The inhibition of calcium carbonate crystal growth by the cysteine-rich Mdm2 peptide.

The crystal growth of calcite, the most stable calcium carbonate polymorph, in the presence of the cysteine-rich Mdm2 peptide (containing 48 amino acids in the ring finger configuration), has been investigated by the constant composition technique. Crystallization took place exclusively on well-characterized calcite crystals in solutions supersaturated only with respect to this calcium carbonate salt. The kinetic results indicated a surface diffusion spiral growth mechanism. The presence of the Mdm2 peptide inhibited the crystal growth of calcite by 22-58% in the concentration range tested, through adsorption onto the active growth sites of the calcite crystal surface. The kinetic results favored a Langmuir-type adsorption model, and the value of the calculated affinity constant was k(aff)=147x10(4) dm(3)mol(-1), a(ads)=0.29.

Comparison of the solid-phase fragment condensation and phase-change approaches in the synthesis of salmon I calcitonin.

Salmon I calcitonin was synthesized using both phase-change and conventional solid-phase fragment condensation (SPFC) approaches, utilizing the Rink amide linker (Fmoc-amido-2,4-dimethoxybenzyl-4-phenoxyacetic acid) combined with 2-chlorotrityl resin and the Fmoc/tBu(Trt)-based protection scheme. Phase-change synthesis, performed by the selective detachment of the fully protected C-terminal 22-mer peptide-linker from the resin and subsequent condensation in solution with the N-terminal 1-10 fragment, gave a product of slightly less purity (85 vs. 92%) than the corresponding synthesis on the solid-phase. In both cases salmon I calcitonin was easily obtained in high purity.

9-Fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl/ tbutyl-based convergent protein synthesis.

Besides linear solid phase peptide synthesis, segment condensation in solution and chemical ligation, convergent peptide synthesis (CPS) was developed in order to enable the efficient preparation of complex peptides and small proteins. According to this synthetic strategy, solid phase synthesized and suitably protected peptide fragments corresponding to the entire peptide/protein-sequence are condensed on a solid support or in solution, to the target protein. This review summarizes CPS performed utilizing the mild 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl/tbutyloxycarbonyl-based protecting scheme for the amino acids.

Fmoc/Trt-amino acids: comparison to Fmoc/tBu-amino acids in peptide synthesis.

Model peptides containing the nucleophilic amino acids Trp and Met have been synthesized with the application of Fmoc/Trt- and Fmoc/tBu-amino acids, for comparison. The deprotection of the peptides synthesized using Fmoc/Trt-amino acids in all cases leads to crude peptides of higher purity than that of the same peptides synthesized using Fmoc/tBu-amino acids.

Synthesis of the very acid-sensitive Fmoc-Cys(Mmt)-OH and its application in solid-phase peptide synthesis.

S-4-methoxytrityl cysteine was synthesized and converted into the corresponding Fmoc-Cys(Mmt)-OH by its reaction with Fmoc-OSu. As compared to the corresponding Fmoc-Cys(Trt)-OH, the S-Mmt-function was found to be considerably more acid labile. Quantitative S-Mmt-removal occurs selectively in the presence of groups of the tert butyl type and S-Trt by treatment with 0.5-1.0% TFA. The new derivative was successfully utilized in the SPPS of Tyr1-somatostatin on 2-chlorotrityl resin. In this synthesis groups of the Trt-type were exclusively used for amino acid side-chain protection. Quantitative cleavage from the resin and complete deprotection was performed by treatment with 3% TFA in DCM-TES (95:5) for 30 min at RT. We observed no reduction of tryptophan under these conditions.

Preparation of the very acid-sensitive Fmoc-Lys(Mtt)-OH. Application in the synthesis of side-chain to side-chain cyclic peptides and oligolysine cores suitable for the solid-phase assembly of MAPs and TASPs.

N alpha-9-Fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl-N epsilon-4=methyltrityl-lysine, [Fmoc-Lys(Mtt)-OH], was prepared in two steps from lysine, in 42% overall yield. The N epsilon-Mtt function can be quantitatively removed upon treatment with 1% TFA in dichloromethane or with a 1:2:7 mixture of acetic acid/trifluoroethanol/dichloromethane for 30 min and 1 h at room temperature, respectively. Under these conditions, groups of the tert-butyl type and peptide ester bonds to TFA-labile resins, such as the 2-chlorodiphenylmethyl- and the Wang-resin, remained intact. The utility of the new derivative in peptide synthesis has been exemplified with the synthesis of a cyclic cholecystokinin analog. As an example of further application, five types of lysine cores suitable for the solid-phase synthesis of one, two or three epitopes containing antigenic peptides or template-assembled synthetic proteins have been synthesized on Merrifield, Wang and 2-chlorodiphenylmethyl resin.

