Basic conformers in β‐peptides

The conformation of oligomers of β‐amino acids of the general type Ac‐[β‐Xaa]_n‐NHMe (β‐Xaa = β‐Ala, β‐Aib, and β‐Abu; n = 1–4) was systematically examined at different levels of ab initio molecular orbital theory (HF/6‐31G*, HF/3‐21G). The solvent influence was considered employing two quantum‐mechanical self‐consistent reaction field models. The results show a wide variety of possibilities for the formation of characteristic elements of secondary structure in β‐peptides. Most of them can be derived from the monomer units of blocked β‐peptides with n = 1. The stability and geometries of the β‐peptide structures are considerably influenced by the side‐chain positions, by the configurations at the C^α‐ and C^β‐atoms of the β‐amino acid constituents, and especially by environmental effects. Structure peculiarities of β‐peptides, in particular those of various helix alternatives, are discussed in relation to typical elements of secondary structure in α‐peptides. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Biopoly 50: 167–184, 1999     

Synthesis and characterization of β‐peptide helices as transmembrane domains in lipid model membranes

Aggregation, orientation and dynamics of transmembrane helices are of relevance for protein function and transmembrane signaling. To explore the interactions of transmembrane helices and the interdependence of peptide structure and lipid composition of the membranes, β‐peptides were explored as model transmembrane domains. Various hydrophobic β‐peptide sequences were synthesized by solid phase peptide synthesis. Conformational analyses of β‐peptide helices were performed in organic solvents (methanol and 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol) and in large unilamellar liposomes (dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and dioleoylphosphatidylcholine) indicating 12‐ and 14‐helix conformations, depending on β³‐amino acid sequences. The intrinsic tryptophan fluorescence of β³‐homotryptophan units inserted in the center or near the end of the sequence was used to verify the membrane insertion of the β‐peptides. A characteristic blue shift with peripheral β³‐homotryptophan compared with β‐peptides with central tryptophan served as indication for a transmembrane orientation of the β‐peptides within the lipid bilayer. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A synthetic peptide corresponding to a region of the human pericentriolar material 1 (PCM‐1) protein binds β‐amyloid (Aβ1‐42) oligomers

We have recently reported that a ~19‐kDa polypeptide, rPK‐4, is a protein kinase Cs inhibitor that is 89% homologous to the 1171–1323 amino acid region of the 228‐kDa human pericentriolar material‐1 (PCM‐1) protein (Chakravarthy et al. 2012). We have now discovered that rPK‐4 binds oligomeric amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ)_1‐42 with high affinity. Most importantly, a PCM‐1‐selective antibody co‐precipitated Aβ and amyloid β precursor protein (AβPP) from cerebral cortices and hippocampi from AD (Alzheimer's disease) transgenic mice that produce human AβPP and Aβ_1‐42, suggesting that PCM‐1 may interact with amyloid precursor protein/Aβ in vivo. We have identified rPK‐4′s Aβ‐binding domain using a set of overlapping synthetic peptides. We have found with ELISA, dot‐blot, and polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis techniques that a ~ 5 kDa synthetic peptide, amyloid binding peptide (ABP)‐p4‐5 binds Aβ_1‐42 at nM levels. Most importantly, ABP‐p4‐5, like rPK‐4, appears to preferentially bind Aβ_1‐42 oligomers, believed to be the toxic AD‐drivers. As expected from these observations, ABP‐p4‐5 prevented Aβ_1‐42 from killing human SH‐SY5Y neuroblastoma cells via apoptosis. These findings indicate that ABP‐p4‐5 is a possible candidate therapeutic for AD.     

