and some of OMT derivatives with the large ribosomal subunit of E. coli illuminated a plausible reason for the high inhibitory activity of Boc-Gly-OMT. In addition, the MD study detected a new putative site of interaction of the nascent polypeptide chain with the NPET walls.

Penetrating cation/fatty acid anion pair as a mitochondria-targeted protonophore.

A unique phenomenon of mitochondria-targeted protonophores is described. It consists in a transmembrane H(+)-conducting fatty acid cycling mediated by penetrating cations such as 10-(6'-plastoquinonyl)decyltriphenylphosphonium (SkQ1) or dodecyltriphenylphosphonium (C(12)TPP). The phenomenon has been modeled by molecular dynamics and directly proved by experiments on bilayer planar phospholipid membrane, liposomes, isolated mitochondria, and yeast cells. In bilayer planar phospholipid membrane, the concerted action of penetrating cations and fatty acids is found to result in conversion of a pH gradient (DeltapH) to a membrane potential (Deltapsi) of the Nernstian value (about 60 mV Deltapsi at DeltapH = 1). A hydrophobic cation with localized charge (cetyltrimethylammonium) failed to substitute for hydrophobic cations with delocalized charge. In isolated mitochondria, SkQ1 and C(12)TPP, but not cetyltrimethylammonium, potentiated fatty acid-induced (i) uncoupling of respiration and phosphorylation, and (ii) inhibition of H(2)O(2) formation. In intact yeast cells, C(12)TPP stimulated respiration regardless of the extracellular pH value, whereas a nontargeted protonophorous uncoupler (trifluoromethoxycarbonylcyanide phenylhydrazone) stimulated respiration at pH 5 but not at pH 3. Hydrophobic penetrating cations might be promising to treat obesity, senescence, and some kinds of cancer that require mitochondrial hyperpolarization.

The solution synthesis of antisense oligonucleotide-peptide conjugates directly linked via phosphoramide bond by using a fragment coupling approach.

To improve antisense oligonucleotide penetration inside cells, conjugates of oligonucleotides and cell-penetrating peptides, covalently linked through a phosphoramide bond, were prepared by a fragment coupling approach in the liquid phase. Two methods were used for this synthesis, i.e., phosphorylation of a peptide amino group by an oligonucleotide terminal phosphate 1-hydroxybenzotriazole ester in aqueous media or condensation of phosphate and amino groups in presence of triphenylphosphine, 2,2'-dithiopyridine and 4-dimethylaminopyridine in organic media. Several oligonucleotides, including a 18-mer antisense oligodeoxyribonucleotide complementary to an internal coding region of the reporter gene of the green fluorescent protein (GFP) were prepared. Peptides derived from the third helix of the homeodomain of Antennapedia, the influenza envelope hemagglutinin subunit as well as melittin and polymyxin B were used for the conjugates' synthesis. The peptides with various amino acid composition were chosen to confirm that these coupling methods are of a general use.