Acidic groups biological activity

In several instances the amino acids of biologically active fungal peptides have been replaced by analogues. The cyclosporins are a group of closely related cyclic undecapeptides that are produced by the fungus Tolypocladium... 

Disulfides. As shown in Figure 4, the and h-chains of insulin are connected by two disulfide bridges and there is an intrachain cycHc disulfide link on the -chain (see Insulin and other antidiabetic drugs). Vasopressin [9034-50-8] and oxytocin [50-56-6] also contain disulfide links (48). Oxidation of thiols to disulfides and reduction of the latter back to thiols are quite common and important in biological systems, eg, cysteine to cystine or reduced Hpoic acid to oxidized Hpoic acid. Many enzymes depend on free SH groups for activation—deactivation reactions. The oxidation—reduction of glutathione (Glu-Cys-Gly) depends on the sulfhydryl group from cysteine. 

The Group III peptides come from the 256-amino acid precursor, pro-dynorphin [88402-55-5] (pro-enkephalin B). This group contains dynorphin A [80448-90-4] and B [85006-82-2] as weU as a-neoendorphin [77739-20-9] (Fig. 2), all of which can be further cleaved to form biologically active iatermediates, eg, dynorphin A g and P-neoendorphin [77739-21-0] (a-neoendorphin ) (28). The longer of these peptides are relatively basic because of the number of Lys and Arg residues. 

Pha.rma.ceutica.ls. Neopentanoic acid derivatives are widely used in the preparation of pharmaceuticals, eg, as a means of introducing the tert-huty group into a molecule. More frequendy, however, derivatives have been prepared that exploit the enhanced hydrolytic stabiUty of the neopentanoate group. Eor example, when salmon calcitonin is treated with N-hydroxysuccinimide pivalate [42014-50-6], the resulting derivative retains the biological activity of the precursor, but gives an extended duration of activity (51). 

It appears that chromium(III) is an essential trace element in mammalian metabolism and, together with insulin, is responsible for the clearance of glucose from the blood-stream. Tungsten too has been found to have a role in some enzymes converting CO2 into formic acid but, from the point of view of biological activity, the focus of interest in this group is unquestionably on molybdenum. 

A closely related oxygenated heterocyclic system devoid of acidic groups interestingly shows quite different biological activity. Thus, condensation of the benzofuran hydroxyketone 66 with ethyl thiomethyl acetate (67) probably proceeds initially by formation of the acylation product 68. Intramolecular dehydration leads to formation of a pyran ring. There is thus obtained the hypo-cholesterolemic agent timefurone (69) [14],... 

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