Microwave enhanced Akabori reaction for peptide analysis

The Akabori reaction, devised in 1952 for the identification of C-terminus amino acids, involves the heating of a linear peptide in the presence of anhydrous hydrazine in a sealed tube for several hours. We report here a modified Akabori reaction that rapidly identifies the C-terminus amino acid in a polypeptide including its amino acid sequence information at both the C-terminus and the N-terminus. This modified methodology demonstrates the fundamentals of microwave chemistry applied to bioanalytical problems. In this modified process, hydrazinolysis has been accelerated by the application of microwave irradiation. In our reaction, the linear peptide and hydrazine solution, contained in a loosely covered conical flask, was exposed to a few minutes of irradiation using an unmodified domestic microwave oven. While the classical Akabori reaction required several hours, the microwave assisted reaction takes just minutes. If dimethyl sulfoxide is added to dilute the reaction mixture, the process is retarded enough to allow aliquots of the reaction mixture to be drawn every few minutes over a period of about an hour in order to study the progress of hydrazinolysis. Reaction products were monitored by mass spectrometry-primarily FAB-MS. In addition to providing sequence information, the microwave enhanced Akabori reaction quickly detects the presence of arginine (Arg) by converting each Arg to ornithine (Orn). Furthermore, certain amino acids, containing beta-SH, CO2H, and CONH2 groups in their side chain, are susceptible to modification by hydrazine, thereby, providing rapid confirmation of the presence of these amino acid residues. In these preliminary studies, the following oligopeptides were analyzed to demonstrate the effectiveness of our approach; the dipeptide (Trp-Phe), the tripeptide (Tyr-Gly-Gly), the tetrapeptide (Pro-Phe-Gly-Lys), the heptapeptide (Ala-Pro-Arg-Leu-Arg-Phe-Tyr), and a N-terminal blocked tripeptide (N-acetyl-Met-Leu-Phe).     

Modification of N-terminal α-amino groups of peptides and proteins using ketenes

A method of highly selective N-terminal modification of proteins as well as peptides by an isolated ketene was developed. Modification of a library of unprotected peptides XSKFR (X varies over 20 natural amino acids) by an alkyne-functionalized ketene (1) at room temperature at pH 6.3 resulted in excellent N-terminal selectivity (modified α-amino group/modified ε-amino group = >99:1) for 13 out of the 20 peptides and moderate-to-high N-terminal selectivity (4:1 to 48:1) for 6 of the 7 remaining peptides. Using an alkyne-functionalized N-hydroxysuccinimide (NHS) ester (2) instead of 1, the modification of peptides XSKFR gave internal lysine-modified peptides for 5 out of the 20 peptides and moderate-to-low N-terminal selectivity (5:1 to 1:4) for 13 out of the 20 peptides. Proteins including insulin, lysozyme, RNaseA, and a therapeutic protein BCArg were selectively N-terminally modified at room temperature using ketene 1, in contrast to the formation of significant or major amounts of di-, tri-, or tetra-modified proteins in the modification by NHS ester 2. The 1-modified proteins were further functionalized by a dansyl azide compound through click chemistry without the need for prior treatment.     

Selective isolation of N-terminal peptides from proteins and their de novo sequencing by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry without regard to unblocking or blocking of N-terminal amino acids

We have developed a new method to determine the N-terminal amino acid sequences of proteins, regardless of whether their N-termini are modified. This method consists of the following five steps: (1) reduction, S-alkylation and guanidination for targeted proteins; (2) coupling of sulfo-NHS-SS-biotin to N(alpha)-amino groups of proteins; (3) digestion of the modified proteins by an appropriate protease followed by oxidation with performic acid; (4) specific isolation of N-terminal peptides from digests using DITC resins; (5) de novo sequence analysis of the N-terminal peptides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) using the CAF (chemically assisted fragmentation) method or tandem mass spectrometric (MS/MS) analysis according to unblocked or blocked peptides, respectively. By employing DITC resins instead of avidin resins used in our previous method (Yamaguchi et al., Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 2007; 21: 3329), it has been possible to isolate selectively N-terminal peptides from proteins regardless of modification of N-terminal amino acids. Here we propose a universal method for N-terminal sequence analysis of proteins.     

