COMMUNICATIONS
altered substitution on ring D of 3 in the Pr form, whereas in
the Pfr form the chromophore ± protein interactions discrim-
inate between the substitution patterns of 1 and 3. There
remains the question of whether this selectivity of the
chromophore ± protein interactions reflects either steric and/
or electronic effects (see Figure 2).
Tweezers with Different Bite: Increasing the
Affinity of Synthetic Receptors by Varying the
Hinge Part**
Dennis W. P. M. Löwik, M. David Weingarten,
Matthias Broekema, Arwin J. Brouwer, W. Clark Still,
and Rob M. J. Liskamp*
Received: December 30, 1997 [Z11303IE]
German version: Angew. Chem. 1998, 110, 1943 ± 1946
Despite the tremendous progress in the design and syn-
thesis of receptor molecules with predicted binding proper-
ties, it remains a difficult task to design a molecule capable of
binding to a particular ligand. Therefore, recent efforts have
turned to the more ªbiomimetic approachº of combinatorial
chemistry for the generation of libraries of synthetic receptors
capable of binding certain desired ligands. The approach is
inspired by natureꢁs very own combinatorial approach so
clearly demonstrated by the immune system.
Based on the successful concept of ªtweezerlikeº two
armed synthetic receptors,[1] we have developed synthetic
receptors consisting of peptidosulfonamide peptidomimet-
ics.[2] We would like to prepare libraries of tweezerlike
receptors that can be screened for their binding affinity
to a variety of ligands, peptides, other biomolecules (for
example, those that are present on pathogenic organisms),
drugs, and signaling molecules. Although our present syn-
thetic receptor showed a remarkable binding selectivity,[2] to
have further possible applications its binding affinity with
ligands had to be increased. We now describe the results of
incorporating less flexible ªhingesº in tweezerlike synthetic
receptors.
Keywords: chromophores ´ photochromism ´ phytochrome
´ tetrapyrroles ´ UV/Vis spectroscopy
[1] a) K. Schaffner, S. E. Braslavsky, A. R. Holzwarth in Frontiers in
Supramolecular Organic Chemistry and Photochemistry (Eds.: H.-J.
Schneider, H. Dürr), VCH, Weinheim, 1991, p. 421; b) W. Rüdiger, F.
Thümmler, Angew. Chem. 1991, 103, 1242; Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.
Engl. 1991, 30, 1216; c) S. E. Braslavsky, W. Gärtner, K. Schaffner,
Plant Cell Environ. 1997, 20, 700.
[2] Photomorphogenesis in Plants (Eds.: R. E. Kendrick, G. H. M.
Kronenberg), 2nd ed., Kluwer Academic, Dordrecht, 1994.
[3] a) J. A. Wahleithner, L. Li, J. C. Lagarias, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA
1991, 88, 10387; b) L. Deforce, M. Furuya, P.-S. Song, Biochemistry
1993, 32, 14165; c) T. Kunkel, K.-I. Tomizawa, R. Kern, N.-H. Chua, E.
Schäfer, Eur. J. Biochem. 1993, 215, 587; d) W. Gärtner, C. Hill, K.
Worm, S. E. Braslavsky, K. Schaffner, ibid. 1996, 236, 978; e) P.
Schmidt, U. H. Westphal, K. Worm, S. E. Braslavsky, W. Gärtner, K.
Schaffner, J. Photochem. Photobiol. B 1996, 34, 73; f) A. Ruddat, P.
Schmidt, C. Gatz, S. E. Braslavsky, W. Gärtner, K. Schaffner,
Biochemistry 1997, 36, 103; g) C. Kneip, D. Mozley, P. Hildebrandt,
W. Gärtner, S. E. Braslavsky, K. Schaffner, FEBS Letters 1997, 414, 23.
[4] J. Cornejo, S. I. Beale, M. J. Terry, J. C. Lagarias, J. Biol. Chem. 1992,
267, 14790.
