1. Pitfalls in the synthesis of fluorescent methotrexate oligopeptide conjugates
Mónika Sebestyén, György Kóczán, Ferenc Hudecz Amino Acids. 2016 Nov;48(11):2599-2604. doi: 10.1007/s00726-016-2285-1. Epub 2016 Jun 29.
Methotrexate (MTX) conjugates with poly[Lys(DL-Alam)] based polymeric polypeptides are efficient against Leishmania donovani parasite infection, but the mechanism of the effect is not known yet. We prepared therefore the 5(6)-carboxyfluorescein (Cf) labeled oligopeptide [Cf-K(AaAa)] (a: D-alanine, A: L-alanine) and the corresponding MTX conjugates [Cf-K(MTX-AaAa)] as model compounds for structure-activity experiments. The conjugate aimed to be synthesized with solid phase methodology on MBHA resin with Boc strategy, using Fmoc-Lys(Boc)-OH. However, various side reactions were identified. Here we report three problems observed during the synthesis as well as solutions developed by us: (1) unexpected cyclopeptide-formation with the lactone-carboxylic group of the Cf was detected, when Cf was attached to the α-amino group of the Lys residue on solid phase. This was avoided by changing the order of Cf incorporation with using Fmoc/Dde strategy. Alternatively, we have built the peptide with Fmoc strategy on solid phase first and performed the labeling with Cf-OSu subsequently in solution. (2) During HF cleavage of the protected conjugates, MTX was demonstrated to form adducts with anisole and p-cresol scavengers, and the TMSOTf cleavage methodology was also found to be inadequate due to the large number of side products formed. We report here that using Fmoc/Dde strategy is an appropriate method to circumvent the cleavage with HF or TMSOTf. (3) During the coupling of MTX with oligopeptide, structural and stereo isomers are formed. We have described here the suitable conditions of HPLC separation of these products.
2. Delta opioidmimetic antagonists: prototypes for designing a new generation of ultraselective opioid peptides
S Salvadori, M Attila, G Balboni, C Bianchi, S D Bryant, O Crescenzi, R Guerrini, D Picone, T Tancredi, P A Temussi Mol Med. 1995 Sep;1(6):678-89.
Background: Tyr-Tic (1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid) and Tyr-Tic-Ala were the first peptides with delta opioid antagonist activity lacking Phe, considered essential for opioid activity based on the N-terminal tripeptide sequence (Tyr-D-Xaa-Phe) of amphibian skin opioids. Analogs were then designed to restrain the rotational flexibility of Tyr by the substitution of 2,6-dimethyl-L-tyrosine (Dmt). Materials and methods: Tyr and Dmt peptides were synthesized by solid phase and solution methods using Fmoc technology or condensing Boc-Dmt-OH or Boc-Tyr(But)-OH with H-L-Tic-OBut or H-D-Tic-OBut, respectively. Peptides were purified (> 99%) by HPLC and characteristics determined by 1H-NMR, FAB-MS, melting point, TLC, and amino acid analyses. Results: H-Dmt-Tic-OH had high affinity (Ki delta = 0.022 nM) and extraordinary selectivity (Ki mu/Ki delta = 150,000); H-Dmt-Tic-Ala-OH had a Ki delta = 0.29 nM and delta selectivity = 20,000. Affinity and selectivity increased 8700- and 1000-fold relative to H-Tyr-Tic-OH, respectively. H-Dmt-Tic-OH and H-Dmt-Tic-NH2 fitted one-site receptor binding models (eta = 0.939-0.987), while H-Dmt-Tic-ol, H-Dmt-Tic-Ala-OH and H-Dmt-Tic-Ala-NH2 best fitted two-site models (eta = 0.708-0.801, F 18.9-26.0, p < 0.0001). Amidation increased mu affinity by 10- to 100-fold and acted synergistically with D-Tic2 to reverse selectivity (delta-->mu). Dmt-Tic di- and tripeptides exhibited delta antagonist bioactivity (Ke = 4-66 nM) with mouse vas deferens and lacked agonist mu activity (> 10 microM) in guinea-pig ileum preparations. Dmt-Tic analogs weakly interacted with kappa receptors in the 1 to > 20 microM range. Conclusions: Dmt-Tic opioidmimetic peptides represent a highly potent class of opioid peptide antagonists with greater potency than the nonopioid delta antagonist naltrindole and have potential application as clinical and therapeutic compounds.
3. Novel monodisperse PEGtide dendrons: design, fabrication, and evaluation of mannose receptor-mediated macrophage targeting
Jieming Gao, Peiming Chen, Yashveer Singh, Xiaoping Zhang, Zoltan Szekely, Stanley Stein, Patrick J Sinko Bioconjug Chem. 2013 Aug 21;24(8):1332-44. doi: 10.1021/bc400011v.
Novel PEGtide dendrons of generations 1 through 5 (G1.0-5.0) containing alternating discrete poly(ethylene glycol) (dPEG) and amino acid/peptide moieties were designed and developed. To demonstrate their targeting utility as nanocarriers, PEGtide dendrons functionalized with mannose residues were developed and evaluated for macrophage targeting. PEGtide dendrons were synthesized using 9-fluorenylmethyloxycarbonyl (Fmoc) solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS) protocols. The N-α-Fmoc-N-ε-(5-carboxyfluorescein)-l-lysine (Fmoc-Lys(5-FAM)-OH) and monodisperse Fmoc-dPEG6-OH were sequentially coupled to Fmoc-β-Ala-resin to obtain the resin-bound intermediate Fmoc-dPEG6-Lys(5-FAM)-β-Ala (1). G1.0 dendrons were obtained by sequentially coupling Fmoc-Lys(Fmoc)-OH, Fmoc-β-Ala-OH, and Fmoc-dPEG6-OH to 1. Dendrons of higher generation, G2.0-5.0, were obtained by repeating the coupling cycles used for the synthesis of G1.0. Dendrons containing eight mannose residues (G3.0-mannose8) were developed for mannose receptor (MR) mediated macrophage targeting by conjugating α-d-mannopyranosylphenyl isothiocyanate to G3.0 dendrons. In the present study PEGtide dendrons up to G5.0 were synthesized. The molecular weights of the dendrons determined by MALDI-TOF were in agreement with calculated values. The hydrodynamic diameters measured using dynamic light scattering (DLS) ranged from 1 to 8 nm. Cell viability in the presence of G3.0 and G3.0-mannose8 was assessed using the 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay and was found to be statistically indistinguishable from that of untreated cells. G3.0-mannose8 exhibited 12-fold higher uptake than unmodified G3.0 control dendrons in MR-expressing J774.E murine macrophage-like cells. Uptake was nearly completely inhibited in the presence of 10 mg/mL mannan, a mannose analogue and known MR substrate. Confocal microscopy studies demonstrated the presence of significant intracellular punctate fluorescence colocalized with a fluid endocytosis marker with little surface fluorescence in cells incubated with G3.0-mannose8. No significant cell-associated fluorescence was observed in cells incubated with G3.0 dendrons that did not contain the targeting ligand mannose. The current studies suggest that PEGtide dendrons could be useful as nanocarriers in drug delivery and imaging applications.
