Design and synthesis of a new class of arginine analogues with an improved anion binding site in the side chain

Replacing the guanidinium group in arginine (1) by a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole moiety provides a new class of artificial amino acids (2), that can be used as building blocks in standard solid phase peptide synthesis.     

Highly stable self-assembly in water: ion pair driven dimerization of a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole carboxylate zwitterion

The synthesis of a novel water-soluble guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole carboxylate zwitterion 2 is described, and its self-association in aqueous solutions is studied. Zwitterion 2 forms extremely stable 1:1 dimers which are held together by an extensive hydrogen bonding network in combination with two mutual interacting ion pairs as could be shown by ESI MS and X-ray structure determination. NMR dilution studies in different highly polar solvents showed that dimerization is fast on the NMR time scale with association constants ranging from an estimated 10(10) M(-1) in DMSO to a surprisingly high 170 M(-1) in water. Hence, zwitterion 2 belongs to the most efficient self-assembling systems solely on the basis of electrostatic interactions reported so far. Furthermore, an amidopyridine pyrrole carboxylic acid 10 was developed as a neutral analogue of zwitterion 2, which also dimerizes with an essentially identical hydrogen bonding pattern (according to ESI MS and X-ray structure determination) but lacking the ionic interactions. NMR binding studies demonstrated that the solely hydrogen-bonded neutral dimer of 10 is stable only in organic solvents of low polarity (K > 10(4) M(-1) in CDCl3 but <10 M(-1) in 5% DMSO in CDCl3). The comparison of both systems impressively underlines the importance of ion pair interactions for stable self-association of such H-bonded binding motifs in water.     

Two‐Component Self‐Assembly: Hierarchical Formation of pH‐Switchable Supramolecular Networks by π–π Induced Aggregation of Ion Pairs

Two‐component self‐assembly is a promising approach to construct functional nanomaterials. Interaction of a flexible guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole tetra‐cation ( 1 ) with naphthalene diimide dicarboxylic acid (NDIDC) in aqueous DMSO leads to the formation of supramolecular networks. First, the carboxylate groups of NDIDC bind to the guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole cations of 1 in a 1:2 stoichiometry. Further π–π induced aggregation then leads to 3D networks, as established by dynamic light scattering studies (DLS), NMR, fluorescence titration, viscosity measurements, AFM, and TEM microscopy. Due to ion pairing, the resulting aggregates can be switched between the monomers and the aggregates reversibly using external stimuli like protonation or deprotonation. At high concentration, a stable colloidal solution is formed, which shows an extensive Tyndall effect. Increasing the concentrations even further leads to formation of a supramolecular gel.     

N'-alkylated guanidiniocarbonyl pyrroles: new receptors for amino acid recognition in water

[reaction: see text] N'-Substituted guanidiniocarbonyl pyrroles 7 were synthesized for the first time by activation of a Boc-protected guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole 3 with triflic anhydride and subsequent reaction with a primary amine. These guanidinium cations are efficient receptors for the complexation of amino acid carboxylates even in water (K(assoc) > 10(3) M(-1)) as could be shown by UV titration studies.     

A molecular flytrap for the selective binding of citrate and other tricarboxylates in water

The synthesis and binding properties of a new tricationic guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole receptor 7 are described. Receptor 7 binds citrate 9 and other tricarboxylates such as trimesic acid tricarboxylate 8 with unprecedented high association constants of K(assoc) > 10(5) M(-1) in water as determined by UV and fluorescence tritration studies. According to NOESY experiments and molecular modeling calculations, the tricarboxylates are bound within the inner cavity of receptor 7 by ion pairing between the carboxylate groups and the guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole moieties, favored by the nonpolar microenvironment of the cavity. Hence, receptor 7 can be regarded as a molecular flytrap. In the case of the aromatic tricarboxylate 8, additional aromatic interactions further strengthen the complex. The complexes with the tricarboxylates are so strong that even the presence of a large excess of competing anions or buffer salts does not significantly affect the association constant. For example, the association constant for citrate changes only from K(assoc) = 1.6 x 10(5) M(-1) in pure water to K(assoc) = 8.6 x 10(4) M(-1) in the presence of a 170-fold excess of bis-tris buffer and a 1000-fold excess of chloride. This makes 7 one of the most efficient receptors for the binding of citrate in aqueous solvents reported thus far.     

