Intramolecular cross-linking of insulin. Preparation and properties of oxalyl- and malonyl-bis(methionyl) insulin.

The bifunctional reagents, oxalyl-(Met-ONp)2 and malonyl-(Met-ONp)2 have been prepared and investigated as reversible cross-linking reagents for insulin and model compounds. The removal of the cross-linking residues was demonstrated by the cyanogen bromide cleavage of oxalyl-(Met-Phe-OMe)2 and malonyl-(Met-Phe-OMe)2. Zinc-insulin reacted with a molar equivalent of oxalyl-(Met-ONp)2 or malonyl-(Met-ONp)2 in presence of excess triethylamine to yield oxalyl-(Met)2-insulin and malonyl-(Met)2-insulin, respectively. In these derivatives the N-terminal phenylalanine (B1 residue) was free. Thus the cross-link was between A1 and B29 residues in insulin. All three disulfide bonds of these insulin derivatives undergo reduction with tributylphosphine to give six sulfhydryls. Air-oxidation of reduced oxalyl-(Met)2-insulin and malonyl-(Met)2-insulin in 0.05 M disodium phosphate, pH 9.5, yielded products which were indistinguishable from oxalyl-(Met)2-insulin and malonyl-(Met)2-insulin respectively, as measured by physicochemical and biological methods. Cyanogen bromide cleavage of reduced and reoxidized malonyl-(Met)2-insulin in 70% formic acid regenerated insulin quantitatively, but only 40% of insulin was determined from similar treatment of oxalyl-(Met)2-insulin. The regenerated insulins exhibited the biological activity of native insulin. These studies strongly suggest that disulfide bonds formed during oxidation of reduced oxalyl-(Met)2-insulin and malonyl-(Met)2-insulin are identical to those found in insulin.