Abstract
Head-to-tail cyclized analogues of the μ opioid receptor (MOR) agonist tetrapeptides DALDA (H-Tyr-D-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH2 and [Dmt1]DALDA (H-Dmt-D-Arg-Phe-Lys-NH2; Dmt = 2',6'-dimethyltyrosine) and their enantiomers (mirror-image isomers) were synthesized and pharmacologically characterized in vitro. Three pairs of enantiomeric cyclic peptides with both mirror-image isomers having equipotent MOR binding affinities but different binding affinities at the δ and κ opioid receptors were identified. The cyclic peptide enantiomers c[-D-Arg-Phe-Lys-Tyr-] (1) and c[-Arg-D-Phe-D-Lys-D-Tyr-] (2) showed nearly identical MOR binding affinity (1 - 2 nM) and equipotent MOR antagonist activity. The results of a MOR docking study indicated a very similar binding mode of the two enantiomers with nearly complete spatial overlap of the peptide ring structures and side chain interactions with the same MOR residues. Compounds 1 and 2 represent the first pair of enantiomeric G-protein-coupled receptor (GPCR) ligands having multiple chiral centers, with both optical antipodes showing equal, low nanomolar receptor binding affinity.