Synthesis,binding affinities and metabolic stability of dimeric dermorphin analogs modified with β3‐homo‐amino acids

In this study, proteinogenic amino acids residues of dimeric dermorphin pentapeptides were replaced by the corresponding β³‐homo‐amino acids. The potency and selectivity of hybrid α/β dimeric dermorphin pentapeptides were evaluated by competetive receptor binding assay in the rat brain using [3H]DAMGO (a μ ligand) and [3H]DELT (a δ ligand). Tha analog containing β³‐homo‐Tyr in place of Tyr (Tyr‐d ‐Ala‐Phe‐Gly‐β³‐homo‐Tyr‐NH‐)₂ showed good μ receptor affinity and selectivity (IC₅₀ = 0.302, IC₅₀ ratio μ/δ = 68) and enzymatic stability in human plasma. Copyright © 2016 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

5α‐Androst‐16‐en‐3α‐ol β‐D‐Glucuronide,Precursor of 5α‐Androst‐16‐en‐3α‐ol in Human Sweat

5α‐Androst‐16‐en‐3α‐ol (α‐androstenol) is an important contributor to human axilla sweat odor. It is assumed that α‐andostenol is excreted from the apocrine glands via a H₂O‐soluble conjugate, and this precursor was formally characterized in this study for the first time in human sweat. The possible H₂O‐soluble precursors, sulfate and glucuronide derivatives, were synthesized as analytical standards, i.e., α‐androstenol, β‐androstenol sulfates, 5α‐androsta‐5,16‐dien‐3β‐ol (β‐androstadienol) sulfate, α‐androstenol β‐glucuronide, α‐androstenol α‐glucuronide, β‐androstadienol β‐glucuronide, and α‐androstenol β‐glucuronide furanose. The occurrence of α‐androstenol β‐glucuronide was established by ultra performance liquid chromatography (UPLC)/MS (heated electrospray ionization (HESI)) in negative‐ion mode in pooled human sweat, containing eccrine and apocrine secretions and collected from 25 female and 24 male underarms. Its concentration was of 79 ng/ml in female secretions and 241 ng/ml in male secretions. The release of α‐androstenol was observed after incubation of the sterile human sweat or α‐androstenol β‐glucuronide with a commercial glucuronidase enzyme, the urine‐isolated bacteria Streptococcus agalactiae, and the skin bacteria Staphylococcus warneri DSM 20316, Staphylococcus haemolyticus DSM 20263, and Propionibacterium acnes ATCC 6919, reported to have β‐glucuronidase activities. We demonstrated that if α‐ and β‐androstenols and androstadienol sulfates were present in human sweat, their concentrations would be too low to be considered as potential precursors of malodors; therefore, the H₂O‐soluble precursor of α‐androstenol in apocrine secretion should be a β‐glucuronide.     

Effects of solvent fractions of Allomyrina dichotoma larvae through the inhibition of in vitro BACE1 and β‐amyloid(25–35)‐induced toxicity in rat pheochromocytoma PC12 cells

Amyloid‐β peptide (Aβ) generation initiated by β‐site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 BACE1 is a critical cause of Alzheimer's disease. In the course of our ongoing investigation of natural anti‐dementia resources, the ethyl acetate (EtOAc) fraction exerted strong BACE1‐specific inhibition with the half maximal inhibitory concentration (IC₅₀) value of 9.2 × 10^?5 μg/mL. Furthermore, Aβ(25–35)‐induced cell death was predominantly prevented by the EtOAc fraction of Allomyrina dichotoma larvae through diminishing of cellular oxidative stress and attenuating apoptosis by inhibiting caspase‐3 activity. Taken together, the present study demonstrated that A. dichotoma larvae possess novel neuroprotective properties not only via the selective and specific inhibition of BACE1 activity but also through the alleviation of Aβ(25–35)‐induced toxicity, which may raise the possibility of therapeutic application of A. dichotoma larvae for preventing and/or treating dementia.     

Interaction of β3/β2‐Peptides,Consisting of Val‐Ala‐Leu Segments,with POPC Giant Unilamellar Vesicles (GUVs) and White Blood Cancer Cells (U937) – A New Type of Cell‐Penetrating Peptides,and a Surprising Chain‐Length Dependence of Their Vesicle‐ and Cell‐Lysing Activity

