IChO 1999 · Theory problem 6

Sequence of peptide A

Peptide A has a molecular weight of 1007. Complete acid hydrolysis gives the following amino acids in equimolar amounts: Asp, Cystine, Glu, Gly, Ile, Leu, Pro, and Tyr (see Table 1). Oxidation of A with \(\ce{HCO2OH}\) gives only B which carries two residues of cysteic acid (Cya which is a cysteine derivative with its thiol group oxidized to sulfonic acid).

6.1 How many sulphonic acid groups are formed from oxidation of a disulfide bond ?

Partial hydrolysis of B gives a number of di and tri-peptides (B1-B6). The sequence of each hydrolysis product is determined in the following ways.

The N-terminal amino acid is identified by treating the peptide with 2,4-dinitrofluorobenzene (DNFB) to give DNP-peptide. After complete acid hydrolysis of the DNP-peptide, a DNP-amino acid is obtained which can be identified readily by comparison with standard DNP-amino acids.

6.2 B1, on treatment with DNFB followed by acid hydrolysis gives a product, DNP-Asp. This suggests that B1 has aspartic acid at the N-terminus. Write down the complete structure of DNP-Asp at its isoelectric point (no stereochemistry required).

Next, the C-terminal amino acid is identified by heating the peptide at \(100\,^\circ\mathrm{C}\) with hydrazine, which cleave all the peptide bonds and convert all except C-terminal amino acids into amino acid hydrazides, leaving the C-terminal carboxyl group intact.

In this way N- and C-terminal amino acids are identified and the complete sequences of B1-B6 are as shown :

B1 Asp-Cya B4 Ile-Glu
B2 Cya-Tyr B5 Cya-Pro-Leu
B3 Leu-Gly B6 Tyr-Ile-Glu

Hydrolysis of B with an enzyme from Bacillus subtilis gives B7-B9 with the following compositions:

B7 \(\ce{Gly-NH2}\) (Glycinamide)
B8 Cya, Glu, Ile, Tyr
B9 Asp, Cya, Leu, Pro

6.3 Write down the sequence of B8, if DNP-Cya is obtained on treatment of B8 with DNFB followed by complete acid hydrolysis.

6.4 If the N- and C-terminal amino acids of B9 are identified as Asp and Leu respectively, write down the sequence of B9.

6.5 Write down the complete structure of A using abbreviation in Table 1, indicating the position of the disulfide bond.

However, the calculated molecular weight of A based on the above sequence is 2 mass units higher than the experimental value. On careful observation of the mixture from complete acid hydrolysis of A, 3 molar equivalents of ammonia are also produced in addition to the amino acids detected initially.

6.6 Suggest the revised structure of A and circle the site(s) of the structure to indicate all the possible source of ammonia.

6.7 Using the information in Table 2, calculate the isoelectric point of A.

Table 1: Formulae and symbols of common amino acids at isoelectric point

Name Formula Three-letter symbol
Alanine \(\ce{CH3CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Ala
Arginine \(\ce{H2NC(=NH)NH(CH2)3CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Arg
Asparagine \(\ce{H2NCOCH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Asn
Aspartic Acid \(\ce{HO2CCH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Asp
Cysteine \(\ce{HSCH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Cys
Cystine \(\ce{[SCH2CH(NH3+)CO2-]2}\) –
Glutamic Acid \(\ce{HO2CCH2CH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Glu
Glutamine \(\ce{H2NCOCH2CH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Gln
Glycine \(\ce{^{+}H3NCH2CO2-}\) Gly
Histidine (figure below) His
Isoleucine \(\ce{CH3CH2CH(CH3)CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Ile
Leucine \(\ce{(CH3)2CHCH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Leu
Lysine \(\ce{H2N(CH2)4CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Lys
Figure 1

Table 1 (continued)

