ISBN: 978-83-60043-10-3 - eurobic9

Eurobic9, 2-6 September, 2008, Wrocław, Poland
P107. Cys-His Motifs as a Target for Ni(II) Ions in Peptides
K. Kulon a , D. Valensin b , W. Kamysz c , R. Nadolny c , E. Gaggelli b , G. Valensin b ,
H. Kozłowski a
a
Faculty of Chemistry, University of Wroclaw, F. Joliot-Curie 14, 50-383, Wroclaw, Poland
e-mail: kulon@eto.wchuwr.pl
b
Department of Chemistry, University of Siena, via Aldo Moro, 53-100, Siena, Italy
c
Department of Inorganic Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Medical University of Gdansk, Al. Gen. Hallera
107, 80-416, Gdansk, Poland
Waglerin I was isolated from venom of Wagler’s pit viper (Trimeresurus wagleri), a small venomous arboreal
snake occurring in Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand, Indonesia and the Indo-Australian archipelago [1, 2, 3].
It is a peptide toxin composed of 22 amino acid residues with one disulfide bond. Characteristic for this sequence
are seven proline residues and a high content of basic amino acids, which beside intramolecular disulfide bond
and His-10 are believed to be essential for biological activity of the toxin [3, 4].
Three fragments of the toxin (GGKPDLRPCHP-NH2, PCHYIPRPKPR-NH2, PCHPPCHYIPR-NH2), due to the
presence of two Cys and His residues, are potentially very attractive ligands for transition metal ions. The main
aim was to establish the impact of these two adjacent residues on Ni 2+ ion binding, especially because this kind
of motif is very common in nature. Waglerin’s fragments and their N-protected analogues were studied with
Ni2+ ions using combined potentiometric and spectroscopic measurements (UV-Vis, CD, EPR and NMR). In all
peptides, except PCHPPCHYIPR-NH2 with disulfide bridge, Cys-His motif was found to be crucial for the
coordination of Ni 2+ ions. In the case of the N-unprotected analogues, N-terminal amino group participates in the
coordination as well [5].
Acknowledgment
This work was supported by Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MEiN 1 T09A 008 30 and N204
2608 33).
References:
[1] L. Chuang, H. Yu, C. Chen, T. Huang, S. Wu, K. Wang, Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 1996, 1292, 145-155
[2] J. J. Schmidt, S. A. Weinstein, Toxicon., 1995, 33, 1043-1049
[3] Y. Hsiao, C. Chuang, L. Chuang, H. Yu, K. Wang, S. Chiou, S. Wu, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.,
1996, 227, 59-63
[4] L. C. Sellin, K. Mattila, A. Annila, J. J. Schmidt, J. J. McArdle. M. Hyvönen, T. T. Rantala, T. Kivistö,
Biopchys. J., 1996, 70, 3-13
[5] K. Kulon, D. Valensin, W. Kamysz, R. Nadolny, E. Gaggelli, G. Valensin, H. Kozłowski J. Chem. Soc.
Dalton. Trans, accepted
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