Binding of Cu + and Cu 2+ with peptides: Peptides = oxytocin, Arg 8 -vasopressin, bradykinin, angiotensin-I, substance-P, somatostatin, and neurotensin.

The intrinsic binding ability of 7 natural peptides (oxytocin, arg8 -vasopressin, bradykinin, angiotensin-I, substance-P, somatostatin, and neurotensin) with copper in 2 different oxidation states (CuI/II ) derived from different Cu+/2+ precursor sources have been investigated for their charge-dependent binding characteristics. The peptide-CuI/II complexes, [M - (n-1)H + nCuI ] and [M - (2n-1)H + nCuII ], are prepared/generated by the reaction of peptides with CuI solution/Cu-target and CuSO4 solution and are analyzed by using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The MALDI mass spectra of both [M - (n-1)H + nCuI ] and [M - (2n-1)H + nCuII ] complexes show no mass shift due to the loss of ─H atoms in the main chain ─NH of these peptides by Cu+ and Cu2+ deprotonation. The measured m/z value indicates the reduction of CuI/II oxidation state into Cu0 during MALDI processes. The number and relative abundance of Cu+ bound to the peptides are greater compared with the Cu2+ bound peptides. Oxytocin, arg8 -vasopressin, bradykinin, substance-P, and somatostatin show the binding of 5Cu+ , and angiotensin-I and neurotensin show the binding of 7Cu+ from both CuI and Cu targets, while bradykinin shows the binding of 2Cu2+ , oxytocin, arg8 -vasopressin, angiotensin-I, and substance-P; somatostatin shows the binding of 3Cu2+ ; and neurotensin shows 4Cu2+ binding. The binding of more Cu+ with these small peptides signifies that the bonding characteristics of both Cu+ and Cu2+ are different. The amino acid residues responsible for the binding of both Cu+ and Cu2+ in these peptides have been identified based on the density functional theory computed binding energy values of Cu+ and the fragment transformation method predicted binding preference of Cu2+ for individual amino acids.