Die Tryptophanhydroxylase (TPH) katalysiert den geschwindigkeitsbestimmenden Schritt der Synthese des wichtigen Neurotransmitters Serotonin. Kürzlich wurde ein zweites TPH-Isozym, die TPH2, entdeckt. Es stellte sich heraus, dass dieses Isozym für die Serotoninsynthese im Zentralnervensystem verantwortlich ist, wohingegen die TPH1 lediglich der Ausgangspunkt der Serotoninsynthese in den peripheren Geweben ist. Da Störungen im Serotoninstoffwechsel mit einer Vielzahl von psychiatrischen Erkrankungen in Verbindung gebracht werden, rückt nun die als neuronales Enzym identifizierte TPH2 in den Fokus der Forschung. In dieser Arbeit konnte gezeigt werden, dass TPH1 und 2 sich nicht nur in ihren Expressionsorten sondern auch in ihren grundlegenden biochemischen Eigenschaften voneinander unterscheiden. Die TPH1 stellte sich als aktiveres der beiden Enzyme heraus. Der N- und C-Terminus der TPH2 konnten als auf die Aktivität des Enzyms inhibierend bzw. aktivierend wirkende Strukturen identifiziert werden und stellen damit interessante Angriffspunkte für die pharmakologische Beeinflussung dar, wobei der N-Terminus als TPH2-spezifische Struktur eine gezielte Beeinflussung des serotonergen Systems im Zentralnervensystem ohne Auswirkungen auf das periphere System ermöglichen würde. In weiteren Projekten konnte die Existenz von mindestens zwei, die Enzymaktivität nicht beeinflussenden Proteinkinase A-Phosphorylierungsstellen in der TPH2 nachgewiesen werden, es konnte ein auf einem fluorometrischen Prinzip basierender High-Throughput-Assay zur Bestimmung der TPH-Aktivität entwickelt werden, Tubulin beta2A wurde als Interaktionpartner der TPH2 identifiziert, die Auswirkungen eines in vitro aktivitätssenkenden Tph2-SNPs auf die Serotoninlevel und das Verhalten verschiedener Mausstämme konnte durch die Generierung und Untersuchung von congenen Mäusen als unbedeutend eingestuft werden und die Expression von TPH1-mRNA wurde als Marker für endometriale Karzinome identifiziert. / Tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH) catalyzes the rate limiting step of the synthesis of the important neurotransmitter serotonin. Recently a new TPH isoenzyme, TPH2, was discovered. It turned out that this isoenzyme is responsible for the serotonin synthesis within the central nervous system, whereas the TPH1 is merely the starting point of serotonin synthesis in peripheral tissues. Since dysfunction in the metabolism of serotonin is related to a large number of psychiatric diseases, the neuronal TPH2 moved into the centre of interest. As a basis for the pharmacological manipulation of the central nervous serotonergic system, without influencing the periphery, the identification of differences between the two isoenzymes is essential. In this thesis it was shown that TPH1 and 2 not only differ in their expression sites but also in their basic biochemical characteristics. TPH1 turned out to be the more active enzyme. Furthermore it was shown that the N- and C-termini of TPH2 have an inhibitory respectively activating influence on the enzymatic activity. Therefore they became interesting targets for pharmacological interference, whereas the N-terminus as a TPH2 specific structure would facilitate the manipulation of the central nervous serotonergic system without exerting influence on the peripheral system. In further projects the existence of at least two protein kinase A phosphorylation sites could be verified, whereas the phosphorylation doesn’t seem to have any influence on the enzymatic activity, a high throughput assay for determination of TPH activity, based on a fluorometric principle, was developed, Tubulin beta2A was identified as a TPH2 interaction partner, the effect of a SNP in the Tph2 gene that decreases the TPH2 activity in vitro on the serotonin level and the behaviour of different mouse strains could be rated as insignificant by the generation of congenic mice und the expression of TPH1 mRNA was identified as a marker for endometrial cancer.

