Methionine-associated peptide α-amidation is directed both to the N- and the C-terminal amino acids

Research output: Contribution to journalResearch articleContributedpeer-review

Contributors

Abstract

Peptide-bound methionine may transfer oxidative damage from the thioether side chain to the peptide backbone, catalyzing decomposition in general and α-amidation in particular. In the present study, we focused on the reactivity and reaction pathways of peptides. We synthesized model peptides comprising methionine or not and investigated their overall tendency towards decomposition and formation of specific products under conditions mimicking the cooking process at 100°C in buffered solution (pH 6.0) in the presence of redox-active substances such as transition metal ions and reductones. Peptides containing methionine were more susceptible to α-amidation under all oxidative conditions, and the products of N-terminus-directed α-amidation were quantified. Exemplarily, after incubation in the presence of cupric sulfate, about 2.0 mol-% of the overall decomposition of Z-glycylmethionylglycine accounted for the formation of Z-glycinamide, whereas it was below 0.1 mol-% for Z-glycylalanylglycine. Surprisingly and different from previous observations, C-terminus-directed α-amidation was observed for the first time. From Z-glycylmethionylglycine, the respective products were formed in higher amounts than the N-terminus-directed α-amidation product Z-glycinamide under all applied oxidation conditions. The preference of electron transfer from the amino nitrogen bound in the peptide bond directed to the C-terminus may be ascribed to a sterically less demanding hexagonal 3-electron-2-center intermediate during methionine-catalyzed α-amidation.

Details

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere3429
JournalJournal of peptide science
Volume28
Issue number11
Publication statusPublished - Nov 2022
Peer-reviewedYes

External IDs

PubMed 35694817
Mendeley 3ae3946f-2ad1-37f6-963a-f8ea540ddd9b
ORCID /0000-0001-8528-6893/work/142256516

Keywords

Keywords

  • backbone cleavage, catalysis, methionine, protein oxidation, reactive oxygen species, α-amidation, Sulfides, Peptides/chemistry, Copper Sulfate, Methionine/chemistry, Racemethionine