Insights into the mechanism and catalysis of the native chemical ligation reaction

Synthesis of Glc1Man9-Glycoprotein Probes by a Misfolding/Enzymatic Glucosylation/Misfolding Sequence

Glycoproteins in non-native conformations are often toxic to cells and may cause diseases, thus the quality control (QC) system eliminates these unwanted species. Lectin chaperone calreticulin and glucosidase II, both of which recognize the Glc1 Man9 oligosaccharide on glycoproteins, are important components of the glycoprotein QC system. Reported herein is the preparation of Glc1 Man9 -glycoproteins in both native and non-native conformations by using the following sequence: misfolding of chemically synthesized Man9 -glycoprotein, enzymatic glucosylation, and another misfolding step. By using synthetic glycoprotein probes, calreticulin was found to bind preferentially to a hydrophobic non-native glycoprotein whereas glucosidase II activity was not affected by glycoprotein conformation. The results demonstrate the ability of chemical synthesis to deliver homogeneous glycoproteins in several non-native conformations for probing the glycoprotein QC system.

Semi-synthesis of thioamide containing proteins

Our laboratory has shown that the thioamide, a single atom O-to-S substitution, can be a versatile fluorescence quenching probe that is minimally-perturbing when placed at many locations in a protein sequence. In order to make these and other thioamide experiments applicable to full-sized proteins, we have developed methods for incorporating thioamides by generating thiopeptide fragments through solid phase synthesis and ligating them to protein fragments expressed in E. coli. To install donor fluorophores, we have adapted unnatural amino acid mutagenesis methods, including the generation of new tRNA synthetases for the incorporation of small, intrinsically fluorescent amino acids. We have used a combination of these two methods, as well as chemoenzymatic protein modification, to efficiently install sidechain and backbone modifications to generate proteins labeled with fluorophore/thioamide pairs.

Advances in Fmoc solid-phase peptide synthesis

Today, Fmoc SPPS is the method of choice for peptide synthesis. Very-high-quality Fmoc building blocks are available at low cost because of the economies of scale arising from current multiton production of therapeutic peptides by Fmoc SPPS. Many modified derivatives are commercially available as Fmoc building blocks, making synthetic access to a broad range of peptide derivatives straightforward. The number of synthetic peptides entering clinical trials has grown continuously over the last decade, and recent advances in the Fmoc SPPS technology are a response to the growing demand from medicinal chemistry and pharmacology. Improvements are being continually reported for peptide quality, synthesis time and novel synthetic targets. Topical peptide research has contributed to a continuous improvement and expansion of Fmoc SPPS applications.

KAHA Ligation at Serine

Oxazetidine assisted KAHA ligation was developed by the Bode group as an efficient peptide segment ligation strategy at native serine residues. This milestone achievement should enable the chemical synthesis of difficult-to-prepare proteins for biological studies.

In vitro and in cell analysis of chemically synthesized histone H2A with multiple modifications

The chemical synthetic route to histone H2A is described. An H2A–H2B dimer, histone octamer, and nucleosome were reconstituted with the synthetic H2A.

Fluorescent IGF-II analogues for FRET-based investigations into the binding of IGF-II to the IGF-1R

Convergent-based synthesis of native IGF-II and two IGF-II analogues, with coumarin fluorescent probes incorporated at residues 19 and 28, and their use in FRET-based identification of interactions with the type 1 insulin-like growth factor receptor (IGF-IR).

Rapid access to glycopeptide antibiotic precursor peptides coupled with cytochrome P450-mediated catalysis: towards a biomimetic synthesis of glycopeptide antibiotics

Understanding the mechanisms underpinning glycopeptide antibiotic biosynthesis is key to the future ability to reinvent these compounds. For effective in vitro characterization of the crucial later steps of the biosynthesis, facile access to a wide range of substrate peptides as their Coenzyme A (CoA) conjugates is essential. Here we report the development of a rapid route to glycopeptide precursor CoA conjugates that affords both high yields and excellent purities. This synthesis route is applicable to the synthesis of peptide CoA-conjugates containing racemization-prone arylglycine residues: such residues are hallmarks of non-ribosomal peptide synthesis and have previously been inaccessible to peptide synthesis using Fmoc-type chemistry. We have applied this route to generate glycopeptide precursor peptides in their carrier protein-bound form as substrates to explore the specificity of the first oxygenase enzyme from vancomycin biosynthesis (OxyBvan). Our results indicate that OxyBvan is a highly promiscuous catalyst for phenolic coupling of diverse glycopeptide precursors that accepts multiple carrier protein substrates, even on carrier protein domains from alternate glycopeptide biosynthetic machineries. These results represent the first important steps in the development of an in vitro biomimetic synthesis of modified glycopeptide aglycones.

