Small Structural Differences in Proline-Rich Decapeptides Have Specific Effects on Oxidative Stress-Induced Neurotoxicity and L-Arginine Generation by Arginosuccinate Synthase

ntroduction. The proline-rich decapeptide 10c (Bj-PRO-10c; ENWPHPQIPP) from the Bothrops jararaca snake modulates argininosuccinate synthetase (AsS) activity to stimulate L-arginine metabolite production and neuroprotection in the SH-SY5Y cell line. The relationships between structure, interactions with AsS, and neuroprotection are little known. We evaluated the neuro- protective effects of Bj-PRO-10c and three other PROs (Bn-PRO-10a, Bn-PRO-10c > Bn-PRO-10a-MK > Bn-PRO-10a. The structure of PROs and their correlations with enzyme activity revealed that histidine (H5) and glutamine (Q7) in Bj-PRO-10c potentiated their affinity for AsS. Conclusions. Our investigation provides the first insights into the structure and molecular interactions of PROs with AsS, which could possibly further their neuropharmacological applications.