Name Formula Three-letter symbol
Methionine \(\ce{CH3SCH2CH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Met
Phenylalanine \(\ce{PhCH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Phe
Proline (first figure below) Pro
Serine \(\ce{HOCH2CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Ser
Threonine \(\ce{CH3CH(OH)CH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Thr
Tryptophan (second figure below) Trp
Tyrosine (third figure below) Tyr
Valine \(\ce{(CH3)2CHCH(NH3+)CO2-}\) Val
Figure 2
Figure 3
Figure 4

Table 2: \(\mathrm{p}K_\mathrm{a}\) of some important groups in amino acids

Groups Equilibrium \(\mathrm{p}K_\mathrm{a}\)
Terminal carboxyl (first figure below) 3.1
Asp /or Glu side-chain carboxyl (second figure below) 4.4
His side-chain (third figure below) 6.5
Terminal amino (fourth figure below) 8.0
Cys side-chain (fifth figure below) 8.5
Figure 5
Figure 6
Figure 7
Figure 8
Figure 9

Table 2 (continued)

Groups Equilibrium \(\mathrm{p}K_\mathrm{a}\)
Tyr side-chain (first figure below) 10.0
Lys side-chain amino (second figure below) 10.0
Arg side-chain (third figure below) 12.0
Figure 10
Figure 11
Figure 12

Official English text of the problem.

Answers

Peptide SMILES below use conventional natural L-residue stereochemistry and neutral functional-group representations.

  • 6.1: Two sulfonic acid groups, \(\ce{-SO3H}\), per disulfide bond.

  • 6.2: N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)aspartic acid, shown as the neutral, nonzwitterionic form: \[ \ce{HOOC-CH2-CH[NH-C6H3(NO2)2]-COOH}, \] with the nitro groups at positions 2 and 4 relative to the nitrogen attachment.

SMILES: O=C(O)CC(Nc1ccc([N+](=O)[O-])cc1[N+](=O)[O-])C(=O)O

  • 6.3: Peptide B8: \(\boxed{\ce{Cya-Tyr-Ile-Glu}}\), written from N- to C-terminus.

SMILES: N[C@@H](CS(=O)(=O)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](Cc1ccc(O)cc1)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)CC)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)O)C(=O)O

  • 6.4: Peptide B9: \(\boxed{\ce{Asp-Cya-Pro-Leu}}\).

SMILES: N[C@@H](CC(=O)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CS(=O)(=O)O)C(=O)N1CCC[C@H]1C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)O

  • 6.5: Provisional peptide A: \[ \boxed{\ce{H-Cys-Tyr-Ile-Glu-Asp-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2}} \] with a disulfide between Cys¹ and Cys⁶, a free N-terminal amino group, and a C-terminal carboxamide.

SMILES: N[C@@H](CS1)C(=O)N[C@@H](Cc2ccc(O)cc2)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)CC)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(=O)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(=O)O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CS1)C(=O)N2CCC[C@H]2C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)NCC(N)=O

  • 6.6: Revised peptide A: \[ \boxed{\ce{H-Cys-Tyr-Ile-Gln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2}} \] retaining the Cys¹–Cys⁶ disulfide. Circle the three \(\ce{-C(=O)NH2}\) groups: the Gln⁴ side-chain amide, Asn⁵ side-chain amide, and Gly⁹ terminal amide.

SMILES: N[C@@H](CS1)C(=O)N[C@@H](Cc2ccc(O)cc2)C(=O)N[C@@H]([C@@H](C)CC)C(=O)N[C@@H](CCC(N)=O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(N)=O)C(=O)N[C@@H](CS1)C(=O)N2CCC[C@H]2C(=O)N[C@@H](CC(C)C)C(=O)NCC(N)=O

  • 6.7: \(\boxed{\mathrm{pI}=9.0}\).

Solution

6.1

Oxidation converts each sulfur atom of a disulfide into a sulfonic acid group. Therefore one disulfide produces two such groups.

A balanced equation using the specified oxidant is

\[ \ce{R-S-S-R' + 5 HCO2OH + H2O -> R-SO3H + R'-SO3H + 5 HCO2H}. \]

Here performic acid is O=COO, formic acid is O=CO, and water is O.