Oxoanion binding by flexible guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole-ammonium bis-cations in water

The syntheses of several bis-cations 1-5 with a simple primary ammonium cation attached via flexible linkers of varying length to a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole oxo anion binding site are reported. In UV-binding studies in aqueous buffer solution these bis-cations showed efficient binding of various N-acetyl amino acid carboxylates. However, complex affinity is significantly depending on both the anion and the length of the linker in the bis-cation. With increasing linker length, complex stability first increases until an optimum is reached for bis-cation 3 with a C4-linker. Then the complex stability decreases again. The best binding substrate in this series is N-acetyl phenyl alanine, most likely due to additional cation-pi-interactions between the aromatic ring and the guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole cation. The formation of the complex between bis-cation 3 and N-acetyl phenyl alanine carboxylate was investigated further by fluorescence titrations and NOE studies, as well as molecular mechanics calculations.     

Self-folding molecules: a well defined, stable loop formed by a carboxylate-guanidinium zwitterion in DMSO

Two zwitterions 1a,b have been synthesized, in which a carboxylate group is attached via a flexible alkyl chain of different length (butylene and ethylene, respectively) to a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole cation moiety. For 1b, no signs for either an intra- or intermolecular association between these two groups in polar solution (DMSO) could be found. In contrast to this, the 1H NMR spectrum of 1a shows clear evidence for a strong interaction between the carboxylate and the guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole cation. According to variable-temperature and concentration-dependent concentration-dependent NMR studies, this interaction stems from an intramolecular complexation. It was shown by ROESY and H/D-solvent exchange experiments that 1a, even in DMSO, folds into a well-defined intramolecular loop conformation held together by multiple weak interactions.     

Amino acid binding in water by a new guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole dication: the effect of the experimental conditions on complex stability and stoichiometry

The synthesis and binding properties of a new guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole dication 2 are reported, which efficiently binds alanine carboxylate with log K_ass = 3.9 in buffered water. Due to the increased charge density in this dication, the binding constant is five times larger than for the parent guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole monocation 1 (log K = 3.2). However, the experimental conditions for determining the binding constant significantly influence both complex stability and stoichiometry. With increasing amount of substrate added during the titration, the overall complex stability decreases due to the increasing ionic strength of the solution. Furthermore, the formation of 1:2 complexes between 2 and 7 becomes increasingly important. Therefore, for the comparison of binding data it has to be assured that exactly the same experimental conditions are used for their determination.     

Functional Disruption of the Cancer‐Relevant Interaction between Survivin and Histone H3 with a Guanidiniocarbonyl Pyrrole Ligand

The protein Survivin is highly upregulated in most cancers and considered to be a key player in carcinogenesis. We explored a supramolecular approach to address Survivin as a drug target by inhibiting the protein–protein interaction of Survivin and its functionally relevant binding partner Histone H3. Ligand L1 is based on the guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole cation and serves as a highly specific anion binder in order to target the interaction between Survivin and Histone H3. NMR titration confirmed binding of L1 to Survivin's Histone H3 binding site. The inhibition of the Survivin–Histone H3 interaction and consequently a reduction of cancer cell proliferation were demonstrated by microscopic and cellular assays.     

Assembly between gold-thiolate nanoparticles and the organometallic cluster [Fe(eta5-C5H5)(mu3-CO)]4 toward redox sensing of oxo-anions

Covalent assembly between gold-thiolate nanoparticles (AuNPs) and the cluster [Fe(eta(5)-C(5)H(5))(mu(3)-CO)](4), 1, can be achieved either by direct Brust-Schriffin-type synthesis using a mixture of undecanethiol and a thiol functionalized with , or by substitution of undecanethiolate ligands in AuNPs by thiolate ligands functionalized with ; cyclic voltammetry of these AuNPs functionalized with allows us to recognize and titrate the oxo-anions H(2)PO(4)(-) and ATP(2-).     

pH‐Controlled Formation of a Stable β‐Sheet and Amyloid‐like Fibers from an Amphiphilic Peptide: The Importance of a Tailor‐Made Binding Motif for Secondary Structure Formation

The new amphiphilic peptide 1 is composed of alternating cyclohexyl side chains and guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole (GCP) groups. In contrast to analogue 2 , which contains lysine instead of the GCP groups and only exists as a random coil owing to charge repulsion, peptide 1 forms a stable β‐sheet at neutral pH in aqueous medium. The weakly basic GCP groups (pK_a≈7) are key for secondary structure formation as they stabilize the β‐sheet through mutual interactions (formation of a “GCP zipper”). The β‐sheets further aggregate into left‐handed helically twisted fibers. However, β‐sheet formation is completely reversible as a function of pH. At low pH (ca. 4), peptide 1 is unstructured (random coil) as all GCP units are protonated. Only round colloidal particles are observed. The amyloid nature of the fibers formed at neutral pH was confirmed by staining experiments with Congo Red and thioflavin T. Furthermore, at millimolar concentrations, peptide 1 forms a stable hydrogel.     