Many years ago, β²/β³‐peptides, consisting of alternatively arranged β²‐ and β³h‐amino‐acid residues, have been found to undergo folding to a unique type of helix, the 10/12‐helix, and to exhibit non‐polar, lipophilic properties (Helv. Chim. Acta 1997 , 80, 2033). We have now synthesized such ‘mixed’ hexa‐, nona‐, dodeca‐, and octadecapeptides, consisting of Val‐Ala‐Leu triads, with N‐terminal fluorescein (FAM) labels, i.e., 1 – 4 , and studied their interactions with POPC (=1‐palmitoyl‐2‐oleoyl‐sn‐glycero‐3‐phosphocholine) giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) and with human white blood cancer cells U937. The methods used were microfluidic technology, fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS), a flow‐cytometry assay, a membrane‐toxicity assay with the dehydrogenase G6PDH as enzymatic reporter, and visual microscopy observations. All β³/β²‐peptide derivatives penetrate the GUVs and/or the cells. As shown with the isomeric β³/β²‐, β³‐, and β²‐nonamers, 2, 5 , and 6 , respectively, the derivatives 5 and 6 consisting exclusively of β³‐ or β²‐amino‐acid residues, respectively, interact neither with the vesicles nor with the cells. Depending on the method of investigation and on the pretreatment of the cells, the β³/β²‐nonamer and/or the β³/β²‐dodecamer derivative, 2 and/or 3 , respectively, cause a surprising disintegration or lysis of the GUVs and cells, comparable with the action of tensides, viral fusion peptides, and host‐defense antimicrobial peptides. Possible sources of the chain‐length‐dependent destructive potential of the β³/β²‐nona‐ and β³/β²‐dodecapeptide derivatives, and a possible relationship with the phosphate‐to‐phosphate and hydrocarbon thicknesses of GUVs, and eukaryotic cells are discussed. Further investigations with other types of GUVs and of eukaryotic or prokaryotic cells will be necessary to elucidate the mechanism(s) of interaction of ‘mixed’ β³/β²‐peptides with membranes and to evaluate possible biomedical applications.     

Synthesis and receptor binding of opioid peptide analogues containing β3‐homo‐amino acids

β‐Amino acids containing hybrid peptides and β‐peptides show great potential as peptidomimetics. In this paper we describe the synthesis and affinity toward the µ‐ and δ‐opioid receptors of β‐peptides, analogues of Leu‐enkephalin, deltorphin I, dermorphin and α,β‐hybrides, analogues of deltorphin I. Substitution of α‐amino acid residues with β³‐homo‐amino acid residues, in general resulted in decrease of affinity to opioid receptors. However, the incorporation β³h‐D ‐Ala in position 2 or β³hPhe in position 3 of deltorphin I resulted in potent and selective ligand for δ‐opioid receptor. The NMR studies of β‐deltorphin I analogue suggest that conformational motions in the central part of the peptide backbone are partially restricted and some conformational preferences can be expected. Copyright © 2009 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Developing bifunctional β‐lactamase molecules with built‐in target‐recognizing module for prodrug therapy: identification of Enterobacter Cloacae P99 cephalosporinase loops suitable for randomization and phage‐display selection

This study was focused on developing catalytically active β‐lactamase enzyme molecules that have target‐recognizing sites built within their scaffold. Using phage‐display approach, nine libraries were constructed by inserting the randomized linear or cysteine‐constrained heptapeptides in the five different loops on the outer surface of P99 β‐lactamase molecule. The pIII signal peptide of Sec‐pathway was employed for a periplasmic translocation of the β‐lactamase fusion protein, which we found more efficient than the DsbA signal peptide of SRP‐pathway. The randomized heptapeptide loops replaced native amino acids between positions ³⁴Y‐³⁷K, ²³⁸M‐²⁴⁶A, ²⁷⁵N‐²⁸⁰A, ³⁰⁵A‐³¹¹S, or ³²⁹I‐³³⁴I of the P99 β‐lactamase molecules for generating the loop‐1 to ‐5 libraries, respectively. The diversity of each loop library was judged by counting the primary and β‐lactamase‐active clones. The linear peptide inserts in the loop‐2 library showed the maximum number of the β‐lactamase‐active clones, followed by the loop‐5, loop‐3, and loop‐4. The insertion of the cysteine‐constrained loops exhibited a dramatic loss of the enzyme‐active β‐lactamase clones. The complexity of the loop‐2 linear library, as determined by the frequency and diversity of amino acid distributions in the randomized region, appears consistent with the standards of other types of phage display library systems. The selection of the loop‐2 linear library on streptavidin protein as a test target identified several β‐lactamase clones that specifically bound to streptavidin. In conclusion, this study identified the suitability of the loop‐2 of P99 β‐lactamase for constructing a phage‐display library of the β‐lactamase enzyme‐active molecules that can be selected against a target. This is an enabling step in our long‐term goal of developing bifunctional β‐lactamase molecules against cancer‐specific targets for enzyme prodrug therapy of cancer. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Mitofusin‐2 knockdown increases ER–mitochondria contact and decreases amyloid β‐peptide production

