Direct Evidence for CH···π Interaction Mediated Stabilization of Pro-cisPro Bond in Peptides with Pro-Pro-Aromatic motifs

Abstract

Although weak interactions play subtle but important roles in dictating protein structures, their experimental detection is nontrivial. From NOE experiments we provide direct evidence for the presence of CH···π interaction, operational between the Cα-H of the first Pro and the aromatic (Aro) side chain of Xaa, in a peptide series with the general sequence Ac-Pro-Pro-Xaa-NH2. Indirect evidence of CH···π interaction is provided from ring current-induced upfield displacement of Pro(1) Cα-H chemical shifts and restriction of side-chain (χ1) rotation of Xaa. A consequence of this interaction is the enhanced stability of the Pro-cisPro conformer in Ac-Pro-Pro-Xaa-NH2 when Xaa is aromatic. The free energies associated with trans to cis transformation of the Pro-Pro moiety are 0.35, 0.59, 0.64, and 0.82 kcal/mol when Xaa is Tyr, Trp, Phe, and His (pH of 8.4), respectively. In comparison, the corresponding free energy is ∼1.55 kcal/mol when Xaa is nonaromatic. The observed population of Pro-cisPro-His and the pH-induced perturbation of electron density of the His side chain were correlated, providing further evidence for a direct role of CH···π interaction in modulating the stability of Pro-cisPro population in Ac-Pro-Pro-Aro-NH2. Our study establishes Pro-Pro-Aro to be a new sequence motif that can stabilize Pro-cisPro peptide bonds. This study not only identifies a new structurally biased sequence motif but also directly demonstrates the role played by CH···π interactions in subtly altering conformational preferences of three-residue peptide sequences with implications on the role played by cis-peptide bonds in unfolded proteins.