Switchable supramolecular polymers from the self-assembly of a small monomer with two orthogonal binding interactions

The low molecular weight heteroditopic monomer 1 forms supramolecular polymers in polar solution as shown, for example, by infrared laser-based dynamic light scattering (DLS), small-angle neutron scattering (SANS), electron microscopy (TEM, cryo-TEM), and viscosity measurements. Self-assembly of 1 is based on two orthogonal binding interactions, the formation of a Fe(II)-terpyridine 1:2 metal-ligand complex and the dimerization of a self-complementary guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole carboxylate zwitterion. Both binding interactions have a sufficient stability in polar (DMSO) and even aqueous solutions to ensure formation of linear polymers of considerable length (up to 100 nm). The supramolecular polymerization follows a ring-chain mechanism causing a significant increase in the viscosity of the solutions at millimolar concentrations and above. The linear polymers then further aggregate in solution into larger globular aggregates with a densely packed core and a loose shell. Both binding interactions can be furthermore switched on and off either by adding a competing ligand to remove the metal ion and subsequent readdition of Fe(II) or by reversible protonation and deprotonation of the zwitterion upon addition of acid or base. The self-assembly of 1 can therefore be switched back and forth between four different states, the monomer, a metal-complexed dimer or an ion paired dimer, and finally the polymer.     

Fabrication of Highly Stable Glyco‐Gold Nanoparticles and Development of a Glyco‐Gold Nanoparticle‐Based Oriented Immobilized Antibody Microarray for Lectin (GOAL) Assay

The design of high‐affinity lectin ligands is critical for enhancing the inherently weak binding affinities of monomeric carbohydrates to their binding proteins. Glyco‐gold nanoparticles (glyco‐AuNPs) are promising multivalent glycan displays that can confer significantly improved functional affinity of glyco‐AuNPs to proteins. Here, AuNPs are functionalized with several different carbohydrates to profile lectin affinities. We demonstrate that AuNPs functionalized with mixed thiolated ligands comprising glycan (70 mol %) and an amphiphilic linker (30 mol %) provide long‐term stability in solutions containing high concentrations of salts and proteins, with no evidence of nonspecific protein adsorption. These highly stable glyco‐AuNPs enable the detection of model plant lectins such as Concanavalin A, wheat germ agglutinin, and Ricinus communis Agglutinin 120, at subnanomolar and low picomolar levels through UV/Vis spectrophotometry and dynamic light scattering, respectively. Moreover, we develop in situ glyco‐AuNPs‐based agglutination on an oriented immobilized antibody microarray, which permits highly sensitive lectin sensing with the naked eye. In addition, this microarray is capable of detecting lectins presented individually, in other environmental settings, or in a mixture of samples. These results indicate that glyconanoparticles represent a versatile and highly sensitive method for detecting and probing the binding of glycan to proteins, with significant implications for the construction of a variety of platforms for the development of glyconanoparticle‐based biosensors.     

Using combinatorial methods to arrive at a quantitative structure-stability relationship for a new class of one-armed cationic peptide receptors targeting the C-terminus of the amyloid beta-peptide

A new class of one-armed tripeptide based cationic guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole receptors is shown to strongly bind the tetrapeptide L-Val-L-Val-L-Ile-L-Ala, representing the C-terminus of the amyloid beta-peptide even under polar conditions. A medium sized combinatorial library of 125 receptors was synthesized on a solid support and their binding properties determined on bead using a quantitative fluorescence assay. The binding constants are in the order of 10(3)-10(4) M-1 (in the presence of a formate counter ion in methanol) for the most efficient ones but differ by more than a factor of 100 among the 125 library members. Based on the binding data of 12 receptors a structure-stability relationship was established for peptide binding by this new receptor class. Complex formation is controlled by a fine balanced interplay of hydrophobic and electrostatic interactions with none of these two interactions alone being strong enough to ensure complexation under these polar conditions.     

Carboxylate binding by 2-(guanidiniocarbonyl)pyrrole receptors in aqueous solvents: improving the binding properties of guanidinium cations through additional hydrogen bonds

A series of guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole receptors has been synthesized which bind carboxylates by ion pairing in combination with multiple hydrogen bonds. Their binding properties with various carboxylates have been investigated using NMR titration studies in 40% water/DMSO (v/v). The best receptor has association constants which are in the order of K approximately/= 10(3) mol(-1) and hence some 30 times larger than with the simple acetyl guanidinium cation. Through a systematic variation of the receptor structure, semiquantitative estimates for the energetic contributions of the individual binding interactions could be derived. These data show that the various hydrogen bonds are not equally important for the binding but differ significantly in their energetic contribution to the overall complexation process. Furthermore, the receptor can be made chiral and shows selectivity upon binding of enantiomeric amino acid carboxylates. Molecular modeling was used to obtain structural information for the various receptor carboxylate complexes and served as a basis to explain the observed differences in binding constants.     