No câncer, o aumento da expressão das enzimas indolamina 2,3-dioxigenase 1 (IDO1) e triptofano 2,3-dioxigenase (TDO), que convertem o triptofano (Trp) em quinurenina (QUIN), tem sido associado ao mecanismo de imuno escape tumoral e inibidores destas enzimas têm sido considerados como imunoadjuvantes na terapia antitumoral. O mais conhecido deles é o 1-metil-triptofano (1-MT), um inibidor competitivo da IDO e alvo de estudos clínicos. O 1-MT é encontrado nas formas enantioméricas D- e L- e embora o enantiômero 1-L-MT seja mais eficiente na inibição da IDO1 (a isoforma mais ativa em tumores), é o 1-D-MT o enantiômero mais eficiente na redução experimental de tumores. Esse dado sugere que o 1-MT pode ter ações adicionais à inibição da IDO. Neste estudo avaliamos os efeitos diretos dos estereoisomeros, 1-D-MT, 1-L-MT, 1-DL-MT, sobre melanomas humanos e também do composto 680C91 (um inibidor de TDO). Proliferação, migração e invasão são os ensaios usuais in vitro para avaliar como um determinado composto afetaria a progressão tumoral. Observamos que todos os compostos testados possuem algum efeito direto sobre pelo menos um desses parâmetros, sendo que esse efeito varia de acordo com a linhagem. Logo, todos eles possuem ação direta sobre a célula tumoral que deve contribuir com a atividade antineoplásica. Também analisamos os efeitos destes compostos sobre a ação tumoricida de células mononucleares de sangue periférico humano (PBMC). Em co-culturas, observamos que o 1-MT foi capaz de potencializar a atividade tumoricida de PBMC\'s e levou à diminuição da produção de IFN-γ e TNF-α e aumento de IL-10. Essas alterações não cursam com a inibição da produção de QUIN, o que nos faz pensar que esta ação de 1-MT sobre IFN-γ ocorre independente da enzima IDO e que parte dos efeitos antitumorais da 1-MT seja consequência de sua ação sobre a liberação destas citocinas. 1-MT também levou a modificações na concentração de outros metabólitos do Trp. Por fim, a co-cultura por si só aumentou o consumo de ácido xanturênico (XA) e aumentou a produção de ácido quinurênico (KA). Esse resultado parece significativo para a imunologia de tumores dado os efeitos biológicos destes compostos. / In cancer, the increased expression of the enzymes indolamine 2,3-dioxygenase 1 (IDO1) and tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase (TDO), that convert tryptophan (Trp) to kynurenine (KYN), has been associated with the mechanism of immune escape of tumoral cells and inhibitors of these enzymes have been considered as immuno-adjuvants in antitumor therapy. The most known is the 1-methyl-tryptophan (1-MT), a competitive inhibitor of IDO and a target in clinical trials. 1-MT is found in the enantiomeric forms D- and L- and although 1-L-MT is more efficient to inhibit IDO1 (the isoform more active in tumors), 1-D-MT is more efficient in experimental models. This fact suggests that 1-MT may have additional actions beyond IDO inhibition. In this study, we evaluated the direct effects of 1-D-MT, 1-L-MT and 1-DL-MT on human melanomas. We also tested the effects of the compound 680C91 (an inhibitor of TDO). Proliferation, migration and invasion are the usual in vitro tests to evaluate how a specific compound affects tumor progression. We observed that all of the tested compounds have some direct effect on at least one of these parameters depending on the cell lineage. Therefore, direct effects on proliferation, migration and invasion must compose the antineoplastic activity of these compounds. In co-cultures, we observed that 1-MT was able to potentiate the tumoricidal activity of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) and led to a decreased production of IFN-γ and TNF-α, and an increase in IL-10. These changes were not linked with the inhibition of KYN production, and led us to consider that the effect of 1-MT on cytokine production occurs independently of the enzyme IDO and is part of its antitumor effects. 1-MT also led to changes in the concentration of other Trp metabolites. Finally, the co-culture by itself led to an increased consumption of xanthurenic acid (XA) and increased production of kynurenic acid (KA). This result seems significant to the immunology of tumors given the biological effects of these compounds.

