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Peptides from the amino terminal mdm-2-binding domain of p53, designed from conformational analysis, are selectively cytotoxic to transformed cells.

We have synthesized three peptides from the mdm-2 binding domain of human p53, residues 12-26 (PPLSQETFSDLWKLL), residues 12-20, and 17-26. To enable transport of the peptides across the cell membrane and at the same time to maximize the active mdm-2 binding alpha-helical conformation for these peptides, each was attached at its carboxyl terminus to the penetratin sequence, KKWKMRRNQFWVKVQRG, that contains many positively charged residues that stabilize an alpha-helix when present on its carboxyl terminal end. All three peptides were cytotoxic to human cancer cells in culture, whereas a control, unrelated peptide attached to the same penetratin sequence had no effect on these cell lines. The same three cytotoxic peptides had no effect on the growth of normal cells, including human cord blood-derived stem cells. These peptides were as effective in causing cell death in p53-null cancer cells as in those having mutant or normal p53. Peptide-induced cell death is not accompanied by expression of apoptosis-associated proteins such as Bax and waf(p21). Based on these findings, we conclude that the antiproliferative effects of these p53-derived peptides are not completely dependent on p53 activity and may prove useful as general anticancer agents.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

(D)- and (L)-cyclohexenyl-G, a new class of antiviral agents: synthesis, conformational analysis, molecular modeling, and biological activity.

(D)- and (L)-cyclohexeneyl-G were synthesized enantioselectively starting from (R)-carvone. Both show potent and selective anti-herpesvirus activity (HSV-1, HSV-2, VZV, CMV). Molecular modeling demonstrates that both isomers are bound in the active site of HSV-1 thymidine kinase in a high-energy conformation with the base moiety orienting in an equatorial position. It is believed that the flexibility of the cyclohexene ring is essential for their antiviral activity.

Antiviral Agents↗

Design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of HSP90 inhibitors based on conformational analysis of radicicol and its analogues.

The molecular chaperone HSP90 is an attractive target for chemotherapy because its activity is required for the functional maturation of a number of oncogenes. Among the known inhibitors, radicicol, a 14-member macrolide, stands out as the most potent. A molecular dynamics/minimization of radicicol showed that there were three low energy conformers of the macrocycle. The lowest of these is the bioactive conformation observed in the cocrystal structure of radicicol with HSP90. Corresponding conformational analyses of several known analogues gave a good correlation between the bioactivity and the energy of the bioactive conformer, relative to other conformers. Based on this observation, a number of proposed analogues were analyzed for their propensity to adopt the bioactive conformation prior to synthesis. This led to the identification of pochonin D, a recently isolated secondary metabolite of Pochonia chlamydosporia, as a potential inhibitor of HSP90. Pochonin D was synthesized using polymer-bound reagents and shown to be nearly as potent an HSP90 inhibitor as radicicol.

Drug Design↗

Theoretical conformational analysis of enkephalin analogues related to fluorescence and n.m.r. measurements in aqueous solution.

The properties related to non-radiative energy transfer of a number of enkephalin analogues with tryptophan substituted for phenylalanine in position 4 and n.m.r. 3JNH-C alpha H coupling constants of corresponding [Phe4]-enkephalin analogues are being derived from semi-empirical conformational energy. The molecules considered contain a glycyl, a D-alanyl or an L-alanyl as second residue; two of the compounds are N-methylated at position 4 or 5. The [Trp4]-enkephalin analogues and the corresponding [Phe4]-enkephalin analogues display nearly parallel affinities in the opiate receptor binding assay (Schiller et al. (1). The comparison of computed and experimental properties shows that an ensemble of conformers is a satisfactory representation of the state of these molecules in water.

Endorphins↗

Recent advances in the investigation of the bioactive conformation of peptides active at the micro-opioid receptor. conformational analysis of endomorphins.

