Surface Recognition of a Protein Using Designed Transition Metal
Complexes
Md. Abul Fazal, Bidhan C. Roy, Shuguang Sun, Sanku Mallik,* and Kenton R. Rodgers
Contribution from the Department of Chemistry, North Dakota State UniVersity,
Fargo, North Dakota 58105
ReceiVed August 28, 2000
Abstract: Each protein has a unique pattern of histidine residues on the surface. This paper describes the
design, synthesis, and binding studies of transition metal complexes to target the surface histidine pattern of
carbonic anhydrase (bovine erythrocyte). When the pattern of cupric ions on a complex matches the surface
pattern of histidines of the protein, strong and selective binding can be achieved in aqueous buffer (pH ) 7.0).
The described method of protein recognition is applicable to proteins of known structures. With rapidly increasing
number of solved protein structures, the method has wide applicability in purification, targeting, and sensing
of proteins.
Strong and selective binding to a complex biomolecule in
aqueous solution by synthetic receptors is an area of active
research.
1
Molecules that bind to a particular protein with a high
affinity have many potential applications including design of
new and selective enzyme inhibitors,
2
design of stationary phases
for chromatographic purification of proteins
3
and construction
of protein sensors.
4
Recognition of an enzyme can be achieved
by exploiting a structurally well-defined enzyme active site or
a unique section of the protein’s surface topology.
Each protein has a unique pattern of amino acid residues on
the surface. It is this pattern that a surface receptor recognizes
for binding and selectivity. Protein surface patterns can be
recognized by polypeptides,
5
non-peptide charged moieties,
6
sugars,
7
etc. If the receptor binds on the surface of an enzyme
close to the active site, this method can lead to efficient
inhibitors
8a,b
or disruptors for protein-protein interactions.
8c,d
Combinatorial approaches to generate peptides and small
molecules capable of binding to a protein have been demon-
strated.
9
Linking two or more of these receptors improves the
binding affinity and the selectivity by large increments.
10
Another approach for recognizing the surface pattern of amino
acids of a protein involves template polymerization.
11
The
methodology has been performed on a surface
12
or using a gel.
13
In this approach, a pattern complementary to that of the protein
template is created on the polymer.
We are interested in the recognition of peptides
14
and
proteins
15
employing metal-ligand interactions. Various transi-
tion metal ions (e.g., Cu
2+
, Ni
2+
, Zn
2+
etc.) bind to the imidazole
side chains of surface exposed histidines of proteins.
16
This
coordination interaction (M
2+
-His) has been used for protein
purification by immobilized metal affinity chromatography
(IMAC),
17
protein targeting to a surface
18
and two-dimensional
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10.1021/ja003193z CCC: $20.00 © 2001 American Chemical Society
Published on Web 06/05/2001