Um programa computacional foi desenvolvido para otimização de geometria e simulação de dinâmica molecular baseado em um campo de forças clássicas parametrizado. O solvente foi considerado como um contínuo eletrostático e a interface entre o meio aquoso e o interior de uma membrana biológica como uma superfície de descontinuidade dielétrica, tratada pelo \"método das imagens eletrostáticas\". Nesse método, o campo de polarização produzido na superfície de descontinuidade por uma carga pontual é representado por uma carga fictícia, colocada na fase oposta, cuja distância e sinal é definida pelas condições de contorno na superfície. Diversos sistemas foram estudados, tanto em solventes contínuos como na presença de superfícies de descontinuidade: a) Foram estudadas as distribuições populacionais dos rotâmeros do triptofano na forma zwitteriônica e no peptídeo Ala-Trp- Ala, em solvente polar e apolar. Foi demonstrado que a dinâmica do triptofano e as populações de rotâmeros são compatíveis com as observações experimentais de fluorescência resolvida no tempo e NMR; b) Em um estudo das conformações em polialanina, verificou-se que a estabilidade da estrutura secundária hélice- é um efeito cooperativo entre pontes de hidrogênio em solvente de baixa constante dielétrica. Na presença da interface água-membrana, a hélice- anfifílica de um modelo para a -endorfina estabiliza-se sobre a interface. Um comportamento anfifílico foi também observado na seqüência sinal para o receptor- da e. coli, a qual estabilizou-se perpendicularmente à interface, na conformação parcial hélice- proposta na literatura; c) Em um estudo sobre o hormônio -MSH observou-se que, em solvente polar, de uma conformação helicoidal ele passa para uma conformação estendida. Porém, ao atravessar para o interior hidrofóbico de uma membrana, o peptídeo estabiliza-se em dobra-. Observou-se ainda que a estabilidade dessa conformação no interior da membrana é reforçada por pontes salinas entre os resíduos carregados do peptídeo, os quais formam um \"caroço\" hidrofílico circundado por resíduos hidrofóbicos. Esse arranjo estrutural está em concordância com o proposto para a conformação biologicamente ativa. De um modo geral, o modelo para biomembrana proposto no presente trabalho reproduziu o comportamento hidrofóbico, hidrofílico ou anfifílico dos peptídeos estudados. / A software was developed for optimisation of geometry and molecular dynamics simulation, based on a parameterized classical force field. Solvent was assumed as an electrostatic continuum. The interface between the aqueous medium and the hydrophobic core of biological membranes was described by a surface of dielectric discontinuity, treated by the \"method of images\". In this method, the polarization field produced at the surface of discontinuity by a point charge was represented by a fictitious charge, placed in the opposite phase. The position and signal of this charge-image were defined by boundary conditions at the surface. Several systems were studied, either in continuous solvent, as in the presence of discontinuity surfaces: a) the population distribution of tryptophan rotamers was studied in the zwytterion and in the peptide Ala-Trp-Ala, in polar and apolar solvents; the results for the tryptophan dynamics and the rotamers populations agree with experimental observations using time resolved fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies. b) analysis of polyalanin conformations showed that the stabililty of the -helix is a cooperative effect between hydrogen bonds in low dielectric constant solvent; in the presence of the water-membrane interface, the amphyphilic -helix of a -endorphin model stabilizes on the interface; a similar behavior was observed in the signal sequence for the E. Coli -receptor, that stabilized perpendicular to the interface in a partial -helix conformation, as proposed in the literature. c) calculations on melanotropic hormone a.-MSH showed that in polar solvent it goes from helycoidal conformation to an extended one; in the presence of the interface water-membrane, the peptide goes into the interior of the membrane and stabilizes in a -turn; the stability ofthis conformation was reinforced by salt bridges between charged residues, forming a hydrophilic core surrounded by hydrophobic residues; this structural arrangement agrees with the one proposed for the biologically active conformation of the hormone. In general terms, the model proposed here for the biomembrane was able to mimic the hydrophobic, hydrophihlic or amphyphilic behavior of the peptides studied.

A gestação confere ao organismo materno uma série de mudanças e desafios, envolvendo especialmente seu sistema imunológico. O feto, do ponto de vista imunológico, é comparado a um enxerto semi-alogenêico, pois expressa moléculas do complexo de histocompatibilidade principal (MHC) paterno, considerado não próprio ao organismo materno, capaz de desencadear uma resposta imunológica no ambiente intrauterino. Porém, durante todo o período gestacional, o organismo materno reconhece o embrião sem uma resposta imunológica contra sua permanência no útero, estabelecendo-se uma tolerância materno-fetal. Vários mecanismos contribuem para esse estado tolerogênico, como a atividade da enzima indoleamina 2,3-dioxigenase (IDO). A IDO promove o catabolismo do aminoácido triptofano, levando as células T à apoptose, devido à carência deste aminoácido e pela ação de seus catabólitos no micro ambiente placentário. Diversos tipos celulares estão presentes na interface materno fetal e vários deles podem potencialmente expressar a IDO. Em ratas Wistar, sabe-se que diversas proteínas, principalmente o interferon γ e, recentemente, a progesterona, podem aumentar a expressão desta enzima; contudo, ainda não são conhecidos quais tipos celulares são efetivamente influenciados por estas moléculas. Desta forma, este trabalho buscou suprir esta lacuna, por meio da identificação das células IDO positivas pela imunofenotipagem e citometria de fluxo. De acordo com as analises realizadas, os resultados deste trabalho mostraram que todos os tipos celulares fenotipados foram capazes de expressar a enzima. Contudo somente alguns grupos específicos de células presentes no ambiente uterino placentário sofrem influência das proteínas supracitadas, principalmente as células dendríticas, e os linfócitos CD4 que elevam a expressão de IDO na presença de progesterona e IFN-γ. Tais achados sugerem que a ação da enzima em grupos celulares específicos poderiam constituir meios pelo qual o organismo regula o sistema imunológico no ambiente uterino-placentário, em que é capaz de impedir o desenvolvimento de células imunológicas potencialmente ativas, colaborando com a formação de um ambiente tolerogênico favorável para o desenvolvimento embrionário. / Pregnancy causes several changes and challenges to the maternal body, especially involving the immune system. The fetus, on the immunological point of view, is compared to a semialogeneic graft, expressed as molecules of the paternal major histocompatibility complex (MHC) considered not self to the maternal organism, capable of triggering an immune response in the intrauterine environment. However, throughout the gestational period, maternal organism tolerates the embryo without an immune response against its permanence in the uterus, establishing maternal-fetal tolerance. Several mechanisms contribute to this tolerogenic state, as the activity of the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO). The IDO promotes the catabolism of tryptophan, inducing T cells apoptosis due to the deprivation of this amino acid and by the action of its catabolites in the placental microenvironment. Several cell types are present in the maternal-fetal interface and many of them can potentially express IDO. In Wistar rats, it is known that interferon γ and recently, progesterone, may increase the expression of this enzyme; however, which cell types are actually influenced by these molecules is still unknown. Thus, this study intends to fill this gap, by identifying IDO positive cells by immunophenotyping and flow cytometry. According to the analysis carried out, the results of this study showed that all phenotyped cell types were able to express the enzyme, however only some specific groups present in placental uterine environment are influenced by the factors above mentioned, especially dendritic cells and lymphocytes CD4 increase the IDO expression at the presence of progesterone and IFN-γ. These findings suggest that the action of the enzyme in specific cell groups may be one of the means by which the body regulates the immune system uterine-placental environment, which is able to prevent the development of potentially active immune cells, contributing to the formation tolerogenic environment favorable for embryonic development.

Indolamina-2,3-dioxigenase (IDO) e o catabolismo do triptofano estão envolvidos no controle da imunidade inata e adaptativa contra patógenos. Investigamos o papel da IDO na paracoccidiodomicose pulmonar (PCM) de animais suscetíveis (B10.A) e resistentes (A/J) ao fungo. Observou-se uma ação marcante da IDO ao início da doença de camundongos B10.A onde a enzima controla a carga fúngica mas, também, induz anergia de células TCD4+ e TCD8+, creditada em parte à expansão de células Treg e aumento de linfócitos em apoptose. Em camundongos A/J, a IDO controla a carga fúngica inicial, porém, o seu efeito supressor sobre linfócitos TCD4+ é somente observado na 8ª semana. Assim como em camundongos B10.A, a IDO mostrou-se indutora de células Treg e linfócitos em apoptose durante a imunidade desenvolvida por camundongos A/J. Em conclusão, foi demonstrado pela primeira vez que a IDO exerce um importante mecanismo microbicida e imunorregulador na PCM de hospedeiros resistentes e suscetíveis ao P. brasiliensis. / Indoleamine-2, 3-dioxygenase (IDO) and tryptophan catabolism are involved in the control of innate and adaptive immunity against pathogens. We investigated the role of IDO in the pulmonary paracoccidiodomycosis developed by susceptible (B10.A) and resistant (A/J) mice to the fungus. We verified that IDO plays a different effect in innate the immunity of B10.A and A/J mice. Early in the infection, IDO controlled the fungal loads but also induced anergy of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells of B10.A mice. T cell anergy was partially due to the expansion of Treg cells and increased apoptosis of lymphocytes. In resistant mice, IDO controlled the initial fungal loads, but exerted a suppressive effect on T lymphocytes only at week 8. As in B10.A mice IDO was shown to induce Treg cells and apoptosis of lymphocytes in the course of immune response developed by resistant mice. In conclusion our work showed for the first time that IDO play an important role in the fungicidal and immunoregulatory mechanisms developed by susceptible and resistant mice to P. brasiliensis infection.