Differential isotope dansylation labeling combined with liquid chromatography mass spectrometry for quantification of intact and N-terminal truncated proteins

The N-terminal amino acids of proteins are important structure units for maintaining the biological function, localization, and interaction networks of proteins. Under different biological conditions, one or several N-terminal amino acids could be cleaved from an intact protein due to processes, such as proteolysis, resulting in the change of protein properties. Thus, the ability to quantify the N-terminal truncated forms of proteins is of great importance, particularly in the area of development and production of protein-based drugs where the relative quantity of the intact protein and its truncated form needs to be monitored. In this work, we describe a rapid method for absolute quantification of protein mixtures containing intact and N-terminal truncated proteins. This method is based on dansylation labeling of the N-terminal amino acids of proteins, followed by microwave-assisted acid hydrolysis of the proteins into amino acids. It is shown that dansyl labeled amino acids are stable in acidic conditions and can be quantified by liquid chromatography mass spectrometry (LC–MS) with the use of isotope analog standards.     

Oxidative modification of native protein residues using cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate

A new protein modification strategy has been developed that is based on an oxidative coupling reaction that targets electron-rich amino acids. This strategy relies on cerium(IV) ammonium nitrate (CAN) as an oxidation reagent and results in the coupling of tyrosine and tryptophan residues to phenylene diamine and anisidine derivatives. The methodology was first identified and characterized on peptides and small molecules, and was subsequently adapted for protein modification by determining appropriate buffer conditions. Using the optimized procedure, native and introduced solvent-accessible residues on proteins were selectively modified with polyethylene glycol (PEG) and small peptides. This unprecedented bioconjugation strategy targets these under-utilized amino acids with excellent chemoselectivity and affords good-to-high yields using low concentrations of the oxidant and coupling partners, short reaction times, and mild conditions.     

TLC of Phenylthiohydantoins of Amino Acids: A Review

Abstract

Proteins are among the most important components of all living systems. Their function range from catalysts 9enzymes) to regulators to structural components. The building blocks and language of proteins are about 20 amino acids (H₂N CHR COOH), linked together By peptide bonds ([sbnd]CO[sbnd]NH[sbnd]) in chains that may consist of a few dozen to more than 1000 amino acides. The determination of primary structure of proteins, namely the sequence (arrangement) of the various amino acids along the chain is still a challenging tast. Edman reaction lies virtually at the core of all modern sequencing strategies [1,2]. The N-terminal polypeptide is first coupled to phenyl isothiocyanate to from the phenylthio carbamyl peptide; this derivative is then cleaved with anhydrous acid to expose a new N-terminus and to release the original N-terminal amino acid as a 5′thiazolinone (Scheme-1). The excess reagents and by products are extracted by an organic solvent wash. The extract of thiazolinone amino acid (obtained either from liquid-phase or solid-phase degration) is evaporated and converted to the phenylhtiohydantion derivative by 5 n HCL/CH₃COOH (1:2 v/v) at 52°C for 50 min. The sample is extracted with ethyl acetate, dried and redissolved in a suitable volume of ethanol for TLC identification. Repetition of this process with identification of the released PTH-amino acidsfro the N-terminal end. For smaller peptides PITC may be used to remove the amino terminal amino acid while a chromphore or fluorophore such as dansyl chloride or DABITC, which react with the newly exposed amino terminus, is used to identify the new amino terminus. Both manual and automated methodologies are currently used for small and large polypeptides which rely upon identification of amino terminal amino acid as PTH derivative. A large number of papers have been and continue to be publihsed on the analysis of the PTH derivatives of amino acides.     

Utilizing reversible copper(II) peptide coordination in a sequence-selective luminescent receptor

Although vast information about the coordination ability of amino acids and peptides to metal ions is available, little use of this has been made in the rational design of selective peptide receptors. We have combined a copper(II) nitrilotriacetato (NTA) complex with an ammonium-ion-sensitive and luminescent benzocrown ether. This compound revealed micromolar affinities and selectivities for glycine- and histidine-containing sequences, which closely resembles those of copper(II) ion peptide binding: the two free coordination sites of the copper(II) NTA complex bind to imidazole and amido nitrogen atoms, replicating the initial coordination steps of non-complexed copper(II) ions. The benzocrown ether recognizes the N-terminal amino moiety intramolecularly, and the significantly increased emission intensity signals the binding event, because only if prior coordination of the peptide has taken place is the intramolecular ammonium ion-benzocrown ether interaction of sufficient strength in water to trigger an emission signal. Intermolecular ammonium ion-benzocrown ether binding is not observed. Isothermal titration calorimetry confirmed the binding constants derived from emission titrations. Thus, as deduced from peptide coordination studies, the combination of a truncated copper(II) coordination sphere and a luminescent benzocrown ether allows for the more rational design of sequence-selective peptide receptors.     

A Silica Monolithic Column with Chemically Bonded l-Pipecolic Acid as Chiral Stationary Phase for Enantiomeric Separation of Dansyl Amino Acids by CEC–MS

A silica monolithic column chemically modified with l-pipecolic acid as chiral stationary phase has been developed for chiral separation of dansyl amino acids by capillary electrochromatography–mass spectrometry (CEC–MS). The monolithic column was prepared by a sol–gel process and subsequent chemical modification by l-pipecolic acid as chiral selector with 3-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane as spacer. Interestingly, it was found that the l-pipecolic acid-modified monolithic column can hold copper(II) ions tightly after loading Cu(II) ions during column preparation and conditioning and allows CEC separation to be conducted based on chiral ligand exchange with MS detection by a mobile phase without copper ions. It has been demonstrated that the chiral monolithic column operates well for enantioseparation of several dansyl amino acids by CEC–MS.

     

o-Nitrobenzoyl group as a new amino protecting group for peptide synthesis and the synthesis of some anthranilyl peptides

N (o-nitrobenzoyl)amino acids can be coupled with other amino acids using DCC and the resulting product on hydrogenation gives peptides, containing the anthranilyl group as —NH₂ end group. N (anthranilyl)amino acids or peptides can also be obtained by reaction of isatoic anhydride on amino acids or peptides. The anthranilyl end group is easily cleaved by metal (Cu⁺²) catalysed hydrolysis to give α-amino acid peptides and the insoluble copper(II) anthranilate.     

Enantiomeric and diastereomeric high-performance liquid chromatographic separation of cyclic beta-substituted alpha-amino acids on a copper(II)-D-penicillamine chiral stationary phase

High-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) separation of stereoisomeric cyclic beta-substituted alpha-quaternary alpha-amino acids was performed by ligand-exchange on a copper(II)-D-penicillamine chiral stationary phase. The investigated amino acids are the 1-amino-2-methylcyclohexanecarboxylic acids, the 1-amino-2-hydroxycyclohexanecarboxylic acids, the 1-amino-2-methylcyclopentanecarboxylic acids and the trans-configured 1,2-diaminocyclohexanecarboxylic acids. The effects of the mobile phase composition (copper(II) concentration, type and content of organic modifier, pH) and the temperature on the enantio- and diastereoselectivity were studied and the conditions were optimised to resolve the four stereoisomers of each of the said amino acids in single chromatographic runs. A reversal of the elution order occurred for enantiomers of some of the amino acids in dependence on the acetonitrile content of the eluent. This phenomenon is explained by at least two different copper(II) complexes of the tridentate ligand penicillamine.     

蜂毒肽C末端片段的反序肽的抗菌活性和溶血活性

设计并合成了具有不同碱性氨基酸残基数和不同疏水性片段链长的基于Mel(12~26)的系列反序肽类似物.结果表明,反序肽的正电荷和疏水性对于抑菌活性都很重要,N端至少保留3个碱性氨基酸(正电荷>4)和C端的疏水性片段的链长至少为8个氨基酸残基的类似物具有较高的抑菌活性,具有较大的抑菌活性的最小反序肽类似物为具有11个氨基酸残基的RetroMel(13~23).这些反序肽的溶血活性都很小.     

Mass spectrometry‐based proteomics of oxidative stress: Identification of 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal (HNE) adducts of amino acids using lysozyme and bovine serum albumin as model proteins

Modification of proteins by 4‐hydroxy‐2‐nonenal (HNE), a reactive by‐product of ω6 polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation, on specific amino acid residues is considered a biomarker for oxidative stress, as occurs in many metabolic, hereditary, and age‐related diseases. HNE modification of amino acids can occur either via Michael addition or by formation of Schiff‐base adducts. These modifications typically occur on cysteine (Cys), histidine (His), and/or lysine (Lys) residues, resulting in an increase of 156 Da (Michael addition) or 138 Da (Schiff‐base adducts), respectively, in the mass of the residue. Here, we employed biochemical and mass spectrometry (MS) approaches to determine the MS “signatures” of HNE‐modified amino acids, using lysozyme and BSA as model proteins. Using direct infusion of unmodified and HNE‐modified lysozyme into an electrospray quadrupole time‐of‐flight mass spectrometer, we were able to detect up to seven HNE modifications per molecule of lysozyme. Using nanoLC‐MS/MS, we found that, in addition to N‐terminal amino acids, Cys, His, and Lys residues, HNE modification of arginine (Arg), threonine (Thr), tryptophan (Trp), and histidine (His) residues can also occur. These sensitive and specific methods can be applied to the study of oxidative stress to evaluate HNE modification of proteins in complex mixtures from cells and tissues under diseased versus normal conditions.     

Mixed-ligand fluorocuprates(II). Synthesis and characterisation of [CuF3L(H2O)2]− containing amino acids as coligands

Complex species of the type NH₄[CuF₃L(H₂O)₂] · nH₂O (L = glycine, n = 1; 1-alanine, n = 0) have been prepared by reacting hydrated copper(II) oxide, CuO · nH₂O, with the amino acids in the presence of bifluoride, HF₂ ^–, in aqueous solution. The order of addition of the ligands, fluoride and amino acids is crucial to the synthesis. A reaction solution pH lower than the isoelectric point of the respective amino acids seems to favour the formation of mixed-ligand fluoro complexes. Occurring as zwitterions, the amino acids in the complexes have been shown to be bonded to the copper(II) centre via the carboxyl (—COO^–) moiety representing an unexpected non-chelated form of the coligands. Magnetic moments and e.s.r. data are consistent with six-coordinate copper(II) complexes.     

Reactions of an aromatic σ,σ-biradical with amino acids and dipeptides in the gas phase

Gas-phase reactivity of a positively charged aromatic σ,σ-biradical (N-methyl-6,8-didehydroquinolinium) was examined toward six aliphatic amino acids and 15 dipeptides by using Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR) and laser-induced acoustic desorption (LIAD). While previous studies have revealed that H-atom and NH₂ abstractions dominate the reactions of related monoradicals with aliphatic amino acids and small peptides, several additional, unprecedented reaction pathways were observed for the reactions of the biradical. For amino acids, these are 2H-atom abstraction, H₂O abstraction, addition — CO₂, addition — HCOOH, and formation of a stable adduct. The biradical reacts with aliphatic dipeptides similarly as with aliphatic amino acids, but undergoes also one additional reaction pathway, addition/C-terminal amino acid elimination (addition — CO — NHCHR_C). These reactions are initiated by H-atom abstraction by the biradical from the amino acid or peptide, or nucleophilic addition of an NH₂ or a HO group of the amino acid or peptide at the radical site at C-6 in the biradical. Reactions of the unquenched C-8 radical site then yield the products not observed for related monoradicals. The biradical reacts with aromatic dipeptides with an aromatic ring in N-terminus (i.e., Tyr-Leu, Phe-Val, and Phe-Pro) similarly as with aliphatic dipeptides. However, for those aromatic dipeptides that contain an aromatic ring in the C-terminus (i.e., Leu-Tyr and Ala-Phe), one additional pathway, addition/N-terminal amino acid elimination (addition — CO — NHCHR_N), was observed. This reaction is likely initiated by radical addition of the biradical at the aromatic ring in the C-terminus. Related monoradicals add to aromatic amino acids and small peptides, which is followed by Cα-Cβ bond cleavage, resulting in side-chain abstraction by the radical. For biradicals, with one unquenched radical site after the initial addition, the reaction ultimately results in the loss of the N-terminal amino acid. Similar to monoradicals, the C-S bond in amino acids and dipeptides was found to be especially susceptible to biradical attack.     

In vacuo isotope coded alkylation technique (IVICAT); an N-terminal stable isotopic label for quantitative liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry proteomics

We present a new isotopic labeling strategy to modify the N-terminal amino group of peptides in a quantifiable reaction without the use of expensive reagents or solvents. The In Vacuo Isotope Coded Alkylation Technique (IVICAT) is a methylation reaction, carried out at low pressure (<100 mTorr), that results in a stable quaternary trimethylammonium group, thus adding a permanent positive charge at the N-terminus of peptides without modifying the epsilon-amino groups of lysine. The methylation reaction increases the signal intensity of modified peptides in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) and liquid chromatography (LC)/MS and the isotopic peak pair differs by 9 mass units which can be easily resolved by either instrument. N-terminally trimethylated peptides exhibit collision-induced dissociation (CID) mass spectra that differ from their unmodified analogues by an enhanced b-ion series in MS2 spectra due to the fixed positive charge. Using LC/MS/MS with an LTQ mass analyzer for quantification, the experimentally determined ratios of H9- to D9-trimethyl-labeled peptides of beta-casein provided accurate estimates of the actual ratios with low % error. IVICAT labeling also accurately quantified proteins in rat kidney inner medullary collecting duct cell types, as judged by comparison with relative quantification by subsequent immunoblotting experiments. IVICAT labeling, when used in conjunction with the new proteomics software QUIL, can accurately report relative protein abundances and increase the sequence coverage of proteins of tissue proteomes.     

Acid-base interactions and complex formation while recovering copper(II) ions from aqueous solutions using cellulose adsorbent in the presence of polyvinylpyrrolidone

The sorption properties of nontreated cotton cellulose and cellulose modified with polyvinylpyrrolidone with respect to copper(II) ions are investigated. It is established that modified cellulose adsorbents have high sorption capability associated with the formation of new sorption centers during treatment with nitrogen-containing polymer. A mechanism is proposed for acid-base interactions in aqueous solutions of acids, bases, and salts during copper(II) cation recovery using cellulose adsorbent with the participation of polyvinylpyrrolidone.     

Preparation and adsorption of novel cellulosic fibers modified by β‐cyclodextrin

Novel cellulosic fibers modified by β‐cyclodextrin (CFEC) were prepared for adsorption for heavy metal ions like copper (II) and organic dye like neutral red from their aqueous solutions. The modified cellulosic fibers gave higher copper ion adsorption, and showed copper ion uptake values of 6.24 mg/g at 293°C, as against no adsorption for unmodified cellulosic fibers. Adsorption isotherm model indicated the adsorption of the novel modified fibers for heavy metal ions best fitted for Langmiur model. The adsorption was an exothermic reaction, and the reaction caloric was 6.295 kJ/mol. Copper ions could form a 7:4 complex with β‐cyclodextrin (β‐CD). The novel modified cellulosic fibers could also form inclusion complexes with neutral red via β‐CD molecules. In addition, it was found that the novel modified cellulosic fibers had nearly the same mechanical and thermal properties as the unmodified cellulosic fibers because the modification did not destroy the main chain of cellulose molecules. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Selective N-terminal modification of peptides and proteins: Recent progresses and applications

Numerous strategies for linking desired chemical probes with target peptides and proteins have been developed and applied in the field of biological chemistry. Approaches for site-specific modification of native amino acid residues in test tubes and biological contexts represent novel biological tools for understanding the role of peptides and proteins. Selective N-terminal modification strategies have been broadly studied especially in the last 10 years, as N-terminal positions are typically so...     

改性纤维素的制备及分光光度法对Cu~(2+)吸附研究

针对日益严重的铜离子污染问题,以化学浆纤维素为原料,通过氨基酸接枝修饰2,2,6,6-四甲基哌啶氧自由基(TEMPO)氧化体系氧化的纤维素,制备出一种新型吸附剂,并采用灵敏简便的分光光度法研究改性对铜离子的吸附效果。结果表明,氨基酸修饰纤维素(AMC)与TEMPO氧化纤维素(TOC)相比,对铜离子的吸附效果有不同程度的提升,其中组氨酸改性的吸附效果最好,低浓度时吸附率可以高达97%。随着浓度增大,吸附率下降,但是吸附量增大,当吸附200 mg/L的Cu2+溶液时,吸附量可达47 mg/g。此外,研究了不同条件下AMC对Cu2+的吸附情况,包括AMC投加量、初始浓度、pH值等。结果表明,吸附过程的吸附模型符合Langmuir等温模型,吸附动力学可以用准二级吸附动力学方程拟合。     

Structure-driven design and synthesis of chiral dioxocyclam derivatives

Based on an analysis of previously reported structures and a potential geometry fit with substrates, a new family of chiral dioxocyclam derivatives have been designed. The synthesis of those ligands was accomplished starting from l-proline and α-d-amino acids (converted to β-amino acids) with a key step of macrocyclization reaction of amino esters. All ligands were converted into neutral copper(II) complexes (amide groups underwent deprotonation of upon treatment of ligands with copper(II) acetate). The complexes exhibit the desired shape of their active surfaces, as proved by X-ray analysis.