Our present ªtweezerlikeº synthetic receptors consist of
three different parts (Scheme 1): A hinge to which the
tweezer arms are attached; a dye or a solid-phase bead
attached to this hinge; and two binding arms, which at present
consist of peptidosulfonamide peptidomimetics. Based on the
original hinge in tweezer 1, hinges in tweezers 2 ± 6 were
selected to gradually vary the flexibility and interchain
distance, or both, between the amino nitrogen atoms.
The route for the preparation of the tweezerlike synthetic
receptors is exemplified by the preparation of tweezers 2 and
5 in Schemes 2 and 3. The bis(aminomethyl)benzoic acid
hinge present in receptor 2 was synthesized from 3,5-
dimethylbenzoic acid (7).[3] We took advantage from the fact
[5] Dimethyl ester 2 was synthesized for the first time by Gossauer and
coworkers.[6]
[6] J.-P. Weller, A. Gossauer, Chem. Ber. 1980, 113, 1603.
[7] See also: B. Knipp, K. Kneip, J. Matysik, W. Gärtner, P. Hildebrandt,
S. E. Braslavsky, K. Schaffner, Chem. Eur. J. 1997, 3, 263.
[8] a) A. Gossauer, W. Hirsch, Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1974, 1496; b) A.
Gossauer, R.-P. Hinze, J. Org. Chem. 1978, 43, 283.
[9] L. Li, J. C. Lagarias, J. Biol. Chem. 1992, 267, 19204.
[10] M. A. Drinan, T. D. Lash, J. Heterocycl. Chem. 1994, 31, 255.
[11] K. Kohori, M. Hashimoto, H. Kinoshita, K. Inomata, Bull. Chem. Soc.
Jpn. 1994, 67, 3088.
[12] N. Ono, H. Katayama, S. Nisyiyama, T. Ogawa, J. Heterocycl. Chem.
1994, 31, 707.
[13] J. E. Bishop, J. F. OꢁConnell, H. Rapoport, J. Org. Chem. 1991, 56,
5079.
[14] K. Ichimura, S. Ichikawa, K. Iamamata, Bull. Chem. Soc. Jpn. 1976, 49,
1157.
[15] P. Manitto, D. Monti, J. Chem. Soc. Chem. Commun. 1980, 178.
[16] The signal groups for the substitution pattern on ring D in 2 and 4 also
correspond with the related signals from the dimethyl esters of
biliverdin IXa and XIIIa: H. Lehner, S. E. Braslavsky, K. Schaffner,
Justus Liebigs Ann. Chem. 1978, 1990.
[*] Prof. Dr. R. M. J. Liskamp, D. W. P. M. Löwik, M. Broekema,
A. J. Brouwer
Department of Medicinal Chemistry
Utrecht Institute for Pharmaceutical Sciences
Utrecht University
[17] D. Mozley, A. Remberg, W. Gärtner, Photochem. Photobiol. 1997, 66,
710.
P.O. Box 80082, NL-3508 TB Utrecht (The Netherlands)
Fax : ( 31)30-253-6655
[18] Pr and Pfr represent the thermally stable forms in the phytochrome
photocycle, which absorb red (r) and far-red (fr) light, respectively.
[19] Correspondingly shifted absorption values are also found when
phytochrome is reconstituted from recombinant oat apoprotein with
native phytochromobilin (1), which is isolable from algae in small
amounts and only with difficulties. This successful reproduction of
phytochrome reconstitution based on native 1 minimizes the risk of
artifacts that might have arisen in reconstitution employing the now
readily available synthetic 1.
Dr. M. D. Weingarten, Prof. Dr. W. C. Still
Department of Chemistry
Columbia University, New York, NY 10027 (USA)
Fax : ( 1)212-854-5429
[**] These investigations were supported in part (D.W.P.M.L. and A.J.B.)
by The Netherlands Foundation for Chemical Research (SON) with
financial aid from The Netherlands Technology foundation. Support
from NATO (921326) is gratefully acknowledged.
[20] C. Kratky, H. Falk, K. Grubmayr, U. Zrunek, Monatsh. Chem. 1985,
116, 761.
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