L’expérience Arc-En-Ciel permet d’étudier la dynamique de photofragmentation UV de biomolécules produites par une source « électrospray ». La spécificité du dispositif expérimental utilisé repose sur la détection en coïncidence des photo-fragments ioniques et neutres issus d’un même évènement physique de fragmentation. L’étude de molécules simplement chargées permet d’identifier chaque canal de fragmentation par la masse du fragment ionique émis. En corrélant les informations temporelles et spatiales des photo-fragments détectés, on définit :- le nombre et la masse des fragments neutres associés à chaque fragment ionique- le nombre d’étapes de fragmentation de chaque canal et leurs temps caractéristiques(20 ns ≤ τ < 1 μs).L’ensemble de ces informations permet une description complète de la dynamique de photofragmentation du système étudié.La dynamique de photofragmentation du tryptophane protoné est régie par des transferts concertés d’électron et de proton à l’état excité. Lorsque le tryptophane protoné est complexé à un éther-couronne, les transferts de protons sont inhibés. Nous observons alors une modification de la dynamique de fragmentation.Pour de petits peptides protonés contenant le tryptophane, la dynamique à l’état excité est gouvernée par la position du tryptophane dans la chaîne peptidique. Les voies de fragmentation spécifiques UV, mises en évidence pour ces peptides, sont expliquées par les mêmes mécanismes de transfert concerté d’électron et de proton. Nous montrons cependant que ces mécanismes diffèrent suivant la composition du peptide. / The Arc-En-Ciel experiment allows the investigation of UV photo-fragmentation dynamics of protonated biomolecules produced by an electrospray ion source. The specificity of the set-up is based on the detection in coincidence of ionic and neutral photo-fragments coming from the same fragmentation event. The study of simple charged molecules allows the identification of each fragmentation channel by the mass of the emitted ionic fragment. With the time and spatial correlation of the information of detected photo-fragments we identify:- the number of neutral fragments as well as their masses associated with each ionic fragment- the number of fragmentation steps of each channel as well as their fragmentation times (20 ns ≤ τ < 1 μs)This information provides a comprehensive understanding of the photo-fragmentation dynamics.The photo-fragmentation dynamics of protonated Tryptophan is driven by concerted electron and proton transfers in the excited state. When protonated Tryptophan is complexed witha crown-ether, proton transfers are inhibited and dynamics is modified.The excited state dynamics of small protonated peptides containing Tryptophan is governed by the position of Tryptophan in the peptide chain. The specific fragmentation channels involved are explained by concerted electron and proton transfers. We show how these mechanisms change with the composition of peptides.

