Exploring Ramachandran and chi space: conformationally constrained amino acids and peptides in the design of bioactive polypeptide ligands

Ligand binding and concomitant changes in receptor structure provide the means to target signal transduction pathways. With appropriate refinement of the ligand's interaction with the "receptor," one in theory could produce ligands that have greater therapeutic benefits. This review will discuss how, when these ligands are amino acids and peptides, the introduction of appropriate conformational constraints provides a powerful strategy for improved drug design. This review will discuss how various constraints on amino acids can provide a powerful tool for ligand design, determination of the three dimensional pharmacophore and new insights into receptor systems and information transduction. Through the use of constrained ligands, new information regarding their interaction with their "receptor" systems, and further refinement of the use of constraints, scientists can produce more beneficial drugs for mankind.

Differential down-regulation of the human delta-opioid receptor by SNC80 and [D-Pen(2),D-Pen(5)]enkephalin

We examined the contribution of the human delta-opioid receptor carboxyl terminal tail to (+)-4-[(alphaR)-alpha-((2S,5R)-4-allyl-2, 5-dimethyl-1-piperazinyl)-3-methoxybenzyl]-N,N-diethylbenzamide (SNC80)- and cyclic[D-Pen(2),D-Pen(5)]enkephalin (DPDPE)-mediated receptor down-regulation. Both SNC80 and DPDPE mediated down-regulation of an epitope tagged human delta-opioid receptor. Truncation of the human delta-opioid receptor after Gly(338) blocked DPDPE-mediated down-regulation. However, SNC80 mediated significant down-regulation of the truncated receptor. These findings suggest that SNC80-mediated down-regulation involves receptor domains in addition to the carboxyl terminal tail.

De novo antimicrobial peptides with low mammalian cell toxicity

De novo antimicrobial peptides with the sequences: (KLAKKLA)n, (KLAKLAK)n (where n = 1,2,3), (KALKALK)3, (KLGKKLG)n, and (KAAKKAA)n (where n = 2,3), were prepared as the C-terminus amides. These peptides were designed to be perfectly amphipathic in helical conformations. Peptide antibacterial activity was tested against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Staphylococcus aureus. Peptide cytotoxicity was tested against human erythrocytes and 3T3 mouse fibroblasts. The 3T3 cell testing was a much more sensitive test of cytotoxicity. The peptides were much less lytic toward human erythrocytes than 3T3 cells. Peptide secondary structure in aqueous solution, sodium dodecylsulfate micelles, and phospholipid vesicles was estimated using circular dichroism spectroscopy. The leucine/alanine-containing 21-mers were bacteriostatic at 3-8 microM and cytotoxic to 3T3 cells at about 10 microM concentrations. The leucine/alanine- or leucine/glycine-containing 14-mers and the leucine/glycine 21-mer were bacteriostatic at 6-22 microM but had much lower cytotoxicity toward 3T3 cells and higher selectivities than the natural antimicrobial peptides magainin 2 amide and cecropin B amide. The 7-mer peptides are devoid of biological activity and of secondary structure in membrane mimetic environments. The 14-mer peptides and the glycine-containing 21-mer show modest levels of helicity in model membranes. The leucine/alanine-containing 21-mer peptides have substantial helicity in model membranes. The propensity to alpha-helical conformation of the peptides in amphipathic media is proportional to their 3T3 cell cytotoxicity.