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H L Ball

Publications and source records attributed to H L Ball.

24 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Purification of synthetic peptides using reversible chromatographic probes based on the Fmoc molecule.

A rapid, versatile, reversible procedure for purifying synthetic peptides has been developed based on the specific incorporation of 4-carboxylate Fmoc derivatives onto the terminal amino acid of peptidyl-resins. The acid stable 4-COR-Fmoc derivatives were synthesised with a variety of chemical groups thus altering the chromatographic properties of the "target" peptides and permitting their convenient purification, either by reversed-phase HPLC or ion exchange chromatography. The assembly of the peptides involved a capping step to prevent the formation of deletion forms. The 4-COR-Fmoc derivatives were incorporated either as preformed amino acid conjugates or as activated succinimidyl esters. After HF cleavage and purification the 4-COR-Fmoc probes were quantitatively removed with organic bases. The efficiency of the technique was demonstrated by the purification of small to large sized peptides, including a cyclic analogue.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The structural and aggregation properties of the synthetic C-terminal half (104-mer) polypeptide from HIV p24gag resemble those of full-length protein.

The aggregation and structural properties of the synthetic C-terminal half [Ala330, Ala350(270-373; 104-mer)] polypeptide from HIV-1 p24gag were studied. In concentrated solutions the synthetic polypeptide aggregated to tetramers which, upon dilution, gave a mixture of monomeric and dimeric and dimeric species. These results correlated well with the in vitro aggregation properties of recombinant p24. The tetrameric form of the synthetic polypeptide had a pI which differed by about four units from that of the mixture of monomeric and dimeric species. CD studies indicated that the latter contained, in aqueous solutions, a compact molecule lacking, however, a defined tertiary structure. Addition of MeOH to aqueous solutions of both tetramer and monomer/dimer mixture induced a more defined structure, which was assigned to that of an alpha + beta protein in agreement with secondary structure predictions. A model of the dimeric form of the 104-mer, which takes into account the results presented here and those from a study on the specificity of a set of anti-104-mer MoAbs, is presented. Finally, the results indicated that the structure of the 104-mer in its dimeric form is similar to that adopted by the same sequence when part of full-length p24.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Application of reversible biotinylated label for directed immobilization of synthetic peptides and proteins: isolation of ligates from crude cell lysates.

Chaperonin 10 protein from Rattus norvegicus (Rat cpn 10) has been reported to bind chaperonin 60 from Escherichia coli (GroEL) in an ATP-dependent manner. Chemically synthesized Rat cpn10 was immobilized in a defined orientation to agarose-bound monomeric avidin using a reversible biotinylated affinity label (1), attached to the N alpha-terminal residue. The resulting affinity chromatographic matrix was then used to isolate binding proteins from a crude cell lysate. Following affinity separation the bound ligand and ligate was released by treatment with organic base. Rat cpn 10 was prepared using a highly effective synthetic protocol involving HBTU/HOBt activation and capping with N-(2-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyloxy) succinimide to terminate unreacted amino groups. The biotinylated Fmoc-based molecule (1) was introduced specifically onto the N alpha-terminal amino acid as the succinimidyl carbonate, before final cleavage and deprotection of side-chain protecting groups using a low-TFMSA/high-HF procedure. Crude biotinylated Rat cpn10 (Rat cpn10 + 1) was immobilized on monomeric avidin with a binding efficiency of approximately 75% and unlabelled truncated/capped impurities eluted off the column with buffer. The biotinylated Rat cpn10-avidin affinity matrix was then used to isolate GroEL from a crude cell lysate. The identity of the purified protein was confirmed by SDS-PAGE and binding to a specific anti-GroEL monoclonal antibody (MoAb). These results extend the applicability of the biotinylated label (1), providing a reversible non-covalent anchor for immobilization of peptide and protein ligands, thus simplifying isolation of ligates and enabling recovery of synthetic material under mild conditions.

Animals↗

Affinity purification of 101 residue rat cpn10 using a reversible biotinylated probe.

