High-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance analysis of conformational properties of biosynthetic actinomycin analogues.

High-resolution proton nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) has been used to study the conformation and dynamics of biosynthetic analogues of actinomycin D that have been substituted at one or both of the 3'-amino acids with azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, pipecolic acid, or 4-ketoproline for one or both of the prolines. The results of measurements made in organic solvents indicate that the amino acid residues on the alpha and beta pentapeptide lactone rings experience different magnetic environments in all the analogues studied. Analysis of the J alpha NH coupling constants and temperature coefficients for the valine and threonine amide protons indicates that substitution at the 3' position has little effect on the conformational and hydrogen-bonding properties of the amino acids at the 1' or 2' position. Examination of the low-field position of the H alpha proton of the 3'-amino acid reveals that the biosynthetic substitutions were made at a unique site on either the alpha or the beta pentapeptide ring and that only one conformation of proline, azetidine-2-carboxylic acid, or pipecolic acid is observed. In D2O, the dynamics of the prolines appear to differ; one remains in a preferred conformation while the other fluctuates at a rate that is intermediate on the NMR time scale. A possible relationship between the conformational and dynamic properties and the DNA binding and kinetic properties is discussed.