The effect of cyclization on the enzymatic degradation of herpes simplex virus glycoprotein D derived epitope peptide

One linear and three cyclic peptides corresponding to the 278–287 (278LLEDPVGTVA287) sequence of glycoprotein D (gD‐1) of herpes simplex virus were synthesized for the analysis of the effect of cyclization on protection against enzymatic degradation. In this design, the turn‐forming motif (281DPVG284) was positioned in the central part of the peptide and elongated by three amino acids at both termini. Cyclopeptide formation was achieved by the introduction of a peptide bond, a disulfide bridge or a thioether link. The stability of these peptides was compared in human serum and also in rat lysosomal preparations. The data obtained in 10% and 50% human serum show that all three types of cyclization enhanced the stability, but at different levels. Complete stability was only achieved by the introduction of a thioether link, while the presence of a disulfide or peptide bond resulted in improved, but partial resistance against hydrolytic decomposition. In lysosomal preparations the presence of cyclic primary structure provided full protection against enzymatic hydrolysis. Taken together, these findings indicate that by appropriate structural modification it is feasible to construct a synthetic antigen with high stability against enzymatic degradation in complex biological fluids. Further studies are in progress to identify enzymes responsible for degradation in diluted human sera as well as in the lysosomal preparations and to gain more detailed information on the mechanism of action. Copyright © 2005 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.