Each cysteine-derived sulfur in the peptide consequently becomes a cysteic acid residue. Free L-cysteic acid, Cya, has SMILES N[C@@H](CS(=O)(=O)O)C(=O)O.

One molecule of cystine contains two amino-acid units. L-cystine has SMILES N[C@@H](CSSC[C@H](N)C(=O)O)C(=O)O. Thus the stated equimolar hydrolysis products correspond to nine residues: two cysteine residues and one of each of the other seven amino acids.

6.2

DNFB labels the free N-terminal amino group by nucleophilic aromatic substitution. For an N-terminal group represented by \(\ce{H2N-P}\), the formal balanced substitution is

\[ \ce{Ar-F + H2N-P -> Ar-NH-P + HF}, \]

where \(\ce{Ar}\) is the 2,4-dinitrophenyl group. DNFB is 1-fluoro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, Fc1ccc([N+](=O)[O-])cc1[N+](=O)[O-]; hydrogen fluoride is F. In the labeling medium, base takes up the acid produced.

Subsequent peptide-bond hydrolysis leaves the aryl–nitrogen bond intact. Obtaining DNP-Asp therefore identifies Asp as the N-terminal residue of B1.

The product is N-(2,4-dinitrophenyl)aspartic acid, whose SMILES is given in the answers. To draw it completely:

  • Draw a benzene ring bearing the amino-acid nitrogen at position 1.
  • Attach a nitro group at each of positions 2 and 4.
  • Connect the nitrogen, bearing one hydrogen, to the aspartic-acid α-carbon.
  • Attach \(\ce{-COOH}\), \(\ce{-CH2COOH}\), and hydrogen to that α-carbon.

The two nitro groups strongly reduce the basicity of the aryl-substituted nitrogen. The displayed net-neutral form therefore has an uncharged \(\ce{-NH-}\) group and two protonated carboxyl groups. No stereochemistry is assigned in this structure, as requested.

6.3

The composition of B8 is Cya, Tyr, Ile, and Glu. Its DNP derivative identifies Cya as its N-terminal residue.

The overlapping fragments are

\[ \begin{aligned} \mathrm{B2}&:\quad \ce{Cya-Tyr},\\ \mathrm{B6}&:\quad \ce{Tyr-Ile-Glu}. \end{aligned} \]

Their common Tyr residue joins them uniquely:

\[ \boxed{\mathrm{B8}=\ce{Cya-Tyr-Ile-Glu}}. \]

B4, \(\ce{Ile-Glu}\), independently confirms the final two residues.

6.4

B9 contains Asp, Cya, Pro, and Leu, with Asp at its N-terminus and Leu at its C-terminus.

B1 supplies \(\ce{Asp-Cya}\), while B5 supplies \(\ce{Cya-Pro-Leu}\). Joining at their common Cya gives

\[ \boxed{\mathrm{B9}=\ce{Asp-Cya-Pro-Leu}}. \]

This sequence satisfies both terminal identifications.

The hydrazinolysis used for C-terminal identification is an acyl substitution. Its general balanced form is

\[ \ce{R-C(=O)-NR'R'' + H2N-NH2 -> R-C(=O)-NH-NH2 + HNR'R''}. \]

Hydrazine has SMILES NN. Under the identification procedure described in the problem, the C-terminal amino acid retains its carboxyl group and is distinguished from the amino-acid hydrazides.

6.5

The three enzymatic fragments account for all nine residues:

\[ \begin{aligned} \mathrm{B8}&:\quad \ce{Cya-Tyr-Ile-Glu},\\ \mathrm{B9}&:\quad \ce{Asp-Cya-Pro-Leu},\\ \mathrm{B7}&:\quad \ce{Gly-NH2}. \end{aligned} \]

B7 is glycinamide, NCC(N)=O, so it establishes an amidated C-terminus.

