Sequence sensitivity and pH dependence of maleimide conjugated N-terminal cysteine peptides to thiazine rearrangement.

Thiazine formation during the conjugation of N-terminal cysteine peptides to maleimides is an underreported side reaction in the peptide literature. When the conjugation was performed at neutral and basic pH, we observed the thiazine isomer as a significant by-product. Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy confirmed the structure of the six-membered thiazine and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) combined with tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) allowed for facile, unambiguous detection due to a unique thiazine mass fragment. Furthermore, substitution of various amino acids adjacent to the N-terminal cysteine in a tripeptide model system resulted in different rates of thiazine formation, albeit within the same order of magnitude. We also determined that varying the N-substitution of the maleimide affects the thiazine conversion rate. Altogether, our findings suggest that thiazine rearrangement for N-terminal cysteine-maleimide adducts is a general side reaction that is applicable to other peptide or protein systems. Performing the conjugation reaction under acidic conditions or avoiding the use of an N-terminal cysteine with a free amino group prevents the formation of the thiazine impurity.

Dueling post-translational modifications trigger folding and unfolding of a beta-hairpin peptide.

Protein post-translational modifications (PTMs) are used in nature as a means of turning on or off a myriad of biological events. Methylation of lysine and phosphorylation of serine are important PTMs in the histone code found to modulate chromatin packing, which in turn affects gene expression. The design of peptides that fold into secondary structures can help to further our understanding of complex protein interactions. Here we report the design of the Trpswitch peptide sequence that folds into a moderately stable beta-hairpin structure in aqueous solution and show that the stability of the structure can be tuned by incorporation of dimethyllysine or phosphoserine. Dimethylated Trpswitch results in an increase in beta-hairpin stability, while phosphorylated Trpswitch is unstructured at neutral pH. When both modifications are incorporated into Trpswitch, a less stable beta-hairpin structure is observed. This system provides a model to demonstrate how multiple PTMs may work in concert or against each other to influence structure.

Positional effects of phosphoserine on ß-hairpin stability.

A disruptive interaction of phosphoserine with tryptophan in peptides that autonomously fold into a ß-hairpin structure in aqueous solution was explored in a positional context within the hairpin structure. All the peptides presented here have a serine or phosphoserine directly cross strand from a tryptophan residue in the ß-hairpin structure. It was observed that positioning of phosphoserine-tryptophan had a less destabilizing effect if the phosphoserine was on the C-terminus as opposed to the N-terminus. Greater destabilization was observed when the phosphoserine was positioned closer to the nucleating turn sequence rather than the termini of the hairpin. Multiple phosphorylations in a hairpin designed with two cross-strand serine-tryptophan pairs resulted in a greater decrease in hairpin formation with additional incorporations of phosphoserine. The work presented here gives further insight to destabilizing phosphoserine-tryptophan interaction within the ß-hairpin model system.

SGC-AAK1-1: A Chemical Probe Targeting AAK1 and BMP2K.

Inhibitors based on a 3-acylaminoindazole scaffold were synthesized to yield potent dual AAK1/BMP2K inhibitors. Optimization furnished a small molecule chemical probe (SGC-AAK1-1, 25) that is potent and selective for AAK1/BMP2K over other NAK family members, demonstrates narrow activity in a kinome-wide screen, and is functionally active in cells. This inhibitor represents one of the best available small molecule tools to study the functions of AAK1 and BMP2K.

Design of highly stabilized beta-hairpin peptides through cation-pi interactions of lysine and n-methyllysine with an aromatic pocket.

Two tryptophan residues were incorporated on one face of a beta-hairpin peptide to form an aromatic pocket that interacts with a lysine or N-methylated lysine via cation-pi interactions. The two tryptophan residues were found to pack against the lysine side chain forming an aromatic pocket similar to those observed in trimethylated lysine receptor proteins. Thermal analysis of methylated lysine variant hairpin peptides revealed an increase in thermal stability as the degree of methylation was increased, resulting in the most thermally stable beta-hairpin reported to date.

Controlling peptide folding with repulsive interactions between phosphorylated amino acids and tryptophan.

Phosphorylated amino acids were incorporated into a designed beta-hairpin peptide to study the effect on beta-hairpin structure when the phosphate group is positioned to interact with a tryptophan residue on the neighboring strand. The three commonly phosphorylated residues in biological systems, serine, threonine, and tyrosine, were studied in the same beta-hairpin system. It was found that phosphorylation destabilizes the hairpin structure by approximately 1.0 kcal/mol, regardless of the type of phosphorylated residue. In contrast, destabilization due to glutamic acid was about 0.3 kcal/mol. Double mutant cycles and pH studies are consistent with a repulsive interaction as the source of destabilization. These findings demonstrate a novel mechanism by which phosphorylation may influence protein structure and function.