Abstract
Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is one of the most abundant peptides in the central nervous system of mammalians. NPY acts by binding to at least five G‐protein coupled receptors (GPCRs) which have been named Y~1~, Y~2~, Y~4~, Y~5~ and Y~6~. Three spin‐labelled NPY analogues containing the nitroxide group of the amino acid TOAC (2,2,6,6‐tetramethylpiperidine‐1‐oxyl‐4‐amino‐4‐carboxylic acid) as a paramagnetic probe were synthesized by solid‐phase peptide synthesis. Synthetic problems owing to the sensitivity of nitroxide towards acidic and reducing conditions have been overcome by using a cleavage cocktail that contains anisole and cresol scavengers. Concerning the receptor binding preferences, the analogues [TOAC^34^]‐pNPY and [Ala^31^,TOAC^32^]‐pNPY showed a marked selectivity for the Y~5~ receptor, while [TOAC^2^]‐pNPY maintained a significant binding also to the Y~2~ receptor subtype. The modifications of the native peptide structure caused by the introduction of TOAC were examined by circular dichroism. In order to determine the rotational correlation time of the spin probes, electron paramagnetic resonance measurements were performed in solution and in the presence of liposomes. This allowed us to evaluate the backbone dynamics of the different parts of the NPY molecule in the free and membrane bound states. The results of these studies showed that NPY interacts with liposomes by using the C‐terminal α‐helix while the N‐terminal tail retains a flexibility that is comparable to that of the peptide in solution as already shown by NMR studies on DPC micelles. Furthermore, we demonstrated that TOAC‐labelling is a valuable tool to investigate changes in the backbone conformation and dynamics. This may be of major importance for peptides and small proteins when they bind to cell membranes. Copyright © 2002 European Peptide Society and John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.