Prolyl bonds isomerization

For most collagens, the folding of the triple helical domain proceeds from the carboxyl end toward the amino end of the trimeric molecule in a zipper-like fashion with a rate that is limited by cis—trans isomerization of peptidyl prolyl bonds." The fast propagation of the triple helix formation is followed by a slower folding... 

Refolding is generally found to proceed by a series of exponential phases. Many of these exponentials are a consequence of cis-trans isomerization about peptidyl-prolyl bonds.14,15 The equilibrium constant for the normal peptide bond in proteins favors the trans conformation by a factor of 103-104 or so. The peptidyl-prolyl bond is an exception that has some 2-20% of cis isomer in model peptides (see Chapter 1, Figure 1.3). Further, it is often found as the cis isomer in native structures. (Replacement of ds-prolines with other amino acids by protein engineering can retain the cis stereochemistry.16) The interconversion of cis to trans in solution is quite slow, having half-lives of 10-100 s at room temperature and neutral pH. This has two important consequences. First, a protein that has several... 

Clearly, CTI leads to a periodic backbone contraction/expansion of the polypeptide chain involved, as could be inferred from the isomer-specific distances of the Ca atoms directly attached to the isomerizing peptide bond. For prolyl bonds in native proteins this distance is about 0.8 A shorter in the cis isomer when compared to the respective trans isomer [12]. This atomic translation produces a mechanical moment that was hypothesized to be involved in the functional cycle of motor proteins [13]. 

Recently, much effort has been put into predicting the isomeric state of prolyl bonds in proteins [129,130], A program on the basis of a secondary structure information was developed that predicts for a given sequence whether a particular peptide bond is in either cis or trans conformation [131]. 

Fig. 10.7 Proposed mechanism for enzymatic catalysis of prolyl cis-trans isomerization using two-dimensional representation of the reactant structures for Cypl 8. Only those Cypl 8 residues whose mutagenesis was highly critical to enzyme activity are shown. Arrows symbolize electron redistribution during approaching the transition state. As the prolyl bond rotates and the carbonyl carbon atom develops a positive charge in the transition state, the weak interaction of the base B with the amide proton of Gln63 becomes strong.

JTo facilitate reading I use the terms cis and trans proline for proline residues preceded by a cis or a trans peptide bond in the folded protein nativelike and incorrect, nonnative denote whether or not a particular prolyl peptide bond in an unfolded state shows the same conformation as in the native state. Further, I use the expression isomerization of Xaa for the isomerization of the peptide bond preceding Xaa. Peptide bonds preceding proline are referred to as prolyl bonds, and those preceding residues other than proline are termed as nonprolyl bonds. The folding reactions that involve Xaa—Pro isomerizations as rate-limiting steps are called proline-limited reactions. 

Cis/trans isomerism is not confined to prolyl bonds. Cis peptide bonds to residues other than proline (cis nonprolyl bonds) are, however, extremely rare in folded proteins because the trans form is strongly favored over cis. In short unstructured peptides 99.5—99.9% of nonprolyl peptide bonds are in the trans state (Scherer et al., 1998). Proteins that contain nonprolyl cis peptide bonds in their native states must therefore undergo trans —cis isomerizations of these bonds in virtually all refolding molecules. 

The prolyl isomerases catalyze isomerizations only at prolyl bonds and not at nonprolyl peptide bonds. The refolding of the P39A variant of RNase Tl, which is limited in rate by the very slow trans —> cis reisomerization of the Tyr38-Ala39 bond (see Section IV.B), is not catalyzed by cyclophilins, FKBPs, or parvulins. These enzymes are also unable to catalyze amide bond isomerizations in the proline-free model peptide Ala-Ala-Tyr-Ala-Ala (Scholz etal., 1998b). 

Such isomerizations sometimes are the rate-limiting step in the folding of protein domains. Many peptidyl-prolyl isomerases can catalyze the rotation of exposed peptidyl-prolyl bonds indiscriminately in numerous proteins, but some have very specific protein substrates. 

Figure 5-9. Isomerization of the N-a, prolyl peptide bond from a cis to a trans configuration relative to the backbone of the polypeptide.

Disulfide bond formation within the individual propeptides precedes folding and trimers are then formed by association of the C-terminal propeptides." Disulfide bonds between the chains are then formed and this formation is most likely catalyzed by PDI." As triple helix formation proceeds, the rate-limiting step in this process is the cis—trans isomerization of peptidyl-Pro bonds. This process can be catalyzed by peptidyl-prolyl cis—trans isomerases (cyclophilins and FKBPs). This activity is required to convert the proline residues to the trans form required for triple helix formation." " " ... 

In native collagen, all Gly-Pro and Xaa-Hyp peptide bonds are in the trans conformation, whereas in the unfolded state, a significant fraction of cis isomers populates at each Gly-Pro and Xaa-Hyp peptide bond, cis-to-trans isomerization reactions at prolyl peptide bonds are the origin for the observed slow kinetics of triple helix formation" as shown by their high activation energy ( 72 kj moG )" and their acceleration by prolyl... 

Tertiary amides, such as those associated with prolyl amide bonds frequently influence turn architectures. The importance of the cis Xaa-Pro bond on activity was recognized and proposed to be the source of differentiation in biological activity [86] therefore, isomerization of the prolyl amide bond is central to regulation of protein folding, immunosuppression, and mitosis. These functions are not surprisingly associated with several disease states and thus substitution of the acyl-proline amide bond with the fluoroolefin isostere has received considerable attention. 

C. Dugave, Study of the cis-trans isomerization of the amino-acyl prolyl peptide bond. Application to the design of novel inhibitors of immunophilins, Curr. Org. Chem. 6 (2002) 1397-1431. 

Chyraotrypsin inhibitor 2 (CI2) folds rapidly by simple two-state kinetics that is, D N, with a r1/2of 13 ms.18,19 CI2 is a small 64-residue protein that has all its peptidyl-proline bonds in the favorable trans conformation.20 (There are, of course, additional slow cis —> trans peptidyl-prolyl isomerization events, which account for about 20-30% of the refolding amplitudes.) The occurrence of two-state kinetics does not prove that there are no intermediates on the folding pathway there could be intermediates that are present at high energy and are kineti-cally undetectable (see section B4). Two-state behavior has subsequently been found for many other small proteins. The simplicity of two-state folding kinetics provides the ideal starting point for the analysis and illumination of the basic principles of folding. 

Intramolecular catalysis of amide bond isomerization is believed to play a key role in the folding of several proteins and this process has now been demonstrated experimentally including evidence for an H-bond between the side-chain and the prolyl Na in a cis-proline peptidomimetic.143 The amide (178) and the ester (179) have been used as substrates for these studies. Support for intramolecular nucleophilic attack... 

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