Mitochondria are physically and biochemically in contact with other organelles including the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Such contacts are formed between mitochondria‐associated ER membranes (MAM), specialized subregions of ER, and the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM). We have previously shown increased expression of MAM‐associated proteins and enhanced ER to mitochondria Ca²⁺ transfer from ER to mitochondria in Alzheimer's disease (AD) and amyloid β‐peptide (Aβ)‐related neuronal models. Here, we report that siRNA knockdown of mitofusin‐2 (Mfn2), a protein that is involved in the tethering of ER and mitochondria, leads to increased contact between the two organelles. Cells depleted in Mfn2 showed increased Ca²⁺ transfer from ER to mitchondria and longer stretches of ER forming contacts with OMM. Interestingly, increased contact resulted in decreased concentrations of intra‐ and extracellular Aβ₄₀ and Aβ₄₂. Analysis of γ‐secretase protein expression, maturation and activity revealed that the low Aβ concentrations were a result of impaired γ‐secretase complex function. Amyloid‐β precursor protein (APP), β‐site APP‐cleaving enzyme 1 and neprilysin expression as well as neprilysin activity were not affected by Mfn2 siRNA treatment. In summary, our data shows that modulation of ER–mitochondria contact affects γ‐secretase activity and Aβ generation. Increased ER–mitochondria contact results in lower γ‐secretase activity suggesting a new mechanism by which Aβ generation can be controlled.     

Isostructural unbranched alkyl‐chains as tools for stabilizing β‐turn structure

To investigate the structural role played by isostructural unbranched alkyl‐chains on the conformational ensemble and stability of β‐turn structures, the conformational properties of a designed model peptide: Plm‐Pro‐Gly‐Pda ( 1 , Plm: H₃C—(CH₂)₁₄—CONH—; Pda: —CONH— (CH₂)₁₄—CH₃) have been examined and compared with the parent peptide: Boc‐Pro‐Gly‐NHMe ( 2 , Boc: tert‐butoxycarbonyl; NHMe: N‐methylamide). The characteristic ¹³C NMR chemical‐shifts of the Pro C^β and C^γ resonances ascertained the incidence of an all‐trans peptide‐bond in low polarity deuterochloroform solution. Using FTIR and ¹H NMR spectroscopy, we establish that apolar alkyl‐chains flanking a β‐turn promoting Pro‐Gly sequence impart definite incremental stability to the well‐defined hydrogen‐bonded structure. The assessment of ¹H NMR derived thermodynamic parameters of the hydrogen‐bonded amide‐NHs via variable temperature indicate that much weaker hydrophobic interactions do contribute to the stability of folded reverse turn structures. The far‐UV CD spectral patterns of 1 and 2 in 2,2,2‐trifluoroethanol are consistent with Pro‐Gly specific type II β‐turn structure, concomitantly substantiate that the flanking alkyl‐chains induce substantial bias in enhanced β‐turn populations. In view of structural as well as functional importance of the Pro‐Gly mediated secondary structures, besides biochemical and biological significance of proteins lipidation via myristoylation or palmytoilation, we highlight potential convenience of the unbranched Plm and Pda moieities not only as main‐chain N‐ and C‐terminal protecting groups but also to mimic and stabilize specific isolated secondary and supersecondary structural components frequently observed in proteins and polypeptides. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Biopolymers 99: 419–426, 2013.     

Insight into a strategy for attenuating AmpC‐mediated β‐lactam resistance: Structural basis for selective inhibition of the glycoside hydrolase NagZ

NagZ is an exo‐N‐acetyl‐β‐glucosaminidase, found within Gram‐negative bacteria, that acts in the peptidoglycan recycling pathway to cleave N‐acetylglucosamine residues off peptidoglycan fragments. This activity is required for resistance to cephalosporins mediated by inducible AmpC β‐lactamase. NagZ uses a catalytic mechanism involving a covalent glycosyl enzyme intermediate, unlike that of the human exo‐N‐acetyl‐β‐glucosaminidases: O‐GlcNAcase and the β‐hexosaminidase isoenzymes. These latter enzymes, which remove GlcNAc from glycoconjugates, use a neighboring‐group catalytic mechanism that proceeds through an oxazoline intermediate. Exploiting these mechanistic differences we previously developed 2‐N‐acyl derivatives of O‐(2‐acetamido‐2‐deoxy‐D ‐glucopyranosylidene)amino‐N‐phenylcarbamate (PUGNAc), which selectively inhibits NagZ over the functionally related human enzymes and attenuate antibiotic resistance in Gram‐negatives that harbor inducible AmpC. To understand the structural basis for the selectivity of these inhibitors for NagZ, we have determined its crystallographic structure in complex with N‐valeryl‐PUGNAc, the most selective known inhibitor of NagZ over both the human β‐hexosaminidases and O‐GlcNAcase. The selectivity stems from the five‐carbon acyl chain of N‐valeryl‐PUGNAc, which we found ordered within the enzyme active site. In contrast, a structure determination of a human O‐GlcNAcase homologue bound to a related inhibitor N‐butyryl‐PUGNAc, which bears a four‐carbon chain and is selective for both NagZ and O‐GlcNAcase over the human β‐hexosamnidases, reveals that this inhibitor induces several conformational changes in the active site of this O‐GlcNAcase homologue. A comparison of these complexes, and with the human β‐hexosaminidases, reveals how selectivity for NagZ can be engineered by altering the 2‐N‐acyl substituent of PUGNAc to develop inhibitors that repress AmpC mediated β‐lactam resistance.     

Characterization of novel β‐1,3‐glucan recognition proteins from a Tibetan Plateau ghost moth Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera,Hepialidae)

β‐1,3‐glucan recognition proteins (βGRPs) function as pattern recognition receptors in the innate immune response against invading pathogens. In the present study, we obtain full‐length cDNA clones for two novel putative βGRPs: TpβGRPc and TpβGRPd from the ghost moth Thitarodes pui (Lepidoptera: Hepialidae). Phylogenetic analysis shows a small distinct lineage, βGRP clade 4, consisting of T. pui βGRPs including TpβGRPa and TpβGRPb that have been identified previously. TpβGRPc and TpβGRPd, comprising 488 and 229 amino acids, have calculated molecular masses of 52 596 and 24 589 Da, respectively. TpβGRPc is 85.52% identical in sequence to TpβGRPa. TpβGRPb and TpβGRPd share the same deletion start site located at the conserved residue Pro 43, although TpβGRPd exhibits a much larger deletion of up to approximately 270 residues covering both the N‐ and C‐terminal regions. Affinity purification, associated with subsequent peptide sequencing, confirms the constitutive occurrence of TpβGRPa and TpβGRPc of similar size (approximately 65 kDa) in sixth‐instar larval haemolymph. These two βGRPs show clear binding affinities to curdlan, an insoluble β‐1,3‐glucan. A quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction analysis reveals the high‐level constitutive expression of TpβGRPc and TpβGRPd in the fat body of mid‐instar larvae, which are found to be susceptible to fungal pathogens in field investigations. Remarkable induction of both TpβGRPs occurs in response to haemocoelic challenge with entomopathogenic fungus Beauveria bassiana. The results of the present study suggest that TpβGRPs may contribute to the detection and control of fungal infections.     

