Combined solid‐phase and solution approach for the synthesis of large peptides or proteins
In the synthesis of large peptides or proteins, highly homogeneous segments are indispensable for a convergent strategy either on a solid‐phase resin or in solution. Employing Boc/Bzl chemistry to prepare fully protected segments with a free α‐carboxyl group from the solid support, base‐labile linkers are profitable for practical peptide synthesis since they require no special equipment. For this purpose, an N‐[9‐(hydroxymethyl)‐2‐fluorenyl]succinamic acid (HMFS) linker was adopted. Consequently, there must be high compatibility between the protecting groups of the segment and the anchoring group which is cleavable by treatment with morpholine or piperidine in DMF. Instead of using the 2‐bromobenzyloxycarbonyl (BrZ) group for the Tyr residue and the formyl (For) group for the Trp residue, both of which are the most susceptible protecting groups under these base‐catalysed conditions, the base‐resistant 3‐pentyl (Pen) and cyclohexyloxycarbonyl (Hoc) groups were introduced to the respective side‐chain functional groups. By applying the present strategy, the authors were able to rapidly synthesize homogeneous protected segments for use in the subsequent segment coupling in solution. In the present paper, the utility of the combined solid‐phase and solution approach is demonstrated by synthesizing muscarinic toxin 1 (MTX1) which binds to the muscarinic acetylcholine receptors. Copyright © 2000 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Identification of hBD-3 in respiratory tract and serum: the increase in pneumonia
Human β-defensin (hBD)-3, a 45 amino acid antimicrobial peptide, was originally isolated from human skin. hBD-3 mRNA has also been detected in the airways by RT-PCR. While hBD-3 may be involved in antimicrobial defences within the respiratory tract, the presence of hBD-3 peptide in the respiratory system has not yet been confirmed. The antimicrobial activity of the synthesised hBD-3 peptide was measured by a radial diffusion assay and a colony count assay. The present authors confirmed the presence of hBD-3 peptide in homogenates of human lung and serum using reverse-phase HPLC coupled with a highly sensitive RIA. The localisation of the hBD-3 peptide was investigated by immunohistochemistry. In addition, the serum concentrations of hBD-3 were measured by RIA. hBD-3 exhibited a strong antimicrobial activity, which was unaffected by increasing salt concentrations. Immunohistochemically, the current authors observed the expression of hBD-3 in bronchial and bronchiolar epithelial cells. The mean±sd serum concentration of hBD-3 in patients with bacterial pneumonia was 239.4±17.8 pg·mL−1 in the acute phase and, decreased to 159.3±20.1 pg·mL−1 after the completion of therapy. In conclusion, these findings will help elucidate the role of human β-defensin-3 in host immune responses and identify the pathophysiological significance of this molecule in respiratory infections.
Facile removal of the N-indole-mesitylenesulfonyl protecting group using HF cleavage conditions
Nitrogen indole protection of the β-methyltryptophan side-chain residue is important for avoiding undesired side reactions during peptide synthesis. Of great importance is the choice of a side-chain protecting group for orthogonal peptide synthesis and its stability under a variety of chemical conditions required for synthesis of the four isomers of this unusual amino acid. We report here the successful use of the mesitylenesulfonyl (Mts) protecting group for β-methyltryptophan in the synthesis of melanotropin and CCK peptide analogues and the ready cleavage of this protecting group under HF conditions.