Stability, positive peptide

As indicated in Chapter III, step 1 of the fibrinogen-fibrin conversion is an example of a limited proteolytic reaction in which hydrolysis does not go to completion. Side-chain hydrogen bonding may stabilize the peptide bond in the manner indicated in Chapter III. We shall therefore discuss the reversibility of step 1 and the thermodynamic parameters for the equilibrium (Laskowski et al., 1960b). As in the case of the kinetic experiments discussed in Section 5b, the medium used was 1 molar NaBr at pH 5.3 to prevent polymerization of fibrin monomer, and the analysis for f was carried out using TAMe as a thrombin inhibitor, as already mentioned The equilibrium position was approached from both directions. 

Since 1973, several authors have proved that there is a relationship between thermostability of collagen and the extent of hydroxylation of the proline residues31,34). Equilibrium measurements of the peptides al-CB 2 of rat tail and rat skin revealed a higher rm, for al-CB 2 (rat skin)157). The sequence of both peptides is identical except that in the peptide obtained from rat skin, the hydroxylation of the proline residues in position 3 has occurred to a higher extent than in the case of al-CB 2 (rat tail). Thus, a mere difference of 1.8 hydroxy residues per chain causes a ATm of 26 K. Obviously, there are different stabilizing interactions in the triple-helical state, that means al-CB 2 (rat skin) forms more exothermic bonds than al-CB 2 (rat tail) in the coil triple-helix transition. This leads to an additional gain of enthalpy which overcompensates the meanwhile occurring losses of entropy. 

Desmopressin. Desmopressin is an analogue to the endogenous antidiuretic peptide hormone Vasopressin in which the modifications of the N-terminous amino acid and the replacement of the L-Arg for a D-Arg in position 8, significantly increases its biological stability. In this investigation, the half-life of dDAVP in the rabbit after intravenous administration was determined to be approximately 45 minutes. 

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