Synthesis and in vitro evaluation of a rhenium-cyclized somatostatin derivative series

The structure-activity relationships of a series of rhenium (Re)-cyclized octreotide derivatives are described. The effects of changes in the peptide sequence, N-terminus, and C-terminus on metal cyclization, as well as binding to the somatostatin receptor, were investigated. Each peptide complex was found to have an integrated Re(V) core with a single metal oxo group, two coordination sites filled by the cysteine sulfhydryls, and another by the amide nitrogen of Phe (3)/Tyr (3). The final coordination site was determined by the peptide N-terminus: the N-terminal amine coordinated for N-NH 2 peptides and the amide nitrogen of Thr (6) for peptides with acetylated N-termini. Re-cyclization of the octreotide derivatives led to structural perturbations of the somatostatin receptor-binding sequence relative to the Re-free disulfide analogues, resulting in reduced binding affinities. The findings presented herein demonstrate the importance of understanding the consequences of structural modifications when designing metal-peptide complexes for somatostatin receptor targeting.