Um programa computacional foi desenvolvido para otimização de geometria e simulação de dinâmica molecular baseado em um campo de forças clássicas parametrizado. O solvente foi considerado como um contínuo eletrostático e a interface entre o meio aquoso e o interior de uma membrana biológica como uma superfície de descontinuidade dielétrica, tratada pelo \"método das imagens eletrostáticas\". Nesse método, o campo de polarização produzido na superfície de descontinuidade por uma carga pontual é representado por uma carga fictícia, colocada na fase oposta, cuja distância e sinal é definida pelas condições de contorno na superfície. Diversos sistemas foram estudados, tanto em solventes contínuos como na presença de superfícies de descontinuidade: a) Foram estudadas as distribuições populacionais dos rotâmeros do triptofano na forma zwitteriônica e no peptídeo Ala-Trp- Ala, em solvente polar e apolar. Foi demonstrado que a dinâmica do triptofano e as populações de rotâmeros são compatíveis com as observações experimentais de fluorescência resolvida no tempo e NMR; b) Em um estudo das conformações em polialanina, verificou-se que a estabilidade da estrutura secundária hélice- é um efeito cooperativo entre pontes de hidrogênio em solvente de baixa constante dielétrica. Na presença da interface água-membrana, a hélice- anfifílica de um modelo para a -endorfina estabiliza-se sobre a interface. Um comportamento anfifílico foi também observado na seqüência sinal para o receptor- da e. coli, a qual estabilizou-se perpendicularmente à interface, na conformação parcial hélice- proposta na literatura; c) Em um estudo sobre o hormônio -MSH observou-se que, em solvente polar, de uma conformação helicoidal ele passa para uma conformação estendida. Porém, ao atravessar para o interior hidrofóbico de uma membrana, o peptídeo estabiliza-se em dobra-. Observou-se ainda que a estabilidade dessa conformação no interior da membrana é reforçada por pontes salinas entre os resíduos carregados do peptídeo, os quais formam um \"caroço\" hidrofílico circundado por resíduos hidrofóbicos. Esse arranjo estrutural está em concordância com o proposto para a conformação biologicamente ativa. De um modo geral, o modelo para biomembrana proposto no presente trabalho reproduziu o comportamento hidrofóbico, hidrofílico ou anfifílico dos peptídeos estudados. / A software was developed for optimisation of geometry and molecular dynamics simulation, based on a parameterized classical force field. Solvent was assumed as an electrostatic continuum. The interface between the aqueous medium and the hydrophobic core of biological membranes was described by a surface of dielectric discontinuity, treated by the \"method of images\". In this method, the polarization field produced at the surface of discontinuity by a point charge was represented by a fictitious charge, placed in the opposite phase. The position and signal of this charge-image were defined by boundary conditions at the surface. Several systems were studied, either in continuous solvent, as in the presence of discontinuity surfaces: a) the population distribution of tryptophan rotamers was studied in the zwytterion and in the peptide Ala-Trp-Ala, in polar and apolar solvents; the results for the tryptophan dynamics and the rotamers populations agree with experimental observations using time resolved fluorescence and NMR spectroscopies. b) analysis of polyalanin conformations showed that the stabililty of the -helix is a cooperative effect between hydrogen bonds in low dielectric constant solvent; in the presence of the water-membrane interface, the amphyphilic -helix of a -endorphin model stabilizes on the interface; a similar behavior was observed in the signal sequence for the E. Coli -receptor, that stabilized perpendicular to the interface in a partial -helix conformation, as proposed in the literature. c) calculations on melanotropic hormone a.-MSH showed that in polar solvent it goes from helycoidal conformation to an extended one; in the presence of the interface water-membrane, the peptide goes into the interior of the membrane and stabilizes in a -turn; the stability ofthis conformation was reinforced by salt bridges between charged residues, forming a hydrophilic core surrounded by hydrophobic residues; this structural arrangement agrees with the one proposed for the biologically active conformation of the hormone. In general terms, the model proposed here for the biomembrane was able to mimic the hydrophobic, hydrophihlic or amphyphilic behavior of the peptides studied.

