Low Energy Conformations for Endogenous Mu-Receptor-Specific Peptides

The spatial structure of ACTH-(6-9)-PGP molecule has been investigated using theoretical conformational analysis method. Amino acid sequence of the N-terminal pentapeptide fragment of His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Pro of this molecule conforms to the fragment 6-9 of ACTH hormone. Calculations of conformational states of this molecule are carried out regarding nonvalent, electrostatic and torsional interactions and the energy of hydrogen bonds. The spatial structure of the His-Phe-Arg-Trp-Pro-Gly-Pro molecule was estimated on the low–energy conformations of the N-terminal tetrapeptide fragment His-Phe-Arg-Trp and C-terminal tripeptide fragment Pro-Gly-Pro of this molecule. It is shown that the spatial structure of heptapeptide molecule can be presented by 11 low-energy forms of the main chain. The low–energy conformations of this molecule, the values of dihedral angles of the backbone and side chains of the amino acid residues were founded and the energies of intra- and inter-residual interactions were determined.

In Jurinea mollis fruit, the dibenzylbutyrolactone-type lignan glycoside arctiin and its aglycone arctigenin were determined for the first time using a combination of optimized enzymatic treatment and complementary spectrometric (HPLC-MS, GC-MS) and spectroscopic (CD and NMR) methods. Analysis of separated fruit parts, i.e., the fruit wall and embryo, demonstrated the specific accumulation of arctiin, since it was exclusively found in the embryo. Arctiin in the embryo samples (71.5 mg/g) was found to be quantitatively converted into arctigenin (50.7 mg/g) by endogenous enzymatic hydrolysis, resulting in one of the highest arctigenin-containing plant tissues reported to date and allowing the selective isolation of arctigenin by our recently reported three-step isolation method. The absolute configuration of the isolated arctigenin was determined to be (-)-(8 R,8′ R). Conformational analysis of arctigenin was also performed, resulting in three major low energy conformations.