Structural studies of the tethered N‐terminus of the Alzheimer's disease amyloid‐β peptide

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia in humans and is related to the accumulation of the amyloid‐β (Aβ) peptide and its interaction with metals (Cu, Fe, and Zn) in the brain. Crystallographic structural information about Aβ peptide deposits and the details of the metal‐binding site is limited owing to the heterogeneous nature of aggregation states formed by the peptide. Here, we present a crystal structure of Aβ residues 1–16 fused to the N‐terminus of the Escherichia coli immunity protein Im7, and stabilized with the fragment antigen binding fragment of the anti‐Aβ N‐terminal antibody WO2. The structure demonstrates that Aβ residues 10–16, which are not in complex with the antibody, adopt a mixture of local polyproline II‐helix and turn type conformations, enhancing cooperativity between the two adjacent histidine residues His13 and His14. Furthermore, this relatively rigid region of Aβ (residues, 10–16) appear as an almost independent unit available for trapping metal ions and provides a rationale for the His13‐metal‐His14 coordination in the Aβ_1–16 fragment implicated in Aβ metal binding. This novel structure, therefore, has the potential to provide a foundation for investigating the effect of metal ion binding to Aβ and illustrates a potential target for the development of future Alzheimer's disease therapeutics aimed at stabilizing the N‐terminal monomer structure, in particular residues His13 and His14, and preventing Aβ metal‐binding‐induced neurotoxicity.Proteins 2013; 81:1748–1758. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Progesterone 5β‐reductase genes of the Brassicaceae family as function‐associated molecular markers

This study aimed to define progesterone 5β‐reductases (P5βR, EC 1.3.99.6, enone 1,4‐reductases) as function‐associated molecular markers at the plant family level. Therefore cDNAs were isolated from 25 Brassicaceae species, including two species, Erysimum crepidifolium and Draba aizoides, known to produce cardiac glycosides. The sequences were used in a molecular phylogeny study. The cladogram created is congruent to the existing molecular analyses. Recombinant His‐tagged forms of the P5βR cDNAs from Aethionema grandiflorum, Draba aizoides, Nasturtium officinale, Raphanus sativus and Sisymbrium officinale were expressed in E. coli. Enone 1,4‐reductase activity was demonstrated in vitro using progesterone and 2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one as substrates. Evidence is provided that functional P5βRs are ubiquitous in the Brassicaceae. The recombinant P5βR enzymes showed different substrate preferences towards progesterone and 2‐cyclohexen‐1‐one. Sequence comparison of the catalytic pocket of the P5βR enzymes and homology modelling using Digitalis lanata P5βR (PDB ID: 2V6G) as template highlighted the importance of the hydrophobicity of the binding pocket for substrate discrimination. It is concluded that P5βR genes or P5βR proteins can be used as valuable function‐associated molecular markers to infer taxonomic relationship and evolutionary diversification from a metabolic/catalytic perspective.     

Synthesis of anticancer heptapeptides containing a unique lipophilic β2,2‐amino acid building block

We report a series of synthetic anticancer heptapeptides (H‐KKWβ^2,2WKK‐NH₂) containing eight different central lipophilic β^2,2‐amino acid building blocks, which have demonstrated high efficiency when used as scaffolds in small cationic antimicrobial peptides and peptidomimetics. The most potent peptides in the present study had IC₅₀ values of 9–23 µm against human Burkitt's lymphoma and murine B‐cell lymphoma and were all nonhaemolytic (EC₅₀ > 200 µm ). The most promising peptide 10e also demonstrated low toxicity against human embryonic lung fibroblast cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells and exceptional proteolytic stability. Copyright © 2012 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

β‐amino acid substitution to investigate the recognition of angiotensin II (AngII) by angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2)

