Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 Analogs Clicked in the C Domain: Chemical Synthesis and Biological Activities

J Med Chem. 2017 Dec 28;60(24):10105-10117. doi: 10.1021/acs.jmedchem.7b01331. Epub 2017 Dec 11.

Abstract

Human insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is a 70 amino acid protein hormone, with key impact on growth, development, and lifespan. The physiological and clinical importance of IGF-1 prompted challenging chemical and biological trials toward the development of its analogs as molecular tools for the IGF-1 receptor (IGF1-R) studies and as new therapeutics. Here, we report a new method for the total chemical synthesis of IGF-1 analogs, which entails the solid-phase synthesis of two IGF-1 precursor chains that is followed by the CuI-catalyzed azide-alkyne cycloaddition ligation and by biomimetic formation of a native pattern of disulfides. The connection of the two IGF-1 precursor chains by the triazole-containing moieties, and variation of its neighboring sequences (Arg36 and Arg37), was tolerated in IGF-1R binding and its activation. These new synthetic IGF-1 analogs are unique examples of disulfide bonds' rich proteins with intra main-chain triazole links. The methodology reported here also presents a convenient synthetic platform for the design and production of new analogs of this important human hormone with non-standard protein modifications.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Arginine / chemistry
  • Click Chemistry
  • Copper / chemistry
  • Cycloaddition Reaction
  • Disulfides / chemistry
  • Drug Evaluation, Preclinical / methods
  • Fibroblasts
  • Humans
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / analogs & derivatives*
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / chemical synthesis
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / chemistry
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / metabolism
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / pharmacology
  • Methionine / chemistry
  • Mice
  • NIH 3T3 Cells / drug effects
  • Phosphorylation
  • Protein Domains
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / metabolism
  • Receptor, IGF Type 1 / metabolism
  • Solid-Phase Synthesis Techniques
  • Triazoles / chemistry

Substances

  • Disulfides
  • IGF1 protein, human
  • Triazoles
  • Insulin-Like Growth Factor I
  • Copper
  • Arginine
  • Methionine
  • Receptor, IGF Type 1
  • Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt