Coupe du roi bisection of proteins. Spontaneous tetramerization of two peptides that span the sequence of the rabbit uteroglobin monomer

J Am Chem Soc. 2005 Dec 21;127(50):17719-33. doi: 10.1021/ja0539793.

Abstract

The study of dividing objects into isometric segments has yielded novel approaches to the synthesis of high-symmetry organic compounds. Reported herein is the first application of this concept to a protein, rabbit uteroglobin (UG). Bisection of UG into two identical homochiral segments led to the design of the heterodimeric 70mer peptide alpha(1,2)-S-S-alpha(3,4) that spans the sequence of the native UG monomer. The ability of this compound to form a globular 140mer tetramer consisting of two noncovalently bound heterodimers was assessed by ultracentrifugation at sedimentation equilibrium and by fluorescent spectroscopy. On the other hand, the monomeric peptides alpha(1,2)-SH and alpha(3,4)-SH were shown to selectively form the alpha(1,2)-S-S-alpha(3,4) heterodimer via spontaneous air oxidation in phosphate buffer at neutral pH.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Amino Acid Sequence
  • Animals
  • Circular Dichroism
  • Models, Molecular
  • Molecular Sequence Data
  • Oxidation-Reduction
  • Peptide Fragments / chemical synthesis
  • Peptide Fragments / chemistry
  • Protein Structure, Tertiary
  • Rabbits
  • Spectrometry, Fluorescence
  • Ultracentrifugation
  • Uteroglobin / chemical synthesis
  • Uteroglobin / chemistry*

Substances

  • Peptide Fragments
  • Uteroglobin