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Adam R Urbach

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Full-Text Articles in Chemistry

Molecular Recognition Of Methionine-Terminated Peptides By Cucurbit[8]Uril, Zoheb Hirani, Hailey F. Taylor, E. F. Babcock, Andrew T. Bockus, C. D. Varnado Jr., Christopher W. Bielawski, Adam R. Urbach Sep 2019

Molecular Recognition Of Methionine-Terminated Peptides By Cucurbit[8]Uril, Zoheb Hirani, Hailey F. Taylor, E. F. Babcock, Andrew T. Bockus, C. D. Varnado Jr., Christopher W. Bielawski, Adam R. Urbach

Adam R Urbach

This Article describes the molecular recognition of peptides containing an N-terminal methionine (Met) by the synthetic receptor cucurbit[8]-uril (Q8) in aqueous solution and with submicromolar affinity. Prior work established that Q8 binds with high affinity to peptides containing aromatic amino acids, either by simultaneous binding of two aromatic residues, one from each of two different peptides, or by simultaneous binding of an aromatic residue and its immediate neighbor on the same peptide. The additional binding interface of two neighboring residues suggested the possibility of targeting nonaromatic peptides, which have thus far bound only weakly to synthetic receptors. A peptide library …


Charge-Mediated Recognition Of N-Terminal Tryptophan In Aqueous Solution By A Synthetic Host, Meghan Bush, Nicole Bouley, Adam Urbach Nov 2015

Charge-Mediated Recognition Of N-Terminal Tryptophan In Aqueous Solution By A Synthetic Host, Meghan Bush, Nicole Bouley, Adam Urbach

Adam R Urbach

The molecular recognition of peptides and proteins in aqueous solution by designed molecules remains an elusive goal with broad implications for basic biochemical research and for sensors and separations technologies. This paper describes the recognition of N-terminal tryptophan in aqueous solution by the synthetic host cucurbit[8]uril (Q8). Q8 is known to form 1:1:1 heteroternary complexes with methyl viologen (MV) and a second aromatic guest. Here, the complexes of Q8·MV with (i) the four natural aromatic α-amino acids, (ii) four singly charged tryptophan derivatives, and (iii) four tryptophan-containing tripeptides were characterized by isothermal titration calorimetry, mass spectrometry, and UV−visible, fluorescence, and …


Sequence-Specific, Nanomolar Peptide Binding Via Cucurbit[8]Uril-Induced Folding And Inclusion Of Neighboring Side Chains, Lauren C. Smith, David G. Leach, Brittney E. Blaylock, Omar A. Ali, Adam R. Urbach Nov 2015

Sequence-Specific, Nanomolar Peptide Binding Via Cucurbit[8]Uril-Induced Folding And Inclusion Of Neighboring Side Chains, Lauren C. Smith, David G. Leach, Brittney E. Blaylock, Omar A. Ali, Adam R. Urbach

Adam R Urbach

This paper describes the molecular recognition of the tripeptide Tyr-Leu-Ala by the synthetic receptor cucurbit[8]uril (Q8) in aqueous buffer with nanomolar affinity and exceptional specificity. This combination of characteristics, which also applies to antibodies, is desirable for applications in biochemistry and biotechnology but has eluded supramolecular chemists for decades. Building on prior knowledge that Q8 binds to peptides with N-terminal aromatic residues, a library screen of 105 peptides was designed to test the effects of residues adjacent to N-terminal Trp, Phe, or Tyr. The screen used tetramethylbenzobis(imidazolium) (MBBI) as a fluorescent indicator and resulted in the unexpected discovery that MBBI …