Protein ligand design: from phage display to synthetic protein epitope mimetics in human antibody Fc-binding peptidomimetics

Phage display is a powerful method for selecting peptides with novel binding functions. Synthetic peptidomimetic chemistry is a powerful tool for creating structural diversity in ligands as a means to establish structure-activity relationships. Here we illustrate a method of bridging these two methodologies, by starting with a disulfide bridged phage display peptide which binds a human antibody Fc fragment (Delano et al. Science 2000, 287, 1279) and creating a backbone cyclic beta-hairpin peptidomimetic with 80-fold higher affinity for the Fc domain. The peptidomimetic is shown to adopt a well-defined beta-hairpin conformation in aqueous solution, with a bulge in one beta-strand, as seen in the crystal structure of the phage peptide bound to the Fc domain. The higher binding affinity of the peptidomimetic presumably reflects the effect of constraining the free ligand into the conformation required for binding, thus highlighting in this example the influence that ligand flexibility has on the binding energy. Since phage display peptides against a wide variety of different proteins are now accessible, this approach to synthetic ligand design might be applied to many other medicinally and biotechnologically interesting target proteins.     

Multinuclear NMR studies and ab initio structure calculations of hindered phencyclone diels‐alder adducts from symmetrical cyclic dienophiles: Cyclohexene,vinylene carbonate,vinylene trithiocarbonate and two N‐aryl maleimides

A series of hindered Diels‐Alder adducts have been prepared from phencyclone, 1 , with various unusual symmetrical cyclic dienophiles, including cyclohexene, 2a ; vinylene carbonate, 2b ; vinylene trithiocarbonate, 2c ; and the N‐aryl maleimides: N‐(4‐dimethylamino‐3,5‐dinitrophenyl)maleimide (“Tuppy's maleimide”), 2d ; and N‐[3,5‐bis(trifluoromethyl)phenyl]maleimide, 2e . The highly hindered adducts, 3a‐e , respectively, were extensively characterized by one‐ and two‐dimensional NMR methods, observing proton, carbon‐13 and fluorine‐19. High resolution COSY45 spectra permitted rigorous proton NMR assignments. The 2D heteronuclear C‐H chemical shift correlation spectra (HETCOR, XHCORR) were obtained for adducts 3a‐d , allowing specific assignments for protonated carbons. Corrections to earlier proton NMR assignments for the vinylene carbonate adduct are given; results of the gated decoupling ¹³C NMR experiment for this adduct supported endo adduct stereochemistry. Relative proton chemical shifts for bridgehead phenyls of adduct 3c appeared anomalous relative to other adducts, suggesting possible special anisotropic interactions (with endocyclic sulfur or other anisotropic groups in the product) due to the unusual calculated orientation of the phenyls. The unsubstituted bridgehead phenyls in all adducts were shown to exhibit slow exchange limit (SEL) ¹H and ¹³C spectra on the NMR timescales at ambient temperatures (7 tesla) showing slow rotations about the C(sp³)‐C(aryl sp²) bonds. The rapid rotation of the N‐aryl rings of the maleimide adducts was indicated by fast exchange limit spectra, suggesting that ortho substitution of the N‐aryl ring may be necessary to slow this rotation to the SEL regime. Ab initio geometry optimizations at the Hartree‐Fock level were carried out for each adduct, with the 6‐31G* basis sets. Appreciable geometry differences were seen in calculated structures, and significant NMR chemical shift differences were experimentally observed, depending on the nature of the groups attached to the (Z)‐HC=CH moiety of the dienophiles.     

Construction and development of a new single-column simulated moving bed system on the laboratory scale

Simulated moving bed (SMB) chromatography combines high productivity and high purities with reduced buffer consumption. We have developed a laboratory scale single column SMB (SC-SMB) unit with all four separation zones in one column. Distributors embedded within the chromatographic medium allow introduction and withdrawal of liquid between the zones. This single column unit exhibits homogenous packing in all zones, reduced headspace, less complex tubing, fewer valves, and almost undisturbed plug flow between the separation zones. The separation performance of the column was investigated with two different binary model mixtures. Furthermore, the SC-SMB unit is operated with a modified AKTA Explorer workstation, which has been specifically developed for the handling of biological fluids.     

A New Supramolecular Assembly Formed by Melamine and Sulfuric Acid

Polymeric melaminium sulfate [(LH₂)₂(SO₄)₂]_n has been synthesized by reaction of melamine L with sulfuric acid in aqueous solution. The compound was characterized by elemental analysis, ¹H NMR, ESI MS and a single crystal X‐ray diffraction analysis. The architecture of the assembly formed is based on hydrogen bonded dimers of diprotonated melaminium cations (LH₂)²⁺ which are linked by a hydrogen bonded network with sulfate ions forming 2D sheets. A 3D polymeric structure results from the presence of mutual hydrogen bonds between sulfate ions and melaminium cations in different sheets. Significant π‐π stacking is also present between the aromatic cations in this supramolecular arrangement.     

Selective heterolytic P-P bond cleavage of white phosphorus by a frustrated carbene-borane Lewis pair

Frustrated carbene-borane Lewis pairs are able to affect the selective cleavage of one of the six P-P bonds in white phosphorus (P(4)) to afford an adduct, in which an abnormal carbene of the imidazolium-4-yl type and B(C(6)F(5))(3) are bound in a trans,trans fashion to a butterfly-like bicyclo[1.1.0]tetraphosphabutane moiety.