Just three water molecules can trigger the undesired nonenzymatic reactions of aspartic acid residues: new insight from a quantum-chemical study

Abstract

Aspartic acid (Asp) residues in peptides and proteins (L-Asp) can undergo spontaneous, nonenzymatic reactions under physiological conditions by which abnormal L-β-Asp, D-Asp, and/or D-β-Asp residues are formed. These altered Asp residues may affect the three-dimensional structures of the peptides and proteins and hence their properties and functions. In fact, the altered Asp residues are relevant to age-related diseases such as cataract and Alzheimer's disease. Most of the above reactions of the L-Asp residue proceed via a cyclic succinimide intermediate. In this paper, I propose a detailed mechanism of cyclization of an Asp residue (forming a precursor of the succinimide) by the B3LYP/6-31+G(d,p) density functional theory calculations carried out for a small Asp-containing model compound complexed with three water molecules which act as general acid-base catalysts in proton transfers. In the proposed mechanism, the amide group on the C-terminal side of the Asp residue is first converted to the tautomeric iminol form. Then, successive reorientation of a water molecule and conformational change occur followed by the nucleophilic attack of the iminol nitrogen atom on the carboxyl carbon atom of the Asp side chain to form a five-membered ring. A satisfactory agreement was obtained between the calculated and experimental energetics.