Synthetic RGD peptides derived from the adhesive domains of snake-venom proteins: evaluation as inhibitors of platelet aggregation (original) (raw)

1993, Biochemical Journal

Synthetic peptides based on the RGD domains of the potent platelet aggregation inhibitors kistrin and dendroaspin were generated. The 13-amino-acid peptides were synthesized as dicysteinyl linear and disulphide cyclic forms. In platelet-aggregation studies, the cyclic peptides showed 3-fold better inhibition than their linear equivalents and approx. 100-fold greater potency than synthetic linear RGDS peptides derived from fibronectin. An amino acid substitution, Asp10→Ala, in the kistrin-based peptide gave a 4-fold decrease in potency in the linear peptide, but produced a 2-fold elevation in the inhibitory activity of the cyclic form, generating a peptide of potency comparable with that of the parent protein.