1.Radical acylation of L-lysine derivatives and L-lysine-containing peptides by peroxynitrite-treated diacetyl and methylglyoxal.
Tokikawa R1, Loffredo C, Uemi M, Machini MT, Bechara EJ. Free Radic Res. 2014 Mar;48(3):357-70. doi: 10.3109/10715762.2013.871386. Epub 2014 Jan 7.
Highly electrophilic α-dicarbonyls such as diacetyl, methylglyoxal, 3-deoxyglucosone, and4,5-dioxovaleric acid have been characterized as secondary catabolites that can aggregate proteins and form DNA nucleobase adducts in several human maladies, including Alzheimer's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes, sepsis, renal failure, and respiratory distress syndrome. In vitro, diacetyl and methylglyoxal have also been shown to rapidly add up the peroxynitrite anion (k2 ~ 10(4)-10(5) M(-1) s(-1)), a potent biological nucleophile, oxidant and nitrosating agent, followed by carbon chain cleavage to carboxylic acids via acetyl radical intermediate that can modify amino acids. In this study, we used the amino acid derivatives Ac-Lys-OMe and Z-Lys-OMe and synthesized the tetrapeptides H-KALA-OH, Ac-KALA-OH, and H-K(Boc)ALA-OH to reveal the preferential Lys amino group targeted by acyl radical generated by the α-dicarbonyl/peroxynitrite system. The pH profiles of the reactions are bell-shaped, peaking at approximately 7.
2.External chirality-triggered helicity control promoted by introducing a beta-Ala residue into the N-terminus of chiral peptides.
Inai Y1, Komori H. Biomacromolecules. 2004 Jul-Aug;5(4):1231-40.
The noncovalent chiral domino effect (NCDE), defined as chiral interaction upon an N-terminus of a 3(10)-helical peptide, will provide a unique method for structural control of a peptide helix through the use of external chirality. On the other hand, the NCDE has not been considered to be effective for the helicity control of peptides strongly favoring a one-handed screw sense. We here aim to promote the NCDE on peptide helicity using two types of nonapeptides: H-beta-Ala-Delta(Z)Phe-Aib-Delta(Z)Phe-X-(Delta(Z)Phe-Aib)(2)-OCH(3) [Delta(Z)Phe = alpha,beta-didehydrophenylalanine, Aib = alpha-aminoisobutyric acid], where X as the single chirality is L-leucine (1) or L-phenylalanine (2). NMR, IR, and CD spectroscopy as well as energy calculation revealed that both peptides alone form a right-handed 3(10)-helix. The original CD amplitudes or signs in chloroform, irrespective of a strong screw-sense preference in the central chirality, responded sensitively to external chiral information.
3.A pipecolic acid (Pip)-containing dipeptide, Boc-D-Ala-L-Pip-NH(i)Pr.
Didierjean C1, Boussard G, Aubry A. Acta Crystallogr C. 2002 Jul;58(Pt 7):o394-6. Epub 2002 Jun 12.
The title dipeptide, 1-(tert-butoxycarbonyl-D-alanyl)-N-isopropyl-L-pipecolamide or Boc-D-Ala-L-Pip-NH(i)Pr (H-Pip-OH is pipecolic acid or piperidine-2-carboxylic acid), C(17)H(31)N(3)O(4), with a D-L heterochiral sequence, adopts a type II' beta-turn conformation, with all-trans amide functions, where the C-terminal amide NH group interacts with the Boc carbonyl O atom to form a classical i+3 --> i intramolecular hydrogen bond. The C(alpha) substituent takes an axial position [H(alpha) (Pip) equatorial] and the trans pipecolamide function is nearly planar.
4.Differentiation of Boc- alpha,beta- and beta,alpha-peptides and a pair of diastereomeric beta,alpha-dipeptides by positive and negative ion electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (ESI-MS/MS).
Reddy PN1, Srikanth R, Swamy NS, Srinivas R, Sharma GV, Nagendar P, Krishna PR. J Mass Spectrom. 2005 Nov;40(11):1429-38.
Positive and negative ion electrospray ionization (ESI) tandem mass spectral study of a new series of hybrid peptides, viz, BocN-alpha,beta-peptides and BocN-beta,alpha-peptides, synthesized from C-linked carbo-beta3-amino acids [Caa (S)] and L-Ala has been carried out. The alpha,beta-peptides have been differentiated from beta,alpha-peptides by the collision-induced dissociation (CID) of [M + H]+ and [M - H]- ions in positive and negative ion ESI-MS respectively. The fragment ion [M + H - C(CH3)3 + H]+ formed from [M + H]+ ions by the loss of 2-methyl-prop-2-ene in alpha,beta-peptides with L-Ala at the N-terminus is insignificant or totally absent for beta,alpha-peptides which have the Caa (S) at N-terminus. The fragment ion [M - H-C(CH3)3OH - HNCO]- formed from [M - H]- of beta,alpha-peptide acids is totally absent for alpha,beta-peptide acids. This has been attributed to the absence of the beta-methylene group in alpha,beta-peptides, and the participation of the beta-methylene group in the loss of HNCO in beta,alpha-peptide acids is confirmed by the deuteration experiments.