In spite of the important role of angiotensin converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) in the cardiovascular system, little is known about the substrate structural requirements of the AngII–ACE2 interaction. Here we investigate how changes in angiotensin II (AngII) structure affect binding and cleavage by ACE2. A series of C3 β‐amino acid AngII analogs were generated and their secondary structure, ACE2 inhibition, and proteolytic stability assessed by circular dichroism (CD), quenched fluorescence substrate (QFS) assay, and LC‐MS analysis, respectively. The β‐amino acid‐substituted AngII analogs showed differences in secondary structure, ACE2 binding and proteolytic stability. In particular, three different subsets of structure‐activity profiles were observed corresponding to substitutions in the N‐terminus, the central region and the C‐terminal region of AngII. The results show that β‐substitution can dramatically alter the structure of AngII and changes in structure correlated with ACE2 inhibition and/or substrate cleavage. β‐amino acid substitution in the N‐terminal region of AngII caused little change in structure or substrate cleavage, while substitution in the central region of AngII lead to increased β‐turn structure and enhanced substrate cleavage. β‐amino acid substitution in the C‐terminal region significantly diminished both secondary structure and proteolytic processing by ACE2. The β‐AngII analogs with enhanced or decreased proteolytic stability have potential application for therapeutic intervention in cardiovascular disease. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Antibacterial Activity of Enrofloxacin and Ciprofloxacin Derivatives of β‐Octaarginine

β³‐Octaarginine chains were attached to the functional groups NH and CO₂H of the antibacterial fluoroquinolones ciprofloxacin (→ 1 ) and enrofloxacin (→ 2 ), respectively, in order to find out whether the activity increases by attachment of the polycationic, cell‐penetrating peptide (CPP) moiety. For comparison, simple amides, 3 – 5 , of the two antimicrobial compounds and β³‐octaarginine amide ( βR₈ ) were included in the antibacterial susceptibility tests to clarify the impact of chemical modification on the microbiological activity of either scaffold (Table).     

Crystal structure of a GH1 β‐glucosidase from Hamamotoa singularis

A GH1 β‐glucosidase from the fungus Hamamotoa singularis (HsBglA) has high transgalactosylation activity and efficiently converts lactose to galactooligosaccharides. Consequently, HsBglA is among the most widely used enzymes for industrial galactooligosaccharide production. Here, we present the first crystal structures of HsBglA with and without 4′‐galactosyllactose, a tri‐galactooligosaccharide, at 3.0 and 2.1 Å resolutions, respectively. These structures reveal details of the structural elements that define the catalytic activity and substrate binding of HsBglA, and provide a possible interpretation for its high catalytic potency for transgalactosylation reaction.     

Conformational flexibility of the glycosidase NagZ allows it to bind structurally diverse inhibitors to suppress β‐lactam antibiotic resistance

NagZ is an N‐acetyl‐β‐d ‐glucosaminidase that participates in the peptidoglycan (PG) recycling pathway of Gram‐negative bacteria by removing N‐acetyl‐glucosamine (GlcNAc) from PG fragments that have been excised from the cell wall during growth. The 1,6‐anhydromuramoyl‐peptide products generated by NagZ activate β‐lactam resistance in many Gram‐negative bacteria by inducing the expression of AmpC β‐lactamase. Blocking NagZ activity can thereby suppress β‐lactam antibiotic resistance in these bacteria. The NagZ active site is dynamic and it accommodates distortion of the glycan substrate during catalysis using a mobile catalytic loop that carries a histidine residue which serves as the active site general acid/base catalyst. Here, we show that flexibility of this catalytic loop also accommodates structural differences in small molecule inhibitors of NagZ, which could be exploited to improve inhibitor specificity. X‐ray structures of NagZ bound to the potent yet non‐selective N‐acetyl‐β‐glucosaminidase inhibitor PUGNAc (O‐(2‐acetamido‐2‐deoxy‐d ‐glucopyranosylidene) amino‐N‐phenylcarbamate), and two NagZ‐selective inhibitors – EtBuPUG, a PUGNAc derivative bearing a 2‐N‐ethylbutyryl group, and MM‐156, a 3‐N‐butyryl trihydroxyazepane, revealed that the phenylcarbamate moiety of PUGNAc and EtBuPUG completely displaces the catalytic loop from the NagZ active site to yield a catalytically incompetent form of the enzyme. In contrast, the catalytic loop was found positioned in the catalytically active conformation within the NagZ active site when bound to MM‐156, which lacks the phenylcarbamate extension. Displacement of the catalytic loop by PUGNAc and its N‐acyl derivative EtBuPUG alters the active site conformation of NagZ, which presents an additional strategy to improve the potency and specificity of NagZ inhibitors.