High stability and biological activity of the copper(II) complexes of alloferon 1 analogues containing tryptophan

Copper(II) complex formation processes between the alloferon 1 (Allo1) (HGVSGHGQHGVHG) analogues where the tryptophan residue is introducing in the place His residue H1W, H6W, H9W and H12W have been studied by potentiometric, UV-visible, CD and EPR spectroscopic, and MS methods. For all analogues of alloferon 1 complex speciation have been obtained for a 1:1 metal-to-ligand molar ratio and 2:1 of H1W because of precipitation at higher (2:1, 3:1 and 4:1) ratios. At physiological pH7.4 and a 1:1 metal-to-ligand molar ratio the tryptophan analogues of alloferon 1 form the CuH_-1L and/or CuH_-2L complexes with the 4N binding mode. The introduction of tryptophan in place of histidine residues changes the distribution diagram of the complexes formed with the change of pH and their stability constants compared to the respective substituted alanine analogues of alloferon 1. The CuH_-1L, CuH_-2L and CuH_-3L complexes of the tryptophan analogues are more stable from 1 to 5 log units in comparison to those of the alanine analogues. This stabilization of the complexes may result from cation(Cu(II))-π and indole/imidazole ring interactions. The induction of apoptosis in vivo, in Tenebrio molitor cells by the ligands and their copper(II) complexes at pH7.4 was studied. The biological results show that copper(II) ions in vivo did not cause any apparent apoptotic features. The most active were the H12W peptide and Cu(II)-H12W complex formed at pH7.4.

Copper(II)-bis-histidine coordination structure in a fibrillar amyloid β-peptide fragment and model complexes revealed by electron spin echo envelope modulation spectroscopy

Truncated and mutated amyloid-β (Aβ) peptides are models for systematic study-in homogeneous preparations-of the molecular origins of metal ion effects on Aβ aggregation rates, types of aggregate structures formed, and cytotoxicity. The 3D geometry of bis-histidine imidazole coordination of Cu(II) in fibrils of the nonapetide acetyl-Aβ(13-21)H14A has been determined by powder (14) N electron spin echo envelope modulation (ESEEM) spectroscopy. The method of simulation of the anisotropic combination modulation is described and benchmarked for a Cu(II) -bis-cis-imidazole complex of known structure. The revealed bis-cis coordination mode, and the mutual orientation of the imidazole rings, for Cu(II) in Ac-Aβ(13-21)H14A fibrils are consistent with the proposed β-sheet structural model and pairwise peptide interaction with Cu(II) , with an alternating [-metal-vacancy-]n pattern, along the N-terminal edge. Metal coordination does not significantly distort the intra-β-strand peptide interactions, which provides a possible explanation for the acceleration of Ac-Aβ(13-21)H14A fibrillization by Cu(II) , through stabilization of the associated state and low-reorganization integration of β-strand peptide pair precursors.

Allosteric function and dysfunction of the prion protein

Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs) are neurodegenerative diseases associated with progressive oligo- and multimerization of the prion protein (PrP(C)), its conformational conversion, aggregation and precipitation. We recently proposed that PrP(C) serves as a cell surface scaffold protein for a variety of signaling modules, the effects of which translate into wide-range functional consequences. Here we review evidence for allosteric functions of PrP(C), which constitute a common property of scaffold proteins. The available data suggest that allosteric effects among PrP(C) and its partners are involved in the assembly of multi-component signaling modules at the cell surface, impose upon both physiological and pathological conformational responses of PrP(C), and that allosteric dysfunction of PrP(C) has the potential to entail progressive signal corruption. These properties may be germane both to physiological roles of PrP(C), as well as to the pathogenesis of the TSEs and other degenerative/non-communicable diseases.

Insights into intramolecular Trp and His side-chain orientation and stereospecific π interactions surrounding metal centers: an investigation using protein metal-site mimicry in solution

Metal-binding scaffolds incorporating a Trp/His-paired epitope are instrumental in giving novel insights into the physicochemical basis of functional and mechanistic versatility conferred by the Trp-His interplay at a metal site. Herein, by coupling biometal site mimicry and (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy experiments, modular constructs EDTA-(L-Trp, L-His) (EWH; EDTA=ethylenediamino tetraacetic acid) and DTPA-(L-Trp, L-His) (DWH; DTPA=diethylenetriamino pentaacetic acid) were employed to dissect the static and transient physicochemical properties of hydrophobic/hydrophilic aromatic interactive modes surrounding biometal centers. The binding feature and identities of the stoichiometric metal-bound complexes in solution were investigated by using (1)H and (13)C NMR spectroscopy, which facilitated a cross-validation of the carboxylate, amide oxygen, and tertiary amino groups as the primary ligands and indole as the secondary ligand, with the imidazole (Im) N3 nitrogen being weakly bound to metals such as Ca(2+) owing to a multivalency effect. Surrounding the metal centers, the stereospecific orientation of aromatic rings in the diastereoisomerism is interpreted with the Ca(2+)-EWH complex. With respect to perturbed Trp side-chain rotamer heterogeneity, drastically restricted Trp side-chain flexibility and thus a dynamically constrained rotamer interconversion due to π interactions is evident from the site-selective (13)C NMR spectroscopic signal broadening of the Trp indolyl C3 atom. Furthermore, effects of Trp side-chain fluctuation on indole/Im orientation were the subject of a 2D NMR spectroscopy study by using the Ca(2+)-bound state; a C-H2(indolyl)/C-H5(Im(+)) connectivity observed in the NOESY spectra captured direct evidence that the N-H1 of the Ca(2+)-Im(+) unit interacted with the pyrrole ring of the indole unit in Ca(2+)-bound EWH but not in DWH, which is assignable to a moderately static, anomalous, T-shaped, interplanar π(+)-π stacking alignment. Nevertheless, a comparative (13)C NMR spectroscopy study of the two homologous scaffolds revealed that the overall response of the indole unit arises predominantly from global attractions between the indole ring and the entire positively charged first coordination sphere. The study thus demonstrates the coordination-sphere/geometry dependence of the Trp/His side-chain interplay, and established that π interactions allow (13)C NMR spectroscopy to offer a new window for investigating Trp rotamer heterogeneity near metal-binding centers.