Title
Acanthoscurrin fragment 101-132: Total synthesis at 60°C of a novel difficult sequence
Date Issued
19 February 2009
Access level
metadata only access
Resource Type
journal article
Author(s)
University of São Paulo
Abstract
Glycine-rich proteins (GRPs) serve a variety of biological functions. Acanthoscurrin is an antimicrobial GRP isolated from hemocytes of the Brazilian spider Acanthoscurria gomesiana. Aiming to contribute to the knowledge of the secondary structure and stepwise solid-phase synthesis of GRPs' glycine-rich domains, we attempted to prepare G101 GGLGGGRGGGYG113 GGGGYGGGYG123 GGY126 GGGKYK132 -NH2, acanthoscurrin C-terminal amidated fragment. Although a theoretical prediction did not indicate high aggregation potential for this peptide, repetitive incomplete aminoacylations were observed after incorporating Tyr126 to the growing peptide-MBHA resin (Boc chemistry) at 60°C. The problem was not solved by varying the coupling reagents or solvents, adding chaotropic salts to the reaction media or changing the resin/chemistry (Rink amide resin/Fmoc chemistry). Some improvement was made when CLEAR amide resin (Fmoc chemistry) was used, as it allowed for obtaining fragment G113-K132. NIR-FT-Raman spectra collected for samples of the growing peptide-MBHA, -Rink amide resin and -CLEAR amide resin revealed the presence of β-sheet structures. Only the combination of CLEAR-amide resin, 60°C, Fmoc-(Fmoc-Hmb)Gly-OH and LiCl (the last two used alternately) was able to inhibit the phenomenon, as proven by NIR-FT-Raman analysis of the growing peptide-resin, allowing the total synthesis of desired fragment Gly101-K132. In summary, this work describes a new difficult sequence, contributes to understanding stepwise solid-phase synthesis of this type of peptide and shows that, at least while protected and linked to a resin, this GRP's glycine-rich motif presents an early tendency to assume β-sheet structures. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Start page
65
End page
75
Volume
92
Issue
1
Language
English
OCDE Knowledge area
Bioquímica, Biología molecular
Subjects
Scopus EID
2-s2.0-60149097224
PubMed ID
Source
Biopolymers
ISSN of the container
00063525
Sources of information:
Directorio de Producción Científica
Scopus