Henriette A Remmer | PubMed Health

PubMed2007

Backbone dynamics determined by electron paramagnetic resonance to optimize solid-phase peptide synthesis of TOAC-labeled phospholamban.

Electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) was used to optimize the solid-phase peptide synthesis of a membrane-bound peptide labeled with TOAC (2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-piperidine-1-oxyl-4-amino-4-carboxylic acid). The incorporation of this paramagnetic amino acid results in a nitroxide spin label coupled rigidly to the alpha-carbon, providing direct detection of peptide backbone dynamics by EPR. We applied this approach to phospholamban, which regulates cardiac calcium transport. The synthesis of this amphipathic 52-amino-acid membrane peptide including TOAC is a challenge, especially in the addition of TOAC and the next several amino acids. Therefore, EPR of synthetic intermediates, reconstituted into lipid bilayers, was used to ensure complete coupling and 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) deprotection. The attachment of Fmoc-TOAC-OH leads to strong immobilization of the spin label, whereas Fmoc deprotection dramatically mobilizes it, producing an EPR spectral peak that is completely resolved from that observed before deprotection. Similarly, coupling of the next amino acid (Ser) restores the spin label to strong immobilization, giving a peak that is completely resolved from that of the preceding step. For several subsequent steps, the effect of coupling and deprotection is similar but less dramatic. Thus, the sensitivity and resolution of EPR provides a quantitative monitor of completion at each of these critical steps in peptide synthesis. Mass spectrometry, circular dichroism, and Edman degradation were used in concert with EPR to verify the chemistry and characterize the secondary structure. In conclusion, the application of conventional analytical methods in combination with EPR offers an improved approach to optimize the accurate synthesis of TOAC spin-labeled membrane peptides.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

PubMed2002

Cyclic and hairpin peptide complexes of heme.

We have synthesized and characterized a new class of heme-peptide complexes using disulfide-linked hairpin-turn and cyclic peptides and compared these to their linear analogues. The binding affinities, helicities, and mechanism of binding of linear, hairpin, and cyclic peptides to [FeIII(coproporphyrin-I)]+ have been determined. In a minimalist approach, we utilize amphiphilic peptide sequences (15-mers), where a central histidine provides heme ligation, and the hydrophobic effect is used to optimize heme-peptide complex stability. We have incorporated disulfide bridges between amphiphilic peptides to make hairpin and even cyclic peptides that bind heme extremely well, roughly 5 x 106 times more strongly than histidine itself. CD studies show that the cyclic peptide heme complexes are completely alpha-helical. NMR spectra of paramagnetic complexes of the peptides show that the 15-mer peptides bind sequentially, with an observable monopeptide, high-spin intermediate. In contrast, the cyclic peptide complexes ligate both imidazoles cooperatively to the heme, producing only a low-spin complex. Electrochemical measurements of the E1/2 of the FeIII(coproporphyrin-I)+ complexes of these peptides are all at fairly low potentials, ranging from -215 to -252 mV versus NHE at pH 7.

Disulfides↗