• BMB Reports
• /
• v.44 no.11
• /
• pp.747-752
• /
• 2011

To investigate the effects of disulphide bond position on the salt resistance and lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-neutralizing activity of ${\alpha}$-helical homo-dimeric antimicrobial peptides (AMPs), we synthesized an ${\alpha}$-helical model peptide ($K_6L_4W_1$) and its homo-dimeric peptides (di-$K_6L_4W_1$-N, di-$K_6L_4W_1$-M, and di-$K_6L_4W_1$-C) with a disulphide bond at the N-terminus, the central position, and the C-terminus of the molecules, respectively. Unlike $K_6L_4W_1$ and di-$K_6L_4W_1$-M, the antimicrobial activity of di-$K_6L_4W_1$-N and di-$K_6L_4W_1$-C was unaffected by 150 mM NaCl. Both di-$K_6L_4W_1$-N and di-$K_6L_4W_1$-C caused much greater inhibitory effects on nitric oxide (NO) release in LPS-induced mouse macrophage RAW 264.7 cells, compared to di-$K_6L_4W_1$-M. Taken together, our results indicate that the presence of a disulphide bond at the N- or C-terminus of the molecule, rather than at the central position, is more effective when designing salt-resistant ${\alpha}$-helical homo-dimeric AMPs with potent antimicrobial and LPS-neutralizing activities.

• Journal of Microbiology
• /
• v.37 no.2
• /
• pp.97-101
• /
• 1999

Random hexapeptide library on the surface of filamentous bacteriophage was constructed using the SurfZAP vector. The size of the library was approximately 105. The peptide insert was flanked by two cysteines to constrain the peptide structure with a disulfide bond. This library was screened for the topoisomerase II binding peptide. Dramatic enrichment of the fusion phage over the VCS M13 helper phage was demonstrated by bio-panning affinity selection.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.29 no.1
• /
• pp.31-37
• /
• 1985

N-Acetyl-1-phenylalanyl-1-phenylalanine methyl ester (APhPhMe), N-acetyl-l-phenylalanine methyl ester (APhMe) and N-acetyl-1-phenylalanyl-1-alanine methyl ester (APhAlMe) were used as model compounds to investigate a protein denaturation under various temperatures and pressures. Overall, the solubility of APhPhMe in water increased with increasing pressure and that of APhMe decreased. However, the solubility of APhAlMe was nearly same. The values of volume change of APhPhMe were -0.9, -1.47, -1.09, -1.52 ml/mole at 20, 30, 40 and 50$^{\circ}C$, respectively, and those of APhMe were +6.0, +7.0, +7.5 ml/mole at 20, 30 and 40$^{\circ}C$, respectively. But those of APhAlMe were nearly zero at the measured temperature. The experimental result seems to be explained by the hydrophobic interaction and hydrogen bond of peptide bonds. In the compounds which have only peptide bonds and which have both a pretty large hydrophobic group and a peptide bond in the molecules, the hydrogen bond between peptide bonds is more dominant than the hydrophobic interaction. However, when the number of peptide bond and hydrophobic group increase simultaneously, the hydrophobic interaction seems to be more dominant.

• Journal of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.26 no.5
• /
• pp.296-303
• /
• 1982

The solubilities of 1-phenyl-2-acetamido-3-butanone were measured in $H_2O$ at 20, 30 and 40$^{\circ}$C at pressure from 1 to 4500 kg/$cm^2$. Pressure going up to 4500 kg/$cm^2$, the solubility in $H_2O$decreases consistantly as that of diketopiperazine does. As diketopiperazine is a model compound of peptide bond and 1-phenyl-2-acetamido-3-butanone has only one peptide bond and a pretty large hydrophobic group, the solubility behavior is quite surprising. Volume change and heat capacity change data are reasonable.

• Molecules and Cells
• /
• v.39 no.4
• /
• pp.316-321
• /
• 2016

The receptor activator of nuclear factor ${\kappa}B$ (RANK) and its ligand RANKL are key regulators of osteoclastogenesis and well-recognized targets in developing treatments for bone disorders associated with excessive bone resorption, such as osteoporosis. Our previous work on the structure of the RANK-RANKL complex revealed that Loop3 of RANK, specifically the non-canonical disulfide bond at the tip, performs a crucial role in specific recognition of RANKL. It also demonstrated that peptide mimics of Loop3 were capable of interfering with the function of RANKL in osteoclastogenesis. Here, we reported the structure-based design of a smaller peptide with enhanced inhibitory efficiency. The kinetic analysis and osteoclast differentiation assay showed that in addition to the sharp turn induced by the disulfide bond, two consecutive arginine residues were also important for binding to RANKL and inhibiting osteoclastogenesis. Docking and molecular dynamics simulations proposed the binding mode of the peptide to the RANKL trimer, showing that the arginine residues provide electrostatic interactions with RANKL and contribute to stabilizing the complex. These findings provided useful information for the rational design of therapeutics for bone diseases associated with RANK/RANKL function.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Applied Pharmacology
• /
• 1998.11a
• /
• pp.150-151
• /
• 1998

Drug delivery to the brain is facilitated by the synthesis of chimeric peptides, where in neuropharmaceuticals are linked to a vector such as an antibody to the transferrin receptor that mediates transcytosis through the blood-brain barrier (BBB). When disulfide linkers are used in the chimeric peptide, it is crucial that the S-S bridge is stable during transit and that cleavage does not occur prematurely within endothelial cells, as the peptide drug moiety would then be sequestered by the BBB instead of passing through it. The present study addressed that problem. As a model drug a metabolically stable opioid peptide, [$^3$H]DALDA (Tyr-dArg-Phe-Lys-NH$_2$), was used. It was monobiotinylated with NHS-SS-biotin to yield bio-[$^3$H]DALDA. The biotinylated peptide was bound to the vector OX26-SA which is a covalent conjugate of OX26 and streptavidin (molar ratio = 1: 1). In vitro treatment of the chimeric peptide, bio-[$^3$H]DALDA/OX26-SA, with a reducing agent, dithiothreitol, released the labeled peptide from the vector by conversion of bio-[$^3$H]DALDA to the desbiotinylated derivative, desbio-[$^3$H]DALDA.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
• /
• v.12 no.4
• /
• pp.131-136
• /
• 2021

Collision-induced dissociation of peptides involves a series of proton-transfer reactions in the activated peptide. To describe the kinetics of energy-variable dissociation, we considered the heat capacity of the peptide and the Marcus-theory-type proton-transfer rate. The peptide ion was activated to the high internal energy states by collision with a target gas in the collision cell. The mobile proton in the activated peptide then migrated from the most stable site to the amide oxygen and subsequently to the amide nitrogen (N-protonated) of the peptide bond to be broken. The N-protonated intermediate proceeded to the product-like complex that dissociated to products. Previous studies have suggested that the proton-transfer equilibria in the activated peptide affect the dissociation kinetics. To take the extent of collisional activation into account, we assumed a soft-sphere collision model, where the relative collision energy was fully available to the internal excitation of a collision complex. In addition, we employed a Marcus-theory-type rate equation to account for the proton-transfer equilibria. Herein, we present results from the integrated thermochemical approach using a tryptic peptide of ubiquitin.

• Bulletin of the Korean Chemical Society
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.19-22
• /
• 1989

The suitability of BMPI (2-bromo-N-methyl pyridinium iodide) for solid-phase peptide synthesis was investigated. The coupling rate of BMPI/HOBT procedure. BMPI/HOBT was superior to DCC/HOBT couplings using the solid-phase peptide bond formation proceeded to a greater degree of completion than DCC/HOBT method did. Double couplings with 2 equiv. of Bocamino acids and 1.5 equiv. of BMPI and $NEt_3$ and 2 equiv. of HOBT in DMF/MC (1:1 v/v) gave the best result for the preparation of a model compound. Stepwise solid phase peptide synthesis using BMPI/HOBT procedure was successfully utilized for the preparation of $(D-Ala)^2$-dynorphine A. BMPI/HOBT procedure for the synthesis of $(D-Ala)^2$-dynorphine gave better yield (20%) than DCC/HOBT procedure did.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
• /
• v.10 no.1
• /
• pp.32-37
• /
• 2019

The ${\pi}-{\pi}$ interactions of the peptide-dimer and peptide-trimer complexes were investigated in the (VQIVYK + LYQLEN) and (VQIVYK + NNQQNY) mixing solutions. The results showed that tyrosine (Y) residues were critical in the formation of hetero peptide-dimers and -trimers during the early oligomerization process. We used collision-induced dissociation (CID) along with electrospray ionization mass spectroscopy (ESI-MS) to obtain the structural information of the hetero-dimers and -trimers. We chose three amyloidogenic peptides-VQIVYK, NNQQNY, and LYQLEN-from tau protein, yeast prion-like protein Sup35, and insulin chain A, respectively. Hetero-dimer, -trimer, -tetramer, and -pentamer complexes were observed in the mass spectra. The tandem mass spectrum of the hetero-dimer and hetero-trimer showed two different fragmentation patterns (covalent and non-covalent bond dissociation). Y-Y interaction structures were also proposed for the hetero-dimer and -trimer complexes.

• Mass Spectrometry Letters
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.5-8
• /
• 2010

In the present study, collisionally-activated dissociation (CAD) experiments were performed under low energy collision conditions in six peptides containing a disulfide bond. Fragments produced as a result of the cleavage of a disulfide bond were obtained after CAD in four peptides (bactenecin, TGF-$\alpha$, cortistantin, and linearly linked peptide, Scheme 1) with basic amino acid residues. In contrast, the CAD analysis of two peptides with no basic residue (oxytocin and tocinoic acid) rarely produced fragments indicative of cleavage of a disulfide bond. These results are consistent with the mobile proton model suggested by the McLuckey and O'air groups (ref. 22 and 23); nonmobile protons sequestered at basic amino acid residues appear to promote the cleavage of disulfide bonds.