| Abstract: | Synthetic cyclic octapeptides of general structure cycloGlu(γOBzl)-Sar-Gly-(N-R)Gly]2 (R = n-hexyl and cyclohexyl) transport calcium ions selectively across organic phases and phospholipid membranes. We have now used proton nmr spectroscopy (360 MHz) to study the solution conformation(s) of their calcium complexes. When Ca(ClO4)2 was added to solutions of these peptides in CDCl3, nmr spectra of the resulting calcium complexes were characteristic of a single C2-symmetric conformer. From a Karplus-Bystrov analysis of vicinal coupling constants in both the peptide backbone and Glu side chain (treated as an ABCC′MX spin system), in conjuction with model-building studies, a structure was proposed in which the calcium ion is bound in an octahedral-type complex by the four (coplanar) carbonyl groups of the (all-trans) Glu-Sar and Gly-(N-R)Gly peptide bonds. Occurrence of preferred rotamers about Glu side chain Cα–Cβ bonds indicated that restricted rotation in peptide side chains arises upon calcium binding. |
