title: Assessment of the conformational features of vasoactive intestinal peptide in solution by limited proteolysis experiments.
abstract: The structural features of vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) and of its Gln16-diaminopropane derivative (VIP-DAP) in solution were investigated by limited proteolysis experiments with trypsin and thermolysin. The proteolysis of the native peptide by both proteinases takes place near the residues in positions 12 and 21/22, suggesting that these amino acids are embedded in segments more flexible than the rest of the molecule. VIP-DAP appears to be more resistant to the proteolytic attack of trypsin, indicating that the derivatization in position 16 is able to stabilize the structure of the peptide. Moreover, the analysis of the mass spectra of the proteolytic mixtures supports the evidence that the derivatization is also able to protect Met17 against oxidation. From these data it can be concluded that VIP in solution under physiological conditions is characterized by the presence of segments with secondary structure, linked together by "hinge" regions that confer flexibility to the peptide, whereas VIP-DAP is embedded in a more rigid conformation, more suitable to receptor interaction.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biochimica e Biofisica, Seconda Università degli Studi di Napoli, Vico L. De Crecchio, 7,80138 Napoli, Italy. paola.stiuso@unina2.it
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Stiuso
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Marabotti
authors.forename: Angelo
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Facchiano
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lepretti
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dicitore
authors.forename: Pasquale
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ferranti
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cartenì
mesh_terms: D000595:Amino Acid Sequence; D003959:Diamines / Q000737:chemistry*; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D011487:Protein Conformation; D012996:Solutions / Q000737:chemistry*; D013329:Structure-Activity Relationship; D013820:Thermolysin / Q000737:chemistry*; D014357:Trypsin / Q000737:chemistry*; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide / Q000737:chemistry*
chemical_list: D003959:Diamines; D012996:Solutions; D014660:Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide; C009475:trimethylenediamine; D014357:Trypsin; D013820:Thermolysin