Amino group activated, peptide

Cellulose can be activated by CDI and coupled with the amino groups of peptides or immunoglobulins in aqueous alkaline solution to give immobilized peptides or antibodies such as the immunoglobulin IgG [210] (see also Section 6.2) ... 

A simple approach for lipidation of peptides with di-fatty acid substituted glycerol moieties is based on the use of glyceric acid.119" For this purpose (2i )-glyceric acid is esterified at the two hydroxy groups with fatty acid acyl chlorides and the resulting lipophilic synthon (18) is used directly as an active ester, e.g. Pfp ester, to acylate selected amino groups of peptides, or is used to acylate suitably functionalized spacers. 

A conceptual alternative way to the activation of the carboxylic acid function is the reaction of carboxylic acids with amino groups activated as isocyanates - and isothiocyanates (equation 16). Preparation of these derivatives is racemization free. The reaction proceeds via mixed acid anhydrides in aromatic hydrocarbon solvents at elevated temperatures, and decarboxylation leads to the V-substituted amide. Pyridine as solvent enhances the conversion rate but increases also the amount of the urea side product via disproportionation. Application to peptide chemistry is limited, because peptide ester fragments tend to form hydantoins. ... 

All enzyme molecules possess the primary, secondary, and tertiary structural characteristics of proteins (see Chapter 20). In addition, most enzymes also exhibit the quaternary level of structure. The primary structure, the linear sequence of amino adds linked through their a-carboxyl and a-amino groups by peptide bonds, is specific for each type of enzyme molecule. Each polypeptide cham is coiled up into three-dimensional secondary and tertiary levels of structure. Secondary structure refers to the conformation of limited segments of the polypeptide chain, namely a-helices, P-pleated sheets, random coils, and p-turns. The arrangement of secondary structural elements and amino acid side chain interactions that define the three-dimensional structure of the folded protein is referred to as its tertiary structure. In many cases biological activity, such as the catalytic activity of enzymes, requires two or more folded polypeptide chains (subunits) to associate to form a functional molecule. The arrangement of these subunits defines the quaternary structure. The subunits may be copies of the... 

The mechanism shown above involves two steps and an anhydride (acyl-enzyme) intermediate. In the first step Zn(II) of the enzyme electrophically activates the substrate carbonyl towards nucleophilic attack by a glutamate residue. Departure of an alkoxyl group (with ester substrates) or an amino group (with peptide substrates) results in the production of an anhydride between the enzyme glutamate residue and the scissile carboxyl group. In the second step the hydrolysis of this anhydride can be catalyzed by the... 

Electrophilic mPEG reagents 2 and 8-12 (Scheme 3.1) are a closely-related family of activated polymer derivatives, which react with primary amino groups of peptides and proteins, affording stable urethane linkages (Equation 3.1). 

The group of peptides known as tachykinins include substance P, substance K or neurokinin A, and neuromedin K, ie, neurokinin B, as well as a number of nonmammalian peptides. All members of this family contain the conserved carboxy-terrninal sequence Phe-X-Gly-Leu-Met-NH2, where X is an aromatic, ie, Phe or Tyr, or branched aliphatic, eg, Val or lie, amino acid. In general, this C-terminal sequence is cmcial for tachykinin activity (33) in fact, both the methionineamide and the C-terminal amide are cmcial for activity. The nature of the X residue in this sequence determines pharmacological identity (34,35) thus the substance P group contains an aromatic residue in this position, while the substance K group contains an aliphatic residue (33). 

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. 

Figure 7-6. Mechanism for catalysis by an aspartic protease such as HIV protease. Curved arrows Indicate directions of electron movement. Aspartate X acts as a base to activate a water molecule by abstracting a proton. The activated water molecule attacks the peptide bond, forming a transient tetrahedral Intermediate. Aspartate Y acts as an acid to facilitate breakdown of the tetrahedral intermediate and release of the split products by donating a proton to the newly formed amino group. Subsequent shuttling of the proton on Asp X to Asp Y restores the protease to its initial state.

Figure 7-7. Catalysis by chymotrypsin. The charge-relay system removes a proton from Ser 195, making it a stronger nucleophile. Activated Ser 195 attacks the peptide bond, forming a transient tetrahedral intermediate. Release of the amino terminal peptide is facilitated by donation of a proton to the newly formed amino group by His 57 of the charge-relay system, yielding an acyl-Ser 195 intermediate. His 57 and Asp 102 collaborate to activate a water molecule, which attacks the acyl-Ser 195, forming a second tetrahedral intermediate. The charge-relay system donates a proton to Ser 195, facilitating breakdown of tetrahedral intermediate to release the carboxyl terminal peptide .

The a-amino group of the new aminoacyl-tRNA in the A site carries out a nucleophilic attack on the esterified carboxyl group of the peptidyl-tRNA occupying the P site (peptidyl or polypeptide site). At initiation, this site is occupied by aminoacyl-tRNA mef. This reaction is catalyzed by a peptidyltransferase, a component of the 285 RNA of the 605 ribosomal subunit. This is another example of ribozyme activity and indicates an important—and previously unsuspected—direct role for RNA in protein synthesis (Table 38-3). Because the amino acid on the aminoacyl-tRNA is already activated, no further energy source is required for this reaction. The reaction results in attachment of the growing peptide chain to the tRNA in the A site. 

Coupling constants are routinely used to determine the side-chain conformation of amino acids in peptides and proteins. Whereas proteins nowadays are almost exclusively studied as C- and N-labeled isotopomers, peptides usually have these isotopes in natural abundance, i.e. the magnetically active heteronuclei are highly diluted. Most amino acids contain a methylene group at the ji-position for which the X angle is determined by the conformation of the Ca—Cp bond. Two vicinal Jhh coupling constants can be measured Ha to and H to Usually... 

Amino acids activated at the amino group by a benzotriazolide moiety react with amino acids under elimination of benzotriazole and C02 to give peptides. Reaction is achieved by warming up equimolar amounts of the components in anhydrous acetonitrile or aqueous acetone.[45] The benzotriazolylcarbonylamino acids are prepared from benzo-triazolyl-1-carboxylic acid chloride and amino acids.[46]... 

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