<p>Amino acid radicals are key redox intermediates in several natural enzymes including Cytochrome c peroxidase, DNA photolyase, ribonucletide reductase, cytochrome c oxidase and photosystem II. Electron transfer from amino acids is often coupled to deprotonation and this thesis concerns the coupling of electron transfer from tyrosine and tryptophan to trisbipyridineruthenium(III) with deprotonation in model complexes. Specifically the mechanisms for these proton coupled electron transfer reactions have been studied and the controlling parameters have been identified, the possible mechanisms being stepwise electron transfer followed by deprotonation and deprotonation followed by electron transfer or concerted electron transfer/deprotonation.</p><p>Proton coupled electron transfer reactions have been studied using nano-second flash photolysis in water solution and the effect of pH, temperature, reaction driving force, deuteration and nature of the amino acid has been determined. I have shown that the rate constant for the concerted reaction depends intrinsically on the mixing entropy of the released proton and that the pH-dependence can be used as an experimental tool for mechanistic discrimination. Moreover I have shown that the concerted reaction inherently has a high reorganisation energy due to the coupling of the electron motion with deprotonation. Hydrogen bonding to the transferring proton however significantly reduces this reorganisation energy. The concerted reaction also has a relatively high driving force counteracting the high reorganisation energy in the competition between the concerted reaction and the stepwise electron transfer first reaction. The relative importance of the high reorganisation energy and the high driving force for the concerted reaction determines the mechanistic outcome of the reaction, the stepwise reaction being favoured by high over-all driving forces and the concerted reaction by high pH.</p><p>By comparing my results from model complexes with tyrosineZ oxidation in photosystem II, I give strong evidence for a concerted electron transfer/deprotonation mechanism.</p>

Amino acid radicals are key redox intermediates in several natural enzymes including Cytochrome c peroxidase, DNA photolyase, ribonucletide reductase, cytochrome c oxidase and photosystem II. Electron transfer from amino acids is often coupled to deprotonation and this thesis concerns the coupling of electron transfer from tyrosine and tryptophan to trisbipyridineruthenium(III) with deprotonation in model complexes. Specifically the mechanisms for these proton coupled electron transfer reactions have been studied and the controlling parameters have been identified, the possible mechanisms being stepwise electron transfer followed by deprotonation and deprotonation followed by electron transfer or concerted electron transfer/deprotonation. Proton coupled electron transfer reactions have been studied using nano-second flash photolysis in water solution and the effect of pH, temperature, reaction driving force, deuteration and nature of the amino acid has been determined. I have shown that the rate constant for the concerted reaction depends intrinsically on the mixing entropy of the released proton and that the pH-dependence can be used as an experimental tool for mechanistic discrimination. Moreover I have shown that the concerted reaction inherently has a high reorganisation energy due to the coupling of the electron motion with deprotonation. Hydrogen bonding to the transferring proton however significantly reduces this reorganisation energy. The concerted reaction also has a relatively high driving force counteracting the high reorganisation energy in the competition between the concerted reaction and the stepwise electron transfer first reaction. The relative importance of the high reorganisation energy and the high driving force for the concerted reaction determines the mechanistic outcome of the reaction, the stepwise reaction being favoured by high over-all driving forces and the concerted reaction by high pH. By comparing my results from model complexes with tyrosineZ oxidation in photosystem II, I give strong evidence for a concerted electron transfer/deprotonation mechanism.

Design of complex protein folds requires complete understanding of the stereochemical principles that govern polypeptide chain folding. Extensive studies on design and synthesis of specific secondary structures like β-helices, β -sheets and hairpins have taught us that the unnatural amino acid aminoisobutyric acid (Aib) can be successfully employed for helix nucleation and tight turns of appropriate stereochemistry are facilitated by the use of DPro-Xxx sequences. Availability of such rigid secondary structure scaffolds therefore permits the design of synthetic peptides that can be used as models for investigation of tertiary interactions, primarily that of aromatic residues. Chapter 1 summarizes the present knowledge of peptide design using non-protein amino acids. The chapter also details the unique features of aromatic amino acids, especially tryptophan, and their employment as secondary structure stabilizing elements. Chapters 2-7 contain detailed descriptions of the work carried out on design, synthesis, and structural characterization of designed peptides containing aromatic amino acids. In Chapter 2, the use of aromatic pairs in strand segments of peptide hairpins has been discussed with the results clearly indicating that aromatic interactions at the non-hydrogen bonding position of peptide hairpins contribute to structure stability. In Chapter 3, accommodation of the Leu-Trp-Val segment in helical scaffolds the role of Trp residues in crystallization has been discussed. Chapter 4 outlines the influence of a large number of Trp residues on the preferred backbone conformation, with the studies clearly indicating a preference for helical scaffolds in small peptides. The role of Trp residues at turn regions of peptide hairpins has been discussed in Chapter 5, using examples from both synthetic peptides and from natural peptides containing Pro-Trp segments. The studies suggest that the Pro-Trp segments serve as helix nucleators and disrupt formation of peptide hairpins. The results of this study have been further extended to Conus monile peptides, discussed in Chapter 6. The studies also suggest the role of an aromatic-Pro segment on the cis-trans isomerization of the Xxx-Pro tertiary amide unit. Chapter 7 discusses the contribution of a Cys-His vs Tyr-His pair on strand segment stability in diproline nucleated peptide hairpins. Chapter 8 summarizes the key findings of the work. Chapter 9 lists the references cited in the thesis and the Appendix chapter provides details of experimental techniques used in the study.β