Lipid Masking and Reactivation of Angiotensin Analogues

Alared: Solvatochromic and Fluorogenic Red Amino Acid for Ratiometric Live-Cell Imaging of Bioactive Peptides

To fill the need for environmentally sensitive fluorescent unnatural amino acids able to operate in the red region of the spectrum, we have designed and synthesized Alared, a red solvatochromic and fluorogenic amino acid derived from the Nile Red chromophore. The new unnatural amino acid can be easily integrated into bioactive peptides using classical solid-phase peptide synthesis. The fluorescence quantum yield and the emission maximum of Alared-labeled peptides vary in a broad range depending on the peptide's environment, making Alared a powerful reporter of biomolecular interactions. Due to its red-shifted absorption and emission spectra, Alared-labeled peptides could be followed in living cells with minimal interference from cellular autofluorescence. Using ratiometric fluorescence microscopy, we were able to track the fate of the Alared-labeled peptide agonists of the apelin G protein-coupled receptor upon receptor activation and internalization. Due to its color-shifting environmentally sensitive emission, Alared allowed for distinguishing the fractions of peptides that are specifically bound to the receptor or unspecifically bound to different cellular membranes.

Peptide Lipidation - A Synthetic Strategy to Afford Peptide Based Therapeutics

Peptide and protein aberrant lipidation patterns are often involved in many diseases including cancer and neurological disorders. Peptide lipidation is also a promising strategy to improve pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of peptide-based drugs. Self-adjuvanting peptide-based vaccines commonly utilise the powerful TLR2 agonist Pam_nCys lipid to stimulate adjuvant activity. The chemical synthesis of lipidated peptides can be challenging hence efficient, flexible and straightforward synthetic routes to access homogeneous lipid-tagged peptides are in high demand. A new technique coined Cysteine Lipidation on a Peptide or Amino acid (CLipPA) uses a 'thiol-ene' reaction between a cysteine and a vinyl ester and offers great promise due to its simplicity, functional group compatibility and selectivity. Herein a brief review of various synthetic strategies to access lipidated peptides, focusing on synthetic methods to incorporate a Pam_nCys motif into peptides, is provided.

Angiotensin analogues palmitoylated in positions 1 and 4

Lipidated angiotensin II (Ang) agonists and antagonists were synthesized and evaluated for their biological activities for eventual use an antimyoproliferative agents. Solid phase peptide synthesis was used for the assembly of the peptides with the Fmoc protection scheme. N-Acetyl-Ser1 Ang was palmitoylated on the serine hydroxyl function. The nonpalmitoylated analogue retained one-third of Ang's affinity toward the AT1 receptor on bovine adrenal cortex membranes, and the palmitoylated analogue was essentially inactive. Upon enzymatic lipolysis or mild saponification of the palmitoylated peptide, biological activity was restored. An analogous compound of Ang, N-acetyl-Ser1,beta-D-naphthylalanine8 ([NAcSer1,D-Nal8]Ang), was a pure antagonist on rabbit aorta but with lower affinity. Its O-palmitoylated form was inactive as well but was easily converted to the nonlipidated active form by lipolysis or saponification. Direct palmitoylation of [sarcosine1]Ang with palmitoyl chloride was obtained on the free phenolic hydroxyl of Tyr4 on solid phase on an otherwise fully protected peptide. This lipopeptide was fully active, was comparable to [Sar1]Ang, and exhibited strongly prolonged activity. Lipolysis and saponification under mild conditions yielded standard [Sar1]Ang. The corresponding [Sar1,D-Nal8]Ang was a potent and very long-lasting antagonist (pA2 = 8.1), and its analogous palmitoyl phenyl ester in position 4 was active in its palmitoylated form (antagonist) and, again, returned to the nonlipidated form upon saponification or lipolysis. [Sar1,Tyr4(O-octadecyl)]Ang, an analogue to Tyr-palmitoylated [Sar1]Ang with an octadecyl phenyl ether in position 4, was also prepared. Surprisingly, the ether compound was inactive. Premature hydrolysis of the palmitoyl phenyl ester peptide was excluded by HPLC analysis, and the activity of the ester peptide is attributed to a putative hydrogen bond that may be critical for biological activity. The discovery of potent biologically active lipidated antagonists of Ang gives access to potential antimyoproliferative agents with numerous application possibilities.