title: Modulation of interleukin 2 high affinity binding to human T cells by a pyrimidodiazepine insect metabolite.
abstract: An insect metabolite containing the little known pyrimido[4,5-b][1,4]diazepine ring system has been found to act as an effective mimic of tetrahydrobiopterin in its ability to modulate the affinity of interleukin 2 (IL-2) for its receptors on human T cells. Semi-empirical molecular orbital calculations reveal that while tetrahydrobiopterin has considerable flexibility, the pyrimidodiazepine has rather few conformational options and offers a useful model for exploring the nature of the pterin binding site.
authors.affiliation: University Chemical Laboratory, Trinity College, Dublin, Ireland.
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Boyle
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Borchert
authors.forename: A P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Heaney
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Ziegler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001381:Azepines / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001708:Biopterins / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000737:chemistry / Q000494:pharmacology; D006801:Humans; D007313:Insecta; D007376:Interleukin-2 / Q000378:metabolism*; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001381:Azepines; D007376:Interleukin-2; D001708:Biopterins; C003402:sapropterin