No abstract

Soluble oligomers of human islet amyloid polypeptide (h-IAPP) are implicated in the initiation of beta-cell apoptosis leading to type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Cleavage of the h-IAPP included in an oligomer may provide a novel method for reducing the level of h-IAPP oligomers, offering a new therapeutic option for T2DM. From the combinatorial library of triazine derivatives prepared by exploiting the Co(III) complex of cyclen as the cleavage center for peptide bonds, eight compounds were selected as cleavage agents for oligomers of h-IAPP. After reaction with cleavage agents for 36 h at 37 degrees C and pH 7.50, up to 20 mol% of h-IAPP (initial concentration: 4.0 microM) was cleaved, although the target oligomers existed as transient species. Considerable activity was manifested at agent concentrations as low as 100 nM.

Helfende Kombination: Peptidspaltende Agentien für Amyloid‐β‐42(Aβ42)‐Oligomere (siehe Schema) – den neurotoxischen Zwischenstufen bei der Alzheimer‐Krankheit – wurden aus einer kombinatorischen Bibliothek erhalten, die mit dem CoIII‐Komplex von 1,4,7,10‐Tetraazacyclododecan als Reaktionszentrum aufgebaut wurde. Die Aβ42‐Oligomere werden bereits bei submikromolaren Konzentrationen der Agentien effektiv gespalten.

To design soluble artificial proteases that cleave peptide backbones of a wide range of proteins with high reactivity, artificial active sites comprising the Cu(II) complex of 1-oxa-4,7,10-triazacyclodedecane (oxacyclen) and the aldehyde group were synthesized. The aldehyde group was employed as the binding site in view of its ability to reversibly form imine bonds with ammonium groups exposed on the surfaces of proteins, and Cu(II) oxacyclen was exploited as the catalytic group for peptide hydrolysis. The artificial metalloproteases synthesized in the present study cleaved all of the protein substrates examined (albumin, gamma-globulin, myoglobin, and lysozyme). In addition, the activity of the best soluble artificial protease was enhanced by up to 190-fold in terms of kcat/Km. When the temperature was raised to 80 degrees C, the activities of the artificial proteases were significantly enhanced. The activity of the artificial protease was not greatly affected by surfactants, including sodium dodecyl sulfate. The intermediacy of the imine complex formed between the artificial protease and the protein substrate was supported by an experiment using sodium cyanoborohydride. Soluble artificial metalloproteases with broad substrate selectivity, high reactivity, high thermal and chemical stabilities, and small molecular weights were thus synthesized by positioning the aldehyde group in proximity to Cu(II) oxacyclen.

To provide a firm basis for the new paradigm of drug discovery based on catalysts for oxidative cleavage of N-terminal aspartate (Asp) residues of oligopeptides, oligopeptide-cleaving catalysts were searched by using melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH) as the substrate. MCH is a target for designing drugs to reduce obesity. Catalyst candidates containing the Co(III) complex of cyclen as the catalytic center were prepared by multicomponent condensation reactions. From three kinds of chemical libraries containing about 19,000 catalyst candidates, one compound was identified as the MCH-cleaving catalyst. On incubation with the catalyst, the N-terminal Asp residue of MCH was converted to the pyruvate residue by oxidative decarboxylation. Detailed kinetics analysis revealed the catalytic nature of the action of the catalyst. In addition, the kinetics data indicated that MCH can be cleaved with half-lives of 3 h or less with submicromolar catalyst concentrations if the structure of the catalyst is further improved.

No abstract

In a previous study, a catalyst (A) was discovered for oxidative decarboxylation of melanin-concentrating hormone (MCH). To explain the catalytic action and to predict the structure of a new catalyst with improved activity, docking simulations were carried out for the complex formed between A and MCH. The simulations suggested that the three terminal groups of A form a hydrophobic pocket and that van der Waals interactions between the hydrophobic pocket and MCH play a role in stabilizing the MCH-A complex. Consequently, a new catalyst (B) was designed and synthesized in expectation of improved catalytic activity resulting from enhanced van der Waals interactions. The new catalyst, however, showed slightly lower catalytic activity. Lack of the accurate solution structure of MCH may be one of the factors associated with difficulties in prediction of improvement in catalytic activity by purely theoretical means. The results, however, revealed that variation of the acyl portion of the hydroxyproline portion may lead to improved catalysts.