Despite of the recent advances in the structural investigation of complex molecules, the comprehension of the 3D features responsible for the interaction between opioid peptides and micro-opioid receptors still remains an elusive task. This has to be attributed to the intrinsic nature of opioid peptides, which can assume a number of different conformations of similar energy, and to the flexibility of the receptorial cavity, which can modify its inner shape to host different ligands. Due to this inherent mobility of the ligand-receptor system, massive efforts devoted to the definition of a rigid bioactive conformation to be used as a template for the design of new pharmacologically active compounds might be overstressed. The future goal might be the design of peptide or nonpeptide ligands capable of maximizing specific hydrophobic interactions. This review covers the recent opinions emerged on the nature of the ligand-receptor interaction, and the development of suitable models for the determination of the bioactive conformation of peptide ligands active towards micro-opioid receptors.

Binding Sites↗

Conformational analysis of single-base bulges in A-form DNA and RNA using a hierarchical approach and energetic evaluation with a continuum solvent model.

The analysis and prediction of non-canonical structural motifs in RNA is of great importance for an understanding of the function and design of RNA structures. A hierarchical method has been employed to generate a large variety of sterically possible conformations for a single-base adenine bulge structure in A -form DNA and RNA. A systematic conformational search was performed on the isolated bulge motif and neighboring nucleotides under the constraint to fit into a continuous helical structure. These substructures were recombined with double-stranded DNA or RNA. Energy minimization resulted in more than 300 distinct bulge conformations. Energetic evaluation using a solvation model based on the finite-difference Poisson-Boltzmann method identified three basic classes of low-energy structures. The three classes correspond to conformations with the bulge base stacked between flanking nucleotides (I), location of the bulge base in the minor groove (II) and conformations with a continuous stacking of the flanking helices and a looped out bulge base (III). For the looped out class, two subtypes (IIIa and IIIb) with different backbone geometries at the bulge site could be distinguished. The conformation of lowest calculated energy was a class I structure with backbone torsion angles close to those in standard A -form RNA. Conformations very close to the extra-helical looped out bulge structure determined by X-ray crystallography were also among the low-energy structures. In addition, topologies observed in other experimentally determined bulge structures have been found among low-energy conformers. The implicit solvent model was further tested by comparing an uridine and adenine bulge flanked by guanine:cytosine base-pairs, respectively. In agreement with the experimental observation, a looped out form was found as the energetically most favorable form for the uridine bulge and a stacked conformation in case of the adenine bulge. The inclusion of solvation effects especially electrostatic reaction field contributions turned out to be critically important in order to select realistic low-energy bulge structures from a large number of sterically possible conformations. The results indicate that the approach might be useful to model the three-dimensional structure of non-canonical motifs embedded in double-stranded RNA, in particular, to restrict the number of possible conformations to a manageable number of conformers with energies below a certain threshold.

DNA↗

Structural and conformational analysis of sialyloligosaccharides using carbon-13 nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.

The analysis of the carbon-13 chemical shift data of NeuAc alpha (2----3)Gal beta (1----4)Glc and NeuAc alpha (2----3)Gla beta-(1----4)GlcNAc and their respective NeuAc alpha (2----6) isomers established distinct and different conformations of the sialic acid residue, depending on the type of anomeric linkage [alpha-(2----3) vs. alpha (2----6)]. Interactions between the NeuAc residue and the Glc or GlcNAc residue are particularly strong in the case of the alpha (2----6) isomers. Similar effects are observed for the larger oligosaccharides [II3(NeuAc)2Lac and IV6NeuAcLcOse4] and even in intact glycoproteins and polysaccharides. It is proposed that the NeuAc alpha (2----3) isomers assume an extended conformation with the sialic residue at the end (terminal) of the oligosaccharide chain or branch. The NeuAc alpha (2----6) isomers are assumed to be folded back toward the inner core sugar residues.

Animals↗

Conformational analysis of the type II and type III collagen alpha-1 chain N-telopeptides by 1H-NMR spectroscopy and restrained molecular mechanics calculations.

