The role of the position of the basic residue in the generation and fragmentation of peptide radical cations

Using simple di- and tripeptides GX, GGX, GXG, XG and XGG, the influence of the position of the basic residue, X (X = R, K and H), on the formation of peptide radical cations (M+) from [CuII(tpy)M]2+ complexes (where tpy = 2,2′:6′,2″-terpyridine) was probed. It was found that M+ is formed with greatest abundance when the basic residue is at the C-terminus. For arginine containing peptides, this may be due to further fragmentation of GRG+, RG+ and RGG+ at the MS2 stage. For lysine and histidine containing peptides, when the basic residue is not located at the C-terminus, competing fragmentation pathways that lead to peptide backbone cleavage are more facile than M+ formation. In order to gain some insights into the binding modes of these peptides to [CuII(tpy)]2+, the formation and fragmentation of copper(II) complexes of tripeptides protected as their carboxy methyl/ethyl esters (M–OR′, R′ = Me/Et) were also probed. The products of the competing fragmentation pathways of [CuII(tpy)M]2+, as well as the formation and fragmentation of [CuII(tpy)(M–OR′)]2+, suggest that the unprotected peptides, M, mainly bind as zwitterions to [CuII(tpy)]2+.The fragmentation reactions of the radical cations (M+) were also studied. Radical driven side chain fragmentation reactions of M+ are dependent on both the position of the residue as well as the identity of other residues present in the peptide radical cations. GR and RG, which undergo rearrangement to form a mixed anhydride in their protonated forms, do not undergo the same rearrangement in their radical cation forms.