The fragment B3, \(\ce{Leu-Gly}\), joins the end of B9 to B7. Consequently B9–B7 forms the C-terminal five-residue segment. B8 supplies the remaining N-terminal four residues, giving the provisional oxidized sequence

\[ \ce{Cya-Tyr-Ile-Glu-Asp-Cya-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2}. \]

Reversing the structural consequence of oxidation replaces the Cya residues at positions 1 and 6 with disulfide-linked cysteine residues. Therefore

\[ \boxed{\ce{H-Cys-Tyr-Ile-Glu-Asp-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2}}. \]

To indicate the disulfide precisely, connect the sulfur atoms of the two cysteine side chains, giving a side-chain linkage

\[ \ce{-CH2-S-S-CH2-} \]

between residues 1 and 6. The N-terminal amino group remains free. The SMILES in answer 6.5 explicitly encodes this intramolecular bond.

6.6

Acid hydrolysis converts a primary carboxamide into a carboxylic acid and ammonia. The formal balanced equation is

\[ \ce{R-C(=O)-NH2 + H2O -> R-C(=O)-OH + NH3}. \]

The primary-amide fragment is *C(N)=O, the carboxylic-acid fragment is *C(=O)O, and ammonia is N; the asterisk denotes the remainder of the structure. In the acidic hydrolysate, the released ammonia is protonated to ammonium, [NH4+].

The known terminal glycinamide accounts for one equivalent of ammonia. The remaining two equivalents require two additional primary amides.

Asp and Glu in an acid hydrolysate can arise from hydrolysis of the corresponding side-chain amides:

\[ \begin{aligned} \text{Asn side chain:}\quad& \ce{-CH2-C(=O)-NH2 -> -CH2-C(=O)-OH},\\ \text{Gln side chain:}\quad& \ce{-CH2-CH2-C(=O)-NH2 -> -CH2-CH2-C(=O)-OH}. \end{aligned} \]

These transformations follow the balanced hydrolysis equation above. Thus the original residues were Gln⁴ and Asn⁵.

The mass difference supports exactly these two replacements. Replacing \(\ce{-COOH}\) by \(\ce{-CONH2}\) replaces \(\ce{OH}\) by \(\ce{NH2}\), decreasing the molar mass by approximately

\[ (14+2)-(16+1)=-1\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}. \]

Two replacements decrease the molar mass by approximately \(2\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}\), matching the stated difference:

\[ M_r(\text{revised A})\simeq1009-2=1007. \]

Hence the revised structure is

\[ \boxed{\ce{H-Cys-Tyr-Ile-Gln-Asn-Cys-Pro-Leu-Gly-NH2}}, \]

with the same Cys¹–Cys⁶ disulfide.

The three sites to circle are:

  1. Gln⁴: the side-chain \(\ce{-CH2CH2C(=O)NH2}\).
  2. Asn⁵: the side-chain \(\ce{-CH2C(=O)NH2}\).
  3. Gly⁹: the terminal \(\ce{-C(=O)NH2}\).

Each yields one equivalent of ammonia. The backbone peptide nitrogens remain attached to their respective amino-acid products during hydrolysis.

6.7

In the revised structure, the relevant ionizable groups from Table 2 are:

Group in A \(\mathrm{p}K_\mathrm{a}\) Charge change on deprotonation
Free N-terminal amino group 8.0 \(+1\rightarrow0\)
Tyr phenolic group 10.0 \(0\rightarrow-1\)

The C-terminus is amidated, and the Gln and Asn side chains are amides. The two cysteine sulfur atoms form a disulfide, so there are no free thiol groups.

The electrically neutral form lies between loss of the N-terminal ammonium proton and loss of the Tyr phenolic proton. Therefore

\[ \boxed{\mathrm{pI}=\frac{8.0+10.0}{2}=9.0}. \]

More explicitly, the mean charge under the supplied ionization model is

\[ \bar z= \frac{1}{1+10^{\mathrm{pH}-8.0}} - \frac{1}{1+10^{10.0-\mathrm{pH}}}. \]

At \(\mathrm{pH}=9.0\), the positive and negative contributions both have magnitude \(1/11\), so \(\bar z=0\).

The solution was checked against the official solution.