Two mutant forms of human insulin. Structural consequences of the substitution of invariant B24- or B25-phenylalanine by leucine.

In 1979 the first abnormal human insulin was discovered. With the minute samples from the patient a Phe leads to Leu replacement could be established in either position B24 or B25. For the unequivocal localization of the substitution both the Leu analogues had to be prepared by semisynthesis. While another laboratory did this with the sequence of porcine insulin, here we are dealing with the true analogues of human insulin. In the present paper the structural consequences of the substitutions are investigated. Human insulin obtained by total synthesis served as a reference. Its CD spectral properties are herewith documented. According to the substantial deviations of the CD spectrum of [Leu B24]insulin, the introduction of the new side-chain forces conformational changes to occur not only in its immediate surrounding but also in the peptide chain. The failure to give the typical CD spectral response to variations of protein and zinc concentration indicates that the ability to form quaternary structure is impaired. Though dimerization was confirmed by gel chromatography to be largely reduced, it is concluded that, in addition, interactions normally responsible for the increase in tyrosine-CD with association are weakened. [Leu B25]insulin, on the other hand, does exhibit all CD spectral effects characteristic of the native hormone, though quantitatively somewhat reduced. The CD spectroscopic results are in full agreement with the computergraphic analysis of the sterical consequences of the substitutions. For B24-leucine an acceptable packing without movements of the mainchain and/or B15-leucine and without affecting dimerization is impossible, whereas B25-leucine can be accommodated without causing bad contacts either in the monomer or in the dimer. The structural results do not explain why [Leu B25]-insulin should have a lower biological activity than the B24 analogue, 2.1 +/- 0.3% versus 20.9 +/- 2.8%, in the fat cell test. They suggest, however, an important but not critical stereospecific role for the B25-phenylalanine in binding.