The type II and type III collagen alpha-1 chain N-telopeptides are a nonadecamer with the sequence pEMAGGFDEKAGGAQLGVMQ-NH2 and a tetradecamer with the sequence pEYEAYDVKSGVAGG-NH2, respectively. Their conformations have been studied in CD3OH/H2O (60/40) solution by means of two-dimensional proton nmr spectroscopy. Based on double quantum filtered correlation spectroscopy, total correlation spectroscopy, rotating frame nuclear Overhauser enhancement (ROE) spectroscopy, and nuclear Overhauser enhancement (NOE) spectroscopy experiments, all resonances were assigned and the conformational properties were analyzed in terms of vicinal NH-H alpha coupling constants, sequential and medium-range NOEs (ROEs), and amide proton temperature coefficients. The NOE distance constraints as well as dihedral constraints based on the vicinal NH-H alpha coupling constants were used as input parameters for restrained molecular mechanics, consisting of restrained molecular dynamics and restrained energy minimization calculations. The type II N-telopeptide's conformation is dominated by a fused beta gamma-turn between Phe6 and Ala10, stabilized by three hydrogen bonds and a salt bridge between the side-chain end groups of Glu8 and Lys9. The first 5 amino acids are extended with a much higher degree of conformational freedom. The 2 Gly residues following the turns were found to be highly flexible (hinge-like), leaving the spatial position of the second half of the molecule relative to the fused beta gamma-turn undefined. In the type III telopeptide, a series of sequential NH(i)-NH(i + 1) ROEs were observed between the amino acids Tyr2 and Ser9, indicating that a fraction of the conformational space is helical. However, the absence of medium-range ROEs and the lack of regularity of the effects associated with alpha-helices suggest the presence of a nascent rather than a complete helix.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Conformational analysis of the anomeric forms of kojibiose, nigerose, and maltose using MM3.

Energy surfaces were computed for relative orientations of the relaxed pyranosyl rings of the two anomeric forms of kojibiose, nigerose, and maltose, the (1----2)-alpha, (1----3)-alpha, and (1----4)-alpha-linked D-glucosyl disaccharides, respectively. Twenty-four combinations of starting conformations of the rotatable side-groups were considered for each disaccharide. Optimized structures were calculated using MM3 on a 20 degree grid spacing of the torsional angles about the glycosidic bonds. The energy surfaces of the six disaccharides were similar in many respects but differed in detail within the low-energy regions. The maps also illustrate the importance of the exo-anomeric effect and linkage type in determining the conformational flexibility of disaccharides. Torsional conformations of known crystal structures of maltosyl-containing molecules lie in a lower MM3 energy range than previously reported.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

The X-ray investigation of 16 alpha,17 alpha-thiazolidine derivatives of delta 4- and delta 5-pregnanes and conformational analysis of their oxathiolane analog.

An X-ray study of 3,20-dioxo-4-pregnene-[16 alpha,17 alpha-d]--2',2'-dimethylthiazolidine (I) and 3 beta-hydroxy-20-oxo-5--pregnene-[16 alpha,17 alpha-d]-2',2'- dimethylthiazolidine (II) has been carried out. Two independent molecules in crystal II have significantly different conformations of the D and E rings, although according to the atom-atom potential calculations the energy of interaction of these molecules with their neighbors in crystal is the same. The calculation of conformational energy of 3,20-dioxo-4-pregnene-[17 alpha,16 alpha-d]-2',2'--dimethyloxathiolane (III) by the molecular mechanics method (MMM) indicates a possibility of existence of two similar conformers also for this molecule. The MMM calculation shows also that the conformation of molecule III (as well as progesterone) with the 17 beta-acetyl group torsion angle C(16)C(17)C(20)0(20) close to -120 degrees is possible.

Models, Molecular↗

2D NMR and conformational analysis of a prototype anti-tumour steroidal ester.