Rapid Covalent Fluorescence Labeling of Membrane Proteins on Live Cells via Coiled-Coil Templated Acyl Transfer

Fluorescently labeled proteins enable the microscopic imaging of protein localization and function in live cells. In labeling reactions targeted against specific tag sequences, the size of the fluorophore-tag is of major concern. The tag should be small to prevent interference with protein function. Furthermore, rapid and covalent labeling methods are desired to enable the analysis of fast biological processes. Herein, we describe the development of a method in which the formation of a parallel coiled coil triggers the transfer of a fluorescence dye from a thioester-linked coil peptide conjugate onto a cysteine-modified coil peptide. This labeling method requires only small tag sequences (max 23 aa) and occurs with high tag specificity. We show that size matching of the coil peptides and a suitable thioester reactivity allow the acyl transfer reaction to proceed within minutes (rather than hours). We demonstrate the versatility of this method by applying it to the labeling of different G-protein coupled membrane receptors including the human neuropeptide Y receptors 1, 2, 4, 5, the neuropeptide FF receptors 1 and 2, and the dopamine receptor 1. The labeled receptors are fully functional and able to bind the respective ligand with high affinity. Activity is not impaired as demonstrated by activation, internalization, and recycling experiments.

Addition of HOBt improves the conversion of thioester-Amine chemical ligation

The syntheses of large peptides and of those containing non-natural amino acids can be facilitated by the application of convergent approaches, dissecting the native sequence into segments connected through a ligation reaction. We describe an improvement of the ligation protocol used to prepare peptides and proteins without cysteine residues at the ligation junction. We have found that the addition of HOBt to the ligation, improves the conversion of the ligation reaction without affecting the epimerization rate or chemoselectivity, and it can be efficiently used with peptides containing phosphorylated amino acids.

A straightforward method for automated Fmoc-based synthesis of bio-inspired peptide crypto-thioesters

A bio-inspired method for the synthesis of peptide thioester surrogates for native chemical ligation was developed. The process can be fully automated and does not require postsynthetic steps.

Despite recent advances, the direct Fmoc-based solid phase synthesis of peptide α-thioesters for the convergent synthesis of proteins via native chemical ligation (NCL) remains a challenge in the field. We herein report a simple and general methodology, enabling access to peptide thioester surrogates. A novel C-terminal N-(2-hydroxybenzyl)cysteine thioesterification device based on an amide-to-thioester rearrangement was developed, and the resulting peptide crypto-thioesters can be directly used in NCL reactions with fast N → S shift kinetics at neutral pH. These fast kinetics arise from our bio-inspired design, via intein-like intramolecular catalysis. Due to a well-positioned phenol moiety, an impressive >50 fold increase in the kinetic rate is observed compared to an O-methylated derivative. Importantly, the synthesis of this new device can be fully automated using inexpensive commercially available materials and does not require any post-synthetic steps prior to NCL. We successfully applied this new method to the synthesis of two long naturally-occurring cysteine-rich peptide sequences.

Designing Light-Activated Charge-Separating Proteins with a Naphthoquinone Amino Acid

The first principles design of manmade redox-protein maquettes is used to clarify the physical/chemical engineering supporting the mechanisms of natural enzymes with a view to recapitulate and surpass natural performance. Herein, we use intein-based protein semisynthesis to pair a synthetic naphthoquinone amino acid (Naq) with histidine-ligated photoactive metal-tetrapyrrole cofactors, creating a 100 μs photochemical charge separation unit akin to photosynthetic reaction centers. By using propargyl groups to protect the redox-active para-quinone during synthesis and assembly while permitting selective activation, we gain the ability to employ the quinone amino acid redox cofactor with the full set of natural amino acids in protein design. Direct anchoring of quinone to the protein backbone permits secure and adaptable control of intraprotein electron-tunneling distances and rates.

