title: Chemical synthesis, characterization and activity of RK-1, a novel alpha-defensin-related peptide.
abstract: The 32-residue peptide, RK-1, a novel kidney-derived three disulfide-bonded member of the antimicrobial alpha-defensin family, was synthesized by the continuous flow Fmoc-solid phase method. The crude, cleaved and S-reduced linear peptide was both efficiently folded and oxidized in an acidic solution of aqueous dimethyl sulfoxide. Following purification of the resulting product, it was shown by a variety of analytical techniques, including matrix assisted laser desorption time of flight mass spectrometry, to possess a very high degree of purity. The disulfide bond pairing of the synthetic peptide was determined by 1H-NMR spectroscopy and confirmed to be a Cys1-Cys6, Cys2-Cys4, Cys3-Cys5 arrangement similar to other mammalian alpha-defensin peptides. The synthetic RK-1 was also shown to inhibit the growth of Escherichia coli type strain NCTC 10418.
authors.affiliation: Howard Florey Institute of Experimental Physiology and Medicine, University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: N F
authors.initials: NF
authors.lastname: Dawson
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Craik
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: McManus
authors.forename: S G
authors.initials: SG
authors.lastname: Dashper
authors.forename: E C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Reynolds
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Tregear
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Otvos
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wade
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D002851:Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D023082:Defensins; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000187:drug effects; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000378:metabolism*; D010452:Peptide Biosynthesis; D010455:Peptides / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry; D017510:Protein Folding; D011506:Proteins / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism*; D017386:Sequence Homology, Amino Acid; D023084:alpha-Defensins
chemical_list: D023082:Defensins; D009842:Oligopeptides; D010455:Peptides; D011506:Proteins; C405106:RK-1 peptide; D023084:alpha-Defensins