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E P Heimer

Publications and source records attributed to E P Heimer.

68 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1981

Stable isolated symmetrical anhydrides of N alpha-9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonylamino acids in solid-phase peptide synthesis. Methionine-enkephalin synthesis as an example.

The synthesis and isolation of symmetrical anhydrides of N alpha-9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) amino acids using water soluble carbodiimide is described. These compounds were used in a solid phase peptide synthesis of methionine-enkephalin on a p-benzyloxybenzyl ester polystyrene 1% divinylbenzene resin support. Homogeneous free pentapeptide was obtained in 42% overall yield. The Fmoc amino acid symmetrical anhydrides were stable during prolonged storage (2 years of 0 degrees) and offer advantages over present "Fmoc solid phase" methods which use anhydrides formed in situ.

Amino Acids↗
PubMed1979

Solid phase synthesis without repetitive acidolysis. Preparation of leucyl-alanyl-glycyl-valine using 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonylamino acids.

The utility of repetitive nonhydrolytic base cleavage of alpha-amino protective groups in solid phase peptide synthesis is shown by a preparation of the model tetrapeptide leucyl-alanyl-glycyl-valine on a p-benzyloxybenzyl ester polystyrene--1% divinylbenzene resin support. Nalpha-9-Fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc: Carpino & Han, 1970, 1972) amino acids were coupled by the symmetrical anhydride procedure, followed by Fmoc group cleavage using 50% piperidine in methylene chloride. Quantitative removal of the Fmoc-tetrapeptide from the solid support was effected by treatment with 55% trifluoroacetic acid in methylene chloride. Homogeneous free tetrapeptide was obtained in 87% overall yield. The procedure is proposed to offer advantages over present solid phase methods which use acidolysis for repetitive alpha-amino group deblocking.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1975

Synthesis of deoxyguanosine polyphosphates and their interactions with the guanosine 5'-triphosphate requiring protein synthetic enzymes of Escherichia coli.

A chemical synthesis of deoxyguanosine analogs of the guanosine polyphosphates accumulated by bacteria during the stringent response is described. Both deoxyguanosine 3'-diphosphate 5'-triphosphate (d-pppGpp) and deoxyguanosine 3'-diphosphate 5'-diphosphate (d-ppGpp) were prepared, as well as the by-products deoxyguanosine 3'-monophosphate 5'-triphosphate (d-pppGp) and deoxyguanosine 3'-monophosphate 5'-diphosphate. A significant difference between d-(p)ppGpp and guanosine 3'-diphosphate 5'-tri- or 5'-diphosphate (p)ppGpp) is that the 3'-pyrophosphate moiety is alkali stable in the deoxyguanosine and alkali labile in the guanosine polyphosphates. The new GTP analogs d-pppGp and d-pppGpp were compared to GTP, dGTP, and pppGpp in their ability to support reactions catalyzed by the Escherichia coli protein synthetic enzymes initiation factor 2, elongation factor Tu, and elongation factor G (EF-G). Like pppGpp, both d-pppGp and d-pppGpp showed substantial deficiency only in reactions requiring EF-G. While d-pppGpp closely resembled pppGpp in its very low activity with EF-G, d-pppGp was somewhat more active. Nevertheless, d-pppGp was a poor substrate in EF-G-dependent translocation. Qualitatively and quantitatively its support of translocation was very similar to the reaction driven by periodate-oxidized and borohydride-reduced GTP, a derivative of GTP in which the ribose ring has been cleaved between the 2'- and 3'-hydroxyl groups.

Deoxyribonucleotides↗
PubMedDate not supplied

GRF analogs and fragments: correlation between receptor binding, activity and structure.

GH-releasing activity in vitro was directly correlated with GRF receptor binding affinity for all hGRF analogs examined. hGRF(1-29)-NH2 analogs with Ala15-substitution (for Gly15) displayed 4-5 times higher affinity for the GRF receptor relative to hGRF(1-44)-NH2. Replacement of Gly15 with Sar15 resulted in a dramatic loss of activity and receptor binding. The present data supports the proposal that Ala15-substitution increases receptor affinity, and hence potency, due to increased amphiphilic alpha-helical interactions. Fragments of hGRF, representative of DPP-IV and trypsin-like cleavage, are inactive as a consequence of greatly diminished GRF receptor binding. These results provide a comprehensive analysis of the structural features required for both GRF receptor binding and activation.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Synthesis and biological activity of novel C-terminal-extended and biotinylated growth hormone-releasing factor (GRF) analogs.

A series of novel hGRF(1-29)-NH2 analogs were synthesized and biotinylated. The immunological and biological activities of these analogs were then characterized. To distance the biotin moiety from the putative bioactive core, a C-terminal spacer arm consisting of -Gly-Gly-Cys-NH2 (-GGC) was added to hGRF(1-29)-NH2 (hGRF29) and analogs, with subsequent biotinylation performed at the cysteine residue. Neither addition of the C-terminal spacer arm nor biotinylation affected affinity of these analogs for GRF antibody. Relative to hGRF(1-44)-NH2 (hGRF44: potency = 1.0), the biotinylated analogs were equipotent in vitro to their nonbiotinylated, parent compounds: [desNH2Tyr1,D-Ala2,Ala15]hGRF29-GGC-(tpBiocyt in)-NH2 (4.7) = [Ala15]hGRF29-GGC-(tpBiocytin)-NH2 (3.9) greater than hGRF29-GGC-(tpBiocytin)-NH2 (0.8). Based upon cumulative GH release data in vivo (0-60 min postinjection), [desNH2Tyr1,D-Ala2,Ala15]hGRF29-GGC-(tpBiocyt in)-NH2, [Ala15]hGRF29-GGC-(tpBiocytin)-NH2, and hGRF29-GGC-(tpBiocytin)-NH2 displayed 8.6, 5.5, and 0.8 times, respectively, the potency of hGRF44. These in vivo potency values were not significantly different from the corresponding parent compounds (i.e., with or without the C-terminal spacer arm). In summary, biotinylated hGRF analogs have been developed that retain full immunoreactivity and potent bioactivity (in vitro and in vivo), thus permitting their use in GRF receptor isolation, ELISA, and histochemical procedures.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Inhibition of phosphorylcholine binding to antibodies using synthetic peptides.

The amino-acid sequence Phe-Tyr-Met-Glu is unique to phosphorylcholine (PC)-binding antibodies. It occurs in the first complementarity-determining region (CDR1) of the immunoglobulin heavy chains in 89% of all the anti-PC myeloma and hybridoma proteins but is not present in 490 other immunoglobulin heavy chains, 854 light chains or in 2,260 other unrelated proteins. This unique tetrapeptide therefore seems to be involved in PC binding. Here we compare the effectiveness of Phe-Tyr-Met-Glu and other structurally related peptides in inhibiting the binding of PC to PC-binding proteins McPC603 and HOPC8. We also test a surface-simulation peptide that was constructed to mimic the combining site of McPC603. Our data suggest that all these peptides inhibit the binding of PC to PC-binding proteins non-specifically and we show by computer modelling that the surface-simulation peptide does not duplicate the combining site of McPC603.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Safety and immunogenicity in man of a synthetic peptide malaria vaccine against Plasmodium falciparum sporozoites.

A 12 amino-acid synthetic peptide (NANP)3 comprising the immunodominant epitope of Plasmodium falciparum circumsporozoite protein was conjugated to tetanus toxoid (TT), adjuvanted with aluminium hydroxide, and administered intramuscularly in three doses at monthly intervals to 35 healthy males as a malaria vaccine. No significant adverse reactions were noted, with mild soreness at the injection site the only common symptom. Seroconversions against NANP occurred in 53% and 71% of recipients of 100 or 160 micrograms, respectively, measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Most ELISA-positive sera reacted with sporozoites by indirect immunofluorescence (IFA). Three vaccinees with the highest ELISA and IFA titres and four unimmunized controls were challenged with P. falciparum sporozoites introduced via the bites of infective Anopheles mosquitoes. Blood stage parasites were detected in all controls by 10 days (mean 8.5 days, range 7-10). In contrast, the two vaccinees who became infected did not manifest parasitaemia until day 11 and the third vacinee showed neither parasites nor symptoms during the 29 day observation period. This first synthetic peptide parenteral vaccine against a communicable disease tested in man is safe and stimulates biologically active antibodies. These observations encourage the development of improved vaccine formulations which, by enhancing immunogenicity, may lead to practical vaccines to assist in the control of falciparum malaria.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Semisynthesis of human growth hormone-releasing factor by trypsin catalyzed coupling of leucine amide to a C-terminal acid precursor.