A Versatile Strategy for the Semisynthetic Production of Ser65 Phosphorylated Ubiquitin and Its Biochemical and Structural Characterisation

Ubiquitin phosphorylation is emerging as an important regulatory layer in the ubiquitin system. This is exemplified by the phosphorylation of ubiquitin on Ser65 by the Parkinson's disease-associated kinase PINK1, which mediates the activation of the E3 ligase Parkin. Additional phosphorylation sites on ubiquitin might also have important cellular roles. Here we report a versatile strategy for preparing phosphorylated ubiquitin. We biochemically and structurally characterise semisynthetic phospho-Ser65-ubiquitin. Unexpectedly, we observed disulfide bond formation between ubiquitin molecules, and hence a novel crystal form. The method outlined provides a direct approach to study the combinatorial effects of phosphorylation on ubiquitin function. Our analysis also suggests that disulfide engineering of ubiquitin could be a useful strategy for obtaining alternative crystal forms of ubiquitin species thereby facilitating structural validation.

Translocation of Non-Canonical Polypeptides into Cells Using Protective Antigen

A variety of pathogenic bacteria infect host eukaryotic cells using protein toxins, which enter the cytosol and exert their cytotoxic effects. Anthrax lethal toxin, for example, utilizes the membrane-spanning translocase, protective antigen (PA) pore, to deliver the protein toxin lethal factor (LF) from the endosome into the cytosol of cells. Previous work has investigated the delivery of natural peptides and enzymatic domains appended to the C-terminus of the PA-binding domain of lethal factor (LFN) into the cytosol via PA pore. Here, we move beyond natural amino acids and systematically investigate the translocation of polypeptide cargo containing non-canonical amino acids and functionalities through PA pore. Our results indicate translocation is not perturbed with alterations to the peptide backbone or side-chain. Moreover, despite their structural complexity, we found that the small molecule drugs, doxorubicin and monomethyl auristatin F (MMAF) translocated efficiently through PA pore. However, we found cyclic peptides and the small molecule drug docetaxel abrogated translocation due to their large size and structural rigidity. For cargos that reached the cytosol, we demonstrated that each remained intact after translocation. These studies show PA is capable of translocating non-canonical cargo provided it is in a conformational state conducive for passage through the narrow pore.

Chemical ligation of the influenza M2 protein for solid-state NMR characterization of the cytoplasmic domain

Solid-state NMR-based structure determination of membrane proteins and large protein complexes faces the challenge of limited spectral resolution when the proteins are uniformly (13)C-labeled. A strategy to meet this challenge is chemical ligation combined with site-specific or segmental labeling. While chemical ligation has been adopted in NMR studies of water-soluble proteins, it has not been demonstrated for membrane proteins. Here we show chemical ligation of the influenza M2 protein, which contains a transmembrane (TM) domain and two extra-membrane domains. The cytoplasmic domain, which contains an amphipathic helix (AH) and a cytoplasmic tail, is important for regulating virus assembly, virus budding, and the proton channel activity. A recent study of uniformly (13)C-labeled full-length M2 by spectral simulation suggested that the cytoplasmic tail is unstructured. To further test this hypothesis, we conducted native chemical ligation of the TM segment and part of the cytoplasmic domain. Solid-phase peptide synthesis of the two segments allowed several residues to be labeled in each segment. The post-AH cytoplasmic residues exhibit random-coil chemical shifts, low bond order parameters, and a surface-bound location, thus indicating that this domain is a dynamic random coil on the membrane surface. Interestingly, the protein spectra are similar between a model membrane and a virus-mimetic membrane, indicating that the structure and dynamics of the post-AH segment is insensitive to the lipid composition. This chemical ligation approach is generally applicable to medium-sized membrane proteins to provide site-specific structural constraints, which complement the information obtained from uniformly (13)C, (15)N-labeled proteins.

Synthesis of Unprotected Linear or Cyclic O-Acyl Isopeptides in Water Using Bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amido Peptide Ligation

SEA ligation proceeds chemoselectively at pH 3, i.e., at a pH where the O-acyl isopeptides are protected by protonation. This property was used for synthesizing unprotected O-acyl isopeptides in water, starting from peptide segments which are easily accessible by the Fmoc SPPS.