The synthetic 3beta-hydroxy-17alpha-aza-d-homo-5-androsten-7,17-dione-p-N-N-bis(2-chloroethyl)aminophenylacetate (SOT-19, I) was found to be a very potent anti-leukaemic agent candidate. Its high biological activity and low toxicity rationalize the study of its conformational properties. It can also serve as a prototype and therefore as a template for a series of congener compounds possessing a variety of toxicity and anti-leukaemic activity in subsequent 3D-QSAR studies. Its low energy conformers were identified through a combination of conformational search methods and 2D NOESY NMR spectroscopy. The low energy conformers were mainly compact, with the alkylating aromatic group orienting either to the alpha- or beta-surface of the steroidal plane. The preference in the orientation of the alkyl chain may be steroid dependent and related to the mechanism by which they produce their anti-leukaemic action. This hypothesis is supported by the fact that small chemical modifications of the conformation on the steroidal skeleton produce significant alterations on the anti-leukemic activity.

Antineoplastic Agents↗

Conformational analysis of the anomeric forms of sophorose, laminarabiose, and cellobiose using MM3.

Relaxed-residue energy maps based on the MM3 force-field were computed for relative orientations of the pyranosyl rings of sophorose, laminarabiose, and cellobiose, respectively the (1----2)-beta-; (1----3)-beta-; and (1----4)-beta-linked D-glucosyl disaccharides. Sixteen starting conformations of the rotatable exocyclic side-groups were considered for each molecule. All of the energy surfaces have two intersecting low-energy troughs and illustrate the importance of exo-anomeric effects in determining disaccharide conformation. Local minima were found by relaxed minimization without restriction. The energy surfaces of these disaccharides are very similar to the energy surfaces of their corresponding 6-methyltetrahydropyran analogues. There is good agreement between disaccharide structures having minimal MM3 energy and those found by crystallography.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗

Polyglycine conformational analysis: calculated vs experimental gas-phase basicities and proton affinities.

Structures of neutral and protonated polyglycines (Gly(n) and Gly(n)H(+) with n = 1-6) in the vicinity of global energy minima were calculated using the density functional theory at the B3LYP/6-311++G** (A) and B3LYP/6-31+G** (B) levels. Ninety-three structures were chosen for conformation and protonation studies. Geometries of the peptides are found to vary from open chains to multiple rings. Intramolecular hydrogen bonding is deduced to be the driving force for conformational stability. The preferred protonation sites are shown to be the terminal nitrogen atom and its adjacent amide oxygen atom. Structural series are developed according to geometrical form, hydrogen bonding, and protonation site. Physical factors that influence the relative electronic and thermodynamic stabilities of different structural series are examined. To obtain ab initio values of highest quality for gas-phase basicity (GB) and proton affinity (PA), electronic energies for n = 1-6 and thermal corrections to Gibbs free energy and enthalpy for n = 1-3 were calculated at level A, supplemented by thermal corrections for n = 4-6 at level B. Calculated GB and PA values are compared with mass spectral results obtained by the kinetic method (KM) and reaction bracketing (RB). The KM results and the ab initio values derived from structurally compatible pairs of lowest free energies are generally in good agreement, but the RB results for GB are lower by 2-8 kcal/mol for n = 2-6. Several reaction pathways are proposed to elucidate the experimental results. On the basis of theoretical structures consistent with the measurements, it is concluded that KM mostly samples the neutral and protonated structures of highest populations at thermal equilibrium, whereas RB targets those with sterically most accessible sites for protonation and deprotonation.

Algorithms↗

Atropisomers of 1-(acyl or aroyl)-2-naphthylindolines. Isolation, X-ray crystal structure and conformational analysis.

A series of pairs of stable diastereomeric atropisomers caused by restricted rotation around the Csp3-Csp2 bond of [2-(2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)-3,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydroindol-1-yl]-(3- or 4-substituted phenyl)-methanone or [2-(2-hydroxynaphthalen-1-yl)-3,3-dimethyl-2,3-dihydroindol-1-yl]-1-alkanone were isolated. The conformational analyses of the atropisomers were performed based on the X-ray crystallographic and (1)H-NMR spectral data. It became clear that rotation about the C2-naphthyl bond is restricted at room temperature, whereas the >NCO-Ar bond rotates freely.

Carbohydrate Conformation↗