Biomedical subjects

M Sukumar

Publications and source records attributed to M Sukumar.

22 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1987

Nuclear Overhauser effects as probes of peptide structure. A diagnostic for left-handed helical conformations.

The conformational dependence of the interresidue interproton distances in peptides, C alpha H ... Ni + 1 H and NiH ... Ni + 1 H, have been used to identify zones of sterically allowed phi, psi space, where both distances are less than 3A and expected to yield nuclear Overhauser effects (NOEs). L-residues in left-handed helical conformations are expected to yield both interresidue NOEs and also an appreciable intraresidue NiH----C alpha iH NOE. The effect of cutoff distances has been evaluated. Experimental results on three model peptides illustrate the utility of these NOEs in identifying L-residues at the i + 2 position of Type II and I' beta-turns. Simultaneous observation of both interresidue NOEs may also be indicative of conformational heterogeneity in specific cases, as illustrated for a single residue in a decapeptide.

Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy↗

PubMed1987

Conformation of a 16-residue zervamicin IIA analog peptide containing three different structural features: 3(10)-helix, alpha-helix, and beta-bend ribbon.

Boc-Trp-Ile-Ala-Aib-Ile-Val-Aib-Leu-Aib-Pro-Ala-Aib-Pro-Aib-Pro-Phe-OMe (where Boc is t-butoxycarbonyl and Aib is alpha-aminoisobutyric acid), a synthetic apolar analog of the membrane-active fungal peptide antibiotic zervamycin IIA, crystallizes in space group P1 with Z = 1 and cell parameters a = 9.086 +/- 0.002 A, b = 10.410 +/- 0.002 A, c = 28.188 +/- 0.004 A, alpha = 86.13 +/- 0.01 degrees, beta = 87.90 +/- 0.01 degrees, and gamma = 89.27 +/- 0.01 degrees; overall agreement factor R = 7.3% for 7180 data (F0 greater than 3 sigma) and 0.91-A resolution. The peptide backbone makes a continuous spiral that begins as a 3(10)-helix at the N-terminus, changes to an alpha-helix for two turns, and ends in a spiral of three beta-bends in a ribbon. Each of the beta-bends contains a proline residue at one of the corners. The torsion angles phi i range from -51 degrees to -91 degrees (average value -64 degrees), and the torsion angles psi i range from -1 degree to -46 degrees (average value -31 degrees). There are 10 intramolecular NH...OC hydrogen bonds in the helix and two direct head-to-tail hydrogen bonds between successive molecules. Two H2O and two CH3OH solvent molecules fill additional space with appropriate hydrogen bonding in the head-to-tail region, and two additional H2O molecules form hydrogen bonds with carbonyl oxygens near the curve in the helix at Pro-10. Since there is only one peptide molecule per cell in space group P1, the molecules repeat only by translation, and consequently the helices pack parallel to each other.

Amino Acids↗

PubMed1986

Parallel packing of alpha-helices in crystals of the zervamicin IIA analog Boc-Trp-Ile-Ala-Aib-Ile-Val-Aib-Leu-Aib-Pro-OMe.2H2O.

An apolar synthetic analog of the first 10 residues at the NH2-terminal end of zervamicin IIA crystallizes in the triclinic space group P1 with cell dimensions a = 10.206 +/- 0.002 A, b = 12.244 +/- 0.002 A, c = 15.049 +/- 0.002 A, alpha = 93.94 +/- 0.01 degrees, beta = 95.10 +/- 0.01 degrees, gamma = 104.56 +/- 0.01 degrees, Z = 1, C60H97N11O13 X 2H2O. Despite the relatively few alpha-aminoisobutyric acid residues, the peptide maintains a helical form. The first intrahelical hydrogen bond is of the 3(10) type between N(3) and O(0), followed by five alpha-helix-type hydrogen bonds. Solution 1H NMR studies in chloroform also favor a helical conformation, with seven solvent-shielded NH groups. Continuous columns are formed by head-to-tail hydrogen bonds between the helical molecules along the helix axis. The absence of polar side chains precludes any lateral hydrogen bonds. Since the peptide crystallizes with one molecule in a triclinic space group, aggregation of the helical columns must necessarily be parallel rather than antiparallel. The packing of the columns is rather inefficient, as indicated by very few good van der Waals' contacts and the occurrence of voids between the molecules.

Aminoisobutyric Acids↗

PubMed1985

A highly active chemotactic peptide analog incorporating the unusual residue 1-aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid at position 2.

Analogs of chemotactic peptides (Formyl-Met-X-Phe-OMe) containing the stereochemically constrained residues alpha-aminoisobutyric acid (Aib), 1-aminocyclopentanecarboxylic acid (Acc5) and 1-aminocyclohexanecarboxylic acid (Acc6) at position 2 are compared with the parent sequence (X = Leu) for their ability to induce lysozyme release in rabbit neutrophils. The Acc6 analog is about 78 times more active than the parent peptide, For-Met-Leu-Phe-OH, whereas Aib and Acc5 analogs are approximately 3 and 2 times, respectively, less active than the parent peptide. NMR and model building studies clearly favour a Met-Acc6 beta-turn solution conformation in the Acc6 analog, suggesting that the neutrophil receptor is capable of recognizing a folded peptide structure. The significant differences in the activities of the Acc5 and Acc6 analogs suggest an important role for the residue 2 sidechain in receptor interactions.

Amino Acids↗