Efficient Synthesis of Peptide and Protein Functionalized Pyrrole-Imidazole Polyamides Using Native Chemical Ligation

The advancement of DNA-based bionanotechnology requires efficient strategies to functionalize DNA nanostructures in a specific manner with other biomolecules, most importantly peptides and proteins. Common DNA-functionalization methods rely on laborious and covalent conjugation between DNA and proteins or peptides. Pyrrole-imidazole (Py-Im) polyamides, based on natural minor groove DNA-binding small molecules, can bind to DNA in a sequence specific fashion. In this study, we explore the use of Py-Im polyamides for addressing proteins and peptides to DNA in a sequence specific and non-covalent manner. A generic synthetic approach based on native chemical ligation was established that allows efficient conjugation of both peptides and recombinant proteins to Py-Im polyamides. The effect of Py-Im polyamide conjugation on DNA binding was investigated by Surface Plasmon Resonance (SPR). Although the synthesis of different protein-Py-Im-polyamide conjugates was successful, attenuation of DNA affinity was observed, in particular for the protein-Py-Im-polyamide conjugates. The practical use of protein-Py-Im-polyamide conjugates for addressing DNA structures in an orthogonal but non-covalent manner, therefore, remains to be established.

Design strategies of fluorescent probes for selective detection among biothiols

Simple thiol derivatives, such as cysteine (Cys), homocysteine (Hcy), and glutathione (GSH), play key roles in biological processes, and the fluorescent probes to detect such thiols in vivo selectively with high sensitivity and fast response times are critical for understanding their numerous functions. However, the similar structures and reactivities of these thiols pose considerable challenges to the development of such probes. This review focuses on various strategies for the design of fluorescent probes for the selective detection of biothiols. We classify the fluorescent probes for discrimination among biothiols according to reaction types between the probes and thiols such as cyclization with aldehydes, conjugate addition-cyclization with acrylates, native chemical ligation, and aromatic substitution-rearrangement.

Developments and recent advancements in the field of endogenous amino acid selective bond forming reactions for bioconjugation

Bioconjugation methodologies have proven to play a central enabling role in the recent development of biotherapeutics and chemical biology approaches. Recent endeavours in these fields shed light on unprecedented chemical challenges to attain bioselectivity, biocompatibility, and biostability required by modern applications. In this review the current developments in various techniques of selective bond forming reactions of proteins and peptides were highlighted. The utility of each endogenous amino acid-selective conjugation methodology in the fields of biology and protein science has been surveyed with emphasis on the most relevant among reported transformations; selectivity and practical use have been discussed.

Native chemical ubiquitination using a genetically incorporated azidonorleucine

A robust chemical ubiquitination method was developed. The method employed a genetically incorporated azidonorleucine as an orthogonal lysine precursor for the installation of a Gly residue bearing an Nα-auxiliary which mediated the ligation between ubiquitin(1-75)-thioester and the target protein. To demonstrate our methodology, a model protein, K48-linked diubiquitin, was synthesized with an overall yield of 35%.

Critical evaluation and rate constants of chemoselective ligation reactions for stoichiometric conjugations in water

Chemoselective ligation reactions have contributed immensely to the development of organic synthesis and chemical biology. However, the ligation of stoichiometric amounts of large molecules for applications such as protein-protein conjugates is still challenging. Conjugation reactions need to be fast enough to proceed under dilute conditions and chemoselective in the presence of unprotected functional groups; the starting materials and products must be stable under the reaction conditions. To compare known ligation reactions for their suitability under these conditions, we determined the second-order rate constants of ligation reactions using peptide substrates with unprotected functional groups. The reaction conditions, the chemoselectivity of the reactions, and the stability of the starting materials and products were carefully evaluated. In some cases, the stability could be improved by modifying the substrate structure. These data obtained under the ligation conditions provide a useful guide to choose an appropriate ligation reaction for synthesis of large molecules by covalent ligation reactions of unprotected substrates in water.

Applications of Chemical Ligation in Peptide Synthesis via Acyl Transfer

The utility of native chemical ligation (NCL) in the solution or solid phase synthesis of peptides, cyclic peptides, glycopeptides, and neoglycoconjugates is reviewed. In addition, the mechanistic details of inter- or intra-molecular NCLs are discussed from experimental and computational points of view.

