Coordination of two high-affinity hexamer peptides to copper(II) and palladium(II) models of the peptide-metal chelation site on IMAC resins.

The coordination of peptides Ser-Pro-His-His-Gly-Gly (SPHHGG) and (His)6 (HHHHHH) to [PdII(mida)(D2O)] (mida2- = N-methyliminodiacetate) was studied by 1H NMR as model reactions for CuII(iminodiacetate)-immobilized metal affinity chromatography (IMAC) sites. This is the first direct physical description of peptide coordination for IMAC. A three-site coordination is observed which involves the first, third, and fourth residues along the peptide chain. The presence of proline in position 2 of SPHHGG achieves the best molecular mechanics and bonding angles in the coordinated peptide and enhances the interaction of the serine amino nitrogen. Histidine coordination of H1, H3, and H4 of (His)6 and H3 and H4 of SPHHGG was detected by 1H NMR contact shifts and H/D exchange of histidyl protons. The EPR spectra of SPHHGG and HHHHHH attached to the [CuII(mida)] unit were obtained for additional modeling of IMAC sites. EPR parameters of the parent [Cu(mida)(H2O)2] complex are representative: gzz = 2.31; gyy = 2.086; gxx = 2.053; A parallel = 161G; AN = 19G (three line, one N coupling). Increased rhombic distortion is detected relative to the starting aqua complex in the order of [Cu(mida)L] for distortion of HHHHHH > SPHHGG > (H2O)2. The lowering of symmetry is also seen in the decrease in the N-shf coupling, presumably to the imino nitrogen of mida2- in the order 19 G (H2O), 16 G (SPHHGG) and 11 G (HHHHHH). Visible spectra of the [Cu(mida)(SPHHGG)] and [Cu(mida)(HHHHHH)] as a function of pH indicate coordination of one histidyl donor at ca. 4.5, two in the range of pH 5-7, and two chelate ring attachments involving the terminal amino donor for SPHHGG or another histidyl donor of HHHHHH in the pH domain of 7-8 in agreement with the [PdII(mida)L] derivatives which form the two-chelate-ring attachment even at lower pH as shown by the 1H NMR methods.