Novel synthesis of cyclic amide-linked analogues of angiotensins II and III.

Cyclic amide-linked angiotension II (ANGII) analogues have been synthesized by novel strategies, in an attempt to test the ring clustering and the charge relay bioactive conformation recently suggested. These analogues were synthesized by connecting side chain amino and carboxyl groups at positions 1 and 8, 2 and 8, 3 and 8, and 3 and 5, N-terminal amino and C-terminal carboxyl groups at positions 1 and 8, 2 and 8, and 4 and 8, and side chain amino to C-terminal carboxyl group at positions 1 and 8. All these analogues were biologically inactive, except for cyclic [Sar1, Asp3, Lys5]ANGII (analogue 10) which had high contractile activity in the rat uterus assay (30% of ANGII) and [Lys1, Tyr(Me)4, Glu8]ANGII (analogue 7) which had weak antagonist activity (PA2 approximately 6). Precyclic linear peptides synthesized using 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin and N alpha-Fmoc-amino acids with suitable side chain protection were obtained in high yield and purity and were readily cyclized with benzotriazol-1-yloxytris(dimethylamino)-phosphonium hexafluorophosphate as coupling reagent. Molecular modeling suggests that the ring structure of the potent analogue can be accommodated in the charge relay conformation proposed for ANGII.

Application of 2-chlorotrityl resin in solid phase synthesis of (Leu15)-gastrin I and unsulfated cholecystokinin octapeptide. Selective O-deprotection of tyrosine.

The carboxyl terminal dipeptide amide, Fmoc-Asp-Phe-NH2, of gastrin and cholecystokinin (CCK) has been attached in high yield through its free side chain carboxyl group to the acid labile 2-chlorotrityl resin. The obtained peptide resin ester has been applied in the solid phase synthesis of partially protected (Leu15)-gastrin I utilising Fmoc-amino acids. Quantitative cleavage of this peptide from resin, with the t-butyl type side chain protection intact is achieved using mixtures of acetic acid/trifluoroethanol/dichloromethane. Under the same conditions complete detritylation of the tyrosine phenoxy function occurs simultaneously. Thus, the solid-phase synthesis of peptides selectively deprotected at the side chain of tyrosine is rendered possible by the use of 2-chlorotrityl resin and Fmoc-Tyr(Trt)-OH. The efficiency of this approach has been proved by the subsequent high-yield synthesis of three model peptides and the CCK-octapeptide.

2-Chlorotrityl chloride resin. Studies on anchoring of Fmoc-amino acids and peptide cleavage.

The esterification of 2-chlorotrityl chloride resin with Fmoc-amino acids in the presence of DIEA is studied under various conditions. High esterification yields are obtained using 0.6 equiv. Fmoc-amino acid/mmol resin in DCM or DCE, in 25 min, at room temperature. The reaction proceeds without by product formation even in the case of Fmoc-Asn and Fmoc-Gln. The quantitative and easy cleavage of amino acids and peptides from 2-chlorotrityl resin, by using AcOH/TFE/DCM mixtures, is accomplished within 15-60 min at room temperature, while t-butyl type protecting groups remain unaffected. Under these exceptionally mild conditions 2-chlorotrityl cations generated during the cleavage of amino acids and peptides from resin do not attack the nucleophilic side chains of Trp, Met, and Tyr.

Conformationally restricted C-terminal peptides of substance P. Synthesis, mass spectral analysis and pharmacological properties.

Four cyclic analogues of the C-terminal hepta- or hexapeptide of substance P were prepared by the solution method. The cyclizations were obtained by substituting with cysteine the residues normally present in positions 5 or 6 or 11 of substance P and by subsequent disulfide bond formation. The final products were identified by ordinary analytical procedures and advanced mass spectroscopy. The biological activities were determined on three bioassays: the guinea pig ileum, the guinea pig trachea and the rabbit mesenteric vein. Results obtained with these assays indicate that all peptides with a disulfide bridgehead in position 11 are inactive and that a cycle between positions 5 and 6 already strongly reduces the biological activity. The acyclic precursors containing thiol protection groups display weak biological activities. These results further underline the importance of the side chain in position 11 of substance P and suggest that optimal biological activities may require a linear peptide sequence.