Effect of peptide conformation on membrane permeability

The effect of peptide conformational constraint on the peptide permeation across the model membranes was examined by determining the permeability of pairs of cyclic and acyclic peptides related to C[D-Pen², D-Pen⁵] enkephalin (DPDPE). The peptides were cyclized by formation of an intramolecular disulfide bridge between the second and fifth residues composed of either D-penicillamine or cysteine. In each case the acyclic peptide was three to seven times more permeable than corresponding cyclic peptide. The possibility that the differences in permeability of cyclic and acyclic peptides is based on the greater conformational freedom of the acyclic peptides in the presence of membrane was examined in more detail by isothermal titration calorimetric studies of Trp⁶-DPDPE and its acyclic analog. The membrane binding of the acyclic peptide is a more exothermic process than binding of its cyclic Trp⁶-DPDPE. The transfer of acyclic peptide from water to membrane is an enthalpy driven process, whereas the transfer of the cyclic peptide is driven by entropy.