PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

M Dyba

Publications and source records attributed to M Dyba.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Differential zinc and DNA binding by partial peptides of human protamine HP2.

The Zn(II) binding by partial peptides of human protamine HP2: HP2(1-15); HP2(1-25), HP2(26-40), HP2(37-47), and HP2(43-57) was studied by circular dichroism (CD). Precipitation of a 20-mer DNA by these partial peptides and the effects of Zn(II) thereon were investigated using polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (GE). The results of this study suggest that reduced HP2 (thiol groups intact) can bind Zn(II) at various parts of the molecule. In the absence of DNA, the primary Zn(II) binding site in reduced HP2 is located in the 37-47 sequence (involving Cys-37, His-39, His-43, and Cys-47), while in the presence of DNA, the strongest Zn(II) binding is provided by sequences 12-22 (by His-12, Cys-13, His-19, and His-22) and 43-57 (His-43, Cys-47, Cys-53, and His-57). In its oxidized form, HP2 can bind zinc through His residues of the 7-22 sequence. Zn(II) markedly enhances DNA binding by all partial peptides. These findings suggest that Zn(II) ions may be a regulatory factor for sperm chromatin condensation processes.

Binding Sites↗

Fluorescence microscopy with diffraction resolution barrier broken by stimulated emission.

The diffraction barrier responsible for a finite focal spot size and limited resolution in far-field fluorescence microscopy has been fundamentally broken. This is accomplished by quenching excited organic molecules at the rim of the focal spot through stimulated emission. Along the optic axis, the spot size was reduced by up to 6 times beyond the diffraction barrier. The simultaneous 2-fold improvement in the radial direction rendered a nearly spherical fluorescence spot with a diameter of 90-110 nm. The spot volume of down to 0.67 attoliters is 18 times smaller than that of confocal microscopy, thus making our results also relevant to three-dimensional photochemistry and single molecule spectroscopy. Images of live cells reveal greater details.

Escherichia coli↗

New conformationally restricted analog of the immunosuppressory mini-domain of HLA-DQ and its biological properties.

Our previous studies revealed that the nonapeptide fragment of HLA-DQ located in the beta 164-172 loop of the Thr-Pro-Gln-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-Tyr-Thr sequence suppresses the immune humoral and cellular responses [30]. Based on the crystal structure of HLA-class II molecules we designed and synthesized a cyclic analog with restricted conformation, cyclo(Suc-Thr-Pro-Gln-Arg-Gly-Asp-Val-Lys)-Thr-OH (Suc = succinyl) by reacting a Lys side chain with a succinylated N-terminus. The cyclization product more potently suppresses the cellular immune response than its linear counterparts and is efficiently cleaved by trypsin. The results indicate that the beta 164-172 loop may serve as a functional epitope on the HLA class II surface for intermolecular binding.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Specific interactions of bovine and human beta-casomorphin-7 with Cu(II) ions.

Complex formation between Cu(II) and human and bovine beta-casomorphin heptapeptides, Tyr-Pro-Phe-Val-Glu-Pro-Ile and Tyr-Pro-Phe-Pro-Gly-Pro-Ile, respectively, was investigated by pH potentiometry and spectroscopic (CD, EPR and electronic absorption) techniques. The results showed the critical impact of Pro residues on the complex equilibria formed. The presence of the Pro residue at the second position leads to formation of very stable dimeric species in which two metal ions co-ordinate to N-terminal ¿NH2, C=O¿ binding sites of one peptide molecule and the deprotonated phenolic oxygen of the second ligand molecule. The presence of two additional hydrophobic residues on the C-terminal makes heptapeptide molecule much more effective ligand than its pentapeptide N-terminal fragment.

Animals↗

Binding ability of Cu2+ ions by opiate-like fragments of bovine casein.

The coordination modes of Cu(II) to alpha-casein (90-95) and alpha-casein (90-96) peptides with opioid activity isolated from pepsin hydrolisates of alpha-casein were investigated by means of electron paramagnetic resonance, absorption, and circular dichroism spectroscopy and potentiometry. The results allow the identification of the complex species involved and the attribution of the spectral data set to the various complex structures. According to the spectroscopic data, a phenolate side-chain of Tyr residue belonging to the Gly-Tyr-Leu or Gly-Tyr-Leu-Gln fragment of the peptides is involved in the metal coordination in a complex which is a minor species at neutral pH range.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

The impact of the amino-acid sequence on the specificity of copper(II) interactions with peptides having nonco-ordinating side-chains.

The review presents specific interactions that occur in complexes of Cu(II) ions with peptides composed only of amino acids with nonco-ordinating side chains. Three classes of such peptides are discussed. The first type (NSFRY analogues) is characterised by the presence of a specific combination of bulky and aromatic residues, leading to a formation of multiple weak interactions around Cu(II) that result in an extremely high stability of complexes. The second class is composed of complexes of vasopressins and oxytocins, achieving superstability through a pre-conformation in the peptide molecule. The third group are oligopeptides containing one or two proline residues. These peptides form exotic macrochelate loops with Cu(II) in a result of the break-point effect of Pro residues. Particular emphasis in the review was given to stability constants of complexes, compared to oligoglycine or oligoalanine peptides.

Alanine↗