title: A peptide template as an allosteric supramolecular catalyst for the cleavage of phosphate esters.
abstract: The heptapeptide H-Iva-Api-Iva-ATANP-Iva-Api-Iva-NHCH(3) (P1a), where Iva is (S)-isovaline, Api is 4-amino-4-carboxypiperidine, and ATANP is (S)-2-amino-3-[1-(1,4,7-triazacyclononane)]propanoic acid, has been synthesized. Its conformation in aqueous solution is essentially that of a 3(10)-helix. By connecting three copies of P1a to a functionalized Tris(2-aminoethyl)amine (Tren) platform a new peptide template, [T(P1)(3)], was obtained. This molecule is able to bind up to four metal ions (Cu(II) or Zn(II)): one in the Tren subsite and three in the azacyclononane subunits. The binding of the metals to the Tren platform induces a change from an open to a closed conformation in which the three short, helical peptides are aligned in a parallel manner with the azacyclonane units pointing inward within the pseudocavity they define. T(P1)(3) shows a peculiar behavior in the transphosphorylation of phosphate esters; the tetrazinc complex is a catalyst of the cleavage of 2-hydroxypropyl-p-nitrophenyl phosphate (HPNP), whereas the free ligand is a catalyst of the cleavage of an oligomeric RNA sequence with selectivity for pyrimidine bases. In the case of HPNP, Zn(II) acts as a positive allosteric effector by enhancing the catalytic efficiency of the system. In the case of the polyanionic RNA substrate, Zn(II) switches off the activity, thus behaving as a negative allosteric regulator. It is suggested that the opposite behavior of the catalyst induced by Zn(II) is associated with the change of conformation of the Tren platform, and consequently of the relative spatial disposition of the three linked peptides, that occurs after binding of the metal ion.
authors.affiliation: University of Padova, Department of Organic Chemistry and Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche-Centro Meccanismi Reazioni Organiche, 35131 Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scarso
authors.forename: Ute
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Scheffer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Göbel
authors.forename: Quirinus B
authors.initials: QB
authors.lastname: Broxterman
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kaptein
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Formaggio
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Toniolo
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Scrimin
mesh_terms: D000495:Allosteric Site; D001665:Binding Sites; D002384:Catalysis; D002942:Circular Dichroism; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D004952:Esters / Q000737:chemistry*; D006868:Hydrolysis; D007700:Kinetics; D008024:Ligands; D008956:Models, Chemical; D008958:Models, Molecular; D010455:Peptides / Q000737:chemistry*; D010710:Phosphates / Q000737:chemistry*; D011485:Protein Binding; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012313:RNA / Q000737:chemistry / Q000378:metabolism; D015032:Zinc / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004952:Esters; D008024:Ligands; D010455:Peptides; D010710:Phosphates; D012313:RNA; D015032:Zinc