How to achieve self-assembly in polar solvents based on specific interactions? Some general guidelines

In general, self-assembly in polar solutions requires a combination of several non-covalent interactions within one binding motif. Besides the combination of H-bonds and hydrophobic or aromatic stacking interactions, in the last few years H-bonded ion pairs have been proven useful in this context. Also the molecular rigidity and the extent of intra- versus intermolecular interactions within the monomer play an important role in determining the self-assembling properties of a given monomer. We present some general guidelines and illustrative examples of various approaches that have been pursued in the literature before finally concentrating on a case study from our own work, the dimerization of a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole carboxylate zwitterion. This zwitterion forms stable dimers with K > 10(9) M(-1) in DMSO and >10(2) M(-1) even in water and can not only be used to study the importance of various non-covalent interactions for self-assembly in polar solvents but also to construct large nanostructures.     

基于AuNPs/PDDA-GO纳米复合物的电化学免疫传感器的构建及对SirT1蛋白的检测

基于AuNPs/PDDA-GO纳米复合物制备了一种新型电化学免疫传感器, 并将其用于SirT1的检测. 首先, 在电极表面修饰复合材料AuNPs/PDDA-GO, 然后将目标蛋白SirT1固定到修饰了AuNPs/PDDA-GO的电极表面, 再通过特异性免疫反应结合一抗(Ab₁)和辣根过氧化酶标记的二抗分子(HRP-Ab₂), 最后用示差脉冲伏安法检测电流信号, 实现了对SirT1蛋白水平的测定. 在优化的实验条件下, SirT1蛋白的浓度在0.1~100 ng/mL范围内与响应电流呈良好线性关系, 检出限为0.029 ng/mL.     

Anion-dependent dimerization of a guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole cation in DMSO

With spherical counteranions such as chloride or hexafluorophosphate, the glycine-derived guanidiniocarbonyl pyrrole cation 1 self-assembles into discrete dimers in DMSO, as can be seen by NMR and ESI mass spectral analysis. According to concentration- and temperature-dependent NMR studies, the dimerization is endothermic and therefore entropy driven. Molecular modeling suggests that the dimers are held together by hydrogen bonding in combination with pi-pi interactions. In the presence of picrate anions, dimerization of cation 1 does not occur, probably due to the formation of pi-stacked ion pairs.     

Gold nanoparticles as dehydrogenase mimicking nanozymes for estradiol degradation

Small gold nanoparticles can mimic dehydrogenase activity to catalyze estradiol (E2) oxidation to estrone (E1), extending the range of nanozyme catalysis to environmentally and biologically important substrates.     

Amphiphilic Janus Gold Nanoparticles Prepared by Interface‐Directed Self‐Assembly: Synthesis and Self‐Assembly

Materials with Janus structures are attractive for wide applications in materials science. Although extensive efforts in the synthesis of Janus particles have been reported, the synthesis of sub‐10 nm Janus nanoparticles is still challenging. Herein, the synthesis of Janus gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) based on interface‐directed self‐assembly is reported. Polystyrene (PS) colloidal particles with AuNPs on the surface were prepared by interface‐directed self‐assembly, and the colloidal particles were used as templates for the synthesis of Janus AuNPs. To prepare colloidal particles, thiol‐terminated polystyrene (PS‐SH) was dissolved in toluene and citrate‐stabilized AuNPs were dispersed in aqueous solution. Upon mixing the two solutions, PS‐SH chains were grafted to the surface of AuNPs and amphiphilic AuNPs were formed at the liquid–liquid interface. PS colloidal particles decorated with AuNPs on the surfaces were prepared by adding the emulsion to excess methanol. On the surface, AuNPs were partially embedded in the colloidal particles. The outer regions of the AuNPs were exposed to the solution and were functionalized through the grafting of atom‐transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) initiator. Poly[2‐(dimethamino)ethyl methacrylate] (PDMAEMA) on AuNPs were prepared by surface‐initiated ATRP. After centrifugation and dissolving the colloidal particles in tetrahydrofuran (THF), Janus AuNPs with PS and PDMAEMA on two hemispheres were obtained. In acidic pH, Janus AuNPs are amphiphilic and are able to emulsify oil droplets in water; in basic pH, the Janus AuNPs are hydrophobic. In mixtures of THF/methanol at a volume ratio of 1:5, the Janus AuNPs self‐assemble into bilayer structures with collapsed PS in the interiors and solvated PDMAEMA at the exteriors of the structures.