A Water-Soluble Peptoid Chelator that Can Remove Cu2+ from Amyloid-ß Peptides and Stop the Formation of Reactive Oxygen Species Associated with Alzheimer's Disease.

Cu bound to amyloid-ß (Aß) peptides can act as a catalyst for the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS), leading to neuropathologic degradation associated with Alzheimer's disease (AD). An excellent therapeutic approach is to use a chelator that can selectively remove Cu from Cu-Aß. This chelator should compete with Zn2+ ions (Zn) that are present in the synaptic cleft while forming a nontoxic Cu complex. Herein we describe P3, a water-soluble peptidomimetic chelator that selectively removes Cu2+ from Cu-Aß in the presence of Zn and prevent the formation of ROS even in a reductive environment. We demonstrate, based on extensive spectroscopic analysis, that although P3 extracts Zn from Cu,Zn-Aß faster than it removes Cu, the formed Zn complexes are kinetic products that further dissociate, while CuP3 is formed as an exclusive stable thermodynamic product. Our unique findings, combined with the bioavailability of peptoids, make P3 an excellent drug candidate in the context of AD.

Folding of unstructured peptoids and formation of hetero-bimetallic peptoid complexes upon side-chain-to-metal coordination.

Helices are key structural features in biopolymers, enabling a variety of biological functions. Mimicking these secondary structure motifs has wide potential in the development of biomimetic materials. Peptoids, N-substituted glycine oligomers, are an important class of peptide mimics that can adopt polyproline type helices if the majority of their sequence consists of chiral bulky pendent groups. Such side-chains are structure inducers but they have no functional value. We present here the inclusion of several metal-binding groups in one peptoid oligomer as a new platform towards the development of functional helical peptoids. Thus, we describe the coordination of two metal ions to unstructured peptoids incorporating four 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ) ligands at fixed positions as two (HQ, HQ) metal binding sites, and a mixture of chiral benzyl and alkyl substituents in varied positions along the peptoid backbone. For the first time, we demonstrate by circular dichroism spectroscopy, solution NMR techniques and high-level DFT calculations that some of these unstructured peptoids can fold upon metal binding to form helical structures. Replacing one HQ ligand with a terpyridine (Terpy) ligand resulted in unique sequences that can selectively coordinate Cu2+ to the (Terpy, HQ) and Zn2+ (or Co2+) to the (HQ, HQ) sites from a solution mixture containing Cu2+ and Zn2+ (or Co2+) ions. Interestingly, the binding of Cu2+ to the (Terpy, HQ) site in one of these peptoids can initiate a conformational change that in turn facilitates the coordination of Zn2+ (or Co2+) ions to the (HQ, HQ) site, demonstrating a unique example of positive allosteric cooperativity in peptide mimics.

Chiral Cu(ii), Co(ii) and Ni(ii) complexes based on 2,2'-bipyridine modified peptoids.

Helical peptoids bearing 2,2'-bipyridine, varied in their chiral bulky side chains and their N-terminus form complexes with Cu(ii), Co(ii) and Ni(ii) via intramolecular binding. Chiral induction from the peptoid to each metal center could be only observed in some cases and is dependent on the identity of the N-terminus and on its position relative to the metal center.

A Pure Polyproline Type†I-like Peptoid Helix by Metal Coordination.

Peptoids, N-substituted glycine oligomers, are an important class of foldamers that can adopt polyproline-type helices (PP-I and PP-II), given that the majority of their sequence consists of chiral, bulky side chains. Herein a new approach for the stabilization of a pure PP-I-like peptoid helix through metal coordination is introduced. A systematic spectroscopic study was performed on a series of peptoid heptamers bearing two 8-hydroxyquinoline ligands at fixed positions, and a mixture of chiral benzyl and alkyl substituents in varied positions along the peptoid backbone. When the benzyl groups are located at the 3rd and 4th positions, the peptoid (7P6) gives upon Cu2+ binding a circular dichroism (CD) signal similar to that of a PP-I helix. Exciton couplet CD spectroscopy and EPR spectroscopy, as well as modifications to the length of 7P6 and derivatization through acetylation provided insights into the unique folding of 7P6 upon Cu binding, showing that it is led by two competing driving forces, namely coordination geometry and sequence.

Heteroleptic complexes via solubility control: examples of Cu(ii), Co(ii), Ni(ii) and Mn(ii) complexes based on the derivatives of terpyridine and hydroxyquinoline.

