Tuning the Biological Activity of RGD Peptides with Halotryptophans†

J Med Chem. 2021 Jan 14;64(1):586-601. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.0c01536. Epub 2020 Dec 24.

Abstract

An array of l- and d-halotryptophans with different substituents at the indole moiety was synthesized employing either enzymatic halogenation by halogenases or incorporation of haloindoles using tryptophan synthase. Introduction of these Trp derivatives into RGD peptides as a benchmark system was performed to investigate their influence on bioactivity. Halotryptophan-containing RGD peptides display increased affinity toward integrin αvβ3 and enhanced selectivity over integrin α5β1. In addition, bromotryptophan was exploited as a platform for late-stage diversification by Suzuki-Miyaura cross-coupling (SMC), resulting in new-to-nature biaryl motifs. These peptides show enhanced affinity toward αvβ3, good affinity to αvβ8, and remarkable selectivity over α5β1 and αIIbβ3 while featuring fluorogenic properties. Their feasibility as a probe was demonstrated in vitro. Extensive molecular dynamics simulations were undertaken to elucidate NMR and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) data for these late-stage diversified cyclic RGD peptides and to further characterize their conformational preferences.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid / methods
  • Feasibility Studies
  • Halogens / chemistry*
  • Inhibitory Concentration 50
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / methods
  • Molecular Dynamics Simulation
  • Oligopeptides / chemistry
  • Oligopeptides / pharmacology*
  • Structure-Activity Relationship
  • Tryptophan / chemistry*

Substances

  • Halogens
  • Oligopeptides
  • arginyl-glycyl-aspartic acid
  • Tryptophan