Application of the protein semisynthesis strategy to the generation of modified chromatin

Histone proteins are subject to a host of posttranslational modifications (PTMs) that modulate chromatin structure and function. Such control is achieved by the direct alteration of the intrinsic physical properties of the chromatin fiber or by regulating the recruitment and activity of a host of trans-acting nuclear factors. The sheer number of histone PTMs presents a formidable barrier to understanding the molecular mechanisms at the heart of epigenetic regulation of eukaryotic genomes. One aspect of this multifarious problem, namely how to access homogeneously modified chromatin for biochemical studies, is well suited to the sensibilities of the organic chemist. Indeed, recent years have witnessed a critical role for synthetic protein chemistry methods in generating the raw materials needed for studying how histone PTMs regulate chromatin biochemistry. This review focuses on what is arguably the most powerful, and widely employed, of these chemical strategies, namely histone semisynthesis via the chemical ligation of peptide fragments.

Ultrafiltration, a useful method for isolation of intermediates in native chemical ligation exemplified with the total synthesis of Sortase AΔN59

In this paper, ultrafiltration was employed to facilitate the isolation of intermediates in native chemical ligation. Depending on the molecular weight cutoff of the membrane used, molecules with different sizes could be purified, separated, or concentrated by the ultrafiltration process. Total chemical synthesis of the polypeptide chain of the enzyme Sortase AΔN59 was used as an example of the application of ultrafiltration in chemical protein synthesis. Sortase A is a ligase that catalyzes transpeptidation reactions between proteins that have C-terminal LPXTG recognition sequence and Gly5- on the peptidoglycan of bacterial cell walls. Ultrafiltration technique facilitated synthesis of Sortase AΔN59 and was a promising tool in isolation of intermediates in native chemical ligation.

One-pot chemical synthesis of small ubiquitin-like modifier protein-peptide conjugates using bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amido peptide latent thioester surrogates

Small ubiquitin-like modifier (SUMO) post-translational modification (PTM) of proteins has a crucial role in the regulation of important cellular processes. This protocol describes the chemical synthesis of functional SUMO-peptide conjugates. The two crucial stages of this protocol are the solid-phase synthesis of peptide segments derivatized by thioester or bis(2-sulfanylethyl)amido (SEA) latent thioester functionalities and the one-pot assembly of the SUMO-peptide conjugate by a sequential native chemical ligation (NCL)/SEA native peptide ligation reaction sequence. This protocol also enables the isolation of a SUMO SEA latent thioester, which can be attached to a target peptide or protein in a subsequent step. It is compatible with 9-fluorenylmethoxycarbonyl (Fmoc) chemistry, and it gives access to homogeneous, reversible and functional SUMO conjugates that are not easily produced using living systems. The synthesis of SUMO-peptide conjugates on a milligram scale takes 20 working days.

Acceleration of thiol additive-free native chemical ligation by intramolecular S → S acyl transfer

The old dog and a new trick; mercaptopropionylcysteine (MPA–Cys) peptide thioesters show a surprisingly high reactivity in native chemical ligation (NCL) and allow thiol-additive free reactions. This facilitates sequential NCL reactions and ligation–desulfurization reactions in one-pot formats. The synthetic utility is demonstrated by the synthesis of a SH3 domain.

Synthetic Amino Acids for Applications in Peptide Ligation–Desulfurization Chemistry

Native chemical ligation is a powerful tool for the convergent assembly of homogeneous peptide and protein targets from unprotected peptide fragments. The method involves the chemoselective coupling of a peptide thioester with a peptide bearing an N-terminal cysteine (Cys) residue and is mediated by the nucleophilic Cys thiol functionality. A widely adopted extension of the technique for the disconnection of protein targets at alanine (Ala) ligation junctions has been the application of post-ligation desulfurization protocols for the mild removal of the Cys thiol moiety. Recently, attention has turned to the construction of synthetic amino acid building blocks bearing suitably positioned β-, γ-, or δ-thiol ligation auxiliaries with a view to expanding the scope of the ligation–desulfurization manifold. To date, several thiol-derived amino acids have been prepared, greatly increasing the generality and flexibility of chemoselective ligation technologies for the chemical synthesis of diverse protein targets. This review will highlight the current synthetic approaches to these important amino acid building blocks.

Examination of mercaptobenzyl sulfonates as catalysts for native chemical ligation: application to the assembly of a glycosylated Glucagon-Like Peptide 1 (GLP-1) analogue

3/4-Mercaptobenzyl sulfonates were investigated as aryl thiol catalysts for native chemical ligation (NCL).

A smart fluorescent probe for simultaneous detection of GSH and Cys in human plasma and cells

A smart fluorescent probe was developed to simultaneously detect Cys and GSH in different emission channel with low detection limit.