We describe the construction of synthetically challenging heteroleptic complexes by capitalizing on the solubility properties of their corresponding favored homoleptic complexes. We demonstrate that the formation of a heteroleptic Cu2+ complex based on 2,2':6',2''-terpyridine (Terpy) and 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ) is not possible due to the insolubility of (HQ)2Cu2+. Replacing HQ with 8-hydroxy-2-quinolinecarbonitrile (HQCN) enabled the solubility of (HQCN)2Cu2+ in acetonitrile, leading to the formation of the heteroleptic complex Terpy(HQCN)Cu2+, TQCu. Applying these conditions to the synthesis of the corresponding heteroleptic Co2+ complex resulted in TerpyCo2+(acetate)2, which is insoluble in acetonitrile. Upon changing the solvent to methanol, the carbonitrile group of HQCN was converted to carboxyimidate HQOMe yielding a heteroleptic complex Terpy(HQOMe)Co2+, TQ'Co. Using this method, we also generated the heteroleptic complex TQ'Ni and the polynuclear heteroleptic complex Q'4Q''2Mn4 (Q'' = HQO2Me). Detailed analysis of the complexes included characterization by X-ray diffraction, EPR, UV-Vis, high resolution ESI MS, DFT calculations and electrochemistry. X-ray analysis of TQCu revealed distorted square pyramidal geometry, while TQ'Co and TQ'Ni exhibit distorted octahedral geometry, which includes metal coordination via the carboxyimidate nitrogen site. Interestingly, Q'4Q''2Mn4 was found to contain a [Mn(µ3-O)2(µ2-O)4N10]2+ core, which adopts a distorted octahedral geometry, and two types of HQ chelators. Thus, Q'4Q''2Mn4 is also heteroleptic even though it does not contain a Terpy ligand. Solution studies revealed that while TQCu is stable in solution, TQ'Co and TQ'Ni go through ligand exchange and are partially converted to their corresponding homoleptic complexes. Based on these data we could propose a mechanism for the formation of TQ'Co and TQ'Ni and show that TQ'Co can be prepared directly from Terpy and HQOMe.

Versatile ruthenium complexes based on 2,2'-bipyridine modified peptoids.

Helical peptoids bearing 2,2'-bipyridine form ruthenium complexes via intermolecular binding to linear peptoid strands or intramolecular binding to a cyclic scaffold. Ru(ii) binding promoted changes in the conformational order of the peptoids, and chiral induction from the peptoids to their metal center was observed.

A rationally designed metal-binding helical peptoid for selective recognition processes.

Metal-binding biopolymers play a significant role in processes, such as regulation, recognition and catalysis, due to their high affinity towards specific metal ions, which they bind selectively from the cellular pool. Many enzymes can bind two or more metal ions, each at a specific binding site, to enable efficient cooperative function. Imitating these recognition abilities might lead to the production of biomimetic materials such as unique chelators and catalysts. Herein, we report a rationally designed helical peptoid bearing two distinct metal binding ligands at positions i and i + 3 (Helix HQT i + 3), which enables the selective recognition of one or two metal ions depending on its environment. Using various spectroscopic techniques, we describe (1) the selective intramolecular binding of Cu2+ and its extraction from a mixture of neighboring metal ions in high concentrations, and (2) the selective intermolecular binding of two different metal ions, including the pair Cu2+ and Zn2+, one at each binding site, for the generation of hetero-bimetallic peptoid duplexes. Thorough analysis and comparison between the spectroscopic data and association constants of the metal complexes formed by Helix HQT i + 3 and those formed by non-helical peptoids, or helical peptoids in which the two metal binding ligands are not pre-organized, revealed that the unique recognition processes performed by Helix HQT i + 3 are controlled by both the sequence and the structure of the peptoid.

Water-soluble chiral metallopeptoids.

Metal ions play a significant role in the activity of biological systems including catalysis, recognition and folding. Therefore, introducing metal ions into peptidomimetic oligomers is a potential way for creating biomimetic metal complexes toward applications in sensing, recognition, drug design and catalysis. Herein we report the design, synthesis and characterization of water-soluble chiral N-substituted glycine oligomers, "peptoids," with one and two distinct intramolecular binding sites for metal ions such as copper and cobalt. We demonstrate for the first time the incorporation of the chiral hydrophilic group (S)-(+)-1-methoxy-2-propylamine (Nsmp) within peptoid sequences, which provides both chirality and water solubility. Two peptoids, a heptamer, and a dodecamer bearing two and four 8-hydroxyquinoline (HQ) groups respectively as metal-binding ligands, were synthesized on solid support using the submonomer approach. Using UV-titrations and ESI-MS analysis we demonstrate the creation of a novel metallopeptoid bearing two metal ions in distinct binding sites via intramolecular chelation. Exciton couplet circular dichroism (ECCD) demonstrated chiral induction from the chiral non-helical peptoids to the metal centers.