Stereochemical constraints in peptide design: analysis of the influence of a disulfide bridge and an α-aminoisobutyryl residue on the conformation of a hexapeptide

Abstract

The competing effects of a disulfide bridge and an α-aminoisobutyryl residue (Aib) in determining the conformation of a hexapeptide have been investigated, by comparing the cyclic disulfide and the acylic peptide Boc-Cys(SBzl)-Val-Aib-Ala-Leu-Cys(SBzl)-NHMe (2). Previously published nmr and crystallographic studies [R. Kishore, S. Raghothama, and P. Balaram (1987) Biopolymers, Vol. 26, pp. 873-891; I. L. Karle, R. Kishore, S. Raghothama, & P. Balaram, (1988) Journal of the American Chemical Society Vol. 110, pp. 1958-1963] have established an antiparallel β-hairpin structure for 1 with a central Aib-Ala β-turn. A comparison of nmr data for 1 and 2 in chloroform and dimethylsulfoxide reveals that the acyclic peptide is conformationally labile. Evidence for a 3₁₀-helical conformation in CDCl₃ is obtained from sensitivity of NH chemical shifts to temperature and solvent perturbation and low J_HNCH values. Studies in solvent mixtures establish a conformational transition on going from CDCl₃ to (CD₃)₂SO. The changes in NH nmr parameters, together with the observation of several interresidue C _i^α H-N_{i + 1}H nuclear Overhauser effects support a conformation having a central β-turn with extended arms in (CD₃)₂SO. A single Aib residue appears to stabilize a helix in apolar solvents, for the acyclic hexapeptide, while the disulfide bridge serves to lock the β-hairpin conformation.