Characterization of Secondary Amide Peptide Bonds Isomerization: Thermodynamics and Kinetics from 2D NMR Spectroscopy

摘要

Secondary amide cis peptide bonds are of even lower abundance than the cis tertiary amide bonds of prolines, yet they are of biochemical importance. Using 2D NMR exchange spectroscopy we investigated the formation of cis peptide bonds in several oligopeptides: Ac-G-G-G-NH2, Ac-I-G-G-NH2, Ac-I-G-G-N-NH2 and its cyclic form: I-G-G-N in DMSO. From the NMR studies, using the amide protons as monitors, an occurrenc.e of 0.13% – 0.23% of cis bonds was obtained at 296 K. The rate constants for the trans to cis conversion determined from 2D EXSY spectroscopy were 4–9·10⁻³ s⁻¹. Multiple minor conformations were detected for most peptide bonds. From their thermodynamic and kinetic properties the cis isomers are distinguished from minor trans isomers that appear because of an adjacent cis peptide bond. Solvent and sequence effects were investigated utilizing N-methylacetamide and various peptides, which revealed an unique enthalpy profile in DMSO. The cyclization of a tetrapeptide resulted in greatly lowered cis populations and slower isomerization rate compared to its linear counterpart, further highlighting the impact of structural constraints.