STUDIES ON TRYPSIN INHIBITORS

Abstract

The synthesis by fragment condensation of protected peptides corresponding to the amino acid sequences 15-35, 25-52 and 15-52 of porcine pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor II (Kazal type) is described. The Rudinger modification of the azide procedure was used in the fragment coupling steps. The tert-butyloxycarbonylheptapeptide hydrazide (sequence 22-28) was reacted with the heptapeptide methyl ester free base (sequence 29-35) and the resulting tert-butyloxycarbonyltetradecapeptide methyl ester after selective deprotection, coupled with the benzyloxycarbonylheptapeptide hydrazide (sequence 15-21) to give the protected peptide methyl ester corresponding to the 15-35 sequence which was then converted to the corresponding hydrazide. The synthesis of the 25-52 sequence was achieved by assembling the protected peptide hydrazide corresponding to the amino acid residues 25-35, with the C-terminal heptadecapeptide 36-52. The resulting protected octaeicosapeptide (sequence 25-52) was selectively deblocked with trifluoroacetic acid and acylated with the benzyloxycarbonyldecapeptide hydrazide 15-24 to give the desired octatriacontapeptide corresponding to sequence 15-52 of the inhibitor. An attempt to prepare the 15-52 sequence through the condensation of fragments corresponding to 15-35 and 36-52 sequences was unsuccessful. The identity and purity of the synthetized peptide derivatives wre established by elemental analysis (in some cases), amino acid analysis, optical rotation, and thin-layer chromatography in two solvent systems. The final products were also evaluated, after partial deprotection with anhydrous hydrogen fluoride or aqueous 90% trifluoroacetic acid, by paper electrophoresis at different pH values.