Human growth hormone-releasing factor, GRF(1-44)-NH2, was synthesized by trypsin catalyzed coupling of Leu-NH2 to Arg43 of the precursor, GRF(1-43)-OH, prepared by solid phase peptide synthesis. The semisynthetic GRF(1-44)-NH2 was fully characterized and showed full potency in the rat pituitary in vitro bioassay. Conversion to GRF(1-44)-NH2 was limited to 60-70% in both 75% v:v N,N'-dimethylacetamide and 95% v:v 1,4-butanediol due to competing transpeptidations at Arg41 and Arg38 generating [Leu42]-GRF(1-42)-NH2 and [Leu39]-GRF(1-39)-NH2 side-products, respectively. The rates of formation and yields of GRF(1-44)-NH2 versus pH, Leu-NH2 concentration, and solvent composition were also studied.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Semisynthesis of human growth hormone-releasing factors by alpha-amidating enzyme catalyzed oxidation of glycine-extended precursors.

Recombinant alpha-amidating enzyme was used in the semisynthesis (1-5 mg scale) of human growth hormone-releasing factor, GRF(1-44)-NH2, by in vitro enzymatic oxidation of the glycine-extended precursor, GRF(1-44)-Gly-OH, prepared by solid-phase synthesis. The equipotent analog, GRF(1-29)-NH2, and the superactive analog, [Ala15]-GRF(1-29)-NH2, were also prepared by this route and were fully characterized. Isolated yields of about 75% were obtained, and the products each possessed full potency in an in vitro rat pituitary bioassay and full receptor-binding affinity. Methods to monitor the amidation of polypeptide substrates and analyze the final products are described, including the use of capillary zone electrophoresis. A transient alpha-hydroxyglycine intermediate, [Ala15]-GRF(1-29)-Gly(alpha-OH)-OH, was isolated and characterized. Kinetic studies with this intermediate demonstrate that the rat alpha-amidating enzyme from recombinant mouse C127 cells possesses both the monooxygenase and lyase activities needed to catalyze both steps of the amidation process.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Conformational origin of a difficult coupling in a human growth hormone releasing factor analog.

During the solid-phase synthesis of the human growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) analog [Ala15, Leu27, Asn28] -GRF(1-32)-OH, incorporation of Boc-Gln16 was determined to be incomplete. While aggregation of growing resin-bound peptide chains with concomitant beta-sheet formation and "precipitation" has been proposed to account in general for such "difficult coupling," no feature of sequence in the Gln16 region of this GRF analog provided an immediate rationale for this result. We now report 500 MHz 1H NMR spectra of a series of resin-bound GRF segments surrounding the Gln16 position (19-32 through 14-32), swelled in dimethylsulfoxide-d6 solutions [GRF(14-32) = Leu14-Ala-Gln-Leu-Ser(Bzl)-Ala-Arg(Tos)-Lys(CIZ)-Leu- Leu-Gln-Asp(OcHex)-Ile-Leu-Asn-Arg(Tos)-Gln-Gln-Gly32-PAM resin]. While relatively sharp spectra are observed for GRF(19-32), components with resonances broadened by an order-of-magnitude appear in spectra of the 18-32 and 17-32 peptide-resin, and the entire spectrum of 16-32 is ill-resolved and highly broadened. Subsequent spectra sharpen again (15-32, 14-32). These combined synthesis/spectroscopic experimental results, in conjunction with predictive analyses using standard Chou-Fasman 2 degrees structure parameters, suggest that the completeness of the Gln16 coupling is hindered by formation of a specific, folded beta-sheet/beta-turn structure in GRF(16-32) (with the turn located at 18-21, "upstream" of the difficult coupling site), and accompanying aggregation of peptide chains. This analysis suggests that awareness of such potential beta-sheet/beta-turn sequences can guide analog choices, and/or facilitate pre-programming of synthesis steps in anticipation of problem couplings.

Amino Acid Sequence↗