Design of a New Class of Superpotent Cyclic α-Melanotropins Based on Quenched Dynamic Simulations

Fahad Al-Obeidi, Victor J. Hruby, Mac E. Hadley, B. Montgomery Pettitt

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

169 Scopus citations

Abstract

A new hishly potent, receptor-selective and prolonged-acting cyclic lactam analogue of α-melanotropin (α-MSH) has been designed and synthesized. Molecular dynamics simulations and molecular mechanics calculations were used in conjunction with results from previous conformational structure-biological activity studies to design a new class of linear and cyclic α-melanotropin (α-MSH) analogues. Examination of these properties of α-MSH and [Nle4,D-Phe7] α-MSH led to the design of the potent linear fragment analogue Ac-[Nle4,Asp5,D-Phe7,Lys10]α-MSH4-10-NH2, in which the Gly10 residue of α-MSH4-10 was replaced by Lys10 as the major novel change from previous investigations. This in turn led to the synthesis of the cyclic lactam analogue Ac-[Nle4,Asp5,D-Phe7,Lys10]α-MSH4-10-NH2, which was exceptionally potent in the lizard skin (90 times that of α-MSH) and mammalian melanoma tyrosinase (100 times that of α-MSH) assays and in addition exhibited prolonged biological activity.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)3413-3416
Number of pages4
JournalJournal of the American Chemical Society
Volume111
Issue number9
DOIs
StatePublished - Apr 1989
Externally publishedYes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Catalysis
  • General Chemistry
  • Biochemistry
  • Colloid and Surface Chemistry

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