The purification of large synthetic peptides using conventional separation techniques often results in poor yields and homogeneity due to the accumulation of chromatographically similar deletion and truncated impurities. We have developed a highly effective synthetic strategy and one-step purification procedure that is based on (i) the application of single coupling using HBTU/HOBt activation to reduce incomplete couplings, (ii) the use of N-(2-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyloxy)succinimide as a capping agent to terminate deletion sequences and (iii) the N-terminal derivatization of the complete peptidyl-resin with a reversible Fmoc-based chromatographic probe possessing enhanced physico-chemical properties (i.e. hydrophobicity, charge or affinity label). We report the application of a biotinylated probe, activated as the succinimidyl carbonate, for the purification of a 101 residue chaperonin protein from Rattus norvegicus (rat cpn10), previously synthesized using an optimized synthetic protocol. Biotinylated rat cpn10 was separated from underivatized impurities on an immobilized monomeric avidin column. Free rat cpn10 was released from avidin-agarose column with 5% aqueous triethylamine and after desalting by RP-HPLC gave 9.9% recovery. Characterization and assessment of homogeneity was achieved using ESI-MS, CZE and RP-HPLC.

Animals↗

The use of crown ethers in peptide chemistry-V. Solid-phase synthesis of peptides by the fragment condensation approach using crown ethers as non-covalent protecting groups.

We have previously described the conditions by which peptide synthesis by the solid-phase fragment condensation approach can be carried out using crown ethers as non-covalent protection for the N alpha-amino group. Here we demonstrate that the procedure can be extended to large, partially protected peptide fragments possessing free Lys and/or Arg residues. The first step was to ensure that complex formation on the side chain of amino acids was not detrimental to the methodology and exhibited the same solubility and coupling properties as N alpha-complexed peptides. Thus, a model hexapeptide was synthesized using Fmoc chemistry containing Lys and Arg residues, which, when complexed with 18-Crown-6, was readily soluble in DCM and coupled quantitatively to a resin-bound tetrapeptide. Two tripeptides were then prepared, one containing a free Ser residue, the other free Tyr, to examine the possible occurrence of side reactions. After coupling using standard conditions only the former tripeptide exhibited the formation of the O-acylation by-product (5%). Another model hexapeptide containing Lys, Tyr, Ser and Asp protected with a TFA-stable adamantyl group was complexed with 18-Crown-6 and coupled to the resin-bound tetrapeptide with near quantitative yield. Extending the length of the peptide to 21 and 40 residues, which represent sequences Gly52 to Leu72 (21-mer) and Pro33 to Leu72 (40-mer) from Rattus norvegicus chaperonin 10 protein, respectively, resulted in partially protected fragments that were readily soluble in water, thus enabling purification by RP-HPLC. Complexation with 18-Crown-6 gave two highly soluble products that coupled to resin-board tetramer with 68% and 50% coupling efficiencies for the 21-mer and 40-mer, respectively. Treatment with 1% DIEA solutions followed by acidolytic cleavage and purification of the major product confirmed that the correct product has been formed, when analysed by amino acid analysis and ESI-MS. These results served to extend the methodology of non-covalent protection of large partially protected peptide fragments for the stepwise fragment condensation of polypeptides.

Amino Acids↗

Chemical synthesis and characterisation of rat chaperonin 10: effect of chain length, ions, heat and N-terminal acetylation on unchaperoned folding into its heptameric form.

Recently, the sequence of mitochondrial chaperonin 10 from Rattus norvegicus (rat cpn10), with N-terminal acetylation, has been published. Two syntheses of rat cpn10 were performed, the first using a classical carbodiimide-mediated double coupling protocol (Method A) and the second a more efficient HBTU/HOBT/single coupling procedure (Method B). The latter also involved the application of a capping procedure, using N-(2-chlorobenzyloxycarbonyloxy)succinimide [Z(2-Cl)-OSu]. The crude protein from Method A was purified using a two-step isoelectric focusing/RP-HPLC scheme and found to contain a high proportion of a deletion peptide (less Gln60). Conversely, rat cpn10 from Method B was purified to homogeneity by one-step RP-HPLC, using a reversible lipophilic chromatographic probe. The proportion of biologically active heptameric structure was directly related to the purity of the protein and attained 84% with material from Method B. The addition of Ca/Mg ions, pH 7.2, or a heating/cooling cycle increased the proportion of heptamer for less pure protein. Shorter sequences were found not to fold into heptamers, suggesting that aggregation/folding motifs are located in 1-25 and 77-101 regions of rat cpn10. The heptameric cpn10 (Method B) bound correctly to GroEL from E. coli, demonstrating that N-terminal acetylation is not necessary for its folding and binding to bacterial cpn60.

Acetylation↗