title: Conformational restriction of the phenylalanine residue in a cyclic opioid peptide analogue: effects on receptor selectivity and stereospecificity.
abstract: In an effort to determine the effect of side chain conformational restriction on opioid receptor selectivity, the cyclic phenylalanine analogues 2-aminoindan-2-carboxylic acid (Aic), 2-aminotetralin-2-carboxylic acid (Atc), and tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (Tic) were substituted for Phe in the potent cyclic opioid peptide analogue H-Tyr-D-Orn-Phe-Glu-NH2, which lacks significant opioid receptor selectivity. Compounds were tested in mu- and delta-opioid receptor representative binding assays and bioassays in vitro. The analogue H-Tyr-D-Orn-Aic-Glu-NH2 was found to be a potent agonist with high preference of mu receptors over delta receptors. Opening of the five-membered ring of Aic in the latter peptide, as achieved through substitution of C alpha-methylphenylalanine or o-methylphenylalanine, resulted in only slightly selective compounds, indicating that the high mu selectivity of the Aic analogue is exclusively the consequence of the imposed side chain conformational restriction. Both diastereoisomers of H-Tyr-D-Orn-(D,L)-Atc-Glu-NH2 were highly mu-selective and, in contrast to the weak affinity observed with the D-Phe3 analogue as compared to the L-Phe3 analogue, both had similar potency. Thus, stereospecificity was lost as a consequence of side chain conformational restriction. Further structure-activity data obtained with analogues containing L- or D-homophenylalanine (Hfe) or 3-(1'-naphthyl)alanine (Nap) in place of Phe3 and consideration of geometric interrelationships between Nap and the L and D isomers of Atc, Hfe, and Phe led to the proposal that the D-Phe3 and the D-Atc3 analogue may have different modes of binding to the receptor. The very low potency observed with H-Tyr-D-Orn-N alpha MePhe-Glu-NH2 (N alpha MePhe = N alpha-methylphenylalanine) and H-Tyr-D-Orn-Tic-Glu-NH2 indicated that N alpha-alkylation at the 3-position is detrimental to activity.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Chemical Biology and Peptide Research, Clinical Research Institute of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
authors.forename: P W
authors.initials: PW
authors.lastname: Schiller
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Weltrowska
authors.forename: T M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nguyen
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Lemieux
authors.forename: N N
authors.initials: NN
authors.lastname: Chung
authors.forename: B J
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Marsden
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Wilkes
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D000818:Animals; D001681:Biological Assay; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism; D002462:Cell Membrane / Q000378:metabolism; D003500:Cyclization; D004723:Endorphins / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology; D006168:Guinea Pigs; D007189:Indans / Q000737:chemistry; D007546:Isoquinolines / Q000737:chemistry; D051379:Mice; D008968:Molecular Conformation; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009119:Muscle Contraction / Q000187:drug effects; D009130:Muscle, Smooth / Q000502:physiology; D010649:Phenylalanine / Q000737:chemistry*; D051381:Rats; D011957:Receptors, Opioid / Q000378:metabolism*; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D013237:Stereoisomerism; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004723:Endorphins; D007189:Indans; D007546:Isoquinolines; D011957:Receptors, Opioid; D017465:Receptors, Opioid, delta; D017450:Receptors, Opioid, mu; D044005:Tetrahydroisoquinolines; D013764:Tetrahydronaphthalenes; C006545:2-aminoindan; C006561:2-aminotetralin; D010649:Phenylalanine; C014843:1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline